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

[cgarison]

'Down in the Boondocks' songwriter Joe South dead at 72

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_ne ... at-72?lite

By The Associated Press
Singer-songwriter Joe South, who penned hits like "Games People Play," and "Down in the Boondocks" in the 1960s and 70s, has died. He was 72.

South, whose real name was Joseph Souter, died Wednesday at his home in Buford, Ga., northeast of Atlanta, according to Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group. The company published South's music. Lowery said South died of heart failure, but did not know any other details. South also wrote the Grammy-nominated "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden."

South was an inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He played guitar on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" and albums by Eddy Arnold and Marty Robbins.

[David Paleg]

Early laptop designer Moggridge dies at 69
Sep 9, 5:50 PM (ET)


NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Moggridge, a British industrial designer who designed an early portable computer with the flip-open shape that is common today, has died. He was 69.

The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum said Moggridge, its director since 2010, died on Saturday from cancer.

Moggridge is credited with the design of the Grid Compass, a computer that had a keyboard and yellow-on-black display that sold for $8,150 when it was released in 1982. It was encased in magnesium and seen as rugged, and was used by the U.S. military.

The computer made its way into outer space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.

Full story at Iwon/AP News.

[unchoopfan]

Lance LeGault, 77, actor (A-Team, Magnum, P.I.)

(San Marino Tribune) - Lance LeGault, a veteran character actor whose 50-year Hollywood career included work as a stunt double for Elvis Presley, died Monday (Sept. 10) at his home in Los Angeles, according to his daughter, Mary. He was 75.

A Chicago native, LeGault was best known for his role as Col. Roderick Decker, a United States Army colonel who tried to catch fugitive Vietnam veterans in the 1980s TV series "The A-Team." He also had a recurring role in another 1980s hit TV series "Magnum, P.I." as United States Marine Corps Col. "Buck" Greene.

He was a familiar character actor to TV viewers for more than four decades, making guest appearances on Knight Rider, Airwolf, Dallas, The Rockford Files, Gunsmoke, Barbary Coast, Logan's Run, Battlestar Galactica, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman , Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Dukes of Hazzard, T. J. Hooker, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Voyagers, MacGyver, Sledge Hammer, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Renegade and Crusade.

LeGault's first three feature films were Elvis Presley movies, Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) in which he was a stunt double for Elvis Presley, Kissin' Cousins (1964), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). He also appeared in Elvis Presley's groundbreaking 1968 NBC television special Elvis (also known as Elvis' 68 Comeback Special), where he sat at the side of the stage playing a tambourine. The low-pitched, gravelly-voiced actor por­trayed Col. Glass in the 1981 com­edy Stripes, star­ring Bill Murray and John Candy.

LeGault also did voice work in cartoons and in commercials, pitching products for such brands as Burger King, Dodge and 7-Up, Mary LeGault said. His voice was also used for time as the narrator of the tour audiotape at Presely’s Graceland mansion.

Glen Larson, creator of the television series “Knight Rider,” said LeGault’s voice was “four octaves lower than God’s,” his daughter said.

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Johnny Perez, 69, drummer (Sir Douglas Quintet)

(AllMusic.com/San Antonio Express-News) - Johnny Perez, drummer on the Sir Douglas Quintet's biggest hits and an accomplished songwriter collaborating on hit songs with Joe “King” Carrasco, died Tuesday (Sept. 11) at a Topanga, Calif., hospital from complication of cirrhosis of the liver. He was 69.

Arguably the greatest and most influential Tex-Mex group ever, the Sir Douglas Quintet epitomized Texas' reputation as a fertile roots music melting pot and established the career of Tex-Mex cult legend Doug Sahm. The Quintet, composed of Sahm, Perez, Augie Meyers, Frank Morin and Jack Barber, mixed country, blues, jazz, R&B, Mexican conjunto/norteño music, Cajun dances, British Invasion rock & roll, garage rock, and even psychedelia into a heady stew that could only have come from Texas. Although they went largely underappreciated during their existence (mostly in the '60s), their influence was far-reaching and continues to be felt in Texas (particularly the similarly eclectic Austin scene) and beyond; afterward, Sahm embarked on a frequently fascinating solo career and reunited with The Quintet or its individual members several times over the years.

