Literotica Cemetary

[RoryN]

The guy who played drums on the 1987 hit Don't Dream It's Over has killed himself.

Ex-Crowded House drummer's suicide
Sunday, March 27, 2005 Posted: 9:36 PM EST (0236 GMT)

MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) -- Drummer Paul Hester from the New Zealand bands Split Enz and Crowded House has been found dead in a park in the southern Australian city of Melbourne, apparently after committing suicide, a fan Web site says.

Australian police on Monday confirmed the body of a man in his 40s was found in Elsternwick Park near Hester's Melbourne home. Police said the death was not suspicious, but they would not release the man's name.

"I am devastated. I have lost one of my best mates," former Crowded House singer Neil Finn told Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Hester, 46, failed to return home from walking his two dogs on Saturday night, said the newspaper on Monday.

The Web site, frenz.com, said "...Paul Hester of Split Enz, Crowded House, Largest Living Things, and many other great projects, has taken his own life."

"It is not a hoax or a rumor. At this point, it has been confirmed though we have no other details at this time."

Hester played in several Melbourne bands before joining New Zealand band Split Enz in 1983.

He and Neil Finn formed Crowded House with bassist Nick Seymour in 1985. Hester quit Crowded House in 1994.

Finn, along with brother Tim, is on tour in Britain.

"I was a big fan and liked him enormously," Australian entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins, who worked with Hester during his Crowded House days, said.

"He was really well respected. He was a great drummer and a great singer and a great band member," Wilkins said.

 

[Avery_Chisholm]

ahhh man that sucks

 

[KindaKinky]

Famed Lawyer Johnnie Cochran Dead at 67

Tue Mar 29, 9:52 PM ET Top Stories - Reuters

By Ben Berkowitz

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Johnnie Cochran, the charismatic attorney famed for his successful defense of football star O.J. Simpson on murder charges, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles of a brain tumor, a representative said.

Cochran, 67, was a longtime crusader against police abuses, often in cases involving black clients. He is best known for the "trial of the century" that won a controversial acquittal for Simpson on murder charges in 1995.

Simpson was accused in the June 12, 1994, stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. He was acquitted despite what prosecutors called a "mountain of evidence" against him.

Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman were killed outside her condominium. Prosecutors used DNA evidence to show Simpson's blood was at the crime scene and the victims' blood was on a glove at his Brentwood home. Cochran, who, like Simpson, was black, cast the case against his client as a conspiracy led by a bigoted white cop. He struck a nerve in a city still divided after 1992 race riots. Cochran exhorted the mostly black jury to strike a blow against racism and police corruption by setting Simpson free. When prosecutors asked Simpson to try on the gloves in front of the jury, they appeared to be too small, leading to Cochran's famous line: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."

The Simpson verdict divided Americans along racial lines, with polls showing most blacks deemed the verdict just while a majority of whites felt Simpson had gotten away with murder. Simpson was later found liable for the deaths of his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman in a civil suit brought by their families, but Cochran had no role in that trial.

CULTURAL ICON

In his 2002 autobiography, "A Lawyer's Life," Cochran said the trial "changed my life drastically and forever in ways impossible to even imagine. It obscured everything I had done previously."

Cochran, a stylish dresser in court, became a pop-culture icon, appearing on television and movies, often as himself. Lawrence Schiller, who wrote the book "American Tragedy" about the Simpson defense, said Cochran's flamboyance and confidence stood out. "He was so bold in the O.J. Simpson trial, by promising the jury 'I'm going to do this and I'm going to do this.' And he delivered something more powerful, something more important," Schiller said.

Cochran graduated from UCLA and Loyola Law School and began his career as a prosecutor. A notable target was the comedian Lenny Bruce, whom he prosecuted on obscenity charge in 1964. His first private case that caught wide attention involved the 1966 shooting of a black man, Leonard Deadwyler, who was shot and killed after traffic stop by a Los Angeles policeman who claimed self defense. Deadwyler had been racing to take his pregnant wife to the hospital.

The officer never faced charges and Cochran lost a civil lawsuit against the city, but the case established him as a major civil-rights lawyer. He won millions of dollars for his clients pursuing police-abuse claims and got rich in the process.

Cochran's first wife, Barbara Berry, filed for divorce in 1977, accusing him of assault and leading a double life with a second family. He also settled a palimony suit filed in 1997 by his former companion of 18 years, Patricia Cochran.

(Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb, Steve Gorman and Kevin Krolicki in Los Angeles)

 

[JennyOmanHill]

'Beverly Hillbillies' Creator Dies

POSTED: 3:41 pm CST March 28, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- The man who created "The Beverly Hillbillies" and wrote its theme song has died.

Paul Henning was 93.

His daughter said the series was based on her father's memories of meeting people in the Ozarks when he went on camping trips as a kid.

Henning also created "Petticoat Junction," and he wrote the 1964 movie "Bedtime Story" that starred David Niven and Marlon Brando.

