In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

Phil Spector dead at 81 from Covid -- in prison.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phil-spector-dead-obit-67459/

 

I love how it's his "legacy was marred by a murder conviction."   Like oh darn, that pesky little murder got in the way of a great life.

Well, it's Rolling Stone so...

[praeceptrix]

From the linked article: "Gen. Nikolai T. Antoshkin, the commander of a perilous helicopter firefighting operation in which he and other pilots braved radiation exposure to contain the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, died on Sunday. He was 78."

I'm old enough to remember the Chernobyl disaster, but I don't recall there being much coverage of the containment efforts. It's incredible that he lived as long as he did. Fuck Covid.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/world/europe/russia-antoshkin-chernobyl-obituary.html?action=click&block=associated_collection_recirc&impression_id=ae1fddb1-5903-11eb-aed4-9718c94c437d&index=1&pgtype=Article&region=footer

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Phil Spector dead at 81 from Covid -- in prison.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phil-spector-dead-obit-67459/

 

I love how it's his "legacy was marred by a murder conviction."   Like oh darn, that pesky little murder got in the way of a great life.

Yeah, its not like not murdering someone is an option.

[cynicat]

13 hours ago, praeceptrix said:

From the linked article: "Gen. Nikolai T. Antoshkin, the commander of a perilous helicopter firefighting operation in which he and other pilots braved radiation exposure to contain the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, died on Sunday. He was 78."

I'm old enough to remember the Chernobyl disaster, but I don't recall there being much coverage of the containment efforts. It's incredible that he lived as long as he did. Fuck Covid.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/world/europe/russia-antoshkin-chernobyl-obituary.html?action=click&block=associated_collection_recirc&impression_id=ae1fddb1-5903-11eb-aed4-9718c94c437d&index=1&pgtype=Article&region=footer

I can't wrap my brain around this.  Admittedly, I only know what these pilots did through watching Chernobyl, and I don't know how much artistic license they had, but those helicopter pilots were true heroes.  He literally flew into the reactor that was spewing massive amounts of radiation to put out the fire, yet it was fucking Covid that killed him?  Where do you even go with that?

[shapeshifter]

19 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

He was an extremely talented psycho. People are never just one thing.

Having been a teenage fan of many of the songs I never knew Phil Spector had a hand in, this article was enlightening: 
https://apnews.com/article/phil-spector-los-angeles-music-lana-clarkson-california-2845684db91046267039f7d628ce20d4

[MissAlmond]

Ronnie Spector on Phil Spector's death.

https://deadline.com/2021/01/ronnie-spector-on-phil-spector-a-brilliant-producer-a-lousy-husband-1234675469/

[blueray]

I didn't know who Phil Spector was until I looked it up. And wow, if some deserved to die of Covid that would be it (not that I'd want anyone to die). But it sounds like he was abusive to all his many wives and his children. Then murdered an actress he barely knew. As other's have said at least his ex's and children no long have to live in fear.

Edited January 18, 2021 by blueray

[MargeGunderson]

13 hours ago, cynicat said:

I can't wrap my brain around this.  Admittedly, I only know what these pilots did through watching Chernobyl, and I don't know how much artistic license they had, but those helicopter pilots were true heroes.  He literally flew into the reactor that was spewing massive amounts of radiation to put out the fire, yet it was fucking Covid that killed him?  Where do you even go with that?

The book Midnight in Chernobyl is a great read about the disaster and the people who took unbelievable risks to prevent even more widespread devastation.

[magicdog]

More Phil Spector weirdness.

 

I'd read about the HS reunion story before - it made me think this guy was the prototypical Napoleonic complex with shades of inner rage.

He also reminds me a little of Norma Desmond.

