In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

[HoboClayton]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974 is a masterpiece.  Sad loss. 

[roamyn]

I wanted to like @BetterButter post, but thought that would look odd.

Tobe Hooper got it.  He understood the vision & direction that horror films should explore next.

The remake writers didn't get that message.

RIP Sir. 

[merylinkid]

RIP Tobe Hooper.

[DollEyes]

Because of Tobe Hooper, I will never think of chainsaws nor TV sets the same way again. 

RIP, Mr. Hooper. 

[spiderpig]

28 minutes ago, DollEyes said:

Because of Tobe Hooper, I will never think of chainsaws nor TV sets the same way again. 

RIP, Mr. Hooper. 

Armchairs, either.*

*Made of real arms!

[BW Manilowe]

From USA Today: French actress & Filmmaker Mirelle Darc Dead at Age 79.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 8/21/2017 at 9:49 AM, GreekGeek said:

I thought he was excellent in The King of Comedy.

Lewis also did a guest spot on SVU, playing Munch's uncle Andrew. I always catch that ep when I see it come up in the rotation because it's a surprisingly affecting performance. RIP, Jerry Lewis.

[BW Manilowe]

From USA Today: Former Michigan State University Men's Basketball Coach Jud Heathcote Dead at 90.

And From Variety: Syd Silverman, Former Owner and Publisher of Variety, Dead at 85.

Edited August 29, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To Add a New Obituary Link.

[BW Manilowe]

From USA Today: Hong Kong Businessman, Socialite, and Creator of the Shanghai Tang Fashion Brand, David Tang Dead at 63; Cancer.

Edited August 30, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To add a missing and important word.

[Spartan Girl]

On 8/28/2017 at 5:40 PM, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Lewis also did a guest spot on SVU, playing Munch's uncle Andrew. I always catch that ep when I see it come up in the rotation because it's a surprisingly affecting performance. RIP, Jerry Lewis.

I liked that one too, just for Jerry Lewis' performance.

[Robert Lynch]

He was good in Cinderfella

Edited August 30, 2017 by Robert Lynch

[MaryMitch]

Richard Anderson, who was all over network TV in the 60s and 70s, and who played Oscar Goldman on "The 6 Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman" - dead at 91.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-anderson-dead-six-million-855240

[Ohwell]

I remember him, he was in a lot of tv shows when I was growing up.  RIP, Mr. Anderson. 

[spiderpig]

I had a big crush on him back in the day.  He was the type of man who would remain handsome all his life, like Paul Newman.

RIP

[legaleagle53]

One of the things that I remember most about his signature role, Oscar Goldman, was that Oscar had very different relationships with Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers.  With Steve, Oscar was stern and businesslike most of the time (although you could tell that underneath it all he truly respected and valued Steve), whereas with Jaime, he was much more laid-back and even playful at times. Richard always maintained that the reason for the difference was that Oscar was secretly in love with Jaime -- and Richard always played him that way on purpose!

RIP, Richard.

[kassygreene]

I'm sorry to hear this, but 91 is a damn fine age.

And of course, when I first read it, I saw Richard Dean Anderson (a totally different person, and still alive as I type).

[roamyn]

Man, I thought Richard Anderson a fine actor.  He guest starred in many tv shows all the way through the early 2000s.

And The Bionic Man was a great favorite of mine. 

He was so handsome.  Heaven got a little more good looking yesterday.

What a great age and a great life he seemed to live.  And Thank You for your service, Sir.

[merylinkid]

Awww Oscar.   RIP.    I loved him on both shows.   

[BW Manilowe]

Richard Anderson was another Hollywood celebrity I had the good fortune to cross paths with when I was involved with the March of Dimes while growing up. We did a local telethon fundraiser together in Knoxville, TN back in the mid/late '70's. As I remember, he was a nice man (I got lucky; very few of the celebs I crossed paths with were "duds" & I don't really remember those that were now).

As I was reading his obit, I noticed something though. His age is stated as being 91 at the time of his death. But I read 1 obit (& I can't remember if they all say this, or not) that actually listed his birthdate. The birthdate given was August 8, 1928.

Based on that, & the fact that he did live to see his birthday this year (2017), I think either the wrong year is being published for his birth (which isn't unusual for celebrities) or somebody's math turned out wrong when they figured his age (I also used the calculator on my phone to check it & I didn't come out with his current age being 91 either. I got that he was 89 when he died, based on the 1928 year of birth & the fact he did have this year's birthday before he passed).

