In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[selkie]

10 members of the cast and crew of the French reality show 'Dropped', including Olympic gold medalist Camille Moffat (swimming) and Olympic bronze medalist Alexis Vastine (boxing) when their helicopters collided:

 

http://swimswam.com/olympic-gold-medalist-camille-muffat-killed-in-helicopter-crash-in-argentina/

 

This one has me in tears. Camille was a class act. She was 24 years old.

[Kromm]

Sam Simon, Co-Creator of the Simpsons died at the age of 59.

 

RIP sir :(.

Yeah, I think he'd been fighting cancer for years, long enough that stuff like this got into Simpsons episodes:

 

[AntiBeeSpray]

Yea since 2012, according to an article/interview that he did with Vanity Fair. He fought one hell of a fight.

[giovannif7]

Windell Middlebrooks has passed away at 36, according to TVLine. So young. I really enjoyed his M.E. character on Body Of Proof.

[dcalley]

Windell Middlebrooks has passed away at 36, according to TVLine. So young. I really enjoyed his M.E. character on Body Of Proof.

Yes, he was good on that show.

[SmithW6079]

I didn't realize Windell Middlebrooks was only 36. I enjoyed him on "Body of Proof" too. 

[BetterButter]

Richard Glatzer, 'Still Alice' Writer and Director, Dies at 633

[slensam]

Richard Glatzer, 'Still Alice' Writer and Director, Dies at 633

Long life, at least....

[SistaLadybug]

I thought I was the only one who immediately went for that.  Glad to have company in my handbasket.

[merylinkid]

Terry Pratchett passed away at age 66.   I actually found this out a while ago but I am still having such a hard time processing that he is gone that it took me this long to remember to come over here.

[funkopop]

Terry Pratchett passed away at age 66.   I actually found this out a while ago but I am still having such a hard time processing that he is gone that it took me this long to remember to come over here.

 

Ohmygosh!  I'm a huge fan of his Discworld series. I was aware that he had been sick and his daughter had kind of taken over his writing.  He was an extremely talented man.

Edited March 12, 2015 by funkopop

[Pyralis]

I heard that on the CBC (Canada's national radio system) today.  I started reading him over 25 years ago and once drove two hours to a talk he was giving - not to mention the whole waiting in line for an hour to get stuff signed. 

[Kromm]

Okay, I don't know why but for some reason I thought Pratchett died last year.  

Which... clearly not.

[smittykins]

Jimmy Greenspoon, original keyboardist of Three Dog Night, passed away yesterday of melanoma at age 67.

*blasts "Joy To The World" in his honor*

[MyAimIsTrue]

Mike Porcaro, bassist for Toto, lost his battle with ALS at the age of 59.

[Ohwell]

Jimmy Greenspoon and Mike Porcaro were part of two of my favorite bands.  RIP

[AntiBeeSpray]

Mike Porcaro, bassist for Toto, lost his battle with ALS at the age of 59.

 

Damn :(. RIP sir. Loved their music. I have some of it on my ipod.

[opus]

Alberta Watson:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/23/alberta-watson-24-dies-60

 

Edited March 23, 2015 by GaryE

[scarynikki12]

That one hurts.  I absolutely loved her as Madeline on both La Femme Nikita and Nikita.  Few people could do sophisticated and classy dangerous like she could.

[Constantinople]

Misao Okawa, the world's oldest person, died at the age of 117

 

Okawa, the daughter of a kimono maker, said at a birthday celebration last month that her life seemed rather short.

[BetterButter]

Robert Z’Dar, Cult ‘Maniac Cop’ Actor, Dead at 64

[CherryMalotte]

Cynthia Lennon has passed away. 

[Inquisitionist]

Condolences to Julian Lennon on the passing of his mother, Cynthia.  Sounds like her cancer was diagnosed very recently.  She's the third "original Beatle wife" to pass away, after Maureen Starkey and Linda McCartney (both from cancer as well).

[Mindymoo]

After all of the horrible things John did to Cynthia and Julian, I hope she was able to find some peace in her life, and in her death.

[MyAimIsTrue]

As a Beatles fanatic I am very sad to hear of Cynthia's passing.  She handled her post-John life with such grace and raised a wonderful son in Julian.

[BW Manilowe]

Just saw the news about Rod Taylor. In addition to The Birds, I'll always remember him The Glass Bottom Boat.

Way late, but Rod Taylor also played the recurring role of Gordon Cahill, recovering alcoholic & formerly estranged lawyer father of Sheree J. Wilson's character, Assistant DA Alexandra ("Alex") Cahill (eventually Cahill-Walker), on a few episodes of the Chuck Norris CBS series Walker Texas Ranger.

[BW Manilowe]

Televangelist Robert Schuller, Founder of the (former) Crystal Cathedral "megachurch" & (former) "Host" of The Hour of Power, died today at age 88. The cause of death was apparently Cancer.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/robert-schuller-fatherly-preacher-positive-self-help-dies-88-n334341

[Rick Kitchen]

Lon Simmons, the long-time voice of the San Francisco Giants, has died at the age of 91.  Damn, he's  been retired for years but I'm still going to miss him.  But he did get to see three World Championships.  He was a great broadcaster.

[amaranta]

James Best - Actor Who Played 'Dukes of Hazzard' Sheriff Dies at Age 88

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/actor-who-played-dukes-of-hazzard-sheriff-dies-at-age-88/2015/04/07/48f5bf40-dd3a-11e4-b6d7-b9bc8acf16f7_story.html

 

All of the headlines I've seen reference Dukes of Hazard. I guess he was best known for that, but to me he's a syndication HITG: guitarist Jim on The Andy Griffith Show, countless westerns, The Twilight Zone, etc.

