press camera Famous people with MS press camera
St Andrew's flag Scottish connection. thistle flower Possible Scottish connection.
Scotland has 10,500 people with MS, a much higher rate of MS
than England or Wales. Areas of high MS prevalence around the world have been settled by Scottish immigrants.
"People living in Scotland who also have a Scottish name are more
than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis .... than the English."

Independent, 16 June 1998 Find out why.


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  • Louise Arters American singer, dancer, film actress, model. Twin sister of Janet Arters-Duckworth and one of "The Sparkle twins".
  • Javier Artero Spanish soccer player with Club Deportivo Badajoz, S.A.D., football team based in Extremadura.
  • Sydney Ayres b.28 August 1879. d.09 September 1916. American silent-film actor, director and screenwriter.
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  • B
  • Jackie Bertone Diagn. 1998. US Latin percussionist with the Beach Boys and many others.
    "When I was diagnosed with MS, I had two options, either to shut down or to get pro-active with my disease, I chose the pro-active route. The way I see it, having Multiple Sclerosis, as with life itself, you are faced with roadblocks along the way. It all depends on how you choose to drive your car."
  • Michael Blake b.5 July 1945. Hollywood author. Wrote screen-play for film, "Dances with Wolves" (1990).
  • Rachelle Breslow Author and writer of "Who Said So?": A Woman's Fascinating Journey of Self Discovery and Triumph.
  • Nicky Broyd BBC Radio Journalist reads news on BBC Radio Five Live.
  • Martin Bruch b. Hall, Tirol 1961. Photographer.
  • Clive Burr b. 8 March 1957. Drummer with heavy-metal band, "Iron Maiden" (1980-1982).
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  • Carrel Cowan Ricks b.1 December 1945. d.11 January 1997. Historical archaeologist, anthropologist, presenter, researcher and professor.
  • Exene Cervenka b. Christine Cervenka, 1 February 1956. US American musician, writer, and artist, most famous as the co-lead vocalist of punk rock band "X".
  • Donal Coghlan - Irish singer/songwriter "Kissing the Roof of Heaven" "Hinterland".
  • Richard Cohen EMMY Award-winning journalist and author. Columnist for the Washington Post.
  • Bruce Frederick Cummings (a.k.a - W. N. P. Barbellion) b.7 Sept 1889. d.22 Oct 1919. English essayist, writer of "The Journal of a Disappointed Man" relating the story of his life with MS. "Among the most moving diaries ever created", Ronald Blythe.
  • Charlie Courtauld UK newspaper columnist writes about his MS in "Independent on Sunday". "At last I've found an excuse for my famous cack-handedness.
  • Betty Cuthbert Elizabeth Cuthbert, b. 20 April 1938. d.1969. Australian athlete, and Olympic medalist with 5 gold and 2 silver.
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  • Nancy Davis Dedicated US philanthropist, jewelry designer and author. Diagn. 1991.
  • Denise Davis Country/Western Singer. Youngest girl to win the Miss Alabama contest.
  • Sir Augustus Frederick d'Este KCB KCH b.13 Jan 1794, d.28 Dec 1848. (Posthumus diagnosis: earliest recorded person for whom a positive diagnosis determined from detailed personal diary.) Son of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex and Lady Augusta Murray and grandson of George III.
  • Barbara Dickson Diagn. 1992. Canadian author and public speaker, writer of "Mountains for Maddi". Retired from career as an IT software analyst.
  • Jaqueline DuPré OBE (Born Jaqueline Mary DuPré) 26 January 1945. Diagn. 1973. d.19 October 1987. Celebrated cellist married conductor/pianist Daniel Barenboim. Elgar Cello Concerto First Movement (Adagio - Moderato).
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  • Prof. Stanley Elkin b.May 11 1930. Diagn. 1972. d.31 May 1995. Jewish-American Professor of Modern Letters, Washington University, Professor Emeritus of history at Smith College. Controversial figure, books on slavery.
  • Loletha Elaine Falana b.11 September 1942. Diagn. 1987. US dancer/actress of Cuban and African-American descent.