The group is perhaps best known for the Sahm-penned hit single "She's About a Mover," which peaked at #13 during a nine-week run on the Billboard Top 40 chart in Spring 1965. With its 12-bar blues structure, "She's About a Mover" became very well-known, and was once named the number one 'Texas' song by Texas Monthly. The band is known for its songs "Mendocino," (1968) "Can You Dig My Vibrations?" (1968) and "Dynamite Woman" (1969). "Mendocino" was released in December 1968, cracking the Top 30 in the Billboard Hot 100 by early 1969, spending 15 weeks in the chart.

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James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, 77, R&B musician/songwriter

(New Orleans Times-Picayune) - James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, the New Orleans rhythm & blues singer who wrote and recorded the enduring Mardi Gras standard “Jock-A-Mo,” died early Saturday (Sept. 15) while under hospice care following a brief illness. He was 77.

“Jock-A-Mo” borrowed its lyrics from age-old Mardi Gras Indian chants. It was later remade by the Dixie Cups as “Iko Iko.” Artists as diverse as Dr. John, the Grateful Dead and Cyndi Lauper also recorded variations.

Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records, discovered "Sugar Boy" when he happened to hear his R&B group "The Chapaka Shawee" at radio station WMRY while in New Orleans. He made what was purportedly an audition tape of the group. “The man paid me $5, and I went and bought some wine and red beans,” Mr. Crawford recalled for The Times-Picayune’s Sheila Stroup this spring.

Weeks later, a disc jockey at the station presented Crawford with a 78 rpm record of “I Don't Know What I’ll Do.” It was manufactured from the audition tape and credited to Sugar Boy & His Cane Cutters.

In November 1953, at age 19, Mr. Crawford recorded his composition “Jock-A-Mo” at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studio on North Rampart Street, with a band that included Snooks Eaglin on guitar. He did not know what the lyrics meant. “It was just a couple of Indian chants I put together and made a song out of them,” he said.

In a 2002 interview with OffBeat magazine, Mr. Crawford said he actually sang "Chock-a-Mo." But Leonard Chess, listening to the recording in Chicago, heard "Jock-A-Mo" and designated that as the title.

Released on the Chess subsidiary Checker Records, "Jock-A-Mo" was a hit during the 1954 Carnival season and a boon to Mr. Crawford’s career. He became popular on the fraternity circuit at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and toured around the country, even though he was too young to perform in venues where alcohol was served.

Crawford’s own career came to a premature end following a police beating in 1963. Only in recent years did he return to the stage, and then only occasionally. After sorting out the publishing rights to his old catalog, he earned royalties whenever "Jock-A-Mo" or one of its derivatives turned up in movies or commercials, such as when the Belle Stars’ recording of “Iko Iko" appeared on the "Rain Man" soundtrack.

[just saying]

Steve Sabol, who was the creative force behind NFL Films, his father’s innovative enterprise that melded cinematic ingenuity, martial metaphors and symphonic music to lend professional football the aura of myth and help fuel its rise in popularity, died on Tuesday in Moorestown, N.J. He was 69.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/sport ... emityn.www

[David Paleg]

'Pink Panther' actor Herbert Lom dead at 95
Sep 27, 9:21 AM (ET)
By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD and JILL LAWLESS


LONDON (AP) - Herbert Lom, the Czech-born actor best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died Thursday, his son said. He was 95.

Alec Lom said his father died peacefully in his sleep.

Herbert Lom had a handsomely lugubrious look that was suited to comedy, horror and everything in between. It served him well over a six-decade career in which roles ranged from Napoleon Bonaparte - whom he played twice - to the Phantom of the Opera.

The London-based star appeared in more than 100 films, including "Spartacus" and "El Cid," and acted alongside film greats including Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas.

But Lom was most famous for playing Charles Dreyfus, boss to Peter Sellers' befuddled Clouseau in the popular "Pink Panther" series, from "A Shot in the Dark" in 1964 to "Son of the Pink Panther" in 1993.

"It was a delight to him later in his career to be cast by Pink Panther producer and director Blake Edwards in a comedy role opposite Peter Sellers, and he hugely enjoyed that move," Alec Lom said. "He had many funny stories about the antics that he and Peter Sellers got up to on the set. It was a nightmare working with Peter because he was a terrible giggler and, between my father and Peter's laughter, they ruined dozens and dozens of takes."

Born Herbert Karel Angelo Kuchacevic ze Schluderpacheru in Prague in 1917, Lom came to Britain at the start of World War II and began his career as a radio announcer with the BBC's overseas service.

