2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Here is the Rest and Rmemeberance thread for 2015.
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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Little Jimmy Dickens

http://www.tennessean.com/story/enterta ... /21210809/

"Country Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Dickens, the Grand Ole Opry's most beloved and diminutive ambassador, died Friday at a Nashville area hospital. He was 94.

Mr. Dickens starred for decades on the "Opry," where he was a vital part of the scene both onstage and backstage. His dressing room was an essential stop for performers on the show, and it was there that he held court for a variety of artists, some of whom came to the Opry more than a half century after Mr. Dickens' 1948 debut.

He remained a vital performer throughout his life, last playing the "Opry" on Dec. 20, a day after his 94th birthday and five days before he would be admitted to the hospital after suffering a stroke on Christmas Day. He died of cardiac arrest on Friday."
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Re: 2015 Obits: Remembrance thread

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http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/1211 ... ies-age-49
Stuart Scott, a longtime anchor at ESPN, died Sunday morning at the age of 49.

Among the features of the new ESPN studio in Bristol is a wall of catchphrases made famous by on-air talent over the years. An amazing nine of them belong to one man -- from his signature "Boo-Yah!" to "As cool as the other side of the pillow" to "He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin' him to school."
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'Beverly Hillbillies' star Donna Douglas dies at 82

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'Beverly Hillbillies' star Donna Douglas dies at 82

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2 ... /21195559/

"Donna Douglas, who played hillbilly bombshell Elly May Clampett on the baby-boomer-beloved 1960s sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, has died. She was 82.

Charlene Smith, her niece-in-law, confirmed Friday to USA TODAY that she died of pancreatic cancer on New Year's Day at Baton Rouge General Hospital, near her home in Zachary, La.

The Baton Rouge paper, The Advocate and other media outlets, including local TV station WAFB, also confirmed her death, although most put her age at 81.

"She was 82," Smith said firmly, adding jokingly, "She's going to haunt me for that."

Douglas' death leaves only one member of the show's original cast still alive: Max Baer Jr., who played Elly May's cousin, Jethro. He is 77."
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Jeff Golub, guitarist (Rod Stewart, Billy Squier), 59

(UltimateClassicRock.com) - Respected jazz guitarist and rock sideman Jeff Golub died Jan. 1, 2015. Golub had been dealing with several medical issues in recent years, including a very rare brain disorder. He was 59.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Golub demonstrated a love of music early on in his life, absorbing everything from country to rock ‘n’ roll as he learned to play his instrument. Golub attended the Berklee College of Music, and he later relocated to New York City to make a go of things as a professional musician. It was there where he first linked up with Billy Squier during the latter’s peak commercial success, playing on all of Squier’s hit Capitol albums. He quickly became an in-demand session player, racking up an impressive list of credits while attracting the attention of Rod Stewart, who hired Golub in 1988. He would remain a part of Stewart's band until 1995, all while continuing to pursue the solo career he started with 1988′s ‘Unspoken Words’ LP. He also performed with Tina Turner, Peter Wolf, Bill Evans, and Vanessa Williams.

As a solo artist and leader of his group Avenue Blue, Golub recorded a string of bestselling smooth jazz LPs, including 1996′s ‘Naked City’ and 2000′s ‘Dangerous Curves.’ His 2011 release, ‘The Three Kings,’ served as a tribute to B.B., Albert and Freddie King; for ‘Train Kept a Rolling,’ he worked alongside Hammond legend Brian Auger and enlisted guest vocalists Christopher Cross and former Ambrosia leader David Pack.

Golub’s passing prompted tributes from many of his peers and collaborators, including saxophone player Dave Koz, who hired him as part of the house band for Emeril Lagasse’s TV show. “I love you, Jeffrey,” reads Koz’s Instagram post in part. “Thank you for all you brought to our lives.” “He was a wonderful guitarist and an even better person,” added guitarist Joe Bonamassa. “He will be very missed.”

