2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Sheriff R.P. Coltrane, dead at 88

Actor James Best, who played the often confused Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” died on Monday evening after a brief illness and battle with pneumonia, according to his rep. He was 88.
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Richard Dysart, a veteran actor of both the stage and screen who is best known for his role as senior partner Leland McKenzie in the courtroom drama series L.A. Law, has died at 86. Dysart died on Sunday at his Santa Monica home after a long illness, publicist Jeannine Jacobi.
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/04/09/la ... rt-dies-86
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Percy Sledge died this morning at 73


Famed R&B singer Percy Sledge died this morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his agent Steve Green confirmed to ABC News. He was 73.

The Alabama native, most known for his classic 1966 hit "When a Man Loves a Woman," which reach No. 1 on the charts, died after a long battle with cancer, his agent of 35 years added.

Sledge had been singing for the past 50 years and music was released under his name all the way till 2013 with "The Gospel of Percy Sledge."
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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MR Cartoon, Jule Huffman, dies at 91.



HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The WSAZ family is sad to announce Jule Huffman, also known as "Mr. Cartoon," has died.

Jule was a weather reporter at WSAZ for 38 years, but he will be remembered, forever, in the hearts of WSAZ viewers, as "Mr. Cartoon."

Jule played the role of "Mr. Cartoon" for decades at WSAZ, but also did other things before retiring in the mid-nineties.

Since then, he's stayed very active in the Huntington community.

During an interview in 2007, Jule talked about his years as "Mr. Cartoon."

"I ended programs and I'll say it again....don't forget cartooners, it's getting closed to the weekend now, go to your church, synagogue. Don't forget to get to say your prayer. Don't forget thank you and I'm sorry. Politeness is so strong. That's what I want them to do," Jule said. "I really did love my time at WSAZ. I want to let the children know I loved you all... You made my life something special. God Bless you all. Thank you."

Jule just celebrated his 90th birthday last year.
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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:(
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) —Jack Ely, the singer known for Louie Louie, the low-budget recording that became one the most famous songs of the 20th century, died at his home in Redmond, Oregon, after a long battle with an illness. He was 71
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/peop ... /26537737/
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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R&B and soul singer Ben E King, best known for the classic song Stand By Me, has died at the age of 76.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_E._King

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-32547474
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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BB King, the King of Blues, dies at 89
The "King of the Blues", guitarist and singer BB King, has died aged 89.
King, known for his hits My Lucille, Sweet Little Angel and Rock Me Baby, died in his sleep in Las Vegas.
Born in Mississippi, King began performing in the 1940s, going on to influence a generation of musicians, and working with Eric Clapton and U2.
Once ranked as the third greatest guitarist of all time, he had been suffering ill health in recent months.
He was recently taken to hospital with a diabetes-related illness.
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-32747861
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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MIAMI (AP) — Garo Yepremian, the former NFL kicker who helped the Miami Dolphins win consecutive NFL championships but is best remembered for a Super Bowl blooper, died Friday of cancer. He was 70.
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Comedienne Anna Meara was born September 20, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York, to Mary (Dempsey) and Edward Joseph Meara, who were both of Irish descent. She and her husband, Jerry Stiller were members of the improvisational company, the Compass Players, which later became SCTV (1976). They performed as a duo under the name "Stiller and Meara", and ... See full bio »
Born: September 20, 1929 in New York City, New York, USA
Died: May 23, 2015 (age 85)
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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WWE legend and Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes died today at the age of 69, the company said in a statement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusty_Rhodes_(wrestler)
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Burlesque dancer Blaze Starr dies at 83

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Blaze Starr, the performer who brought to The Block a playful version of stripping that combined the flair of an entertainer and the attitude of a satirist, died Monday at a hospital in Williamson, W.Va. She was 83.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obitua ... story.html
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Dick Van Patten, the venerable comic character actor who made millions chuckle on Eight is Enough and The Love Boat, has died. He was 86
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2 ... /29157457/
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Comedian Jack Carter dies at 93
Jack Carter , the rapid-fire, wise-cracking comic who was a familiar presence from The Ed Sullivan Show to Laugh-In , died June 28 of respiratory failure at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 93. Carter had a long career that began shortly after Worl Wochit
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2 ... /29492139/
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler died Wednesday from complications resulting from Stage 4 colon cancer, the team confirmed Thursday. He was 69.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutd ... 02393.html
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Bill Bailey 1927-2015

A former Logan County radio station personality and owner has passed away
88 year old Everett Morris “Bill” Bailey died on Wednesday at Trinity Healthcare.
Bailey was an account executive at WVOW radio in the early 1950s. Later in that decade he move to the now defunct WLOG.
Bailey took over the operation of WLOG in the 1970s in a time when stand alone AM radio stations had become increasingly irrelevant in the media landscape which caused financial struggles for most of them.
In 1985 Bailey relinquished control and was removed from ownership of WLOG in a bankruptcy filing.
WVOW General Manager Speedy Bevins said that Bailey was a fierce competitor and forced you to earn your market share.