His first major movie role was as Napoleon in 1942's "The Young Mr. Pitt." The career that followed saw him cast often as a villain.

In "The Ladykillers," one of the best-loved British films of the 1950s, Lom played a member of a ruthless crime gang fatally outsmarted by a mild-mannered old lady.

Horror roles included the title character in Hammer Studios'"The Phantom of the Opera" in 1962, and Van Helsing in 1970's "Count Dracula," opposite Christopher Lee.

A postwar American career was stymied when Lom was denied a visa, though he later appeared on U.S. TV series including "The Streets Of San Francisco" and "Hawaii Five-O."

In the 1950s, Lom also had success on the London stage playing the King of Siam in the original London production of the "The King And I" at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, opposite Valerie Hobson.

[just saying]

LOS ANGELES -- Alex Karras, who gained fame in the NFL as a fearsome defensive lineman and later as an actor, has died. He was 77.

Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney, said Karras died at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, surrounded by family.

Karras had been suffering from dementia. He was among the more than 3,500 NFL players suing the league regarding the treatment of head injuries.

Detroit drafted Karras, who grew up in Gary, Ind., 10th overall in 1958 out of Iowa and he was a four-time All-Pro defensive tackle over 12 seasons with the franchise.

Karras may be even better known for his work as an actor. He portrayed an adoptive dad in the 1980s sitcom "Webster," and punched a horse in the 1974 comedy classic "Blazing Saddles."

[EZ103.3FM]

Beano Cook, the Cardinal of College Football dies at 81.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... tball-dies
Beano Cook, a longtime staple of the Pittsburgh sports scene and an ESPN college football studio commentator since 1986, died Wednesday night. He was 81.

Cook, a 1954 University of Pittsburgh grad, began his career as a sports publicist for the school from 1956-66. He later worked with a number of organizations, including the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

Cook was a studio commentator for ABC from 1982-85 before joining ESPN. He also worked as ABC's press director from 1966-74, and for the St. Petersburg Times newspaper, as well as the Miami Dolphins.

His knowledge of the history of college football earned him the moniker as the "Cardinal of College Football." Most recently, Cook and ESPN.com senior college football writer Ivan Maisel shared the microphone on a weekly podcast. Cook also chatted regularly with ESPN.com users.

One of Cook's most famous quips was "Haven't they suffered enough", in response to Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn's offer of lifetime passes to games for returning hostages from Iran.

Cook also started a blog in 2010. His last entry, from Oct. 1, read, "Sorry to say that health issues hit me at the worst time -- start of college football season. Everything except recovery takes a back-burner now."

Cook was born Carroll Hoff Cook on Sept. 1, 1931 in San Francisco. He served in the U.S. Army for two years after graduating from Pittsburgh.

NOTE:Here's a link to Beano's last podcast with Ivan Maisel which was done on August 31, 2012: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8313493. Beano's last appearance on live espn programming was on the 'Dari & Mel Show' on espnradio on Septemeber 1, 2012 - the first day of the current college football season: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8324901

[genlock]

Gary Collins has died at 74.


(CNN) -- Former television host and actor Gary Collins has died of natural causes in Mississippi, Harrison County Deputy Coroner Brian Switzer said Saturday. He was 74.

Collins was known as a TV and radio personality and was married to former Miss America Mary Anne Mobley.

He was an actor in the television series "The Sixth Sense" and "Born Free" in the 1970s and "Iron Horse" and "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" in the 1960s.
Photos: People we've lost in 2012 Photos: People we've lost in 2012

His biography on the entertainment industry's IMDb.com states he became interested in acting after he enlisted in the Army and became a radio and television host for the Armed Forces Network.

He made appearances in such popular TV shows as "Charlie's Angels" and "Fantasy Island."

[genlock]

Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter dies at 82


HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, the outspoken Pennsylvania centrist whose switch from Republican to Democrat ended a 30-year career in which he played a pivotal role in several Supreme Court nominations, died Sunday. He was 82

[David Paleg]

'Emmanuelle' star Sylvia Kristel dies at age 60
Oct 18, 7:22 AM (ET)
By MIKE CORDER


THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Actress Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch star of the hit 1970s erotic movie "Emmanuelle," has died of cancer at age 60.

