In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[Vermicious Knid]

Founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala dead at 78. Best know for their collaboration with Paul Simon on Graceland.

 

[vibeology]

I also believed the Oscars missed Rene Auberjonois in the In Memoriam. I know that for many he's a Star Trek tv guy, but he was in MASH (the film), The Little Mermaid, King Kong, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and several more films. He had a good working thing with Robert Altman. it's a shame that he was ignored.

[FormerMod-a1]

^ and he was in Benson!

[punkypower]

I was miffed about Carroll Spinney. I know Sesame Street was TV, but how many children lives did he touch with "Follow That Bird" and the various Muppet Movies?

[BW Manilowe]

4 hours ago, vibeology said:

I also believed the Oscars missed Rene Auberjonois in the In Memoriam. I know that for many he's a Star Trek tv guy, but he was in MASH (the film), The Little Mermaid, King Kong, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and several more films. He had a good working thing with Robert Altman. it's a shame that he was ignored.

They definitely missed René Auberjonois. I follow his Twitter account & whomever is now posting on his behalf (or also posted on his behalf before he died) posted about it & was not happy about it either. I guess the Academy must think he (& Carroll Spinney) was more notable for his TV work than his film work.

Edited February 12, 2020 by BW Manilowe
To change a word (twice).

[ParadoxLost]

3 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

They definitely missed René Auberjonois. I follow his Twitter account & whomever is now posting on his behalf (or also posted on his behalf before he died) posted about it & was not happy about it either. I guess the Academy must think he (& Carroll Spinney) was more notable for his TV work than his film work.

That is the logic they are pedaling.  I personally reject the logic because they included Kobe Bryant

[Archery]

51 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

That is the logic they are pedaling.  I personally reject the logic because they included Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant made sense, as an Oscar winner.  Which is why Luke Perry, who was in a nominated film this year, being omitted was inexcusable.  

[ParadoxLost]

2 hours ago, Archery said:

Kobe Bryant made sense, as an Oscar winner.  Which is why Luke Perry, who was in a nominated film this year, being omitted was inexcusable.  

I doubt that an Oscar equals automatic inclusion to the list.  Not when hundreds weren't included. He was included because he's Kobe Bryant.  And there would have been a shit storm if they hadn't because his fans could point to the Oscar winning short film based on his retirement letter to a newspaper.  I'll never be able to prove this because no one will be able to name the various producers, writers, etc who have Oscars for some one off project who died this year.

I'm sure there were a bunch of people who made a larger contribution to film than Kobe but they don't have the name recognition to be noticed.

On the topic of Luke Perry, being in a movie that was nominated doesn't automatically mean he should be included.  There were actors that were nominated, but didn't win, or made a larger contribution to film that were not nominated who were also omitted.

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by ParadoxLost

[Hiyo]

Oscars gives lame apology for leaving Luke Perry out of ‘In Memoriam’

https://nypost.com/2020/02/11/oscars-gives-lame-apology-for-leaving-luke-perry-out-of-in-memoriam/

[spiderpig]

On 2/12/2020 at 12:03 PM, BW Manilowe said:

They definitely missed René Auberjonois. I follow his Twitter account & whomever is now posting on his behalf (or also posted on his behalf before he died) posted about it & was not happy about it either. I guess the Academy must think he (& Carroll Spinney) was more notable for his TV work than his film work.

They didn't mention Rene (Bless this Jeep) Aubergonois!  My college friends and I had to go back to the Riviera Theater  FIVE TIMES to see M*A*S*H in 1980 because the audience was laughing so hard we couldn't hear most of the dialogue.

Mr. Aubergonois was also a brilliant Audible narrator.  I have all of his Pendergast novels in my library.

[OtterMommy]

At this point, discussion of the Oscars Memorial Reel has moved past being about celebrity deaths and more about the montage itself.  We would kindly ask that this discussion move to either the Miscellaneous Celebrity News thread or the Annual Academy Awards thread.

Thank you!

