List of Famous people who died at 79

Harry "Pombo" Villegas was a Cuban Communist guerrilla. He was born in Yara, Cuba, and was a descendant of African slaves. He fought alongside Che Guevara in battles from the Sierra Maestra to the Bolivian insurgency. From 1977 to 1979, and again from 1981 to 1988, Villegas was part of the leadership of Cuba's volunteer military mission in Angola, fighting alongside Angolan and Namibian forces against aggression by South Africa's apartheid regime. Villegas was a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1997 to 2011, a deputy of Cuba's National Assembly, and executive vice president of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution.

Noel John Christopher Harrison was an English actor who had a hit singing "The Windmills of Your Mind" in 1968, and was a member of the British Olympic skiing team in the 1950s. He was the son of the actor Rex Harrison.

Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso,, known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt, between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party.

William James "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.

Gustave "Gus" Brickner was a famous swimmer hailing from Charleroi, Pennsylvania in the United States. He was famous for extreme swimming feats. Living in an era before the internet and instant worldwide media, his name was well known in swimming circles. Many non-competitive swimmers also knew him by his well-earned nickname, "The Human Polar Bear".

Alessandra Panaro was an Italian film actress of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Coco Hotahota was a French Polynesian dancer and choreographer who founded the Temaeva troupe in 1962. He greatly contributed to choreography for the dance ’Ori tahiti.

Joan Brossa was a Catalan poet, playwright, graphic designer and visual artist. He wrote only in the Catalan language.