Celebrity Deaths 2024 – Offbeat Almanac

Celebrity Passages January 2024

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The list of celebrity deaths this year includes singers and songrwriters, actors and dancers & choreographers, rock & rollers, journalists and authors, who passed away in 2024. Glynis Johns, who everybody loved in “Mary Poppins, was one of the first we mourned” A well-known lumberjack passed on the same day. The first of many soap stars who died in 2024 died in January. In fact, there were three. The last surviving member of “The Honeymooners” and the lead singer of one of the top pop girl groups in rock ‘n roll history also passed. In Hollywood deaths, an Oscar-winning director and producer, whose films we all loved, passed at 97. Crazy Joe Davola passed away. A veteran TV and radio personality, known for his folksy humor and Billboard’s #1 Top Female Vocalist for 1972 died. And the curtain closed on one of the biggest stars from Broadway.

1/3/2024 Harry Johnson, well known for his roles on “Battlestar Galactica” (1978) “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Law & Order,” died at age 81 after a long illness. Other credits include “M*A*S*H,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “The A-Team,” “L.A. Law,” “Dynasty” and “Who’s the Boss?” (Born 12/27/1942)

1/3/2024 Hairstylist Angus Mitchell died by accidental drowning at his home in Hawaii at age 53. He was the son of Paul Mitchell, who also died at age 53. (Pancreatic cancer.)

1/4/2024 English actress Glynis Johns died in Los Angeles at age 100. Best-known as Mrs. Banks in “Mary Poppins.” She was seen in “The Ref,” starring Denis Leary. (1994). Johns won a Tony award for her role as Desiree Armfeldt in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music.” Her final screen appearance was in “Superstar” (1999). She appeared in several episodes of “Batman” as Lady Penelope Peasoup, and on “Cheers” as the mother of Shelley Long’s Diane Chambers.

1/4/2024 American-British actor and singer David Soul died at 80 in London. Best-known as Sergeant Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson in the TV series “Starsky & Hutch.” He played Joshua Bolt, a lumberjack, on “Here Comes the Brides.” (1968-1970) Movies: “Magnum Force” (1972), “Farewell” and “Filth.” As a singer he hit #1 with “Don’t Give Up on Us.” (1976) (Born Aug 28, 1943 in Chicago)

1/4/2024 Actor,writer and producer Christian Oliver and his two daughters (age 10 & 12) were killed in a plane crash in the Caribbean. He was 51. He starred in Europe’s Number One action series “Alarm for Cobra.” (1996-2024) He was also known as Emil Brandt in “The Good German” (2006), Sargeant-Major Arthur Adam in “Valkyrie” (2008),”Speed Racer” (2008) “The Baby-Sitters Club,” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” (2023) Oliver was also a realtor at Beverly Hills brokerage The Agency. (Born 3/3/1972 in Celle, Germany)

1/5/2024 Former New York Times Executive Editor, Pulitzer Prize winner Joseph Lelyveld died of Parkinson’s disease at age 86. He won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction for his book, “Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White.” He was Executive Editor of the Times from 1994-2001.

1/8/2024 Mexican actor and director Adan Canto, best known for his work as mobster Arman Morales on “The Cleaning Lady” (Fox) and White House Chief of Staff Aaron Shore on “Designated Survivor” (2016-2019), A.J. Menendez in the ABC prime-time series “Blood & Oil,” politician Rodrigo Lara Bonilla on the drama series “Narcos,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Natural Born Killers died of appendix cancer at age 42. (Born 12/5/1981 in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico)

1/9/2024 Drummer James Kottak died at 61. Played with Scorpions and Kingdom Come. On April 29, 2014, the National Post reported via the Associated Press that Kottak had been arrested in Dubai and sentenced to one month in jail for offensive behavior, insulting Islam, and public drunkenness. On September 12, 2016, he was fired from Scorpions for his alcoholism, and would later work on his recovery.

1/10/2024 Actor Peter Crombie died in Palm Springs, CA at age 71. Best known as ‘Crazy Joe Davola on “Seinfeld.” The character was named for TV producer Joe Davola. Crombie has dozens of credits, including “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue,” “Diagnosis Murder” and “Get Smart.” He also appeared in films such “Natural Born Killers” (1994) and “The Blob.” (1988)

1/11/2024 Annie Nightengale died at 83. She was the first female presenter of a BBC Radio 1 show and co-host of “The Old Grey Whistle Test.”

1/11/2024 Actress/singer Lynne Marta, who maintained a steady and prolific TV and film career for nearly 40 years, died of cancer in Los Angeles at age 78. She made her professional acting debut in 1966 on an episode of “Gidget.” Had roles on “Love, American Style” and the films “Joe Kidd” (1972), “Footloose” (1984) and “Three Men and a Little Baby” (1990). Marta also appeared in 24 episode of “Days of Our Lives” (1983-2003). In 1983, People magazine reported that Marta and actor David Soul had an “open relationship”. The article explained, “All through the Starsky and Hutch years David and Lynne lived together but spent time with other people.” (Born 10/30/1945)

1/12/2024 Bill Hayes, a longtime star of the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” died at age 98. He played Doug Williams since 1970, racking up over 2,000 episodes in 53 years. He met his real-life wife, actress Susan Seaforth, on the series. They were married in 1974 and their characters married on the show two years after that. Hayes earned two Daytime Emmy nominations. Hayes and Seaforth-Hayes earned lifetime achievements award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2018. In 1956, Hayes had a pop hit with his rendition of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” the song made popular by actor Fess Parker.

1/12/2024 Actor and fitness model Alec Musser died by self-inflicted gunshot wound in Del Mar, CA at age 50. He was a model for Men’s Health and ads for Abercrombie and Fitch. Best-known for his role as Del Henry on “All My Children” (2005-2007), appearing in 43 episodes as the illegitimate son of Seabone Hunkle (Steve Kanaly). He won the second season of the SOAPnet original series “I Wanna Be a Soap Star.” Other credits: “Road to the Altar” (2009), “Rita Rocks” (2009), “The Phantom Executioner” (2010) and “Desperate Housewives” (2011). Also appeared in the 2010 comedy film “Grown Ups” as a water park patron.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

1/13/2024 Joyce Randolph, best-known for her role in 39 episodes as Trixie Norton on the classic sitcom “The Honeymooners,” and was the last surviving member of the cast, died in New York at age 99. Randolph’s character was married to Art Carney’s Ed Norton. Elaine Stritch originated Trixie when “The Honeymooners” was first a series of sketches on the Cavalcade of Stars variety show. Jackie Gleason hired her for the show after seeing her in a Clorets TV commercial. Randolph was referred to as “the Garbo of Detroit.” Both were Scandinavian.

1/13/2024 Film critic and author Tom Shales, a Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic for The Washington Post died at 79. His column was syndicated nationally. He wrote several books; “Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live” (2002), “On The Air!” (1982) and “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN” (2011).

1/15/2024 Canadian broadcast journalist, television host and actress Nerene Virgin died in Burlington, Ontario. She was 77. She was certified as a special education teacher. Best-known for her work as Jodie on “Today’s Special.” Film roles include HBO TV film “Gotti” (1996) “Murder in Space” and “Right of the People.” (Born Nerene Grizzle on 12/27/1946 in Hamilton, Ontario)

1/16/2024 Peter Schickele, best-known for his comedic parodies of classical music, despite being a serious composer died at age 88 at his home in Bearsville, NY. Known for “P.D.Q. Bach” He composed for both film and Broadway. He won Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album four years in a row. (1990-1993). (Born 7/17/1935.)

1/18/2024 “Tonight Show” writer Hank Bradford died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles at age 88. He was head writer for “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” from 1970-1975, then “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.” (1986-1987) He also worked on “Three’s Company” and “M*A*S*H,” “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977) “Detective School” (1979), “Private Benjamin” (1981) and “One Big Family “(1986). “Do you know that since the release of West Side Story, it’s impossible to get into a New York gang unless you know ballet?” He met his wife, Patricia, when she was a talent coordinator for “The Tonight Show.” Father of writer-producer Sally Bradford McKenna. (Born Henry Brenowitz on 5/7/1935 on Brooklyn, NY)

1/19/2024 Mary Weiss, lead singer of pop girl group the Shangri-Las, died at 75. The group was formed while she was still in high school with her sister Elizabeth and twins Mary Ann and Marguerite Ganser. Songs: “Leader of the Pack” (#1 in 1965),“Give Him a Great Big Kiss” (1965), “Maybe” “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” (was their first Top-10 hit) and “Heaven Only Knows”. The Shangri-Las disbanded in 1968 because of litigation, a subject that Weiss said she was prevented from discussing even decades later.

1/19/2024 Legendary jazz, blues and soul singer Marlena Shaw died at age 81. She began her career with a performance at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in 1952, after being invited onstage by her uncle, a jazz trumpet player. Her most famous song is Ashford & Simpson’s “California Soul.” As a composer, she was known for “The Italian Job” (2003), “The Lincoln Lawyer” (2011) and “Forces of Nature.” (1999). She released 17 albums with eight different record labels. She retired in 2016. (Marlina Burgess was born 9/22/1942 in New Rochelle, NY)

1/20/2024 Oscar-nominated film director and producer Norman Jewison died at age 97. Best picture Oscar for “In the Heat of the Night.” (1967) which won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, “Moonstruck” (1987), “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971), “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973), “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” “Rollerball” (1975) and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” (1968) He won 12 Oscars from 41 nominations and was awarded the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1999. TV: “Your Hit Parade” on CBS, “The Andy Williams Show” and two Harry Belafonte specials. (Born 7/21/1926)

1/20/2024 Actor David Gail died age 58. He played Shannen Doherty’s fiancé on “Beverly Hills 90210” (1990) and Dr. Joe Scanlon on “General Hospital” spinoff soap “Port Charles.” (216 episodes) Dean Collins in 34 episodes on “Savannah” (1996-1997), he appeared in “Growing Pains” (1990), “Doogie Howser, M.D.” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Matlock.” (Born 2/27/1965 in Tampa, FL.)

1/22/2024 American activist and lawyer Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died of prostate cancer at age 62. He is the author of “Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir.” Dexter Scott King also portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2002 American television movie “The Rosa Parks Story.” Dexter was a dedicated vegan and animal rights activist. (Born 1/3011961)

1/22/2024 Actor/producer Gary Graham died of cardiac arrest in Spokane, WA at age 73. Best-known for starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series “Alien Nation” (1989-1990) and five made for TV “Alien Nation” films. Soval, the Vulcan ambassador to Earth on “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005 23 episodes on UPN). Appeared in “The Jackal” (1997). TV: He was cast as a “hitman” on “Moonlighting,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Scruples,” “CHiPs,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Ally McBeal,” and “JAG.” Wrote the book “Acting & Other Flying Lessons: A Practical Guide to Film Acting”. in 2005. Graham was also a contributor to Breitbart News. (Born: 6/6/1950 in Long Beach, CA)

1/23/2024 TV and radio personality Charles Osgood died from dementia at age 91. Best-known for his folksy humor. “CBS Sunday Morning” (1994-2016) on TV, “The Osgood File” on radio (1971-2017) He anchored the “CBS Sunday Night News” from 1981 to 1987. Osgood served as the narrator of Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who,” released in 2008. He won a Peabody Award and two Daytime Emmys. Earned the News & Documentary Emmys’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He retired in 2016. (Born 1/8/1933 in the Bronx, but raised in Baltimore, MD.)

1/23/2024 Singer/songwriter Melanie died at 76. Best-known for the song “Brand New Key.” She performed at the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in August of 1969. She released 28 studio albums with notable songs including “What Have They Done to My Song, Ma,” “Ring the Living Bell,” “Together Alone,” and a cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” She was named Billboard’s No. 1 Top Female Vocalist for 1972. (Born Melanie Safka 2/3/1947 in Queens, NY.)

1/23/2024 Singer and songwriter Margo Smith died at the age of 84. She had two No. 1 hits with “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and “It Only Hurts a Little While.” Both released in 1978. Smith was reportedly a kindergarten teacher in Ohio for around a decade before her career took off. “The Tennessee Yodeler” released 18 studio albums between 1971 and 2005. Smith was named ASACP Country Artist of the Year in 1979

1/26/2024 Adult film actress Jesse Jane was found dead with her boyfriend at their home in Moore, OK. She was 43. Her death was ultimately ruled an accidental overdose of fentanyl and cocaine. She retired from the business in 2017 and then appeared as herself in 2003 on Showtime’s reality series “Family Business” and in a 2005 episode of HBO’s “Entourage.” She began her career as a model working for David’s Bridal. She was seen in a TV commercial for Hooters. (Born Cynthia Ann Howell 7/16/1980)

1/29/2024 Actor, singer, dancer and choreographer Hinton Battle died at age 77. He originated the role of Scarecrow in Broadway’s “The Wiz” in 1975. He won three Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor/Musical for “Sophisticated Ladies” (1981), “The Tap Dance Kid” (1983) and “Miss Saigon” (1991). On TV, he played the demon Sweet in a 2001 musical episode of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” titled “Once More, With Feeling.” (1997) Also “Quantum Leap” on TV and “Dreamgirls” (2006). (Born 11/29/1956 in Neubrucke, Germany)

1/30/2024 Tony Award winning actress and singer Chita Rivera died at 91 after a brief illness. She was Velma Kelly in “Chicago” and the original Anita in “West Side Story” (1957). Rivera was one of the most-nominated stars in Tony Awards history (10) for performances like “Bye Bye Birdie” (1960), drawing her first Tony nomination, “Guys and Dolls” (1953) and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” She received a special Tony Award in 2018 for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. TV credits include “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” (1973-74), “Mayflower Madam.” (1988) and “Will & Grace.” She authored the book “Chita: A Memoir.” She was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009 (Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington, DC on 1/23/1933).

Celebrity Obits February 2024

Among the stars who died this year were animators, including the guy who brought us The California Raisins. 2024 was a year that saw former NFL players and players who became actors reach the pearly gates. A number of former BBC actors and presenters and a singer/songwriter who should have been a cowboy and loved his bar. Also, the last survivng member of the Spinners…a former Blue Angels pilot who later produced television shows for 30 years…the “Morning Edition” anchor who interviewed nearly 20.000 people in his career…a guy who shot 007…19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body. More famous deaths for the month of February inlude an actress you’ll remember from “White Christmas”…a Russian anti-corruption activist… the guy who composed the themes for “The Love Boat,” “Happy Days” and “Lavern and Shirley.”…the guy who invented ‘Midnight Madness”..Miss Moneypenny 1983…an actress whose character chased men around with a butterfly net and a prominent basketball coach…

2/1/2024 Prolific voiceover actor Greg Finley died at 76 while on vacation at a family member’s home in Phoenix, AZ. Known for his work as a writer and producer on the syndicated animated series, “Robotech” in 1981. Among his biggest credits were “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom” (1984), ‘The Cigarette Smoking Man’ in “The X-Files” (1993), “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994), “Lilo &Among the stars who died this year were animators, including the guy who brought us The California Raisins. 2024 was a year that saw former NFL players and players who became actors reach the pearly gates. A number of former BBC actors and presenters and a singer/songwriter who should have been a cowboy and loved his bar. Also, the last survivng member of the Spinners…a former Blue Angels pilot who later produced television shows for 30 years…the “Morning Edition” anchor who interviewed nearly 20.000 people in his career…a guy who shot 007…19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body. More famous deaths for the month of February inlude an actress you’ll remember from “White Christmas”…a Russian anti-corruption activist… the guy who composed the themes for “The Love Boat,” “Happy Days” and “Lavern and Shirley.”…the guy who invented ‘Midnight Madness”..Miss Moneypenny in 1983…an actress whose character chased men around men with a butterfly net and a prominent basketball coach… “Men in Black II.” (2002) He began doing voiceovers in for the TV show “CHiPs.” Other projects include “Hannah Montana: The Movie” (2009) “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” (2009) and “The Great Gatsby.” (2013) He went to Beverly Hills High School. the same school as Angelina Jolie, Desi Arnaz, Michael Klesic, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Silverstone, Corben Bernsen, Lenny Kravitz, David Schwimmer, Shaun Cassidy, Jonathan Silverman, Roger Corman and Richard Dreyfuss. His father was TV and radio personality Larry Finley and cousin to the late writer/producer Rod Serling.

2/1/2024 Animator and director Mark Gustafson died at age 64. Known for his claymation work on the TV special “Claymation Christmas Celebration.” and a Emmy-nominated “Meet the Raisins” special, starring The California Raisins. Then scored fame as co-director of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio.” (2022) The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

2/2/2024 Actor/director Carl Weathers died in his sleep at age 76. Best-known for his roles in 4 “Rocky” films, (1976-1985) “Predator,” Chubbs Peterson in “Happy Gilmore” (1996). He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in “The Mandalorian.” (2019-2023) He played linebacker and strong safety in the NFL and CFL. (Born 1/14/1948 in New Orleans)

2/2/2024 Oscar nominated actor Don Murray died at age 94. Best-known for his performance in “Bus Stop” (1956) where he played opposite Marilyn Monroe (as Cherie) as a lovestruck cowboy who falls for a beautiful saloon singer. The role earned him an Oscar nomination. Also known for playing Governor Breck, the authoritarian ruler in the science fiction film “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” (1972). Other film credits include morphine addict Johnny Pope in “A Hatful of Rain” (1957), Charlie Samson in “The Bachelor Party” (1957), “Shake Hands with the Devil” (1959), “Consent” (1962), and “Peggy Sue Got Married” with Kathleen Turner. (1986) He later starred in “Knots Landing” (1979-1982) and the comedy film “Elvis is Alive” (2001), and also appeared in the 2017 reboot of “Twin Peaks: The Return.” (The son of a former Ziegfeld girl was born 7/31/1929 in Hollywood, CA)

2/2/2024 BBC actor Ian Lavendar died at age 77. Best-known as Private Frank Pike in the BBC sitcom “Dad’s Army” (1968-1977) and the 2016 movie of the same title. In theater, he appeared with Dustin Hoffman in “The Merchant of Venice,” and with Hayley Mills in “My Fat Friend.” (Born 2/16/1946 in Birmingham, England)

2/3/2024 NFL lineman Antonio “Tony” Hutson died at 49. He played guard for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. (Born 3/13/1974 in Little Rock, AR)

2/5/2024 Country singer/songwriter Toby Keith died of stomach cancer aged 62. His biggest hit was “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” (1993) hit #1 on the Billboard Country chart and became the most played country song of the decade. He is also remembered for “Red Solo Cup” (2011), “Who’s Your Daddy“ (2002) As Good as I Once Was,” “Beer for My Horses” (2002) with Willie Nelson, “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)” and “How Do You Like Me Now?!” “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action” “I Love This Bar,” “American Soldier, “Whiskey Girl,” “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” and the controversial Sept.11-inspired song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” (2002) (Born in Clinton, Okla., on July 8, 1961)

2/6/2024 Director, screenwriter, producer and Peabody Award winner, Robert M. Young died at 99 in Los Angeles. He began his career making documentaries, such as “The Eskimo: Fight for Life” in 1970, before finding commercial success with “Extremities” (1986) with Farrah Fawcett, “Dominick and Eugene” (1988), “Triumph of the Spirit” (1989) and “American Me” (1992). Director of “Battlestar Galactica.” (5 episodes from 2004-2009) (Born 11/22/1924 in NYC)

2/6/2024 Ed Mintz, the founder of the motion picture industry’s tried-and-true audience polling service CinemaScore, died at age 83. Known for its mathematical “Coca-Cola” algorithm, which predicted domestic box office success based on Opening-night audience polls. (Born 12/24/1940)

2/6/2024 Transgender activist Cecelia Gentili died from “tragic poisoning’ at age 52. She was a leading advocate for transgender people, sex workers and people with HIV. Two men later plead guilty to distributing the heroin and fentanyl that caused her death. She also had xylazine and cocaine in her system. Gentili’s funeral was the first held for a transgender person at St Patrick’s Cathedral and was denounced by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York who said it was unaware of Gentili’s identity when it agreed to host the service. Author: “Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist.” (2023).

2/7/2024 Singer Henry Fambrough, the last surviving member of The Spinners, died of natural causes at age 85. He had a rich baritone voice that was easily heard on “I’ll Be Around” (#3 in 1973) “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love?” (Top 5), “One of a Kind (Love Affair), The group’s first major hit came in 1970 with “It’s a Shame,” co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder and hit #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Then Came You” with Dionne Warwicke was the group’s biggest hit at #1 in 1974. The Spinners were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2023) on their fourth nominaiton. (Born 5/10/1938)

2/7/2024 Mojo Nixon, a colorful rockabilly, punk and comedic musician died of a ‘cardiac event’ on board the Outlaw Country Cruise. He was the host of Sirius XM’s Outlaw Country channel and known for his novelty song “Elvis Is Everywhere.” (1987) (Born 8/2/1957 in Chapel Hill, NC)

2/10/2024 TV producer E. Duke Vincent was a former Blue Angels pilot and novelist who went on to produce some of the most popular shows on TV, died at 91 in Montecito, CA. After leaving the Navy in 1962, he turned to television and began producing documentaries. Ultimately, he met Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard who signed him to do their next series “Good Morning World,” then “Gomer Pyle: USMC.” and “The Jim Nabors Hour.” He worked with Aaron Spelling for nearly 30 years on 43 different series, including “Dynasty” (1981-1989), “Hotel” (1983-1988), “Life with Lucy (1986), “Vega$,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Melrose Place,” “Charmed,” “7th Heaven,” and “Hollywood Wives.” Upon retirement, he wrote four novels. (Born Edward Ventimiglia 4/30/1932)

2/10/2024 NPR “Morning Edition” anchor Bob Edwards died at age 76. He interviewed nearly 20,000 people in his career. He was co-host of signature news program “All Things Considered” with Susan Stamberg. He won a Peabody Award in 1999 for his “Morning Edition” work and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2004. Author of several books, including his memoir “A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio” (2011). (Born 5/16/1947 in Louisville, KY)

2/11/2024 Musician and TV personality Randy Sparks, who founded The New Christy Minstrels, died in San Diego at 90. The group sold 2 million albums in the first 3 years. “Presenting the New Christy Minstrels,” won the Grammy Award for best performance by a chorus and stayed on the Billboard albums chart for two years. Their album “Ramblin’” made the Top 15 and was its only gold disc. They had 3 hits that made the Top 40: “Today,” “Saturday Night” and “Green, Green.” They were featured on 26 episodes of “The Andy Williams Show” (NBC) and 8 episodes of “Hootenanny” on ABC. The group has included many future stars, including Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Kim Carnes, Barry McGuire, Steve Martin and Gene Clark of the Byrds. (Born 7/29/1933)

2/12/2024 Cinematographer Alec Mills died at 91. He was a camera operator on five James Bond films from 1969-1983), then cinematographer on “The Living Daylights” (1997) and “License to Kill.” (1989) He made his debut shooting Roger Moore’s hit TV series, “The Saint”. Mills also was a camera operator on “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1969), “Tragedy of Macbeth” (1971), “Gulliver’s Travels” (1973), “Death on the Nile” (1978) and “Eye of the Needle” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1982). Wrote the book “Shooting 007: And Other Celluloid Adventures.” (Born 5/10/1932 in London)

2/12/2024 Producer & production manager Sam Mercer died at age 69 from Alzheimer’s. Best-known for producing seven M. Night Shyamalan films including “The Sixth Sense” (1999) and headed Lucasfilm‘s Industrial Light & Magic. He began his career as a location manager on several classic 1980s movies “Stripes” “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983), “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” and “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) He went to Disney as a production executive for movies “Good Morning Vietnam” (1987) and “Dead Poets Society” (1989) with Robin Williams. “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012).

2/13/2024 Reality star Sarah Becker died by suicide at age 52 at her home in Illinois. She was featured in MTV‘s The Real World Season 5.” (1996) On the show, at age 25, she described herself as a “19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body.” She had struggled with mental health issues for several months and had been involved in a skatenoarding accident recently.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

2/14/2024 TV writer and producer Dan Wilcox died at 82. Wrote dozens of “M*A*S*H” episodes including the series finale that aired in February of 1983. He also wrote for “Sesame Street.” He began his career writing for the children’s show “Captain Kangaroo.” He went on to write for Norman Lear’s “Good Times” and “Sesame Street” on PBS. He won an Emmy for “Sesame Street” in 1970, the first of five career Emmy nominations. He was nominated for his second Emmy for “America 2-Nite,” which was originally titled “Fernwood 2-Nite.” He also wrote for ABC’s 1979 sequel miniseries” Roots: The Next Generations.” Wilcox was a producer on “Newhart” from 1984-1986. (Born 4/17/1941 in NYC)

2/15/2024 British actor Stuart Organ died at 72 after a short illness. He was the longest-serving actor in iconic BBC children’s show “Grange Hill,” playing PE and geography teacher Mr. Robson. (260 episodes 1988-2003) Organ also portrayed Kevin Cross, the son of grumpy Harry Cross in the TV soap “Brookside.” He also appeared in “Doctor Who.” He is also heard in London’s Underground tube announcing stations, late arrivals and reminding users to “mind the gap.” (Born 11/8/1951)

2/15/2024 Actress and singer Anne Whitfield died in Yakima, WA at age 85 after suffering an injury during a walk in her neighborhood. Best-known as Susan Waverly, a 15-year-old star of the holiday classic “White Christmas.” (1954) and “Simon & Simon” (1981) and “Tour of Duty” (1987). She began a long radio career at age 7. She appeared in several stage productions, including “Annie Get Your Gun.” TV appearances include three “Perry Masons,” “Father Knows Best,” “Rawhide”, “Gunsmoke,” “77 Sunset Strip,” “Dobie Gillis,” “Bonanza and “The Six Million Dollar Man.” (Born: 8/27/1938 in Oxford, MS)

2/16/2024 Russian anti-corruption activist and political prisoner Alexy Navalny died in prison at age 47. He was the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary highlighting his opposition to Vladimir Putin. He had been serving a 19-year term for offenses judged to be politically motivated. Navalny studied as a lawyer before joining the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko in 2000. (Born 6/4/1976 in Butyn, Russia)

2/16/2024 TV show composer Ben Lanzarone died at 85 after battling lung cancer. He composed themes for iconic TV shows such as “The Love Boat,” “Happy Days,” “Vega$,” “Dynasty,” “Mork and Mindy,” “Laverne and Shirley,” “Hotel” and “The Tracey Ullman Show.” He worked on the music video “Summer Nights” from “Grease.” (Born 10/28/1938)

2/17/2024 Actress Rita McKenzie died at age 76 after a long-term illness. Her off-broadway one-woman show, Ethel Merman’s Broadway,” became the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history. Other stage roles included Reno Sweeney in “Anything Goes!”, Rose in “Gypsy,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” and the U.S. tour of Neil Simon’s “The Female Odd Couple.” She also had featured roles on TV in “The Brady Bunch -The Final Days,” ” Meet Wally Sparks” (1997), “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1998), “Caroline In the City,” “Frasier.” (Born 2/25/1946 in New Jersey)

2/17/2024 Basketball’s Charles “Lefty” Driesell died at 92. Head basketball coach at Maryland, he was enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. He is credited with creating the college basketball tradition ‘Midnight Madness’ on October 15, 1971. Each year, on the first day of practice, sanctioned by the NCAA, he would have his players take a mandatory 1 mile run of the track of the football stadium. (Born 12/25/1931)

2/18/2024 Actor Tony Ganios died following surgery at age 64. Anthony “Meat” Tuperello in “Porky’s,” (1981) “Porky’s II” (1983) and “Porky’s Revenge” (1985) In “Die Hard 2” he played a character who Bruce Willis’ character stabbed in the eye with an icicle. Also seen as Perry in “The Wanderers.” Had a recurring role as a mob lawyer in “Wiseguy” (1987-1990). TV: “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and “The Equalizer.” (Born 10/2/1949)

2/19/2024 Actor Paul D’Amato died age 76. Appeared as violent player Tim ‘Dr. Hook’ McCracken with Paul Newman in “Slap Shot.” (1977) Film: “Deer Hunter” & “Heaven’s Gate.” (Born 10/2/1949)

2/19/2024 Robin Windsor, the former “Strictly Come Dancing” pro, died at the age of 44 in London. Robin was a strong advocate for mental health and worked closely with the Sane Charity. (Born 9/15/1979 in the UK)

2/19/2024 Actor/comedian Ewen MacIntosh, who played accountant and lovable loser ‘Big Keith’ Bishop in Ricky Gervais‘ seminal BBC comedy “The Office”, died at 50. More recently, he appeared in the horror film “Nightmare on 34th Street.” (2023) (Born 12/25/1973)

2/20/2024 Tour manager, songwriter, promoter and author David Libert passed away at 81. He was a founding member of the 1960’s pop group The Happenings from 1961 to 1970, “See You in September” (1966), before becoming a tour manager for Alice Cooper (1971-1975), Rare Earth and Prince. He managed George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic and Bootsy Collins. Book: “Rock and Roll Warrior.” (2022) He spent a year in prison for dealing drugs. (Born 1/20/1943 In New York)

2/21/2024 British film actress Pamela Salem died aged 80. Played Miss Moneypenny in Sean Connery’s film “Never Say Never Again,” (1983). “The Great Train Robbery” (1978) TV: She played the character Toos in a 1977 “Doctor Who” episode, “The Robots of Death,” and then 10 years later, Professor Rachel Jensen on “Doctor Who,” she was featured as fictional UK prime minister Maureen Graty. “The West Wing. (Born 1/22/1944 in India)

2/21/2024 British soap actor John Savident died age 86. Best-known as Fred Elliott, butcher with a disastrous love life in “Coronation Street.” (1994-2006) Film: “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), manager of the mine in “Gandhi” (1982) and “Hudson Hawk.” (1991)
(Born 1/21/1938)

2/22/2024 Country artist and comedian Roni Stoneman died in Nashville at age 85. Bluegrass’s ‘first lady of the banjo’ was a cast member for 18 years on “Hee Haw” playing a homely spinster character, Ida Lee, who would chase men around with a large butterfly net. As a member of the Stoneman Family, she won the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Group of the Year in 1967. She was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2021 with the rest of her family. (Born 5/5/1938 in Washington, DC)

2/23/2024 Actress Jackie Loughery died in Los Angeles at 93. She was the first Miss USA (1952) and used it to build a career in film and television. She was cast as the female lead in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy “Pardners.” (1956) Married 3 times including Guy Mitchell (1952-1955) and Jack Webb (1958-1964) She starred with Webb in the military film “The D.I.” (1957) (Born 4/18/1930 in NYC)

2/23/2024 Canadian Actor Chris Gauthier, known for his roles in as William Smee in “Once Upon a Time,” Neville in “Need for Speed: Carbon,” Vincent on “Eureka,” (2006-2012) and the villainous Winslow Schott (AKA Toyman) in “Smallville” died at age 48 after a short illness. (Born 1/27/1976 in the UK)

2/23/2024 Actress Lynda Gravatt died at age 77 in a hospital in New Jersey. Known for her work on Broadway and in the “Law & Order” TV shows and as Mila Browning on “The Good Wife,” “Madame Secretary,” and “30 Rock.” She played a judge in “The Bounty Hunter.” Played Bessie James in Neil Simon’s “45 Seconds From Broadway” play. (2010) She was the daughter of James Cross “Stump & Stumpy.” (Born 5/24/1946 in Harlem. NY Some show her birth year as 1947)

2/24/2024 Kenneth Mitchell, best-known for his roles as Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, Tenavik and Aurellio in “Star Trek: Discovery” died after a 5-year battle with ALS at age 49. He also voiced several characters in an episode of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” He appeared in 27 episodes of “Jericho” (2006-2008), and as Deke Slayton on “The Astronaut Wives Club” TV series. (2015). Film: Ralph Cox in “Miracle” (2004) and Joseph Danvers in Captain Marvel. (Born: 11/25/1974 in Toronto)

2/25/2024 Reggae singer and musician Peter ‘Peetah’ Morgan died of undisclosed causes at age 46. Lead singer of Grammy-winning band Morgan Heritage with his five siblings. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called a “colossal loss” for Jamaica and reggae music. Morgan Heritage won a Best Reggae Album Grammy award in 2016 for its 2015 album Strictly Roots. Morgan, known as “Peetah,” was a son of renowned Jamaican reggae singer Denroy Morgan. (Born 7/11/1977 in Brooklyn, NY)

2/25/2024 Actor Charles Dierkop died at Sherman Oaks Hospital. He was 87. He got his start in an uncredited role opposite Paul Newman in “The Hustler,” but he was best-known for his roles in “The Sting,” as a bodyguard, George ‘Flat Nose’ Curry in “Butch Cassidy” and the Sundance Kid” (1969) and as Detective Pete Royston on NBC’s “Police Woman.” (1974-1978 90 episodes) “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “Mission: Impossible, “Fantasy Island,” “MacGyver’ and “ER.” Alternative names. Tricky Dicky. His last credited role was in the 2018 film “Heaven & Hell.” (Born 9/11/1936 in LaCrosse, WI)

2/27/2024 British actor Michael Culver died at 85. Best-known as Captain Needa, the Imperial officer ruthlessly terminated by Darth Vader in “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980). Other credits include, “A Passage to India” (1984), Sir Reginald Musgrave in “The Return of Sherlock Holmes” (1986-1988), “Secret Army,” “Thunderball,” “The Avengers,” “Goodbye Mr. Chips” (1969) and “Breakaway.” (1980). Trivia: Was a spear carrier in London’s Old Vic alongside other apprentices such as Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Ouote: “There’s too much Shakespeare played today. Frankly, I think he should be put to sleep for fifty years”. (Born 6/16/1938 in London)

2/27/2024 Comedian and actor Richard Lewis, died at 76 after suffering a heart attack. Best-known for his dark, neurotic humor. He was a regular on”The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” and “Late Night With David Letterman.” For 24 years he starred with Larry David on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He starred in “Anything But Love” (ABC 4 seasons, 56 episodes) with Jamie Lee Curtis. “Daddy Dearest” starring Don Rickles and “Hiller and Diller” featuring Kevin Nealon.”7th Heaven’,” “Two and a Half Men, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Film: “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” (1993) and “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995). He wrote two books, “The Other Great Depression,” a memoir in which he opened up about his struggles with fame and drug and alcohol use, and “Reflections from Hell.” Trivia: He and Larry David had known each other since meeting at a summer camp at age 12 and were born three days apart in the same hospital.” (Born 6/29/1947 in Brooklyn, NY)

2/28/2024 Sean Garinger, who appeared on “16 and Pregnant” (2020-2021) alongside his then-girlfriend Selena Gutierrez, died near his home in Boone, NC, when the ATV he was riding went off an embankment, flipped and crushed his skull when it landed on top of him. He was 20. Garingere and Gutierrez starred in season 6 of the MTV series and had two daughters, Dareli and Esmi. His nickname was ‘Squishy.’ (Born 6/11/2003)

2/28/2024 Veteran television character actress Jean Allison, best known for roles in shows like “’77 Sunset Strip,” “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “Perry Mason,” “Adam-12,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “The Waltons” and “Charlie’s Angels,” died at age 94 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. She made her big-screen debut as a woman menaced by a psychopath (Michael Higgins) in “Edge of Fury” (1958), then “The Devil’s Partner” (1960), “The Steagle” (1971), “Bad Company” (1972) and “Hardcore.” (1979). (Born: 10/24/1929 in New York)

2/28/2024 American professional wrestler and actor Michael Jones (Ring name Virgil) died from dementia at age 72 in Pittsburg, PA. Also known as Soul Train Jones, Lucius Brown or Vincent. Virgil was in Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant’s corner when they faced Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage at “Summerslam 1988.” (Born 1962 in Wilkinsburg, PA)

2/29/2024 British talent agency founder Jenne Casarotto died at 77. She co-founded Casarotto Ramsay & Associates in London in 1989, representing some of the best-known and most successful writers, directors, playwrights and other creatives, including J.G. Ballard, John Crowley, Steve McQueen, Bob Hoskins, Terry Gilliam, “Shakespeare in Love” director John Madden, Jasmine Jagger and Tennessee Williams. Awards and honors: The British Independent Film Awards and the Women in Film & Television Awards. She was made a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (Born 7/27/1946)

2/29/2024 Italian director Paolo Taviani died at a clinic in Rome at 92 after a short illness. He was known for working with his brother Vittorio, who died in 2018. Their most prominent was Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Padre Padrone.” (1977) Then again 5 years later with “La notte di San Lorenzo (The Night of the Shooting Stars).” (1982) “Kaos” (1984), “Good Morning, Babylon” (1987), “The Sun Also Shines at Night” (1990) and “Caesars Must Die,” which won the Berlin Golden Bear award. “Wondrous Boccaccio” (2014). (Born 11/8/1931 in Tuscany)

Celebrity Deaths March 2024

We lost a number of fashion icons in 2024, including a woman who dressed 9 U.S. presidents…a legendary ESPN writer and commentator…the captain of the Reels of Fortune and his dog…”Ryan’s Hope” bartender…a singer that encouraged us to ‘go all the way’…a “General Hospital” veteran… choeographers…a stuntman…another animator…a philanthropist…Oscar winners…one of a couple of little people who died in 2024… a couple of captain’s of industry…a stuntman….and the Bionic Woman’s mother. Quite a collection of stars who died in 2024!