Her agent, Features Creative Management, said in a statement Thursday that Kristel died in her sleep Wednesday night. Kristel, a model who turned to acting in the 1970s, had been fighting cancer for several years.

Her breakthrough came in "Emmanuelle," a 1974 erotic tale directed by Frenchman Just Jaeckin, about the sexual adventures of a man and his beautiful young wife, played by Kristel, in Thailand.

She went on to star in several sequels to "Emmanuelle," as well as in Hollywood movies including "Private Lessons" in 1981.

[just saying]

The death of former Sen. George McGovern has triggered a flurry of well-deserved tributes to his class, his humanity, his integrity, his faith, his civility and his service to his country as a World War II bomber pilot, as well as a politician.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/10/ ... z29ybUV0Qk

[unchoopfan]

Natina Reed, R&B singer (Blaque)/actress, 32

ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities say R&B singer Natina Reed, known as a member of the female group Blaque, was killed Friday (Oct. 26) after being stuck by a car in metro Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Police Department said in a news release Sunday that the 32-year-old Reed was hit late Friday while in the roadway at an intersection on U.S. 29 near Lilburn.olice say the driver called 911 for help, and someone tried to revive Reed on the scene. She was later pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center.

It’s unclear why Reed was in the road. Police say the driver wasn’t at fault and won’t be charged. Blaque’s hits included “808” and “Bring It All to Me” in the late ‘90s. Reed was also in the movie “Bring It On,” released in 2000. Reed would have turned 33 on Sunday.

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Bill Dees, songwriter (Oh Pretty Woman, It's Over), 73

Bill Dees, a Texas-born singer/songwriter known for his writing collaboration on some of Roy Orbison's biggest hits, died Oct. 24 in Mountain Home, Arkansas following a battle with brain cancer. He was 73.

Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Dees played guitar and sang with a band called "The Five Bops," gaining enough recognition to perform on an Amarillo, Texas radio station. He eventually made his way to Nashville, where his meeting Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs for Monument Records including the hits "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over." In 1967, Dees co-wrote all the songs for the Orbison album and MGM motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive.

Beyond his work with Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled Saturday Night At The Movies, a compilation of songs previously sung by Orbison that had been written with Dees and some that Dees had written alone.

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Mary Campbell, music journalist (AP), 78

NEW YORK (AP) - Mary Campbell, whose childhood affection for the big bands and opera she heard on her radio set the stage for four decades as a music writer for The Associated Press, died Friday (Oct. 19). She was 78.

Campbell died in Bloomington, Ind., according to her sister, Ruth Miller.

From symphony to rock 'n' roll, from Duke Ellington to Beverly Sills to the Dixie Chicks, Campbell covered the entertainment scene, earning respect from the artists she wrote about and devotion from the public who followed her profiles and reviews.

"Mary Campbell is a most admired reporter, not only because she writes so well but also because she knows an interesting story when she hears about it," celebrated conductor-tenor Placido Domingo once said.

At a party for the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary in the 1990s, Mary Travers politely greeted the many luminaries in attendance but spent much of the evening huddled in a corner with Campbell, catching up with her old friend.

"It will be hard to think of The Associated Press without Mary Campbell on its staff," said crooner Tony Bennett upon her retirement in 2000.

Few witnessed as much rock history as Campbell. She was there when the Beatles played Shea Stadium in 1965, reporting that their show was "better than the World Series, the All-Star Game and 50 grand slam homers rolled into one." She interviewed Elton John before he even had a recording contract. She would recall talking to Janis Joplin around the time of Woodstock, and how the singer confided being torn between the rock 'n' roll life and her desire to raise a family.

One of her favorite stories was visiting the set of "Saturday Night Live" in 1976, when George Harrison was a guest. The ex-Beatle, seated in his dressing room, was initially abrupt with Campbell, offering one-word responses to her questions. Then, a second guest joined the conversation: Paul Simon, who greeted Campbell so warmly that Harrison, too, opened up.

"Mary was completely and authentically herself, which charmed her colleagues and the many performers she interviewed over the years, from Tony Bennett to Mick Jagger to members of the New York Philharmonic," said Kristin Gazlay, an AP vice president and managing editor. "If you met her, it's impossible to ever forget her. She is greatly missed."

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Larry Sloan, publisher ("Mad-Libs" co-founder), 89

TIME.com - Larry Sloan, publisher of one of the world’s best-loved language games, died Sunday (Oct. 14). The Mad Libs series of books has brought roars of laughter to the American households since the 1960s. He was 89.