[BW Manilowe]

From USA Today: Charles ‘Chuckie’ O’Brien, Who Was Portrayed in ‘The Irishman’, Dead at 86

[MissAlmond]

For all those interested and get FETV: There will be a The Wild Wild West marathon this Sunday, February 16,  2-8 pm ET in honor of Robert Conrad.

 

[Was-MArsenault]

From TMZ:

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/14/country-singer-daniel-lee-martin-commits-suicide-sexual-abuse-crimes/

From Broadway World:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Stage-Actor-and-SEX-AND-THE-CITY-Star-Lynn-Cohen-Passes-Away-20200214

And The Wrap:

https://www.thewrap.com/lynn-cohen-sex-and-the-city-actress-and-veteran-broadway-performer-dies-at-86/

Edited February 15, 2020 by MikaelaArsenault

[Was-MArsenault]

Paula Kelly's cause of death has been revealed to be COPD.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paula-kelly-emmy-nominated-actress-dancer-and-singer-dies-at-77/2020/02/10/39594c84-4c19-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html

[Hiyo]

Well...and then there is this...

https://ew.com/music/2020/02/14/country-singer-daniel-lee-martin-dies-amid-child-sex-abuse-allegations/

[Blergh]

Rather apt that the website linking details of Mr. Martin's death starts with the letter E and W.

 Just EWWWWW!!! To the whole thing!

 YUCK!! Those poor children having to go through  that nastiness!!!

 

I hope they can somehow take consolation that at least they won't have to testify about what horrible things that seemed to have happened in a court of law! 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Blergh

[Was-MArsenault]

I read that article, and was really disgusted by it.

[Was-MArsenault]

19 hours ago, MissAlmond said:

For all those interested and get FETV: There will be a The Wild Wild West marathon this Sunday, February 16,  2-8 pm ET in honor of Robert Conrad.

 

Why can't there be a Baa Baa Black Sheep marathon?

[Was-MArsenault]

Caroline Flack has died.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/15/caroline-flack-dead-aged-40-love-island-tv-presenter-dies-12246583/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/caroline-flack-host-love-island-dies-at-40-1279552

[legaleagle53]

31 minutes ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Caroline Flack has died.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/15/caroline-flack-dead-aged-40-love-island-tv-presenter-dies-12246583/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/caroline-flack-host-love-island-dies-at-40-1279552

I had forgotten that she'd won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014. Her pro partner, Pasha Kovalev, must be devastated.

[Spartan Girl]

Not one mention of Lynn Cohen aka Magdalena from Sex and the City and Mags from Catching Fire passing away yesterday?! I am appalled.

Magda was awesome and the one person that called Miranda on her crap. Loved that. And she was a fantastic Mags. RIP.

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Not one mention of Lynn Cohen aka Magdalena from Sex and the City and Mags from Catching Fire passing away yesterday?! I am appalled.

It was posted upthread:

9 hours ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

From Broadway World:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Stage-Actor-and-SEX-AND-THE-CITY-Star-Lynn-Cohen-Passes-Away-20200214

And The Wrap:

https://www.thewrap.com/lynn-cohen-sex-and-the-city-actress-and-veteran-broadway-performer-dies-at-86/

She not only lived a long life, but was working up until the end - per IMDb, she did nearly ten screen projects last year, she has four more in post right now, and was slated to be in something that's in pre-production.

[Was-MArsenault]

A. E. Hotchner, Writer 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/15/books/a-e-hotchner-dead.html

[BW Manilowe]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

Rather apt that the website linking details of Mr. Martin's death starts with the letter E and W.

 Just EWWWWW!!! To the whole thing!

 YUCK!! Those poor children having to go through  that nastiness!!!

 

I hope they can somehow take consolation that at least they won't have to testify about what horrible things that seemed to have happened in a court of law! 

It was also 2 posts above that, along with a couple of other obits, this time linked from TMZ.