 

[MissAlmond]

David Richardson, writer-producer for F is for Family, Two and a Half-Men, The Simpsons, and other television shows has died, age 65. 

https://deadline.com/2021/01/david-richardson-dies-two-and-a-half-men-the-simpsons-f-is-for-family-writer-producer-1234675878/

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-simpsons-david-richarson-dies-dead-65/

[MissAlmond]

Richard Lindheim, TV executive and co-creator of The Equalizer and writer/producer of B.J. and the Bear has died, age 81.

https://deadline.com/2021/01/richard-lindheim-dead-tv-executive-the-equalizer-co-creator-1234675998/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-lindheim-co-creator-of-cbs-the-equalizer-dies-at-81

[KWalkerInc]

ESPN just reported that yet another Baseball Hall-of-Famer, pitcher Don Sutton, has died at age 75.

https://www.mlb.com/news/don-sutton-dies-at-75

Edited January 19, 2021 by KWalkerInc
Added link.

[Blergh]

16 hours ago, magicdog said:

More Phil Spector weirdness.

 

I'd read about the HS reunion story before - it made me think this guy was the prototypical Napoleonic complex with shades of inner rage.

He also reminds me a little of Norma Desmond.

 

Try Citizen Kane! According to Ronnie Spector, her former husband insisted on watching that movie over and over since he seemed to want to model himself after Welles's iconic character (though he didn't let her leave when she'd had enough unlike  how Mr. Kane DID re his own 2nd wife). 

[MissAlmond]

Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton has died, age 75.

 https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30743861/hall-fame-pitcher-don-sutton-dies-75

https://www.ocregister.com/2021/01/19/alexander-dodgers-great-don-sutton-learned-well-from-his-elders/

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/don-sutton-baseball-hall-of-famer-and-300-game-winner-dies-at-75/

[BetterButter]

Mira Furlan, ‘Babylon 5’ and ‘Lost’ Actress, Dies at 65

[merylinkid]

6 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Mira Furlan, ‘Babylon 5’ and ‘Lost’ Actress, Dies at 65

Dammit Dammit Dammit.   Gutted.   

[Robert Lynch]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

Dammit Dammit Dammit.   Gutted.   

Wow....too young.

[BlackberryJam]

8 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Mira Furlan, ‘Babylon 5’ and ‘Lost’ Actress, Dies at 65

Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station, and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are starstuff. We are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out. And as we have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective.

[Popples]

 

[Blergh]

4 hours ago, Popples said:

 

I remember when he broke Babe Ruth's record then got a bunch of endorsements back in 1974 but being a kid somewhat living in a bubble at the time (despite living in the Southeast US) ,  I had no idea of anyone else's ugliness towards him having done so . Hence, I  was shocked to read many years later about him having gotten so many death threats when he was getting close to said record, that the reason WHY his mother Estella ran onto the field to embrace him when he actually broke it was to literally be a human shield for her child against any would-be assassins! How horrible that they couldn't just enjoy the moment of the culmination of his having achieved that milestone through athletic skill and determination!  RIP, Mr. Aaron (and I know you're happy to be reunited with Mrs. Aaron)! 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Blergh

[praeceptrix]

A touching article about how the surviving members of the 1960s era Green Bay Packers have been affected by the deaths of their teammates over the last few years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/sports/football/green-bay-packers-1965.html?action=click&block=more_in_recirc&impression_id=f74c1500-5cd5-11eb-853d-25585acb7a76&index=0&pgtype=Article&region=footer

Edited January 22, 2021 by praeceptrix

[Auntie Anxiety]

2 hours ago, Popples said:

 

He received the Covid vaccine two weeks ago in a public appearance, in the hopes of encouraging the African-American community to get the vaccine. 

[blueray]

15 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Mira Furlan, ‘Babylon 5’ and ‘Lost’ Actress, Dies at 65

I'm sad to hear that :(. 65 is way to young. It looked like she died from compacations of West Nile (according to Wikipedia). 

[catlover79]

This is the one that has really gutted me. 🙏😢💔

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/gregory-sierra-actor-on-barney-miller-and-sanford-and-son-dies-at-83/ar-BB1d0o8k?ocid=msedgntp

[Blergh]

19 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

This is the one that has really gutted me. 🙏😢💔

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/gregory-sierra-actor-on-barney-miller-and-sanford-and-son-dies-at-83/ar-BB1d0o8k?ocid=msedgntp

What's sad is that Mr. Sierra seemed to have SO much potential to be a superstar in the mid-70's but, for whatever reason/s, his career never quite reached those heights after Barney Miller!RIP, Mr. Sierra!

