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Oscar-winning composer James Horner dies in plane crash

James Horner, the Hollywood composer who wrote the score for the Oscar-winning film hit Titanic, has died in a California plane crash aged 61.

A trained pilot, he is reported to have been alone aboard a small private plane which crashed north of Santa Barbara on Monday morning.

The two-time Oscar winner worked on three James Cameron films, as well as A Beautiful Mind, Troy and Apollo 13.

He won one Oscar for the Titanic film score and another for its theme song.

The musican shared his second Oscar with lyricist Will Jennings for best original song, My Heart Will Go On, sung by Celine Dion.

Horner was nominated for a further eight Oscars, for scores and songs for the films Avatar, House of Sand and Fog, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Field of Dreams, An American Tail and Aliens.

The plane crash left an impact crater and sparked a brush fire that had to be put out by firefighters, local fire authorities said.

Actor and director Ron Howard tweeted: "Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones."

Avengers star Patrick Macnee dies aged 93

Actor Patrick Macnee, star of The Avengers TV series, has died in California at the age of 93.

The Briton, best known for playing John Steed in the 1960s television spy series, died at home with his family at his bedside, his son Rupert said.

Macnee also played roles in theatre, appearing on Broadway, and served in the Royal Navy during World War Two.

A statement on the actor's website read: "Wherever he went, he left behind a trove of memories."

He died peacefully at his home in California's Rancho Mirage on Thursday, Rupert said.

Born in London, Macnee grew up in Berkshire and was educated at Summerfields Preparatory School and Eton.

At the age of 11, he acted in Henry V opposite a young Sir Christopher Lee. He first appeared in the West End while still in his teens.

He played a number of minor roles - including one in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film version of Hamlet - before rising to fame in the original Avengers series between 1961 and 1969.

The series developed a cult following around the world, the BBC's Los Angeles reporter Peter Bowes said.

Steed was known for his dress sense, always donning a bowler hat and carrying an umbrella, which was used as a secret weapon.

Macnee returned when that series was reprised as The New Avengers in the 1970s, appearing alongside Joanna Lumley's Purdey and Gareth Hunt's Mike Gambit.

Later, he starred on Broadway in Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth, touring internationally with that play and several other productions

He also appeared in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill, playing an ally of Roger Moore's Bond character, and made a cameo appearance as the head of a record company in This is Spinal Tap.

Sir Roger tweeted: "So very sad to hear Pat Macnee has left us.

"We were mates from 1950s and I have so many happy memories of working with him. A true gent."

Macnee featured too as a guest star in dozens of British, American and Australian TV productions.

Macnee had two children, son Rupert and daughter Kate Woodville, and one grandson.

He was married three times, including to actress Katherine Woodville, with whom he acted in The Avengers.

He had been a US citizen since 1959.

Chris Squire, Yes Bassist and Co-Founder, Dead at 67

Chris Squire, the co-founder and longtime bassist of prog rock icons Yes and the only member of the group to feature on every studio album, has passed away just over a month after revealing that he was suffering from a rare form of leukemia. Squire was 67. Current Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes first tweeted the news, "Utterly devastated beyond words to have to report the sad news of the passing of my dear friend, bandmate and inspiration Chris Squire."

es confirmed Squire's death on their official Facebook page. "It's with the heaviest of hearts and unbearable sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend and Yes co-founder, Chris Squire. Chris peacefully passed away last night in Phoenix Arizona, in the arms of his loving wife Scotty," the band wrote in a statement.

"For the entirety of Yes' existence, Chris was the band's linchpin and, in so many ways, the glue that held it together over all these years. Because of his phenomenal bass-playing prowess, Chris influenced countless bassists around the world, including many of today’s well-known artists. Chris was also a fantastic songwriter, having written and co-written much of Yes' most endearing music, as well as his solo album, Fish Out of Water."

Yes formed in 1968 after singer Jon Anderson met self-taught bassist Squire at a London music-industry bar; the pair were soon joined by guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. Yes released their self-titled debut in 1969. However, it wasn’t until Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman replaced Banks and Kaye, respectively, that the prog rock group really hit it big with 1971's The Yes Album and Fragile.

Over the ensuing decades, Yes would see a parade of band members depart, enter and reenter, but Squire was the lone constant in the shape-shifting band, serving as their bassist for nearly 50 years. Squire is also credited as a co-writer on many of Yes' greatest cuts, including "I've Seen All Good People," "Starship Trooper," "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Heart of the Sunrise."

In addition to his work with Yes, Squire was involved in other side and solo projects. His 1975 solo LP Fish Out of Water is revered among prog fans. Squire also teamed with Yes part-time guitarist Billy Sherwood for their Conspiracy project in 2000 and, more recently, formed Squackett with Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. Yes' current incarnation featured singer Jon Davison, and as Squire told Rolling Stone, the vocalist was hired based on a recommendation from Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins.