[Was-MArsenault]

Legendary Rock Poster Artist Bonnie MacLean

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2020/02/poster-artist-bonnie-maclean-dead.html

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/bonnie-maclean-pioneering-rock-poster-artist-and-wife-of-bill-graham-dies-at-80

[Hiyo]

Quote

It was also 2 posts above that, along with a couple of other obits, this time linked from TMZ.

Which was edited into that post after I had posted the original article about that death 😉

Quote

She not only lived a long life, but was working up until the end - per IMDb, she did nearly ten screen projects last year, she has four more in post right now, and was slated to be in something that's in pre-production.

Wow, good for her. Doing what she enjoyed, up until the very end.

[Was-MArsenault]

4 hours ago, Hiyo said:

Which was edited into that post after I had posted the original article about that death 😉

Wow, good for her. Doing what she enjoyed, up until the very end.

Sorry about that. 😞

[Hiyo]

No need to apologize.

[praeceptrix]

Damn. This one breaks my heart. Nikita Pearl Waligwa was absolutely delightful as Gloria (the protagonist's close friend) in The Queen of Katwe. She was probably only 10 when it was filmed, was diagnosed with a brain tumor the year it came out, got treatment in India thanks to director Mira Nair, was given the all clear in 2017... but another brain tumor has taken her at only 15. Just damn.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51521775

Edited February 16, 2020 by praeceptrix

[Was-MArsenault]

1 hour ago, praeceptrix said:

Damn. This one breaks my heart. Nikita Pearl Waligwa was absolutely delightful as Gloria (the protagonist's close friend) in The Queen of Katwe. She was probably only 10 when it was filmed, was diagnosed with a brain tumor the year it came out, got treatment in India thanks to director Mira Nair, was given the all clear in 2017... but another brain tumor has taken her at only 15. Just damn.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51521775

Aww. That’s sad.

[MissAlmond]

21 hours ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Why can't there be a Baa Baa Black Sheep marathon?

Because only Jim West's pants are deserving of a marathon.  

[magicdog]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:10 AM, MikaelaArsenault said:

Paula Kelly, actress:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-and-Film-Actress-Paula-Kelly-Dies-at-76-20200209

I'll always remember her from Night Court, as one of the rotating public defenders, Liz Williams before Markie Post became a permanent fixture on the show.

[AimingforYoko]

3 hours ago, praeceptrix said:

Damn. This one breaks my heart. Nikita Pearl Waligwa was absolutely delightful as Gloria (the protagonist's close friend) in The Queen of Katwe. She was probably only 10 when it was filmed, was diagnosed with a brain tumor the year it came out, got treatment in India thanks to director Mira Nair, was given the all clear in 2017... but another brain tumor has taken her at only 15. Just damn.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51521775

Damn, that's brutal. Highest high and lowest low at basically the same time. R.I.P.

[BW Manilowe]

From USA Today: Tony Fernandez, Former All-Star Blue Jays Shortstop, Dies at 57

I don’t know if this is the official cause of death or not, but the linked article mentioned him having had a stroke that was apparently somehow related to kidney disease, which he apparently had.

[Was-MArsenault]

Jason Davis, the voice of Mikey in Recess has died.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/16/recess-voice-actor-jason-davis-dead-dies-mikey-blumberg/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jason-davis-dead-grandson-marvin-barbara-davis-was-35-1279608

Edited February 17, 2020 by MikaelaArsenault

[Spartan Girl]

7 minutes ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Jason Davis, the voice of Mikey in Recess has died.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/16/recess-voice-actor-jason-davis-dead-dies-mikey-blumberg/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jason-davis-dead-grandson-marvin-barbara-davis-was-35-1279608

WHAT?!! NOOOOOO!

I loved Recess when I was a kid. Mikey was the best, the chubby kid with the sensitive soul of a poet and the singing voice of Robert Goulet. This breaks my heart.

[Was-MArsenault]

1 minute ago, Spartan Girl said:

WHAT?!! NOOOOOO!

I loved Recess when I was a kid. Mikey was the best, the chubby kid with the sensitive soul of a poet and the singing voice of Robert Goulet. This breaks my heart.

