Wilko Johnson, a well-known guitarist, singer, and actor, died on November 21 at the age of 75. On his Twitter account, a note was written confirming his passing and requesting privacy for his family. Johnson died at home, and the cause of death has not yet been disclosed. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2013 but refused treatment, despite being given just nine to ten months to live.
He was eventually diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and required major surgery. At the 2014 Q Awards, he won the Icon Award and revealed that he was cancer-free following an 11-hour procedure in which a 3-kilogram tumor was removed from his body.
Wilko Johnson, the guitarist with British blues-rock band Dr. Feelgood who had an unexpected career renaissance after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, has died. He was 75. https://t.co/L1l3K0CDV0
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 24, 2022
Wilko Johnson portrays Ser Ilyn Payne In Game of Thrones.
Wilko Johnson was a well-known guitarist and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence, though, for his role as the silent executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in HBO’s fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. King Aerys II Targaryen had ordered Ser Payne’s tongue to be amputated prior to the events of the episode. Ser Ilyn Payne was an expert headsman who always required a second strike to finish his charges. He was Jaime’s sparring partner in A Feast for Crows and executed Lord Eddard Stark after his collapse.
The role featured in the show’s first and second seasons and was cast when the producers spotted him in Oil City Confidential. The creators envisioned someone “very evil who walked about gazing daggers at people before murdering them,” according to Johnson. He stated that it made things easier since “looking daggers at people” was something he had always done and considered second nature.
The Kingsroad, Baelor, Fire and Blood, and Backwater all featured Ser Ilyn Payne. From April 17, 2011, to May 19, 2019, Game of Thrones aired for eight seasons and 73 episodes. House of the Dragon, the prequel, was published on August 21, 2022.
Wilko Johnson was a member of the Dr. Feelgood band.
Wilko Johnson, who was born on July 12, 1947, was a member of many local bands. He graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and then moved to India. He returned to Essex to perform with the Pigboy Charlie Band, which was eventually renamed Dr. Feelgood. Between 1975 and 1977, Dr. Feelgood got their first record contract and released four albums: Down by the Jetty, Malpractice, Stupidity, and Sneakin’ Suspicion. Stupidity and Sneakin’ Suspicion both made it to the top of the rankings. Wilko left the band in 1977 following a dispute about the singles from Sneakin’ Suspicion.
Johnson was a founder member of Solid Senders, who signed with Virgin in 1978. The same year, the band’s self-titled album was published, and Wilko joined another band, The Blockheads, in 1980. Wilko starred in the 2009 documentary film Oil City Confidential, and his autobiography, Looking Back at Me, was published in 2012. He went on to star in two further documentaries, Evidently… John Cooper Clarke and Punk Britannia. He declared in 2013 that he had terminal cancer, although he continued to perform on various occasions. Johnson’s two kids, Matthew and Simon, survive him. He was married to Irene Knight, who died in 2004 from cancer.