The film was remade in 1988 as "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with Steve Martin and Michael Caine.

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is now a musical on Broadway.

 

[KindaKinky]

Terri Schiavo Dies in Florida Hospice

10 minutes ago Top Stories - Reuters

By Jane Sutton

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (Reuters) - Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman at the heart of a wrenching dispute over her fate that drew in the U.S. Congress and President Bush, died on Thursday.

"Terri Schiavo has passed away just a little while ago," said Brother Paul O'Donnell, a Franciscan monk and spiritual adviser to the parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, who fought a seven-year legal battle to keep their daughter alive.

Schiavo, 41, died 13 days after her feeding tube was halted under order from a state court, and just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed yet another appeal by her parents for the feeding to be restored. Schiavo had been in what courts ruled was a "persistent vegetative state" since her heart briefly stopped in 1990, depriving her brain of oxygen. Courts had long sided with her husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo, in ruling she would not have wanted to live in that condition and should be allowed to die.

"This is a very difficult day," said David Gibbs, attorney for the parents, his voice breaking with emotion as he spoke to reporters outside the hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida, where Schiavo was cared for.

A small group of protesters who had kept vigil outside the hospice, calling for Schiavo to be kept alive, sang hymns in the morning sunshine. The parents were backed in their long legal fight by conservative religious activists, anti-abortion campaigners and advocates for the disabled, and by mainly Republican politicians who saw their cause as a rallying point for advocates of "the culture of life."

The Schindlers were able to take their case to federal court after the U.S. Congress passed a special law giving federal jurisdiction in what traditionally has been the domain of state courts and Bush cut short a vacation to sign it.

But the effort, which opinion polls showed was unpopular with most Americans, failed when federal judges refused the parents' requests to order feeding resumed. The last rebuff, from the U.S. Supreme Court, came late on Wednesday night. The highest U.S. court had repeatedly refused to take on the case.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, also became heavily involved on the side of the parents, but last week state courts denied his efforts to have the state welfare agency take custody of Schiavo. And the governor also failed to persuade the Florida Legislature to push through a state law to intervene.

Moments after the news of her death, members of the Florida Senate held a moment of silence for Schiavo. "Regardless of your perspective on end-of-life issues this is very sad moment and a very reflective moment for a lot of us," said Senate President Tom Lee.

 

[KindaKinky]

Comedian and Actor Mitch Hedberg, 37, Dies

Fri Apr 1, 8:03 AM ET Entertainment - AP Music

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Mitch Hedberg, a Minnesota-born comedian who worked in nightclubs, television and film in a wide-ranging career, died in New Jersey, his family said. He was 37.

Hedberg, who struggled with drugs and alcohol, died Wednesday in a hotel room in Livingston, N.J. Pending the medical examiner's report, the cause of death appears to be heart failure, said his mother, Mary Hedberg. She said her son was born with a heart defect and frequently felt anxious about his condition.

Mary Hedberg said speculation that her son's death was drug-related was gossip.
"We don't know that for a fact," she said, but added, "it's not a secret Mitch used drugs. Whether that played a role in his death or not, we don't know."

A hit on "The Late Show With David Letterman," on which he appeared 10 times, and "The Howard Stern Show," Hedberg once was dubbed "the next Seinfeld" by Time magazine. But TV-series fame eluded him because his unique style of mumbled one-liners didn't lend itself to the sitcom format. Hedberg delivered absurdist, random observations in a spacy staccato. His long, dirty blond hair harkened to the image of a 1970s stoner.

Jokes about Hedberg's drug use were a staple of his act. He took a hiatus from performing for several months after a May 2003 arrest in Austin, Texas, for felony possession of heroin.

Born in St. Paul, Hedberg rose through the ranks at Minneapolis' Acme Comedy Co. and caught his big break through a Comedy Central special. His rambling, non-sequitur style often drew comparisons to Steven Wright, but Hedberg disagreed.
"If I made potato chips and put them in a can, people would say I was ripping off Pringles," he said. "But what if I put them in a bag?"

Hedberg had two popular comedy CDs, "Strategic Grill Locations" and "Mitch All Together." He acted in the movie "Almost Famous" — smoking fake pot with Peter Frampton — and appeared on Fox's hit series "That '70s Show."

Hedberg is survived by his wife, comedian Lynn Shawcroft, his father and mother, Arne and Mary Hedberg of St. Paul, and sisters Wendy Brown of Woodbury and Angie Anderson of South St. Paul.

I remember how he would perform with his eyes shut. Now they're shut for good.

 

[RoryN]

"Why would you go to Washington? What do they know `bout chickens?"

Chicken Entrepreneur Frank Perdue Dies

Frank Perdue is shown in this July 30, 1984 photo. (AP Photo/Dan Miller)

Friday, April 1, 2005

BALTIMORE - Frank Perdue, the folksy CEO who turned his father's backyard egg business into one of the world's biggest chicken companies by appearing in TV commercials that featured his remarkably bird-like face, has died. He was 84.

