2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

This is a good place to drop general and weird news, entertainment, and general show prep material that might be interesting to air talent or producers. Hot dog threads ALWAYS welcome.

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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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The star of the 1970s TV series "Medical Center" who went on to appear in such films and shows as "Mulholland Drive" and "Melrose Place" has died. Chad Everett was 75.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... z21dYx4Pkj
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by David Paleg »

Gore Vidal, celebrated author, playwright, dies
Aug 1, 2:30 AM (ET)
By HILLEL ITALIE


In a world more to his liking, Gore Vidal might have been president, or even king. He had an aristocrat's bearing - tall, handsome and composed - and an authoritative baritone ideal for summoning an aide or courtier.

But Vidal made his living - a very good living - from challenging power, not holding it. He was wealthy and famous and committed to exposing a system often led by men he knew firsthand. During the days of Franklin Roosevelt, one of the few leaders whom Vidal admired, he might have been called a "traitor to his class." The real traitors, Vidal would respond, were the upholders of his class.

The author, playwright, politician and commentator whose vast and sharpened range of published works and public remarks were stamped by his immodest wit and unconventional wisdom, died Tuesday at age 86 in Los Angeles.

Vidal died at his home in the Hollywood Hills at about 6:45 p.m. of complications from pneumonia, his nephew Burr Steers said. Vidal had been living alone in the home and had been sick for "quite a while," Steers said.

Full story at Iwon/AP News.
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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Marvin Hamlisch Dies At 68

http://goo.gl/Cq5oH
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by David Paleg »

Film critic Judith Crist dies at 90
Aug 7, 6:51 PM (ET)
By HILLEL ITALIE


NEW YORK (AP) - Judith Crist, a blunt and popular film critic for the "Today" show, TV Guide and the New York Herald Tribune whose reviews were at times so harsh that director Otto Preminger labeled her "Judas Crist," has died. She was 90.

Her son, Steven Crist, said his mother died Tuesday at her Manhattan home after a long illness.

Starting in 1963, at the Tribune, Crist wrote about and discussed thousands of movies for millions of readers and viewers, and also covered theater and books.

She was the first woman to become a full-time critic at a major U.S. newspaper and was among the first reviewers of her time to gain a national following. Roger Ebert credited her with helping to make all film critics better known, including such contemporaries as The New Yorker's Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris of the Village Voice.

Full story at IWON/AP News.
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Stuart Swanlund, guitarist (Marshall Tucker Band), 54

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Stuart Swanlund, guitarist (Marshall Tucker Band), 54

NEW YORK (AP) – Marshall Tucker Band guitarist Stuart Swanlund has died. He was 54.

Publicist Don Murry Grubbs said Monday night (Aug. 6) that the guitarist died in his sleep of natural causes Saturday at his Chicago home.

Swanlund joined the band in 1985 after it had split up and regrouped. He was the longest-running member of the group except for founding member Doug Gray.

The group is best known for its 1977 Top 40 hit Heard It In a Love Song. Their sound is a blend of rock, country and gospel. Swanlund's funeral will take place Saturday at the Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Boiling Springs, S.C.

He's survived by his sister, three grandchildren, a son, William "Billy" Swanlund, and his lifelong partner, Stacey Schmaren.
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by David Paleg »

Italian special effects master Rambaldi dies at 86
Aug 10, 4:24 PM (ET)
By COLLEEN BARRY


MILAN (AP) - Carlo Rambaldi, a special effects master and three-time Oscar winner known as the father of "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," died Friday in southern Italy after a long illness, Italian news media reported. He was 86.

Rambaldi won visual effects Oscars for Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster, Ridley Scott's film "Alien" in 1979, and John Guillermin's "King Kong" in 1976.

"Carlo Rambaldi was E.T.'s Geppetto," said Spielberg, referring to the fictional character who created Pinocchio. " All of us who marveled and wondered at his craft and artistry are deeply saddened by the news of his passing."

Full story at IWON/AP News,
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Bill Rafferty, comedian/game show host, 68

Comedian and impressionist William "Bill" Rafferty, known to TV audiences as a game show host and a roving reporter on NBC's "Real People" from 1979-1984, has passed away at the age of 68.

Rafferty's family confirmed his death in a Facebook post Saturday (Aug. 11), writing "I'm sorry to say our father Bill Rafferty passed away this morning. He was surrounded by his family. All of you gave him great joy during his final months. He loved talking to all of you. (even the Liberals ;) ) Love the Raffertys."

