In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[andromeda331]

RIP Robin Leach now in the biggest house of them all. Enjoy all the champagne and caviar.

[BW Manilowe]

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I am surprised he was only 76, he seemed old even in the 80s.

He would’ve been 77 on Wednesday, according to an obituary Tweet by John Katsilometes, Robin’s fellow “celebrity news”/“man about town” columnist at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

[roamyn]

3 hours ago, Drogo said:

It's all champagne wishes and caviar dreams from here out, Mr. Leach. 

Thanks for showing me celebrities' acre-sized bathrooms before they all joined Instagram and posted pictures themselves.

Ah, but the panache which with he toured those mansions & castles for us, is what's missing from those Instragams.  I will miss his unique over-emphasizing and enunciation and joie de vivre.

[ratgirlagogo]

2 hours ago, amaranta said:

On 8/21/2018 at 4:01 PM, BetterButter said:

Barbara Harris, Actress in 'Nashville' and 'Family Plot,' Dies at 83

When I read her name I immediately thought of A Thousand Clowns.  Loved her and Jason Robards in that movie.  RIP Ms. Harris.

I thought of  A Thousand Clowns too.  I always remember that I was at a party once where a few people were talking who had all known each other from the NYC improv scene in the early 60's, and they all agreed that of all the performers they had ever worked with Barbara Harris was the one with the biggest talent who had the least desire to be famous. (The one with the biggest talent with the biggest desire to be famous was, no surprise, Whoopi Goldberg.)

Edited August 24, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[praeceptrix]

Lindsay Kemp, mentor to David Bowie and Kate Bush, has died.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45308468?#_=_

[magdalene]

Just heard that John McCain has died.  RIP, Sir.

Edited August 26, 2018 by magdalene

[Annber03]

Shame to hear that. May he rest in peace. Condolences to his family. 

[Spartan Girl]

I did not agree with his political views, but he remained a class act. 

[merylinkid]

They actually broke into football (okay preseason and the Chargers but still) to announce it.

RIP Mr. McCain.   Condolences to his family and friends.

[spiderpig]

Like many others I differed with him on many issues, but there were important ones where he put humanity over party and remained his own man.

He also had a wicked sense of humor, which is one quality I value above all others.  (He was a riot on SNL.)

Mr. pig and I raised a glass to his memory.

[BW Manilowe]

23 minutes ago, magdalene said:

Just heard that John McCain has died.  RIP, Sir.

 

I was watching a repeat of The Good Doctor on ABC & they interrupted it with a Special Report, which is on as I type. It’s also being covered on MSNBC, CNN & Faux News Channel (I assume the coverage will be “wall-to-wall”, as they say in the media business, on all the cable news channels for quite awhile). Fox is still airing their regular Saturday night programming whenever I check (though they might’ve broken in when I wasn’t watching, or carried the news in a “crawl” onscreen over the programming). I stand corrected that CBS did break into the NFL game; it was on there when I wasn’t checking that channel.

Senator McCain was not among the celebrities & political figures I was fortunate enough to meet when I was involved with the March of Dimes. I only did a single 2-day photo op with the US Senators at the time, en masse (but each Senator in an individual photo with me), at the Capitol in DC. McCain was still a POW in Vietnam at the time, not being released until 1973 (according to the obit Special Report still airing on ABC).

I figured his time would come soon, after the family announced yesterday that he had decided to terminate medical care. I think the same thing happened with former First Lady Barbara Bush, didn’t it? 

Edited August 26, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To make a correction and add comments.

[Annber03]

I'm watching ABC as well and seeing the coverage on there right now. They just showed a clip from "The View" where Biden was talking to Meghan McCain and sympathizing with what she was going through with her dad, and he was praising McCain and talking about their friendship and such. It was a really nice moment. 

[Blergh]

Regardless of anything else, I hope Senator McCain's family can take comfort in the fact that he refused to let others' taunts and abuse let him back down down from his principles! RIP, Senator and I'm sure your late father will salute you when you meet again!

[Petunia13]

His service and perseverance as a POW was remarkable. Now he can rest. 