3/1/2024 Fashion icon and interior designer Iris Apfel died at her home in Palm Beach, Florida at age 102. She worked for “Women’s Wear Daily” before moving to Old World Weavers with her husband, Carl, who she married in 1948, but died in 2015. She has clothed clients from Greta Garbo to Bill Clinton. She worked for nine U.S. presidents. In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibited her wardrobe. “Rara Avis: Selections From the Iris Apfel Collection.” Tara Avis translates as ‘rare bird.’ It was the museum’s first exhibition dedicated to just one person’s clothing collection. She called herself ‘the geeriatric starlet’ and at age 97, signed a modeling contract with IMG. In 2018, Mattel created a Barbie doll in Apfel’s image. She is the oldest person to ever have a Barbie made in her image. “The way I dress may be “different” or eccentric to some who feel the need to label but that’s no concern to me.” ~ Iris Apfel (Born 8/29/1921 in Queens, NY)

3/1/2024 Manga artist and character designer Akira Toriyama who created the Dragon Ball anime franchise, died at age 68 due to blood clots on the brain that usually form after an injury. Before “Dragon Ball,” he was known for creating the popular manga series “Dr. Slump” (1978-1983), “Dragon Quest” and “Chrono Trigger.” He has appeared in the American movies “Black Panther” (2018) and “Creed III.” (2023) He also created characters for popular video games, including the Dragon Quest series. (Born 4/5/1955 in Kiosu, Japan)

3/2/2024 Children’s media creator and screenwriter Janis Burgess died in hospice care in Manhattan one day after her 72nd birthday. She was known for her work on Nickleodean animated series, such as “The Backyardigans,” a show where five animal neighbors in a communal backyard imagine new settings and adventures. The show earned her a Daytime Emmy in 2008 for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. She supervised such shows as “Little Bill” and “Blue’s Clues,” the latter of which was nominated for eight consecutive Emmy Awards and won a Peabody. (Born 3/1/1952 in Pittsburgh, PA)

3/2/2024 Voice actor Mark Dodson died from a heart attack at age 64. Best-known for his work as Salacious Crumb, a shrill monkey lizard who served Jabba the Hut in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” (1983) and Mogwai in “Gremlins.” (1984) Other credits include host of “Detectives Don’t Sleep,” “Day of the Dead,” “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” and “Gremlins 2: The New Batch.” He has been featured in commercials and video games, like “Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes” in which he voices Chief McGinnis. (2011) and “Ghostrunner,” (Born 2/1/1960 in St. Louis, MO)

3/2/2024 Pianist, composer and producer Jim Beard of Steely Dan died in a New York hospital after a short illness at age 63. He wrote more that 100 songs and worked with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, Pat Metheny, Dianne Reeves, Connie Stevens and the Brecker Brothers. He was nominated for seven Grammy awards, winning once for “Some Skunk Funk” with Randy and Michael Brecker. He recorded six solo albums. (Born 8/26/1960 in Philadelphia, PA)

3/3/2024 ESPN NFL reporter Chris Mortensen died at 72. He worked for ESPN from 1991 to 2023. He won the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick McCann Award in 2016. He began his career as a newspaper writer in California, where he won the National Headliner Award for investigative reporting in all categories. In total, he received 18 awards in journalism and was nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes. Wrote the book “Playing for Keeps: How One Man Kept the Mob from Sinking Its Hooks into Pro Football.” (Born 11/7/1951 in Torrence, CA.)

3/3/2024 English playwright, screenwriter and director Edward Bond died at 89. Oscar-nominated as screenwriter for first screenplay, “Blow-Up” (1966). Two of his plays, “Saved” (1965) and “Early Morning” (1968) were banned in the UK, Other work: “Lear” (1971), “Walkabout” (1971)”The Sea” (1973), “Bingo” (1973 ), “The Fool” (1975), “The Bundle” ( 1978), “Restoration” (1981) (Born 7/18/1934 in London)

3/4/2024 Captain Charlie Griffin and his beloved dog Leila of the reality series, “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks,” died in a boating accident unrelated to the series. He was the captain of the Reels of Fortune in seasons 2 through 5. Trivia: One tuna could be worth more than $20,000.

3/4/2024 Anthony Walker of the legendary funk group The Gap Band died at age 60 after suffering a neck injury. Walker, known as ‘Baby Gap’ joined the group in 1979 as a dancer and choreographer, touring with the group for 23 years. Walker also worked as a choreographer for Disney. (Born 8/12/1963)

3/4/2024 Australian television writer, producer and director Michael Jenkins died from Parkinson’s disease at 77. Best-known for the teen drama “Heartbreak High.” (1994-1999 178 episodes) Father of assistant director Jack Jenkins. (Born 1946)

3/5/2024 Garrison Brown, best-known for appearing on the TLC reality series “Sister Wives,” was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at his home in Flagstaff, Ariz. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide. Premiering in 2010, the show follows the lives of a polygamist family. He was the son of ‘Sister Wives” stars Janelle Brown and her ex, Kody Brown. Kody is the father of 18 children in total. Kody’s fractured relationship with his older children, specifically Garrison and Gabriel, was well-documented.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional and call 9-8-8. The United States’ first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline 988 will connect callers with trained mental health counselors.

3/5/2024 Debra Byrd, a vocal coach for such shows as “American Idol,” and “The Voice” died in Los Angeles. Her students have won Grammy awards and succeeded on Broadway; Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Barry Manilow. She was nominated for a 2001 Black Theatre Alliance Award for “Could It Be Magic.” Also contributed to the Broadway and national tour renditions of “Ain’t Misbehavin‘.” Her voice was used in films: “The Lion King,” “2 1/2,” and “Sister Act II.” Actress “Two Can Play That Game” (2001), “Deliver Us from Eva ” (2003) and “Thumbelina” (1994). (Born 7/19/1951)

3/7/2024 Singer, actor and comedian Steve Lawrence died in Los Angeles at 88 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Lawrence got his start in show business as a teenager, after winning a talent competition on Arthur Godfrey’s CBS show. Winner of a Grammy and an Emmy. Best known as a member of the pop duo ‘Steve and Eydie’ with his wife Eydie Gormé. Songs: “Pretty Blue Eyes” (1995), “Go Away Little Girl” (1962), “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” (1995). Film:Maury Sline, the manager and friend of the main characters in “The Blues Brothers.” (1980) He was nominated for a Tony Award in 1964 for his performance as Sammy Glick in the Broadway production of “What Makes Sammy Run?” (Born 7/8/1935 in Brooklyn)

3/10/2024 Jerry Foley died following a ski accident in Vermont. He was 68. He directed “The Late Show with David Letterman” from 1995 until the end of its run May 20, 2015. He directed nearly 4,000 hours of television programming, including episodes of “The View,” and “Good Morning America.” He was nominated for 9 Directors Guild of America Awards and 24 Emmy awards. (Born 1955)

3/11/2024 Actor and author Malachi McCourt died at 92. Best-known as Kevin the bartender for 14 years on the soap “Ryan’s Hope.” (ABC) and also appeared annually as Father Clarence on “All My Children” during the holiday season. He ran for governor of New York in 2006 as the Green Party candidate. His brother Frank won a Pulitzer Prize for the book, “Angela’s Ashes.” (Born 9/20/1931)

3/11/2024 Playwright, LGBTQ activist and political strategist David Mixner died at 77. Wrote “Oh Hell No!,” and “Who Fell Into the Outhouse?” He was an organizer for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, where he met President Clinton during a retreat and they remained friends until his death. (Born 8/16/1946)

3/11/2024 Singer & songwriter Eric Carmen, lead singer of the Raspberries died in his sleep in Paradise Valley, AZ at 74. “Go All the Way” (1972) “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again” (1975) “I Wanna Be With You,” “Let’s Pretend” and “Tonight.” As a solo artist, he found success with “All by Myself (1975) “Make Me Lose Control” and the “Dirty Dancing” song “Hungry Eyes.” (1987) “All by Myself” became an even bigger hit when Celine Dion did her own rendition in 1996. The Raspberries debut album had a scratch-and-sniff logo on the cover that smelled like raspberries. (Born Eric Howard Carmen 8/11/1949 in Cleveland, OH)

3/11/2024 Rapper Bo$$ died of kidney failure in Southfield, MI. She was 54. Known for “Deeper” (1993), which spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart and “Recipe for a Hoe.” (Lichelle Marie Laws was born 9/12/1969 in Detroit, MI)

3/12/2024 “General Hospital” (145 episodes 6 seasons) actress Robyn Bernard was found dead at age 64 in an open field in San Jacinto, CA. No foul play is suspected. The elder sister of singer and actress Crystal Bernard began her career singing gospel with her sister. She had roles in “Simon & Simon” (1981) and “Tour of Duty” (1987) Her final screen credit was in 2002. Shortly thereafter, Robyn lost her mobile home in a trailer park fire. (Born 5/26/1959 in Gladewater, TX)

3/13/2024 Former Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin died in a hospital in Long Beach, CA at 84. Once hailed for recognizing the power of new media, he virtually disappeared from the public eye following the controversial merger of Time Warner with AOL in 2000, which led to his resignation. (Born 5/6/1939)

3/14/2024 Australian stuntman Grant Page died from injuries sustained in a car crash at 85. He appeared in more that 100 movies and TV shows, most-notably several “Mad Max” movies. He performed stunts for “The Man from Hong Kong,” starring Jimmy Wang Yu and George Lazenby. A film about his career, “Dangerfreaks” was released in 1987. (Born 8/6/1939)

3/15/2024 Writer, director and producer Joe Camp died age 84 after a long illness. Known for introducing the world to “Benji” in 1974, he also directed the Western comedy, “Hawmps!” (1976), “The Double McGuffin” (1979) written and directed by Joe Camp and starring Ernest Borgnine, “Oh! Heavenly Dog,” starring Chevy Chase and Jane Seymour.

3/16/2024 Screenwriter and playwright David Seidler died at 86 while on a fishing expedition. The BAFTA and Academy Award-winning writer on “The King’s Speech” (2010) which also won for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. Seidler’s other work included “Onasiss: The Richest Man in the World” (1988), “Tucker: The Man and his Dream.” (1988), “Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story,’ The King and I, Quest for Camelot, Madeline: Lost in Paris, and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1988 comedy drama Tucker: The Man and His Dream.. Trivia: At 74, he was once the oldest winner of the Acadmy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “The King’s Speech.” He held the record for one year before Woody Allen won it for “Midnight in Paris” at age 76. (Born 8/4/1937 in London)

3/18/2024 Actress Jennifer Leak died at her home in Florida at age 76. Known for her role as Lucille Ball’s daughter Colleen North in “Yours, Mine and Ours” (1968), “Eye of the Cat” (1969) and “The Incubus” (1981). Her first screen credit came with the TV series “Wojeck.” (1966) She also played Olive Springer Gordon Randolph on “Another World,” Blanche Bouvier on “Guiding Light,” and Gwen Sherman on “The Young and the Restless.” She had suffered for years from a rare neurological disease. (Born 9/28/1947 in Cardiff, Wales, UK)

3/19/2024 Character actor M. Emmet Walsh died of cardiac arrest at 88 in St. Albans, VT. He was best known for his work as private detective Loren Visser in the Cohen Brothers’ “Blood Simple.” Seen in more than 200 movies and TV shws, including, “The Jerk” (1979), “Ordinary People” (1980), “Brubaker” (1980), “My Best Friend’s Wedding” “Blade Runner” (1982), “Fletch” (1985), “Sneaky Pete,” sportswriter Dickie Dunn in “Slap Shot” (1977), “A Time to Kill’ (1996) and as Granddaddy Roy Gemstone on “The Righteous Gemstones” (2019-2022). (Born 3/22/1935 in Ogdensburg, NY)

3/20/2024 Veteran music promoter Eugene Ervibe “Erv” Woolsey died from complication related to a recent surgery. He was 80. He was the long-time manager of Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait, The Oak Ridge Boys, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Lee Ann Womack, Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty and Clay Walker.

3/20/2024 Science fiction author and professor Vernor Vinge died at age 79 from Parkinson’s disease. He taught mathematics and computer science at San Diego State University. Wrote “The Singularity” and “cyberspace.” Novels include “A Fire Upon the Deep” (1993), “A Deepness in the Sky” (2000), and “Rainbows End.” (2007) (Born 10/2/1944 in Waukesha, WI)

3/21/2024 Actor Ron Harper died of natural causes in California at 91. His first onscreen credit was in an episode of the series “Kraft Theatre” in 1955. Roles included Peter Whitmore on “Generations,” Taylor Holloway on “Another World,” “Wagon Train,” “Laramie,” Charles Hartman on “Loving,” “Land of the Lost” (1974-1976), “The West Wing, ” Jack on “The Odd Couple II” (1998) and several “Planet of the Apes” (1974) episodes, “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.” He was valedictorian of his senior class in high school. (Born 1/12/1933 in Turtle Creek, PA)

3/23/2024 Oscar-Nominated Stop-Motion Animator using clay and sand Eli Noyes died in San Francisco at 81. Best-known for the MTV series “Liquid Television.” (1991-1994) His 1964 work, “Clay or the Origin of Species,” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and established claymation as a medium. (Born 10/18/1942 in Amherst, MA)

3/24/20224 Actor & philanthropist Samantha Davis died age 53. Co-founded the charity Little People UK in 2012 with her husband Warwick Davis. Samantha and Warwick met on the set of “Willow.” (1988), followed by “Leprechaun 2” (1994) and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” (2011) She was 4′ 11″ tall. (Born 1/30/1971)

3/25/2024 Producer Paula Weinstein died peacefully at age 78. She won Emmys for “Truman” and “Recount” (2008) and was a former studio and Tribeca Enterprises executive during a nearly 40-year career. In the 1980’s credits included “American Flyers” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” then “Analyze This” and the sequel “Analyze That.” She won a pair of primetime Emmys for the TV movies “Truman” and “Recount.” She produced “The Perfect Storm” starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg (2000). She was Executive Producer of “Too Big to Fail” in 2011. (Born 11/19/1945 in NYC)

3/25/2024 Actor Fritz Wepper, best-known for playing Fritz Wendel, a German Jew passing as a Christian in “Cabaret,” (1972) died peacefully after a long illness. His biggest role was as a friend to Liza Minelli’s Sally Bowles and Michael York’s Brian Roberts in “Cabaret.” He was a familiar face on German TV, playing Det. Sergeant Harry Klein on the series “Derrick.” (1977-1998) He also appeared in more than 250 episodes of the series “For Heaven’s Sake.” (Born 8/17/1941 in Munich)

3/29/2024 Oscar winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. died at 87 in Santa Monica, CA. He made his stage debut at age 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway play “Take a Giant Step.” He appeared in the original Broadway run of “A Raisin in the Sun” alongside Sidney Poitier He was the first black man to win a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award as Sgt. Emil Foley in 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He also won an Emmy for his role of Fiddler in the “Roots” (1977) miniseries. 2-time Golden Globe winner. He made his film debut in “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961). “Iron Eagle” came in 1986. (Born 5/27/1936 at Coney Island, NYC)

3/30/2024 Actor Chance Perdomo, who starred as Andre Anderson in the television series “Gen V” and as Ambrose Spellman in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” (2018-2020) died as a result of a motorcycle accident. He was 27. (Born on Oct. 19, 1996 and the Bionic in Los Angeles)

3/30/2024 Oscar-winning visual effects artist Tim McGovern died, age 68. McGovern started his career in the early ’80s, working on the groundbreaking film “Tron.” (1982) Best-known for “Total Recall” (1990). Film credits include “Total Recall” (1990), “Mission: Impossible : Rogue Nation” (2015), “Dunkirk” (2017) “Men in Black: International.” (2019) McGovern was honored with the 2023 Founders Award by the Visual Effects Society. He was a founding member of Sony Pictures ImageWorks. (Born 6/24/1955 in Chicago)

3/31/2024 Golden Globe winner Barbara Rush died at 97 years old. Known for “It Came From Outer Space” (1954), which earned her a Golden Globe and “When Worlds Collide,” “Peyton Place,” “All My Children” and on “7th Heaven.” She also appeared as Nora Clavicle in the “Batman” TV series and The Bionic Woman’s mother. Her movie debut was “The Goldbergs” and she went on to appear with co-stars including Richard Burton, Rock Hudson, Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. (Born 1/4/1927)

Celebrity Obituaries April 2024

One of the most famous celebrities who died this year was O.J. Simpson, a football player turned actor…another NFL player, who removed himself from a game at halftime and declaring that he was ‘done.’ also died in April 2024…another soap opera veteran…one half of the famed MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour…a fashion designer…a rock and roll hall of famer…then another Rock and Roll Hall of Famer…then anotheer soap star… a TikTok creator… “You want more? I’ll give you more.” the first person to have her torch snuffed out on “Survivor”…a comedienne and a ‘rebel rouser.

4/1/2024 Actor/comedian Joe Flaherty died after a brief illness. He was 82. He was a member of the famous Second City comedy troupe in Chicago and spent several years as a writer and performer on SCTV. He had appearances on “Happy Gilmore,” “Back to the Future Part II,” “Police Academy: The Series” and “The King of Queens.”

4/1/2024 Vontae Davis, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills died at his mansion in Southwest Ranches, FL at age 35. Selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by Miami, he played 10 seasons. Wore #21 for the Dolphins and Colts. #22 for Bills. His career ended September 16, 2018, when he removed himself from a game at halftime and declaring that he was ‘done.’ (Born 5/27/1988 in Washington, D.C.)

4/3/2024 English actor Adrian Schiller died at age 60. Best-known for two blockbuster TV shows, Aethelhelm in “The Last Kingdom” (2018-2022), on Netflix, and as Cornelius Penge in “Victoria” (2016-19) on ITV. He was the voice of Otho in the Ridley Scott HBO Max series, “Raised by Wolves.” His credits include “Three Sisters,” “A Touch of Frost,” “Bright Star,” Terry Pratchett’s “Going Postal,” “Being Human,” “A Little Chaos,” “Son of God,” “The Danish Girl” (2015 Oscar winner), Meryl Streep’s “Suffragette,” Monsieur D’arque in “Beauty and the Beast” (2017), “Raised by Wolves” and “Doctor Who.”

4/4/2024 Drummer and record producer Keith LeBlanc died, age 69, from an undisclosed illness. He worked with some of the most prominent musicians, like Annie Lennox, Depeche Mode, Grandmaster Flash, Nine Inch Nails “Pretty Hate Machine”, R.E.M., Tina Turner. (Born 11/10/1954 in Bristol, CT)

4/5/2024 Carl Jeffrey “CJ” Snare, vocalist and keyboards and founding member of the hair metal band FireHouse, died of cardiac arrest at age 64. Firehouse, formed in 1984, was best-known for the release of their self-titled album in 1990 and the hits “Don’t Treat Me Bad” and “Love of a Lifetime,” both of which were co-written by Snare. (Born 12/14/1959 in Washington D.C.)

4/10/2024 Football player and actor O.J. Simpson died of cancer at age 76 in Las Vegas. He won the Heisman Award while at USC and played pro football for the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills. He was a Heisman Trophy winner (USC Trojans). He acted in three “Naked Gun” movies, “The Klansman,” “Capricorn One,” “The Cassandra Crossing” and “The Towering Inferno,” as well as the miniseries “Roots.” On Oct. 3, 1995, he was found not guilty in the June 12, 1994 deaths of ex-wife Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, He was found liable in their deaths three years later. In 2017, he was released from prison after serving nine years for armed robbery.

4/10/2024 New York radio personality, DJ and record executive Mister Cee died in New York City complications from diabetes and coronary artery disease. He was credited with the discovery of the rappers Big Daddy Kane in 1988, who he met in high school and the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls) He was also known as The Finisher and The Wallop King. (Born Calvin LeBrun in 8/17/1966 in NYC)

4/11/2024 South Korean singer Park Bo-ram died at age 30. She gained attention when she placed 8th the singing competition series “SuperStar K2.” She made her debut with the release digital single “Beautiful” featuring Zico on August 7, 2014. She was also an actress, known for “Persevere,” “Goo Hae-Ra” (2015), “Prison Playbook” (2017) and “Mamamoo: Um Oh Ah Yeh” (2015). (Born 3/1/1994)

4/11/2024 Soap opera veteran writer/actress Meg Bennett died at 75 after a battle with cancer. Best-knows for her work as Megan Richardson on “Santa Barbara,” Julia Newman on “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” (1987-1989 348 episodes) and for the villaness Allegra Montenegro on “General Hospital.” (1993-2011 198 episodes) She often wrote episodes for all 4 soaps, winning a Daytime Emmy Award in 1995 for her work writing on “General Hospital.” She played Marty on the original Broadway cast of “Grease” and was in the off-Broadway version or “Grease.” Trivia: She was married to General Hospital head writer Robert Guza Jr. (Born 10/4/1948)

4/12/2024 PBS anchorman Robert MacNeil died of natural causes at 93. Best-known for partnering with Jim Lehrer on “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” which became “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” in 1983. It was the first hour-long news program in the U.S. He was NBC’s White House correspondent and was in the motorcade the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He worked for Reuters wire services before moving to television in 1960, as an NBC News correspondent. Trivia: He had some fun when he appeared a few times on the PBS sister program “Sesame Street,” once posing probing questions to Cookie Monster (represented by his attorney, Kermit) about a “Cookiegate” scandal. His lifetime of work was well respected and included winning more than 30 awards, including a Peabody, a DuPont and several Emmys. (Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil – friends called him “Robin” – was born in Montreal on 1/19/1931)

4/12/2024 Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli died at his home in Florence, Italy. He was known for dressing women in his highly decorative, flamboyant and intricate gowns. His career began styling Sophia Loren and then the likes of Beyonce, Madonna,Victoria Beckham, Cindy Crawford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez. (Born in Florence, Tuscany)

4/12/2024 Award-winning American documentary film director and screenwriter Eleanor Coppola died at her home in Rutherford, CA at age 87. The longtime wife of Francis Ford Coppola was especially known for documentaries, like “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” which won an Emmy Award. With “Paris Can Wait” (2016), from Sony Pictures Classics, Eleanor became the second-oldest person to direct a first narrative feature. She co-wrote and directed “Love Is Love Is Love” (2020), featuring Rosanna Arquette, and Cybill Shepherd. She wrote two books; “Notes: On the Making of ‘Apocalypse Now’” and the memoir “Notes on a Life.” (2008) (Born Eleanor Jessie Neil 5/4/1936 in Los Angeles, CA)

4/13/2024 Music producer Rico Wade died of heart failure at age 52. The Architect of Southern Hip-Hop was best-known for writing and producing TLC’s smash hit “Waterfalls.” (1995) Wade was in a hospital at the time of his passing. (Born 2/26/1972 in Atlanta)

4/14/2024 Kyle Marisa Roth, a popular TikTok creator known for her Hollywood gossip videos, died of natural causes at age 36. She had suffered injuries from several car accidents that required 3 major abdominal surgeries and reconstructive shoulder injuries and a dozen broken bones. A month before her death, she had her main TikTok account and main source of income was banned. She was known for her catchphrase, “You want more? I’ll give you more.” (Born 7/19/1987)

4/18/2024 Grammy-winning Christian singer Mandisa Lynn Hundley died at age 47. She competed on “American Idol” season 5, but ultimately was eliminated from the show. Despite that she began a successful career in music and earned 5 Grammy nominations. She faced controversy in 2006 for anti-gay comments she made. (Born 10/2/1976 in Citrus Heights, CA)

4/18/2024 Allman Brothers lead guitarist and vocalist Dickey Betts died of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his home in Osprey, FL at age 80. He wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin Man.” (1973) The Allman Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. (Born Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts 12/12/1943)

4/21/2024 Eva Evans, a TikTok star known for sharing tips about life in New York City died by suicide at age 29. She had 300,000 followers on TikTok and created and directed the web series “Club Rat,” which followed someone who sttempts to re-enter the New York dating scene. (Born 7/20/1994)

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

4/23/2024 Actor Terry Carter died at age 95. As an actor, he was best-known for his Colonel Tigh role on “Battlestar Galactica” (1978-1979 21 episodes), Sgt. Joe Broadhurst on “McCloud” (1970-1977 42 episodes) and as Pam Grier’s boyfriend on “Foxy Brown.” (1974) He started his showbiz career in Broadway and Off Broadway stage productions, including “Mrs. Patterson” with Eartha Kitt. His breakthrough screen project was as Pvt. Sugie Sugarman on “The Phil Silvers Show.” (1955-1959) He served as an anchorman for Boston’s NBC affiliate network WBZ-TV Eyewitness News. (1965-1968) (Born John Everett DeCoste on 12/16/1928)

4/24/2024 Moody Blues founding member and keyboardist Mike Pinder died at age 82. He was the last surviving member of the band’s original lineup. In 1967, they released one of the greatest albums of all time, “Days of Future Passed.” He left the group following the recording of the band’s ninth album “Octave in 1978.” He and the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Trivia: As a boy, he was fascinated by rocket ships and outer space, which earned him the nickname “Mickey the Moon Boy.” (Born 12/27/1941 in Erdington, Birmingham)

4/25/2024 Soap star Marla Adams died in Los Angeles at age 85. She appeared as matriarch Dina Abbott Mergeron in 200+ episodes of “The Young and the Restless” (CBS) over 37 years and as Belle Clemens on “The Secret Storm.” (CBS) She also appeared on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Days of our Lives,” “Generations,” and “Capitol. ” Prime-time work on “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Starsky and Hutch,” “Marcus Welby M.D.,” “Barnaby Jones” and “The Love Boat.” (Born 8/28/1938 in Ocean City, NJ)

4/26/2024 Sonja Eve Christopher, the first person to have her torch snuffed out on “Survivor,” died at age 87. She was 63 years old and well-liked by her tribemates on the show’s first season, “Survivor: Borneo,” in 2000.

4/28/2024 Actor/producer/comedian/financier Zack Norman died, age 83 in Burbank, CA. He had been suffering from bilateral pneumonia related to coronavirus. He began his career as a comic and appeared on “The Tonight Show” in 1969. He appeared with Fran Drescher for three episodes of “The Nanny.” Also “Baywatch” “The A Team and “The Flash.” Film: Cousin Ira in Robert Zemeckis’ “Romancing the Stone” (1984), “America,” and “Cadillac Man” with Robin Williams. (1990) (Born 5/27/1940 in Boston, MA)

4/28/2024 British Canadian actor, stage director and author Alan Scarfe died of colon cancer at age 77 in Longueuil, Canada. Known for his roles in action films,”Double Impact” and as Riggs and Murtaugh’s supervisor Herman Walters in “Lethal Weapon 3.” (1992) Appeared as Col. Vardovsky in “Iron Eagle II” (1988,” as murderous businessman Nigel Griffith in “Double Impact” (1991), Mendak in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (Season 4, Episode 11) and “NYPD Blue.” He wrote novels under the pseudonym Clanash Farjeon (an anagram of his full name). (Born 6/8/1946 in Harpenden, England)

4/30/2024 Influential guitarist Duane Eddy died of cancer in Franklin, TN at age 86. Produced and played with Waylon Jennings and B.J. Thomas. Known for his “twangy” guitar sound, including “Rebel-‘Rouser”, “Peter Gunn” and “Because They’re Young”. His guitar style influenced artists like George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and Marty Stewart. Eddy was also an actor who appeared in several films. Eddy was the lead guitarist on Foreigner’s 1995 hit “Until the End of Time,” which reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. In 1961, Eddy married his second wife, singer Miriam Johnson, with whom he recorded a gospel album. They had a daughter named Jennifer. Duane and Miriam divorced in 1968, and then Jennifer adopted the stage name Jessi Colter. She became a popular country singer, “I’m Not Lisa”, (1975) and later married fellow country star Waylon Jennings. (Born 4/26/1938 in Corning NY)

4/30/2024 Writer and filmmaker Paul Auster died at age 77. Wrote “The Invention of Solitude” (1982), a memoir about his distant relationship with his father. Then the “New York Trilogy” novels, “Moon Palace,” “The Music of Chance,” “The Book of Illusions.” Film: Wayne Wang’s comedy “Smoke” (1995, starring Harvey Keitel and William Hurt. “Lulu on the Bridge” (1998), “The Fall” (2007) “The Look” (2011), and “Bonnie” (2022). Auster’s final novel, “Baumgartner,” was released in 2023. Trivia: In the early 70s he lived in France working odd jobs and writing poetry. His wife, Siri, is a successful author in her own right. Their daughter Sophie is a popular singer in France. (Born 2/3/1947 in Newark, NJ)

4/30/2024 Stand-up comedienne Diane Ford died after a battle with cancer. She was 68. Remmebered for A&E’s hit series “An Evening at the Improv ” and HBO’s “One Night Stand.” (1993) She wrote an episode of Tim Allen’s “Home Improvement” on ABC in 1994. Ford also showed up 13 times on Fox’s “Comic Strip Live” and eight times on Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day telethon. Ford received 11 nominations at the American Comedy Awards for Comedian of the Year. (Born 9/4/1955 in Waseca, MN)

Celebrity Passings May 2024

We had a number of rock & roll musicians who died in 2024, including Rock Hall of Fame keyboardist Richard Tandy of ELO…the “King of the Bs” who discovered Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Ron Howard…a former ‘Miss Washington…the guy who wrote Anne Murreay’s hit “Could I have this Dance?”…The celebrities who died this year also includes the ‘Godfather of Latino Comedy’…the skinny-dipper and the first victim in “Jaws”…the smooth jazz sax man…the actor who auditioned for and lost the role of the professor on “Gilligan’s Island”…a CNN anchor…a child star of Hollywood’s Golden Age…the guy who only ate McDonald’s food for a month… Gomer Pyle’s girlfriend…and an NBA MVP…

5/1/2024 Electric Light Orchestra keyboardist Richard Tandy died at age 76 after a long illness. Tandy didn’t join the band until 1973, after the release of their first album. Hits included “Evil Woman” and “Strange Magic” to “Livin’ Thing” and “Telephone Line.” Tandy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the rest of ELO, in 2017. (Born 3/26/1948 in the UK)

5/2/2024 Actress/model Susan Buckner died peacefully at her home in Miami at age 72. She was best-known as the bubbly, glasses-wearing cheerleader Patty Simcox in “Grease.” (1978) The former Miss Washington (1971) would go on to perform in “The Love Boat,” “The Dean Martin Show,” “The Mac Davis Show,” “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” and “Sonny and Cher.” In the movies she appeared in Wes Craven’s American slasher film “Deadly Blessing” (1981) and “Police Academy 6: City Under Siege” (1989) (Born 1/28/1952 in Seattle, WA)

5/5/2024 English actor Bernard Hill, best known for his role as Captain Edward John Smith in “Titanic,” (1997) passed away at 79. Credits: Théoden, King of Rohan, in the second and third films of “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy (2002–2003). More film roles include “Gandhi” (1982), “The Bounty” (1984), “Shirley Valentine” (1989), “The Ghost and the Darkness” (1996), “True Crime” (1999), and “Valkyrie” (2008). (Born 12/17/1944)

5/6/2024 British actor Ian Gelder died of complications from bile duct cancer at age 74. Kevan Lannister in “Game of Thrones.” Ser Kevan Lannister was the younger brother of Lord Tywin Lannister and one of his most loyal and trusted officers in the Lannister armies. Lady Dorna Swyft is the unseen daughter of Ser Harys Swyft and wife of Ser Kevan Lannister. They have four children together. According to Cersei Lannister, she is chinless, chicken-legged and flat-chested. TV: Dekker in Torchwood: Children of Earth.” “Doctor Who,” “Poirot.” (Born Ian Denbigh White 6/3/1949 in England)

5/6/2024 Country songwriter Wayland Holyfield died. Holyfield helped write 14 No. 1 hits and had more than 40 songs reach the Top 10 during his time, including the Don Williams hit “You’re My Best Friend” and Anne Murray’s “Could I Have this Dance?,” which was used in the 1980 film “Urban Cowboy.”

5/9/2024 Independent Producer and “King of the Bs” Roger Corman died at age 98 at his home in Santa Monica, CA. Corman worked his way up in the film industry after starting in a mail room at 20th Century Fox in 1950. He specialized in fast-paced, low-budget genre movies; horror, action, westerns and science fiction. He is credited with discovering Jack Nicholson “Little Shop of Horrors”, Martin Scorsese “Boxcar Bertha,” Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola “Dementia 13,” Ellen Burstyn, Peter Fonda, Ron Howard and Robert De Niro “Boxcar Bertha”. At the time of his death, he had producer credit on 496 films. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2009. Wrote the book “Maverick: How I Made 200 Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime” in 1990.

5/10/2024 Los Angeles TV journalist Sam Rubin died of a heart attack at age 64. He was an important part of KTLA’s popular Morning News as an Emmy-winning Entertainment Reporter for over 30 years. Won a Golden Mic Award. He also wrote biographies on Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Mia Farrow, and was one of the founding members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association.