  • Donna Fargo thistle flower b.10 November 1949. Diagn. 1979. US country/western singer. "Happiest Girl in The Whole USA" (1972) became a pop and country chart topper and won a Grammy. Later, a string of hits, included "Funny Face".
  • Bryan Forbes CBE b.22 July 1926. Diagn. 1975. British actor/writer/director married actress Nanette Newman 1955. Screen-writer, "Cockleshell Heroes" (1955), "The League of Gentlemen" (1959), "The Angry Silence" (1960), director, "Whistle Down the Wind" (1961), director, "The Stepford Wives" (1974), screen-writer, "Chaplin" (1992).
    • Annette Joanne Funicello (b. October 22, 1942 d. April 8, 2013) American singer/actress, active between 1955–1995. She was Walt Disney's most popular member of The Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.
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  • Terry Ann 'Teri' Garr b.11 December 1944. Diagn. 1999. US American film, theatre, television actress, dancer, and comedienne. Appeared in many films including: 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977), 'Tootsie' (1982), 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' (2000) (voice over). National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and National Chair for the Society's Women Against MS program (WAMS).
  • Prof. Sarah P Gibbs thistle flower Emeritus Professor Biology, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Motreal, Canada.
  • Beverly Graham US American folk/rock singer and performer advocate for the homeless and working poor.
  • Judy Graham b.1955. Diagn. 1981 age 26. Writer/broadcaster/editor. Writer of: "Multiple Sclerosis, The Self Help Guide", "Evening Primrose Oil", "Multiple Sclerosis and Having A Baby", "Reversing Multiple Sclerosis".
  • Nicola Griffith b. 30 September 1960. Diagn. March 1993. British science fiction writer. 1988 alumnus of Michigan State University, winner of Nebula Award, the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, the World Fantasy Award and 6 Lambda Literary Awards. She also received the Alice B.Award 2009.
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  • James Frederic "Jimmie" Heuga (b.22 Sept 1943 d.8 Feb 2010) American skier who won a bronze medal in the 1964 Olympics, one of the first two members of the U.S. men's team to win an Olympic medal in this sport. Later he used his experience of battling multiple sclerosis to help other people with MS, founding in 1984, the Vail Valley-based Jimmie Heuga Center.
  • Julie Howell thistle flower b.Andover, Hampshire, 19 Feb 1971. Diagn. 1991. Author of Jooly's Joint (aka JJ's or MS Webpals).
  • Stuart Henry b.24 February 1942. d.24 November 1995. DJ starting with Radio Scotland, then BBC Radio 1 (1967) leaving in 1974 to join Radio Luxembourg.
  • Lucien Hervé (Born László Elkán) 7 August 1910. d.26 June 2007. French-Hungarian photographer well known for his black-and-white photos of architecture. He was most famous for his collaboration with the architect Le Corbusier. Worked with architects Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer, Kenzo Tange, Richard Neutra, Oscar Niemeyer, Jean Prouvé, Bernard Zerfuss, and others.
  • Alistair Hignell CBE b.04 September 1955. Rugby player, cricketer, BBC commentator.
  • Tamia Hill b. Tamia Washington Hill, 09 May 1975. US R&B singer and Grammy Nominee.
  • Lena Horne (b. Lena Mary Calhoun* Horne, 30 June 1917 d. May 9, 2010) was an American Singer, Actress, Civil Rights Activist and Dancer.
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  • I-L
  • Frieda Inescort b. Frieda Wrightman 29 Jun 1901, Edinburgh. Diagn. c1930. d. 26 Feb 1976. Actress famously playing haughty grande dames after working as personal secretary of Lady Astor.
  • Johnny Killen thistle flower b.1938. Diagn. 1995. d.17 March 2003. 1960s US Rock-and-Roll singer. Ordained Minister.
  • Ronnie Lane b.1 April 1946. Diagn. c1976 (his mother also suffered from MS. d.4 June 1997.) English singer, songwriter and bass-guitar player with the "Small Faces" (1965-69) and "Faces" (1970-72).
  • James LaRocca Diagnosis 2003. US Composer and Jazz Guitar player.
