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In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths


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Reminder:

This thread is for deaths of celebrities in the entertainment business only. No notices about politicians, please. 

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8 hours ago, dalek said:

I think the first thing I saw Rutger Hauer in was probably Ladyhawke.  I'm disappointed there doesn't seem to be any love for Blind Fury.  I was fond of that stupid movie.

There's love here. For the Bruce Lee line alone. 

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I can't believe I'm just now learning that Russi Taylor was also the voice of Martin Prince on The Simpsons.

She was also the voice of Huey, Dewey, and Louie on the original Ducktales, but made a cameo as Young Donald on the new Ducktales (2017) for the Christmas special, and I absolutely flipped out.

RIP Russi, you were definitely a huge part of my formative years.

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1 hour ago, Popples said:

I can't believe I'm just now learning that Russi Taylor was also the voice of Martin Prince on The Simpsons.

She was also the voice of Huey, Dewey, and Louie on the original Ducktales, but made a cameo as Young Donald on the new Ducktales (2017) for the Christmas special, and I absolutely flipped out.

RIP Russi, you were definitely a huge part of my formative years.

Same here. I grew up watching the show and didn't know that she played him.

Wow... grew up with her as a lot of characters. 😢 RIP Russi, and thanks for the memories.

She also reprised the role of Huey, Dewey and Louie in the Ducktales video game, along with playing Webby.

Edited by AntiBeeSpray
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Just now, MikaelaArsenault said:

Maybe they won’t reveal the cause of death at all, or they might reveal it later.

It seems like the cause may not yet be clear.

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2 minutes ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

So it’s not known what happened then.

The Hollywood Reporter obituary simply said she died at home yesterday at age 75.  Several obituaries have said the cause of death is not yet clear, and that may be because it has not yet been officially determined (meaning it's not yet clear to anyone), or simply because it wasn't stated in the announcement from Disney (meaning it's just not known by the media and, by extension, the public):

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1 minute ago, Bastet said:

The Hollywood Reporter obituary simply said she died at home yesterday at age 75.  Several obituaries have said the cause of death is not yet clear, and that may be because it has not yet been officially determined (meaning it's not yet clear to anyone), or simply because it wasn't stated in the announcement from Disney (meaning it's just not known by the media and, by extension, the public):

Maybe it was natural causes, but I could be wrong about that.

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9 hours ago, Domenicholas said:

Russi Taylor was also married to Wayne Allwine, the voice actor for Mickey, for over 20 years until his death in 2009. Minnie and Mickey are together again.

Wow, I had no idea. I'm still sad, but it kind of makes me feel better. I'm wearing my Minnie shirt and Mickey socks in their honor today.

Also had no idea she voiced Martin, Sheri, and Teri, the original Hewey, Dewey, and Louie.

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Oh that's so sad. I love Minnie. No matter how old I am I still love Minnie. I have Minnie Mouse pajamas. She will be missed. What a talented woman. I didn't realize her husband voiced Mickey! How cool that the real life voices of Mickey and Minnie were married too! And now their together forever. RIP Russi Taylor.

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2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Wow, I had no idea. I'm still sad, but it kind of makes me feel better. I'm wearing my Minnie shirt and Mickey socks in their honor today.

Also had no idea she voiced Martin, Sheri, and Teri, the original Hewey, Dewey, and Louie.

And Strawberry Shortcake , a few ponies onMy Little Pony and Gonzo on Muppet Babies..as a 80's baby all those were very important to me as a child.

I heard a clip.of Martin and knowing it was the same voice as Minnie voice you can kind if hear it

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I check this about once a week, which is why I am only now seeing that Rutger Hauer died. :( I'd just been thinking about him recently, realizing it had been awhile since I'd seen him in anything. It's easy to think that these guys are always going to be around...

Bladerunner is not my favorite movie, but he is such a standout in it. He was also great in a variety of WW2 TV movies. If I can find my copy of Escape From Sobibor I'll have to watch that. I'll also have to give Spetters a re-watch. It's a somewhat strange, but entertaining coming-of-age Dutch movie. Rutger Hauer has a small, but amusing role as a conceited race car (?) driver. He was such a diverse actor. What a sad loss.

P.S. As a Disney fan, I am also sad to hear about Russi Taylor. The original Ducktales was my first favorite show, and I always found it cool knowing how much she contributed.

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On 7/27/2019 at 10:42 PM, Domenicholas said:

Russi Taylor was also married to Wayne Allwine, the voice actor for Mickey, for over 20 years until his death in 2009. Minnie and Mickey are together again.