In May, Squire revealed that he was recently diagnosed with acute erythroid leukemia, which would force him to miss the band's summer co-headlining tour with Toto. The absence marked the first time in the band's history that Yes performed without their longtime bassist.

"This will be the first time since the band formed in 1968 that Yes will have performed live without me," Squire said in a statement. "But the other guys and myself have agreed that Billy Sherwood will do an excellent job of covering my parts and the show as a whole will deliver the same Yes experience that our fans have come to expect over the years."

In February 2013, Rolling Stone spoke to Squire about Yes' legacy and the fact that Rush, but not Yes, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Logistically, it's probably difficult for whoever the committee is to bring in Yes," Squire said. "Rush is fairly simple. It's the same three guys and always has been. They deserve to be there, no doubt about that. But there still seems to be a certain bias towards early-Seventies prog rock bands like Yes and King Crimson… In our case, we're on our 18th member. If we ever do get inducted, it would be only fair to have all the members, old and new. So that may be a problem for the committee. I don't know."

Singer Cilla Black dies aged 72

Singer and TV star Cilla Black, who enjoyed a 50-year showbusiness career, has died aged 72, police in Spain say.

The 1960s singing star became a popular TV celebrity on such shows as Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.

Born Priscilla White in Liverpool, Black changed her name to launch a singing career with hits such as Anyone Who Had a Heart and You're My World.

She made her TV debut in 1968 with her own BBC One primetime series and went on to host a number of shows for ITV.

News agency Reuters said police in Malaga said Priscilla White had died in Estapona in the Costa del Sol region.

The death appeared to be due to natural causes, but this had not yet been confirmed by tests, police told the news agency.

Last year Black received honours from Bafta and the Royal Television Society in recognition of her lengthy career.

A recent ITV drama series about her early years saw her played by the actress Sheridan Smith.

Her music career began while working as a hat check girl at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club.

It was there she met her husband-to-be Bobby Willis and performed along such acts as The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

She was soon brought to the attention of manager Brian Epstein and released her first single, Love of the Loved, in September 1963.

The following year she released the ballads You're My World and Anyone Who Had a Heart, both of which went to number one.

She and Willis wed in 1969 and remained married until his death in 1999 at the age of 57.

The couple had three sons, one of whom, Robert, succeeded his father as her manager.

George Cole: Star of Minder dies at 90

Actor George Cole, best known for playing Arthur Daley in TV's Minder, has died aged 90.

Cole played the Cockney wheeler dealer Daley for 16 years, between 1979 and 1994.

He also starred in a number of St Trinian's films as shady businessman Flash Harry.

Agent Derek Webster said Cole had died at the Royal Berkshire hospital following a short illness, surrounded by his family.

Cole played opposite Dennis Waterman's Terry McCann, an affable bodyguard, in ITV's Minder for more than a decade.

Waterman said he had "the privilege of spending Tuesday afternoon with him and Penny and, although very frail, his wit was as evident as ever".

"I am so sad to hear of George's death. His family must be devastated, and I am absolutely certain that anybody who ever knew him, will feel the same.

"I'm so grateful to have been a friend of this wonderful man. We worked together for many years and my boast is that we laughed all day every day.

"He was an amazing man, a wonderful actor and besotted with his family. Farewell old friend."

Waterman, who sang the Minder theme tune, left the show to be replaced by Gary Webster for the final two series.

Talking to BBC News, Webster called Cole a "comic genius" who "made you realise there's an Arthur Daley in every family".

"He was one of those characters you never thought you are going to be without, both as an actor and a character," he added.

"He was a great guy to work with and a real genuine gentleman."

Arthur Daley became a TV legend as a small-time crook who was always dreaming of bigger things, with the series regularly drawing in audiences of 17 million.

Cole also played Flash Harry, a remarkably similar character, in four St Trinian's films between 1954-66, starring alongside the likes of Terry Thomas, Joyce Grenfell and Sid James in the boarding school comedies.

It also allowed him to work with Alistair Sim, who had become his mentor after taking him into his home at the age of 15 alongside his adoptive mother.

They had such a close relationship that eventually Cole opted to build and live in a house next door to Sim and his wife, continuing to appear in a number of films together.

Cole began acting in the early 1940s, appearing with Lawrence Olivier in The Demi-Paradise, and taking a small role in Olivier's star-studded Henry V.

He joined the war effort in 1944, joining the Royal Air Force, before resuming his acting career when the conflict ended.

He found himself consistently in work, on stage, television film and radio.

As well as the St Trinian's films, he also starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Cleopatra, and gothic horror The Vampire Lovers.

Cole was 70 when Minder finished but he still worked regularly, with guest roles in the likes of Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat and New Tricks, which also starred Waterman.

Cole, who was made an OBE in 1992, married his second wife Penny in 1967.