  • Margaret Leighton b.26 February 1922. d.13 January 1976. TV and film actress, married to Max Reinhardt (1947-1955), Laurence Harvey (1957-1961), Michael Wilding (1964-until her death 1976). for her role as Valerie Carrington in "Carrington V.C." (1955) she received a BAFTA nomination for Best British Actress. For her film role as Mrs. Maudsley in "The Go-Between" (1970), she won the British BAFTA Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. More at the International Movie database.
  • Saint Lidwina of Schiedam b.18 March 1380. d.14 April 1433. Dutch nun and patron Saint of Ice Skaters. Earliest written record of a person with MS. (Posthumus diagnonis.)
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  • Roger MacDougall b.02 August 1910. Diagn. 1950s. d.27 May 1993. UK playwright. "The Man in the White Suit" (for which he received a 1952 Academy Award nomination) and "The Mouse That Roared". He developed a diet, loosely based on a paleolithic diet, that apparently returned him to good health and sustained remission. Following this experience, he published a pamphlet describing his diet intended to help other patients to achieve similar results.
  • David John MacLean MP b.16 May 1953. diagn.1996. Conservative MP for Penrith & The Border. Government whip from 1987 to 1989.
  • Fiona MacTaggart MP b.12 September 1953. Labour MP for Slough serving on the Education & Skills Select Committee.
  • Kiaran P. McLaughlin b. 15 November 1960. Diagn. 1998. US American thoroughbred racehorse trainer in Kentucky.
  • Kirsten McLaughlin (Mother of teenager Ryan McLaughlin, founder of "Shine on Scotland", a campaign to introduce vitamin D supplements to Scottish pregnant women.)
  • Anthony Milner thistle flower b.13 May 1925. Diagn. c1965. d. 22 September 2002 in Spain. British composer, college lecturer and conductor with close ties with the USA.
  • Miquel Martí i Pol b.19 March 1929. Diagn. 1970. d.11 November 2003. Distinguished Catalan poet.
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  • Sonia Oritse mother of JLS lead singer Oritse Wiwams (main carer) whose single was a chart-topper following appearance on BBCTV show, "X Factor".
  • David Osmond thistle flower (Son of Alan Osmond) lead singer with "Osmonds, 2nd Generation".
  • Jack Joseph Osbourne b. 8 November 1985 DX RRMS 2012. English media personality. Son of Ozzy Osbourne, famous rock singer, mother Sharon, and sister Kelly.
  • "Duke" Columbus Calvin Pearson Jr. b.17 August 1932. d.04 August 1980. American jazz pianist and composer who played a big part in shaping the "Blue Note" label's hard bop direction in the 1960s as a producer.
  • Alison Peebles Actress and director. Credits include Taggart, High Times, Afterlife, and Sex Traffic.
  • Patsy Peebles b.1992. Gateshead schoolgirl and fundraiser. One of the youngest people ever Diagn. with MS in 2007 age 15.
  • Prof. Colin Pillinger CBE (09 May 1943 - 7 May 2014). Diagn. 2004. Planetary scientist at the Open University in the UK. Gresham Professor of Astronomy responsible for Beagle Mars probe 2003.
  • Richard Pryor (Born Richard Franklin Lennox* Thomas Pryor III. 1 December 1940. d.10 December 2005.) African-American comedian/actor/writer. In 2004 voted #1 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. In 2005: British poll to find 'The Comedian's Comedian' voted 10th greatest comedy act ever.
  • Debbie Purdy b.1963. Diagn. PPMS 1995. Housewife who made legal history by winning her battle in the UK House of Lords to have the law on assisted suicide clarified.
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  • Elizabeth Quigley Political correspondent for BBC Scotland.
  • Michaele Salahi b.1966 diag.c.1993. Star of "The Real Housewives of D.C." and part of the infamous "White House party crashers".
    "No one wants to be seen as sickly," Salahi told 'People' magazine. "I didn't want to be pitied. The only way I can deal with it is to smile and act like I can get through it."
    Authorized biography, "Cirque du Salahi: Be Careful Who You Trust", by Diane Dimond.
  • Marianne Rasmussen Stewart b.Sep 1962 Fremont, Nebraska, USA. Author Married 2 children.