Mad Libs, in which players complete sentences with random words and then read back the results, was originally shunned by book publishers and game manufactures. But now, more than 110 million copies have been reportedly sold, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Mad Libs series has become a roadtrip favorite: all you need to play is a pen and some basic knowledge of grammar.

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B.B. Cunningham, singer/keyboardist (The Hombres, Jerry Lee Lewis), 70

AP/E!News.com - B.B. Cunningham, a longtime keyboardist and backup singer for legendary rocker Jerry Lee Lewis as well as leader of his own band The Hombres, was gunned down early Sunday morning (Oct. 14) in Memphis. He was 70.

Police said Cunningham was working as a security guard at an apartment complex on Memphis' southeast side, when he heard a gunshot at the neighboring Cherry Crest apartments and went to investigate about 2 a.m., according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Police didn't provide details, but they said when officers arrived, both the 70-year-old Cunningham and a 16-year-old boy were found dead from gunshot wounds.

Born Blake Baker Cunningham Jr., the keyboardist and singer established a national reputation in 1965 as a member of the touring version of Ronnie and the Daytonas, known for the song "G.T.O." That band eventually became the Hombres.

Cunningham's perhaps best known for his distinctive organ riff and gravely vocals on The Hombres' garage rock classic "Let It All Hang Out," which hit #12 on the Billboard Top 40 Pop Chart in Fall 1967 - the group's only charting hit. Cunningham was joined in that group by guitarist Gary McEwen, bassist Jerry Masters and drummer Johnny Hunter. Hunter committed suicide in February 1976 at age 34. Cunningham's brother, Bill, was a member of The Box Tops.

After the Hombres' career slowed, Cunningham went to work behind the scenes at the famed Sounds of Memphis Studios. In 1971, he moved to Los Angeles where he served as chief engineer at Independent Recorders, working with the likes of Billy Joel, Elton John, and Lou Rawls.

Cunningham ultimately returned to Memphis a few years later and launched his own studio. He had been a member of Lewis' band since 1997. His solo album, "Hangin' In," was released in 2003.

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Tim Johnson, Nashville songwriter, 52

Tim Johnson, a hit songwriter who served as a board member at the Nashville Songwriters Association International and mentored numerous writers, died Sunday (Oct. 21) after a lengthy cancer battle. He was 52. A Noti, Oregon native, Johnson was known for co-writing the singles "I Let Her Lie" by Daryle Singletary, "God Only Cries" by Diamond Rio, "Do You Believe Me Now" by Jimmy Wayne, "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" by Kellie Pickler, and "She Misses Him" by Tim Rushlow.

[EZ103.3FM]

Darrell Royal, Football Coach at Texas, Dies at 88
By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: November 7, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/sport ... d=all&_r=0

Darrell Royal, a folksy former all-American player who became one of college football’s most acclaimed and innovative coaches, leading the University of Texas Longhorns to three national championships, died on Wednesday in Austin, Tex. He was 88.

The cause was complications of cardiovascular disease, the University of Texas said. Royal had been treated for Alzheimer’s disease.

When Royal was named the Texas football coach in 1957, he took over a team that had won only one game the previous season. When he retired after 20 seasons, he had coached the Longhorns to 11 Southwest Conference championships and 16 bowl appearances, and he never had a losing team. He was named national coach of the year five times and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

His squads pioneered a wishbone offense running game that influenced college football far beyond the Austin campus.

Royal introduced the wishbone, devised largely by his assistant Emory Bellard, in September 1968. It featured three runners lined up in the shape of a Y, or a wishbone, the fullback directly behind the quarterback and two tailbacks split behind them, offering several options on a given play and emphasizing quickness.

Alabama, under Bear Bryant, and Oklahoma, coached by Barry Switzer, were among the programs that copied this attack and thrived with it.

Texas had fine teams in the 1940s under Coach Dana X. Bible but never finished atop the national rankings. Royal not only reached that pinnacle three times, but also endeared himself to Longhorns fans with his homespun style.

After Texas was beaten by Arkansas and Rice on successive Saturdays in 1965, Royal was asked if he planned major changes. He replied, “There’s an old saying, ‘You dance with the one that brung ya.’ ”

He favored the ground game. As for passing: “Three things can happen, and two of them are bad.”

