The Rest In Peace and Remembrance Thread

[unchoopfan]

Miami shock jock Neil Rogers dead at 68
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/24/1 ... sease.html

MIAMI (WTVJ-TV, NBC6/Radio-Info.com) - Iconic radio host Neil Rogers passed away Friday at the Vitas Hospice at Florida Medical Center in Broward at the age of 68.

Suffering from multiple heart attacks and strokes, as well as dementia, one of the original "shock jocks" died of congestive heart failure.

"Neil was equally brutal on dumb callers and smart CEO’s, treating them all as imposters, one and the same," wrote Rogers' close friend Tom Kent recently in the South Florida Gay Times. "He outed closeted leaders who tiptoed around homosexuality, relentlessly humiliating them on the air, whether they were Matt Drudge or Bryan Norcross."

Since he started his radio career in the 70s, no one was off limits on Rogers' show, and listeners tuned in to hear what the outspoken host would say next, and about whom

"Everyone sought to be noticed even if it meant being the target of a notorious attack," Kent recalled. "Everyone respected Neil’s astounding incisiveness, his remarkable recall, and marvelous wit. He is an irreverent iconoclast whose quips would cut you like a sharp razor."

So sharp that last year he was taken off the air at WQAM after some not so kind words for his boss.

"F--- Joe Bell," to be exact.

"The Elvis of the airways is leaving the building," Kent wrote about his friend's demise, "departing with a legacy of enduring laughter and spectacular AM radio performances, the likes of which we will never hear on the air again."

Roger, born Nelson Roger Behelfer, not only talked about current events, he specialized in talking about the local media scene, which made his midday talkshow a must-listen for local broadcasters and other media. He first came to the Miami market in 1976 at WKAT (1360) and went in to WNWS, WINZ, "Zeta" WZTA, WIOD and eventually Beasley's WQAM (560). Rogers making a reported $1 million a year until he took a buyout from Beasley in mid-2009. By then, he was the only non-sports program on WQAM.

[The-Hammer]

Where Aren't They Now? 13 Overlooked Deaths of 2010

Tsutomu Yamaguchi, survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks of 1945

Joe Rollino, Coney Island Strongman

Meinhardt Frank Raabe, one of the last surviving cast members of The Wizard of Oz

Edward Uhl, inventor of the most hilariously named weapon ever conceived

Rue McClanahan, the slutty one from The Golden Girls

Ilene Woods, the voice of Cinderella

Harvey Pekar, underground comic book writer, perpetual curmudgeon and Letterman irritant

Morrie Yohai, inventor of Cheetos' puffy cousins, Cheez Doodles

Forby Leonard Skinner, gym teacher and longhair opponent

Jimi Heselden, owner of Segway Industries

Bob Guccione

Alex Anderson, creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle

Irvin Kershner, film director

[Scott Reppert]

Where Aren't They Now? 13 Overlooked Deaths of 2010

Forby Leonard Skinner, gym teacher and longhair opponent

Notable for this board, definitely notable...

[genlock]

Bud Greenspan, dead at 84.


Bud Greenspan, the filmmaker whose documentaries often soared as triumphantly as the Olympic athletes he chronicled for more than six decades, died at his home in New York City. He was 84.

He died Saturday from complications of Parkinson's disease, companion Nancy Beffa said. Greenspan's most recent work dealt with the rough cuts of films from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

The award-winning filmmaker apologetically focused on both the large and small successes of the athletes in the Summer and Winter Games. His career took off with a film he made in 1964 about Olympian Jesse Owens returning to the scene of his gold-medal achievements in Berlin some 30 years earlier. But Greenspan never lost his love for the smallest victories as well.


His favorite Olympic moment remained a last-place finish by Tanzanian marathoner John Stephen Ahkwari at Mexico City in 1968.

"He came in about an hour and a half after the winner. He was practically carrying his leg, it was so bloodied and bandaged," Greenspan recalled in an interview with ESPN.com nearly a decade ago. "I asked him, 'Why did you keep going?' He said, 'You don't understand. My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me to finish it.' That sent chills down my spine and I've always remembered it.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/olym ... z19GGWNkGG

[Lester]

Teena Marie, known as 'Ivory Queen of Soul,' dies
From Associated Press
December 26, 2010 10:16 PM EST

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teena Marie, who made history as Motown's first white act but developed a lasting legacy with her silky soul pipes and with hits like "Lovergirl," ''Square Biz," and "Fire and Desire" with mentor Rick James, has died. She was 54.

The confirmation came from a publicist, Jasmine Vega, who worked with Teena Marie on her last album. Her manager, Mike Gardner, also confirmed her death to CNN.

