List of Famous people who died at 61

John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer and child actor, who was best known for his work in the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2009.

Zeno Roth was a German guitarist and songwriter, playing in a neoclassical/blues style. He was the younger brother of guitarist Uli Jon Roth.

James Gregory was the censor officer and prison guard of Nelson Mandela for many years of his captivity. He later wrote the book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend, on which the 2007 film Goodbye Bafana was based. The book, and later the film, are based on the idea that Gregory and Mandela had developed a friendship despite being prison guard and prisoner, respectively.

Michael Rennie was a British film, television and stage actor, perhaps best remembered for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). In a career spanning more than 30 years, Rennie appeared in more than 50 films and in several American television series.

Nadia Hilou was an Arab-Israeli social worker and politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party between 2006 and 2009. She was the second female Israeli Arab MK after Hussniya Jabara, and also the first female Christian MK.

Minoru Murayama was a professional baseball player for the Osaka Tigers in Nippon Professional Baseball. His number 11 is retired with the Tigers. A pitcher with Hanshin from 1959 to 1972, he recorded a career 2.09 ERA and 192 career complete games to go with 222 wins. Hall of Famer.

Viktor Nikolaevich Tyumenev was a Russian ice hockey player who played in the Soviet Hockey League. He played for HC Spartak Moscow and Krylya Sovetov Moscow. He also played for the Soviet team during the 1979 Challenge Cup against the NHL All-Stars. He was born in Moscow, Soviet Union.

Ruth Hughes Aarons was a US table tennis player, vaudeville entertainer, and talent manager.

Renzaburō Shibata was a Japanese author and Sinologist. He graduated from Keio university. He wrote a number of historical novels, and published a new Japanese translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in 1959. In 1951,he won Naoki Prize. He is famous for his novel Nemuri Kyōshirō series.