As for attitude: “You’ve got to think lucky. If you fall into a mud hole, check your back pocket. You might have caught a fish.”

Royal, who was an all-American player at Oklahoma, a Texas rival, coached stars like Earl Campbell and Roosevelt Leaks at running back, Scott Appleton at tackle and Tommy Nobis at linebacker, compiling a record of 167-47-5 at Texas. But his image came under fire when one of his reserve linemen of the mid-1960s, Gary Shaw, told of brutality and intimidation in his 1972 book, “Meat on the Hoof: The Hidden World of Texas Football.”

Shaw wrote that Royal had put seldom-used players through drills in which they pummeled one another, hoping that many would quit so he could find more recruiting spots for highly talented high school players.

“I don’t deny at all that we ran a tough program, especially back then,” Royal told Texas Monthly in 1982. “I don’t think we ran it without feelings.”

He added: “I didn’t recognize some of those drills he described. We never had them ever — at any time.”

James Street, the outstanding Texas quarterback of the late 1960s, told Texas Monthly that Royal could be aloof, even toward his top players. “We sure never went to him for fatherly advice,” Street said.

Royal delighted in players who relished hard hits, among them Nobis, his all-American linebacker of the mid-1960s. “Aside from his super ability, he’s just one of those trained pigs you love,” Royal told Sports Illustrated. “He’ll laugh and jump right in the slop for you.”

Royal faced charges of racism for Texas’ belated use of black players. In 1970, Julius Whittier became the first African-American letterman to play for the Longhorns.

“We should have done it a lot sooner,” Royal said in “Coach Royal: Conversations With a Texas Football Legend,” written with John Wheat. “That had to change eventually, and thank goodness it did.”

Royal was not like some coaches “who made it their goal to make sure college football stayed white,” Whittier told Terry Frei in “Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming: Texas vs. Arkansas in Dixie’s Last Stand.” “I didn’t see that in Coach Royal. Not that he was some big social revolutionary or anything, but I think he recognized that to stay where we were, we were going to have to use black athletes.”

Darrell K Royal (the middle initial was in honor of his mother, Katy, who died of cancer when he was a few months old) was born in Hollis, Okla., on July 6, 1924.

When he was 15, his father, Burley, who worked odd jobs, took Darrell and a brother to California in the Depression-era migration of the so-called Okies. But a few months later Darrell returned to Hollis to play high school football and live with a grandmother.

Royal, at 5 feet 10 inches and 170 pounds, was an outstanding quarterback and defensive halfback and a brilliant punter at Oklahoma for Coach Bud Wilkinson. He was an all-American in 1949, playing on an undefeated Sugar Bowl-winning team.

He was the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League (1953), Mississippi State (1954-55) and the University of Washington (1956) before getting the Texas post.

Royal’s Longhorns achieved their first No. 1 ranking in 1963 when they were 11-0 and defeated a Navy team led by the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Roger Staubach in the Cotton Bowl. Royal’s Texas teams beat Oklahoma in the Red River rivalry every year from 1958 to 1965.

Royal’s best-remembered game, known as the Big Shootout, came in December 1969, when top-ranked Texas rallied to defeat second-ranked Arkansas, 15-14, at Fayetteville, Ark., with President Richard M. Nixon in attendance.

The Longhorns shared a third national championship with Nebraska in 1970. They won 30 straight games from 1968 to 1970.

Royal retired as coach after the 1976 season but stayed on until 1980 as athletic director, a post he had held since 1962. He was later a special assistant on athletic matters to the university president. The Longhorns’ football field has been known since 1996 as Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Survivors include his wife, Edith, and a son, Mack. A daughter, Marian, died in a car accident in 1973, and another son, David, died in a motorcycle accident in 1982.

In February 1964, the University of Texas rewarded Royal for his first national championship by making him a full professor with tenure. But his down-home presence seemed unaffected.

Mickey Herskowitz, a Houston Chronicle sportswriter who gave the wishbone attack its name, recalled how the Texas sports information director, Jones Ramsey, walked into Royal’s office when he was a newly minted professor and saw him scowling while he scribbled on a pad.

As Herskowitz told it: “Jones asked what was wrong. Royal looked up and said, ‘I’ve been sitting here for 30 minutes, trying to figure out if professor has one or two f’s in it.’ ”

[unchoopfan]

Major Harris, R&B singer, 65

E!Online — Major Harris, the R&B singer who helped pioneer the sweeping sounds of Philadelphia soul during the 1970s as a member of the Delfonics before achieving fame as a solo artist in his own right, has died. He was 65.