Rafferty hosted the game shows Every Second Counts (1984, syndicated), Card Sharks (1986–87, syndication), and Blockbusters (1987, NBC). He was a frequent celebrity panelist on shows such as Super Password and the Match Game/ Hollywood Squares Hour. Most recently he was seen as the host of Retirement Living TV's show Retired and Wired.

A native of Queens, NY, his first national TV exposure came on the NBC comedy/reality series Real People. Regular hosts included Rafferty, John Barbour, Sarah Purcell, Byron Allen, Skip Stephenson, Mark Russell, Peter Billingsley, and Fred Willard.

--------------------------------------------

Carl Davis, record producer/architect of ‘the Chicago sound,’ 77

(DAVE HOEKSTRA/Chicago Sun-Times) - Record producer Carl Davis, who shaped what became known as “the Chicago Sound,” died Thursday (Aug. 9) at his home in Summerville, S.C. He was 77.

Davis was one of the first African-American A&R directors and produced numerous hit songs for the Columbia Records subsidiary Okeh Records. He was to Chicago soul music what the Chess brothers were to blues.

His first multi-million-selling song was Gene Chandler’s 1962 smash “Duke of Earl.” Follow-up production efforts incuded Jackie Wilson’s 1967 hit “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” Major Lance’s “Monkey Time” (recorded in 1963) and the Chi-Lites 1972 ballad “Oh Girl.”
Mr. Davis connected with singers in a direct manner that translated to the listener. His other major hits ranged from the 1970 smash “Turn Back the Hands of Time” by Tyrone Davis (no relation) to the Dells’ beautiful “Stay in My Corner,” which was a hit in 1965 and 1968.

“Motown used to put a picture frame together, put in all the background and set the artist to the frame,” Mr. Davis told me in 1982. “We in Chicago tend to start with the artist, put him there and frame everything around him.”

Marshall Thompon, the last original member of the Chi-Lites, said the group was not too fond of “Oh Girl.”

“I thought it was too white and poppish,” Thompson recalled on Thursday. “We were black Chicago artists trying to make it. Carl said we had to take the song to ‘The Flip Wilson Show.’ We did and it debuted on the charts at No. 1. I’ve been in the business for 52 years and I never knew anyone who had an ear like Carl’s. He picked ‘Duke of Earl’ [co-written by Chandler], which was thrown in the garbage can by Curtis Mayfield. Of course it went to No. 1 all over the country.” Beyonce’s hit “Crazy in Love” samples the Davis-produced Chi-Lites tune “Are You My Woman.”

One of Mr. Davis’s most underchampioned artists was Walter Jackson, who turned the listener’s heart inside-out on his cresting 1964 ballad “What Would You Do.” Mr. Davis liked to tell the story of how Elton John pitched him songs to get to Jackson, who died of a stroke at age 45 in 1983. Jackson had polio and performed on crutches, but Mr. Davis was enamored with his powerful voice and in 1962 encouraged Jackson to relocate from Detroit to Chicago.

Mr. Davis’ ear for diction even made him a perfect sparring partner for American poet Muhammad Ali. In the early 1960s Mr. Davis recorded then-Cassius Clay singing the Ben E. King hit “Stand By Me” in a New York studio with Sam Cooke coaching Clay on the vocals. Not long after the session, Clay became a member of the Nation of Islam and Columbia Records never released the track.

The late Major Lance had five national hits between 1963 and 1965 that are still played in the Beach Music clubs of the Carolinas, including the spritely “Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um,” written by Curtis Mayfield. “Major was no Johnny Mathis,” Mr. Davis told me in 1989. “So I had to create a musical environment in which he could work.” Davis and accomplished Chicago jazz player Johnny Pate supported Lance’s vocals with a searing brass section centered around trombones and baritone sax. The Davis-Pate arrangements gave “the Chicago Sound” its timeless dance appeal.

The “Chicago Sound” template can properly be traced from Davis-produced vocalists like Chandler and Jackson through Donny Hathaway and R. Kelly, whose old-school sound is the centerpiece of lush arrangements. But Mr. Davis was often unheralded in a Chicago identified with the blues.
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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Helen Gurley Brown, one of the world's most influential magazine editors, died Monday morning at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia, The Hearst Corporation confirmed. She was 90.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... ead-at-90/
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by jag »

Actor Ron Palillo of "Welcome Back, Kotter"

The actor best known as the nerdy high-school student Arnold Horshack on "Welcome Back, Kotter," has died in Florida.

Ron Palillo was 63.

Palillo's friend, Karen Poindexter, says Palillo died early Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens of an apparent heart attack.