What's interesting about that is that it was Mr. Allwine's FOURTH marriage (and he'd had four children by his previous unions) and it was evidently her first (and only)at age 47. Yet, despite the fact that his previous three marriages had ended in divorce, their own union would last until his demise. I guess Mickey and Minnie had too much in common to split! 

 Also, Miss Taylor's actual given name had been Russell which would have been rare indeed to have been given to a girl but perhaps it had been the surname of a maternal line of ancestors.

 In addition   to all that, I have to say I was always impressed by how talented she was in being able to make such distinct separate voices ( yes, even Huey, Dooey, and Louie seemed to each have a slightly different one). over a very wide range of characters.  At least in Ducktales, she got to work with the legendary June Foray so maybe these two traded notes.

 RIP, Miss Taylor!

Edited by Blergh
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11 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

He did some great Broadway shows.  RIP

91?! That's quite impressive. Anyway, he did put on some fantastic shows and was quite creative in both the depictions as well as the music! RIP, Mr. Price!

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The 1972 Miami Dolphins, the NFL's only "perfect" championship team (17-0), may still hold their unbeaten mark, but they suffered a major loss with the passing of Hall of Fame middle-linebacker Nick Buoniconti, at the age of 78.

Buoniconti had struggled with CTE-related dementia recently, and had donated his brain to study of football-related injuries in 2017.  He was a leader in the "Flag Football Under 14" movement, which seeks to ban Pop Warner and other youth football programs that allow strong physical contact.  He'd been personally affected by football-related trauma before this, when his son, Marc, was rendered quadriplegic while making a tackle in a college game in 1985.  The spinal research project that was founded after Marc's injury continues today.

The leader of Miami's "No-Name Defense" (so-called because it lacked "star" players), Buoniconti was the closest to an exception to the rule, having been an AFL all-star 5 times with the Boston (now New England) Patriots before being traded south to the then-new Miami team.  Beginning in 1971, the Dolphins, in only their fourth year of existence, reached the Super Bowl in three straight seasons, winning the latter two.  (Only two other teams have since won three or more consecutive conference championships;  the 1990-1993 Buffalo Bills, who lost all four Super Bowls, and the current Patriots, who benefited from dubious "strategy" by the losing Atlanta Falcons two years ago, lost to Philadelphia last year, and then scored a legitimate victory over the Los Angeles Rams this past February.)  The strength of the Dolphins was their defense, which is how the 1972 team went undefeated despite quarterback Bob Griese missing more than half of the season (and the start of the playoffs) with a broken ankle.  Safeties Dick Anderson and Jake Scott also excelled, but as captain and middle linebacker, Buoniconti was the unquestioned driving force behind the team.

After retiring, Buoniconti did some broadcasting, but found his niche as co-host (with Len Dawson) of HBO's long-running highlight show, Inside the NFL.  He remained with the series through 2001.  (The show has since switched to Showtime.)  Buoniconti and his first wife split in 1997, after 35 years of marriage, but he remarried in 2000 and leaves a widow, as well as his children.

Edited by Halting Hex
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(edited)
7 hours ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Don't cry for me, New York City!

You were supposed to have been immortal…

That's all we wanted

Not much to ask for…

21 Antoinette Perry Awards ("Tonys") were too few.  A brilliant visionary.

I was privileged to see the original Broadway Evita (in the round, with Patti LuPone, Bob Gunton and Mandy Patinkin) in 1979.  Sheer brilliance to conjure such spectacle on a tiny, triangular stage.  (Which rotated for "And the Money Came Rolling In", as I recall.)   And that's only a drop in the Prince bucket.  I salute you, sir.

(Ricky Martin played Che in the 2012 Broadway revival.  Ricky Martin????  Sigh.)

ETA:  all the videos I see for the 1979-vintage Evita are on a proscenium stage.  Huh.  I must have seen a previews workshop or something.  It makes sense, since the show opened on September 25 and I saw it (and the long-running A Chorus Line and Annie and the euthanasia drama The Shadow Box) as part of a summer theatre program.  But still a surprise.  I wonder if I have the Playbill anywhere?

Edited by Halting Hex
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Saoirse Kennedy Hill--one of the late Robert F. Kennedy's many grandchildren (Courtney Kennedy Hill's daughter)--has died at the age of 22. The family has not confirmed the cause of death, but there are sources that claim she died of an overdose. She evidently struggled with depression and attempted suicide at least once.