Teena Marie, known as the "Ivory Queen of Soul," was certainly not the first white act to sing soul music, but she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly embraced by the black audience.

She was first signed to the legendary Motown label back in 1979 at age 19, working with James, with whom she would have long, turbulent but musically magical relationship.

The cover of her album, "Wild and Peaceful," did not feature her image, with Motown apparently fearing backlash by audiences if they found out the songstress with the dynamic voice was white.

But Marie notched her first hit, "I'm A Sucker for Your Love," and was on her way to becoming one of R&B's most revered queens. During her tenure with Motown, the singer-songwriter and musician produced passionate love songs and funk jam songs like "Need Your Lovin'," ''Behind the Groove" and "Ooh La La La."

Marie had a daughter and had toured in recent years after overcoming an addiction to prescription drugs.

[Scott Reppert]

If she was 19 in '79 she wasn't 54 now...

[amayo]

That's in show business years Scott!

I always liked her stuff, but was surprised she didn't have more chart success.

[amayo]

Not to Speak ill of the dead, but this name caught my eye in an obit today.

TOMPKINSVILLE

NOVA CAIN

Nova Bea Scott Cain, age 80, of Tompkinsville, passed away Saturday, December 25, 2010 at the Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital in Bowling Green, KY.

She was born June 19, 1930 in Monroe County, KY to the late Powell Scott and Nancy Daniels Scott. She was a retired cook for the Monroe County Board of Education and a member of the Berea Church of Christ. She was united in marriage on December 21, 1947 to Lester Ray Cain who preceded her in death on July 3, 2010.

She is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law: Wanda and Earl Cherry of Red Boiling Spgs., TN, Rachel and Landon Meadows of Celina, TN, Penny and Rusty Francis of Tompkinsville, KY, 3 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband she was preceded in death by a brother Raymond Scott and two sisters: Maggie Underwood and Ruby Perdue.

Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, December 28, 2010 at 1:00 PM at Strode Funeral Home in Tompkinsville with burial to follow in the Bailey Cemetery.

Friends may call after 11:00 AM on Monday at Strode Funeral Home in Tompkinsville.
Memorials are suggested to the Bailey Cemetery.

[jag]

Baritone from Harold Melvin & Blue Notes dies

PHILADELPHIA — Bernie Wilson, a baritone member of the rhythm and blues group that produced the 1972 hit "If You Don't Know Me by Now," has died.

Wilson, 64, died early Sunday at Kresson View Center in Voorhees, N.J., following a stroke and a heart attack, his cousin, Faith Peace-Mazzccua, said Monday.

Philadelphia International Records, the former record company for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, said Wilson's death leaves Lloyd Parks as the sole surviving member of the group's lineup at the time. The lineup also featured Teddy Pendergrass and Lawrence Brown.

The group produced a string of R&B hits in the '70s and helped define the Sound of Philadelphia.

"If You Don't Know Me by Now" topped the R&B charts and made the top five on the pop charts. The hits that followed included "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake up Everybody," and the dance track "The Love I Lost," which has been credited as one of the first disco records, according to an All Music Guide biography on the Billboard website.

"He left home at 16 as a pauper and came back home a millionaire," Peace-Mazzccua told The Associated Press.

She said her cousin kept performing until a few years ago and hoped to return and sing gospel music.

"Bernard was a very funny person. He should have been a comedian," she said. "He didn't take no stuff and he loved people."

Funeral arrangements were pending Monday.

[David Paleg]

Donor In 1st Successful Transplant Dies In Maine
Man Gave Kidney To Dying Twin Brother
CLARKE CANFIELD, Associated Press
12:45 pm CST December 29, 2010

PORTLAND, Maine -- Ronald Lee Herrick, who donated a kidney to his dying twin brother 56 years ago in what's recognized as the world's first successful organ transplant, has died of complications following heart surgery. He was 79.

Herrick died Monday at the Augusta Rehabilitation Center in Augusta, said his wife, Cynthia. He had been in deteriorating health since his October surgery, she said.

Herrick gave a kidney to his twin brother, Richard, at what is now Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The 5 1/2-hour operation on Dec. 23, 1954, kept Herrick's brother alive for eight years and was the first successful organ transplant, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Lead surgeon Dr. Joseph Murray went on to win a Nobel Prize.

The operation proved that transplants were possible and led to thousands of other successful kidney transplants and ultimately the transplant of other organs. Doctors had tried a handful of transplants worldwide without success up to that point, said Murray, who went on to perform another 18 transplants between identical twins.

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

Lansing's Geraldine Doyle, inspiration behind 'Rosie the Riveter,' dies
Louise Knott Ahern
December 29, 2010

LANSING -- Her face became synonymous with women's empowerment, and her death is the passing of an era.