  • Fraser C. Robinson III (Michelle Obama's father.) b.1 August 1935. d.1991. married Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Shields, 1960. Employed as a pump-worker at the City of Chicago water plant. Listen to Barack Obama on TV talking about his father-in-law and other MS sufferers.
  • Ann Lois Romney(née Davies, b. April 16, 1949) wife of American businessman/politician Mitt Romney, Republican nominee in 2012 U.S. presidential election.
  • Richard Ivan Queen thistle flower b.1951. d.14 August 2002. US Foreign Service Officer, one of 1979 Iran Hostage crisis.
  • Anne Volant Rowling (Mother of J. K. Rowling, British author, creator of the Harry Potter.) d.1990. Volant Charitable Trust named in her memory. J. K. Rowling leaves Ł10m ($15.4m), in her mother's memory.
  • Stuart Schlossman b. 25 January 1959. diag. Editor of "Stu's Views and MS Related News".
  • Kristie Salerno Kent Singer/Songwriter and advocate for PwMS. Download her free ebook "Dreams".
  • Aaron Solowoniuk b. 21 November 1974. Diagn. 2006. Drummer for the Canadian band, "Billy Talent".
  • "Pepi" Stiegler b. Josef Stiegler 29 April 1937. Former alpine ski racer and a member of the Austrian national ski team during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Three times Olympic medalist.
  • "Bobby" Thompson b.1937. d.2005. Blue grass singer, 5-string banjo player/guitarist.
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  • "Clay" Walker b. Ernest Clayton Walker, Jr. 19 August 1969. US American country-music artist with 10 top-selling albums. Has done much to help fight MS; notably, his own non-profit charity, "Band Against" MS.
  • "Danny" Wallace b. David Lloyd Wallace 21 January 1964. Diagn. 1996. Footballer who played for Southampton, Manchester United, Millwall, Birmingham City, and Wycombe Wanderers. Won one cap for England.
  • Canon Andrew White b. 1964. Vicar of the only Anglican church in Iraq, St George's Church, Baghdad, dubbed the "Vicar of Baghdad". Chief executive of the "Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East", fostering reconciliation between Iraqi Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds.
  • Stephen Walsh White b.1951. Author of psychological thrillers, best known for his "Dr. Alan Gregory" series.
  • Constance Wilde (wife of famous writer Oscar Wilde). Speculation regarding her sudden death in 1898 ranged from spinal damage after a fall, to syphilis picked up from her errant husband. It was a tragic end to a tragic life. Recent evidence suggests that she suffered from MS and fell victim to eccentric medical practices and a botched operation. Letters containing pertinent passages have been interpreted by Dr. Ashley H. Robins, who was able to diagnose classic MS symptoms. (Follow her story in the Daily Mail).
  • Victoria Williams b.23 December 1958. Diagn. 1992. US American singer/songwriter and musician. Best-known songs include "Crazy Mary" and "Century Plant". Started "Sweet Relief", an aid to uninsured artists.
  • Victor Arthur James Willing b.15 January 1928, Alexandria, Egypt. Diagn.1966. d.1 June 1988. British painter, only son of a soldier. Trained at the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Lived in Portugal and London. Notable exhibitions at the Hanover Gallery (1955), the Serpentine Gallery (1982), the Whitechapel Gallery (1986), Tate Gallery (1999).
  • Dr. Paul Friedrich Wolfskehl b.1856. Diagn. c.1875. d.1906. German industrialist/ banker/mathematician/doctor of medicine. "The man who loved only numbers". Left large bequest to the first person to prove/disprove Fermat's Last Theorem.
  • Montel Williams b. Montel Brian Anthony Williams, 3 July 1956, diagn. 1999. American television personality, radio talk-show host and actor.
  • Walter Williams b.1943. Australian R&B group 'The O'Jays';
    "I have done well with MS and I want other sufferers to know that they too can lead a normal life," (Reuters telephone interview).
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    (Footnote: *Calhoun and Lennox, note Scottish influence in first or given names



    Last edited October 2013. ©Terence Wilson MMIX