(from WVOW)
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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WWE wrestling legend 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper has died at his California home at the age of 61, the athlete's agent told Variety Friday.

"Rod passed peacefully in his sleep last night," Jay Schacter told the publication in an e-mail.

Piper suffered a heart attack shortly before his death, Variety said.

The wrestler joined the WWE in 1984 after spending a number of years with the National Wrestling Alliance.
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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NEW YORK (AP) - Pro Football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford has died. He was 84.

In a statement released by NBC News on Sunday, his family said Gifford died suddenly at his Connecticut home of natural causes that morning. His wife, Kathie Lee Gifford, is a host for NBC's "Today."

A versatile star on both offense and defense in an era when NFL players were starting to specialize, Gifford went on to a successful second career as a broadcaster on "Monday Night Football."

Gifford was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1956 when he led the New York Giants to a league championship.
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Melody Patterson, actress (F Troop), 66

(Examiner.com) - Melody Patterson, the beloved actress who played “Wrangler Jane” Angelica Thrift on the 1960s sitcom “F Troop,” has died. Patterson died at age 66 in a nursing home after multiple organ failure according to Variety on Saturday (Aug. 22).

Fans best remember Melody Patterson from her cameos in popular shows of the 1960s and ‘70s. In addition to her starring role on “F Troop,” Patterson had guest roles on “The Monkees,” “Adam-12” and “Green Acres,” and she made three appearances on the original “Hawaii Five-O,” which featured her then-husband, James MacArthur. For her best known role on “F Troop,” Patterson’s Wrangler Jane was the tomboy shopkeeper and sharpshooter girlfriend of Captain Wilton Parmenter (played by Ken Berry).

Fellow “F Troop” star Larry Storch, who played Corporal Randolph Agarn on the show, also announced Melody Patterson’s death in a Facebook post, writing: “It’s with a heavy heart that we can let you know our beloved Wrangler Jane, Melody Patterson passed away today. Our hearts are sad today. RIP Sweet Melody. We love you.”

According to Hollywood Reporter, Melody Patterson auditioned for the part of Jane on “F Troop” when she was just 15 years old, after telling the producers that she was 18. Patterson reportedly enrolled in the Hollywood Professional School in the ninth grade, left for Downey High School and then filmed the pilot for "F Troop" during her Christmas vacation. By the time producers realized she was not 18 years old, the series was already on the air and doing well.

While “F Troop” only ran for two seasons on ABC, it became a big hit in syndication. Fans of Melody Patterson are mourning the loss of one of the most beloved actresses of the early television era.

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Harry Volkman, Chicago-area TV meteorologist (WGN/WMAQ), 89

Chicago-area television meteorologist Harry Volkman, who worked more than 50 years in the Windy City, died Thursday, Aug. 20 at the age of 89. Harry spent time at WMAQ-TV, WBBM-TV, WFLD-TV and worked two stints at legendary Chicago superstation WGN-TV. "Over a legendary television career spanning more than 50 years and four Chicago stations, Harry Volkman was a popular, trusted and respected weather forecaster who brought wisdom, warmth and wit to the science of meteorology. He also made history: In 1952 he was the first weatherman to issue a “tornado alert” during a live broadcast, prompting a change of government policy and saving many lives," wrote Chicago media blogger Robert Feder.

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Bud Yorkin, TV Producer (All In The Family, The Jeffersons), 89

(Reuters) - Bud Yorkin, who directed and produced some of the most influential and memorable television shows of the 1970s, including "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died Tuesday, Aug. 18 of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89.

Over the course of his long career, Alan "Bud" Yorkin won six Emmy Awards, a Peabody, a Sylvania and a Director’s Guild Award.

"Yorkin directed and co-produced many of the most innovative hit sitcoms of the 1970s, shows that broke new ground by interjecting topical, real-world elements of class, race, politics and social change as well as previously unseen settings into comic situations," his spokesman said in a statement.

Yorkin was best known for developing the groundbreaking sitcom "All in the Family," which introduced Americans to the openly bigoted, blue-collar worker, Archie Bunker, and the use of television comedy as a medium for social commentary.