This is breaking my heart as well.

[Was-MArsenault]

5 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

From USA Today: Tony Fernandez, Former All-Star Blue Jays Shortstop, Dies at 57

I don’t know if this is the official cause of death or not, but the linked article mentioned him having had a stroke that was apparently somehow related to kidney disease, which he apparently had.

That information in the article is correct.

[Was-MArsenault]

I never watched Recess growing up (I wasn't even born when it premiered and was really little when it ended), but I remember watching it a couple of years ago and ended up enjoying it.

Haven't watched it in a long time though, but this news is really hitting me hard right now and don’t even know why that is.

[Was-MArsenault]

A correction to make:

Paula Kelly was actually 77 years old when she died and not 76.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paula-kelly-emmy-nominated-actress-dancer-and-singer-dies-at-77/2020/02/10/39594c84-4c19-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html

[Silver Raven]

Amie Harwick, Drew Carey's ex-fiancee, has apparently been murdered by an ex-boyfriend.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-amie-harwick-drew-careys-ex-fiance-has-reportedly-been-murdered-in-california/

 

[Annber03]

Oh, my god. How horrible. 

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

Amie Harwick, Drew Carey's ex-fiancee, has apparently been murdered by an ex-boyfriend.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-amie-harwick-drew-careys-ex-fiance-has-reportedly-been-murdered-in-california/

 

That's horrible!

[Was-MArsenault]

4 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Amie Harwick, Drew Carey's ex-fiancee, has apparently been murdered by an ex-boyfriend.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-amie-harwick-drew-careys-ex-fiance-has-reportedly-been-murdered-in-california/

 

Here is the article from TMZ about it.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/16/drew-carey-ex-fiancee-murdered-amie-harwick/

And from Deadline:

https://deadline.com/2020/02/amie-harwick-famed-therapist-who-appeared-in-the-doc-addicted-to-sexting-murdered-in-hollywood-1202861234/

And according to this Fox News article, an ex-boyfriend of Harwick was arrested on suspicion of murder.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/drew-carey-amie-harwick-murder-ex-boyfriend-arrested

Edited February 17, 2020 by MikaelaArsenault

[Was-MArsenault]

Charles Portis, author:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/17/obituaries/charles-portis-dead.html

Kellye Nakahara, actress:

https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/17/kellye-nakahara-mash-dead-dies-nurse/

Andrew Weatherall, DJ and producer:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/feb/17/andrew-weatherall-british-producer-behind-screamadelica-dies-aged-56

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51535685

Zoe Caldwell, actress:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/arts/zoe-caldwell-dead.html

Larry Tessler, inventor:

https://gizmodo.com/larry-tessler-modeless-computing-advocate-has-passed-1841787408

Lindsey Lagestee, singer:

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/02/22/us/lindsey-lagestee-dixie-crush-death-trnd/index.html

Jens Nygaard Knudsen, inventor:

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/creator-of-iconic-lego-figure-dead-at-78

Sy Sperling, founder of HairClub:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/sy-sperling-hair-club-for-men-dead-174255141.html

Amie Harwick, ex-fiancé of Drew Carey: 

https://breaking911.com/breaking-amie-harwick-drew-careys-ex-fiance-has-reportedly-been-murdered-in-california/

'Mad' Mike Hughes, daredevil:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51602655

B. Smith, restaurateur:

https://people.com/food/b-smith-dies-age-70/

Edited February 23, 2020 by MikaelaArsenault

[praeceptrix]

More on Ms. Waligwa (the BBC is definitely providing better coverage than TMZ!):

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51528522

[Was-MArsenault]

39 minutes ago, praeceptrix said:

More on Ms. Waligwa (the BBC is definitely providing better coverage than TMZ!):

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51528522

And more on Ms. Flack:

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/love-island-tribute-caroline-flack

[BetterButter]

Charles Portis, author of 'True Grit,' dies at 86

[scriggle]

Kellye Nakahara Wallett, Actress in 'M*A*S*H', Dies at 72