Edited January 23, 2021 by Blergh

[catlover79]

49 minutes ago, Blergh said:

What's sad is that Mr. Sierra seemed to have SO much potential to be a superstar in the mid-70's but, for whatever reason/s, his career never quite reached those heights after Barney Miller!RIP, Mr. Sierra!

Very well said!! He had bit parts in many movies and TV episodics, but too few where he was right in the spotlight. Maybe he was too pigeonholed into the "ethnic" roles. In any case, Gregory Sierra was a very engaging and multifaceted actor. My favorite guest roles of his were as the head of a family of vagabonds in The Waltons episode entitled "The Gypsies" and as a lovestruck Armenian piano player (!!) in the Kung Fu episode called "The Stone". The latter was especially great because he got to play a romantic story, which he seldom got to do on screen. God bless him. ❤

[praeceptrix]

From the linked article:

"Rémy Julienne was one of the world's best-known stuntmen, devising the crashes, crunches and collisions of more than 1,400 films.

In many he himself appeared, anonymously of course.

But over a 50-year career he was the body double who took the danger shots for a host of stars including Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Charles Bronson, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. In wig and appropriate clothing he also took on the form of Sophia Loren, Carole Bouquet and Gina Lollobrigida.

He has died in France aged 90 of coronavirus."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55765555

[cincivic]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/theater/bob-avian-dead.html

[Vermicious Knid]

That leaves Max Gail and Hal Linden as the last survivors of Barney Miller, I believe.

[magicdog]

42 minutes ago, Vermicious Knid said:

That leaves Max Gail and Hal Linden as the last survivors of Barney Miller, I believe.

Don't forget Barbara Barrie, who played Barney's wife, Liz.  

Technically, you could include Linda Lavin (Officer Wentworth),  Dino Domenico Natali (Officer Zitelli), Alex Henteloff (as the ambulance chaser Arnold Ripner), Paul Lieber (Detective Dorsey), and Michael Lembeck (Detective Gardino).

[Vermicious Knid]

Last of the main cast then. I'll give you Barbara Barrie, she was essentially a main character. The others were not. Linda Lavin was actually only in five episodes, and the rest were occasional guest appearances.

[BetterButter]

 

[Robert Lynch]

17 minutes ago, BetterButter said:

 

He also had Covid 19, right?

[Spartan Girl]

The end of an era.

But let’s not jump to the “2021 is just 2020 in a wig” that Twitter is already doing. With all the health issues he had, it’s amazing he lasted this long.

[kili]

Quote

He also had Covid 19, right?

Yes. According to this RollingStone article: No cause of death was provided, but King’s death came weeks after it was revealed that the 87-year-old host was battling coronavirus.

Larry seemed like one of those guys who was always old, but never stopping. End of an era.

[bmasters9]

7 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

That leaves Max Gail and Hal Linden as the last survivors of Barney Miller, I believe.

Another great and favorite 70s series of mine has even fewer, in fact, only one-- The Streets of San Francisco, where only Michael Douglas survives (Karl Malden leaving in 2009, and Richard Hatch in 2017).

[AimingforYoko]

Larry King was a unique personality. I remember those stream of consciousness columns he used to write for USA Today. It's amazing he made it to 87 with all of his health problems. R.I.P.

[catlover79]

7 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

That leaves Max Gail and Hal Linden as the last survivors of Barney Miller, I believe.

 

Hal Linden and Barbara Barrie are both scheduled to turn 90 in the not-so-distant future - he in March, she in May.

[Blergh]

47 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Larry King was a unique personality. I remember those stream of consciousness columns he used to write for USA Today. It's amazing he made it to 87 with all of his health problems. R.I.P.

I feel especially sorry for his youngest sons Chance and Cannon who, it must be said, he was a dedicated father to (and who DID help make his twilight years more bearable with their company) and could soon be in the unenviable position of possibly being pressured by their mother Shannon Southwick re his estate!

