The death of legendary footballer Pelé on December 29 eclipses that of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, which occurred the same day.
British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, “the empress of punk”, has just died on December 29, 2022. But it’s a safe bet that this date will be remembered above all as that of the disappearance of “King” Pelé , the legendary Brazilian footballer.
A brief glance at the headlines on December 30 is enough to confirm it: the death of Pelé totally eclipses that of Vivienne Westwood. Even in the United Kingdom, the designer’s native country. Before her, other artists had the misfortune to die on the same day as another celebrity.
• Johnny Hallyday and Jean d’Ormesson
The writer had the chance to enter the Pléiade during his lifetime, but the bad taste of dying on the same day as another national icon: Johnny Hallyday. On December 5, 2017, we learned in the middle of the night of the death of the rocker adored by the French. It was around this time that the nonagenarian writer died, in a certain indifference. The death of the rocker completely eclipses that of the academician. It was also one of the author’s fears, as he mentioned a few years earlier on a television set.
“A writer must pay attention to everything he writes, he must pay attention to everything he says and he must pay attention to how he dies”, explained Jean d’Ormesson.
“You know, it’s very bad for a writer to die, for example, at the same time as Piaf,” he added, pointing out that Jean Cocteau died on October 11, 1963, the day after the singer.
“Piaf took all the light for her, and we didn’t talk much about Cocteau”, recalled d’Ormesson, without suspecting that Johnny Hallyday was going to take all his light to him, and that his national tribute would fascinate the crowds less. than the popular tribute to Johnny.
• Edith Piaf and Jean Cocteau
The death of the poet and filmmaker, a few hours after that of the world-famous singer, continues to feed the chronicle, almost 60 years later. True or false, the legend even says that the death of Piaf would have caused that of Cocteau, the two artists being very close. The actor Jean Marais, who shared the life of Cocteau, however denied.
“He died of lung edema, his heart gave out. He loved Edith very much but I don’t think it was Edith’s death that caused Jean’s death.”
But in fact, the funeral of Edith Piaf on October 14, attracts more people than those of the artist, two days later.
• Carrie Fisher and Claude Gensac
Who remembers the death of Claude Gensac, who was so often the wife of Louis de Funès on screen, and whose popular comedies are repeatedly broadcast on television?
No one, for the good reason that she died at an advanced age, the same day as Carrie Fisher, eternal Princess Leia in collective memory, December 27, 2016.
• Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett
On June 25, 2009, the whole world mourned the death of the King of Pop, who revolutionized music. But less that of the American actress Farrah Fawcett, whose magnificent brushing and role in the series are especially remembered. Charlie’s Angels.
Evidenced by these Unes of the press, on which Michael Jackson is omnipresent.
• Joseph Stalin and Sergius Prokofiev
The death of one entered the history books, that of the other not. It will even take several days for the Soviet newspaper Pravda to announce the death of the author of Pierre and the Wolftotally eclipsed by that of the “little father of peoples”.
•JF Kennedy and Aldous Huxley
The author of brave new world experienced a bit of the same misadventure, since he died on November 22, 1963, the day John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Difficult to fight.
“To the extent that someone is worried about seeing the announcement of his death make the headlines, it is better not to die the same day, or almost the same day, as a Kennedy”, will ironize the New York Times in 2013.