5/11/2024 Actor Kevin Brophy died at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. He was 70 years old. TV credits include “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries,” “M*A*S*H,” “The Love Boat,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and JAG.” Film: “Lucan” (1977), “The Long Riders” (1980), “Hell Night” (1981) and “GoodFellas.” (1990) Trivia: He and Peter Barton were bequeathed $500,000 each by Ray Fulk of Lincoln, Illinois. According to the newspaper The State Journal-Register, Fulk, who never met Barton or Brophy, was a fan of their TV shows. (Born 11/1/1953 in Salt Lake City)

5/11/2024 The ‘Godfather of Latino Comedy,’ Rudy Moreno, died at age 66 after being hospitalized for pneumonia. He was an actor and producer, known for “Father Stu” (2022), “Pacific Blue” (1996) and “Kingpin.” (2003). (Born 7/24/1957 in Los Angeles)

5/11/2024 American actress and stunt performer Susan Backlinie, who is best-known for playing, Chrissie Watkins, a skinny-dipper and the great first victim in “Jaws” (1975) at age 99. Also known for “Day of the Animals” (1977), “The Great Muppet Caper (1981), and Steven Spielberg’s “1941.” (1979). “The Grizzly & the Treasure” (1975). TV: “The Fall Guy”. (Born 9/1/1946 in Ventura, CA)

5/12/2024 Saxophonist David Sanborn died of complications from prostrate cancer at age 78. During his career, he played with singers and musicians including Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Paul Simon, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Chaka Khan, Elton John, Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Little Milton, Albert King and the Grateful Dead, among others. He released 25 albums beginning with “Taking Off,” in 1975, and was a 6-time Grammy Award winner. (Born 7/30/1945 in Tampa, FL)

5/13/2024 Canadian author Alice Munro died at age 92. She won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 and received the Man Booker International Prize in 2009 for her lifetime body of work, including “The Moons of Jupiter,” “Runaway,” “Dear Life” and “Hateship,” “Friendship,” “Courtship,” “Loveship,” “Marriage.” (Born 7/10/1931 in Wingham, Canada)

5/16/2024 Actor Dabney Coleman, who appeared in more that 175 films and television programs, died in Santa Monica at 92. Best-known for his roles playing mostly unlikeable characters like Franklin Hart, Jr. on “9 to 5.” (1980) He won an Emmy for his supporting role in the TV film “Sworn to Silence.” His career spanned nearly 7 decades, beginning on TV shows like “The Outer Limits,” “The Fugitive,” the “Yellowstone” TV series (1 episode) and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” Films: “Buffalo Bill,” “On Golden Pond” (1981), “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “Tootsie” (1982), “WarGames,” “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” “You’ve Got Mail” (1998) “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1993). He also appeared in “Boardwalk Empire” (2011-2014) and an episode of Yellowstone. (2019) Trivia: He auditioned for the role of Professor Roy Hinkley on “Gilligan’s Island” in 1964, which went to Russell Johnson. (Born 1/3/1932 in Austin, TX)

5/17/2024 Bassist and Founding Member of Train, Charlie Colin, died at 58 after slipping in a shower while house-sitting for a friend in Belgium. Colin contributed to the group’s first three albums, including the 2001 hit “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me),” which hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy award for best rock song. At the time of his death, he served as musical director for the Newport Beach Film Festival. (Born 11/22/1966)

5/18/2024 CNN political commentator Alice Stewart was found dead at age 58. The veteran GOP political advisor is believed to have suffered a medical emergency. She started her career as a local reporter and producer in Georgia before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, to be a news anchor. She worked as the communications director on the presidential campaigns of Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Ted Cruz. She joined CNN in 2016. In her free time, Stewart was an avid runner. (Born 3/11/1966 in Atlanta, GA)

5/18/2024 Fred Roos, a casting director and producer, who worked on a dozen or more films with Francis Ford Coppola, died at age 89. Credits include ” “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “The Godfather Part III,” (1990) “Apocalypse Now” “American Graffitti” and “Star Wars” (1977) with George Lucas and “Five Easy Pieces.” (1970) He was credited with casting early appearances from notable actors like Al Pacino, Nicholas Cage, Tom Cruise, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Carrie Fisher, Kirsten Dunst and Richard Dreyfuss. He had cast Harrison Ford in “American Graffiti” and suggested him to George Lucas for the role of Han Solo in “Star Wars.” In 1988, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Casting Society of America. (Born 5/22/1934 in Santa Monica, CA)

5/19/2024 Convicted criminal turned character actor Richard Foronjy died at age 86. He spent 8 years in prison for armed robbery and said that experience was helpful in creating some of the characters he played. “Serpico” (1973) “Repo Man (1984), “Midnight Run” (1988), “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984) and “Carlito’s Way.” (1993) Also appeared in “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers and “Fun With Dick and Jane.” (1977) (Born 8/3/1937 in Brooklyn, NY)

5/22/2024 Darryl Hickman, a child star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, died at age 92. Best-known as Winfield, the youngest member of the Joad family, in John Ford’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” (1940) Other films included “The Human Comedy,” “The Prisoner of Zenda” (1937) , “The Star Maker” (1939), “Tea and Sympathy,” “Men of Boys Town,” “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers,” and “Network.” (1976) Hickman played the younger version or son of many of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Ronald Colman, Van Heflin, and Clark Gable. Trivia: He was the last surviving member of “The Grapes of Wrath.” His younger was Dwayne Hickman (“Dobie Gillis”) (Born 7/28/1931 in Hollywood, CA)

5/23/2024 “Super Size Me” (2004) director Morgan Spurlock died of cancer at age 53. The film was based on Spurlock’s experiment of eating only McDonald’s food for 30 days and had to accept any “super-size” option if offered. Spurlock claimed he suffered from depression and liver dysfunction as a result, and gained 25 pounds. It was later disclosed that Spurlock struggled with alcohol, which may have been more responsible for his liver disease than McDonald’s fare. He created and hosted the show “I Bet You Will” for MTV in 2002 (Born Nov. 7, 1970, in Parkersburg, West Virginia)

5/24/2024 Iron Butterfly founding member Doug Ingle died peacefully at age 78. He was the last surviving member of the classic lineup. The group was formed in 1966 in San Diego, CA and best-known for their signature hit, “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.” (1969) The album went on to become certified quadruple-platinum. (Born in 9/9/1945 in Omaha, NE, but grew up in San Diego)

5/25/2024 Golfer Grayson Murray, who won two PGA Tour events and was ranked 58th in the world, died at age 30. His parents said the cause of death was suicide. He iwas engaged to fiancee Christiana Ritchie. (Born 10/1/1993)

5/25/2024 Oscar-winning producer and writer Albert Ruddy died at 94. Known for “The Godfather” (1972) and “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) which both earned him the Acadmy Award for Best Picture. “The Canonball Run” (1981) starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, and Dean Martin, “The Longest Yard” (1974). TV: Creator of “Walker, Texas Ranger” (1993-2001 196 episodes) He was a co-creator of “Hogan’s Heroes” (1965-1971 168 episodes) Quote: “Show me a relaxed producer and I’ll show you a failure.” (Born 3/28/1930 in Montreal, Quebec)

5/25/2024 Actor/producer Johnny Wactor died at age 37 of a gunshot wound in Los Angeles. Wactor and a colleague saw three men trying to steal a catalytic converter from his vehicle, and although he did not attempt to stop them, he was shot and died at a hospital. He was best-known for is role of Brando Corbin on the ABC soap “General Hospital.” (2020-2022 160 episodes) TV: “Station 19” (ABC), “Criminal Minds” (CBS), NCIS (CBS). Film: Played Connor on “USS Indianapolis” (2016) (Born 8/31/1986)’

5/25/2024 Songwriter Richard M. Sherman died of old age at 95. He and his brother Robert wrote such Disney classics as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and “It’s a Small World (After All). They earned two Academy Awards for their work on “Mary Poppins.” (1964) They went on to work on “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968), “Charlotte’s Web” (2006), “Bedknob and Broomsticks” (1971), “Winnie the Pooh” (2011) and “The Jungle Book.” The brothers were nominated for 9 Academy Awards, and earned 3 Grammy Awards and 24 gold or platinum albums. (Born 6/12/1928 in NYC)

5/27/2024 Elizabeth MacRae, famous for her role as Gomer Pyle’s girlfiend Lou-Ann Poovie, died in Columbia, SC at age 88. Other TV credits include “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Bonanza” (1968), “The Fugitive,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Rhoda,” as well as soap operas, Phyllis on “Days of Our Lives” (1976-1977 13 episodes), “General Hospital,” Jozie on “Search For Tomorrow” (1985 11 episodes) and “Guiding Light.” Her most prominent film role came as Meredith in Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller “The Conversation.” (1974) In later years, she worked as a drug and alcohol counselor in New York. (Born Elizabeth “Betsy” MacRae Halsey 2/22/1936 in Columbia, SC)

5/27/2024 NBA MVP Bill Walton, winner of two NBA championships, died at 71 after a long battle with cancer. The #1 overall pick in the 1974 draft (UCLA) by the Portland Trailblazers played 10 seasons in the NBA. The 6’11” center won Sixth Man of the Year award with the Boston Celtics in 1986. Walton was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and rhen the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He won an Emmy in 2001, and he was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time in 2009. Earned a law degree from Stanford. (Born 11/5/1952 in La Mesa, California)

5/28/2024 Character actor Terrence Beasor died in Santa Monica, CA at age 89. Credits include the films “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” “The Gods Must Be Crazy,” “Jaws: The Revenge,” “Pet Sematary” and TV: “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” and “Star Trek: Voyager, “The A-Team,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Cheers,” “L.A. Law,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Scandal,” “Gilmore Girls” and “Days of Our Lives.” (Born 2/2/1935 in Omaha, NE)

5/30/2024 Character actor Tom Bower died in his sleep at 86. He portrayed Dr. Curtis Willard on “The Waltons” (1975-1978) and the janitor, Marvin, who helps John McClane foil the terrorists at the airport in “Die Hard 2.” Films: “Two-Minute Warning” (1976), “Beverly Hills Cop II” (1987), “Raising Cain” (1992), “Clear and Present Danger” (1994), “North Country” (2005) and “The Killer Inside Me” (2010). He worked as a private investigator for attorney F. Lee Bailey for a couple of years. (Born 1/3/1938 in Denver, CO)

Celebrity Obits June 2024

Celebrity deaths this year include Janis Paige who lived to be 101…a Guiness Record for ‘longest gap’ between TV appearances’, 57 years…the “Dog Listener”…the Grammy Award winning songwriter who wrote “Suspicious Minds” for Elvis and “Hooked on a Feeling”… a comicstorian…a deckhand on “Deadliest Catch.”…Sgt Oddball from “Kelly’s Heros”…the hostess at the Oil Baron’s Club…another soap star…a WWE Hall of Fame star…and the guy who wrote “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed.” a “Deadliest Catch” deckhand a former child actor who enlisted in the Navy…another soap star..How many is that? At least 5 soap stars and we’re only halfway through the year! We said goodbye to comics and athletes and songrwriters and tattoo artists…and Oddball from Kelly’s Heros” and the hostess from the Oil Baron’s Club in Dallas and a guy named Shifty.

6/1/2024 Film and TV actor Erich Anderson died of cancer at 67 in Los Angeles. Best known for playing Keri Russell’s father Dr. Edward Porter on “Felicity.” TV: Billy Sidel in “Thirtysomething,” Don Kirkendall in “NYPD Blue,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “NCIS” (2003) “7th Heaven,” “ER” and “The X-Files.” Film: Rob Dier in “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984), “Unfaithful.” (2002) Wrote 3 novels. (Born 10/24/1956 in Japan)

6/2/2024 Actress Janis Paige died in Los Angeles at age 101. She was discovered while performing at the iconic Hollywood Canteen, and would go on to appear in such films as “Romance on the High Seas” (1948) with Doris Day and “Remains to Be Seen,” (1953) with Van Johnson and June Allyson and “Silk Stockings.” (1957) TV: “General Hospital” (1989-1990 40 episodes), “Trapper John, M.D. (1985-1986 15 episodes) Stage Appeared in “The Pajama Game” on Broadway. Replaced Angela Lansbury in the original Broadway production of “Mame.” (1968) “Here’s Love,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” Neil Simon’s musical “Sweet Charity” (1967) and “Guys and Dolls.” (Born Donna Mae Tjaden 9/16/1922 in Tacoma, WA)

6/3/2024 English actor William Russell of the long-running sci-fi series, “Doctor Who,” (1963-1965) died at age 99. He first achieved prominence in the title role of the television series “The Adventures of Sir Lancelot.” (30 episodes in 1956-1957) Other screen credits include “The Great Escape” (1963), “Superman” (1978) and as Ted Sullivan in “Coronation Street.” (February – September 1992) Trivia: He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest gap between TV appearances. He played the character of Ian Chesterton on “Doctor Who,” whose last regular appearance was on 6/26/1965 before his cameo in “The Power of the Doctor” (2022), a gap of 57 years 120 days. (Born William Russell Enoch 11/19/1924 in Sunderland, UK)

6/3/2024 Rap artist Brother Marcus of 2 Live Crew died of a heart attack at age 57. In 1986, they had a breakthrough with their Gold-certified debut album, “The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are.” Known for the song “As Nasty as They Wanna Be.” (1999) He was featured on Ice-T’s song “99 Problems.” (1993) (Born 4/4/1966 as Mark D. Ross in Rochester, NY.)

6/3/2024 Actress Betty Anne Rees died in Hemet, CA at age 81. Known for “Sugar Hill” (1974), “The Unholy Rollers” (1972). Screen credits include 1996 episode of “Shane” on ABC, then films “The Cool Ones” and “Banning.” TV: “Adam-12,” “Medical Center,” “Mannix,” “My Three Sons,” “The F.B.I.,” “Police Woman,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Lou Grant,” and more. Her final credit was playing Molly Margo in one episode of the television show “The Incredible Hulk” in 1977. (Born 4/14/1943 in Shaker Heights, OH)

6/5/2024 Diet doctor and TV host Dr. Michael Mosley was found dead June 9 on the Greek Island Symi. He was 67 and had disappeared days earlier. Police say he was on vacation and an autopsy revealed that he died of natural causes. He popularized a type of intermittent fasting known as the 5:2 diet. Known for his newspaper column in the Daily Mail several diet books, including “The Fast Diet.” (2013) He was known for British documentary shows “Michael Mosley: Who Made Britain Fat?” and the BBC’s “Trust Me, I’m A Doctor.” He once swallowed a camera for “Inside the Human Body”, giving viewers “a never-to-be-forgotten close-up of his inner workings”. In 1995 he was named Medical Journalist of the Year by the British Medical Association. (Born 3/22/1957 in Kolkata, India)

6/7/2024 Brisish comedian and “Dog Listener” Tony Knight died in a freak accident. He was 54. Knight was struck by two large tree branches while attending the Rock & Cars Festival in Lavaur, France. According to his website, Knight “helped thousands of dog owners all over the world solve problem dog behavior with simple techniques that use no force, pain, domination, drugs or gadgets.”

6/8/2024 Grammy-winning songwriter Mark James died at his home in Nashville at the age of 83. Best-known for hits like Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” B.J. Thomas’ “Hooked on a Feeling,” and Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind,” which won two Grammy Awards, one for best country song and other for song of the year. “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Suspicious Minds” were inspired by his high school sweetheart Karen Taylor. “Sunday Sunrise” was recorded by both Brenda Lee and Anne Murray. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Early in his career, he changed his name to Mark James after he was told that ‘Francis Zambon’ was “a non-starter.” (Born Francis Rodney Zambon 11/29/1940 in Houston, TX)

6/8/2024 YouTube star Ben Potter died of blunt force injuries to the head due to a single vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 25 near Fort Collins at age 40. Potter was known as a Comicstorian and for creating nearly 4,000 audio and video dramas of characters in DC and Marvel comics. He had over 3 million YouTube followers. (Born 5/18/1984)

6/10/2024 Matt Long, lead singer of Catfish, died after cancer battle at age 29. He was considered one of the U.K.’s finest blues musicians.

6/11/2024 Actor/choreographer/director Tony Mordente died in Henderson, NV at age 88. Known for two “West Side Story” roles he played on Broadway and in the film version. In the stage version Mordente played A-Rab, and in the film he played Action. It was the same show where he met and married his co-star, Chita Rivera. (1957-1966) They had a daughter, who followed them into the business; Tony-nominated actress Lisa Mordente. He received his first credit as sole choreographer for “Here’s Where I Belong,” (1968) which closed after opening night. Tony went on to choreograph TV variety shows, Ed Sullivan” and Sonny & Cher.” He started directing TV shows, including 29 episods of “Rhoda,” “M*A*S*H,” “Family Ties,” “The A-Team,” “Matlock,” “Walker, Texas Ranger” (37 episodes), “The Love Boat,” “Burke’s Law” and “7th Heaven.” (Born 12/3/1935 in NYC)

6/11/2024 Actor/writer/director Tony Lo Bianco died at age 87. Best-known as Sal Boca in the film “The French Connection,” (1971) which would go on to win Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. He appeared in 100+ films, including lonely hearts killer Raymond Fernandez in “The Honeymoon Killers” (1970), Vito in “The Seven-Ups” (1973), “BloodBrothers” (1978), “City Heat” and “Kill the Irishman.” (2011) His final film was the 2022 Ray Romano-directed comedy, “Somewhere in Queens.” (1970) (Born 10/19/1936 in Brooklyn, NY)

6/12/2024 Nashville producer and recording engineer Joe Scaife died at 68. Best-known for Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart,” (1992) He also produced K.T. Oslin’s “80s Ladies,” which Rolling Stone said was one of the ‘200 Best Country Songs Ever’ and Gretchen Wilson’s songs “Redneck Woman” and “Here for the Party.” (Born 11/26/1955)

6/12/2024 Tejano music legend Johnny Canales died at age 81. “The Johnny Canales Show” debuted on KRIS radio in Corpus Christi Texas in 1983 before moving to Univision (1988-1996) and then Telemundo in 1997. He is credited for introducing Selena Quintana to mainstream audiences on her birthday in 1985. (Born 8/23/1942 in General Trevino, Mexico)

6/13/2024 Nick Mavar, a deckhand on “Deadliest Catch” for 98 episodes in 17 seasons (2005-2021), died of natural causes in a boat yard in Naknek, AK at the age of 59. He departed the series after his appendix ruptured onboard in December 2020. That led to discovery of a cancerous tumor. (Born 10/21/1964 in San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA)

6/13/2024 Former child actor Benji Gregory died from heatstroke in Peoria, AZ. He was 46. Best-known for appearing on “ALF,” (101 episodes) beginning in 1986 at 8 years old. He has appeared on other TV shows, including “The Twilight Zone” (1985), “The A-Team,” “T.J. Hooker” (1982), “Fantasy Island” (1977) “Punky Brewster” and “Murphy Brown.” He appeared in Whoopi Goldberg’s comedy “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1986). Trivia: His father, uncle and sister were all actors; his grandmother was his agent. Later in life, he enlisted in the Navy specializing in meterorology amd oceanography. (Born Benjamin Hertzberg on 5/26/1978 in Los Angeles)

6/13/2024 Singer-songwriter Angela Bofill died age 70 at her daughter’s home in Vallejo, CA. She released her first album “Angie” in 1978, which included her 1st hit, “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” and “I’m On Your Side.” Her second album in 1979 contained the hits “What I What Wouldn’t Do (For the Love of You),” “Angel of the Night” and “I Try,” Her 10th and final studio album, “Love in Slow Motion,” was released in 1996. (Born 5/2/1954 in The Bronx)

6/16/2024 New York stand-up comic Hiram Kasten died in Batavia, NY at age 71 after a prolonged illness. Appeared on “Seinfeld” (3 episodes) and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” (2001) He took over as the emcee at the Comic Strip from Jerry Seinfeld. He has performed on one-episode appearances on shows like “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Mad About You,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Saved by the Bell.”

6/16/2024 Singer and songwriter Buzz Cason passed at 84. Cason’s biggest hit was “Everlasting Love,” but the “Father of Nashville Rock” had a hand on hits for several rock and country stars during a 60-year career, including Dolly Parton, Mel Tillis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Jimmy Buffet, Elvis, Kenny Rogers and Martina McBride “Love’s the Only House.” His “Soldier of Love” song was performed by the Beatles and Pearl Jam.

6/18/2024 French film actress Anouk Aimée died at 92. Oscar-nominated star of “A Man and a Woman” (1966) for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Also known for Federico Fellini classics “La Dolce Vita” (1960), “8½” (1963), Robert Altman’s “Prêt-à-Porter” and Jacques Demy’s first film “Lola.” (1961) (Born Nicole Françoise Sorya Dreyfus in Paris on 4/27/1932. She was the daughter of Henri Dreyfus, who had acted in films under the name Henry Murray, and Geneviève Sorya, who also had a film acting career)

6/20/2024 Tattoo artist Ryan Hadley died of cancer at age 46. He was a competitor on the reality series “Ink Master.” (2015)

6/20/2024 Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Donald Sutherland died age 88 after a long illness. “Ordinary People” (1980), Capt. “Hawkeye” Pierce in “M*A*S*H” (1970), “Klute” (1971), “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), Sgt. Oddball on “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970), “Animal House” (1978), “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978), “JFK” (1991), “The Italian Job” (2003), “Pride and Prejudice” (2005) and as President Coriolanus Snow of the first four “Hunger Games.” (2012-2015) He won an honorary Oscar in 2017. TV: Judge Parker on the series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and in the “Swimming With Sharks” series in 2022. Father of actor Kiefer Sutherland. Trivia: 1) He preferred to shoot the opening scenes of a movie last in order to better set the tone of the movie to the audience. 2) Both Sutherland and Alan Alda, who took up the role of Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H (1972) suffered from polio as children. (Born 5/17/1935 in St. John, Canada.)

6/20/2024 Actor and mixed martial arts fighter Taylor Wily died at age 56. The former sumo wrestler played Kamekona Tupuola on 171 episodes of “Hawaii Five-0,” plus additional appearances as the character on “Magnum P.I.” and “MacGyver.” His breakthrough role was considered to be Kemo from the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” (2008) He competed in UFC where he was billed as Teila Tuli. (Born 6/14/1968 in Honolulu, HI)

6/23/2024 Surfer, lifeguard and actor Tamayo Perry died at age 49 after being attacked by a shark on Oahu. Hwas considered as one of the most prominent pipeline specialists of all time. He appeared in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011), the short film “The Bridge,” (2015) and one episode of “Hawaii Five-O.” (2010) He is also credited as a stunt performer on the Owen Wilson surfing movie “The Big Bounce.” (2004) (Born 4/15/1975 in O’ahu, Hawaii)

6/23/2024 Actress Pat Colbert died at her home in Compton, CA at age 77. Her most notable role came as Dora Mae, the hostess at the Oil Baron’s Club in “Dallas.” (1983-1991 67 episodes) More TV: “Benson,” “The Fall Guy,” “Sisters” and as a TV reporter in “Knott’s Landing.” (Born 1/16/1947)

6/23/2024 Florida rapper Julio Foolio was shot and killed in a hotel parking lot in Tampa, FL. He released his first project in 2016. Best-known for songs “Crooks,” “Double That” (2020), “Reach The Top,” “SRT” and “Coming Up” (2018) Jones had 1.1. million followers on Instagram and nearly 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His 10 albums included 2024’s “Resurrection.” (Born Charles Andrew Jones II 6/21/1998 in Jacksonville, FL)

6/24/2024 Actress Joan Benedict Steiger died at age 96 from complications of a stroke. After beginning her career in dance and ballet, she was best-known for her work on Allen Funt’s “Candid Camera” and as Edith Fairchild on “General Hospital.” Later TV credits include “The Steve Allen Show.,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Fantasy Island,” “Days of Our Lives” and “Capitol.” She was married twice: First to John Myhers of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” They spent 3 decades together until his death in 1992. In 2000, she married Academy Award-winner Rod Steiger, who died two years later. (Born 7/21/1927 in Brooklyn, NY)

6/24/2024 Singer, rapper, songwriter actor and Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock died of an accidental drug overdose of both pharmaceutical and street drugs (cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine) at his home in Los Angeles at age 49. Known for their song, “Butterfly.” He had spoken about his longtime misuse of drugs and addiction and appeared on VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober House.” Hit song: “Butterfly” (2001) (Born Seth Brooks Binzer 8/23/1974 in Los Angeles, CA)

6/25/2024 WWE Hall of Famer Sika Anoa’i died at age 79. He was half of the Wild Samoans tag team and father of the late pro wrestler Roman Reigns (AKA Rosey) who died in 2017. The Wild Samoans projected a fearless presence in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

6/25/2024 Character actor Bill Cobbs died at 90, after suffering from pneumonia. Movie roles included “The Color of Money” (1986), “The Bodyguard” (1992), “Night at the Museum,” “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and “Demolition Man.” TV: “The Sopranos,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “One Life to Live.” He earned a Daytime Emmy for his work as Mr. Hendrickson on “Dino Dana,” a Canadian educational show for children. Cobbs was an Air Force radar technician for eight years before leaving for New York to seek work as an actor. His feature film debut in “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.” (1974) (Born 6/16/1934 and raised in Cleveland, OH)

6/26/2924 Scottish actress Pay Heywood died age 92. She made her film debut at age 36 playing Olivia Hussey’s nurse and confidant in Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet.” (1968) The role earned her a BAFTA award nomination. Other credits include “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1969) and as Ellen Dean in 4 episodes of “Wuthering Heights.” (1978) (Born 8/1/1931 in Gretna Green, Scotland)

6/26/2024 Actor & model Renauld White died in hospice care in Manhattan at age 80. He was known for championing more diversity in fashion and was only the second Black model to appear on the cover of GQ magazine (1979). He walked the runway for many top designers, including Armani, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren and Versace. Acting: William Reynolds on “The Guiding Light” (1986-1987), he also made an appearance on Andy Warhol’s short-lived TV series “Fashion” in 1979. “Central Park.” (2017) (Born 2/1/1944 in Newark, NJ)

6/27/2024 Country music’s Kinky Friedman died at 79 at his ranch near Austin, TX after struggling with Parkinson’s disease. Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys performed irreverent songs such as “A**hole from El Paso,” “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore,” “We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to You” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed,” for which he won the “Male Chauvinist Pig Award” (1973) by the National Organization for Women. Each member of the Jewboys usually had an offensive nickname, such as Little Jewford, Sky Cap Adams, Big Nig and Panama Red.Friedman claims to have been the first full-blooded Jew to take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. He was also seen on “Saturday Night Live,” and at the “Grand Ole Opry.” He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election and received 12.6% of the vote, Friedman placed fourth in the six-person race. He was also considered a pretty good chess player. Wrote books; “Kinky Friedman’s Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth” and “Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola: A Novel.” (Born 11/1/1944)

6/27/2024 Actor/comedian/musician Martin Mull died in Los Angeles at 80 after a long illness. Known for “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and its spinoff “Fernwood 2 Night,” Colonel Mustard in “Clue,” Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development” and “Roseanne.” Russell, a pharmacist who uses and sells drugs illegally on “Two and a Half Men.” (2008-2013) In 1985, he co-wrote and starred in the mockumentary “The History of White People in America” alongside frequent collaborator Fred Willard. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for his guest role as political aide Bob Bradley in “Veep.” Mull was a regular on the game show “Hollywood Squares” in a run of 425 episodes from 1998-2004. Made memorable commercials for Red Roof Inn. (Born August 18, 1943 in Chicago)

6/29/2024 Actor Doug Sheehan died age 75 in Big Horn, WY. He was Joe Kelly on “General Hospital” (1979-1982) which earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination. Also reporter Ben Gibson on “Knots Landing.” (1983 -1987) He went on the play Cher Horowitz’s father, Mel, on “Clueless” (1997-1999 44 episodes) and Sabrina’s father on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Movies: “10” (1979) (Born 4/27/1949 in Santa Monica, CA.

Celebrities Who Died July 2024

Everybody has been talking about all the rock ‘n roll deaths lately, but two of the Oak Ridge Boys died this year – both is July. We loved hits like “American Made,” “Bobbie Sue” and “Elvira.” John Belushi’s widow, Judy died in July of 2024. Jon Bon Jovi’s mother, a former Playboy bunny and entrepreneur died 3 days short of her 84th birthday…Olive Oyl from “Popeye”…Dr. Ruth…Doogie’s Dad on “Doogie Howser M.D.”…a top chef…the guy who had us “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.”…the great Bob Newhart…another soap star… a disco singer with high energy….the last surviving original member of Motown’s the Four Tops…and the oldest female finalist ever on “Survivor.”

7/1/2024 William “Rusty” Golden, the singer-songwriter and son of The Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden, died at age 65. He had several #1 southern gospel songs and two Song of the Year awards for “What Salvation’s Done for Me” by The Booth Brothers and “I Want to Thank You” by Karen Peck & New River. He earned an RIAA Gold record as a songwriter on The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Bobbie Sue” album. In 2020, Rusty and his brother Chris, along with father William Lee, began working on a vision for a family band called William Lee Golden and The Goldens. They recorded and released 34 songs on three albums, (Born William Lee Golden Jr. 1/3/1959)

7/1/2024 Oscar winning writer and director Robert Towne died at age 89. Wrote the original script for “Chinatown.” (1974) Began his career as an actor and writer for B-movie director Roger Corman. Towne was also nominated for an Oscar for “The Last Detail” (1973) and “Shampoo” (1975). He was known as a ‘script doctor’ working on films like, “Bonnie and Clyde,” (1967) “Marathon Man” (1976) and “Heaven Can Wait” (1978). Other titles include “Days of Thunder” (1990) and “The Firm.” (1993) He was a consulting producer on “Mad Men.” (Towne was born Robert Bertram Schwartz on 11/23/1934)

7/4/2024 Talent manager Mary Martin passed away at 85. Her clients included Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Clint Black, Lorrie Morgan and Keith Urban.

7/5/1014 Judy Belushi died on Marth’s Vineyard at age 73. She was married to John Belushi from 1973 until his death in 1982. She was a radio and television producer and had uncredited roles in Belushi’s two blockbuster hits, “Animal House” (1978) and “The Blues Brothers.” (1980) She wrote the book, “Samurai Widow” about her life with John. (Born 1951 in Oak Park, IL)

7/5/2024 Golden Globe and Oscar-winning producer Jon Landau died at age 63 in Los Angeles. Best-known for his work with James Cameron on “Titanic,” which won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, and became the first movie to gross more than $1 billion globally, Other films include “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989), “Home Alone” (1990), “Dick Tracy” (1990), “Die Hard 2” (1990), “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993) “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Speed” (1997), “Avatar” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022). (Born 7/23/1960)

7/9/2024 Singer/author Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys died in Henderson, TN from complications from ALS. Hits include, “American Made” (1983), “Elvira” (1981), “Y’all Come Back Saloon” (1977), “Bobbie Sue” (1982) He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame in 1994.. (Born 5/18/1948 in Philadelphia, PA)

7/9/2024 Jon Bon Jovi’s mother Carol Bongiovi died at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey at age 83, 3 days short of her 84th birthday. She was a former Playboy bunny, entrepreneur and U.S. Marine, who met her husband in the Marine Corp. She bought her son an acoustic guitar when he was 7 years old. She managed the Bon Jovi fan club out of her flower shop. Carol worked at the Playboy Club in NYC. “I did go there as a kid,” said Jon to Larry King in 2006. “Oh God, did I have the stories and the pictures.” The family lived at 16 Robinhood Drive. The house was later given away to a fan via an MTV contest.

7/10/2024 Grammy-nominated singer, Dave Loggins, best-known for “Please Come to Boston” died in Nashville. He was 76. “Please Come to Boston” earned a Grammy for Best Male Vocal Performance. He and Anne Murray hit #1 and won Best CMA Vocal Duo of the Year in 1984 with “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do.” He wrote songs recorded by Alabama, Reba McEntire, Ray Charles, Restless Heart, Smokey Robinson, Wynonna Judd and Willie Nelson. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995. (Born 11/10/1947)

7/11/2024 Shelley Duvall died of complications of diabetes in Blanco, Texas. She was 75. She was discovered by Robert Altman, who cast her in “Brewster McCloud,” Won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for “3 Women.” In 1977 she played a Rolling Stone journalist in Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall.” Olive Oyl in “Popeye” (1980) Also appeared in “The Shining,” with Jack Nicholson, “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” “Thieves Like Us,” and “Nashville” (1975). She retired from acting in 2002, but returned as Mama in the 2023 horror film, “The Forest Hills.”

7/12/2024 Dr. Ruth Westheimer died at 96 at her home in New York. She was known for her frank talk about sex as a radio and television talk show and columnist. The former professor began her media career with a Sunday night call-in radio program, “Sexually Speaking,” beginning in 1980 on WYNY-FM in New York. She was a popular guest on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night With David Lettereman” and “Hollywood Squares.” She was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2019. She authored more than 40 books and released her own board game..

7/13/2024 Actor James B. Sikking died of complications of dementia at age 90. Best-remembered as Lt. Howard Hunter on the police show “Hill Street Blues” and Doogie’s Dad on “Doogie Howser M.D.” Other credits: “Perry Mason,” “General Hospital,” “Bonanza,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” and “Hawaii Five-O.” He received 98 Emmy nominations and won 26. Film: “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” (1984) and “The Pelican Brief.” (1993) Trivia: His mom Sue, dad Andy, brothers Tom and Bob were ordained ministers in the Unity Church. (Born 3/5/1934 in Los Angeles)

7/13/24 Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty died at age 53 after a long battle with breast cancer. TV: Brenda Walsh on “90210,” (4 seasons) Prue Halliwell on “Charmed” (3 seasons) “Heathers” (1988) Film: “Mallrats.” (1995)

7/13/2024 Bob Tischler was not a comedy writer when he signed on to help revive “Saturday Night Live” (1981-1985 78 episodes) after a dismal season early in its history. He was known for producing “The National Lampoon Radio Hour,” “Boy Meets World” (1997-2000 69 episodes) “Something So Right” (23 episodes) and “The Blues Brothers.” (1980) (Born 6/12/1946 in Englewood, NJ)

7/13/24 Chef and restauranteur Naomi Pomeroy died at age 49 in a drowning accident. Known for her James Beard Award-winning restaurant Beast in Portland, OR. Competed on “Top Chef Masters,” she was also named one of America’s Best New Chefs. In 2014, she won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Northwest. Her cookbook “Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking” was published in 2016. (Born Nov 30, 1974)

7/13/2024 TV personality and fitness coach Richard Simmons died one day after his birthday at 76. He had been reclusive in recent years. He moved to Los Angeles to work in the restaurant and got interested in fitness. He was able to lose 123 pounds and in 1974 opened a Beverly Hills fitness studio called The Anatomy Asylum. He began making appearances on the TV show, “Real People” and had a recurring role as himself on “General Hospital.” (ABC) He hosted “The Richard Simmons Show,” from 1984 to 1989 and won Daytime Emmys for best direction and best talk show. He was a frequent guest on Howard Stern’s radio show and David Letterman’s TV show. He also produced a series of workout DVDs “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.” (Born Milton Teagle Simmons on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans to a showbiz family)

7/15/24 Actor and mime Whitney Rydbeck best-known as a victim in the 6th Friday the 13th movie died on cancer at age 79. His career began on an episode of “Nanny and the Professor (1970). Films included the Woody Allen film “Sleeper” in 1973, “Rocky II” (1979), and “1941.” (1979). TV: “The Brady Bunch,” “Lassie,” Sergeant “Hondo” McKee in a season 8 episode of “M*A*S*H,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “Scrubs.” He was also one of the original crash test dummies in a memorable public service campaign for seat belts. (Born 3/13/1945 in Los Angeles)

7/17/24 Chinese actress and martial arts icon Cheng Pei-pei, best known for her roles in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Come Drink with Me,” died at age 78. She was considered the first Chinese female action hero, appearing in 20 wuxia action films.

7/18/24 Actor Bob Newhart died at age 94 after a series of short illnesses. His career spanned 60 years and began doing standup on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Newhart’s first comedy album, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, won a Grammy award for Album of the Year in 1961. He appeared on many TV shows, including “The Dean Martin Show,” “Ed Sullivan,” Professor Proton on “Young Sheldon” and “The Tonight Show.” “The Bob Newhart Show” ran on CBS for 6 seasons and 142 episodes beginning September 16, 1972. (Final episode April 1, 1978)

7/18/24 South African actress/producer Esta TerBlanche, who starred as Gillian Andrassy on “All My Children,” (1997-2001) died of natural causes at age 51. Miss Teen South Africa. (1991) (Born 1/7/1973)

7/18/24 Financial news anchor and political commentator Lou Dobbs died at 78. Hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight”, which was originally “Moneyline,” on CNN and then on Fox Business Network.

7/19/2024 Slash’s stepdaughter Lucy-Bleu Knight took her own life via “hydrogen sulfide toxicity.” at age 25. (Born 12/6/1998)

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

7/21/24 Disco singer Evelyn Thomas, best known for her hit “High Energy” (1984) died age 70.

7/22/24 Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of Motown’s the Four Tops, died at age 88 of heart failure. Known for hits “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got),” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” and “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Won a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2009.

7/23/2024 Director and producer Sam Strangis died of kidney failure at Providence Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, CA. As head of production at Paramount, Strangis oversaw television shows such as “The Odd Couple,” “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Love, American Style,” and “Mannix.” He was also attached to “Batman: The Movie” (1966), “CSI” and “Six Million Dollar Man.” (Born 6/19/1929 in Tacoma, WA)

7/23/2024 Retired schoolteacher Kim Johnson, who competed on “Survivor: Africa,” died after a long illness. She was 79, She made it to the final four before winning two immunity challenges, but lost in a 5-2 jury vote. She remains the oldest female finalist in franchise history.

7/26/24 Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Nelon Clark, and Amber Nelon Kistler of the gospel group the Nealons were killed in a plane crash. The youngest member of the group, daughter Autumn Nelon Streetman, was not onboard the plane. The Grammy nominated group released 40+ albums. They won 10 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards throughout their nearly 50-year music career. Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

7/28/24 Author Francine Pascal died from lymphoma in Manhatten at age 92. Best known for the long-running, best-selling “Sweet Valley High” series of young-adult books, selling an estimated 150 million copies in 27 languages around the world. A “Sweet Valley High” TV series ran from 1994 to 1997 in syndication.