[AgentRXS]

I didn't agree with much of his politics but was always grateful for and admired his service to this country as POW. Also, loved that he and Biden did not let politics get in the way of their friendship. Thank you for your service, Mr. McCain. RIP Maverick.

[BW Manilowe]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

I'm watching ABC as well and seeing the coverage on there right now. They just showed a clip from "The View" where Biden was talking to Meghan McCain and sympathizing with what she was going through with her dad, and he was praising McCain and talking about their friendship and such. It was a really nice moment. 

I saw that, I think live, but it may have been a repeat of the originally live episode. But I did see it prior to the inclusion in ABC’s Special Report, Anyway, it was a really nice moment.

So was the moment where McCain told 1 of his supporters who was talking trash about Obama at a televised town hall meeting, or debate, or something else involving the candidates & the public during the 2008 Presidential campaign, that Obama wasn’t anything like the woman was describing him as; that he & Obama disagreed politically, but he was still a fine man & a family man, & some other very nice things I forget now. By the way, the guy in the White House—who once said he didn’t like Senator McCain because he let himself be captured & held as a POW—actually posted a very nice Tweet of condolence to the McCain family on his passing (or whomever may Tweet on his behalf posted 1). I just thought that was worth noting.

Edited August 26, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To correct a punctuational error and to remove an extra “e” belatedly found in a word.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I met Senator McCain once. I got in the wrong elevator in the Russell Senate building (I was headed to a hearing on the Committee for Indian Affairs for work)-instead of the one for the public, I got on the one for senators.

He was very congenial and didn’t mention I wasn’t supposed to be on that elevator. 

May he RIP.

Edited August 27, 2018 by GHScorpiosRule

[Annber03]

4 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

I saw that, I think live, but it may have been a repeat of the originally live episode. But I did see it prior to the inclusion in ABC’s Special Report, Anyway, it was a really nice moment.

So was the moment where McCain told 1 of his supporters who was talking trash about Obama at a televised town hall meeeting, or debate, or something else involving the candidates & the public during the 2008 Presidential campaign, that Obama wasn’t anything like the woman was describing him as; that he & Obama disagreed politically, but he was still a fine man & a family man, & some other very nice things I forget now. By the way, the guy in the White House—who once said he didn’t like Senator McCain because he let himself be captured & held as a POW—actually posted a very nice Tweet of condolence to the McCain family on his passing (or whomever may Tweet on his behalf posted 1). I just thought that was worth noting.

They also showed a moment from when McCain made his final appearance on "The View" alongside his daughter, and that one got me all choked up. My heart is really going out to Meghan right now-I lost my dad eight years ago and I still remember, and feel, the pain of that loss. Losing a parent at any age is always going to be tough, no matter how prepared for it you may be. 

And yeah, I liked that clip of him correcting that woman's comments about Obama, too. Would that more politicians could follow his lead in that regard. 

[Drogo]

Reminder: No personal politics. 

[Spartan Girl]

4 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I met Senator McCain once. I got in the wrong elevator in one of the Senate buildings (I was headed to a hearing on the Committee for Indian Affairs for work)-instead of the one for the public, I got on the one for senators.

He was very congenial and didn’t mention I wasn’t supposed to be on that elevator. 

May he RIP.

That is so cool! I'd be so embarrassed if that happened to me, but hey, if you don't get in trouble for it, then it makes a great experience.

[doodlebug]

9 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

I saw that, I think live, but it may have been a repeat of the originally live episode. But I did see it prior to the inclusion in ABC’s Special Report, Anyway, it was a really nice moment.

So was the moment where McCain told 1 of his supporters who was talking trash about Obama at a televised town hall meeeting, or debate, or something else involving the candidates & the public during the 2008 Presidential campaign, that Obama wasn’t anything like the woman was describing him as; that he & Obama disagreed politically, but he was still a fine man & a family man, & some other very nice things I forget now. By the way, the guy in the White House—who once said he didn’t like Senator McCain because he let himself be captured & held as a POW—actually posted a very nice Tweet of condolence to the McCain family on his passing (or whomever may Tweet on his behalf posted 1). I just thought that was worth noting.