I find it interesting he seems to have maybe been a couple of years younger than he's being given credit for, & I wonder why his age was raised (if that's what happened--the sources using the 1928 birth year for him could be wrong too); I know people have fudged their age upwards for stuff like joining the military, but I didn't see anything in his obit that would warrant his age being raised 2 years from what it really was... & most people (especially celebrities) who change their age make themselves younger than real life, not older.

[Ohwell]

Of course, I don't know the source or how accurate these sites are, but Wikipedia and IMDB both say he was born August 8, 1926.  

[BW Manilowe]

9 hours ago, kassygreene said:

I'm sorry to hear this, but 91 is a damn fine age.

And of course, when I first read it, I saw Richard Dean Anderson (a totally different person, and still alive as I type).

Yep, Richard Anderson & Richard Dean Anderson are/were 2 different people. And I'm betting the latter had to add his middle name professionally because the Screen Actors Guild won't accept more than 1 person with a certain name. Presumably the elder Richard Anderson joined SAG first; so when the original MacGyver actor joined, he had to be Richard Dean Anderson (& anyone else wanting to use "Richard Anderson" as their professional name also has to add a third name or a middle initial, that no one's already using, to their name).

[BW Manilowe]

From TVLine: Character Actor Shelley Berman Dead at Age 92; Complications of Alzheimer's Disease.

[MaryMitch]

If you get MeTV, they will be showing Richard Anderson tribute episodes of Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, and The Wild Wild West - tomorrow (Saturday Sept 2) starting at 11am / 10 central.

[spiderpig]

25 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

If you get MeTV, they will be showing Richard Anderson tribute episodes of Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, and The Wild Wild West - tomorrow (Saturday Sept 2) starting at 11am / 10 central.

Thanks for the heads up.  I just posted on another site that it would be easier to list the TV series he had not appeared in!

[Tunia]

3 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

From TVLine: Character Actor Shelley Berman Dead at Age 92; Complications of Alzheimer's Disease.

RIP Shelley Berman.  He was such a great talent.  Still have a couple of his albums tucked away.

[spiderpig]

11 minutes ago, Tunia said:

RIP Shelley Berman.  He was such a great talent.  Still have a couple of his albums tucked away.

I associate him with the old Jack Paar, Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson days.

[wilsie]

Quote

If you get MeTV, they will be showing Richard Anderson tribute episodes of Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, and The Wild Wild West - tomorrow (Saturday Sept 2) starting at 11am / 10 central.

@MaryMitch  I shared this on Retro TV Channels.  Thank you for sharing it.

[BW Manilowe]

6 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Of course, I don't know the source or how accurate these sites are, but Wikipedia and IMDB both say he was born August 8, 1926.  

That makes more sense, & is accurate, if he was 91 & celebrated this year's birthday before he passed. I'm surprised nobody at the media sources using the obit stating he was age 91 & born in August, 1928 has caught that error (& fixed it, prior to publication). Guess nobody bothers to proofread anything before publishing it/posting it online. I try to though.

2 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

If you get MeTV, they will be showing Richard Anderson tribute episodes of Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, and The Wild Wild West - tomorrow (Saturday Sept 2) starting at 11am / 10 central.

I get AntennaTV, but I don't know if they're doing any tributes, or when. I haven't been watching the channel so far today.

[SVNBob]

On 8/30/2017 at 6:08 PM, Robert Lynch said:

[Jerry Lewis] was good in Cinderfella

Something I just learned today.

In the scene at the ball, when it strikes midnight and Jerry has to run up a flight of 63 stairs to flee before the magic wears off, there's a moment right near the start of his ascent where he stumbles.  That's because he had a heart attack (his first) at that moment.  But he finished the seven-second ascent, completed the scene, and then was taken straight to the hospital.

[BW Manilowe]

Saxophonist Larry Elgart, Famous for the Hooked on Swing Album and for Writing the Instrumental Version of the American Bandstand Theme, Dead at Age 95

Some sources credit "Les Elgart", not Larry, as being among the writers of the American Bandstand theme (aka Bandstand Boogie). Presumably it's the same man; I've never heard otherwise.