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Joe Guercio, bandleader (Elvis Presley), 87

(Edward Morris/CMT.com) - Joe Guercio, Elvis Presley’s musical director and conductor from 1970 until Presley’s death in 1977, died Sunday (Jan. 4, 2015) in a Nashville hospice at the age of 87.

Guercio, a native of Buffalo, New York, was born July 16, 1927. His first high-profile music gig was working as an accompanist for Patti Page. He subsequently served as musical director for Diana Ross, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Florence Henderson, Jim Nabors and Diahann Carroll, among others.

His arrangements of “Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead” and of “The Way We Were/Try to Remember” helped create hits, respectively, for Barbra Streisand and Gladys Knight.

Guercio was musical director for the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas when he began his association with Presley. One of his earliest triumphs with the superstar — and one he remembered fondly in interviews — was leading the orchestra in the historic Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite special in 1973 that aired live in more than 40 countries in Europe and Asia.

He is also credited with creating the iconic six-note theme that heralded Presley’s entrance onstage. Starting in 1997, Guercio became orchestra leader for the stage spectacular Elvis: The Concert, a touring production that featured Presley’s recorded voice and image backed by live musicians. It was a concept Guercio helped conceive as well.

During his later years in Nashville, Guercio designed stage shows for a number of aspiring artists. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

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Curtis Lee, 60s pop singer (Pretty Little Angel Eyes), 75

(VVN Music) - Curtis Lee, who went to the top ten in 1961 with Pretty Little Angel Eyes, died on Thursday (Jan. 8 ). He had been undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 75.

Born in Yuma, Arizona to a musical family, Lee began singing in the church at an early age. It was while performing in a Tuscon, AZ club that he was seen by Ray Peterson ("Tell Laura I Love Her") who signed him to his new label, Dunes Records. While at Dunes, Lee met up with singer/songwriter Tommy Boyce and the two wrote "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" which, with the help of Phil Spector's production, became his third single for the label. It caught on with radio and went to all the way to No. 7 on the Billboard singles charts.

Lee's followup, Under the Moon of Love, fared worse, only going to 46. It was the last record of Curtis' that made the charts although he released five more singles on Dunes along with one each for Coda and Mira in 1967.

Lee soon left the music business and went home to Yuma where he became a very successful builder in the family business Lee Homes LLC. According to the Yuma Sun, he also was a former member of the Yuma Southwest Contractors Association and was instrumental in bringing Pop Warner football to the city along with other community activities. He is survived by his wife, Lydia Lee, four children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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Andraé Crouch, Grammy award winning gospel artist/pioneer, 72

(USA Today) - Andraé Crouch, a gospel musician who bridged the worlds of church and mainstream music for more than 50 years, died Thursday (Jan 8 ). The 72-year-old singer, songwriter and choir director had been hospitalized since Saturday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in the Los Angeles area after suffering a heart attack.

Crouch, sometimes called "the father of modern gospel music," led the choirs that sang on such hits as Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror and Madonna's Like a Prayer. As a songwriter, he wrote several gospel favorites, most notably The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To God Be the Glory) and Soon and Very Soon, a song sung at Jackson's public memorial service.

A San Francisco native who grew up in the Church of God in Christ, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards.

He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to both black and white audiences during the early days of the countercultural "Jesus movement" and also bringing him attention beyond the church.

Elvis Presley recorded Crouch's I've Got Confidence for his 1972 gospel album He Touched Me, and Paul Simon recorded his Jesus Is the Answer on 1974's Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin'. Crouch also became the go-to vocal arranger for Los Angeles recording sessions that needed a gospel sound, working not only with Jackson and Madonna but also Elton John, Quincy Jones, The Commodores, Diana Ross and Ringo Starr.

Crouch's gospel albums often featured guests from the R&B and jazz worlds, including Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Wilton Felder and Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey. Chaka Khan, Sheila E. and vocal group Take 6 appeared on his most recent album, 2011's The Journey.