Palillo was forever remembered for the character he played from 1975 to 1979 on the ABC sitcom: a nasally Brooklyn teen whose hand shot skyward and who barked out a string of "Ooohs" when a teacher posed a question.

Though his co-star on the show, John Travolta, went on to fame, Palillo struggled to expand beyond his role as Horshack.

Of Horshack, Palillo once told an interviewer from the Birmingham News: "While I loved him, I really loved him, I didn't want to do him forever."
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by EZ103.3FM »

I saw this Tuesday but didn't have the chance to post it until now.

Comedian/hypnotist J. Medicine Hat passed away Monday August 13. I haven't been able to find any information, but his family posted the news to his web site. Apparently he had some recent health problems.
He appeared at the Huntington Funny Bone many times.
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Here's his bio from his website: http://www.jmedicinehat.com/bio.php
In late 1982, J. Medicine Hat attended his first live comedy show in Sioux City, Iowa. Half way through that show, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. While he continued to support his family by working at the local slaughter house, he sought out area comedy clubs and became a regular at their open mic nights. His success soon lead to paying gigs at comedy clubs throughout the Midwest.

By 1987, J said goodbye to the slaughter house, and comedy became his full time job. After being named Showtime's Funniest Man in Iowa, J. was spotted by a talent scout from Star Search and two weeks later made his television debut. At the Star Search audition, he was signed as an opening act for the Stray Cats' summer tour. This tour lead to opening gigs for Jerry Seinfield, Dennis Miller, Sam Kinison, Roseanne Barr, The Beach Boys, Fabulous Thunderbirds and the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn. While not on the road, J had a popular morning radio show in Sioux City.

In 1994, J was booked as an opening act for a hypnotist. Half way through that show, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his comedy life. By merging stand up comedy and hypnosis, J knew he would have something unique to offer audiences. He invested all the money he had in the world into learning the art of stage hypnosis. A mere ten days later, J performed his first hypno comedy show. The success of that very first show, was like pouring gasoline on a fire. J Medicine Hat was unstoppable. College students all over the country flocked to see these “rock-n-roll hypnosis” shows. He also honed his skills performing at corporate evenst and fundraisers. His reputation for exceptional shows, soon opened the door to headlining at A-list comedy clubs.

Sixteen years later, J is a top draw in the Funny Bone chain, performing at their clubs throughout the country. He is consistently the top producing performer on the stage in ticket, food and beverage sales. His act produces a loyal following, which allows him to hold the record for most shows in a single room by one comedian at 1200 shows.

J is very thankful and grateful for all his blessings, and he is committed to giving back.

He holds an annual toy drive for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which produces donations from clubs all over the country. He is also in the process of establishing a scholarship to assist Native American students with their college expenses.
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Scott McKenzie, singer/songwriter, 73

Singer/songwriter Scott McKenzie, best known for the 1967 hit "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" that helped to launch the Summer of Love, has died at age 73, according to online reports. McKenzie died Saturday (Aug. 18) in L.A. No other details about his death were immediately available.

Born Philip Blondheim, the singer decided to change his name after fans struggled to pronounce his birth moniker. McKenzie found fame with doo wop band The Abstracts, which became The Smoothies. In 1961, McKenzie and John Phillips met Dick Weissman and formed The Journeymen, which recorded three albums and seven singles for Capitol Records. The group disbanded in 1964. McKenzie and Weissman became solo performers, while Phillips formed the group The Mamas & the Papas with Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips and moved to California.

McKenzie originally declined an opportunity to join the group, saying in a 1977 interview, "I was trying to see if I could do something by myself. And I didn't think I could take that much pressure." Two years later, he left New York and signed with Lou Adler's Ode Records.

In 1967, Phillips wrote and co-produced "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" for McKenzie. The song was initially designed to promote the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Phillips played guitar on the recording, and session musician Gary L Coleman played orchestra bells and chimes. The bass line of the song was supplied by session musician Joe Osborn. Hal Blaine played drums. It was released on in the U.S. on May 13, 1967 and became an instant hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number one in the UK and several other countries, selling over seven million copies globally.

"San Francisco" quickly transcended its original purpose by popularizing an idealized image of San Francisco. In addition, media coverage of the Monterey Pop Festival facilitated the Summer of Love, since large numbers of fledgling hippies headed to San Francisco to hear their favorite bands, among them the The Who, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin as well as the Animals.