Edited by UYI
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Ian Gibbons, the longest-serving keyboard player for The Kinks, has died of cancer at age 67.

The Kinks were originally a four-piece, featuring brothers Ray (rhythm guitar) and Dave (lead guitar) Davies, with Pete Quaife on bass and Mick Avory on drums.  For their early hit singles, they employed a variety of keyboardists (future Deep Purple founder Jon Lord claimed he played piano on "You Really Got Me", but that was actually Arthur Greenslade, better known as Shirley Bassey's musical director, who did the arranging for "Goldfinger"), even spotlighting the famous side man Nicky Hopkins with a song about him ("Session Man").  

But in reconfiguring the band in the early 1970s after Quaife's quitting the group, a change in label (to RCA) and an emphasis on theatrical concept-albums, they hired John Gosling as a permanent keyboardist.  Gosling lasted through 1977 and the Kinks' first album on their next label (Arista), where they returned to greater emphasis on stand-alone tracks, and the group eventually sought out Gibbons for the tour in support of their third album for Arista, 1979's Low Budget, whose harder-rocking sound moved the Kinks away from the ballads that had become their trademark.  Ray Davies played keyboards on the album, but with Gibbons added to the touring lineup (and a new permanent bass player in Jim Rodford, replacing John Dalton), the group had found a tighter, more stable unit that lasted through most of the 1980s.  (There was a change in drummers in 1985, but still…6 musicians for a decade was much tighter than the parade of players in the 1970s.)  Gibbons's background in new-wave groups was thought to be of use in modernizing the group's sound, although they were still very much a guitar-driven unit.  (Understandable, with Dave Davies's work having inspired the likes of Eddie van Halen.)

But Gibbons got to be a full member, out front with the others, and even was occasionally spotlighted, as in this live video of Low Budget's lead single "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman"  (That's Gibbons wearing the necktie.)  Even if it was still Dave Davies getting the solo spots, it was nice work if you could get it.

While many "legacy" acts continue to tour to great success, plans for a Kinks reunion have fizzled, since Ray and Dave Davies really don't like each other.  (Dave once said "An hour with Ray is about all I can stand, so it would be a very brief reunion.")  In recent years, Gibbons had played with other former Kinks (including Rodford, who died in 2018) as part of The Kast-Off Kinks.  Yes, a "Kinks" project without either Davies is about as directionless as that "Creedence Clearwater Revisited" group which lacked either Fogerty brother (Tom having the excuse that he's dead, of course), but it got Gibbons out of the house, so that's good, no doubt.

Here's an oddity to close with:  Dave Davies apparently hasn't bothered to turn up to this 1981 TV programme, so even though "Destroyer" is famously a pastiche of the band's second hit, 1964's "All Day and All of the Night", it's Gibbons that carries the melody line for the most part, Ray sticking to a secondary guitar part and Rodford playing what seems to be a nine-string bass to cover for Dave's absence.  More keys and more face time for Gibbons than normal.  Huh.  Enjoy.

Edited by Halting Hex
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3 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Ian Gibbons, the longest-serving keyboard player for The Kinks, has died of cancer at age 67.

The Kinks were originally a four-piece, featuring brothers Ray (rhythm guitar) and Dave (lead guitar) Davies, with Pete Quaife on bass and Mick Avory on drums.  For their early hit singles, they employed a variety of keyboardists (future Deep Purple founder Jon Lord claimed he played piano on "You Really Got Me", but that was actually Arthur Greenslade, better known as Shirley Bassey's musical director, who did the arranging for "Goldfinger"), even spotlighting the famous side man Nicky Hopkins with a song about him ("Session Man").  

But in reconfiguring the band in the early 1970s after Quaife's quitting the group, a change in label (to RCA) and an emphasis on theatrical concept-albums, they hired John Gosling as a permanent keyboardist.  Gosling lasted through 1977 and the Kinks' first album on their next label (Arista), where they returned to greater emphasis on stand-alone tracks, and the group eventually sought out Gibbons for the tour in support of their third album for Arista, 1979's Low Budget, whose harder-rocking sound moved the Kinks away from the ballads that had become their trademark.  Ray Davies played keyboards on the album, but with Gibbons added to the touring lineup (and a new permanent bass player in Jim Rodford, replacing John Dalton), the group had found a tighter, more stable unit that lasted through most of the 1980s.  (There was a change in drummers in 1985, but still…6 musicians for a decade was much tighter than the parade of players in the 1970s.)  Gibbons's background in new-wave groups was thought to be of use in modernizing the group's sound, although they were still very much a guitar-driven unit.  (Understandable, with Dave Davies's work having inspired the likes of Eddie van Halen.)