His recordings brought him seven Grammys, and Crouch also received an Academy Award nomination for his arranging work on the 1985 film The Color Purple.
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Saudi King Abdullah dies
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Mr Cub dead at 83


(CBS) – Ernie Banks, the legendary Chicago baseball player known as “Mr. Cub,” died Friday night, a family attorney said.

He was 83.

The announcement came Friday evening from Chicago lawyer Mark Bogen, who said he was authorized by Banks’ widow, Liz, to confirm the news to the media. A news conference was planned for Sunday at noon in Chicago, said Bogen, who declined further comment.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A longtime West Virginia news and sports broadcaster has passed away.
Bristol Broadcasting News Director Larry McKay, 64, passed away Friday morning from a suspected heart attack.
http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eye ... 3978.shtml
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Dean Smith, Former UNC Basketball Head Coach, Dies at Age 83
Legendary North Carolina men's basketball coach Dean Smith, who pushed the Tar Heels to national prominence during his four decades on the bench, died Saturday evening. He was 83
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2357 ... -at-age-83
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Hall of Fame coach Jerry Tarkanian, who built a basketball dynasty at UNLV but was defined more by his decades-long battle with the NCAA, died Wednesday after several years of health issues. He was 84

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... anian-dies
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'60 Minutes' correspondent Bob Simon dies in car accident

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"60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon died Wednesday in a car accident in New York City, CBS News reported. He was 73.

Simon's career in news spanned some 50 years and earned him countless awards.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/us/bob-si ... ?iid=HP_LN
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From 'latimes.com'...

Gary Owens, a radio disc jockey from the Midwest who became nationally famous as the on-screen announcer of the hit TV series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” died Thursday at his home in Encino. He was 80.

The cause was complications of diabetes, said his son, Chris.

Cupping his ear like an old-time radio announcer and saying in his deep tones he was speaking from “beautiful downtown Burbank,” Gary Owens was one of several performers who parlayed appearances on “Laugh-In” into a long career.


He was also the announcer for numerous other shows, including “The Wonderful World of Disney” and “The Gong Show,” and was in demand as a voice-over artist.

Owens got his start on Los Angeles radio as a disc jockey at KFWB-AM (980) in 1961 and later moved to KMPC-AM (710).
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Lesley Gore dies:

Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, who topped the charts in 1963 with her epic song of teenage angst, "It's My Party," and followed it up with the hits "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me," died Monday. She was 68.

Gore died of cancer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, according to her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson.
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Sam Simon, lesser known "The Simpsons" co-creator dead at age 59.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/entertain ... index.html
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Jimmy Greenspoon passed away from cancer Wednesday at age 67.
The Three Dog Night keyboardist and vocalist formed the band in 1968 with Danny Hutton, Cory wells, Chuck Negron, Joe Schermie, Mike Allsup and Floyd Sneed.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainmen ... -1.2146224
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Gene Patton, the NBC stagehand in Burbank who stole the spotlight as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine on NBC’s wacky The Gong Show, died Monday, his family announced. He was 82.
Patton died in Pasadena, according to a spokeswoman at the local Woods-Valentine Mortuary. He had suffered from diabetes.
https://news.yahoo.com/gene-patton-gene ... 39047.html
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Former WCHS anchor dies:

Lisa Colagrossi, a highly respected morning anchor and reporter for WABC/Channel 7, died after suffering a brain hemorrhage while returning from an assignment in Queens, the station announced early Saturday.
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Chuck Bednarik, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the last great two-way NFL players, died early Saturday the Eagles said. He was 89.

Bednarik, known as "Concrete Charlie," epitomized the tough-guy linebacker and also was an outstanding center for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949 to 1962.
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Hot Rod Hundley
Hot Rod Hundley, the former NBA player who broadcast Jazz games in New Orleans and Utah for 35 years, died Friday. He was 80.
The Jazz said Hundley died at his home in the Phoenix area.
Hundley broadcast 3,051 Jazz games from 1974 to 2009. He joined the franchise before its first season in New Orleans in 1974-75 and moved with the team to Salt Lake City in 1979-80.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12573 ... ies-age-80
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