Yorkin was born in Pennsylvania in 1926. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and earned a degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon.

He discovered his talent for writing and directing comedy while in the military, and went to work for NBC in the 1950s, directing hit shows of the era including the "Dinah Shore Show."

In 1957, he wrote, directed, and produced “An Evening With Fred Astaire,” which earned 9 Emmys for Best Writing, Best Direction and Best Musical Special.

He moved into production, and in the early 1970s he and partner Norman Lear developed "All in the Family," based off the British BBC series "Till Death Us Do Part."

"All in the Family," considered one of the most successful and influential television series in U.S. history, used comedy as a sound-board for major social themes, including racism and sexism.

Yorkin went on to produce other hit shows, including "The Jeffersons" and the popular "What’s Happening,” a teen comedy.

Yorkin is survived by wife Cynthia, sons David and Michael, daughters Nicole and Jessica, and 4 grandchildren.

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Yvonne Craig, actress (Batman, Star Trek), 78

(AP) - Yvonne Craig, who played the sexy, crime-fighting Batgirl in the 1960s TV hit "Batman," has died. She was 78.

Craig died Monday at her Los Angeles home from complications from breast cancer, her family said.

She began her career as a ballet dancer, the youngest member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, with which she toured for three years.

Then she was discovered by Hollywood, appearing in a 1958 episode of "Perry Mason" and in the 1959 feature "The Young Land."

After that, she won dozens of roles in TV shows, as well as co-starring in two 1960s Elvis Presley films, "It Happened at the World's Fair" and "Kissin' Cousins."

But she was best known as Batgirl (and her alter ego, librarian Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter) in the 1967-68 season of ABC's "Batman." Another memorable TV role, from an episode of the original "Star Trek": the green Orion Slave Girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk.

Her many other TV appearances included "Dobie Gillis," ''77 Sunset Strip," ''Dr. Kildare," ''The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," ''Mod Squad," ''Love, American Style," ''Kojak" and "The Six Million Dollar Man."

In later years, Craig pursued various business ventures, but also did voiceover work, including the role of Grandma in the recent Nickelodeon cartoon series "Olivia."

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Danny Sembello, producer/songwriter (Neutron Dance), 52

Philadelphia musician, songwriter and record producer Danny Sembello, who won a Grammy in 1986 for his work on the "Beverly Hills Cop" motion picture soundtrack, died as the result of drowning in the Schuylkill River on Saturday, Aug. 15. He was 52.

The youngest in a trio of brothers who were quietly famous in the music industry as singers and songwriters, Danny was part of the team of songwriters behind the soundtrack for the 1986 summer film hit, starring Eddie Murphy. Sembello helped pen the hit songs "Neutron Dance," performed by The Pointer Sisters and "Stir it Up," performed by Patti LaBelle..

Older brother John, who died in 2013, was part of a duo that wrote songs for the Lovin’ Spoonful and The Turtles and had his own record produced. The middle brother, Michael, achieved the most fame with his hit song “Maniac” from the movie “Flashdance," winning a Grammy, along with other singers and songwriters, for that soundtrack in 1984.

Danny produced recordings by artists including George Benson and Pebbles, and had his compositions recorded by Chaka Khan, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti LaBelle, Irene Cara, René & Angela, and The Pointer Sisters.

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Bob Johnston, record producer (Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan), 83

(DailyHerald.com) - Music producer Bob Johnston, who played a key role in landmark recordings like Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" and Johnny Cash's "At Folsom Prison," is being remembered as a maverick who helped bring folk rock to Nashville.

Johnston died Aug. 14 at age 83.

In his memoir, "Chronicles: Volume One," Dylan wrote that Johnston called him on the phone one day and asked if he was thinking about recording. "Of course I was," Dylan added.

On the album "Nashville Skyline," when Dylan can be heard asking, "Is it rolling Bob?" at beginning of one song, it was Bob Johnston he was talking to, said Michael Gray, another editor at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Dylan wrote that working with Johnston "was like a drunken joyride." He described the producer as "built like a wrestler, thick wrists and big forearms, barreled chest, short but with a personality that makes him seem bigger than he really is ..."

He added, "His idea for producing a record was to keep the machines oiled, turn 'em on and let 'er rip ..."
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Legendary dunker Darryl Dawkins dies
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13526 ... ies-age-58
Darryl Dawkins, a high-scoring, big-dunking center who played the bulk of his 15-year NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, has died at the age of 58.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... -1.2339342
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