 

I think of Best as a character actor and a darn good one.

 

RIP, Mr. Best.

[GHScorpiosRule]

James Best - Actor Who Played 'Dukes of Hazzard' Sheriff Dies at Age 88

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/actor-who-played-dukes-of-hazzard-sheriff-dies-at-age-88/2015/04/07/48f5bf40-dd3a-11e4-b6d7-b9bc8acf16f7_story.html

 

 

 

Not Roscoe "Pecoe"? Train?!!! (that's how it always sounded to my young ears).

 

I remember seeing him in that Andy Griffith Show episode.

 

RIP, Mr. Best.

[Kromm]

 

Not Roscoe "Pecoe"? Train?!!! (that's how it always sounded to my young ears).

 

I remember seeing him in that Andy Griffith Show episode.

 

RIP, Mr. Best.

Yeah, he exaggerated it deliberately, of course.  Then again, even that thing of having and saying the middle initial and running it into the last name is kind of a character note that was supposed to communicate both Southern AND over the top.  

[Rick Kitchen]

Stan Freberg has died.  I am verklempt.

[ABay]

His Dragnet parodies were brilliant and I'm saddened to hear he's gone.

[Snowprince]

Geoffrey Lewis, veteran character actor and father of actress Juliette Lewis, has passed away. He was 79.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/geoffrey-lewis-frequent-co-star-of-clint-115858766002.html

[legaleagle53]

Richard Dysart, the Emmy-winning actor who played Leland McKenzie on L.A. Law, has passed away at the young age of 86.

 

http://tvline.com/2015/04/09/richard-dysart-dead-la-law-leland-mckenzie/

 

Anyone remember that infamous elevator scene?  I do!

[Ohwell]

Yup, I do. ; )

[Inquisitionist]

Richard Dysart, the Emmy-winning actor who played Leland McKenzie on L.A. Law, has passed away at the young age of 86.

 

http://tvline.com/2015/04/09/richard-dysart-dead-la-law-leland-mckenzie/

 

Anyone remember that infamous elevator scene?  I do!

I most certainly do, too!  The only other role I can remember seeing him in besides Leland was as the father of Cher's character in Mask, alongside The Golden Grls lady (Sophia) as the mother.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Richard Dysart, the Emmy-winning actor who played Leland McKenzie on L.A. Law, has passed away at the young age of 86.

 

http://tvline.com/2015/04/09/richard-dysart-dead-la-law-leland-mckenzie/

 

Anyone remember that infamous elevator scene?  I do!

 

 

 

I most certainly do, too!  The only other role I can remember seeing him in besides Leland was as the father of Cher's character in Mask, alongside The Golden Grls lady (Sophia) as the mother.

 

 

He also voiced the head psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum on Batman: The Animated Series in the 90s.

 

But he'll always be Leland McKenzie to me.

[bmasters9]

That elevator scene between Leland and Rosalind in 1991 was big then, and still is today, 24 years later, IIRC.

 

Also, Richard Dysart was always the last one credited in the titles of L.A. Law (unlike many "and..." credits in television, however, he didn't have his role name in the credit, though). 

[Quof]

When Dr. Drake Ramore stepped into that elevator, I said "Aw, didn't he watch LA Law?"

[DXD526]

Dysart was also memorable for his role in the film Being There, as the doctor who early on suspects something's not right with Chauncey Gardner. Always giving him troubled looks while everyone else around him seemed clueless. When L.A. Law started, I'd look at Dysart and all I could see was the troubled doctor. That took about a season to wear off, from which point on it became impossible to see him as anyone but Leland McKenzie. 

 

Sorry to hear the news :(

[merylinkid]

Leland McKenzie was such a great character.   Always the wise father with advice.   He was so much more than the guy who watch Rosalind get the shaft.

[BW Manilowe]

TV Director Richard L. Bare died on March 27th (I think it was, or maybe the 28th), at age 101. He directed a bunch of episodic TV, primarily in the 1960s-early/mid 1970s. He's best-known for directing most eps of Green Acres & a Twilight Zone ep, the title of which has variously been given as To Serve Man & To Serve Mankind (so I'm now confused as to which is the correct title).

Here's a link to his obit from Variety: http://variety.com/2015/tv/obituaries-people-news/richard-l-bare-green-acres-director-dies-dead-1201470533/

[AntiBeeSpray]

RIP good sir :(. That episode is one of my favorite Twilight Zones.

[VanillaBear85]

Percy Sledge Dies at 73

[ElleryAnne]

Percy Sledge Dies at 73

 

 

 Man, what a voice he had.

[Ohwell]

RIP, Mr. Sledge.

[BoogieBurns]

Johnny Kemp, the singer from the 80's who got popular with the song "Just Got Paid," was found floating on a beach. Mysterious death for sure.

[Rilla-my-Rilla]

I've always enjoyed the first two Anne of Green Gables movies

 

Jonathan Crombie (Gilbert Blythe) dies at 48 from a brain hemorrhage.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/jonathan-crombie-anne-of-green-gables-actor-dead-at-48-1.3038948

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I've always enjoyed the first two Anne of Green Gables movies

 

Jonathan Crombie (Gilbert Blythe) dies at 48 from a brain hemorrhage.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/jonathan-crombie-anne-of-green-gables-actor-dead-at-48-1.3038948

 

Oh, no. Oh, man, no. My younger self secretly loved those books and the movies. RIP, Mr. Crombie, you went way too soon.