Harris passed away Friday morning (Nov. 9) at a Richmond, Va., hospital from congestive heart and lung failure.

Born Feb. 9, 1947 into a musical family, Harris began singing with various doo-wop and R&B groups in the '60s around his native Richmond, among them the Jamels, the Charmers, Frankie Lymon's the Teenagers and Nat Turner's Rebellion.

But it wasn't until he hooked up with the Delfonics, replacing crooner Randy Cain, that he really made a name for himself. The soul outfit contributed a slew of classic songs early in the '70s, many of which were later sampled by rappers like Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees and Notorious B.I.G. and resurrected in films like Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.

After the Delfonics fractured into two bands in 1974, Harris launched a solo career, signing a deal with Atlantic Records whereupon he scored a slew of R&B hits. Among his best known was "Love Won't Let Me Wait," which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In the '80s, the R&B smoothie subsequently returned to the Delfonics fold and throughout the remaining two decades, the band continued to tour in various configurations.

In 1996, Harris and other members even sang backing vocals on a track on the hip-hop album Ironman by Ghostface Killah.

[unchoopfan]

Murray Arnold, college basketball coach (UTC), 74

Legendary Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Murray Arnold, who led the Mocs to NCAA Division I basketball success during the 1980s, died Tuesday night (Nov. 13) in Florida at the age of 74.

Arnold went 135-46 and led Chattanooga to five 20-win seasons from 1979-85, posting a 74.6-percent winning percentage that stands as the best in the program's history. The Mocs won four Southern Conference championships in his six seasons, and made three NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the NIT. The Mocs made their first-ever NCAA Tournament trip under Arnold in 1981, an 81-69 loss to Maryland in the first round. UTC returned to the tournament the following year as a #10 seed in the 48-team field, upsetting #7 seed North Carolina State (58-51) before falling one point shy of the Sweet 16 in a 62-61 loss to #2 seed Minnesota.

Following a 13-14 record in his first season, Arnold went 121-33 over the next five years before leaving for an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. He later coached at Western Kentucky and Stetson before retiring in 2000.

He also recruited and coached some of UTC's greatest players, including Willie White, Gerald Wilkins, Russ Schoene, Nick Morken and Stanford Strickland. All four members of his 1980 recruiting class (White, Shoene, Morken and Stanford) are in the UTC Hall of Fame, and three (White, Shoene and Morken) went on to become NBA draft picks.

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Martin Fay, founding member of The Chieftains, 76

Martin Fay, fiddle player and founding member of The Chieftains traditional music group, died Nov. 14 at the age of 76.

He was one of the original members of the group formed by piper Paddy Maloney in 1962, although the musicians only played together full-time from 1975. Fay joined forces with fellow musicians Moloney, Sean Potts, Micheal Tubridy and David Fallon to record what was supposed to be a one-time album for the Claddagh label.

A statement from the group said: "The Chieftains are sad to announce that Martin Fay has passed away at the age of 76. His memory and music will be with The Chieftains always. He will be dearly missed."

[genlock]

Hostess Bakeries dead at 82


Hostess, the makers of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, is going out of business after striking workers failed to heed a Thursday deadline to return to work, the company said.

“We deeply regret the necessity of today’s decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,” Hostess CEO Gregory F. Rayburn said in announcing that the firm had filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to shutter its business. “Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders.”

[Greg Goodfellow]

Archeologists after the apocolypse will one day unearth Twinkies from beneath the nuclear rubble and proclaim them as 'tasty.'

[unchoopfan]

Cleve Duncan, R&B singer (The Penguins), 78

Cleve Duncan, lead vocalist behind 1950s doo-wop group the Penguins, died Nov. 7 in Los Angeles. He was 78.

Duncan was well known for the tenor harmonies of "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)," a 1954 ballad that's still being spun on oldies radio across the country. The song came back into prominence after its use in 1985's "Back to the Future."

L.A.-based songwriter Curtis Williams discovered Duncan at a talent show in 1953. The pair later formed the Penguins with baritone Bruce Tate and tenor Dextor Tisby, and soon went to work cutting songs in a garage.

In 1954, the four-piece recorded two singles, the A-side "Hey Senorita," and the B-side "Earth Angel." DJs passed right over the A-side and began spinning the latter, which quickly climbed to the top of the R&B charts.

