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In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths


Message added by Mr. Sparkle,

Reminder:

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

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1 hour ago, LegalParrot81 said:

RIP Larry Storch.  

For those who are old enough, his most well known role was on F Troop.  He was 99.

He'll always be Corporal Agarn but there were two other characters I remember him for fondly from childhood:

As Eddie the ghostbuster in the live action series which spawned an animated spinoff in the 80s.

As the voice of Marlon the magical mynah bird in The Brady Kids cartoon.

RIP Mr. Storch!  99 years is nothing to sneeze at and you will be missed! 

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Another of my crushes gone - Lenny von Dohlen, best known for his work in Twin Peaks but in my mind will always be Miles (Moles to Edgar), the prototype computer geek in 1984's Electric Dreams. For those who haven't seen it, Electric Dreams is a prophetic early warning about the danger of relying on a computer to run your life, wrapped in the cloak of a rom-com. #RIP Lenny von Dohlen

Edited by giovannif7
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(edited)

The now-deceased Mr. Storch had been performing in nightclubs, on TV, doing cartoons,etc. from the time he was sixteen (in 1940) to as recently as the  2010's. He was an incredible mimic who could do countless accents and personalities which served him quite well. Believe it or not, he had been an emcee at burlesque clubs which got decimated via the patrons staying home to watch television so that's what spurred him to work in the media from the early 1950's.  He also had a somewhat unconventional personal life with his longtime   on and off-again love Norma Greve (1922-2003) who he had an affair with that resulted in a nonmarital daughter Candace being born in 1948 who was put up for adoption then Miss Greve would have another affair with an African-American entertainer James Cross which resulted in her bearing a daughter named June in 1954 who she initially had African-American friends in North Carolina raise. Then in 1961, Mr. Storch and Miss Greve were married and started to pass off her younger daughter as their 'foster daughter' (and even posed with her along with all the other F-Troop regulars and family members in a publicity photo). Miss Cross would eventually become a producer, director and documentary film maker, and her self-produced autobiographical documentary Frontline: Secret Daughter (1996) would result in her older half-sister Candace being reunited with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Storch (who would stay wed until Mrs. Storch's death in 2003). BTW, Miss Cross  is  the one who made the announcement about her stepfather Mr. Storch's   having passed away in his sleep at age 99 in his Upper West Side apartment  this morning (June  8,2022). 

What a wealth of comedic and entertainment history Mr. Storch had been a part of for so many decades!

He said that the comedian Edward Everett Horton once told him, "Promise me Larry that you will never grow old!" to which Mr. Storch would add "I've tried my best to use that advice!"

 One can't help but be impressed by how long he managed to avoid old age!

RIP, Mr. Storch!

Edited by Blergh
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I don't normally believe the "death in threes" thing, but it's been a shock to lose James Caan, Larry Storch, and Tony Sirico within a week.

I loved F Troop as  kid. It's the type of show that couldn't be made today because of its Native American caricatures. And Corporal Agarn was my favorite. There was one unusually grim episode called "The Day They Shot Agarn." Of course they didn't, but there were some moments that weren't played for laughs at all. Very well acted all around. I didn't know Passaic (Agarn's home town) had made him an honorary citizen: Story here.

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6 hours ago, Blergh said:

 One can't help but be impressed by how long he managed to avoid old age!

Indeed. He was exactly six months shy of reaching the century mark. And he remained sharp as a tack to the end. RIP Mr. Storch, and thanks for the countless hours of entertainment that I grew up laughing along with!

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(edited)

Oh no not LQ Jones--he's one of my favorite supporting actors from Westerns who was still alive, though he was in a lot of different genres. Even if the movie was bad, he was always good. I saw an interview with him from a few years ago, and he still seemed pretty spry and vibrant. I was hoping he'd write a memoir. His anecdotes about making Peckinpah movies were always hilariously weird. 

Edited by Zella
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10 minutes ago, Zella said:

Oh no not LQ Jones--he's one of my favorite supporting actors from Westerns who was still alive, though he was in a lot of different genres. Even if the movie was bad, he was always good. I saw an interview with him from a few years ago, and he still seemed pretty spry and vibrant. I was hoping he'd write a memoir. His anecdotes about making Peckinpah movies were always hilariously weird. 

In the last few days I saw him on Perry Mason and Wagon Train, thanks to METV.  I was happily surprised he was still living.  

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(edited)

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/adam-wade-dead-singer-game-show-host-1235177763/

Loved Musical Chairs back in the day....he was also the very handsome Frank Mason on Good Times, the love of Willona's life.

Lots of surprising tidbits in the obit, a life well lived.

Rest in power, sir.

Edited by Yogisbooboo64
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While Mr. Storch is still fresh on the mind, I thought I'd share with you a couple of anecdotes. It turns out that he grew up in the same rough and tumble Bronx neighborhood as one Bernie Schwartz who, when the two served in the WWII Pacific Theater told Mr. Storch that his goal was to be a 'movie star' and that 'the acting would take care of itself'. Well, to Mr. Schwartz's credit, he not only DID become a movie star under the name of Tony Curtis but he also pulled strings to give onetime pal roles in seven of his movies. In 1967, Mr. Storch was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Best Comedic Actor for the iconic role of Corporal Randall Agarn but got beaten by Don Adams (who'd played Max Smart in Get Smart), but Mr. Storch wasn't too put out because Mr. Adams was ANOTHER boyhood pal  so he told Mr. Adams that, via that Emmy win, he'd 'kept it on the block'! Besides, Mr. Storch DID live to become an honorary citizen of Passiac, New Jersey (where his character Agarn had hailed from) in 2016 (aged 93) AND received a Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his WWII service!