There was a town hall where someone stood up and claimed that President Obama was a Muslim and not a citizen.  Senator McCain nipped it in the bud immediately and made it clear he was not  going to allow such lies go unchallenged. He told them they were wrong, it was untrue and he didn’t want to hear it ever again.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

That is so cool! I'd be so embarrassed if that happened to me, but hey, if you don't get in trouble for it, then it makes a great experience.

It was very cool! I remember being nervous because I’d sat in on another hearing (for work) and he was very intimidating. But he smiled and told me he hoped I had a good day, nodded and walked in the opposite direction.

[AgentRXS]

Former President Obama's statement:

[legaleagle53]

I knew it would be just a matter of time once he had made the decision to discontinue treatment, but I didn't think it would happen quite this soon.  Rest in peace, Senator McCain.  No, I didn't always see eye-to-eye with you, but I do respect you and your record of service, and along with everyone else, I simultaneously mourn your passing and rejoice that your mortal body is now free of its suffering.  Thank you for your service and your dedication to your country and to your people.

[blueray]

58 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

I saw that, I think live, but it may have been a repeat of the originally live episode. But I did see it prior to the inclusion in ABC’s Special Report, Anyway, it was a really nice moment.

So was the moment where McCain told 1 of his supporters who was talking trash about Obama at a televised town hall meeeting, or debate, or something else involving the candidates & the public during the 2008 Presidential campaign, that Obama wasn’t anything like the woman was describing him as; that he & Obama disagreed politically, but he was still a fine man & a family man, & some other very nice things I forget now. By the way, the guy in the White House—who once said he didn’t like Senator McCain because he let himself be captured & held as a POW—actually posted a very nice Tweet of condolence to the McCain family on his passing (or whomever may Tweet on his behalf posted 1). I just thought that was worth noting.

 

This was mentioned in the 2000's episode about the 2008 election. I was really happy to hear him shut that person down. It showed how politics could actually respect the other side. I wish it was still like this today.

I am sorry to hear this. RIP John McCain

Edited August 26, 2018 by blueray

[Calvada]

I admired John McCain greatly for his service to our country.  I haven't always agreed with McCain the politician, but he was a true patriot who endured hell as a POW.  He refused early release, was beaten, held in solitary confinement, and suffered lifelong physical disability due to his injuries.  And he did this wearing the uniform of my country  - a hero.  

Also, he had a hot temper, something I may have been accused of once or twice.  I liked him for that!  

He died on the ninth anniversary of Ted Kennedy's death, also from brain cancer.  

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, Calvada said:

He died on the ninth anniversary of Ted Kennedy's death, also from brain cancer.  

I saw somebody point that out in another discussion elsewhere, too, yeah! That's eerie. 

Because it can't be said enough, fuck cancer. 

[spiderpig]

3 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

Former President Obama's statement:

A beautiful, thoughtful, heartfelt tribute from President Obama.  Let's aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own.

[BW Manilowe]

4 minutes ago, Calvada said:

I admired John McCain greatly for his service to our country.  I haven't always agreed with McCain the politician, but he was a true patriot who endured hell as a POW.  He refused early release, was beaten, held in solitary confinement, and suffered lifelong physical disability due to his injuries.  And he did this wearing the uniform of my country  - a hero.  

Also, he had a hot temper, something I may have been accused of once or twice.  I liked him for that!  

He died on the ninth anniversary of Ted Kennedy's death, also from brain cancer.

Senator Kennedy (& former VPOTUS Biden’s son Beau) also had glioblastoma, the same type of brain tumor that killed Senator McCain.

[Spartan Girl]

21 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It was very cool! I remember being nervous because I’d sat in on another hearing (for work) and he was very intimidating. But he smiled and told me he hoped I had a good day, nodded and walked in the opposite direction.

For all his supposed temper, he always came off as a nice well-mannered person, at least to me, for reasons that have already been mentioned.

[BW Manilowe]

31 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

That is so cool! I'd be so embarrassed if that happened to me, but hey, if you don't get in trouble for it, then it makes a great experience.

And a nice story to tell others, like you posted it here.

[andromeda331]

Thank you for your service John McCain. I didn't always agree with him. But I had respect for him and especially for what he endured as POW. To go through all he went through as POW and survive? No easy task. I really liked when he interrupted that woman on stage during the 2008 campaign to say that Obama was a nice person and a family man.  

