Great Lives

"‘For me, it’s all about his authenticity’. Chris McCausland Kurt Cobain, lead singer, guitarist and

Matthew Parris travels along the Thames to meet Nick Hayes - illustrator and author of The Book of T

"I was born an Englishman but I'll die a European." Those are the words of Henry Plumb, Lord Plumb,

The voice behind The Old Grey Whistle Test and Radio 2’s country music show, Bob Harris, tells us wh

In 1972 Chucky Berry was onstage in Coventry. Seeking some audience participation Chuck launched in

Known to his friends as Christo, Lloyd spent his whole life, from childhood until his death aged 85,

"Cooking is like therapy to us. I grew up where my big extended family would come together in summer

Bonnie Greer OBE, playwright and critic, joins Matthew Parris to make a case for seven women from Ja

As Grandson of George V, George Lascelles was a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and with his dist

Chef Romy Gill remembers her Mother reading Amrita Pritam's poems to her when she was growing up. Ro

Rosalind Franklin was born in 1920 and studied Natural Sciences. After working in Paris at the Labor

Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw was born Kathleen Timpson in 1912. Deaf from an early age, she went on to

Ravi Shankar was born in India in 1920 and came to prominence just as India gained independence from

BS Johnson was born in Hammersmith in 1933. A wartime evacuee, he never quite shook a sense of dislo

Pat Nevin chooses Johan Cruyff who was part of the Dutch revolution of the 1970s. He burst onto the

Susie Boyt picks Judy Garland, the child star who became one of the most famous entertainers of the

Joan Rhodes picked by Anna Maxwell Martin, star of Line of Duty and Motherland. Her choice is a lov

Comedian and writer Rob Newman is a long-time fan of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who "saved the

He was a broadcaster, music mogul, social activist, local celebrity, publicity seeker, loud mouth, s

Described by those who knew him as a 'Revolutionary Man of Peace' Gil Scott-Heron transformed the mu