[Calvada]

I loved Barney Miller.  It's in my top 5 of all time favorite shows.  Almost 10 years ago I was going through some health issues and I bought the complete DVD set of the series to help me through.  I do a rewatch about every 18 months, most recently last spring as the lock down began.  I really liked the character of Chano and I was sad that Sierra left the series. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Calvada said:

I loved Barney Miller.  It's in my top 5 of all time favorite shows.  Almost 10 years ago I was going through some health issues and I bought the complete DVD set of the series to help me through.  I do a rewatch about every 18 months, most recently last spring as the lock down began.  I really liked the character of Chano and I was sad that Sierra left the series. 

Emmy-worthy scene: https://youtu.be/OeuAjGTu67c?t=1057

 

[catlover79]

30 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Emmy-worthy scene: https://youtu.be/OeuAjGTu67c?t=1057

 

The entire episode was a perfect showcase for Gregory Sierra's talent - and one of the best of the series itself. 46 years later, it is still raw and harrowing.

Mr. Sierra's widow speaks to CNN:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/23/entertainment/gregory-sierra-obituary-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2DP4mFT1j4H5kx5xcJOOi6NY01airFJAoZBafPPGps0u54wYdzOW4TnOo

[meowmommy]

Very on-topic, from 2015:

Quote

How can a story end well if he winds up in the ground? He is planning to avoid that, he told Harris. King takes four human growth hormone pills every day. People think H.G.H. is illegal because athletes are suspended for using it. It is not, King says, and he feels great. But in case of death, King wants the Ted Williams treatment. He has arranged to have his body frozen and then thawed out when researchers discover a cure for whatever killed him — the so-called cryonics approach. (Unlike Williams, King does not wish to have his dead head cut off.) King told me later that the people behind cryonics are ‘‘all nuts,’’ but at least if he knows he will be frozen he will die with a shred of hope. ‘‘Other people have no hope,’’ King said....

‘If my wife is late for my funeral, I will be very angry.’’

King would love to attend his own funeral. He would watch invisibly over the proceedings and laugh. ‘‘I would like the ceremony to begin, ‘Today we are honoring a 160-year-old man who was caught in bed by an irate husband,’ ’’ King said. ‘‘ ‘And the funeral is late because it took six days to wipe the smile off his face.’ ’’

 

 

 

[OtterMommy]

13 hours ago, cincivic said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/theater/bob-avian-dead.html

This is a loss.  I think the kick line in A Chorus Line is probably the most iconic bit of Broadway choreography.

[catlover79]

7 hours ago, kili said:

Larry seemed like one of those guys who was always old, but never stopping. 

Exactly - like Abe Vigoda.

[Annber03]

Shame to hear about Larry King. May he rest in peace. 

[Kromm]

7 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Larry King was a unique personality. I remember those stream of consciousness columns he used to write for USA Today. It's amazing he made it to 87 with all of his health problems. R.I.P.

This is only half a joke: I thought he was far older than 87.

I mean he's looked old for decades.  He frequently talked about really old cultural touchstones.  In more recent years, he's looked beyond ancient--he's had that skeletal look I associate with people who've survive into their mid to late 90s.  I guess that must have been at least in part linked to his overall health.

[catlover79]

Here's Gregory Sierra in 1975 on the set, and in a 2016 photo a fan posted on Pinterest:

[ElleryAnne]

1 hour ago, catlover79 said:

I love that fan photo.  There's a warmth in Mr. Sierra's eyes and smile that I don't think even the most talented actors can fake and that makes me think he must have been a lovely person for his fans to be fortunate enough to have met.

Edited January 24, 2021 by ElleryAnne

[catlover79]

1 hour ago, ElleryAnne said:

I love that fan photo.  There's a warmth in Mr. Sierra's eyes and smile that I don't think even the most talented actors can fake and that makes me think he must have been a lovely person for his fans to be fortunate enough to have met.

It's a great photo. He was a man who overcame poverty and heartbreak - abandoned by his parents when he was just a child and enduring his wife's suicide in 1978 - but the warmth and goodness shone through every role. I was so glad to read that he finished out his life with a happy marriage to a wife who adored him and stepchildren who called him "Dad". He was still getting fan mail! Thankfully, his work will always be around for us to see. 🙏❤