Geraldine Doyle of Lansing, whose face became the inspiration behind the iconic World War II image of "Rosie the Riveter," has died, according to her family. A memorial service is planned for 4 p.m., Jan. 8 at Tiffany Funeral Home, 3232 W. Saginaw St.

" 'Rosie the Riveter' is the image of an independent woman who is control of her own destiny," said Gladys Beckwith, former director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame. "She was a gracious, beautiful woman. Her death is the end of an era, and we need to take note of that. We need to respect what she stood for."

Doyle was 86.

[jag]

Billy Taylor, pianist, composer, ardent jazz promoter, dies at 89

NEW YORK — Billy Taylor, an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer who became one of the genre's most ardent advocates through radio, television and the landmark Jazzmobile arts venture, has died at age 89.

Taylor died Tuesday of a heart attack in Manhattan, said his wife, Theodora Taylor. "He enjoyed his life," she said. "Music was his love."

Though he had a noteworthy career as a musician and composer that spanned decades, and played with luminaries such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, Billy Taylor was probably best known as a tireless jazz booster, educator and broadcaster.

Dr. Taylor, as he preferred to be called, was the first black to lead a television studio orchestra in the 1950s. He helped found Jazzmobile in the 1960s _ which began as mobile, outdoor concerts on a parade float to bring free music to inner city neighborhoods. He was host of a popular jazz show on National Public Radio from 1977 to 1982.

And, in what he later called one of his more significant accomplishments, he profiled musicians for CBS' Sunday Morning show _ winning an Emmy Award in 1983 for a piece on Quincy Jones.

Arnold J. Smith, a professor of jazz history at New Jersey City University and friend of Taylor's, said the pianist was "one of our best spokesmen ever in the history of this music. To the point that, it's my feeling and others, that he sacrificed his jazz piano playing for the cause of jazz."

When asked by an interviewer in 2007 how he would talk to a jazz newbie, Taylor said it depended on the "quality of the music."

"When it's well played, there's not a lot you have to say, because if you play it right, then people get that melody, the rhythm, or whatever the aspect of the music is that is attractive to them," he said. "But one of the things that we have not done is to put jazz in the position that it deserves in our society."

For Taylor, jazz was a central musical form for telling the story of America.

"If you really listen to that, study that, everything you need to know about America is right there, and it's up to us who've experienced much of that to be able to share that," he continued.

William Taylor was born July 24, 1921, in Greenville, N.C., but he grew up mostly in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Virginia State College, where he studied sociology and music in the 1940s, he moved to New York City to forge a career as a jazz pianist.

He lucked out, landing a gig playing with Ben Webster, Big Sid Catlett and Charlie Drayton opposite the Art Tatum Trio, he told an interviewer in 1994.

His went on to lead the Billy Taylor Trio, and composed dozens of pieces for ensembles as well as more than 300 songs, including the popular "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free."

Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Kim Taylor-Thompson, a law professor at New York University. A son, Duane, died in 1988. Funeral arrangements were pending.

___

[Scott Reppert]

Billy Taylor... helped found Jazzmobile in the 1960s...

Obviously driven by Nosmo King. Had to have been...

[jag]

Well, it wouldn't surprise me if Dr. Taylor had ever performed with Joe Negri, Scott!

[David Paleg]

'Honey West,' 'Forbidden Planet' Star Dies At 80
BOB THOMAS, Associated Press
3:48 pm CST January 3, 2011

LOS ANGELES -- Actress Anne Francis, who was the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic "Forbidden Planet" and later was sexy private eye in "Honey West" on TV, has died at age 80.

Francis died Sunday at a Santa Barbara nursing home, said Bill Guntle, a funeral director McDermott-Crockett & Associates Mortuary in Santa Barbara.

Francis, who had surgery and chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007, died of complications of pancreatic cancer, her daughter, Jane Uemura, told the Los Angeles Times.

Francis, a stunningly beautiful blonde with a prominent beauty mark, appeared opposite such stars as Spencer Tracy, Paul Newman, Robert Taylor and Glenn Ford in some of the most popular films of the 1950s. But "Forbidden Planet" and "Honey West" made her reputation.

"Forbidden Planet" was hailed in Leonard Maltin's "2006 Movie Guide" as "one of the most ambitious and intelligent films of its genre."

A science-fiction retelling of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," the 1956 film had Leslie Nielsen and other space travelers visiting a planet where expatriate scientist Walter Pidgeon, his daughter (Francis) and their helper, Robby the Robot, built a settlement.