It also turned out that his loved ones had just celebrated his 99th and a HALF birthday with him just hours before he went to the sleep from which he didn't awaken in this world.

Regardless, he sure seemed as though he'd have been fun to have known had one been had had reason to have known him!

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On 7/9/2022 at 2:07 AM, Blergh said:

The now-deceased Mr. Storch had been performing in nightclubs, on TV, doing cartoons,etc. from the time he was sixteen (in 1940) to as recently as the  2010's. He was an incredible mimic who could do countless accents and personalities which served him quite well. Believe it or not, he had been an emcee at burlesque clubs which got decimated via the patrons staying home to watch television so that's what spurred him to work in the media from the early 1950's.  He also had a somewhat unconventional personal life with his longtime   on and off-again love Norma Greve (1922-2003) who he had an affair with that resulted in a nonmarital daughter Candace being born in 1948 who was put up for adoption then Miss Greve would have another affair with an African-American entertainer James Cross which resulted in her bearing a daughter named June in 1954 who she initially had African-American friends in North Carolina raise. Then in 1961, Mr. Storch and Miss Greve were married and started to pass off her younger daughter as their 'foster daughter' (and even posed with her along with all the other F-Troop regulars and family members in a publicity photo). Miss Cross would eventually become a producer, director and documentary film maker, and her self-produced autobiographical documentary Frontline: Secret Daughter (1996) would result in her older half-sister Candace being reunited with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Storch (who would stay wed until Mrs. Storch's death in 2003). BTW, Miss Cross  is  the one who made the announcement about her stepfather Mr. Storch's   having passed away in his sleep at age 99 in his Upper West Side apartment  this morning (June  8,2022). 

What a wealth of comedic and entertainment history Mr. Storch had been a part of for so many decades!

He said that the comedian Edward Everett Horton once told him, "Promise me Larry that you will never grow old!" to which Mr. Storch would add "I've tried my best to use that advice!"

 One can't help but be impressed by how long he managed to avoid old age!

RIP, Mr. Storch!

I remember hearing that story, but from the point of view of the daughter.  It's been a while; I can't remember how or where I heard it now.  I'm going to have to do some research!

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William Hart, Delfonics lead singer and songwriter, dies aged 77.

Hart was the primary songwriter for the Philadelphia sweet-soul group, who recorded with Thom Bell and were covered by Prince and Aretha Franklin.

Paul Ryder, Happy Mondays bassist, dies aged 58.

Guitarist and brother of frontman Shaun hailed as a ‘true pioneer and legend’ by band whose sound was driven by his bass lines.

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1 hour ago, Hiyo said:

William Hart, Delfonics lead singer and songwriter, dies aged 77.

Hart was the primary songwriter for the Philadelphia sweet-soul group, who recorded with Thom Bell and were covered by Prince and Aretha Franklin.

I've still got some Delfonics records.  Now I've got Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) playing in my ear.  What a voice he had.

RiP, Mr. Hart.

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8 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

This thread is getting too depressing for me. I turned 73 on June 3rd. Getting too close to home for me these days... may have to stepback for a bit...

I'm not quite there yet but I'm no longer young enough to consider 73 to be automatically old. Ironically, though, I'm more inclined to get disheartened when someone significantly younger than me. . or closer to Mama's nonagenarian age is no longer in this world than I am when someone my own age dies.  I'm not sure why that is, though.

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Science fiction author Eric Flint has died.  He's probably best known for the 1632 Universe, which he created and is now a massive, sprawling shared world series in which many authors participate.  He also helped start the Baen Free Library, and he had his own small press, Ring of Fire.  

https://file770.com/eric-flint-1947-2022/

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21 hours ago, dalek said:

Science fiction author Eric Flint has died.  He's probably best known for the 1632 Universe, which he created and is now a massive, sprawling shared world series in which many authors participate.  He also helped start the Baen Free Library, and he had his own small press, Ring of Fire.  

https://file770.com/eric-flint-1947-2022/

Wow, I love that series. The best one was the original book, but the entire world series is fantastic with its detailed worldbuilding.

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1 minute ago, MissAlmond said:

Oh my goodness - I'm currently doing a re-watch of this entire series for the first time since it originally aired and just a week ago I went through the cast on IMDB to see who was still with us.  His character had the sexiest voice; I wanted him to call me lover, not that ass J.D. LaRue, the character played by the late Kiel Martin.  The only problem with Neal Washington was that constant toothpick in his mouth.  But there was also Daniel J. Travanti as Frank Furillo  . . .

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'Elvis' Actress Shonka Dukureh Found Dead in Apartment

Quote

Cops say Shonka -- who plays Big Mama Thornton in the film -- was found dead Thursday in a bedroom inside her Nashville apartment. It was one of Shonka's young children who found her ... the child then ran to alert a neighbor, who called 911 around 9:30 AM.

I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen the Doja Cat video a million times, & she plays Big Mama Thornton in that too.

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12 hours ago, stonehaven said:

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/shonka-dukureh-dead-dies-elvis-big-mama-thornton-1235322550/?fbclid=IwAR1FopJKGJYsTmxp_caMyyifllK-VV5hx7__41hocQQPd0M_7RB-cadlSjg

She was 44 and had played Big Mama Thorton in this year's Elvis. Saddest part was she was found by one of her young children....

I recently saw Elvis, so her playing Big Mama Thornton is fresh in my mind. R.I.P. Ms. Dukureh. 

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20 hours ago, MissAlmond said:

I loved Hill Street Blues. I would look forward to Thursday nights all week during the show's run. Neal Washington was arguably the most underutilized of the cop characters, though he did have a great scene with the mother of a man he had shot. R.I.P. Taurean Blacque.

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Message added by Mr. Sparkle,

Reminder:

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

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