McKenzie's follow-up single was "Like An Old Time Movie", also written and produced by Phillips, which was a minor hit. His first album, The Voice of Scott McKenzie, was followed with an album called Stained Glass Morning. He stopped recording in the early 1970s and lived in Joshua Tree, California, and Virginia Beach. He would later return to L.A., where he spent his final years in retirement.

In 1986, McKenzie joined a new version of The Mamas and Papas on the nostalgia circuit and toured with the group until it eventually disbanded in the late-1990s. In 1988, McKenzie co-wrote with Terry Melcher, Mike Love and John Phillips, the Beach Boys' #1 single "Kokomo".
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by just saying »

VETERAN CHARACTER ACTOR DEAD AT 88

William Windom, the recognizable character actor who had a career on the small screen spanning seven decades, passed away today at age 88.
Born on September 28, 1923 in New York City and schooled at Williams College, Fordham and Columbia, Windom made his debut with the American Repertory Theatre in 1946 in productions of Henry VIII, What Every Woman Knows, John Gabriel Borkman and Androcles and the Lion. The following year, he remained on Broadway with roles in Yellow Jack and as the White Rabbit in a production of Alice in Wonderland. Windom segued onto television with early guest starring roles in series like The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, Masterpiece Playhouse and Robert Montgomery Presents. Following guest shots in other series like The Twilight Zone, The New Breed, Checkmate, Cheyenne, Ben Casey, The Lucy Show and The Donna Reed Show, Windom headlined sitcom The Farmer’s Daughter from 1963-66. Multiple TV appearances followed through the 1970s, including a one season stint on 1969-70 comedy My World and Welcome To It, which resulted in an Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series.
http://www.tvmediainsights.com/2012/08/ ... am-windom/
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Director Tony Scott dead after jumping from CA bridge

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Director Tony Scott, best known for the films "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," died in an apparent suicide Sunday when he jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California, a Los Angeles County coroner official said.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/20/showbiz/o ... index.html
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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Comedian Phyllis Diller has died, manager says
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/20/co ... ager-says/

Comedian Phyllis Diller, known for her self-deprecating humor, died "peacefully in her sleep" at her Los Angeles home Monday morning, her manager told CNN. Diller was 95.

"Her son, Perry, found her with a smile on her face," Milt Suchin said.

Diller , who paved the way for female comedians, began her legendary stand-up comedy career at the age of 37.

"We lost a comedy legend today," comedian Ellen DeGeneres tweeted. "Phyllis Diller was the queen of the one-liners. She was a pioneer."

Diller's career as a stand-up comic skyrocketed in the 1960s, partly because of her many appearances with Bob Hope on his television specials and USO tours. Diller remained good friends with Hope until his death.

She became a pop culture icon for her disparaging jokes about her looks, her cooking and her husband "Fang."

"She was a true pioneer," said talent agent Fred Wostbrock. "She was the first lady of stand-up comedy. She paved the way for everybody. She paved the way for Joan Rivers, Chelsea Handler, Roseanne Barr, Ellen Degeneres, and all the women stand-up comics. She was the first and the best."

Comedian Whoopi Goldberg tweeted that she was said the world lost a funny, classy and smart woman like Diller.

"A true original has died," Goldberg tweeted, adding that there was nobody who looked or sounded like her.
"It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much." - Yogi Berra
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by David Paleg »

Jerry Nelson, The Count on 'Sesame Street,' Dies
The WrapBy Tim Molloy


Jerry Nelson, a master of voices and puppetering who voiced Muppets including Count von Count during more than 40 years with "Sesame Street," has died. He was 78.

Also a musician and actor, he took part in dozens of Muppet projects, from the 1971 TV movie "Tales From Muppetland: The Frog Prince," to 1979's "The Muppet Movie," to the 1980s series "Fraggle Rock," to last year's "The Muppets."

Nelson joined "Sesame Street," which debuted in 1969, early in the show's run. He soon took on major characters including The Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Sherlock Hemlock.

"The cast and crew of 'Sesame Street' and the staff of Sesame Workshop deeply mourn the loss of cast member and creator of dozens of Muppet characters, Jerry Nelson," said a message on Sesame Street's website.

"A member of the 'Sesame Street' family for more than 40 years, he will forever be in our hearts and remembered for the artistry in his puppetry, his music, and the laughter he brought to children worldwide through his portrayal of Count von Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, Sherlock Hemlock, the Amazing Mumford and many other beloved characters. We will miss his extraordinary spirit and the joy he brought to our Street."

Nelson also had small, decidedly un-Muppety roles in films including "Robocop 2" and "The Nail Gun Massacre."
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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Dale "Truckin Bozo" Dies
from WKRC-TV news.