RIP John McCain. Condolences to his family and friends. 

[BW Manilowe]

From The Hill, Here’s the FULL statement posted to the Twitter of Meghan McCain, Senator McCain’s daughter & a member of the panel of hosts on ABC’s The View. It was only quoted in part on ABC’s Special Report; when I heard it I made a point of looking it up on Twitter/online because I wanted to share it here.

Here’s a clip from The View near the end of last year, where they play the clip of Senator McCain shutting down his supporter who trash talks about then-Senator Obama, & after the clip Senator McCain sort of explains why he did that, & I think they briefly touch on some other stuff.

Edited August 26, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add another comment and fix spacing.

[VCRTracking]

One of my favorite Daily Show moments:

[roamyn]

Sad news for the McCain family, but “happy” that he’s now free of suffering.

To me, Senator McCain represents something higher than serving your country’s:  serving it with Honor, a sense of humor, respect for others, a willingness to overcome partisanship.  Did he make mistakes?  Absolutely.  The Keating scandal was probably his biggest lack of good judgment.  Did he love and respect his Country?  Without a doubt.  

RIP, Sir.  You deserve it.

[VCRTracking]

I didn't agree with him a lot of times on politics but we do share a love of Abba.

[BW Manilowe]

From CNN: Commenting Saturday night on the passing of Arizona Senator John McCain, Senate Minority Leader and New York Senator Charles Schumer said he would introduce a resolution on the Senate floor to rename The Russell Senate Office Building for the late Senator McCain.

 

From The Hill: Funeral Plans for Senator McCain

Senator McCain will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol building in Phoenix (his body was moved to Phoenix Saturday night). He will also lie in state in the Rotunda of the US Capitol building in Washington DC, the 13th former Senator to do so.

He will receive a full dress funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Former Presidents George W. Bush & Barack Obama are expected to deliver eulogies. Those close to McCain have informed the White House that they plan to have Vice President Pence attend the senator’s funeral, but not the President. Senator McCain will be buried in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Governor of Arizona has ordered all flags lowered to half-staff. The President has ordered the same for the White House.

 

From The Hill: Former Running Mate Sarah Palin on the Death of Senator John McCain

[Brookside]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/25/john-mccain-death-moments-life-shape-legacy

 

Here's a nice selection of some of the high and low points of McCain's career.

[MissAlmond]

 Strange to think John McCain died at 81 and yet his mother survives him at 106.  Many pundits will, naturally, talk of politics but my favorite thoughts of John McCain was his appearances on SNL.   He had the comedic touch.  The skit where he played Amy Poehler's creepy, personal space invading, husband, David, still remains one of my favorites.  "Can I loofah your back?"   R.I.P. Sen John McCain. 

[merylinkid]

I am still processing this death.    Agree or disagree with  his positions, most can say he tried to do his duty to his country as best as he could.   You might not agree with everything he did, but he would have respected that disagreement.   But I am finding myself focusing on the little things right now.

1.   I did not know the Forrestal fire was HIS plane.   Not the start of it, that was a misfired rocket that hit his plane causing it to leak jet fuel.   Anyone who served in the Navy knows about THAT tragedy.

2.  Interesting he is being buried in Annapolis (probably at the Naval Academy) rather than Arlington Cemetary.   He is certainly more than eligible to do so.

3.   Until someone pointed out that Ted Kennedy died of the some disease I would have wondered if his condition was related to his POW years.   Now I wonder what the odds of 2 Senators getting the same disease are.    Yes, obligatory FUCK CANCER for anyone not just Senators.

[Annber03]

I found out his mom's still alive, at 106 years old. That is wild. To outlive your son like that...damn. 

[Kiki777]

12 hours ago, doodlebug said:

There was a town hall where someone stood up and claimed that President Obama was a Muslim and not a citizen.  Senator McCain nipped it in the bud immediately and made it clear he was not  going to allow such lies go unchallenged. He told them they were wrong, it was untrue and he didn’t want to hear it ever again.  

I loved that moment, just classy yet badass. 

I never knew he hosted SNL!  I hope someone re-runs it, I'd love to see it.