7/29/24 Actor, dancer and choreographer Bobby Banas, best known for his role as Joyboy, a member of the Jets, in the 1961 film adaptation of “West Side Story” died in Encino, CA at age 90. He appeared in many memorable films of the 1950s and 1960s, including “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” “Bye Bye Birdie” (*1963), “Damn Yankees” (1958) and “Mary Poppins” (1964), in which he played a chimney sweep. On TV, he appeared on “The Virginian,” “Mork & Mindy” and “Teen Witch.” (Born 9/22/1933 in NYC)

Famous Obituaries August 2024

We had several entrepreneurs who died in 2024 are among the stars we lost, including Famous Amos and the guy who founded Barnes & Noble… the guy who brought us “Little Darlin”…a couple more pro wrestlers, including the ‘Prince of Darkness’…”The King of Daytime Talk” Phil Donahue…another soap star…the original host of “Hollywood Squares”…a survivalist… an NBA Hall of Famer… the World’s Most Famous Shopper…the last of the main cast members of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”…and…yep!…another soap star!…among the dozens of actors who died in 2024.

8/4/24 Actor Charles Cyphers, the character actor best known for playing Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the “Halloween” movies died. TV series: “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “The Bionic Woman,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Roots,” “Wonder Woman” and “The Betty White Show.” Movies: “Honkytonk Man,” “Escape from New York” (1981), “Coming Home” and “Gray Lady Down.” (1978)

8/5/2024 John Aprea, the actor who played John Stamos’ character’s father, Nick Katsopolis on “Full House” and Sal Tessio in “The Godfather Part II” (1974) died of natural causes at age 83 in Los Angeles. His first big acting break came as a killer in the Steve McQueen action classic “Bullitt.” (1968) Other films: “The Manchurian Candidate” (2004). “The Stepford Wives” (1975). He also appeared as mob boss Don Armeteo in “New Jack City.” (1991) Small gigs on TV, like “That Girl,” “Falcon Crest,” “The Sopranos,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The F.B.I.” (Born 3/4/1941 in Englewood, NJ)

8/6/2024 South African actress Connie Chiume died after a lingering illness. She was 72. Best-known for her role as Zawavari, a member of the Wakanda Tribal Council in “Black Panther.” (2018) Also “In My Country,” co-starring Samuel L. Jackson and Juliette Binoche.

8/6/24 Singer and bandleader Maurice Williams died at 86. Best known for the song “Stay” by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs in the film “Dirty Dancing.” (1987) The song went to #1 in 1960. His first hit, “Little Darlin” (1959) was written when he was 16. (Born 4/26/1938 in Lancaster, SC)

8/8/24 Comedian and Seinfeld actress Mitzi McCall died at age 93. She and Charlie Brill appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” the night The Beatles appeared. Her best-remembered acting role came in the 1994 “Seinfeld” episode ‘The Secretary,’ wherein Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) accosts her character, a dry-cleaner’s wife, for wearing his mother’s fur coat. Other credits include “Silk Stalkings,” “Life Goes On,” “The Twilight Zone,” “The Tonight Show,” “Scooby-Doo,” “Roseanne,” “Ellen” and “Hannah Montana.”

8/9/24 Pro wrestler Kevin Sullivan, who went by such ring names as the ‘Taskmaster’ and the ‘Prince of Darkness.’ Remembered for memorable feuds with legends like Hulk Hogan, Sting, Randy Savage and Dusty Rhodes. Died of a blood clot in his leg at age 75. (Born 10/26/1948)

8/10/2024 Actress Rachael Lillis lost her life to cancer at age 46. She voiced a wide variety of characters in anime series, movies, and video games – including Pokémon’s Misty and Jessie. She also provided the calls, grunts, and various noises of the popular Pokémon Vulpix, Venonat, Goldeen, and Jigglypuff. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”.

8/11/2024 Actor and comedian Angel Salazar, best-known for playing sidekick to Al Pacino in “Scarface” died at age 68. He was known for his work with Tom Hanks in “Punchline” (1988), “Carlito’s Way.” (1993), “Where the Buffalo Roam” (1980) and “The Wild Life.” (1984)

8/12/24 “Beef” actress Patti Yasutake died of cancer at age 70. Yasutake was best known for her role as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and subsequent “Star Trek” franchises. “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Bones.” “Cold Case” and “The Young and the Restless.” Films include Ron Howard’s comedy “Gung Ho” (1986), “The Wash” (1988), “Blind Spot” (1993), “Road to Galveston” (1996) and “Drop Dead Gorgeous” (1999),

8/13/24 Greg Kihn lost his battle with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 75. Best-known for the songs “Jeopardy” (1983), “The Breakup Song”, “Remember” and “Lucky”. He had a 17 year career as the morning man at KFOX radio and wrote 6 published novels. (Born Gregory Stanley Kihn 07/10/49 in Baltimore, MD)

8/13/2024 British production manager and producer Norman Spencer died in Wimbledon, London at 110. He entered the film industry as an extra in 1936 and worked his way up to a gofer. Best-known for his work on “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957) and “Lawrence of Arabia.” Other credits include; “Great Expectations” (1946), “Oliver Twist” (1948), co-author of the screenplay for “Hobson’s Choice” (1954), “Summertime.” (1955) and “Vanishing Point.” (1971) (Born 8/13/1914)

8/14/24 Entrepreneur Wally Amos, founder of “Famous Amos” cookies, died at 88. He had been suffering from dementia.

8/14/24 Gena Rowlands, acclaimed star of “Gloria,” “Faces” and “The Notebook,” died at 94. Rowlands made 10 films across four decades with her husband John Cassavetes, including “Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971), “Opening Night” (1977) and “Love Streams.” (1984) Other movies included “Two Minute Warning” with Charlton Heston, “Tempest,” “Lonely Are the Brave.” On TV: Guest spots on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Bonanza,” “Dr. Kildare” and “The Virginian.” She earned two Oscar nominations for two of them: 1974’s “A Woman Under the Influence,” in which she played a wife and mother cracking under the burden of domestic harmony, and “Gloria.” (1980)

8/15/2024 David Handelman, writer on Four Aaron Sorkin TV series, died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York from complications of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a rare blood cancer, at age 63. He began his career as writer for “Rolling Stone.” covering comedy, The Beastie Boys, AIDES activists to Sam Kinison. He also contributed to The New York Times, GQ, Premiere and Spy. Went to work on “Sports Night,” “The West Wing,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (2006-2007), “The Newsroom,” “One Tree Hill” (2013-2014) and “‘Nashville.” He also wrote for the syndicated “The Jane Pauley Show,” ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Most recently. he was a producer and writer on CNN’s “Smerconish.” (Born 4/23/1961 in Scarsdale, NY)

8/15/24 TV’s Peter Marshall died. He was the original host of the “Hollywood Squares,” hosting more than 5,000 episodes, but before that he sang with big bands, acted in movies & TV, performed in theatre and headlined in Vegas. He was nominated for an Emmy 19 times with 5 wins. (Real name: Ralph Pierre LaCock)

8/15/24 Jack Russell, the iconic frontman of Great White died at age 63 from a variety of illnesses, including Lewy body dementia. He retired from touring a month before his death. Songs: “Once Bitten.Twice Shy,” and “Rock Me.” His memoir; “The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock & Roll Narrative” was released in early 2024.

8/16/2024 Survivalist Tom Brown Jr., who ran a school in the New Jersey wilderness that taught thousands of students how to survive and even thrive in the great outdoors, died at 74. He ran the popular Tracker School that offered weeklong courses on wilderness living and survival. He was a technical advisor on the film, “The Haunted” (2003), starring Tommy Lee Jones and Benecio Del Toro. (Born Thomas Haughey Brown Jr. 1/29/1950 in Toms River, New Jersey)

8/16/2024 Scott Bloomquist, a champion dirt-track driver, died at age 60 near his home near Mooresburg, Tennessee. Considered the GOAT in super dirt late model racing, he died in a small airplane crash. He was a Hall of Fame dirt racer with 600+ wins and 9 championships and considered one of the cleanest drivers of the sport.

8/16/2024 WWE wrestler Afa Anoa’i died at age 81. He and his late brother formed a tag team, the Wild Samoans, and won the World Tag Team Championship three times and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

8/18/2024 “The King of Daytime Talk” Phil Donahue, died at age 88 after a long illness. He began hosting “The Phil Donahue Show,” later renamed “Donahue,” in Dayton, OH in 1967, earning 20 Emmy Awards in 26 years. Nearly 7,000 episodes were created over 29 years. He met his second wife, Marlo Thomas, in 1977 while taping an episode of the show. It was “love at first sight.” They married in 1980. He won a Peabody Award in 1981. President Joe Biden awarded Donahue and 18 others the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024. Trivia: Donahue and his family lived in Centerville, OH across the street from future humorist, columnist and author Erma Bombeck. (Born Phillip John Donahue on 12/21/1935)

8/20/2024 Al Attles, the Basketball Hall of Famer (2019) and Golden Warriors legendary point guard, died at age 87. Nicknamed the “Destroyer,” Attles was selected by the Warriors in the 5th round of the 1960 NBA Draft and played 11 seasons. He took over as player-coach during the 1970–71 season, his last as a player, then remained the team’s head coach after his playing retirement and led the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1975. He served as the Warriors general manager from 1983-1986. Attles’s number 16 was retired by the Warriors in 1977. (Born 11/7/1936 in Newark, NJ)

8/21/2024 Emmy-nominated actor John Amos died of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 84. Best-known for playing Toby, the older version of Kunta Kinte, in the landmark TV miniseries “Roots.” (1977 3 episodes) While appearing in “Good Times,” (3 seasons) he recalled complaining about inauthentic scripts because he felt “like I knew more about what a Black family should be, and how a Black father would act, than our writers, none of whom were Black.”
“I wasn’t the most diplomatic guy,” he said, adding that he was fired after the “writers said, ‘We can’t deal with this anymore.’” Other credits include “Coming to America” (1988), Grant in “Die Hard 2” (1990), “All in the Family,” “Maude” (1972-1978), “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1994-1995 3 episodes), “The West Wing” (1999-2006) and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” (1970-1977) The death of John Amos means that all main cast members of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” are now dead. He was interested in a career in sports and had tryouts with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos and the British Columbia Lions of the CFL. “All I ever wanted to do all my life was to play pro football,” Amos once said. (Born John Allen Amos Jr. 12/27/1939 in East Orange, NJ)

8/21/2024 Roger Cook, longtime “This Old House” landscaper, died at 70 after a long illness. He had resigned from the show for health reasons and was replaced by landscaping expert Jennifer Nawada Evans, Quote: “Plant it high, it won’t die; plant it low, it won’t grow,” when it came to planting a tree.

8/21/2024 Character actor on “Law & Order”and “Blue Bloods” Ed Wheeler died in a hospital in Englewood, NJ of respiratory failure due to complications of pneumonia at 88. He began his career doing TV commercials, including national ads for Luvs diapers, Reynolds Wrap, Sudafed, Pepcid AC and Computer Associates. His TV debut came in 1878 on PBS; “Watch Your Mouth.” Other TV credits include “The Core of the Apple,” “Monsters,” “New York Undercover,” “One Life to Live,” Cassius Whitney in “Soul Food,” and “Cosby.” Film: “Broadcast News” (1987), “Presumed Innocent” and “The Kill Reflex.” Honored with ‘The Living Legend Award’ in 2017 for his contributions to American theatre. (Born 2/18/1936 in Brooklyn, NY)

8/24/2024 Betty Halbreich, a personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman, died of cancer at 96. Considered the World’s Most Famous Shopper, her clients included Estée Lauder, Betty Ford, Al Gore, Dianne Feinstein, Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli and Meryl Streep. She helped with wardrobes for the “Sex in the City” cast and several Woody Allen movies. She wrote 3 memoirs, “Secrets of a Fashion Therapist” (1997), then her second memoir, titled “I’ll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist” (2015) was featured on The New York Times Best Seller list. Her 3rd book was “No One Has Seen It All.” (2025) Her stepfather ran department stores and her mother owned a bookstore. She met her future husband Sonny Halbreich while on vacation in Miami Beach. He was the son of a wealthy hotel developer. (Born Betty Ann Samuels 11/17/1927 in Chicago)

8/26/2024 Pro wrestler Sid Eudy (aka Sid Vicious, Sycho Sid) passed from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Marion, AZ at age 73. Eudy entered wrestling after an encounter with Randy Savage. He made his televised debut in WCW by defeating DeWayne Bruce. (June 17, 1989) He was a six-time world champion, having won the WWF Championship twice, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship twice. ‘The Prince of Darkness,’ like many wrestlers, was also known for various feuds during his time in the ring, including with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, the Undertaker and Sting. (Other names he used in the ring: Sid Justice, Lord Humongous and Millenium Man) (Born 12/16/1960 in Moses Lake, WA)

8/27/2024 American businessman Leonard Riggio,founder of the Barnes & Noble retail chain died in Manhattan, NY at age 83 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He transformed the business of selling books. He acquired the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Manhattan in 1971. He added cozy couches, reading chairs and cafes to encourage customers to relax and refresh. He acquired or merged with competitors including B. Dalton in 1986. By the end of the 20th century, Riggio had built Barnes & Noble into the world’s largest bookseller. The competition hurt independent booksellers, driving many of them out of business. Quote: “Our bookstores were designed to be welcoming as opposed to intimidating.” Trivia: His father, Steve Riggio, was a professional boxer who twice defeated Rocky Graziano. (Born 2/28/1941 in NYC)

8/27/2024 Actress and director Betty A. Bridges, and mother of “Diff’rent Strokes” star Todd Bridges, died in Phoenix, AZ at age 83. Other credits include “A Night at the Roxbury” (1998), “A Day in the Life of Mia” (1997), “Ally McBeal” and “NYPD Blue” (1998,2004), “Dallas,” “The Bad News Bears.” She was an acting coach, working with Sanaa Lathan, Aaron Meeks (Soul Food series), Dee White (Die Hard), Tony O’Dell (Head of the Class). (Born 8/1/1941 in Dallas, TX)

8/27/2024 “General Hospital” star Ron Hale died in St. George, SC at age 78. He played mob boss Sonny Corinthos’ father Mike Corbin on the ABC drama series “General Hospital.” (1995 to 2010 – 238 episodes) Before that he appeared as Dr. Robert Coleridge on the entire run of ABC’s “Ryan’s Hope.” (1975 – 1989 909 episodes) He made his TV debut in a 1968 episode of “N.Y.P.D.,” then he made his first foray into soaps on “Search for Tomorrow” (1969). He was also featured on “Port Charles” (1997-2000). His other TV appearances included “Matlock” (1989), “MacGyver” (1990), and “Easy” (2016). He also appeared as Watergate burglar Frank Sturgis in “All the President’s Men.” (1976). (Born Ronald Hale Thigpen 1/2/1946 in Grand Rapids, MI)

8/29/2024 NHL veteran Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames & Columbus Blue Jackets) and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were killed after being struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bikes in New Jersey. At the funeral, Johnny’s wife revealed that she was pregnant.

8/30/2024 Rapper/DJ Fatman Scoop collapsed on stage and died in Connecticut at age 53. He topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful.” (1999 and re-released in 2003). He was later featured on Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control.” (2005) (Born Isaac Freeman III

8/31/2024 Actor Obi Ndefo, who starred as chef Bodie Wells in several seasons of “Dawson’s Creek,” died at age 51. His first on-scrren appearance was in 1995, appearing in one episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1995), followed by small roles in “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” ” NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing,” “Stargate SG-1” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” (Born 1973)

Celebrity Passings September 2024

Celebrities who passed this year include a heartthrob…a quarterback…the first guy to have a hit song in Portuguese in America…a rich homie…the CEO of Waffle House, who often dressed like his employees, inclding his nametag… a multi-Grammy Award winner…a member of the “Miracle Mets”…the voice of one of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”…the voice of Darth Vader and CNN… a polyglot performer…a ballerina…another ballerina…Johnny Cash’s little brother…P. Diddy’s bodyguard,,, a founding member of the Jackson 5…the guy wrote wrote many of the Eagles hits…Bing Crosby’s widow…a children’s TV legend…Madonna’s stepmom…a Hezbollah leader…Dame Maggie Smith…a country music hall of famer…another soap star…Tarzan…an American Picker who had a beef with his partner… Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader and hustler and an NBA Hall of Famer who died too early!

9/1/2024 TV writer and producer Eric Gililand died at age 62. His first big screenwriting job was “Who’s the Boss” with Tony Danza and Judith Light. He then worked on the coming-of-age comedy “The Wonder Years” before serving as a writer and producer on “Roseanne.” (1992-1996)

9/1/2024 Irish horsewoman Tracy Vigors died suddenly at 49. Since 2005, she ran Hillwood Stud in Marlborough, Wiltshire with her husband Charlie. (Born January 1975)

9/2/2024 Actor, director, singer and heartthrob James Darren died at Cedars Sinal Hospital in Los Angeles at age 88. He was being treated in the cardiac unit for heart problems. He was fondly remembered as Moondoggie in the movie “Gidget” with Sandra Dee, (1959) “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” (1961) and “Gidget Goes to Rome.” (1963) He had supporting roles, including Officer James Corrigan “TJ Hooker” (1983-1986), “The Love Boat,” “Hawaii Five-O, Dr. Anthony Newman in the science fiction series “The Time Tunnel” (1966-1967).and as holographic crooner Vic Fontaine on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1998-1999) and two appearances on “The Donna Reed Show.” He directed episodes of shows including “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and “Melrose Place.” Two of Darren’s singles, “Goodbye Cruel World” Hit #3 on Billboard) and “Her Royal Majesty,” (1962) reached the #6) on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (Born James Ercolini 6/8/1936 in Philadelphia, PA)

9/3/2024 Quarterback Charley Johnson died at age 85. Played college football at New Mexico State, then for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos. Johnson led the Broncos to their first winning season in 1973. Johnson finished his NFL career with a 59-57-8 record as a starter having thrown for 24,410 yards and 170 touchdowns. He was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986.

9/5/2024 Brazilian-born pianist, composer and arranger, Sergio Mendes, who brought bossa nova music to a global audience, died from long Covid at age 83. Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 produced nearly 35 albums, won three Grammys and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012. Popular tunes included “The Look of Love” (1967), “Night and Day” and “The Fool on the Hill.” (1968) Their first album, “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66” was released in 1966 and they were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. The song “Mas Que Nada,” was the first time that a song in Portuguese was a hit in America and all over the world.”

9/5/2024 American Rapper Rich Homie Quan died of an accidental drug overdose at age 34. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said the father of five had several drugs found in his system including fentanyl, alprazolam, codeine, promethazine and THC. His first mainstream success came in 2013 with the single “Type of Way”, which peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2015 “Flex” hit #26 on the Hot 100. (Born Dequantes Devontay Lamar 10/4/1989 in Atlanta, GA)

9/6/2024 Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer died of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 58. He was the CEO of Waffle House from 2012 until his death. He had a typical employee nametag, identifying him only as Walt, with the job title “Customer Service.” He was known to cook food, wash dishes and do all the jobs that his employees did. Quote: “The true way to solve a crisis is to go stand in the middle of it, and figure out how to take care of people and figure out how to help put things back together. That does not change regardless of what the crisis is.” (Born 4/5/1940 in Dykes, AR)

9/7/2024 Jazz ‘advocate,’ teacher and historian Dan Morgenstern died of heart failure in NYC. He was 94. He won multiple Grammy Awards (8 total), produced jazz magazines and concerts and wrote two books. He began his career right out of college, working as a jazz critic at the New York Post. He later edited the two most influential jazz magazines of the day, Metronome and Downbeat. “I’ve been called a critic, but never really liked that term; I much prefer advocate.” (Born 10/24/1929 in Munich)

9/8/2024 MLB’s Ed Kranepool died of cardiac arrest in Boca Raton, FL at age 79. He was only 17 years old when he debuted with the NY Mets in their first year of play. He played for the Mets for 18 years. The team posted a 40-120 record, then the worst in baseball history. He made the All-Star team in 1965, and then in a year later, he led the team with his 16 home runs. Kranepool became part of baseball history in 1969 as part of the “Miracle Mets,” who made a mid-season comeback that sent them to the World Series, where they lost to the Baltimore Orioles. He finished his career with 1,418 hits – the third best in team history – and 118 home runs. In 1990, he was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Autobiography: “The Last Miracle: My 18-Year Journey with the Amazin’ New York Mets.” (2023)

9/8/2024 American character actor and voice artist Peter Renaday, who originated the role of Master Splinter in the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” TV series (1987-1996), died at his home in Burbank, CA at 89. He made his acting debut in 1965 in television series “Combat!” One of his earliest credits was voicing Grapple in “The Transformers.” TV & Film: Played Tuna Fish on “The Adventures of Pinocchio” (1972), “Alvin & the Chipmunks,” “Superman: The Animated Series” (1997-1998) and “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.” (1985) He’s also featured on at least a dozen video games, theme park attractions and the toy “The Talking Mickey Mouse.” (Born Pierre Laurent Renoudet 9/6/1935 in New Iberia, LA)

9/8/2024 NFL linebacker and long snapper Allen Aldridge who won Super Bowl XXXII with the Denver Broncos (4 seasons) and played four seasons for the Detroit Lions died in Houston, TX at 52. The Broncos beat the Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. He played college football for the Houston Cougars. (Born 5/30/1972 in Houston, TX)

9/9/2024 James Earl Jones died at age 93 at his home in Pawling, NY. Best-known as the voice of Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” trilogy and as the voice of CNN. “This is CNN.” He said he developed his famous voice while working on how to deal with a stammer. His movie debut came as a B-52 bombardier in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” (1964) Other credits: “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Coming to America” (1988), “Field of Dreams” (1989), “The Hunt for Red October” (1990) and Mufasa in “The Lion King.” (2019) He won an honorary Academy Award in 2011 for ‘his legacy of consistent excellence and uncommon versatility.’ Jones starred in “Roots: The Next Generations” (1979) He won Tony Awards for “The Great White Hope” and “Fences.” Other Broadway appearances: “On Golden Pond,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” (Born 1/17/1931 in Arkabutla, MS)

9/9/2024 Comics artist, writer and television director John Cassaday passed away at Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York at 52. He was best-known for his work on the comic book series “Astonishing X-Men” and as a co-creator of the “Planetary” with Warren Ellis series. He also worked with DC Comics and Marvel on major characters like the Flash, X-Men, The Hulk, Captain America and Teen Titans. (Born in 12/14/1971 Ft. Worth, TX)

9/9/2024 Polyglot performer Caterina Valente died at her home in Lugano, Switzerland at 93. She spoke in six languages and sang in thirteen and was popular on two continents in the 1950s and 1960s. She spent part of her career in the U.S. performing with Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman and Perry Como, who she appeared with eight times. Valente’s single, “The Breeze and I” sold more than one million copies. She appeared onstage in Las Vegas and Broadway. Born 4/14/1931 in Paris)

9/10/2024 American ballet dancer Michaela Mabinty DePrince died in New York City 24 hours before her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince. Michaela was 29. Elaine was 77. The deaths were unrelated and Elaine did not know of her daughter’s death. Michaela danced with the Boston Ballet, the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Dutch National Ballet. She was the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem. (Born 1/6/1995 in Sierra Leone)

9/10/2024 R&B legend Frankie Beverly died, age 77. The singer, songwriter and producer created a band called Raw Soul in 1970, but after moving to San Francisco, where he met Marvin Gaye, who suggested he change the group’s name. which became Maze. Their single “Before I Let Go” (1981) quickly became their most famous track and was years later covered by Beyoncé for her 2019 film and live album, “Homecoming.” Other hits: “Joy and Pain,” and “Before I let Go.” Beverly was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the NAACP Image Awards. (Born 12/6/1946 in Philadelphia)

9/10/2024 Ballerina Michaela DePrince, who grew up in an orphanage, died at age 29. She appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” and with Beyonce in her “Lemonade” film. She joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem as its youngest dancer in the history of the company in 2012, Dutch National Ballet’s junior company and later became second soloist for the Boston Ballet. She worked with brands like Nike and Tommy Hilfiger. (Born Mabinty Bangura 1/6/1995 in Kenema, Sierra Leone)

9/11/2024 Actor Chad McQueen, son of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, died at age 63. His first big break came in 1984 when he was cast as Dutch in the movie “The Karate Kid,” and in the sequel “The Karate Kid Part II.” (1986) He produced two documentaries about his father: “I Am Steve McQueen,” (2014) and “Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans” (2015)

9/11/2024 British TV actor, scriptwriter and restaurateur Kenneth Cope died in Southport, UK at age 93. His two most famous roles were as Jed Stone on the working-class soap opera “Coronation Street” (1961-1966, 2008-2009 – 128 episodes) and as the Marty Hopkirk on “Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).” (1969-1970 – 26 episodes) In the United States, it was known as “My Partner the Ghost.” Also, Ray Hilton in “Brookside.” (1999-2002 – 171 episodes) and 37 episodes of the satirical BBC TV show “That Was the Week That Was” (1962-1963), informally TWTWTW or TW3 hosted by David Frost. He was Packer in “Doctor Who.” (1981) When he moved with his family to Oxfordshire in the 70s, he opened two restaurants, Martha’s Kitchen in Watlington, and Edwards in Eynsha, offering a free bottle of wine to any member of Equity who crossed the threshold. (Born 4/14/1931 in Liverpool, UK)

9/13/2024 Country musician Tommy Cash, the younger brother of Johnny Cash died. He was 84. The former DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Network then began playing with Hank Williams Jr. His biggest solo hit was “Six White Horses” (1969). It is about the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The song hit #4 on Billboard’s country chart and #79 on the Hot 100. (Born 4/5/1940 in Dyess, AR)

9/14/2024 P. Diddy’s bodyguard Uncle Ron, whose real name is Ron Smith, died 24 hours after posting a video saying Jay-Z wanted to kick The Notorious ‘Biggie’ B.I.G. out of the industry. Biggie attended an after-party with Diddy when he met his tragic end, making the former bodyguard’s accusations seem to connect the dots. The cause of death is still unknown.

9/14/2024 “America’s Got Talent” contestant Emily Gold took her own life at age 17. The contestant and her Los Osos High School dance teammates were lauded by the tough-to-please judge, Simon Cowell. He called them “absolutely brilliant” just weeks earlier.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please seek help from a professional and call 9-8-8. The United States’ first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline 988 will connect callers with trained mental health counselors.

9/15/2024 Tito Jackson, a founding member of the Jackson 5, suffered a heart attack and died at age 70. Tito played guitar and assisted on synthesizers on songs like “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There.” He began writing songs with his brothers in 1976. Jackson and his brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. (Born Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson 10/15/1953 in Gary, IN)

9/16/2024 British theater actress, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, who appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Frenzy,” died in her home in Warwickshire at age 88. She was also known for her performance as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the acclaimed 1995 BBC adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice.” starring Colin Firth. Her film resume included “Henry VIII and His Six Wives” (1972), “Bequest to the Nation” (1973), “Oh Heavenly Dog”(1980), “Paper Mask” (1990), “A Merry War” (1997), “Billy Elliot” (2000) and Mira Nair’s “Vanity Fair” (2004). Known for acting on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic, including Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “Hamlet,” “King Henry V,” “Sherlock Holmes” and “Justice” on Broadway.

9/16/22024 Billy Edd Wheeler passed away in Swannanoa, NC at 91. Not only was he a songwriter, he wrote plays, sculpted and painted. Among his hit songs Johnny and June Carter Cash’s “Jackson,” which won a Grammy Award and Kenny Rogers’ “Coward of the County.” He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001. He wrote six books on humor, including “Outhouse Humor.” He published a book of memoirs titled “Hotter Than A Pepper Sprout, a Hillybilly Poet’s Journey from Appalachia to Yale” to writing hits for Elvis, Johnny Cash & more.” (Born 12/9/1932 in West Virginia)

9/17/2024 John David “JD” Souther, who penned hits for artists like the Eagles, Christopher Cross, Dan Fogelberg and Linda Ronstadt died at his home in New Mexico at 78. He wrote some of the Eagles biggest hits: “Best of My Love” (1974), “James Dean” and “New Kid in Town.” He also co-wrote “Heartache Tonight” with Glenn Frey, Bob Seger, and Don Henley. As a solo artist, he struck gold with “You’re Only Lonely” (1979) He and Ronstadt dated for a time. As an actor, he appeared in TV shows “Nashville” and “Thirtysomething,” and films “Postcards from the Edge” and “Deadline.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. (Born 11/2/1945 in Detroit, MI)

9/18/2024 Movie producer and financier David Korda, whose showbiz career lasted more than 60 years, died at Cromwell Hospital in London at 87. The chairman of the British company Film Finances Ltd., had battled with cancer. Korda produced such features as “Hamburger Hill” (1987), “Shattered” (1991) and “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997).He worked as an assistant on “Lord of the Flies.” (1963), then graduated to producer roles on “The Ruling Class” (1972) and “Man Friday” (1975). (Born 6/26/1937 in London)

9/18/2024 American anarcho-punk band Reagan Youth co-founder and guitarist Paul Bakija (AKA Paul Cripple), who had been battling cancer, died of complications from a heart attack on September 16. He was 61. Reagan Youth was formed in 1980 in New York City, known for their politically charged lyrics and aggressive hardcore punk sound.

9/19/2024 Multi-instrumentalist Dan McMahon died at age 41 following a brief battle with esophageal cancer. The record producer and audio engineer was best known for his work with Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts. (Daniel James McMahon was born 11/24/1982 in Rockford, IL)

9/20/2024 Actress and singer Kathryn Crosby died of natural causes in Hillsborough, CA at age 90. The Texas beauty queen appeared in small roles before meeting her future husband Bing Crosby in 1954. She had just signed a contract with Paramount and was on the set of “White Christmas” when Bing noticed her and invited her to have tea. “He invited me for a cup of tea and we had tea and I looked into his big blue eyes and about 15 minutes later, I realized I was in love.” They married in 1957. Bing died in 1977. Credits: “The Wild Party” (1956), “Operation Mad Ball” (1957), “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” (1958) and “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959). (Born 11/25/1933 in West Columbia, TX)

9/20/2024 British actor and writer David Graham, known for his roles in “Doctor Who” and “Peppa Pig,” died at age 99. He served as a radar mechanic in WWII and then moved to New York to study acting. He was known for playing the evil Daleks on “Doctor Who” (BBC) and then Aloysius Parker, the butler on “Thunderbirds.” (32 episodes 1965-1966) He voiced Granda Pig on the cartoon show “Peppa Pig” starting in 2012. (Born in Hackney, London 7/11/1925)

9/21/2024 Saxophonist and jazz Composer Benny Golson died at age 95 at his home in Manhattan. TV show themes including “M*A*S*H,” “The Partridge Family” and “Mission Impossible.” Some of his compositions have become jazz standards; “I Remember Clifford,” “Whisper Not,” “Blues March” and “Stablemates.” (Born 1/25/1929 In Philadelphia)

9/21/2024 Legendary baseball labor lawyer and agent Dick Moss died at an assisted living facility in Santa Monica, CA at age 93. Best-known for arguing that MLB teams could only retain a player’s services for one year and not perpetual one-year contracts, resulted in free agency. Moss represented more than 250 major league players as their agent, including Nolan Ryan, who in 1980 became the first player in MLB history to earn more than a million dollars per season. ($4.35 million today) According to the Associated Press, the average Major League Baseball salary was just under $45,000 in 1975 when arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in favor of Moss. The average salary rose to $76,000 in 1977 and by 2023 was $4.5 million, a 1,000-fold increase. (Born Richard Myron Moss 7/30/1931 in Pittsburgh, PA. He was a Pittsburgh Pirates fan)

9/22/2024 “The Little Mermaid” actor Adrian Bailey died one day before his 68th birthday in a physical rehab facility in New York after suffering a recent fall. Best-known for “Jelly’s Last Jam” and “The Wild Party.” He made his Broadway debut in the 1976 musical “Your Arms Too Short to Box With God.” Other credits include “Sophisticated Ladies” (1981), “My One and Only”, “The Who’s Tommy” (1993), “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1993) and “La Cage aux Folles” (2004) and his final Broadway appearance, “The Little Mermaid.” (2008) Bailey was severrly injured in May of 2008 when he dropped 36 feet through a trapdoor while rehearsing for a children’s matinee. His injuries, a broken back, two fractured wrists, a shattered pelvis, a fractured foot, a fractured sternum and some broken ribs, resulted in at least five surgeries and years of physical therapy. Bailey also appeared in “The Wiz” (1978), “The Kings of Brooklyn” (2004) and in the 1991 HBO telefilm “The Josephine Baker Story.” (Born 9/23/1956 in Detroit)

9/22/2024 Country music songwriter Hugh Prestwood died at 82 after suffering a stroke. He was best-known for writing Randy Travis’ “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart” and “The Song Remembers When” for Trisha Yearwood. Prestwood was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

9/23/2024 Children’s TV legend Tim Brooke-Hunt died “peacefully” at age 76 after a long illness. The producer and former Head of Children’s TV at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) rose to fame as producer of children’s television content spanning four decades. He graduated with an MBA from the University of Virginia’s School of Business and worked in London as an accountant. He moved to Australia in the 70’s and began working in TV production. He joined ABC as Executive Head of Children’s Content in 2007, helming shows like “My Place,” “Dance Academy,” and the preschool series “Giggle & Hoot.”

9/24/2024 Dancer and choreographer Cat Glover died at her home in Los Angeles. She was 62. She met Prince at a club and he asked her to dance with him to “Simply Irresistible” by Rober Palmer. She said “He started doing dance steps and I started doing them; whatever he did, I did. I think he noticed that, so he started doing them more and I started doing them more.” The chemistry worked and she began dancing and choreographing for Prince and then touring with him in 1987 and 1988. She appears in several music videos, including “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” and “U Got the Look.” (Born 7/24/1962 in Chicago)

9/24/2024 TV Producer Kalen Gorman died of breast cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 59. She is best-known for her her work on Fox TV’s “Glee.” Other credits include “Bones,” “Ladies First with Grace Helbig,” “The Mindy Project,” “Worst Firsts With Brittany Furlan” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” She was a co-creator of the VH1 series “You Rock With…” (Born in 5/12/1965 in Toronto)

9/24/2024 Madonna’s stepmom Joan Ciccone died at 81 in Traverse City, MI after ‘brief encounter with ‘very aggressive cancer’. She was married to Madonna’s father, Silvio, for 58 years. Madonna was 8 years old when Joan married her father in 1966. Three years earlier, in December 1963, her mother, also named Madonna, passed away at the age of 30. (Born 2/3/1943 in Taylor, MI)

9/25/2024 Former Cal Poly track star Shelby Daniele died of a brain aneurysm. She was 23. She was a “six-time All-Big West honoree,” a “two-time Big West champion,” a school record holder and a team captain. She holds the school record for the indoor 200 meter race. (24.69 seconds)

9/26/2024 “Beverly Hills Cop” actor John Ashton died of cancer at his home in Ft. Collins, CO at age 76. Best-known as a gruff, but lovable police detective John Taggart in three “Beverly Hills Cop” films beginning in 1984. His first film role was Sgt. Matthews in the 1973 horror “The Psychopath”. Other credits include: “M*A*S*H” with Alan Alda (1977), “Some Kind of Wonderful” (1987), bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler in “Midnight Run” (1988) with Robert DeNiro, “Little Big League” (1994) and “Gone Baby Gone.” (2007). He played Willie Joe Garr on several episodes of “Dallas.” Trivia: He studied acting at the University of Southern California School of Theatre with John Ritter. (Born 2/22/1948 in Springfield, MA)

9/26/2024 11-year NBA veteran Joe Wolf died unexpectedly at age 59. The former North Carolina TarHeel played for seven NBA teams before becoming a coach. He was a high school All-American in 1983 before joining the Tar Heels to play alongside the likes of Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins and went 115-22 in Wolf’s four seasons. He was drafted #13 by the L.A. Clippers in 1987.

