July 27, 2012

2012Norman Alden, American actor (born 1924)^[†]

Norman Alden was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on The 20th Century Fox Hour in 1957. He provided the voice of Sir Kay in The Sword in the Stone (1963), and had a notable role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. His acting career began in 1957 and lasted nearly 50 years. He is also known for playing Kranix in The Transformers: The Movie (1986). He retired from acting in 2006. He died on July 27, 2012, at the age of 87.

2012R. G. Armstrong, American actor and playwright (born 1917)^[†]

Robert Golden Armstrong Jr. was an American character actor and playwright. A veteran performer who appeared in dozens of Westerns during his 40-year career, he may be best remembered for his work with director Sam Peckinpah.

2012Darryl Cotton, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (born 1949)^[†]

Darryl Grant Cotton was an Australian pop, rock singer-songwriter, television presenter and actor. He was a founding member of Australian rock group Zoot in 1965, with Beeb Birtles, and were later joined by Rick Brewer and Rick Springfield. As a solo artist Cotton released the albums, Best Seat in the House (1980), It's Rock 'n' Good Fun (1984) and Let the Children Sing (1994). In April 1980 his biggest solo hit, "Same Old Girl", which was co-written by Cotton, peaked at No. 6 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. He acted in the TV soap opera, The Young Doctors (1979), and on stage as Joseph in the theatre production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (1983).

2012Geoffrey Hughes, English actor (born 1944)^[†]

Geoffrey William Hughes DL was an English actor. Hughes provided the voice of Paul McCartney in the animated film Yellow Submarine (1968), and rose to fame for portraying bin man Eddie Yeats in the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street from 1974 to 1983, making a return to the show in 1987. He is well known for playing loveable slob Onslow in the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995) and "Twiggy" in the sitcom The Royle Family, playing the part from 1998 to 2008.

2012Tony Martin, American actor and singer (born 1913)^[†]

Alvin Morris, known professionally as Tony Martin, was an American actor and popular singer.

2012Jack Taylor, English footballer and referee (born 1930)^[†]

John Keith Taylor was an English football referee. Later described by the Football League as "perhaps the finest English referee of all time", Taylor was famous for officiating in the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final during which he awarded two penalties in the first 30 minutes. The first of these penalty kicks, awarded after just a minute of play, was the first penalty kick awarded in a World Cup final.