Reported by Gary Burbank

WLW radio reports that Dale Sommers, former host of their overnight show for truckers, died this morning in a Florida Hospice.
The 68 year old Sommers, known as "The Truckin' Bozo", hosted the show from 1984-2004. He was 68 years old.
Sommer left the airwaves in 2004 for health reasons but later took a job with XM Radio.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter and three sons, one of whom took over his show when he retired.

Bruce Dale Sommers (November 26, 1943 – August 24, 2012), known by his nickname "The Truckin' Bozo", was an American radio personality, best known for his long-running country music show geared toward truck drivers.[1] Sommers hosted the overnight show from Cincinnati, Ohio-based clear-channel station WLW from 1984 to 2004, and it was carried by a small network of similarly high-powered stations across the United States. Sommers discontinued playing music on his nightly show, focusing on general and truck news, and talk from his listeners. Sommers announced his retirement from radio in 2004, but XM Satellite Radio was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show, which aired on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM from 4 to 7 PM Eastern time. Sommers retired from XM/Sirius on June 21, 2012, only to return on July 16 of the same year, retiring again on August 23, 2012.
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by Greg Goodfellow »

"Television is a medium because anything well done is rare."
~ Fred Allen ~

“Radio is the theater of the mind; television is the theater of the mindless”-Steve Allen
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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Legendary songwriter Hal David dies in LA at 91
Sep 1, 7:38 PM (ET)
By BOB THOMAS and CHRISTOPHER WEBER


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hal David, the stylish, heartfelt lyricist who teamed with Burt Bacharach on dozens of timeless songs for movies, television and a variety of recording artists in the 1960s and beyond, has died. He was 91.

David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his wife Eunice David.

He had suffered a major stroke in March and was stricken again on Tuesday, she said.

"Even at the end, Hal always had a song in his head," Eunice David said. "He was always writing notes, or asking me to take a note down, so he wouldn't forget a lyric."

Bacharach and David were among the most successful teams in modern history, with top 40 hits including "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head,""(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "That's What Friends Are For." Although most associated with Dionne Warwick, their music was recorded by many of the top acts of their time, from the Beatles and Barbra Streisand to Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. They won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), Grammys and Tonys for the songs from the hit Broadway musical "Promises, Promises."

Full story at Iwon/AP News.
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

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Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54
Associated Press


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Clarke Duncan's fiancee says the Oscar nominee for "The Green Mile" has died while being hospitalized following a July heart attack.

Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Clarke's fiancée, the Rev. Omarosa Manigault, saying the 54-year-old actor died Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital after nearly two months of treatment following the July 13 heart attack.

The 6-foot-5, 300 pound Duncan appeared in dozens of films, including such box office hits as "Armageddon," ''Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panda,"

Duncan had a handful of minor roles before "The Green Mile" brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lead guitarist for Starship dies in Nebraska


NORFOLK, Neb. — Mark Abrahamian, the lead guitarist for the rock group Starship, died of a heart attack after a concert in Norfolk, Neb., his road manager said. He was 46.

Road manager Scott Harrison said Abrahamian collapsed after a performance Sunday night.

"We had just finished the show. We were back in the dressing room eating. He apparently told the bass player he wasn't feeling well," Harrison said Monday.

Abrahamian went into the next room and was talking to his fiance on the phone when he collapsed, Harrison said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Harrison says an autopsy was done Monday.

"It's a shock to everyone," Harrison told The Associated Press in a phone interview from the airport in Omaha, where he was waiting for Abrahamian's fiance. They planned to get married in December in Hawaii, Harrison said.

Starship was the opening band for a concert that also featured Survivor and Boston.

Harrison said Abrahamian hadn't mentioned any health problems to him, but he apparently had been telling his fiance.

"He had been having chest pains for a while," Harrison said.

Harrison said Starship's concert on Monday in Orem, Utah, was canceled.

Abrahamian joined Starship 11 years ago. Starship's history goes back to the 1960s with Jefferson Airplane and in 1980s Jefferson Starship.

Abrahamian lived in Austin, Texas. Funeral services are pending.
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Re: 2012 Obits: R.I.P. and Remembrance thread

Post by genlock »

Former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell has died. He was 87.

The team said Modell died of natural causes early Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he had been admitted Wednesday.

Modell was among the most important figures in the NFL as owner of the Cleveland Browns, which became the Ravens after he took the team to Baltimore in 1996 in a move that tarnished his reputation as one of the league's most innovative and influential owners.
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