9/26/2024 Canadian wrestler “Viking Lord” Vince Austin passed away at age 52. He wrestled under the names Blue Antares, Gordon Glynn, Mr. Wrestling #666, Seaman White. He was a former two-time RCW Hardcore Champion and eight-time RCW Tag Team Champion. (Born Gordon Glynn 11/29/1971)

9/27/2024 Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by a precision Israeli airstrike in a southern suburb of Beirut. Nasrallah, linked by Israel to numerous deadly attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets, had been on Israel’s kill list for decades. He was one of 7 high-ranking Hezbollah officials killed in one week. Nasrallah had led the group through several wars with Israel since 1992, and oversaw the party’s transformation into a powerful, but divisive player in Lebanon.

9/27/2024 Dame Maggie Smith died at a hospital in London. She was 89 and one of Britain’s most recognizable actresses. She appeared in “Downton Abbey” (2010-2015, Films in 2019 & 2022) and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” (2007). She won three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe and three Screen Actor Guild Awards. She was known for her portrayal of Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven of the eight “Harry Potter” Films. Other credits include Mother Superior in “Sister Act” (1992), “Murder by Death,” “Dowager Countess,” “Clash of the Titans” (1981) and “Hook” (1991). She won her first Academy Award (Best Actress) for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969). Additional credits: “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011), “The First Wives Club,” and “Gosford Park.” She appeared regularly at The Old Vic theater in London. She was nominated for six Academy Awards and won twice: “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (Best Supporting Actress 1969) and “California Suite” (Best Supporting Actress 1978) (Born 12/28/1934 in Ilford, UK, a suburb of London)

9/27/2024 Legendary Los Angeles broadcaster Warren Wilson, who won both an Emmy and a Peabody Award during his career spanning more than 40 years, died in Oxnard, CA at age 90. Known as one of the first Black broadcasters when he started his career in 1969. He worked 21 years at KTLA. Wilson covered the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, the 1992 Rodney King riots, and the O.J. Simpson trial. Wilson assisted in the surrender of 22 fugitives wanted by law enforcement.

9/27/2024 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Joey Jay died in Lutz, FL at age 89. He debuted at just 17 years old in 1953 as a member of the Milwaukee Braves inaugural season, then played in Major League Baseball through 1966. Jay played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. (He was the last living player of the Milwaukee Braves team. He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.Jay pitched for the Reds for six seasons (1961-1966). He was an All-Star in 1961, posting a 21-10 record and 3.53 ERA in 34 starts. Jay held the distinction of being the first Little League alumnus to appear in the big leagues. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2008. (Born 8/15/1935 in Middletown, CT)

9/28/2024 Kris Kristofferson, the country singer, Rhodes Scholar and actor died aged 88 in Maui, Hawaii. He produced 18 studio albums and appeared in dozens of movies including “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), “Semi-Tough” (1977) with Burt Reynolds, Martin ‘Rubber Duck’ Penwald in “Convoy” (1978) and the infamous flop “Heaven’s Gate” (1980). He was a member of the outlaw country band The Highwaymen (1985-1995) with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. He won a Golden Globe Award for “A Star is Born” (1976) with Barbra Streisand. He was best-known for writing the song “Help Me Make it Through the Night” (1970) which was covered by a variety of singers including Sammi Smith, Elvis Presley, Bryan Adams, Anne Murray and Willie Nelson, who recorded an entire album of his songs. He also wrote “Bobby McGee,” and “Sunday Mornin’ Coming Down,” which earned him Songwriter of the Year in 1976 after Johnny Cash recorded it. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. (Born 6/22/1936 in Brownsville, TX)

9/28/2024 Soap star Drake Hogestyn died from pancreatic cancer at age 70. (One day before his 71st birthday.) He played John Black for 38 years. Hogestyn’s final episode on “Days of Our Lives” aired a few weeks before his death on September 9. He joined the show in 1/24/1986 as a mysterious character ‘The Pawn.’ He and Deidre Hall won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Couple in 2005. Hogestyn also starred as Brian McFadden in “Seven Bride for Seven Brothers.” (1982) Trivia: Matt LeBlanc’s “Days of Our Lives” character in “Friends” was named after Hogestyn; Drake Ramoray. In one episode, Ramoray fell to his death in an elevator shaft, but later returns after being given a new brain. (Born Donald David Hogestyn 9/29/1953 in Fort Wayne, IN)

9/29/2024 Baseball’s Ozzie Virgil Sr. died in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic at age 92. On September 23, 1956, Virgil made his debut with the New York Giants and became the first native of the Dominican Republic to play in the Major Leagues. He played in 324 MLB games from 1956 to 1969 and coached more than two decades, including with the 1984 NL champion San Diego Padres. His son, Ozzie Virgil, Jr. was a two-time All-Star catcher. (Born Osvaldo José Virgil Pichardo 5/171932 in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic)

9/29/2024 “Tarzan” TV star Ron Ely died at age 86. Ely also hosted the Miss America pageant in 1980 and 1981, stepping in for longtime emcee Bert Parks. Other credits: “The Night of the Grizzly” (1966), “Once Before I Die” (1966) with Ursula Andress and “Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975. Trivia: He was offered the Tarzan gig (1966-1968) after former NFL linebacker, turned actor Mike Henry, who had played Tarzan in three 1960s films, abruptly quit after he was bitten on the jaw by a chimp. (He would go on to sue over unsafe working conditions.) Ely starred on the show for 2 years and 57 episodes. He has also been seen in “Father Knows Best,” and with Barbara Eden on “How to Marry a Millionaire” with Barbara Eden, “L.A. Law,” “Fantasy Island. He was 6’4” tall. (Born Ronald Pierce Ely 6/2/1938 in Hereford, Texas)

9/29/2024 Two influencers drowned on sinking yacht ‘after refusing life jackets because they’d ruin their selfies’. Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim, 37 and Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, 27, died when the party boat they were on sank off the coast of Brazil. Beatriz’s body was recovered at sea and Aline’s body was found on a beach by rescuers on October 4.

9/29/2024 Brotherhood of Man singer Martin Lee died aged 77. He was an English singer-songwriter. He won the Eurovision Song Contest with “Save Your Kisses For Me” in 1976. (Born 11/26/1946 in Purley, UK)

9/29/2024 Welterweight boxing champion Mylik Birdsong, also known as “King Malik,” was killed in an LA shooting outside his mom’s house in Los Angeles. He was 31 years old. Witnesses said several men in a dark-colored SVU drove up on Birdsong and started shooting at him. Although he attempted to flee, he was hit 7 times in his chest and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Birdsong’s record in the ring was 15-1-1.

9/30/2024 Franz Fritz who drove around the United States looking for antiques and collectibles on the reality show “American Pickers” (History Channel) died in hospice in Davenport, IA at age 60. Since 2010, Franz and his partner, Mike Wolfe, logged about 70,000 miles a year, looking for vintage treasure and collectibles, including “Star Wars” Yoda prototypes from a woman’s movie memorabilia collection and a set of “Laurel and Hardy” masks from an old California dance hall that the Pickers paid $60 for. Among their best finds was a dilapidated van they found in the woods of a small Massachusetts town that the band Aerosmith toured in before they became stars. The 1964 International Harvester Metro was confirmed by Aerosmith guitarist Ray Tabano, who described it as a rolling hotel. The Pickers bought the piece of rock ‘n roll history for $25,000. Despite all their success, Fritz and Wolfe had a strained relationship. In 1971, he said in an interview “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years,” a rep for The History Channel confirmed. “He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.” He went on to say that he felt like he took “2nd place” on “American Pickers.” Fritz suffered a stroke in 2022, but never fully recovered.

9/30/2024 Broadway actor Ken Page died at 76. He voiced the character Oogie Boogie in the Disney film “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” (1993) He debuted on Broadway in an all-Black revival of “Guys and Dolls.” (1977) He lent his voice to “All Dogs Go To Heaven” (1989) and appeared opposite Beyoncé in “Dreamgirls” (2006). He also starred as Old Deuteronomy in the first Broadway production of “Cats,” the Cowardly Lion in “The Wiz” and “Ain’t Misbehavin.” (Born 1/20/1954 in St. Louis, MO.)

9/30/2024 MLB career hits leader Pete Rose was found dead in his Las Vegas home at age 83. A crucial cog in ‘The Big Red Machine’ in the 1970’s, he played 24 years in the majors with 4,256 career hits and 17 All-Star appearances, playing an unprecedented 5 different positions; every position but centerfielder, catcher and pitcher. ‘Charlie Hustle’ won 3 batting titles and 3 World Series Rings. As the Reds manager, Rose was accused of betting on his team in 1989. He was promptly banned from baseball for life and denied entry to the Baseball Hall of fame. He won Rookie of the Year in 1963. His autobiography, “Pete Rose: My Story,” came out in 2004. “Somebody’s gotta win and somebody’s gotta lose and I believe in letting the other guy lose”. ~ Pete Rose (Born 4/14/1941 in Cincinnati, OH)

9/30/2024 NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo died suffering brain cancer in Atlanta, GA at 58. Best-known for his defensive dominance and finger wagging celebrations. He played college basketball at Georgetown and was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 4th pick of the 1991 NBA Draft. The 7’2″ center played with six NBA teams throughout his 18-year career and was an eight-time NBA All-Star. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2015. His 3,289 blocks rank second (Hakeem Olajuwon) all-time in NBA history. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.” (Born 6/25/1966 in the Democratic Republic of Congo)

9/30/2024 Tony Award winner Gavin Creel died at his home in Manhattan age 48. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma two months earlier. His Tony for best featured actor in a musical came for “Hello Dolly!” (2017) opposite Bette Midler, who said “I looked forward to working with him every single night. He was fantastic. I can’t believe he’s gone. What a loss.” His breakout role of Jimmy Smith in “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” (2002) earned him a Tony Award nomination. Creel went on to star in the Broadway productions of HAIR (Tony Award® nomination) and “La Cage Aux Folles.” Credits include Dr. Pomatter in “Waitress” in 2019 on Broadway and on London’s West End in 2020. He won an Olivier Award for “The Book of Mormon” national tour in 2012 and London’s West End in 2014. He was an ardent supporter of the Marriage Equality Act. (Born 4/18/1976 in Findlay, OH)

9/30/2024 Robert Watts died in London at 86. He was a Hollywood legend who produced “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” movies. Other credits include: James Bond: “Thunderball” (1965) and Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) and the Lucas-produced “Return to Oz” (1985). (Born 5/23/1938 in London)

9/30/2024 “The Glory” actress Park Zi-a died after suffering a stroke. She was 52. She played Moon Dong-eun’s mother in the Netflix series. Her first significant role was “The Coast Guard” (2002). Park later appeared in “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring” (2003), “3-Iron” (2004), “Breath” (2007) and “Dream” (2008).

Famous Deaths October 2024

Celebrities who died in October 2024 include actors and actresses, stuntmen and stuntwomen, athletes, rappers, some retired NFL guys and some rock and rollerss. Famous deaths include…an entertainment publicist…an LPGA Hall of Fame inductee…Madonna’s younger brother…2 NFL players…a joke writer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”…Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas…a Grammy-winning singer…the “Fred Astaire of baseball”…”Oh yeah!” a banjo legend and “Hee Haw” regular… a TikTok star…a equal pay activist…a physician and surgeon whose side gig was writing scripts for TV… a legendary “Wheel of Fortune” host…an effervescent dancer…a Playboy model & Russian “Bachelor” star…a motivational speaker…a Navajo Code Talker .. an Iron Maiden.. a “Baywatch” star…a pioneering composer…good old #34… a centenarian runner… a former Rockette you’ll remember from “Young Frankenstein”..some NASCAR drivers and the oldest living person in the U.S. Does that mean you’re next?

10/1/2024 “Return of the Jedi” and “Back to the Future” stuntman Bob Yerkes died in Los Angeles at age 92. He began his career in the circus as a skilled trapeze aerialist and tightrope walker. His notable film stunts include stunt double for Christopher Lloyd sliding down a clock tower cable for “Back to the Future” and performing a helicopter-to-roof fall in “Breakout.” (1975) He only suffered injuries twice, breaking legs in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) and “Her Alibi.” (1989) Despite his small stature (5’10” and 170 pounds) he was a stunt double for some of the biggest stars in Hollywoord, including Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Commando” (1985), where he performed a balloon-swinging stunt, and Eli Wallach in “Tough Guys” (1986), for a scene in which Wallach’s character is thrown off a train. Other credits include “Airport” (1970), “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “1941” (1979), “Poltergeist” (1982), “Ghostbusters” (1984), “Psycho III” (1986), “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986) and “Batman Forever” (1995). He is credited with inventing the airbag used in stunts. He was inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame in 2024, stating, “The circus was always my first love…I did a lot of movies and stunt work, too, but the circus was what I really enjoyed.” (Brayton Walter Yerkes was born 2/11/1932, in Los Angeles County.)

10/1/2024 Veteran entertainment publicist Arlene Winnick died in Beverly Hills after an extended illness at 77. For more than 30 year, she specialized in the entertainment industry. Early in her career, she helped pioneer marketing and publicity campaigns for the emerging home video industry, including exercise videos by Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda and Zsa Zsa Gabor. She worked with corporate clients ranging from Universal Studios, Madame Tussauds, Warner Brothers Studio Tour and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

10/2/2024 Australian TV host Fiona MacDonald, known for her work on shows including “It’s A Knockout” and the children’s program “Wombat,” has died aged 67 of motor neurone disease (MND). The former TV personality actually announced her own death in a prepared statement on Instagram; “Farewell my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building — Hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud.” She had a warm, but bubbly presenting style on “Wombat,” with a wise-cracking hand puppet named Agro. After “It’s a Knockout,” MacDonald stopped working in television and entered the wine industry. (Born in Huntly, New Zealand in 1965)

10/2/2024 Megan Marshack, former aide to Nelson Rockefeller, who was with him at his death in 1979, died in California at 70. Marshack gained national attention after the four-time Republican governor collapsed and died of a heart attack on the night of Jan. 26, 1979. But shifting explanations regarding the details of that night fanned widespread speculation about Rockefeller’s death and the nature of his relationship with his 25-year-old researcher. Apparently, she had never discussed what happened that night with anyone. Marshack’s brother believes his sister signed a non-disclosure agreement. Megan Marshack served as assistant press secretary for the vice president in 1976, Rockefeller’s last year in public office. She continued to work for him when he returned to private life. Her self-written obituary ends with a quote from “A Chorus Line” song: “… won’t forget, can’t regret what I did for love.”

10/2/2024 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Susie Maxwell Berning died at her home in Palm Springs, CA at the age of 83. The 11-time LPGA Tour winner was one of just seven women ever to claim back-to-back US Women’s Open titles. She won four majors, but what made her Hall-of-Fame career even more astounding was that she only averaged playing in13 events a season between 1968 and 1977. She is one of only four women to win a major after becoming a mother. (Juli Inkster, Nancy Lopez, and Catriona Matthew) She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the same class as Tiger Woods in 2022. LPGA Rookie of the Year. (1964) (Born 7/22/1941 in Pasadena, CA)

10/3/2024 French-American rapper Lucas Coly died by suicide at age 27. He was known for his music and social media postings. Coly was born in France and moved to the United States when he was eight years old. His biggest hit, “I Just Wanna” (2016) and had 19 million views. Other: “Break Ya Back,” “My Lil Shawty” and “Stick With You.” He had recently released a single titled “No Comp” in August.

10/4/2024 Christopher Ciccone, Madonna’s younger brother and close collaborator, died of cancer at the age of 63 in Michigan. Ciccone was an artist, interior decorator and designer. He served as the art director on Madonna’s “Blond Ambition” World Tour (1990) and the tour director for “The Girlie Show.” (1993) He was one of her backup dancers, appearing in her “Lucky Star” (1984) video, among others. He also directed music videos for stars such as Dolly Parton’s “Peace Train” (1997) and Tony Bennett’s “God Bless the Child.” (1997) Ciccone’s death follows less than two weeks after that of his and Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone. (9/24/2024)

10/4/2024 Former Detroit Lions quarterback and assistant coach Greg Landry passed away at 77 years old. He played for the Lions and the Baltimore Colts from 1968-1981. He then played 2 seasons in the USFL before playing 1 game for the Chicago Bears. Landry threw for 16,052 yards in his NFL career with 98 touchdowns and 103 interceptions. As one of the best running quarterbacks in league history, he gained more than 2,600 yards with 21 touchdowns. He was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 1976. He held assistant coaching positions with the Lions, Browns and Bears and at the University of Illinois. He played college football at UMass.

10/4/2024 National Football League Hall of Famer (1999) and former Buffalo Bills legend Billy Shaw died in Toccoa, GA of “hyponatremia” at age 85. “Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. Sodium is an electrolyte, and it helps regulate the amount of water that’s in and around your cells.” (Mayo Clinic) Shaw was selected in the second round of the 1961 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and started all 14 games at guard of his rookie year and started 116 of his 119 career games. He was elected to the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame in 1988. (Born 12/15/1938 in Natchez, MS)

10/4/2024 Allan Blye, Emmy-winning writer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” died at his home in Palm Desert, CA. He was 87. In 1968, Tom and Dick Smothers convinced Blye to move to Los Angeles to serve as head writer and producer on their new variety show on CBS, working with up and coming comedians Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. The show won an Emmy Award for best writing in a variety comedy TV series. (1969) Blye went on the write and produce some very popular shows; “The Andy Williams Show,” “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,” “The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show” and “The Bobby Vinton Show.” He was also known for playing Captain Blye on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” (1963-1967 44 episodes) He sang “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” on the program. The city of Winnipeg honored him with a street named Allan Blye Drive. (Born 7/19/1937, in Winnipeg, Canada)

10/4/2024 French actor Michel Blanc passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was 72. He was best-known for his role in “Les Bronzés” (French Fried Vacation) (1978) and its two sequels. (1979/2006) He was honored as Best Actor at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival, for his starring role in Tenue de soirée (Evening Dress). He directed five films.

10/4/2024 Character actor John Lasell died at age 95. Best-known for roles as vampire hunter Dr. Peter Guthrie on “Dark Shadows” and John Wilkes Booth in a 1961 episode of “The Twilight Zone.” He also appeared in two episodes of “Wagon Train” (1961), “Hazel” (1961), “Route 66” (1962), “Flipper” (1964), “As The World Turns” (1966), “Perry Mason,” “Mission Impossible” and “Dallas.” (1984) He retired in 1985. (Born 11/6/1928 in Worcester, MA)

10/4/2024 NAACP Image Awards Creator Toni Vaz died at 101. The screen veteran was an extra, stunt performer and actress before becoming an activist and founder of the NAACP Image Awards. She appeared in “Tarzan, the Ape Man.” (1959) Vaz moved on to “Anna Lucasta,” starring Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis Jr. As a stuntwoman she appeared in more than 50 films and TV shows, including doubling for Cicely Tyson on the “Mission: Impossible” TV series. The first NAACP Image Awards were distributed in 1967. In 2000. Vaz received an Image Award trophy of her own.

10/4/2024 Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas Emma Brungardt was killed in a single-vehicle collision in Thomas County, Kansas. She was 19. She and her four team members were in a Ford F250 pickup truck when it left the road for unknown reasons and struck a tree row.

10/5/2024 The world’s longest-living survivor of ‘Benjamin Button disease’ who spent his life searching for a cure has died. Sammy Basso just 28, was diagnosed with the rare genetic disease progeria, which causes sufferers to age rapidly and appear older than theey actually are. The evening before he died, Basso was awarded the Paolo Rizzi Journalism Prize in the “Environment and Society” category in Venice. (Born 12/1/1995)

10/5/2024 Canadian singer-songwriter Nell Smith, music prodigy and Flaming Lips collaborator was killed in a car accident at age 17. She was preparing for the release of her first solo album in early 2025. In November 2021 Smith and the Flaming Lips released “Where the Viaduct Looms.” (Nell Peggy Cline Smith was born 7/17/2007 in Leeds, England)

10/5/2024 Internet personality Taylor Rousseau Grigg died from an unspecified illness at age 25. She had 1.4 million followers on TikTok and 210,000 on Instagram. Her last TikTok, posted on Sept. 26, followed a trip to the vet.

10/5/2024 Tech pioneer Justin Bingham fell 150-200 feet to his death while canyoneering with three friends in Zion National Park in Utah. The CEO of software company Opiniion was 40. (Born 10/8/1983)

10/6/2024 Blind Allman Brothers vocalist, musician and songwriter Johnny Neel died at age 70. Neel is a recipient of the “Life Time Achievment Award” from the 2012 Grammy’s with his work with the Allman Brothers. The southern rock legend is a member of Johnny Neel and the Shapes of Soul, Internal Calm, Johnny Neel Band, The Dickey Betts Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Blue Floyd, Johnny Neel and The Italian Experience. He was a prolific songwriter. Outside of Dickey Betts and the Allman Brothers, artists like Keith Whitley, Montgomery Gentry, Travis Tritt, the Oak Ridge Boys and many others recorded his songs. (Born 6/11/1954 in Wilmington, DE)

10/6/2024 Veteran film executive and movie producer Peter E. Strauss died at his home in Beverly Hills at age 83. He began his career at Allied Artists, working on films that included the 1973 Oscar Best Picture winner “Cabaret” (1972), “Papillon” (1973), and “The Man Who Would Be King.” (1975) He is known for “The Jacket” (2005), “Air” (2023) and “Best of the Best” (1989)

10/7/2024 Cissy Houston, Grammy-winning singer and mother of Whitney Houston, died while in hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She was 91. She began her singing career at 5 years old when she joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky in the gospel group The Drinkard Four. Eventually, her sisters Lee and Marie joined the group, which was renamed The Drinkard Singers. Eventually, Houston’s nieces, De De and Dionne Warwick, joined the group. They recorded their first live gospel album, “A Joyful Noise,” at Webster Hall in New York City. Cissy released her first solo LP, “Presenting Cissy Houston.” (1959) In 1963, Cissy was a founding member of the The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy, and sang backup for artists such as Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Lou Rawls, Jimi Hendrix and Chaka Khan, including Franklin’s “Think” and ”You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” Whitney Houston died in 2012 at the age of 48. Granddaughter Bobbie Kristina Brown, Whitney’s daughter, died three years later at age 22. (Born Emily Drinkard 9/30/1033 in Newark, NJ)

10/7/2024 Music executive Julie Gordon died listening to Joni Mitchel music after struggling with cancer for several years. She was 65. She is probably best known as the founder and moderator of the Velvet Rope, launched in 1995 after taking over a music folder called “Record Industry Dirt” on AOL, which was described as a “hotbed of mudslinging, ass-kissing, ass-kicking, half-truths and untruths”. Gordon eventually left AOL because of the platform’s obscenity policies, which required that members pay an additional $10 per month to cuss.

10/7/2024 Actor Nicholas Pryor died at age 89. Best-known for his roles as Tom Cruise’s father in “Risky Business” and Kathleen Robertson’s dad on “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Pryor had a long career in the soaps including quirky professor Victor Collins on “General Hospital” spinoff “Port Charles,” (1997-2003 300+ episodes) “The Edge of Night,” ” All My Children” and “Another World.” Besides the soaps; Pryor’s TV credits include “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Eight Is Enough,” “M*A*S*H,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Dallas,” “St. Elsewhere,” “L.A. Law,” “NYPD Blue” and “The West Wing.” Film credits include “The Happy Hooker” (1975), “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh” (1979), “Airplane!” (1980), “The Falcon and the Snowman” (1985), “Coming Home” (1987), “Hoffa” (1992), “Hail Caesar” (1994) and “Collateral Damage (2002). Pryor appeared in four Broadway plays from 1957-59. (Born 1/28/1935 in Baltimore)

10/7/2024 Jack Ponti, a producer and songwriter who worked with Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper, died. He was 66. He co-wrote the song “Shot Through the Heart” on Bon Jovi’s debut album. (1984) (Born Giacomo Pontoriero 2/16/1958 in Newark, NJ)

10/8/2024 Three-time MLB All-Star Luis Tiant Jr. died in Wells, ME at age 83. He spent his first six Major League seasons with the Cleveland Indians. (1964-1969). His MLB debut came in game 2 of a road doubleheader (7/19/1964) when he pitched a complete game shutout against the Yankees. According to Stathead, he is one of just five pitchers in MLB history to toss a complete game shutout with at least 11 strikeouts in their MLB regular season debut. The right-hander made 211 appearances (160 starts) for the club, going 75-64 with a 2.84 ERA, 12 saves, and 1,041 strikeouts in 1,200 innings. He also pitched 63 complete games for Cleveland and his 21 shutouts are the ninth-most in franchise history. He pitched for 6 teams, including the Boston Red Sox, over 19 years. Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson once described Tiant as being the “Fred Astaire of baseball.” (Born 11/23/1940 in Havana, Cuba)

10/8/2024 Legendary NFL cornerback Pat Fisher died at age 84. He was a Washington Commanders Ring of Fame member and former All-Pro. Fischer played safety, tailback and quarterback at the University of Nebraska before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1961. After 7 years with the Cardinals, signed with Washington as a free agent and lead the team to a Super Bowl in 1973, losing to Miami 14-7. Fischer retired with 56 career interceptions and 19 fumble recoveries. Pro Bowl 1964, 1965, 1969. (Born 1/2/1940 in Saint Edward, NE)

10/9/2024 Buck Trent, banjo legend and “Hee Haw” regular, died at age 85 in Branson, MO. Known for his collaborations with Roy Clark and they won two CMA Awards together. Trent and Clarke toured the Soviet Union with the Oak Rodge Boys in 1976. The master musician and country music legend moved to Nashville in 1958 and began working with Bill Monroe and Porter Wagoner and the Wagonmasters. He met Dolly Parton and played on two of her hits “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene.” While on “Hee Haw,” Trent popularized his catchphrase “Oh yeah!” Trent invented the electric banjo. (Born on 2/17/1938 in Spartanburg, SC.)

10/10/2024 Ethel Kennedy, the American human rights advocate and the wife of U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy, died, age 96 in Boston. Ethel and Robert were married on June 17, 1950. She raised their 11 children after his assassination in 1968. She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2014. (Born Ethel Skakel 4/11/1928 in Chicago, IL)

10/10/2024 Musician and record producer Adam Abeshouse died of bile duct cancer. He was 63. He earned three Grammys: Producer of the Year, Classical (2000); Best Instrumental Soloist Performance without orchestra (2008) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo (2023). In 2002, Abeshouse founded the Classical Recording Foundation to meet the growing need for artists not supported by major labels to be able to record music. (Born 6/5/1961)

10/11/2024 Canadian comedian and late-night TV show host Mike Bullard was found dead from a suspected heart attack at a residence he was staying in. He was 67 and had been suffering some health problems. He was known for hosting two late-night talk shows, “Open Mike With Mike Bullard” (1997-2003), and “The Mike Bullard Show” (2003-2004). (Born 6/11/1957 in Ontario, Canada)

10/11/2024 TikTok Star Rachel Yaffe died of a rare form of cancer at age 27. She had been diagnosed with cancer in 2023. She was known for videos that spread positivity, featured delicious plant-based meals and offered wellness advice.

10/11/2024 “Station 19” producer Daniel Hoh died at 45. The physician and neurosurgeon joined ABC’s “Station 19” in 2018, writing and story editor on 41 episodes, then he rose to the title of producer in its final season. (2022) He spent time with the FBI before attending medical school. He also worked as a TV reporter in rural Kentucky. When he was not working on the show, he worked as an ER physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He and his wife also campaigned for international human rights. (Born in Potomac, MD)

10/12/2024 Prolific film and TV director and producer Alvin Rakoff died at home in Chiswick. He was 97. He was a writer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and then moved to England after being accepted in the BBC’s director training course. His 1954 drama “Waiting for Gillian” won a National Television award. In 1957 he cast a then unknown Sean Connery in the lead role in the British version of the successful American TV play “Requiem for a Heavyweight.” He also worked with Laurence Olivier, Peter Sellers, Dame Judi Dench, Rex Harrison, Rod Steiger and Henry Fonda. Other credits include “The Adventures of Don Quixote” (1973) featuring Rex Harrison and John Mortimer’s “A Voyage Round My Father” (1982) starring Laurence Olivier. He wrote two books, “I’m Just the Guy Who Says Action” (2021) and “I Need Another Take, Darling.” (2022) (Born 2/18/1927 in Toronto.)

10/12/2024 North Carolina football player Tylee Craft died of a rare form of lung cancer. Number 13 was 23. He played wide receiver in 11 games for the Tar Heels.

10/12/2024 Equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter died of respiratory failure at age 86. After 19 years working for Goodyear, Ledbetter learned she had been making thousands of dollars less each month than other male managers were making. She sued Goodyear in 1999 for gender discrimination and won $3.8 million in backpay and damages, but later lost when Goodyear appealed. When she retired, she became an activist and advocate for gender equity. Ultimately President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January 2009, which prohibits sex-based wage discrimination between men and women in the same establishment who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility under similar working conditions. (Born 4/14/1938)

10/12/2024 Brooklyn Underground rapper and 9/11 first responder Ka died ‘unexpectedly’ in New York City at 52. He got his start in 1994 as a member of the well-known group Natural Elements led by Mr. VooDoo, L-Swift, and G-Blass. He released his first solo album “Iron Works.” (2008).In his career, he released 11 albums, including “The Thief Next To Jesus” two months before his death. He also worked for the New York Fire Department, but he came under fire for some of his songs with anti-police lyrics. He was a first responder on September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers were attacked.. (Born Kaseem Ryan 8/11/1972 in Brooklyn, NY)

10/12/2024 Former Washington Capitals forward Stephen Peat died at age 44. The NHL Alumni Association reported the news the NHL enforcer died after suffering injuries following a “tragic accident just over two weeks ago.” He joined the NHL in 1998 after being drafted 32nd overall by Anaheim. He played for the Capitals from 2001-2005. (Born 3/10/1980 in British Columbia)

10/13/2024 Legendary “Wheel of Fortune” host Mayra Gómez Kemp died. She was 76 years old and recovering from a fall in her home in Mijas, Spain. She was the daughter of two famous artists, Ramiro Gómez Kemp and Velia Martínez. She was the host of TV game show “Un, dos, tres… responda otra vez” (1982-1988). She is recognized as the first woman in the world to host a game show. She went on to host Spain’s version of “Wheel of Fortune,” which is translated as “La Ruleta de La Fortuna” in the 1990’s. She also hosted the talk show “Simplemente Mayra.” (Born Mayra Cristina Gómez Martínez 2/14/1948 in Havana, Cuba)

10/13/2024 Finnish hockey player Janne Puhakka was allegedly shot and killed by his partner. He was 29. Puhakka was the country’s first openly gay professional hockey player and police believe he was shot and killed by his estranged husband, Rolf Nordmoage, age 66 over a failed relationship. Puhakka came out publicly shortly after retiring. The Police of Finland recovered a shotgun at the scene. Puhakka played in Canada for the Chicoutimi Saguenée, andplayed left wing for the Espoo Blues, TUTO Hocky, Espoo United and Rapaces de Gap in his hockey career, before retiring in 2018. (Born 2/24/1995 in Espoo, Finland)

10/14/2024 Digital music executive Cindy Charles died from injuries suffered in a traffic accident in the Netherlands. She was 69. She was in the Netherlands for a speaking engagement when she was run over by a garbage truck while crossing the street. She had recently played an integral role in several major deals during her six years at Twitch, including a recent deal establishing it as the first platform for DJs to livestream legally. Before that she had been known for her work at various MTV Networks.

10/14/2024 Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos, an MMA fighter and Bellator competitor who once dated Demi Lovato for several months (2017) died in Los Angeles at age 38. Vasconcelos was a “fourth degree black belt, professor, fighter, athlete and artist” and a former UFC and TUF fighter, as well as a Jiu Jitsu national and world champion. His MMA career began in 2014 and ended in 2019 with a record of 10-6.

10/15/2024 Legendary Australian journalist George Negus passed away in Sydney, Australia due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 82 and a specialist in International affairs. Negus was a high school teacher before getting into journalism as a writer. He first appeared on air in 1967 as a founding reporter of “This Day Tonight.” He also appeared on the Australian version of “60 Minutes.” He wrote five books.

10/15/2024 ‘Survivor’ favorite Hasan Yalnızoğlu died at age 50 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The Turkish dancer, model, actor and professional wrestler was a two-time “Survivor Turkey” competitor. He won 2nd place in the Best Model of Turkey competition in 1997. He then placed 2nd in the Mister International competition in India.

10/16/2024 Former One Direction star Liam Payne died after falling from the third floor of his hotel room at hotel CasaSur in Buenos Aires. Apparently, he had been acting erratically before he fell. It is estimated that he fell about 35 feet. He was 31. Payne made his debut as a singer in 2008 when he auditioned for the British television series “The X Factor.” In 2015 One Direction announced they were taking a hiatus. Payne later released his own single “Strip That Down.” (2017) His first solo album came out in December of 2019 titled “LP1.” (Born 8/29/1993 in the U.K.)

10/16/2024 Emmy-winning writer and producer Sherry Coben died of cancer at her home in New Milford, NJ at age 71. Best-known for creating the sitcom “Kate & Allie” (1984-1989) starring Susan St. James and Jane Curtin. She started in TV working on graphics, set design and illustration on Philadelphia TV and “The Mike Douglas Show.” She won a Daytime Emmy for her work on the children’s program “Hot Hero Sandwich.” She also wrote for “Ryan’s Hope.” She told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017, “Three decades have passed, and it’s still rare for network execs to see there’s a huge audience hungry for shows about women expressly for women. You can count on two hands the number of female-driven shows since. I’d hoped to set more of a trend.”

10/16/2024 Australian post-punk musician Ollie Olsen died in a Melbourne hospital at age 66 and just days after he tied the knot with his long term partner, Jayne Olsen. He had suffered with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) since 2019. The innovative pioneer in electronic music had been struggling with his health. He worked with a number of bands over the years including INXS’ Michael Hutchence on a project, Max Q in the 1980s. He was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame just days before his death. (10/24/2024) (Born Ian Christopher Olsen in Melbourne on 2/20/1958. He changed his name in the early 1990’s to Ollie Jngbert Christian Olsen)

10/17/2024 Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of “South Pacific” and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, died of natural causes. She was 93. When she first came to Hollywood, she was known as Frances Gerber before changing her first name to Mitzi. However, Fox didn’t approve of her last name and she then changed it to Gaynor. Her film debut came in 1950, appearing with Betty Grable in “My Blue Heaven.” She was known the famous song “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,” which came to be associated with her for the rest of her life. Gaynor also appeared in the musicals “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954) with Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor and Marilyn Monroe, and “Anything Goes” (1956) with Bing Crosby and Donald O’Connor. She once appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” getting top billing above the Beatles, who were making their 2nd appearance on the show. Paul McCartney even asked her for her autograph. She began appearing in Las Vegas in 1961. (Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber 9/4/1931 in Chicago)

10/17/2024 Writer, director and producer Aaron Kaufman suffered an apparent heart attack and died in Las Vegas. He was 51. Best-known for co-helming the Emmy-nominated documentary “Superpower” (2023) about Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s history of being a former comedian becoming the president of Ukraine in 2019. Also part of Kaufman’s filmography is the documentary “The Crusaders” (2023) about sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witness community. (Kaufman was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness.) Other credits include “Urge” (2016), which he wrote, directed and produced,” “Machete,” “Machete Kills” (2013) and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” (2014) He had multiple projects in the works when he died. (Born 1973 in Long Island, NY)

10/17/2024 Virginia Carter, the feminist activist who was hired by Norman Lear to advise him on social issues and marginalized groups died of natural causes at age 87. She advised Lear on shows like “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” “Good Times;” “The Jeffersons,” “One Day at a Time” and “The Facts of Life.” She majored in physics and was the first woman to successfully design and fly a satellite-based experiment. (Born 11/181936 in Arvada, Quebec)

10/18/2024 Playboy model & Russian “Bachelor” star Veronika Murashkina died from serious injuries sustained in a car crash in 2020. As a result, she developed a weakened immune system and lung disease. She died at age 31 while on a waiting list for a lung transplant when she died.