As of 1977, the show began airing a new version of Bandstand Boogie, now with lyrics, which name dropped & referenced various aspects of the show, by singer/songwriter Barry Manilow & 1 of his frequent collaborators, Bruce Sussman. This version was originally recorded for Manilow's Tryin' to Get the Feeling album which was released in 1975. This version remained the theme song until the show moved to first-run syndication in 1987.

[BetterButter]

Steely Dan’s Walter Becker Passes Away at 67

[AimingforYoko]

Aw, Steely Dan is one of my favorites. Anybody who can stay friends with Fagan for 50 years must be a mellow dude. R.I.P.

[Ohwell]

RIP, Mr. Becker.  Now I've got "Hey Nineteen" playing in my head.

[roamyn]

Damn.

Another piece of my childhood.  I love Steely Dan.

[magdalene]

12 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Steely Dan’s Walter Becker Passes Away at 67

Too young.  He didn't even make it to that terrible 69 that seems to claim quite a few of the musical greats.

Steely Dan have such a timeless quality.  I love their sound and those clever and ironic lyrics.  Damn.

[BW Manilowe]

From The New York Times: Award-Winning American Poet John Ashberry Dead at 90

[Mindthinkr]

On 9/3/2017 at 9:47 AM, BetterButter said:

Steely Dan’s Walter Becker Passes Away at 67

Sad. No more reeling in the years...stowing away the time. 

[auntjess]

On ‎9‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 3:11 PM, Tunia said:

RIP Shelley Berman.  He was such a great talent.  Still have a couple of his albums tucked away.

I don't have my albums any more, but youtube has some of his sketches.
I wanted to check the words on one, so I googled "my tongue is asleep and my teeth itch" and it returned various sore mouth problems, and mouth cancer symptoms.
Sic transit gloria mundi, indeed.

[BW Manilowe]

From Variety: Actress and Acting Teacher Elizabeth Kemp Dead at 65

[BW Manilowe]

From USA Today: Simeon Wright, Who Was With His Cousin Emmett Till When He Was Abducted After Whistling At A White Woman In Mississippi In 1955, Dead From Cancer

[BW Manilowe]

From Broadway.com: Bernard Pomerance, Tony-winning Playwright of The Elephant Man, Dead at 76; Complications of Cancer

[BW Manilowe]

From Variety: Oscar-winner Murray Lerman, Who Documented Bob Dylan Going Electric at Newport, Dies at 90; Kidney Failure

[Mindthinkr]

This is the worst part of getting older. Seeing all the people you know, have heard of or admired disappearing from this earth. Not to mention those we have loved. 

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

This is the worst part of getting older. Seeing all the people you know, have heard of or admired disappearing from this earth. Not to mention those we have loved. 

True that- to say nothing of having 20 and 30 somethings look at you with completely blank stares when one talks of anyone who did anything  worthwhile before 1990!

 

  To keep ontopic, it's been nearly 30 years but I STILL miss Lucy as though she was a member of my family! I hope I don't have to spell out WHICH Lucy I'm talking about.

[Mindthinkr]

6 minutes ago, Blergh said:

To keep ontopic, it's been nearly 30 years but I STILL miss Lucy as though she was a member of my family! I hope I don't have to spell out WHICH Lucy I'm talking about.

Nope. I have your back on this one. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

10 minutes ago, Blergh said:

To keep ontopic, it's been nearly 30 years but I STILL miss Lucy as though she was a member of my family! I hope I don't have to spell out WHICH Lucy I'm talking about.

 

4 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Nope. I have your back on this one. 

Me three! I was SHOCKED when she passed, as her prognosis had been good.

[riley702]

14 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

This is the worst part of getting older. Seeing all the people you know, have heard of or admired disappearing from this earth. Not to mention those we have loved. 

My Mom is 81 and complains that most of her friends are dead.

[Mindthinkr]

7 hours ago, riley702 said:

My Mom is 81 and complains that most of her friends are dead.

That is sad for her and kind of takes the joy out of having lived a long life. I hope that she is well and active. 

[riley702]

Not so active - she just recently had a neurostimulator implanted in her back for the pain of spinal stenosis. She's healing well and wants to get back out to weeding her flowers. 

[Mindthinkr]

7 hours ago, riley702 said:

Not so active - she just recently had a neurostimulator implanted in her back for the pain of spinal stenosis. She's healing well and wants to get back out to weeding her flowers. 

Let's hope that she is able to get back to it soon. Gardening is good for the body, mind and soul. I wish her a speedy recovery.