Before filming began, the actors held a meeting and agreed "to be as serious about this film as we could be," Francis said in a 1999 interview.

"We could have hammed it up, but we wanted to be as sincere as we could," she said.

In "Honey West," which aired from 1965 to 1966, Francis' private detective character - who kept a pet ocelot, a wildcat - was a female James Bond: sexy, stylish and as good with martial arts as she was with a gun.

She was nominated for an Emmy for the role, which lasted 30 episodes.

"A lot of people speak to me about Honey West," Francis recalled. "The character made young women think there was more they could reach for. It encouraged a lot of people."

After a childhood career in New York radio and television and on the Broadway stage, Francis arrived in Hollywood when she landed a movie contract at MGM. She later went to 20th Century-Fox, then returned to MGM, and the two big studios afforded her the chance to act opposite the biggest male stars of the day.

In "Blackboard Jungle," the landmark 1955 film about an idealistic teacher (Ford) in a violent city school, Francis played his pregnant wife who is targeted for harassment by one of his students.

Among her other films: "Bad Day at Black Rock" with Tracy and Robert Ryan, "Rogue Cop" with Taylor, "The Rack" with Newman, "A Lion Is in the Streets" with James Cagney, and "Hook, Line and Sinker" opposite Jerry Lewis.

When her movie career declined, Francis became active in television, appearing in dozens of series, including "Mission Impossible," ''The Virginian," ''My Three Sons," ''Ironside," ''Gunsmoke," ''The Twilight Zone," ''Charlie's Angels," ''The Golden Girls," ''Home Improvement" and "Nash Bridges."

Her name was Ann Marvak when she was born Sept. 16, 1930, in Ossining, N.Y.

By age 5 she was working as a model, and by 11 she was appearing on daytime radio serials, winning the nickname the Little Queen of Soap Operas. She also had some small roles on Broadway.

After her first MGM contract, during which she attended studio school with Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Powell and Natalie Wood, she returned to New York. There, she took part in television's Golden Age, acting in such acclaimed dramatic series as "Studio One" and "U.S. Steel Hour" before returning to Hollywood.

Francis' early marriage to actor Bam Price ended in divorce.

In addition to Jane, Francis and her second husband, Robert Abeloff, had another daughter, Maggie, before divorcing. She also is survived by a grandson.

[amayo]

Gerry Rafferty Dies

Gerry Rafferty, the Scottish pop singer who rose to fame in the 1970s with hits like "Baker Street" and "Stuck in the Middle With You," has died in London of complications from liver failure, according to news reports. He was 63.

"Baker Street," released in 1978, was perhaps his biggest hit. But he also is remembered for "Stuck in the Middle With You," released in 1972 by his band Steelers Wheel. That song enjoyed a revival in 1992 when Quentin Tarantino used it on the soundtrack to hit film Reservoir Dogs.

[David Paleg]

Old man 'Seinfeld' actor Bill Erwin dies at 96
Jan 4, 1:39 PM (ET)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Character actor Bill Erwin, whose nearly seven-decade Hollywood career included his memorable role as the grumpy old man on television's "Seinfeld," has died. He was 96.

Erwin, also known for his role as Arthur the bellman in the 1980 fantasy film "Somewhere in Time," died the morning of Dec. 29 at his home in suburban Los Angeles' Studio City, his son Mike Erwin said Tuesday from his Jacksonville, Ore., home.

He died of age-related causes, his son said.

"He just ran out of gas," Mike Erwin said. "He was happy to the end."

Erwin's death was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Erwin's Hollywood career dates back to 1941, when he appeared in the movie "You're in the Army Now." His scores of credits include roles on "The Twilight Zone,""Gunsmoke,""Perry Mason,""The Golden Girls,""Growing Pains,""Wagon Train,""The Rifleman,""The Jeff Foxworthy Show,""Who's the Boss?" and "My Name is Earl."

But his old man character Sid Fields on "Seinfeld," which got him an Emmy nomination in 1993, is perhaps his most memorable role.

Erwin studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and performed in stage productions around Los Angeles through the decades. He also dabbled as a cartoonist and his work was published in The New Yorker, Playboy and Los Angeles magazine.

Besides his son Mike, Erwin is survived by son Timothy Erwin, and daughters Lindsey Thomas Erwin and Kelly Erwin, all of Los Angeles; and his sister Mary Gene Cosper in San Angelo, Texas.

Plans for a public memorial service in Los Angeles were incomplete.

[Lester]

Gerry Rafferty Dies

Scottish rocker Gerry Rafferty has died.

The Stealers Wheel founder died in his home at the age of 63 after a long illness, the UK's Guardian reports. According to his family, he died peacefully with his daughter Martha by his side.