10/18/2024 Motivational speaker and bodybuilder Kerwin Rae died at age 49. The Australian found success on social media for posting thought-provoking advice on the psychology of influence in both business and life. He was the CEO of K2 Capital Group at the time of his death, but as an entrepreneur, he had launched several businesses and wrote several books; including “The Entrepreneurial Apprentice” training system and the co-author of one the bestselling series “Secrets of Marketing Experts Exposed.” His website claims that he had helped ‘over 100,000 businesses, in 154 different industries, in 11 countries throughout the world, (Born Byron Bay 10/2/1975 in the U.S.)

10/18/2024 “Mamma Mia!” actress Myra McFadyen died. She was 68. She played Elena in both films based on the music of ABBA; “Mamma Mia!” (2008) and the sequel “Mama Mia! Here We Go Again” (2018). She also appeared in stage productions of the musical. She was well respected for her extraordinary performance as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in London. She acted in William Shakespeare’s play, “The Winter’s Tale,” at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, England. She portrayed Munt Minna in “Made of Honor” (2008) (Born 1/12/1956 in Glasgow)

10/19/2024 Michael Malone, a writer and TV business trade reporter, died at 55 after a long illness. He covered the TV business for nearly two decades at Broadcasting & Cable and also wrote books and contributed to the the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe. He was a five-time finalist for the Jesse H. Neal Award for excellence in journalism. (Born: 9/3/1969)

10/19/2024 One of the last Navajo Code Talkers from World War II died at 107. John Kinsel Sr. was one of only three Navajo Code Talkers alive. Code Talkers transmitted messages in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 during World War II using the tribe’s native language. Their encrypted communications included troop movements and enemy positions in a way that confused the Japanese. The code was never broken. Originally, there were 29 Code Talkers. Eventually, there were an estimated 400 Navajo Code Talkers who served during World War II. President Ronald Reagan established Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982 and the Aug.14 holiday honors all the tribes associated with the war effort.

10/20/2024 “Baywatch” star Michael Newman died of heart complications at age 68. Newman played himself as a lifeguard on the series (1989-2001 – 150 episodes) alongside David Hasselhoff , Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006. He spent his final years raising money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He starred in a number of Baywatch spin-offs, including “Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay.” (1998) and “Baywatch Nights.” (1995) He was the only cast-member of Baywatch (1989) who actually worked as an L.A. County lifeguard, having entered the profession as a junior lifeguard at the age of 10. He was a Los Angeles County public lifeguard for more than 20 years. (Born 4/26/1957 in Los Angeles, CA)

10/20/2024 Singer and guitarist Barbara Dane died at home in Oakland, CA at 97 after receiving medical aid in dying. She was highly regarded as a folk, blues and jazz singer, known for her iconic performances with Louis Armstrong, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Muddy Waters, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. She spent her career fighting for peace and justice through the power of song. (Born Barbara Jean Spillman in May 1927)

10/21/2024 Pioneering composer Barbara Kolb died at age 85. She was known as a composer of evocative, intense works featuring interwoven textures, often inspired by poetry and images. She was the first American woman to achieve the Rome Prize. (Born 2/10/1939 in Hartford, CT)

10/21/2024 Rocker Paul Di’Anno, lead singer of Iron Maiden (1978-1981) died at home at age 66 after struggling with illness for several years. After leaving Iron Maiden, he went on to have a long and eventful recording career with Battlezone and Killers. He was married five times and had six children. (Born 5/17/1958 in East London)

10/21/2024 NFL All-Pro John Campbell, who played 80 games in the NFL, died at age 86 in Burnsville, MN. He served in the Navy before playing college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The 6’3″ 225lb linebacker was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1963 and played 2 seasons for them, then the Pittsburgh Steelers (1965-1969) and the Baltimore Colts in 1969. After foorball, he worked for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. He was a stockbroker and a Christian motivational speaker. (Born 10/7/1938 in Wadena, MN)

10/22/2024 Baseball phenom Fernando Valenzuela died at a hospital in Los Angeles at age 63. His death came as the Dodgers were preparing to play the N.Y. Yankees in the World Series. In 1981, Valenzuela became the Dodgers’ opening day starter as a rookie after Jerry Reuss was injured 24 hours before his scheduled start. He shut out the Houston Astros 2-0 and began the season 8-0 with five shutouts and an ERA of 0.50. His rookie season record was 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA. He was an MLB All-Star (1981-1986). In the postseason, he went 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA. He threw a 6-0 no-hitter June 29,1990. In 11 seasons with the Dodgers, he was 141-116 with a 3.31 ERA. He hit 10 home runs during his career. playing for the Angels, Orioles, Phillies, Padres and Cardinals. He retired in 1997. In 11 seasons with the Dodgers, he was 141-116 with a 3.31 ERA. He never made the Baseball Hall of Fame, but the Dodgers retired his jersey #34.

10/22/2024 “Welcome Back Kotter” co-creator and producer Alan Sacks died in hospice at 81. Best-known for Kotter with star Gabe Kaplan, which ran from 1975 to 1979 (95 episodes) and launched the career of John Travolta. Sacks also worked on “Chico and the Man.” Decades later he was the executive producer on several Disney Channel projects, many of them involving the Jonas Brothers. (Born 12/9/1942 in Brooklyn, NY)

10/22/2024 Edd Griles, who directed Cyndi Lauper in the bouncy music video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1983) died at 78. He died at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He began directing music videos in 1979, including videos for Huey Lewis and the News “The Heart of Rock & Roll” (1983) “If This Is It,” “Stuck With You”; Eddie Murphy “Party All the Time”; Lee Greenwood “God Bless the USA” (1984); Sheena Easton “Jimmy Mack” and others. He started his career in advertising, which led him to become editor and creative director of the NHL magazine Goal Magazine and executive producer at NHL films. Trivia: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” passed 1 billion views on YouTube in January 2022. (Born 11/18/1945)

10/22/2024 Elizabeth Francis, the oldest living person in the U.S., and the third-oldest in the world, died at 115. She was considered a supercentenarian, which is someone who reaches age 110 or older. She was the 21st oldest American ever recorded. Francis never smoked and didn’t drink, but she ate “everything!” Her daughter Dorothy was 96 when her mother died. Elizabeth’s granddaughter was 69. Naomi Whitehead, a 114-year-old supercentenarian residing in Greenville, Pennsylvania, is now the oldest living person in the United States.

10/22/2024 Independent wrestler Liger Rivera passed away at age 37. Rivera primarily competed in the EWF in San Bernardino, California throughout his career. Rivera also had a lengthy stint with the National Wrestling Alliance. (2006-2012)

10/22/2024 Veteran film producer, champion of women and author Lynda Obst passed away at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 74. Obst battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, better known as COPD. She had described herself as a passionate smoker from age 16 until her diagnosis in 2018. She lived with a portable device that took air and turned it into pure oxygen to help her breathe. Best-known for producing “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), “Flashdance” (1983), “Adventures in Babysitting” (1987) and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” (2003) Her memoir, “Hello, He Lied & Other Tales From the Hollywood Trenches,” was published in 1996. “Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales From the New Abnormal in the Movie Business” was released in 2013). She was a self-described ‘tomboy.’ (Born Lynda Rosen 4/14/1950 in NYC)

10/22/2024 “Naked and Afraid” (Discovery Channel) star Sarah Danser died in a car crash in Hawaii at 34. According to reports, Danser was a passenger in a car driven by a 59-year-old man who lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a parked car. Danser was rushed to hospital in critical condition and passed away two days later. The driver sustained serious injuries, but survived. Speed was a factor in the crash, but no drugs or alcohol were involved. She appeared multiple times on the show beginning with season 8 in 2017.

10/22/2024 Julia Hawkins, a record-setting centenarian runner, known as “Hurricane,” died at 108 in Baton Rouge, LA. She began running at 100 when her sons signed her up for a 50-yard dash. In 2021, at age 105, she became the first female track and field athlete in the 105+ age bracket to clock a time in the 100-meter dash: 1:02:95,

Here are her 5 longevity tips.

1 Stay active. Hawkins credited her long life and good health to an active lifestyle. According to the CDC, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
2 Eat well, sleep well. Her only guilty pleasures are iced coffee and hot tea. Both drinks have beneficial health properties if consumed in moderation.
3 Try new things. One study has found that people with a positive mindset toward aging lived about seven and a half years longer than people with less positive perceptions of aging.
4 Find the “magic moments” in life. Aging well also means finding purpose through passions.
5 Marry the right partner. An 85-year-long Harvard study found that those with strong personal relationships were not only happier but also lived longer.

10/22/2024 “Southern Charm’” butler Michael Kelcourse died in Sarasota at 71 after suffering another stroke. He served as butler and confidante to Patricia Altschul for more than two decades. (The Bravo series premiered in 2014) He was forced to retire in 2021 after suffering a spinal stroke, which left him paralyzed from the chest down. (Born 10/13/1953)

10/23/2024 Former world’s strongest man and three-time British Olympian Geoff Capes died aged 75. He won Olympic gold in 1974 and 1978 for the shot put and was crowned World’s Strongest Man in 1983 and 1985. Capes worked as a policeman, but also had a strong presence in British pop culture, featured in commercials, one in which he memorably rolled a car over with his bare hands. At his peak, he consumed 13,000 calories a day, including a box of cereal, seven pints of milk, two tins of pilchards (a marine fish from the herring family), three cartons of cottage cheese, two loaves of bread, a leg of lamb, two steaks, a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, a pint of orange juice, a tin of baked beans, a jar of honey, a grapefruit and two tins of tuna every day. He snacked on half-pound grilled cheese sandwiches. (The recommended average daily consumption for an adult man is 2,500 calories) His wife cooked for him 12 hours a day. (Born 8/23/1949 in Holbeach, UK)

10/23/2024 Grammy-winning singer of “The Love Boat” theme song , Jack Jones died at 86 at Eisenhower Medical in Rancho Mirage, CA following a two-year battle with leukemia. “The Love Boat” aired on ABC from September 24, 1977 to May 24, 1986. There were 3 TV movies before the series and 1 after the series. Jones sung the opening theme in seasons 1-9. Dionne Warwick sang it in season 9. Jones also topped the charts with “Wives and Lovers” (1962) and “Lollipops and Roses” (1966), winning Grammys for both. Jones was married 6 times. Trivia: Gavin MacLeod ‘Your Captain, Merrill Stubing,’ Bernie Kopell ‘Your Ship’s Doctor, Adam “Doc” Bricker’ and Ted Lange ‘Your Bartender, Isaac Washington,’ are the only cast members to appear in every episode of the TV series, four specials as well as the last made-for-TV movie. The ship was the Pacific Princess. Trivia: What was Gopher’s name? Burl “Gopher” Smith.

10/23/2024 Former big-league pitcher Rudy May, who played seven seasons over two stints with the New York Yankees died at age 80. The left-hander posted a 54-46 record as a Yankee with 3.12 ERA. He also played for the California Angels and amassed a career 152-156 record with a 3.46 ERA in 16 seasons. He also struck out 1,760 and amassed 12 saves. After retiring, May had a successful career as a store manager with convenience store Circle K in California.

10/23/2024 Linda LaFlamme, a member of the San Francisco band It’s a Beautiful Day died from vascular dementia at 85. She played keyboards and co-wrote the group’s best-known song, “White Bird” in 1969 with her then-husband David.

10/24/2024 Former correspondent and anchor for ABC News, Tom Jarriel died. He was 89. Jarriel joined ABC News in 1965 and gained national attention for his coverage of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was Chief White House correspondent during the Nixon and Ford administrations. He later hosted ABC’s “Weekend Report” and “20/20” news magazine. It was his series of reports on the plight of children suffering in Romanian orphanages that Jarriel remembered as “the great, defining story of my career.” He won 19 News and Documentary Emmy Awards before retiring in 2002. (Born 12/29/1934 in LaGrange, GA)

10/24/2024 “Star Trek: Voyager” co-creator Jeri Taylor passed away an assisted living facility at 86. Star Trek fans knew her best for penning the fan-favorite “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode ‘The Drumhead,’ which she deemed the script she was most proud of. She ended up writing 30+ episodes across all Start Trek productions. She joined The Next Generation staff during its fourth season before becoming co-executive producer with Rick Berman and Michael Pillar during its sixth season, and then serving as the series’ executive producer and showrunner for its final season. Earlier in her career, she was producer of the series “Quincy, M.E.” (1982-1983), for which she also directed a number of episodes; 13 episodes of “Magnum, P.I.” (1987-1988), “Jake and the Fatman” (26 episodes) and “In the Heat of the Night.” (Born Jeri Cecile Taylor 6/30/1938 in Evansville, IN)

10/24/2024 Veteran film editor and producer John F. Burnett died of natural causes in Lincoln, CA. He was 90. Burnett cut “Grease,” “And Justice for All” and “Murder by Death,” and worked with directors George Cukor, Blake Edwards and Sydney Pollack. He edited The Sunshine Boys” (1975), “The Way We Were,” (1973) and “The Goodbye Girl.” (1977). He was president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild from 1975-76 and received a career achievement award from the American Cinema Editors in 2003.

10/24/2024 USF head basketball coach and rising star Amir Abdur-Rahim died at a Tampa-area hospital at age 43 after suffering complications during a medical procedure. Abdur-Rahim was hired by USF ahead of the 2023–24 season and led the Bulls to a 25-8 record for which he was named AAC Coach of the Year. Before hiring Abdur-Rahim, the USF men’s basketball team had just one winning season (2018-19) in their previous 11 years. Prior to USF, he spent four seasons as the head coach at Kennesaw State, turning a team that went 1-28 in his first season to a 26-9 team in his final year, which included a berth in the NCAA tournament. Was named AAC Coach of the Year. He was 70-82 in five seasons overall at USF and Kennesaw State. Abdur-Rahim was the younger brother of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA.

10/24/2024 Brazilian boxer Adilson ‘Maguila’ Rodrigues died in Sao Paulo, Brazil at 66. The boxing world title contender who fought Evander Holyfield and George Foreman was 66. He lost both bouts in the second round. His career record was 77-7-1 with 61 KOs. He retired in 2000. (Born 6/12/1958)

10/24/2024 Racing’s Bob Riley died of a heart attack at 93. He played a key role in wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500, the Sebring 12-Hour and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. A 2024 inductee into the IMSA Hall of Fame as well as a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Riley’s career as an engineer and car designer stretched across multiple racing disciplines. He also worked in the aerospace industry while building race cars at home, including the legendary Lynx Formula Vee and the Riley Daytona Prototype chassis. He designed the Coyote Indy car chassis for A.J. Foyt, including the car which carried Foyt to his fourth Indianapolis 500 win. (Born in Texas in 1931)

10/24/2024 DJ Clark Kent died of colon cancer at age 57. He had a talent for discovering new artists. He rose to prominence in the late 80’s and early 90’s, producing artists including The Notorious B.I.G, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown and Jay-Z’s first album “Reasonable Doubt.” (Born Rodolfo A.Franklin)

10/25/2024 Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh “passed peacefully” at age 84. He was a classically-trained violinist and jazz trumpeter who co-founded the group with Jerry Garcia, who he had asked to join him in recording for a folk music radio show he engineered. Eventually Lesh became the bassist for Garcia’s band, the Warlocks despite not having played the bass prior to linking up with Garcia, Lesh learned as he went, resulting in a playstyle not tethered by traditional techniques and practices. Later, In a meeting at Lesh’s home, they decided to change the name of the band from the Warlocks to the Grateful Dead. Their biggest hit was arguably “In The Dark” (1987), which hit #6 on Billboard. Some consider “Touch of Grey” (1987) a one-hit wonder, despite their large body of work. According to setlists.net “Me ‘n My Uncle” was the most often played in concert. Lesh’s death came two days after MusiCares named the Grateful Dead its Persons of the Year. (Born 3/15/1940)

10/25/2024 American television and film actor David Harris passed away from cancer at his home in NYC at age 75. He was best-known for his portrayal of Cochise, a young gang member in the red vest Coney Island gang, in the film “The Warriors.” (1979) “The Warriors” was also adapted into a video game in 2005. Harris reprised his role to voice Cochise in the game. He commonly played police officers and military personnel in films and television programs, like “Brubaker” (1984), “The Thin Blue Line” (1988) and “North and South” (1985-1984) and “NYPD Blue.” He was a political activist and married to Joan Baez from 1968-1973. (Born 6/18/1949 in NYC)

10/26/2024 Longtime Cleveland Browns play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan passed away at the age of 68. He covered sports in Cleveland for nearly 40 years and called Browns games from 1999 to 2023. The Voice of the Browns had battled cancer since being diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2000. He officially retired from the booth in August 2024, then the Browns inducted him in the Cleveland Browns Legends in September 2024. He was also inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. He was the eighth full-time radio broadcaster in team history dating back to the original franchise.

10/26/2024 Hall of Fame hockey player Bill Hay died at 88. He played from 1959-1967 for the Chicago Blackhawks. For much of his time in Chicago, Hay would center one of hockey’s most famous trios, the “Million Dollar Line,” with Bobby Hull on the left and Murray Balfour on the right. He also played for the Calgary Flames. He left the NHL in 1967 at age 31 with 386 points (113 goals, 273 assists) in 506 NHL games and 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 67 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. Hay also became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee in 1980. (Born 12/9/1935 in Saskatoon, Canada)

10/26/2024 South Africa’s ‘Steve Irwin’ Dingo Dinkelman died following a venomous snake bite he sustained in September 2024. Both Dinkelman and Irwin died at age 44. Irwin was killed by a stingray in 2006. Dinkelman was renowned for his involvement with snakes and other reptiles, but he had an affinity for elephants, rhinos and lions. He even owned his own giraffe, named Elliot. According to The Telegraph, Dinkelman was bitten by an Eastern green mamba. He was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and was the owner and operator of Dingo’s Farm and Reptile Park.

10/26/2024 American NASCAR driver Walter Ballard Sr. died in Kingwood, TX at age 91. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series (known as the NASCAR Cup Series as of 2021) He retired from racing in 1977. (Born 1/12/1933 in Foley, AL)

10/26/2024 Costume designer Stephanie Collie died of cancer in a London hospice. She began her career in a BBC sewing room and worked with stars including Michael Caine, Henry Cavill, Jessica Chastain, Daniel Craig, Penélope Cruz, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Ryan Reynolds and Michelle Williams.

10/28/2024 Former NBA player Jerrod Mustaf died on his 55th birthday. The New York Knicks selected Mustaf with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft. He played with the Phoenix Suns his final three seasons before playing overseas for Greece, Turkey and Spain.

10/28/2024 Cult filmmaker Paul Morrissey died in Manhattan New York at 86. He had been treated for pneumonia. His first short depicted a priest saying mass on the edge of a cliff before throwing the altar boy to his death. He was best-known for his narrative structure of Andy Warhol’s cinematic works in sleazy titles like “Flesh” (1968), “Trash” (1970), and “Heat” (1972, that glorified drug use. He also worked directly with Warhol on “My Hustler” (1965), “Chelsea Girls” (1966), and the gender-swapped “Romeo and Juliet” remake “Lonesome Cowboys” (1968), was also Warhol’s personal manager from 1965-1974. He told the New York Times “Every movie I’ve ever made says the same thing. They all find comedy in people trying to live their lives without any rules.” Trivia: He was portrayed by Reg Rogers in “I Shot Andy Warhol” in 1996. (Born 2/23/1938 in New York)

10/28/2024 Longtime business journalist, media critic and author James Ledbetter died in Manhattan of a heart attack at the age of 60. He most recently was editor of thought leadership at KPMG. The former editor-in-chief at Inc magazine created the storied “Off the Record” column, and his writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The New Republic and dozens of others. He authored six books.

10/29/2024 Actress Teri Garr died of multiple sclerosis at age 79. Best-known for her roles as Inga in “Young Frankenstein” with Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman and Marty Feldman and three guest appearances as Phoebe’s mom (1997-1998) on “Friends.” Garr was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in “Tootsie.” (1982) Among her 140 credits: She was Richard Dryfuss’ wife in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) and the working mom in “Mr. Mom.” (1983) She appeared on several episodes of the sketch comedy series “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,” “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Odd Couple” and “The Bob Newhart Show. Released her memoir, “Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood” (2005) where she wrote about her career and her MS diagnosis in 2002. She was the daughter of a Broadway performer and a Rockette. She retired from acting in 2011. (Born 12/11/1944 in Lakewood, OH)

10/29/2024 British author and broadcaster Phil Rickman dies aged 74. He was best-known as the author of supernatural and mystery novels written under the pen names Wil Kingdom and Thom Madley. He was a journalist for BBC TV & Radio 4. He published his first book, “Candlenight” (1991) and began his “Merrily Watkins” series in 1998. He was also known for the “John Dee Papers” series, which focused on the Welsh mathematician and astrologer John Dee. (Born 3/6/1950 in Lancashire)

10/29/2014 Italian skier Matilde Lorenzi died at the age of 19 after a crash during a training session on the Grawand G1 slope in Val Senales. She was the younger sister of skier Lucrezia Lorenzi , who represented Italy in the World Cup series in slalom.

10/30/2024 Underground Lovers drummer Richard Andrew died aged 58 shortly after revealing that he had been diagnosed with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. Andrew first rose to fame as a member of the Underground Lovers in 1988. He performed on three of the group’s studio albums, including “Dream It Down.” (1994) The group disbanded in 2002, then reunited in 2009.

10/30/2024 Australian radio & TV journalist Matt Peacock died of pancreatic cancer in Sydney, Australia at 72. He dedicated most of his career to exposing the dangers of asbestos and wrote a book in 2011, “Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed.” He worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation most of his career.

10/31/2024 Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Star Wars artist Greg Hildebrandt died at age 85 after dealing with the side effects of heart medication. Greg performed with his father and uncle as the Brothers Hildebrandt, who famously created movie posters including the original 1997 “Star Wars” movie poster, which was impressive since they had not had access to any publicity photos or movie stills. Hildebrandt’s body of work included calendars for “The Lord of the Rings” and “Dungeons and Dragons,” the poster for “Clash of the Titans (1981), comic book covers for DC Comics, trading cards for Marvel Comics, and album covers for musical artists like Black Sabbath. Greg would go on to create artwork for Trans-Siberian Orchestra beginning in 2003. (Born 1/23/1939 in Detroit, MI)

November Obituaries 2024

Topping the list of Hollywood deaths in November 2024 was an Emmy-nominated actor who played the hippy father in “Dharma & Greg” (he was also cast in 5 episodes of a soap)…we also celebrated the life of a tough barmaid in Glasgow who held up a derogatory sign outside Trump’s Turnberry Golf Course…Quincy Jones passed at 91…a child actor named Hucklenerry…the co-founder of The Home Depot…a Ukranian metal drummer who died fighting the Russians…the man who turned a small, money-losing airline into a profit-making powerhouse…the “You’ve got mail.” voice artist…the actor who played 3 different roles on 3 different “Star Trek” productions…the guy who invented Dorothy Hamill’s ‘Wedgie Cut’…a gap-toothed British supermodel…”The Marilyn Monroe of the midget wrestlers.”…a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver…a couple of legendary football coaches…and a couple of rock ‘n roll deaths as 2 former drummers for the Bee Gees die in the same week!

11/2/2024 TV star and writer Alan Rachins died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 82. He was an Emmy-nominated actor featured in such hit shows as “LA Law” (1986-1994 171 episodes) as philandering attorney Douglas Brackman and the hippy father of Jenna Elfman’s character in “Dharma & Greg” (1997-2002) He appeared in 5 episodes of “General Hospital as Judge Harry Horowitz. (2016-2018) and played Louie in the season 15 episode ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ on “Grey’s Anatomy.” He took time off from acting to write scrpts for shows like “Knight Rider,” “Hill Street Blues” (1981) and “Hart to Hart” (1979) (Born 10/3/1942 in Cambridge, MA)

11/2/2024 Scottish comedian, actor and writer Janey Godley, who found fame during the pandemic when she dubbed comedy videos spoofing Scotland’s political leader Nicola Sturgeon’s coronavirus news briefings, died in hospice aged 63. In her late teens, she married Sean Storrie, part of a notorious Glasgow gangster family. The couple eventually cut ties with his family to build a new life for themselves. She worked for 15 years in one of Glasgow’s roughest pubs and could control hundreds of drunks. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021. She made headlines in 2016 when she held up a sign stating “Trump is a c—” outside Donald Trump’s Turnberry Golf Resort. The image went viral online. She wrote three books, including 2022’s “Nothing Left Unsaid.” (Born 1/20/1961)

11/2/2024 “Little Shop of Horrors” star and producer/screenwriter Jonathan Haze passed away at age 95. He was the original Seymour Krelboined in the 1960 low-budget horror comedy. Haze’s career began when he was discovered at a gas station and cast in the 1954 film “Monster From the Ocean Floor.” Both films were produced by B-movie director Roger Corman, who died earlier this year. (July 1) Together they also worked on “The Fast and the Furious” (1954) and “Five Guns West” (1955) Other TV credits include “77 Sunset Strip” and “Dragnet.” (Born 4/1/1929 in Pittsburgh, PA)

11/2/2024 William Augusta “Dub” Jones, a star halfback on the early Cleveland Browns teams of the 1940s and 1950s, died at 99. He played for Cleveland from 1948-1955, earning two Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro selection. He rushed for 2,210 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 professional seasons and caught 171 passes for 2,874 yards and 20 touchdowns during his career. Dub’s son Bert played QB with the Baltimore Colts for 10 years. Dub was one of 4 NFL players to score 6 touchdowns in a single game, defeating the Chicago Bears 42-21. The other 3 to score 6 TDs: Ernie Nevers, Gale Sayers and Alvin Kamara. He was inducted into the Browns Legends program in 2004. He played football in college at LSU and Tulane.

11/3/2024 Record producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones died in Bel Air at 91. Best-known for working with Frank Sinatra on “Fly Me to The Moon” (1964). He produced Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party.” (1963) He also worked as an arranger for stars, like Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee and Nana Mouskouri. He wrote for Ray Charles and Michael Jackson; “Off the Wall” (1979), “Thriller” (1982), which sold 65 million copies, and “Bad” (1987). He produced “We Are the World,” which won Record of the Year in 1985 and helped raise money to fight famine in Africa. Film credits include He won 28 Grammy Awards in a career spanning 7 decades. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for “Roots” (1977) and a Tony Award “The Color Purple.” (1985) TV: His production company produced “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” (1990-1996) He is said to have gone to his grave proud that he never worked with Elvis. Trivia: Among his ancestors was Elizabeth Washington Lewis, a sister of president George Washington. His grandmother raised him on a diet of cooked rats. (Born Quincy Delight Jones Jr. 3/14/1933 on the South side of Chicago)

11/3/2024 Former New York Knicks radio broadcaster Brendan Brown died due to ‘health complications’ at 54. The son of Hall of Fame coach Hubie Brown is best-remembered for his reporting at MSG Networks. In 2012, he took over the full-time radio analyst role for the Knicks from John Andariese, a role he would serve in until 2023 when he was fired following a harassment investigation.

11/3/2024 Stand-up comedian Kathleen McGee passed away after her cancer returned. She was 43. McGee started performing stand-up comedy in Edmonton in 2005 after a bad break-up. In 2016, she was a headliner in the touring show “Rape Is Real and Everywhere,” in which all the comedians were also survivors of sexual abuse. She was a Canada’s Top Comic finalist. She appeared on “Just for Laughs,” and appeared twice on CBC’s “The Debaters.” She released an album, “Deliciously Vulgar” in 2019. (Born 4/5/1981)

11/3/2024 Dexys Midnight Runners keyboard player Andy Leek died at age 66 from young-onset Parkinson’s disease. After a brief stint in local band The Wailing Cocks, he joined Dexys Midnight Runners at age 21 together with fellow band-member, drummer Andy Growcott, in December 1979. He wrote Dexy’s #1 single “Geno.” and wrote hit songs for Tom Jones and “Twist in the Dark” (1984) for ABBA’s Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

11/3/2024 George Miller “Huckleberry” Fox, the former child actor best known for playing the youngest son of Debra Winger and Jeff Daniels in “Terms of Endearment,” (1983) died Washington, DC. He was 50. He would go on to appear in such movies as “Misunderstood,” “American Dreamer,” “Konrad and The Blue Yonder” before eventually leaving Hollywood. He studied at New York University before continuing his education at Cornell University, where he earned a Master’s Degree in animal science. He also earned a doctorate in plant science from the University of Florida. He went on to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

11/4/2024 Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, who co-founded The Home Depot and was a prominent Republican mega-donor died in Boca Raton, FL aged 95. Marcus, who had an estimated net worth of $7.4 billion, founded the chain in 1978 after being fired by a regional hardware store. His partners included Arthur Blank, Ron Brill, Ken Langone and Pat Farrah. It expanded to 2,300 stores worth $400 billion.

11/4/2024 Rising artist and British painter Sarah Cunningham was found dead on the tracks of the Chalk Farm Underground Station in the London borough of Camden. She was last seen alive early in the morning Nov 2. She was 31. Her death is not considered suspicious. She was known for her massive, roughly brushed abstract landscapes.

11/4/2024 Ukrainian metal drummer Mykola “Amorth” Sostin died in combat at 39 fighting for his country against the Russians. He made his name in the acclaimed black metal band Drudkh, appearing on three of their albums from 2004 to 2006. He was also known for his performance in the doom metal band Soom. He joined the Ukranian Army in August of 2024.

11/5/2024 Ben Baldanza, who turned a small, money-losing airline called Spirit Airlines into a profit-making powerhouse with ultralow prices, bare-bones service, outrageous marketing and a no-apologies approach to customer complaints died at his home. He was 62. He was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2022. He began his career as an intern with American Airlines while in college, then worked in their finance department, then at Continental, Northwest, US Airways and UPS. Quote: “Price tends to be the winner when it comes to the majority of the flying public.”

11/5/2024 “You’ve got mail!” voice artist Elwood Edwards died one day before his 75th birthday in New Bern, NC. He was paid $200 for recording 4 phrases for AOL. The graphic designer, cameraman, and TV station assistant.was asked to record the phrases “You’ve got mail.” “Welcome,” “Files done” and “Goodbye,” because his wife worked for the company handling the AOL account. He even made a cameo on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2015, where he delivered his classic internet greeting onstage. Credits include 1 episode each of “Arli$$” (2001) and “The Simpsons” (2000) In later years, he drove for Uber. (Born 11/6/1949 in Glen Burnie, MD)

11/6/2024 Veteran actor Tony Todd, famous for the Candyman film series and three different Star Trek roles, died of stomach cancer at his home in Marina del Rey, CA at 69. His career began with his role as the heroin-addicted Sgt. Warren in Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War film “Platoon.” (1986) He went on to play Kurn, the brother of Starfleet officer Worf, in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Star Trek: Voyager” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” Worldwide fame came with the titular character Daniel Robitaille, the vengefull son of an African-American slave spirit murdered in the 19th century in “Candyman.” The 6′ 5″ actor appeared on TV in “Boston Public” and notable guest appearances in shows like “Law & Order,” “The X-Files,” “24,” “Night Court,” “MacGyver,” “NYPD Blue” and “Homicide: Life on the Street.” Film credits include “Night of the Living Dead” (1990) and “The Rock” (1996) (Born 12/4/1954 in Washington, D.C.)

11/6/2024 YouTube star Andre Beadles died at age 25 after high speed car crash. He “lost control” of his car on the Nassau Expressway in Queens, New York and hit a metal pole. Beadles had 59,500 subscribers on YouTube and nearly 250,000 followers on Instagram, where he posted videos about street racing and his vehicles. In a video uploaded in June, Beadles shared that he had crashed his BMW “going 170 mph.”

11/7/2024 Irish broadcaster, award-winning author and musician Kathleen Watkins died at 90. She became part of the original power couple when she married broadcaster Gay Byrne in 1964. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris praised Watkins’ “warm and witty personality and presence, as well as her considerable artistic talent.” Her career began as a harpist and folk singer. Watkins penned the popular series of children’s books Pigín starting in 2016 at age 82. (Born 10/17/1934)

11/7/2024 Rising actor Nitin Chauhaan died by suicide at 35 years of age. Best known for his role in “Dadagirl 2,” he had apparently been struggling to find work in recent years. TV work included “Zindagi Dot Com,” “Crime Patrol,” and “Friends: Conditions Apply” His final role was in the TV series “Tera Yaar Hoon Main” in 2022. His wife and daughter came back from a walk and found him hanging from a ceiling fan.

If you need help, please reach out to talk with someone: call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They also have services in Spanish and for the deaf.

11/8/2024 “The Archers” radio star June Spencer died ‘peacefully’ at age 105. She played Ambridge matriarch Peggy Woolley (formerly Archer) in BBC Radio 4’s long-running drama from 1950-2022 when she retired, Spencer was one of the program’s original cast members, (Born 6/14/1919 in Nottingham)

11/8/2024 Celebrity hairdresser Trevor Sorbie, creator of the Dorothy Hamill ‘Wedge Cut,’ died of terminal bowel cancer at age 75. He styled stars including Dame Helen Mirren, Kylie Minogue, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Bryan Ferry and Lorraine Kelly. He coiffed Queen Elizabeth II in her later years. His father was a barber. (Born 3/13/1949 in Paisley, Scotland)

11/8/2024 The New Jersey housewife who became a top fashion model, Mary O’Brien, died at home in Englewood Cliffs, NJ at 96. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the Barbizon School of Modeling in New York City, working with designers Like Adolfo, Bill Blass and Yves Saint Laurent. O’Brien was discovered while modeling at Bergdorf Goodman During her career, O’Brien often appeared in showrooms and TV shows like “Today” or “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” She was paid $40/hr in 1964. She assisted with fittings for former first daughter Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and the late first lady Rosalynn Carter.

11/8/2024 It was reported that British supermodel Georgina Cooper died in recent weeks from long COVID on the Greek island of Kos aged 46. Friend and fellow model Jade Parfitt, told MailOnline: “Her friends and family are absolutely devastated, Georgina was a ray of light, a very popular model who was riotous fun, always laughing and being naughty in all the best ways.” At 15, the gap-toothed model appeared in the Bon Jovi music video “Always.” Eventually, she found herself a part of the group of “edgy” London models that included Kate Moss, Jade Parfitt and Erin O’Connor. Cooper appeared on the covers of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and modeled for designers including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, and Stella McCartney. She married her husband Nigel in June 2024 and the two had plans to open a bar together on Kos.

11/8/2024 Kathy Moreland, who wrestled as ‘Darling Dagmar’ was reported dead at 81. No date or cause has been released. The 4-foot, 2-inch 85-pounder performed as a “midget wrestler,” a term that has become disrespectful. She was referred to as “The Marilyn Monroe of the midget wrestlers.” Moreland first wrestled for Vince McMahon Sr. on April 11, 1966, on a card in Washington, D.C. teaming with Donna Christianello. Her final match is listed as December 26, 1983, teaming with Penny Mitchell against Donna Christianello & Diamond Lil at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis. (Born Kathy Carlton on 12/3/1943, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

11/9/2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison died in Mooresville, FL at 86. Bobby, who ranks 4th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, won three Daytona 500s, the 1983 Cup championship and 85 NASCAR Cup Series races, including a 1971 race at Bowman-Gray Stadium. He might be best-known for his infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500, which became one of the sport’s defining moments. Both drivers were fined $6,000 each for fighting. Allison was also involved in one of the worst wrecks in NASCAR history. In 1987, while racing in 21st lap of the Winston 500 at Talladega, Allison’s engine blew with pieces of the engine cutting his right rear tire and sent his car airborne. He hit the fence with a tremendous force, tearing out a section and nearly going into the grandstands. It would become one of the most influential races in terms of auto racing safety. The following year, NASCAR implemented the mandatory restrictor plate, which restricted air intake to the engine and made cars considerably slower. Bobby was the founder of racing’s ‘Alabama Gang.’ (Born 12/3/1937 in Miami, FL)

11/9/2024 Alligator Boogaloo alto sax man Lou Donaldson died at 98 in a Daytona Beach, FL hospital. He was one of America’s last remaining links to the bebop era of the 1950’s. His best-known songs included “Blues Walk” (1958) and “Alligator Boogaloo” (1967). “Sweet Poppa Lou” worked with all the greats, including pianist Thelonious Monk, vibes player Milt Jackson, drummer Art Blakey and organist Jimmy Smith. (Born 11/1/1926)

11/9/2024 Ella Jenkins, ‘the first lady of children’s music,’ died at her home in Chicago at 100 years old. Signature songs include “You’ll Sing A Song and I’ll Sing A Song,” “Wade in the Water,” and “Did You Feed My Cow.” Her 1995 album Multicultural Children’s Songs has long been the most popular Smithsonian Folkways release. (Born Ella Louise Jenkins 8/6/1924 in St. Louis, MO)

11/9/2024 Veteran news executive Reg Murphy, who survived an abduction decades ago, died at 90. The editor and top news executive in Atlanta, San Francisco and Baltimore became the subject of headlines when, while in Atlanta, in 1974, he was kidnapped and held for $700,000 ransom. He was released when the ransom was paid. The kidnapper had claimed to be part of a militia group wanting to stop “the lying of leftist newspapers.” His abductor was arrested a few hours later and the money returned. The abductor was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison, but eventually served nine.