But Gibbons got to be a full member, out front with the others, and even was occasionally spotlighted, as in this live video of Low Budget's lead single "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman"  (That's Gibbons wearing the necktie.)  Even if it was still Dave Davies getting the solo spots, it was nice work if you could get it.

While many "legacy" acts continue to tour to great success, plans for a Kinks reunion have fizzled, since Ray and Dave Davies really don't like each other.  (Dave once said "An hour with Ray is about all I can stand, so it would be a very brief reunion.")  In recent years, Gibbons had played with other former Kinks (including Rodford, who died in 2018) as part of The Kast-Off Kinks.  Yes, a "Kinks" project without either Davies is about as directionless as that "Creedence Clearwater Revisited" group which lacked either Fogerty brother (Tom having the excuse that he's dead, of course), but it got Gibbons out of the house, so that's good, no doubt.

Here's an oddity to close with:  Dave Davies apparently hasn't bothered to turn up to this 1981 TV programme, so even though "Destroyer" is famously a pastiche of the band's second hit, 1964's "All Day and All of the Night", it's Gibbons that carries the melody line for the most part, Ray sticking to a secondary guitar part and Rodford playing what seems to be a nine-string bass to cover for Dave's absence.  More keys and more face time for Gibbons than normal.  Huh.  Enjoy.

He was suffering from bladder cancer.

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Retired professional wrestler Harley Race died earlier this week. Sportswriter Don Banks died in his sleep after attending the NFL Hall of Fame Ceremony. He had writer for many publications including Sports Illustrated.

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2 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Oh, damn!  While I am glad she had 88 years and only suffered a short illness before her death, the loss of this voice in the world is tremendous. 

I had the pleasure of meeting her once, talking with her for maybe five minutes, and I can still remember the sensation of feeling mesmerized by her for every bit of that short time.  As President Obama said, she was as "captivating" in person as she was with her writing.

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The Bluest Eyes was my favorite Toni Morrison book. I remember having a passionate argument with one of my college lit professors about the book. 

Toni Morrision had a life well live. Rest in peace, Toni.

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4 hours ago, Bastet said:

Oh, damn!  While I am glad she had 88 years and only suffered a short illness before her death, the loss of this voice in the world is tremendous. 

I had the pleasure of meeting her once, talking with her for maybe five minutes, and I can still remember the sensation of feeling mesmerized by her for every bit of that short time.  As President Obama said, she was as "captivating" in person as she was with her writing.

She died from complications due to pneumonia.

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I didn't know about this until just earlier, but legendary Oakland/L.A. Raider receiver Cliff Branch passed on recently (Aug. 3) at 71; he was a huge part of the Raiders SBXV title win over Philly in 1981, among other things.

(Screenshots from WB Raiders 3 Greatest Games Super Bowl DVD)

L.A. Times obit:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiCpKv_0PDjAhXjw1kKHfBIDn8QFjAMegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fobituaries%2Fstory%2F2019-08-04%2Fcliff-branch-raiders-nfl-super-bowls-obit-dies&usg=AOvVaw0gCBWh0gcpsYLvCAQRkuL-

nbcsuperbowlxv1981.jpg

nbcsuperbowlxvcliffbranch1.jpg

nbcsuperbowlxvcliffbranch2.jpg

Edited by bmasters9
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From NBC News: Rosie Ruiz, Boston Marathon Course-Cutter, Dead at 66

If you don’t know her, or the headline’s too vague, in 1980 she was declared the Women’s Division winner of the Boston Marathon. Then her title was rescinded 8 days later, after it was learned she actually only ran a certain portion of the end of the race. She subsequently said she would run the race again, in full, to prove she could really do it but she never did.

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41 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

From NBC News: Rosie Ruiz, Boston Marathon Course-Cutter, Dead at 66

If you don’t know her, or the headline’s too vague, in 1980 she was declared the Women’s Division winner of the Boston Marathon. Then her title was rescinded 8 days later, after it was learned she actually only ran a certain portion of the end of the race. She subsequently said she would run the race again, in full, to prove she could really do it but she never did.

Sad that Miss Ruiz's ONLY claim to fame was being infamous for evidently not running the entire course- AND that the actual official winner of that year (the Canadian Jacequeline Gareau) has been comparatively obscure. Even though Miss Ruiz never admitted her likely culpability, I hope she somehow found her peace off the course in the last 29 years and is resting in peace now! 

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