Rafferty was perhaps best known for his hit single, "Stuck in the Middle with You," which was featured in a pivotal scene in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 film Reservoir Dogs.

Despite the hit song, which came from the 1972 album Can I Have My Money Back?, Rafferty kept a low profile in recent years. He was also known for '70s songs "Baker Street" and "Right Down the Line," and his last album was released in 2000.

[Scott Reppert]

A). I wondered why I heard "Stuck In The Middle With You" on WRLF yesterday afternoon.

B). "Baker Street" was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during my first full week as a radio professional.

C). Still like "Star" and "Home And Dry" better...

[David Paleg]

'Bullitt' director Peter Yates dies at 81
Jan 10, 2:02 PM (ET)
By JILL LAWLESS

LONDON (AP) - British filmmaker Peter Yates, who sent Steve McQueen screeching through the streets of San Francisco in a Ford Mustang in "Bullitt," has died at the age of 81.

Yates was nominated for four Academy Awards - two as director and two as producer - for the cycling tale "Breaking Away" and the backstage drama "The Dresser."

A graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Yates directed stage greats including "Dresser" star Albert Finney and Maggie Smith as well as creating one of the film world's most memorable action sequences - the much-imitated car chase in the 1968 police thriller "Bullitt."

A statement from Yates' agent, Judy Daish, said he died Sunday in London after an illness.

Born in Aldershot, southern England in 1929, Yates trained as an actor, performed in repertory theater and did a stint as a race-car driver before moving into film. He began as an editor and then became an assistant director on films including Tony Richardson's "A Taste of Honey" and J. Lee Thompson's "The Guns of Navarone."

His first film as a director was the frothy 1963 musical "Summer Holiday" starring Cliff Richard - a singer billed, optimistically, as the "British Elvis."

Yates also directed "Robbery," based on the real 1963 heist known as the "Great Train Robbery," which marked him as a talented director of action sequences.

He then went to Hollywood for "Bullitt," and went on to make well-received films including the war thriller "Murphy's War," with Peter O'Toole, and the tense crime drama "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" starring Robert Mitchum.

Nothing if not varied, his 1970s movies included crass comedy "Mother, Jugs and Speed," starring Bill Cosby and Raquel Welch, and the critically derided but commercially successful undersea thriller "The Deep."

In 1979, Yates hit another creative high with "Breaking Away," a deft coming-of-age story about a cycling-mad teenager in small-town Indiana. It was nominated for five Oscars, including best director and best picture - giving Yates two nominations, as he was also a producer on the film.

Yates received two more nominations for "The Dresser," a 1983 adaptation of Ronald Harwood's play about an aging actor and his assistant, which he directed and co-produced.

In recent years Yates had worked mostly in television. His last theatrical feature was 1999's "Curtain Call," which starred Michael Caine and Smith as a pair of theatrical ghosts.

Yates is survived by his wife, Virginia Pope, a son and a daughter.

Monday's statement said a private family funeral would be held.

[David Paleg]

Actor David Nelson of famous TV family dies at 74
Jan 12, 2:36 AM (ET)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - David Nelson, who starred on his parents' popular television show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," died Tuesday, a family spokesman said. He was 74.

Nelson died at his home in the Century City area of Los Angeles after battling complications of colon cancer, said family spokesman and longtime Hollywood publicist Dale Olson.

Nelson was the last remaining member of the Nelsons TV family, which included actor/bandleader Ozzie, his singer wife, Harriet Hilliard and his teen idol brother Rick. The show originated on radio in 1952 as "Here Come the Nelsons," then ran for 320 episodes on TV from 1952 to 1966 as "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" with some of the story lines taken from the stars' own lives. David Nelson also directed and produced numerous episodes of the show throughout its run.

The show was shot in the Nelson family home in the Hollywood foothills, which remains a popular attraction for visitors on Hollywood celebrity bus tours.

Born in New York City, David attended Hollywood High School and the University of Southern California.

His film credits included "Peyton Place,""The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,""The Big Circus,""Day of the Outlaw,""30,""The Big Show," 'Love and Kisses and "Swing Out, Sweet Land." In 1976, he costarred with his mother in "Smash-Up on Interstate 5."

His television credits included "Up In Smoke,""The Love Boat,""High School USA," and "A Family For Joe." Directing credits included "O.K. Crackerby,""Childish Things,""Easy To Be Free,""Ozzie's Girls,""Death Screams,""Last Plane Out,""Goodnight Beantown" and "A Rare Breed."

Nelson also was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; four sons and a daughter; and seven grandchildren. A service will be held Thursday at Pierce Brothers Westwood Mortuary.