11/9/2024 American dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison died in a New York hospital at age 81. She began dancing at age 6. The former artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (1965-1980) was best known for “Cry,” which premiered in 1971. The dance is a 17-minute solo choreographed by Alvin Ailey, dedicated to “all Black women everywhere – especially our mothers.” Jamison received a Kennedy Center Honor, an American Choreography Award, National Medal of Arts, a “Bessie” Award and numerous other honors. Her autobiography, “Dancing Spirit” was published in 1993. (Born 5/10/1943 in Philadelphia, PA)

11/10/2022 Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy died in a New York hospital after a short illness. He was 66 and had participated in more than a dozen Batman projects in 30 years beginning with “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,’ alongside Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker. He was also the voice of Batman for many DC fans in “Batman: The Animated Series,” (1992-1995). He made appearances on several popular sitcoms; including “Matlock,” “Murphy Brown” and “Cheers.” He’s the voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne in the 2024 video game “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.” (Born 11/30/1955 in Westbury, NY)

11/10/2024 Hollywood talent agent John Kimble died in Dallas at 79. Known for his work at Writers & Artists, Kimble/Parseghian, DHKPR, Triad Artists and the William Morris Agency. He repped Henry Winkler when he was cast as The Fonz on “Happy Days” (1974), Jane Curtin when she was hired by “Saturday Night Live” (1975), Joan Collins when she joined “Dynasty” (1981), George Clooney when he joined “ER” (1994) and Matthew Perry when he was signed up for “Friends.” (1994) He also represented William Hurt, Julie Andrews, Brooke Shields, Kevin Bacon, Victoria Principal, Emilio Estevez, Ann-Margaret, Martin Short, Delta Burke, Sara Gilbert and others. (Born 8/1/1945 in Kingsville, TX)

11/10/2024 Fitness influencer and bodybuilder Jaxon Tippet died suddenly of a heart attack at age 30 just days after posting about dying young. “Growing old is better than the alternative: dying young.” “Life is too short – enjoy it.” he added. Tippet had previously been addicted to steroids and was arrested in 2017 with pills and vials of testosterone.

11/10/2024 Author, screenwriter and actor Tim Sullivan, passed away from congestive heart failre in hospice at the age of 76. The former book reviewer wrote, directed, and starred in micro-budget horror films. Sullivan wrote seven novels in his career. His film work includes writing and directing “Vampyre Femmes,” and appearing in low-budget B-movies like “Twilight of the Dogs” (1995), “The Laughing Dead,” “Hollywood Mortuary,” (1998) and “Deadly Scavengers.” To support his writing and acting career, Sullivan worked in construction, in a bookstore, in a library, in a liquor store and at nine other retail sites, as a night guard and as a taxicab driver, (Timothy Robert Sullivan was born 6/9/1948 in Bangor, ME)

Two renowned college football coaches died the same day in 2024…

11/11/2024 John Robinson, the legendary football coach at the University of Southern California (1976-1982) and the Los Angeles Rams (1983-1991), died from complications of pneumonia in Baton Rouge, LA at 89. Robinson guided the Trojans to the 1978 national championship and into 8 bowl games. He won 74.1% of his games while compiling a 104-35-4 record during 2 coaching stints spread over 12 years. He was 4-0 in the Rose Bowl and earned 5 Pac-10 titles. The two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2004, the College Football Hall of Fame and the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018. His record with the Rams was 75-68. Trivia: He attended prep school with John Madden and became close friends. (Born 7/25/1935 in Chicago)

11/11/2024 Gerry Faust, who coached Notre Dame football for 5 seasons died at age 89. He was hired at age 45 after a highly successful run (174-17-2) at Cincinnati’s Moeller High School. Faust went 30-26-1 (.535) during his Irish tenure. His first and final teams went 5-6. Faust and Bob Davie (1999, 2001) are the only Notre Dame football coaches to preside over multiple losing seasons. He had hoped to play for Notre Dame, but was only offered a partial scholarship and didn’t want to burden his parent with the cost of tuition. He played quarterback at the University of Dayton from 1955 to 1957.

Both coaches were 89 when they died. And in case you were wondering, Robinson and Faust DID coach against each other – twice – as part of the Notre Dame-USC football rivalry. They met in 1981 and 1982 before Robinson went to the Los Angeles Rams in 1983. USC won 14-7 in South Bend in 1981 and then won 17-13 in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1982.

11/11/2024 Yoga guru Sharath Jois died from a heart attack while hiking at 53. The famed instructor taught A-list celebrities like Madonna, Sting, Willem Dafoe and Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow was known for giving up alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes after studying yoga with Jois. Jois was the grandson of iconic yoga guru K Pattabhi Jois, who made the Ashtanga yoga style popular. He wrote the book “Ageless: A Yogi’s Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life.”

11/11/2024 German/British painter Frank Auerbach, who fled the Nazis and became a major artist, died at his home in London at 93. He was born in Germany to Jewish parents, but became a naturalized British subject in 1947. He attended a boarding school in England with other war orphans, and studied art at the Royal College of Art in London. His work did not become popular until later in life. “Mornington Crescent” – one of many paintings inspired by the urban streets near his home, sold in 2023 at Sotheby’s for $7.1 million, a record for Auerbach. (Born 4/29/1931 in Berlin)

11/11/2024 Emmy-winning production designer Richard D. James, known for “Star Trek Next Generation” (1988-1989) and “Star Trek Voyager” died of an infection in Dallas at 88. He was art director on “Battlestar Galactica (1978), “Local Hero” (1983), starring Burt Lancaster and Mike Nichols’ “Silkwood” (1983), starring Meryl Streep, Cher and Kurt Russell. Later he worked on ” Voyager” (1995-2001). He began his career painting scenery at Disney Studios, then moved to NBC where he worked on “Let’s Make a Deal,” “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and “The Dean Martin Show.” He was nominated for an Emmy five times, winning once in 1990. (Born 4/7/1936 in Fort Worth, Texas)

11/11/2024 Comedy writer and producer John Peaslee died of natural causes at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA at 73. His credits include hit shows “Coach” (85 episodes 1989-1993) and “According to Jim,” (76 episodes 2005-2009) He contributed his writing and producing talents to iconic television comedies, including “Mad About You,” “Just Shoot Me,” and ” Something So Right.” Early in life, he was a page at NBC in NYC. (Born 6/21/1953)

11/12/2024 British actor Timothy West died in his sleep at age 90. He suffered vascular dementia for 20+ years. He acted on stage and screen including TV sitcoms “Not Going Out” and “Bedtime,” dramas such as “Bleak House” and “Gentleman Jack,” (2019-2022 16 episodes) and the soaps “Coronation Street” (7 episodes) and Stan in “EastEnders.” (2014-2015) He was married to his wife of 61 years, “Fawlty Towers” star Prunella Scales. Both of his parents were actors. He went to grammar school with Dave Prowse, who went on to star as Darth Vader in “Star Wars.” He played a French intelligence officer in “The Day of the Jackal,” (1973) He also starred as “King Lear” in William Shakespeare’s play of the same name at The Old Vic theatre in London in 2003. His final acting credit is an episode of “Doctors,” a British soap opera, which aired one day after he died. (Born 10/20/1934)

11/12/2024 Legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes died after a brief illness in New York at 99. A working musician since 1942, the prolific drummer performed with Charlie Parker, (1949-1952) Pat Metheny, Sarah Vaughan (1953-1958), Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz and more. Haynes collaborated with Chick Corea in the 1970’s and 1980’s. His nickname was “Snap Crackle” for his style of playing. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1999. Haynes released his final album Roy-Alty in 2011. (Born 3/13/1925 in Boston, MA)

11/12/2024 Six-time world track cycling champion Michael Hubner died suddenly in a hospital in Chemnitz. Germany at age 65. He won two world titles. (Born 4/8/1959 in Chemnitz, Germany)

11/12/2024 Irish singer-songwriter Johnny Duhan drowned in a swimming pool near his home in Barna, Galway, Ireland. He was 74. His career began as lead singer of Granny’s Intentions, a rock band formed with school friends. His signature song was “The Voyage,” which he talks about in his autobiography “The Voyage.” The love song became a wedding staple across Ireland.

11/13/2024 Shel Talmy, legendary producer of the Who and the Kinks, died at his home in Los Angeles aged 87. He had been recovering from a stroke. He was considered an architect of the classic ‘Brit Beat’ sound. The American ex-pat living in London in the 1960s was known for his work with Manfred Mann, The Who “I Can’t Explain,” “My Generation” and “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”, The Kinks “You Really Got Me,” comedian Rich Little and David Bowie when he was a teenager, (Born 8/11/1937 in Chicago)

11/13/2024 Dan Hennessey, voice actor who voiced Braveheart Lion on “The Care Bears” and Father Bear on “Little Bear,” died at 82 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was Chief Quimby on “Inspector Gadget,” (1983) appeared in 25 episodes of “X-Men” “Police Academy: The Animated Series,” “C.O.P.S.”, “Beetlejuice” and “The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3” (Born 9/11/1942 in Hackensack, NJ)

11/14/2024 Guitarist and composer who played the James Bond theme, Vic Flick died at 87. During his 50-year career, he worked with Paul McCartney, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones “It’s Not Unusual” and “What’s New Pussycat?,” Petula Clark “Downtown”, Burt Bacharach “Trains And Boats and Planes.” Herman’s Hermits, Cliff Richard, Peter & Gordon’s “A World Without Love,” Eric Clapton and Dusty Springfield, but he’s best-known as the guitarist who played the James Bond theme starting with “Dr. No” (1962) and every Bond flick thereafter. In 2013 Flick received the lifetime achievement award from the National Guitar Museum. (Born 5/14/1937 in Surrey, England)

11/14/2024 Bee Gees’ drummer Dennis Bryon died age 76. Bryon joined the band in 1973 and was the first of two Bee Gees’ drummers to die this week. (Colin “Smiley” Petersen died at 78 on 11/18/2024.) He performed on “Stayin’ Alive” (1977), “Night Fever” (1977), “How Deep is Your Love” (1977). Bryon worked with a long list of artists, including Kenny Rogers, Jimi Hendrix, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Yvonne Elliman and Barbra Streisand, Trivia: Bryon and Ringo Starr are the only drummers to ever have five songs in the top ten Billboard chart simultaneously. (Born 4/14/1949 in Cardiff, Wales)

11/14/2024 Peter Sinfeld, a co-founding member of King Crimson died at age 80. He wrote the lyrics on the albums “In the Court of the Crimson King” (1969), ,”In the Wake of Poseidon” (1970), “Lizard” (1970) and “Islands.” (1971). He wrote lyrics for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Cliff Richard, Celine Dion, Peter Cetera and Cher. Sinfield went on to produce Roxy Music’s self-titled 1972 debut and their U.K. Top 5 hit single “Virginia Plain.” Into the ’90s, Sinfield worked with Leo Sayer.

11/15/2024 “One Tree Hill” actor Paul Teal died in Raleigh, NC of cancer. He was 35. Teal played Josh Avery in season seven (7 episodes in 2010) of the long-running drama series. He was also seen in “Deep Water” (2002)

11/15/2024 Irish comedian and actor Jon Kenny died at 66, 5 days after suffering cardiac arrest from which he never regained consciousness. He is best-known as one half of the Irish comedy duo D’Unbelievables with Pat Shortt (1992-2000) Credits include “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022) starring Colin Farrell, “Les Misérables” (1998) and “Father Ted,” in which he played different characters in 2 different episodes. (Born either 9/28/1957 or 12/12/1957)

11/16/2024 The oldest member of Japan’s Imperial House Princess Yuriko died of pneumonia at 101. Only 16 members are left in the family running out of heirs. Born in 1923 to an elite family, she joined the imperial family at age 18 when she married Prince Mikasa, the younger brother of former Emperor Hirohito. The 1947 Imperial House Law, which largely preserves conservative pre-war family values, allows only males to take the throne and forces female royal family members who marry commoners to lose their royal status.

11/16/2024 Vladimir Shklyarov, a famed Russian ballet dancer, died in a freak accident. He was 39. Shkylarov died following a fall from the fifth floor of a building. He had been battling a back injury and was “taking serious painkillers.” He had gone outside to smoke, lost his balance and fell down. He had appeared as a dancer for more than 20 years at Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburgh, Russia appearing in classic productions like “Swan Lake,” “The Nutcracker,” “Romeo & Juliet” and “Sleeping Beauty.”

11/16/2024 Former pro wrestler and screen actor Scott L. Schwartz died of congestive heart failure at his home in Covington, LA at age 65. He was best-known for his heavy Bruiser roles in the “Ocean’s” trilogy. He was a popular guest on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,”and appeared in “Spider-Man,” “Castle,” “Starsky & Hutch” and “Fun With Dick and Jane.” He debuted as a wrestler, Giant David in 1979, then as “The Israeli Commando.” When he wasn’t acting, wrestling or telling jokes he spent his time visiting children with cancer at children’s hospitals after losing a sister to lung cancer. He stood 6’10” and weighed 303 pounds. (Born 3/16/1959 in Philadelphia)

11/16/2024 Record Producer Jay David Saks passed away at 79 after struggling with Parkinson’s disease. Early in his career he worked as an audio engineer at CBS Masterworks, then at RCA and Sony BMG working hundreds of symphony and music hall productions. His Broadway cast recordings included “A Little Night Music,” “Porgy and Bess,” “The King and I,”Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “42nd Street,,” “Anything Goes,” Jerome Robbins’ “Broadway,” “Guys and Dolls,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,”Cabaret,” “Gypsy,”The Color Purple,” “South Pacific,” “Man of La Mancha” and many more. Saks won 13 Grammy Awards (1983-2014) and two Daytime Emmy Awards.

11/17/2024 Allan Svensson, a veteran Swedish actor famous for his dubbing roles in many Disney/Pixar films, died at 73 after a battle with prostate cancer. Probably best-known for his role as Gustav Svensson in the hit comedy series “Svensson, Svensson.” Some of his memorable roles include Swedish releases of Fidget in “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986), Einstein in Oliver & Company (1988), Rusty the Dog in “Home on the Range” (2004), and Eli ‘Big Daddy’ LaBouff in “The Princess and the Frog.” (2009) He also appeared as James P. “Sulley” Sullivan in “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) and “Monsters University” (2013) and, as Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in “The Incredibles” (2004) and “The Incredibles 2” (2018). (Born 2/16/1951 in Stockholm)

11/18/2024 “The Osbournes” TV exec Michael Carlton ‘Cal’ Boyington was found unresponsive at his home in San Pedro. He was 53. “The Osbournes” starred heavy metal singere Ozzy Osbourne, his wife Sharon and their two kids Jack and Kelly. He also worked as an executive producer on Discovery Channel’s “Bible Quest”, VH1’s “Cabo” and Comedy Central’s “Workaholics”.

11/18/2024 Famed singer and composer Charles Dumont died at 95 after a long illness. The trumpet player had a passion for jazz. But following a tonsil operation, he had to stop playing the trumpet, prompting him to shift his focus to the piano and composition. He collaborated with Edith Piaf on nearly 40 songs, including “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” ending with her untimely death in 1963. He also worked with Jacques Brel, Dalida and Barbra Streisand. (Born 3/16/1929 in southern France)

11/18/2024 3-time NBA All-Star Bob Love died after a long battle with cancer. Love, one of 14 children, was selected in the fourth round of the 1965 draft and ended up playing 11 seasons for Milwaukee, Chicago, New York snd Seattle. Love made his NBA debut on October 18, 1966. The 6’8″ Love averaged 21.3 points and 6.8 rebounds during his nine seasons in Chicago. A back injury ended Love’s pro career in 1977 while with the Seattle SuperSonics. He overcame stuttering and became an inspirational figure. His #10 jersey is retired and hangs from the rafters of the United Center. (Born Robert Earl Love 12/8/1942 in Bastrop, LA)

11/18/2024 Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen, the original drummer of the Bee Gees and contributed to the group’s success, died at 78. He played on the band’s first four albums, performing on hits like, “Massachusetts,” “I Started a Joke,” “To Love Somebody” and “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” He was the 2nd Bee Gees’ drummer to die in 4 days. Dennis Bryon, who started with the group in 1973, died 11/14/2024.

11/18/2024 Pioneering travel guidebook writer and entrepreneur Arthur Frommer died of complications from pneumonia at his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side at the age of 95. Frommer graduated with honors from Yale Law School and was an editor of the Yale Law Journal in 1953. He was drafted into the Army. His love of travel and languages inspired him to write and self-publish a successful guidebook “The GI’s Guide to Traveling In Europe,” which sold out it’s first print run. Next came a followup civilian version titled “Europe on $5 a Day.” Over the years Frommer’s branched into newsletters, podcasts and other online content. He wrote a travel column for more than 20 years and hosted a weekly radio show with his wife for 20+ years. 75 million Frommer’s guidebooks have been sold. (Born 7/17/1929 in Jefferson City, MO)

11/19/2024 English TV director and visual effects veteran Colin Chilvers died at his home in Fort Erie, Canada at 79. He won a Special Achievement Academy Award in 1979 for making Christopher Reeve as “Superman” (1978) fly. Other credits include “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), “X-Men” (2000) and “Moonwalker.” (1988).

11/20/2024 Mike Pinera, guitarist for Blues Image & Iron Butterfly died of liver failure at 76. The singer/songwriter/producer had a #4 hit in 1970 with a song he co-wrote for Blues Image: “Ride Captain Ride”. After the collapse of Blues Image, Pinera joined Iron Butterfly, appearing on Metamorphosis, the group’s final charting album. He was the lead guitarist for Alice Cooper from 1980 to 1982. He was also an actor appearing in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004), “The Stand” (2020) and “La Fortuna (2021.) (Born 9/29/1948 in Tampa, FL)

11/20/2024 Power-Pop artist Andy Paley died at age 72. The veteran songwriter, composer, musician, and producer formed The Paley Brothers with his brother Jonathan in 1976, eventually teaming up with the Ramones to record a cover of the 1959 Ritchie Valens hit “Come On Let’s Go” for the soundtrack to the 1979 comedy film “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.” Andy played electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards and harmonica. Paley worked with other stars, including Brian Wilson, JD Souther, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Madonna, Deborah Harry, Billy Squier and Elton John. Brian Wilson reportedly once described Paley as the “most frighteningly talented person” that he’d ever met. Andy also produced the soundtracks for the films “Dick Tracy” (1990) and “A Walk on the Moon ” (1999) He was the songwriter and producer of the song, “The Best Day Ever,” sung by Tom Kenny, also known as SpongeBob Squarepants. (Born 11/1/1951 in Washington, D.C.)

11/20/2024 Notorious German Holocaust denier Ursula Haverbeck passed at 96. She was a well-known figure on the extremist far-right fringes of German politics. At the time of her death, Haverbeck was appealing her most recent conviction (16 months) for incitement to hatred for her comments denying the genocidal crimes of Germany’s Nazi regime during World War II. She has repeatedly claimed at the Auschwitz concentration camp was not used for extermination and that no murders had taken place there. Historians estimate that more than 1,100,000 people were murdered these. She was first fined and convicted in 2004. Subsequent convictions resulted in her serving more than 2 years in prison between 2018 and 2020.

11/20/2024 Madame Eliane Heilbronn, matriarch of the family that owns Chanel, died at 99. Chanel was struggling to maintain its relevance in an increasingly competitive and commercialized world in the 1970s. It was Heilbronn’s vision deep understanding of fashion’s cultural zeitgeist that put the brand back on top. A lawyer by training, she drafted the lifetime contract of Karl Lagerfeld when he was hired as creative director of Chanel in 1982, a move that proved to be a huge success for the luxury Chanel brand. She married Jacques Wertheimer, the son of Bourjois and Chanel co-owner Pierre Wertheimer in 1947. They had 2 sons together. After divorcing Wertheimer in 1952 she married Didier Heilbronn, a lawyer, and produced a 3rd son. (Born Eliane Fischer on 4/14/1925)

11/21/2024 The hippie-era icon who inspired Arlo Guthrie’s epic, anti-establishment song “Alice’s Restaurant” (1967) died in a hospice after a long battle with illness. Alice Brock was 83. In the 1960’s she owned a restaurant, The Back Room, in the Berkshires. She was busy preparing a Thanksgiving feast in her home, which was a deconsecrated church. She created a large pile of garbage and Guthrie wanted to dispose of it for her, only to find that the local dump was closed for the holiday. So they decided to just throw the refuse off a cliff. The next day, police investigating the litter asked her if she was the offender. She replied, “No, but I know who did.” Guthrie was arrested and thrown in jail but she bailed him out with $50 worth of quarters and some foreign coins. She was a founding member of the Students for a Democratic Society. In her 1976 autobiography, “My Life as a Restaurant,” she shared how rising stars performing at the Berkshire Playhouse frequented her restaurant. “Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman liked hamburgers with onion, green peppers, and an egg on them,” she wrote, and Anne Bancroft “helped me clear the table.” (Born 2/28/2941 in Brooklyn)

11/21/2024 Downtown Radio broadcaster ‘Big T’ died at age 78 after a short illness. During his 47-year career, Trevor Campbell interviewed some of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. He was named ‘Favourite Radio Presenter’ for the fourth year running at the Northern Ireland Country Music Awards in early 2024.

11/21/2024 Matthew Byars, an assistant and talent manager who briefly appeared in Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” died by suicide at age 37. He was introduced in a Season 3 episode of “RHOP” as a member of Karen Huger’s management team.

11/22/2024 Juice Crew singer T.J. Swan – Rap’s “First Crooner” died at age 57. He released one of the first hip hop records ever with his single “And You Know That” (1979). As a singer, hip-hop songwriter and producer, his contributions helped shape the sound of 1980s Hip-Hop as one of the first crooners to appear on some of the biggest records of the day. MC Shan “Left Me Lonely” and ‘human beatbox’ Biz Markie “Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz” and “Nobody Beats the Biz” found massive success as collaborators. His final release during this period was the single “Rock It Out” (1982) with Maximus 3. (Born 12/10/1966)

11/22/2024 Veteran actor Mark Withers died from pancreatic cancer at 77. He had roles on shows like: “Magnum, P.I.” (1982) “Stranger Things,” and Ted Dinard on “Dynasty.” (1981 6 episodes) He made guest appearances on “Wonder Woman,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Hart to Hart,” (1982) “The King of Queens,” “Dallas,” “Remington Steele,” “L.A. Law,” “Days of Our Lives,” (1986-1987 8 episodes) “Matlock” and “Frasier.” He did commercials for McDonald’s, Crest toothpaste, Sears, Folgers, American Sirlines, Ore-Ida and Irish Spring, among others.

11/23/2024 Dominican baseball star Rico Carty, who played outfield for 7 MLB teams, died at age 85. At 6’3″ he called himself ‘Beeg Boy.’ He suffered alot of injuries and tuberculosis during his career mostly with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. Carty finished his career with a .299 batting average, 204 home runs, 890 RBIs and a 32.7 WAR. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame 2023, He had 15 brothers and sisters. (Born 9/1/1939 in the Dominican Republic)

11/23/2024 Former agent and USC dean Larry Auerbach died at 95. He worked for the William Morris Agency for 47 years then helped students at USC break into the industry. The “man with the Golden Rolodex” booked Elvis Presley to his first TV appearance, then Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Sammy Davis Jr., Alan Alda, Beatrice Arthur, Marlo Thomas, Harry Belafonte and TV producer Aaron Spelling. He retired in 2018 after 72 consecutive years of work in the industry.

11/23/2024 “The Slumber Party Massacre” star Michael Villella died in Los Angeles of multiple organ failure at age 84. The cult classic was released in 1982. Villella played the power drill-wielding killer, Russ Thorne, of girls at a slumber party. Other credits include “Love Letters” (1983), “Amazing Stories” (1985), “Gotham” (1988) and “Wild Orchid.” (1989) (Born 4/8/1940)

11/24/2024 Tony Award and Emmy winning actress Helen Gallagher died in NYC at 98. The talented actor, singer, and dancer enjoyed a stage career than spanned seven decades. Her career began on Broadway as a ballerina. She got her break in 1947 when Jerome Robbins cast her in “High Button Shoes.” She won her first Tony (and a Donaldson Award) in 1952 for her performance as the no-nonsense chorus girl Gladys Bumps in the 1952 revival of “Pal Joey.” Her second Tony came from her performance in “No, No, Nanette.” (1971) She was also known for her longtime role as Maeve Ryan on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope,” (1975-1989) for which she won three Daytime Emmy Awards: 1976, 1977 and 1988. Following the end of “Ryan’s Hope,” she went on to appear on other soaps like “Another World,” “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” Her final stage performance came in 2000. She appeared on Broadway 21 times. (Born 7/19/1926 in Brooklyn)

11/24/2024 Novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE died at home age 91. She often wrote about young women from humble backgrounds, including her debut novel, “A Woman of Substance” (1979), which sold over 30 million copies worldwide. It was the first of a 7-book saga focused on business. “In my opinion, moderation is a vastly overrated virtue, particularly when applied to work.” She wrote 40 novels, all bestsellers in England and the United States. In all, she sold 91 million copies. She published her final novel in 2023. She was the first women’s editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post. (Born 5/10/1933 in Upper Armley in West Leeds)

11/24/2024 “A Christmas Carol” actor Julien Arnold died at age 60 during a performance at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta. He had two roles in the play; Fezziwig and Jacob Marley.

11/24/2024 A pilot renowned for rescuing animals died on impact in a plane crash while transporting three rescue dogs. Seuk Kim was 49. He had been piloting a small aircraft, a Mooney M20J, with the animals on board from Maryland to Albany. Two of the three rescue dogs survived the crash about 35 miles from Albany

11/25/2024 Actor Earl Holliman died at a hospice in Studio City, CA at 96. Holliman starred in the first episode, “Where Is Everybody?,” of “The Twilight Zone” (1959) for which he received a complimentary letter from Rod Serling, “Holliman, you’re one hell of an actor.” He won a Golden Globe for his supporting role in “The Rainmaker” (1956) with Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn and appeared in numerous Westerns and dozens of films including “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” (1957) starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, “Don’t Go Near the Water,” “Last Train from Gun Hill,” “Sharky’s Machine.” (1981) On TV, he had a recurring role as Angie Dickinson’s boss Lt. Bill Crowley on the NBC cop drama “Police Woman” (90 episodes) and appeared in 3 episodes of “Caroline in the City,” “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “The Fugitive,” “Dr. Kildare” and “Murder, She Wrote.” He made his professional debut with one line of dialogue as an elevator operator in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy “Scared Stiff” (1953). He was president of Actors and Others for Animals for 34 years. He was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977. Trivia: Holliman won the role of Jim Curry in “The Rainmaker” over Elvis Presley, who auditioned for the part. (Born 9/11/1928 in Delhi, LA)

11/25/2024 John Tinniswood, the world’s oldest living man died at age 112. He was born in Liverpool on August 26, 1912 and became the world’s oldest living man in April 2024. Upon reaching age 112, he told Guinness World Records that he felt no different turning 112. “I don’t feel that age, I don’t get excited over it. That’s probably why I’ve reached it. I just take it in my stride like anything else, why I’ve lived that long I have no idea at all.” Tinniswood was born the year the Titanic sank. Beyond eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday, Tinniswood said he did not follow any particular diet. He was an accountant and retired in 1972. The oldest man ever was Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years 54 days and died in 2013. The oldest woman ever also died at age 116.

11/26/2024 American film director and writer Jim Abrahams died in Santa Monica, CA at age 80. He is best known for his work with Jerry and David Zucker on films like “Airplane!” (1980), “Top Secret!.” “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (1988) “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991), “Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult” (1994) “Kentucky Fried Movie” (1977) was an early hit. He acted in some of his projects, including a religious zealot in “Airplane,” and a German soldier in the prop room in “Top Secret!” Did you know that Abrahams was a former private investigator? (Born 5/10/1944 in Shorewood, WI)

11/26/2024 Legendary off-road motorcycle rider, Malcolm Smith, passed away at home in Riverside, CA due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 83. He began his career in 1956 The “On Any Sunday” (1971) star racked up an iconic list of career accomplishments including eight ISDT gold medals, five Baja 1000 wins (2 on motorcycles and 3 in cars), four Baja 500 wins, two Mint 400 wins, and more. Smith was inducted into the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996 and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. In the final chapter of his acclaimed 2015 autobiography, he wrote “It all started for me on March 9, 1941, in a small rural hospital in the village of Ganges, on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada…Where it will end, no one knows. But you can be sure I’m going to enjoy every minute I have left, with a smile on my face, and my family nearby. Can’t ask for more than that.”

11/26/2024 Singer and younger sister of Mama Cass Elliott, Leah Kunkel, died in a Northampton, MA hospice at age 76. She was an in-demand session vocalist who recorded with such artists as Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Carly Simon, Stephen Bishop and others. After her recording career, she went on to earn a law degree and practiced for more than 25 years, focusing on entertainment law. (Born Leah Rachel Cohe 6/15/1948 in Washington DC)

11/27/2024 “Motorcycle Mary” McGee died in Gardnerville, NV at 87. The motor racing legend profiled in the Oscar-contending ESPN documentary “Motorcyle Mary.” (2024) In the 1950s, she became the first American woman to race motorcycles. Her husband, Don McGee, a mechanic, introduced her to racing cars which eventually led to racing motorcycles. She raced Porsches and Ferraris and became the first person, man or woman, to “iron woman” the Baja 500. McGee was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2018. McGee’s death occurred just one day before the release of the documentary “Motorcycle Mary,” on ESPN’s YouTube channel. (Born 12/12/1936 in Juneau, AK.)

11/27/2024 Actress Morgan Lofting died unexpectedly at her home in Burbank, CA at age 84. She was best-known for her role as Cobra’s chief intelligence officer the Baroness in 38 episodes of the original “G.I. Joe” animated series. Other notable credits include the both Aunt May and Black Cat in the “Spider-Man” (1981-1982) animated series, In “Transformers” she voiced both Moonracer and Firestar. In the sci-fi action film “Total Recall” (1990). (Born 2/2/1940 in Cincinnati, OH)

11/27/2024 Former Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull died at 80. Howard Kirschner became Benny the Bull in 1975 after the previous Benny (Harvey Johnson) made obscene gestures towards officials during the Western Conference Finals in Milwaukee and was fired. Kirchner made $15 per game from 1975 to 1984. His final year was Michael Jordan’s rookie season. His day job? He owned Sam and Hy’s Delicatessen in Skokie, IL. His funeral started by playing “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project. The song is referred to as “The Bulls song.”

11/29/2024 The multi-talented Marshall Brickman, who won an Oscar for writing “Annie Hall” (and other scripts) alongside Woody Allen, died in Manhattan at 85. He began his career writing for “The Tonight Show”and “Candid Camera.” He developed the famous Johnny Carson character, ‘Carnac the Magnificent.’ He was a creative producer of “The Dick Cavette Show.” (1971-1972) He co-wrote the book for Broadway musicals “Jersey Boys” and “The Addams Family,” which ran for over 700 performances on Broadway. Brickman was also a founder of the New Journeyman with John and Michelle Phillips, which became the Mamas & the Papas after Brickman left. He and classmate Eric Weissberg recorded a banjo album that was eventually re-licensed for the soundtrack of the 1972 film, “Deliverance.” (Born 8/25/1939 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

11/29/2024 Actor Wayne Northrop died in Los Angeles at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for six years. Best-known for his toles on the soaps, “Days of Our Lives” (1981-1984 1991-1994 1000+ episodes), as limo driver Michael Culhane on “Dynasty.” (1981) and “Port Charles” (1997-1998 121 episodes) He was 77. He and his wife operated a cattle ranch in Raymond, CA and spent 35 years operating it. (Born 4/12/1947)

11/29/2024 Peter Westbrook, a groundbreaking fencer who became the first African-American and Asian-American to win a medal in fencing at the 1984 Summer Olympics, died in New York City at 72. He had apparently been suffering from liver cancer. He was a “Zorro” fan growing up. Westbrook published an autobiography, “Harnessing Anger: The Inner Discipline of Athletic Excellence” in 1997. (Born 4/16/1952 in St. Louis, MO)

Celebrities We Lost in December 2024

Hollywood celebrities we lost in 2024 included big screen composers…a casting director…a soap opera star…and another…(are there any left?)…an American poet and Emmy winner…the last surviving member of “The Mod Squad”…a child star from Old Hollywood…We also said goodbye to a Britesh hip-hop icon…and a Fox News contributor who taught us five body pains you should never ignore…a LOTTO winner who died just weeks after his record-breaking win…a princess….baseball’s ‘Beltin’ Melton… a Black Opry singer…The Amazing Kreskin…a legendary NFL referee…a singer ‘one toke over the line’…a belovrd hippopotamus…the all-time stolen base leader…Burt the crocodile from the movie “Crocodile Dundee”…sportscaster Greg Gumble…and finally..the oldest living president of the United States.

12/1/2024 Art Cashin, UBS’ director of floor operations, who was known as the ‘Dean of the New York Stock Exchange’ died st 83. In the mid-1960s he became one of the youngest traders to obtain a seat on the stock exchange. Over the years, he shared his market commentary on CNBC. Cashin was a believer in a strategy known on Wall Street as “sell Rosh Hashanah, buy Yom Kippur.” Cashin explained in 2012 he learned about an approach to trading from older Jewish salesmen with whom he had worked early in his career. “The way I learned it, you sell on Rosh Hashanah and buy back on Yom Kippur. (Born 3/7/1941 in Jersey City, NJ)

12/1/2024 British hip-hop icon Samantha Lawrence died of cancer at age 55. She was known for being part of duo Wee Papa Girl Rappers with her older sister Sandra. The duo was among the first female rap acts to achieve mainstream success in the United Kingdom. Their hit song ‘Wee Rule‘ reached number six in the UK singles chart in 1988 and was a smash hit across Europe. The song pairs schoolgirl rhymes with dancehall rhythms.

12/1/2024 Fox News contributor and podriatric surgeon Kelly Ann Powers died after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. The podriatric surgeon was 45. She often addressed health concerns facing Americans
In this video, she discusses the five body pains you should never ignore on Fox & Friends. https://youtu.be/l1W9PnANLTU (Born 5/13/1979 in Yonkers, NY)

12/2/2024 Fashion journalist Walter Greene died in New York at age 74. Greene inspired and supported generations of black designers and models. He moved from Guyana to the U.S. in the early 1970s to pursue a career in fashion. He wrote for the weekly Carib News and later freelencing for Essence, Modern Luxury and Sister 2 Sister. Walter was the designer of the Shirt Jack for the late President of Guyana, Forbes Burnham. Mr. Black New York. (1978-1979)

12/2/2024 Marvin Laird, who composed music for Broadway and the big screen and served as Bernadette Peters’ musical director for many years, passed away from natural causes. He was 85. Marvin conducted for such hit Broadway revivals as “Annie Get Your Gun,” (1999-2001) “Gypsy” (2003-2004) and “Follies,” (2011-2012) all starring Peters. Laird wrote the dance music for “Hello, Dolly!” starring Barbra Streisand, “New York, New York,” starring Liza Minnelli and Robert DeNiro and Robert Altman’s “The Company.” He scored popular TV shows including, “Dynasty” and “The Love Boat.” He conducted concerts for Diana Ross, Dusty Springfield, Joel Grey and Mama Cass Elliot.