I'm watching tributes to him on my local news channels and tearing up a bit.  I may not have voted for the man but still have much admiration and respect for him.  And yes, cancer must be fucked.  Too many great people (and pets) taken away.

On a shallow note, these tributes are showing old pics of him in uniform and wow he was a handsome man.

[roamyn]

21 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

 

3.   Until someone pointed out that Ted Kennedy died of the some disease I would have wondered if his condition was related to his POW years.   Now I wonder what the odds of 2 Senators getting the same disease are.    Yes, obligatory FUCK CANCER for anyone not just Senators.

Ted Kennedy died 9 yrs ago to the day.

Another thing I liked McCain for was his smile.  He had a great, joyful smile, that always put a twinkle in his eyes.

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, roamyn said:

Another thing I liked McCain for was his smile.  He had a great, joyful smile, that always put a twinkle in his eyes.

They were showing old photos of him from his time in the military, and there were moments when I thought he looked like he could've been related to Steve Martin somehow. 

[BW Manilowe]

2 hours ago, MissAlmond said:

 Strange to think John McCain died at 81 and yet his mother survives him at 106.  Many pundits will, naturally, talk of politics but my favorite thoughts of John McCain was his appearances on SNL.   He had the comedic touch.  The skit where he played Amy Poehler's creepy, personal space invading, husband, David, still remains one of my favorites.  "Can I loofah your back?"   R.I.P. Sen John McCain. 

Yeah it is unusual his mother survives him. I heard that earlier today & was surprised. I may have to go see if NBC or SNL has any clips on YouTube.

Edited August 26, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add comments.

[Kiki777]

Another interesting thing I just heard- among his 7 (!!!) children, is a girl he and his wife adopted from Bangladesh in the early 90s.  Pretty cool.  Sad though that many of those kids are still so young to be losing their dad.  Mine are both alive and kicking and wearing matching tracksuits and I wanna go now and give them hugs.

[MaryMitch]

Neil Simon, writer of "The Odd Couple", "The Goodbye Girl", "The Sunshine Boys", and numerous other plays, dead at 91

https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/neil-simon-dies-odd-couple-playwright-neil-simon-dies-at-91/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/26/obituaries/neil-simon-dead.html

[merylinkid]

Damn.   This year is giving 2016 a run for its money.

It just SUCKS.   

[Blergh]

13 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

Neil Simon, writer of "The Odd Couple", "The Goodbye Girl", "The Sunshine Boys", and numerous other plays, dead at 91

https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/neil-simon-dies-odd-couple-playwright-neil-simon-dies-at-91/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/26/obituaries/neil-simon-dead.html

My late father always liked his stuff- especially Biloxi Blues being a New Yorker who also got sent to a Southern US training base during WWII before being shipped overseas! I have to wonder if Mr. Simon and Senator McCain ever crossed paths. Well, if they did, I can't help but think they'd have had a fun time together! RIP, Mr. Simon!

[BW Manilowe]

2 hours ago, merylinkid said:

I am still processing this death.    Agree or disagree with  his positions, most can say he tried to do his duty to his country as best as he could.   You might not agree with everything he did, but he would have respected that disagreement.   But I am finding myself focusing on the little things right now.

1.   I did not know the Forrestal fire was HIS plane.   Not the start of it, that was a misfired rocket that hit his plane causing it to leak jet fuel.   Anyone who served in the Navy knows about THAT tragedy.

2.  Interesting he is being buried in Annapolis (probably at the Naval Academy) rather than Arlington Cemetary.   He is certainly more than eligible to do so.

3.   Until someone pointed out that Ted Kennedy died of the some disease I would have wondered if his condition was related to his POW years.   Now I wonder what the odds of 2 Senators getting the same disease are.    Yes, obligatory FUCK CANCER for anyone not just Senators.

Former VP Biden’s son, Beau, also died of the same form of brain cancer while his father was still the VP. Here is a clip from probably the last interview with VP Biden while he was still in office, on The View; in the clip he tries to comfort Meghan McCain over her father’s situation, having gone through it with his son, Beau. When the segment starts, you’ll notice he’s not sitting next to Meghan; he & co-host Sunny Hostin switch places in the middle of the segment so that he can be closer to Meghan.