The Penguins never achieved a no. 1 hit again and broke up in 1958. Duncan later reformed the band, keeping the memory alive for around 40 more years.

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Lucille Bliss, voice actress (The Jetsons, Smurfs), 96

Lucille Bliss, who provided the voices for the cartoon characters Smurfette, Crusader Rabbit, and Rags died of natural causes on Nov. 8 in Costa Mesa, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. She was 96.

The animation voice actress’ career spanned over 60 years; she was working as recently as last month. In addition to her groundbreaking double role in Crusader Rabbit (as the title character and Rags) and her most recognizable role in The Smurfs (as Smurfette), Bliss also gave voice to the stepsister Anastasia in Disney’s 1950 film Cinderella and the original Elroy in the 1960s TV series The Jetsons. Her smaller projects included The Flintstones and Star Wars spinoffs and video games.

“She was a pioneer in television animation,” author and animation historian Charles Solomon told the Los Angeles Times. “[Crusader Rabbit] really set a pattern for a lot of future shows — the smart little character and the big dumb sidekick.”

Bliss, who never married, has no immediate survivors.

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Lee MacPhail, baseball executive/AL President (1973-1984), 95

Lee MacPhail, the longtime baseball executive who ruled in the celebrated Pine Tar case and later became part of the only father-son Hall of Fame pairing, has died. He was 95.

He was the oldest Hall of Famer, and he died Thursday Nov. 8 at his home in Delray Beach, Fla.

"There's not much I haven't done off the field other than commissioner," he said during a 1985 interview with The Associated Press when he retired after 4 ½ decades in the sport.

In the second generation of one of baseball's most prominent families — his son, Andy, also was in the front office for several teams — MacPhail's most well-known moment in baseball came in 1983. He upheld Kansas City's protest in the Pine Tar Game against the New York Yankees, restoring a ninth-inning home run to Royals slugger George Brett — also a future Hall of Famer.

"Lee MacPhail was one of the great executives in baseball history and a Hall of Famer in every sense, both personally and professionally," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "His hallmarks were dignity, common sense and humility. He was not only a remarkable league executive, but was a true baseball man."

With MacPhail's death, Bobby Doerr at 94 becomes the oldest living Hall of Famer.

"Baseball history has lost a great figure in Lee MacPhail, whose significant impact on the game spanned five decades," Hall chairman Jane Forbes Clark said. "He will always be remembered in Cooperstown as a man of exemplary kindness and a man who always looked after the best interests of the game."

Lee MacPhail was the son of Larry MacPhail, a top executive with the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees.

"Over his lifetime in baseball, Lee made many significant contributions that helped to make the game what it is today," former players' union head Don Fehr said.

MacPhail's son Andy became GM of the Minnesota Twins, president of the Chicago Cubs and president of baseball operations of the Orioles. From the next generation, Andy MacPhail IV worked for the Cleveland Indians and is a scout for the Orioles.

The Hall said no services are planned and a memorial will be held later.

[genlock]

TV chef Art Ginsburg, Mr. Food, dies at 81



November 21, 2012 @ 12:30 PM

2012/The Herald-Dispatch

Herald-Dispatch.com

Art Ginsburg, the delightfully dorky television chef known as Mr. Food, died at his home in Weston, Fla., Wednesday following a struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81.

Ginsburg — who enticed viewers for decades with a can-do focus on easy weeknight cooking and the tagline "Ooh! It's so good!" — was diagnosed just over a year ago. The cancer had gone into remission following early treatments and surgery, but returned earlier this month.

[genlock]

Hector "Macho" Camacho is clinically brain dead at 50.



SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Famed Puerto Rican boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho is clinically brain dead, doctors said Thursday, though they said family members were disagreeing on whether to take him off life support.

Dr. Ernesto Torres said doctors have finished performing all medical tests on Camacho, who was shot in the face Tuesday night.

"We have done everything we could," said Torres, who is the director of the Centro Medico trauma center in San Juan. "We have to tell the people of Puerto Rico and the entire world that Macho Camacho has died, he is brain dead."

He said at a news conference that the family expects to say by Friday if Camacho should remain on life support.

Torres said Camacho's father has already indicated that he wants the boxer taken off life support and his organs donated, but one of his sisters opposes the idea.