12/3/2024 Mexican boxer Israel Vazquez, a 3-time world champion, died of cancer in Huntington Park, CA. He was 46. He competed from 1995 to 2010 and finished with a record of 44-5, with 32 knockouts. (Born 1977 in Mexico City)

12/4/2024 A Brazilian LOTTO winner who won a £26 million prize died just weeks after his record-breaking win. Antonio Lopes Siqueira collapsed in the waiting room before a routine dental appointment. He was 73. He won the Mega-Sena drawing on November 9.

12/4/1014 Princess Birgitta of Sweden died in Majorca, Spain. She was 87. She was the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and an elder sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf. (Born in Haga Palace in Stockholm)

12/4/2024 Comedian Kabir “Kabeezy” Singh died of apparent natural causes aged 39 in San Francisco. He was a semi-finalist on Season 16 of “America’s Got Talent” and was a writer for “Family Guy.” He had been touring the country performing in comedy shows, but may have had some health concerns.

12/5/2024 Actor and soap opera star Thom Christopher died in NYC at 84. Christopher began his career in 1974, portraying Noel Douglas on “The Edge of Night.” Best-known for his long runs as the villain Carlo Hesser on ABC’s “One Life to Live” (1990-2008 50 episodes) and Dante Partou on “Loving,” as well as for playing Hawk on “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” He won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 1992 for “One Life to Live.” Other credits include “Murder, She Wrote,” “Simon & Simon,” “T.J. Hooker” and “Law & Order.” (2004) His last credit was for “ADDicted” in 2017, his first role since 2008. (Born 10/5/1940 in Queens, New York)

12/5/2024 Casting director Carol Goldwasser died unexpectedly at her home in Palm Springs, after undergoing minor surgery. She was 67. Early in her career she moved from New York to Los Angeles and soon became a casting associate for “Melrose Place” (Fox) and for the 1993 pilot of “My So-Called Life.” (ABC) She was the casting director for “Hannah Montana,” “Cousins for Life.” She went on to become manager of casting at Disney/Touchstone for pilots, series and movies of the week. She chaired the diversity committee for the Casting Society of America. She retired in 2019.

12/5/2024 “Play School” presenter and “Carry On” actress Julie Stevens died from Parkinson’s disease aged 87. Her career began when she won a talent contest that led to a contract with ABC Television Ltd. “Bid for Fame” She was cast in “The Avengers” as nightclub singer Venus Smith, who would help Patrick Macnee’s character John Steed on his missions. (Born Julia Mary Bullas12/20/1936 in Prestwich, Lancashire)

12/6/2024 Steve Mensch, President and General Manager for Tyler Perry Studios, was killed in a plane crash 75 miles north of Tampa. He was 62. Mensch was the pilot of a single-seat plane that crashed on a road in Homosassa, FL. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Mensch joined Tyler Perry Studios in 2016, shortly after the company had bought the former Fort McPherson Army Base in Atlanta. He oversaw TPS’ transition into a 330-acre film and TV production facility.

12/6/2023 Former Angels first baseman, Bill Melton died in Phoenix at the age of 79. The slugger hit 160 home runs during his 10-year Major League career, with a career-high 33 home runs in 1971, ‘Beltin Bill’ debuted in the majors with the White Sox in 1968 and also played for the Angels and Indians. He was also known as ‘Beltin’ Melton.’ His career BA was .253.

12/6/2024 Ireland’s first rock star Dickie Rock died at St. Vincents University Hospital in Dublin at age 88. He came to prominence as a member of The Miami Showband in the 1960s before becoming a solo artist in 1973. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, finishing 4th. Some #1 songs from his career: “There’s Always Me,” (1963) “I’m Yours,” “Every Step of the Way,” “Come Back to Stay,” (1966) “Simon Says” (1968) and “Back Home Again.” (1977) (Born 10/10/1936)

12/6/2024 Australian TV personality, model and publisher Maggie Tabberer died in Sydney, Australia at 87. While attending her sister’s wedding at age 14, she was spotted by a photographer and offered a modeling job.She was known for her long-time position as fashion editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly magazine. Tabberer began appearing on television in 1964, as one of the “beauties” on the panel talk show “Beauty and the Beast.” The show made her a household name. She won two Gold Lugie Awards for Most Popular Personality Australian Television (1970, 1971). (Born Margaret May Trigar 12/11/1936 in Adelaide)

12/8/2024 Star Trek and soap opera star Jill Jacobson died in Culver City, CA at 70 after a long-term illness. Best-known for her roles as Erin Jones on “Falcon Crest” (1985-1987 22 episodes), “The New Gidget” (1986-1987), Vanessa on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1989) and Arova on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” (1996) Other credits include “Newhart” (1989-1990 2 episodes), “Who’s the Boss?” and Nurse Nancy on “Days of Our Lives.” (1995). ‘Jilly’ was also a popular comedian, appearing in later years at The Improv and The Comedy Store. (Born 5/21/1954 in Beaumont, TX)

12/8/2024 Black Opry singer Larysa Jaye was killed in a car crash at age 40. She performed at the Nashville airport (BNA) for 7 years, she was the first Black woman to have a residency on Nashville’s Lower Broadway.

12/9/2024 American poet and author Nikki Giovanni died in Blacksburg, VA at age 81. She was an Emmy Award winner, civil rights activist, commentator, Grammy Award nominee, writer and educator. She was one of the world’s best-known African-American poets. Her most famous poem “Nikki-Rosa”, was first published in her book, “Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgement.” (1968) The civil rights movement and Black power movement inspired her early poetry, She cooked with authors Margaret Walker, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison (and insisted that she was a far better cook than Angelou). (Born Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr. 6/7/1943 in Knoxville, TN)

12/9/2024 British actor, screenwriter and novelist Arnold Yarrow died at 104. He was known for writing and starring in the “EastEnders” soap opera in 1988. His character, Benny Bloom, was a retired bricklayer. He returned to the show writing scripts for 10 episodes. (1992-1994) He also wrote two novels, ‘The Grease Paint Jungle” (1966) and “Death Is a Z” (1978). He was a “Doctor Who” legend portraying Exxilon leader Bellal. He was also the oldest surviving cast member of the cast. His other television credits included roles in “Crane,” Ghost Squad,” “Coronation Street,” “Dr. Finlay’s Casebook,” “The Onedin Line” and “London’s Burning,” as well as a part in the comedy film “Son of the Pink Panther.” (1993) (Born Arnold Stein 4/17/1920 in London)

12/9/2024 Martha Luttrell, the onetime ICM talent agent whose clients included Susan Sarandon, Sam Shepard, Waylon Jennings, Mike Nichols, Don Was and Martin Campbell, died of pancreatic cancer. She was 80. One of her first jobs was answering phones at Capitol Records. (Born 10/31/1944 in Vancouver)

12/10/2024 The last surviving star of “The Mod Squad,” Michael Cole died at 84. He played Pete Cochran, one of 3 ex-juvenile delinquents on the 1960s police drama. (1968-1973 123 episodes) His co-stars were Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III. He appeared as shady Harlan Barrett on “General Hospital” (1991 64 episodes) Other TV credits include “Police Story,” Wonder Woman,” “Get Christy Love,” “The Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island,” “CHiPs,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Acapulco Bay” and “ER.” While working in a bar in Las Vegas, he got some career advice from Bobby Darin that suggested that he move to Los Angeles. Wrote “I Played the White Guy” (2018) (Born 7/3/1940 in Madison, WI)

12/10/2024 Beloved mentalist ‘The Amazing Kreskin’ died in Caldwell, NJ at 89. His career was inspired by the comic strip “Mandrake the Magician,” a crime fighting stage magician, drawn by Lee Falk. He would tell his audiences that he did not have any supernatural powers – that he was not a psychic, mind-reader or hypnotist. He was a popular guest on “The Tonight Show,” appearing with Johnny Carson 88 times. Kreskin would say at the end of every show. “This is not goodbye, but to be continued.” (Born George Joseph Kresge Jr 1/12/1935 in Montclair, NJ)

12/10/2024 Longtime golf writer Jeff Babineau died of natural causes at his home in Oviedo, FL at 62. The former editor of Golfweek covered more than 100 major championships, including all 15 won by Tiger Woods and about 12 Ryder Cups. After departing Golfweek in 2017, he worked as a freelance writer for organizations such as Augusta National, the PGA Tour and the PGA of America. (Born 10/16/1962 in Massachusetts)

12/10/2024 Former Cleveland Guardians outfielder Rocky Colavito passed away at his home in Bernville, PA at 91 years old. He also played for the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, but he was a fan favorite in Cleveland, retiring in 1968. Colavito was one of the most popular power hitters and outfielders of his time. He played in Cleveland from 1955 to 1959, and then from 1965 to 1967. He was a 6-time AL All-Star (1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966) and AL Home Runs Leader (1959). He played in 9 All-Star games and became a member of the Indian’s All-Century Team in 2001. Inducted into the Cleveland Indian’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

12/11/2024 TV personality David Murphey died at his home in Las Vegas age 66. He was best-known for his appearances on the TLC TV series “90 Day Fiance.” Murphey dated and became engaged to a Ukrainian woman named Lana while on the show, although the couple never met. He had traveled to Ukraine several times in an attempt to meet her but it never happened. He hired a private investigator to learn more about her. They later broke up when she refused to give up her memberships on several dating websites. He reported that he had been suffering from liver, pancreas and kidney issues.

12/11/2024 Gay publisher Troy Masters died by suicide at age 63. He was considered smart, charming and committed to LGBTQ people and the LGBTQ press. In 1994, He launched Lesbian and Gay New York in 1994. It was a biweekly newspaper that later evolved into Gay City News. In 2017, he founded Los Angeles Blade, providing essential reporting and advocacy for the Southern California LGBTQ+ community.

If you need help, please reach out to talk with someone: call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They also have services in Spanish and for the deaf.

12/11/2024 David Bonderman, the co-founder of global alternative asset management firm, TPG and the co-founder and co-owner (with Jerry Bruckheimer) of the NHL’s latest expansion team, the Seattle Kraken, died at the age of 82. He went to Harvard Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1966. He specialized in civil rights and discrimination early in his career, then corporate law, bankruptcy, antitrust and securities law. He and two partners created TPG Investments, managing $240 billion in assets. He was a member of the boards of The Wilderness Society, World Wildlife Fund and the Grand Canyon Trust. The Kraken played their first season in 2021. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2017. Forbes estimated his net worth at $7.4 billion which made him the 400th richest man in the world. Not bad for a kid who started out working as a security guard at the Space Needle. (Born 11/27/1942 in Los Angeles)

12/12/2024 Legendary NFL referee Jim Tunney passed away at his home in Pebble Beach, CA at age 95. The ‘dean of referees’ worked over 400 NFL games from 1960 to 1990, including serving as a ref for three Super Bowls. He worked a couple of famous weather-impacted games including the 1967 Ice Bowl in Green Bay where the temperature was -15F, ‘The Catch’ where the 49;ers beat the Cowboys by 1 point after Dwight Clark made a leaping catch in the back of the endzone, and the wind chill was -48F and the Fog Bowl in Chicago in 1988 where players could not see the sidelines or first down markers. Tunney was friends with John Madden and became the first ref named to the All Madden team. Madden also wrote the forward for Tunney’s book “Impartial Judgement.” His ‘daytime job’ was being a driver’s ed teacher and basketball coach before becoming a high school principal.Trivia: Tunney worked as the referee for 14 episodes of ABC’s classic “Battle of the Network Stars.” (1976) Asked what he wanted his legacy to be, Tunney said, “Every game when I walked off the field in the locker room I said to myself, ‘Did I leave this game better than I found it?’ If [yes is the answer], then I’ve succeeded.”

12/12/2024 Actor David Weatherly died in Auckland after a long illness. He was 85 and best-known for his role as Barliman Butterbur in “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” (2001) You may also recognize him in “Hercules: Legendary Journeys” (1995), ” Xena: Warrior Princess” and as Spenser in “Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive.” (2007) He was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for his services to the entertainment industry in 2019. (Born 3/1/1939 in London)

12/12/2024 English comedian Duncan Norvelle died at 66 from a chest infection and sepsis. The former talent agent was often referred to as Duncan “Chase me” Norvelle, stemming from his catchphrase “Chase me!” which made him very popular on British TV in the 1980s. He never swore on stage and he never made fun of the audience. His act often played on gay stereotypes but Norvelle was straight. (Born 4/2/1958 in Hoton, UK)

12/13/2024 Actress Diane Delano died at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness. She was 67. She was best-known for her role as Officer Barbara Semanski on “Northern Exposure,” (12 episodes) which ran for six seasons on CBS. (1990-1995). Other credits include “The Wicker Man” (2006), “Days of Our Lives,” (1994-2009 – 21 episodes) “St. Elsewhere,” “Two and a Half Men,” “2 Broke Girls,” “General Hospital,” “St. Elsewhere” “ER” and “L.A. Law.” Delano’s last role was in the bluegrass musical comedy “Paradise: A Town of Sinners and Saints,” which was released 6 months before her death. (Born 1/29/1957 in Los Angeles)

12/13/2024 Billionaire founder of clothing brand Mango, Isak Andic, fell to his death accidentally while exploring caves in Barcelona. He was 71. According to Forbes, he and his family had an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion.

12/14/2024 Johnny Russell, a child star from Old Hollywood, died at 91. He was featured in a number of movies in the 1930s and 1940s, including stars like Shirley Temple in “The Blue Bird” (1940), Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda in “Jesse James” (1939) and Barbara Stanwyck in “Always Goodbye”. He had an uncredited part “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939) starring Jimmy Stewart. He was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Oman by President Ronald Reagan, serving from 1981 to 1985. (Born John R. Countryman 1/25/1933 in Brooklyn, NY)

12/15/2024 Entertainment lawyer Eric Weissmann died in Denver at 94. He represented Rita Hayworth, Robert Altman, Elizabeth Taylor, David and Keith Carradine, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Aldrich, Paul Mazursky, Mark Rydell and Gene Wilder. He was named Entertainment Lawyer of the Year by the Beverly Hills Bar Association in 2010.

Celebrities we lost in December 2024…

12/15/2025 TV writer Aziza “Z” Barnes died by suicide at age 32. Best-known for “Teenage Bounty Hunters” (2020) on Netflix, “Snowfall” on FX and HBO’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

12/16/2024 Singer and anti-gay activist Anita Bryant died at her home in Edmond, OK at 84. She hosted her own TV show beginning at age 12. She was also a favorite on Bob Hope’s USO tours for overseas U.S. troops. She appeared on “Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand.” The 1958 Miss Oklahoma had three Top-20 hits in the 1960s, including “Till There Was You,” “Paper Roses” and “My Little Corner of the World.” She served as a brand ambassador for the Florida Citrus Commission (1969-1980) She once famously received a banana cream pie to the face from gay activist Tom Higgins at a promotional stop in Des Moines, Iowa. Bryant quipped at the time, “at least it’s a fruit pie.” (Born 3/25/1940)

12/16/2024 Three-time NBA All-Star shooting guard Dick Van Arsdale died at 81. The “Original Sun” was the first-ever Phoenix Suns player when he was selected in the 1968 expansion draft, scored the first points in team history and was a member of the team’s first trip to the NBA Finals in 1976. He began his pro career playing for the N.Y. Knicks for 3 seasons. After 12 seasons he retired in 1976 as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game and 3.3 steals. He is a member of the team’s Ring of Fire.” (Born 2/22/1943 with a twin brother Tom in Indianapolis, IN)

12/17/2024 Chic lead vocalist Alfa Anderson, who sang on hits including “Good Times” and “Le Freak,” died at 78. “Good Time” is one of Rolling Stone ’s “ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Anderson’s work as a vocalist included a featured role in Cannonball Adderley’s “Big Man – The Legend of John Henry” (1976), which debuted at Carnegie Hall. The Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack to “The Wiz” (1978) also featured Anderson’s vocals. She is also heard on Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” (1979), Diana Ross’ “Diana.” (1980), Dionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis, Bryan Ferry, Jennifer Holliday, Teddy Pendergrass, Sheena Easton, Aretha Franklin and Mick Jagger. She was an educator in New York City and high school principal in Brooklyn. (Born 9/7/1946 in Augusta, GA Her parents named her “Alfa” from “alpha” the first letter of the Greek alphabet, with the “ph” changed to an “f” in honor of her father’s name, Alfonso because she was their first born child.)

12/17/2024 Mike Brewer of Brewer & Shipley (‘One Toke Over the Line’), passed away at his home in Missouri at age 80. He began his career traveling the folk circuit playing in coffee houses. He met Shipley in 1964 and became musical partners four years later. Brewer & Shipley were a popular opening act over the years, opening for Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, The Eagles, Billy Joel, ELO and Bruce Springsteen, among others. In a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone‘s Ben Fong-Torres, Brewer said, “One day we were pretty much stoned and all and Tom says, ‘Man, I’m one toke over the line tonight.’ I liked the way that sounded and so I wrote a song around it.” (Born 4/14/1944 in Oklahoma City, OK)

12/18/2024 Bob “Slim” Dunlap, the beloved “replacement Replacement,” who joined the band in 1987, died in Minneapolis at the age of 73. The singer-songwriter was key to reenergizing the band after its split with original lead guitarist Bob Stinson. Dunlap was influenced by Hank Williams and Keith Richards. (Born 8/14/1951 in Plainview Minnesota)

12/18/2024 NASCAR Hall of Famer (and one of their biggest moneymakers) Fred Lorenzen died at 89. He suffered from dementia for moe than a decade. He began his racing career when he got involved in stock car racing at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 1953. He won the eight lap “amateur” race. He made seven starts in NASCAR competition in 1956 and won a whopping $235 for the year. In all, “Fearless Freddy” made 158 NASCAR races and won 26 with 33 pole awards amd the Daytona 500 (1965). (Born 12/30/1934)

12/18/2024 TikTok superstar Beandri Booysen died at 19 losing battle to make it to Christmas while fighting a rare super-aging disease, Progeria. She was known for her inspirational social media videos.

12/18/2024 Berlin Zoo’s beloved hippopotamus Nicole died from a mysterious serious illness at age 24.

12/20/2024 Oakland Athletics icon and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson died, 5 days before his 66th birthday. (December 25, 1958) He is the all-time leader in stolen bases and played 25 seasons with the Athletics, Yankees, Padres, Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels and the Dodgers. He broke Lou Brock’s stolen base record (939) against the Yankees on May 1, 1991. That became one of the most iconic moments in baseball history when Henderson pulled the third base bag out of the ground and held it over his head. He finished his pro career with 1,406 stolen bases. He also holds the record for most runs scored; 2,295. He hit 297 homers and had 1,115 RBIs. Henderson won the 1990 AL MVP. The Athletics honored him by giving bobbleheads to fans who attended the game Sept. 20, 2024. He retired in 2003.

12/20/2024 Playboy model and ex-Bravo star Ariane Bellamar died at 46 from heart attack. She had two daughters.

12/21/2024 American TV producer and director Woody Fraser passed away at age 90. Fraser created ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He started his career in 1960 as a director at NBC and soon met Mike Douglas and together they created “The Mike Douglas Show.” (1961-1982 4000+ episodes) From 1966 to 1973, Fraser oversaw 32+ hours of TV programming every week, including “The Dick Cavett Show,” “The Della Reese Show,” and “The Bill Russell Show.” He won aq Daytime Emmy for his work on “The Richard Simmons Show.” He was “Good Morning America”s first executive producer. (Born 11/16/1934 in Cincinnati, OH)

12/21/2024 Miguel Angel Aguilar, a popular fitness influencer who was shot during a robbery in Los Angeles in September, died at 43. He was shot in the face after he was followed home by four men and confronted by them in his driveway. Aguilar owned a chain of gyms with 26 locations across the country. Three of the four suspects have been arrested and face charges of murder.was shot in the face after he was followed home by four men and confronted by them in his driveway.

12/21/2024 Art Evans, an American film and television actor known for his roles in “Die Hard 2” (1990) and Detective Lennox in “Fright Night” (1985), died in Los Angeles of complications of diabetes. He was 82. His first credited role was Bubba in “Chico and the Man” in the episode “Too Many Crooks.” He has a long list of film and TV credits: “National Lampoon’s Class Reunion” (1982), “A Soldier’s Story” (1984) “Into the Night” (1985), “The Mighty Quinn” (1989), “Downtown” (1990) and “Tales from the Hood.” (1995) TV: “MAS*H,” “Hill Street Blues,” “The Fall Guy,” “Monk,” “Nine to Five” (1986-1988), “The X-Files” and “Family Matters.” (Born 3/27/1942 in Berkeley, CA)

12/21 or 22/2024 Burt the Australian saltwater crocodile died over the weekend. He was estimated to be at least 90 years old. Burt, who was named after Burt Reynolds, was cast in the film “Crocodile Dundee.” (1986) He appeared in a scene where Linda Kozlowski’s character is saved by Mick Dundee during a crocodile attack. Since 2008, he lived in a crocodile sanctuary in Darwin. He was 16 feet long and weighed 1,543 pounds.

12/23/2024 Canadian actor Angus MacInnes, best-known for his role as Jon ‘Dutch’ Vander, the Gold Leader in the first “Star Wars,” was reported dead at the age of 77. Credits include “A New Hope” (1977) “Force 10 from Navarone” (1978), “Witness” (1985), “Judge Dredd” (1995), “Hellboy” (2004) “Captain Phillips” (2013). He also owned a pizza restaurant, “Mamma’s”, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Born 10/27/1947 in Windsor, Canada)

12/24/2024 Richard Perry, record producer behind “You’re So Vain and other hits, died of cardiac arrest at 82. Worked with Rod Stewart and the Beatles. He was on hand for Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” Barbra Streisand’s “Stoney End” album,The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited,” Tiny Tim’s novelty smash “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” Donna Summer and the Willie Nelson-Julio Iglesias lounge standard “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.” For “You’re So Vain,” he went through three drummers in search of the ideal beat. Simon said she recorded 100 takes before he was satisfied. He wrote “Cloud Nine: Memoirs of a Record Producer” (2021) is packed with tales from late-night LA. He dated Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda among others, and was briefly married to the actress Rebecca Broussard.

12/25/2024 Legendary NFL linebacker Bill Bergey died after a 3-year battle with cancer. #66 was 79. At 6’4″ he was drafted out of Arkansas State by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969. His relationship with the Bengals soured and he was ultimately traded to Philadelphia. He was a 5X All-Pro played 11 seasons and was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Hall of Fame. Fans voted him #32 on a list of the club’s Top 50 players. (Born 2/9/1945 in Dayton, NY)

12/25/2024 British writer, producer and director Britt Allcroft, creator of the “Thomas the Tank Engine” series died in Los Angeles at 81. The series followed Thomas, a real-life blue tank locomotive, and a fleet of his friends as they worked each day on the railway under the command of the Fat Controller. The show was a hit for 40 years. (Born Hilary Mary Allcroft 12/14/1943 in the United Kingdom)

12/25/2024 American professional wrestler Jax Dane died at 48 years old of complications of a heart attack suffered a month earlier. He was a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, NWA National Heavyweight, NWA North American Heavyweight and NWA World Tag Team Champion. He remained active in the NWA until his death. He was 6′ 4″ and weighed 310 lbs. (Born Jeremy Dane Laymon 3/10/1976 in Bakewell, TN)

12/25/2024 Music pioneer Bill Speed died, age 76. In 1977 he became the first Black Editor at Radio and Records, one of the leading music industry magazines. He later helped create BET’s “Video Soul”, the first television show dedicated to Black music videos. Speed was also instrumental in establishing June as Black Music Month. (Born William Marcell Speed 11/7/1949)

12/26/2024 Media executive Richard Parsons, one of America’s most prominent Black executives, died from bone cancer in his Manhattan home at age 76. He led Time Warner as CEO (2002-2007) and Citigroup and he served as the interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014. He served the Este Lauder board for 25 years. He was named interim chairman of CBS’ board of directors in September 2018 but resigned a month later because of illness. He was known as a skilled negotiator, a diplomat and a crisis manager. The former White House aide during the Ford administration was fond of saying “Success comes from 10% what you know, 10% who you know and 80% luck” (Born 4/4/1948 in Brooklyn)

12/26/2024 Comedian and Broadway star, Dick Capri died in his sleep in Boca Raton, FL. He was 93 and had been suffering from an inoperable heart condition. He started comedy shows at his father’s grocery store. Then came appearances on TV shows “Talent Scouts,” “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “Merv Griffin.” He toured around the world with Englebert Humperdinck. He also worked with Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and Tom Jones. His Broadway debut came in 1991 with “Cats On Broadway,” which packed the Lunt-Fontanne Theater for 14 months. (Born Richard Emerick Crupi 8/11/1931 in Reading, PA)

12/26/2024 American rapper OG Maco died in a Los Angeles hospital at 32 years. He suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound December 12 and spent the rest of his life in a coma. Known for “U Guessed It”. (2014) (Born Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr. 4/23/1992)

12/26/2024 TV producer Irv Wilson passed away at 93. The former talent agent worked on TV movies before becoming NBC’s Senior VP of Daytime and Late Night. Executive producer “ABC Afterschool Specials,” (1972), “Kojak” (1973), “The Missiles of October” (1974) (Born 9/13/1931)

12/27/2024 Sportscaster Greg Gumble died of cancer at age 78 in Davie, FL. He was the first African-American announcer to call play-by-play of a major sports championship in the United States when he announced Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001 for CBS. Gumbel joined CBS Sports in 1989 after years of hosting and play-by-play of New York Knicks basketball and New York Yankees baseball for the Madison Square Garden Network. He served as primetime achor of CBS coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympic games in Lillehammer. He was also known for his work on NBC over four years, including “The NFL Today,” “Baseball Night in America,” and The NBA on NBC.” Greg Gumbel won the Pat Summerall Award for excellence in sports broadcasting in 2007. (Born 5/3/1946 in New Orleans and grew up in Chicago)

12/27/2024 Olivia Hussey Eisley, star of Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo and Juliet,” (1968), the sorority house slasher classic “Black Christmas,” Stephen King’s “It” and “Psycho IV: The Beginning” died ‘peacefully’ at home. She was 73. Her performance in a 1966 West End production of “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” opposite Vanessa Redgrave led her to Zeffirelli. She and Zefferelli also worked together on the four-part series “Jesus of Nazareth.” (1977) She won a Golden Globe for her performance as Juliet. She appeared in the Agatha Christie adaptation “Death on the Nile” (1978). She worked as a voice actress on several video games; “Batman,” “Star Wars” and “Superman.” She also made a cameo appearance in Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl” video.(1989) Her memoir, “The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet,” was published in 2018. (Born Olivia Osuna 4/17/1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina)

12/27/2024 Young & Restless actor Geoffrey Deuel died at a hospice in Largo, FL at 81. He was best known for his roles as Dave Campbell in “The Young and the Restless” (1973-1977) and Billy the Kid in “Chisum” (1970) with John Wayne. He had a prolific TV career with credits including; “Twelve O’Clock High” 1966), “Occasional Wife” (1967), “The Monkees” (1967), “Bonanza” (1967), “The Flying Nun,” “The F.B.I..” “Mannix,” “Mission Impossible” “Medical Center,” “The Young and the Restless” and Cannon.” Then came “Marcus Welby, M.D.”, “Planet of the Apes and “Barnaby Jones.” Geoffrey’s younger brother was the late actor Peter Deuel from “Alias Smith and Jones.” (Born 1/17/1943 in Lockport, NY)

12/27/2024 Oscar-nominated writer Charles Shyer died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 83. He began his career in the early 1970’s writing for sitcoms “The Odd Couple,” “The Partridge Family,” and “Barefoot in the Park.” He wrote the screenplay for the box office smash “Smokey and the Bandit.” (1977) Other credits include co-writing “Irreconcilable Differences” with his wife Nancy Meyers and starring Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Long and Drew Barrymore, “Private Benjamin” (1980), “The Parent Trap” (1998), “The Father of the Bride” (1991) and “Father of the Bride Part II.” (Born 10/11/1941 in Los Angeles, CA)

12/27/2024 Canadian supermodel Dayle Haddon died at the age of 76 of suspected carbon-monoxide poisoning. She was found in a second-floor bedroom of a carriage house owned by her daughter in Pennsylvania. No foul play was suspected. Haddon represented four major cosmetic companies, Revlon, Max Factor, Estée Lauder and L’Oréal. She was featured on the covers of Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan in the 1970s and 1980s. She was on the cover of the 1973 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. As an actress, she appeared in “The World’s Greatest Athlete” (1973) and “North Dallas Forty” (1979). She wrote books about aging gracefully, including “Ageless Beauty, A Woman’s Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being” (1999). She was a wellness contributor to CBS News. She served as an ambassador to UNICEF 12 years. She was twice named to Harper Bazaar’s “Ten Most Beautiful Women” list. (Born 5/26/1948 in Montreal)

12/27/2024 Puerto Rican professional boxer Paul Bamba died 6 days after he won the WBA Gold cruiserweight title. His career record was 19-3. He was 35. He ran a successful fitness business training all kinds of clients to be physically fit. He helped raise over $250k for causes like sending 100 children to summer camp and providing over 500 turkeys to families in need during Thanksgiving. He was diagnosed with a concussion in 2023 and had been suffering from headaches. In 2024, Bamba broke Mike Tyson’s record for most boxing wins in a calendar year via knockout, with 14 KOs throughout the year. (Born 8/15/1989 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico)

12/27/2024 Dominican baseball pitcher Juan Jose Jaime Hernandez had a heart attack and passed away at 37. In MLB, he pitched 26 2/3 innings in 14 relief appearances with the Atlanta Braves in 2014-2015. (Born 8/2/1987 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic)

12/28/2024 American billionaire Charles Dolan, the founder of Cablevision and HBO, died at age 98. A college dropout, his estimated net worth upon death was $5.6 billion. His family controls Madison Square Garden Sports, MSG Networks, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, Madison Square Garden, the Sphere, Radio City Music Hall, BBC America, and AMC Networks. (Born 10/16/1926 in Cleveland, OH)

12/29/2024 The oldest living U.S. president died in Plains, GA at age 100. James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr, a peanut farmer, served as president from 1977-1981. He was Georgia’s 75th governor from 1971-1975 after serving in the Georgia State Senate in the mid-1960s. After his presidential term, Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter supported Habitat for Humanity for more than 30 years, working with 108,000 volunteers building or renovating 4,400+ houses in 14 countries. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for decades of efforts undertaking peace negotiations, campaigning for human rights, and working for social welfare. Quote: “A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others.” (Born 10/1/1924 in Plains, GA)

12/29/2024 ‘The Most Interesting Man in Baseball’ died. Lenny Randle was 75. He was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1970 and made his major league debut the next year. He played 12 seasons in the majors nfor the Rangers, Mets, Yankees, Cubs and Mariners. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Randle earned his ‘Most Interesting Man in Baseball’ nickname off the field. Randle was on the bench for the Senators’ final game in 1971. Washington led the Yankees 7-5 with two outs in the 9th inningm but were forced to forfeit the game after fans stormed the field at RFK Stadium. Randle was also at second base during the infamous ‘Ten Cent Beer Night’ riot in Cleveland on June 4, 1974. In 1977, Randle punched Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi prior to a spring training game, which effectively ended his tenure in Texas.

12/29/2024 American broadcast journalist Aaron Brown died of pneumonia in Washington, D.C. at 76. He was known for his coverage of the 9-11 attacks for CNN, which was his first reporting assignment for the network. He was also a reporter for ABC News. Brown won the Edward R. Murrow Award for his 9/11 coverage. Brown won three Emmys, including one Emmy for his report “Streets of Iraq” during the Iraq War. (Born in Hopkins, MN)

12/29/2024 Broadway star Linda Lavin died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest from lung cancer at 87. She was best-known for her role in more than 200 episodes of the sitcom “Alice.” (1976-1985) She received a Tony award for her role in the play “Broadway Bound.” (1986-1988.) She was also seen in “The Sopranos,” “The OC,” and “The Good Wife.” She was cremated at her husband, Steve’s home in Los Angeles.

12/30/2024 Character actor and producer John Capodice, best-known for roles in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “General Hospital,” died at 83. Capodice began acting on stage in mostly Off-Broadway plays in New York City in the late 1970s. His first TV role came in 1978 as Lloyd Lord on the ABC soap “Ryan’s Hope.” (6 episodes) On “General Hospital,” he played Carmine Cerullo in six episodes. (1994-1996) Other credits include: “Seinfeld,” “CSI,” “Ellen,” “Another World,” “Knots Landing,” “Law & Order,” “Will & Grace,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “Kate & Allie,” “As the World Turns,” “Moonlighting,” “Murphy Brown,” “Melrose Place,” “Mad About You,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Six Feet Under,” “The West Wing” and “Murder, She Wrote.” Movies: Mr. Big on “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” (1994), “Speed,” “Independence Day” (1996) “Enemy of the State,” “The Doors” amd “Family Business,” (Born 12/25/1941 un Chicago)

12/30/2024 Controversial former Major League infielder Lenny Randle died at 75. He played for 5 teams during a 12 year career; Senators, Rangers, Mets, Yankees, Cubs and Mariners. Career .302 BA and American League MVP in 1971. While playing for Texas in 1974, Randle started a brawl when he crashed into Indians pitcher Milt Wilcox while running to first base on a bunted ball. Indians players then tackled Randall in a bench-clearing brawl. He then got into a spring training fight with then-Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi over allegations that Lucchesi had called Randle a “punk.” Randle punched him, shattering his cheekbone. He was charged with assault over the incident and pleaded no contest. Lucchesi.sued Randle and was awarded $10,000.

12/31/2024 AcclaImed golf writer Steve DiMeglio died at home in Ponta Verdra Beach at 63 after battling cancer.. DiMeglio covered golf for USA Today, and later Golfweek. As a reporter, he coverrd major league baseball for six years. He covered events from the White House to the House that Ruth Built to the Home of Golf in St Andrews. DiMeglio was an 8-handicap golfer. His favorite players included Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Jason Day and caddie Joey LaCava. He was a 2024 recipient of the Lincoln Werden Golf Journalism Award from the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association.

12/31/2024 British cinematographer Roger Pratt died at age 77. Best-known for “The Fisher King” (1991), “12 Monkeys” (1995). Credits include: “Batman” (1989), “Frankenstein” (1994),”102 Dalmatians” 2000), “Chocolat” (2002), “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002), “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005) and “The Karate Kid” (2010). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for :The End of the Affair.” (1999) He was a member of the British Society of Cinematographers. (Born 2/27/1947)

12/31/2024 Pirate Radio DJ Johnnie Walker died at 79. He began his career under the name’Peter Dee’ and joined Swinging Radio England on a ship off the coast of Essex in May of 1966. This is when he changed his on-air name to Johnny Walker. He then moved to the famous Radio Caroline a couple of months later. He bounced around pirate stations in the North Sea and commercial stations in California before returning to Radio 1 and then Radio 2. He was convicted after an undercover sting operation showed him taking cocaine and participating in the use of sex workers. In 2009 he began hosting the show that would define his later career, “Sounds of the 70s.” He retired from radio after 58 years in October 2024.
(Born Peter Dingley 3/30/1945)

12/31/2025 Pro wrestler Sweet Daddy Siki died of complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 91. Best known as a wrestler, he also had a following as a country singer. He wrote his own wrestling theme song entitled “I Am So Proud of What I See.” As a wrestler, Siki was a top draw in Canada in the 1960s and 1970s. (Born Elkin James 6/16/1933 in Montgomery, TX)

12/31/2024 Socialite and tabloid ‘Catwoman’ Jocelyn Wildenstein, known for her addiction to extreme plastc surgery that made her look like a cat, died at 84. She had denied for years that she had gotten plastic surgery despite evidence to the contrary. She also denied using Botox or”fillers.” She made headlines in the 1990s during her high-profile divorce from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein. She had three apartments in Trump Tower that were repossessed in 2020 .(Born 5/8/1949)