Legendary showbiz journalist Garth Pearce who knew all six James Bonds dies aged 77 after glittering 50-year career

LEGENDARY showbiz journalist Garth Pearce has died, age 77.

In an incredible 50-year career he travelled to 35 countries interviewing Hollywood A-listers, TV's biggest celebrities and rock stars.

Garth was invited on to more than 500 film sets to meet the stars of some of the world’s biggest blockbusters.

He knew all six James Bonds and was the only journalist Sean Connery ever trusted.

Garth was still writing articles for The Sun shortly before he was diagnosed last month with inoperable cancer.

He died three weeks later at home in Berkshire with his wife of 52 years Davina, 76, and their daughters Dulcie, 43, and Gemma, 47, by his side on February 5th.

Garth said: “I’ve lived the life of a celebrity without having the misfortune of being one.”

Gardener’s son Garth Frederick Pearce joined his local paper, the Walsall Observer, at 19, and by the age of 25 was working in Fleet Street.

In 1976 he was the only journalist who could be bothered to visit the set of a film that was predicted to be a flop - Star Wars.

An unknown Harrison Ford would be the first of hundreds of A-list celebrities he interviewed, often in their own homes.

The following year he was the only British journalist to go on the first-ever tour with Eurovision winners ABBA where Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson were so wracked with fear, they almost called the whole thing off.

Later, his showbiz articles – including the first interviews with budding stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez - were syndicated in 22 countries.

I’ve lived the life of a celebrity without having the misfortune of being one

Garth Pearce

He also wrote eight books, including The Making of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves where he met Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman on set under the Heathrow flight path instead of Sherwood Forest.

As a Beatles fan, of all the stars he wrote about his favourite was Paul McCartney.

Garth’s daughter Dulcie, the Sun’s film critic, said: “He remained the best storyteller and a hilarious raconteur until the very end.”

Jasper Carrott, his life-long friend after they met as teenagers, said: “Garth was such a dear, devoted, generous friend who lit up the room wherever he was.”

Another pal and fellow West Brom fan Adrian Chiles added: “Garth always had the right words - written in a lovely fountain pen hand. A true gentleman.”