He died Thursday after a brief illness, the company said Friday.

Perdue was one of the first CEOs to pitch his own product on television in 1971, turning on the down-home charm as he delivered his famous line, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken."

Perdue remained the company's public face for the next two decades, helping build an empire that now employs 20,000 associates and partners with 7,500 independent farm families. The company went from annual sales of $56 million in 1970 to $2.8 billion in 2003.

Until the late 1990s, Perdue was regularly ranked in Forbes' list of 400 richest Americans. In 1997, it ranked him 214th and estimated his net worth at $825 million.

Perdue's rise was extraordinary, considering the company's humble beginnings. Perdue's father, Arthur W. Perdue, started the family business in 1920, raising chickens for eggs. Perdue and his father switched the business from eggs to chickens in the 1940s and broke into retail sales in 1968.

"A lot of corporate America could take a lesson from Frank Perdue, a man who started out selling chickens from an ice chest in the back of his truck," said John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, who sold chickens to Perdue for 13 years. "We didn't always agree, but he was a good business man, he was fair, and he was responsive to the needs of his growers."

At the time of his death, Perdue was chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors of Maryland-based Perdue Farms. He had handed over control of the company to his son, Jim, in 1991.

In building his poultry business, Perdue was the consummate entrepreneur and workaholic, who would put in 18 hours a day and get by on three or four hours' sleep. He had a cot in his office and often spent the night there, even though his home was 50 yards away.

Perdue, whose prominent nose, small dark eyes, thin lips and high-pitched voice gave him the impression of a chicken, said he was initially uncertain about whether to take to the airwaves. He said a New York ad man persuaded him to run his own commercials, but also gave Perdue a warning.

"He said, 'If you do this, you're going to have some heartaches from it. You're going to have people yelling at you or maybe screaming at you or criticizing you, but I think it's the best way to sell a superior chicken, which I think you have,'" Perdue said in a 1991 interview with The Associated Press.

"It was quite a shock to my nervous system because I'd never been in a school play or anything and I'm basically reticent about speaking in public," said Perdue, who ultimately did 156 different ads.

Perdue Farms' expansion in the 1970s was rapid, but it also sowed the seeds of worker discontent. The company opened new plants in rural, often-poor areas of the South, where labor was cheap. Inevitably, union activism sprang up, which Perdue sought to suppress.

In 1986, Perdue admitted to a presidential commission that he had twice unsuccessfully sought help from reputed New York crime boss Paul Castellano to put down union activities, actions he later said he regretted deeply.

In the late 1980s, reports of repetitive motion injuries rose rapidly in the industry among workers who performed the same handling, sorting and cutting tasks all day. In 1991, the company agreed to establish a four-year program to reduce injuries.

Perdue was born in Salisbury in 1920, the only child of older parents. He was a shy boy who spent much of his time working on the family egg farm. His dream was to play professional baseball, but he said he "gathered more splinters than hits" on the team at Salisbury State Teachers College, from which he graduated in 1939.

Perdue's loyalty to his hometown remained throughout his life. He was heavily involved in civic activities and gave an endowment to his alma mater, now Salisbury University, to establish the Perdue School of Business.

Perdue is survived by his third wife, Mitzi Ayala Perdue, four children, two stepchildren and 12 grandchildren.

 

[KindaKinky]

Pope John Paul II Dies at 84

2 minutes ago Top Stories - AP

Vatican Says Pope John Paul II Has Died

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press Writer

VATICAN CITY - John Paul II, who led the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years and helped topple communism in Europe while becoming the most-traveled pope, died Saturday night in his Vatican apartment after a long public struggle against debilitating illness. He was 84.

"We all feel like orphans this evening," Undersecretary of State Archbishop Leonardo Sandri told the crowd of 70,000 that had gathered in St. Peter's Square below the pope's still-lighted apartment windows.

The assembled faithful fell into a stunned silence before some people broke out in applause — an Italian tradition in which mourners often clap for important figures. Others wept. The crowd, which appeared to grow quickly, recited the rosary. A person in the front held a Polish flag in honor of the Polish-born pontiff.
Prelates asked those in the square to keep silent so they might "accompany the pope in his first steps into heaven." Later, as bells tolled in mourning, a group of young people sang, "Alleluia, he will rise again," while one of them strummed a guitar.

"The angels welcome you," Vatican TV said after papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls announced the death of the pope, who had for years suffered from Parkinson's disease and came down with fever and infections in recent weeks.
A Mass was scheduled for St. Peter's Square for 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. EDT) Sunday.

In contrast to the church's ancient traditions, Navarro-Valls announced the death in an e-mail to journalists: "The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. (2:37 p.m. EST) in his private apartment." The spokesman said church officials were following instructions that John Paul had written for them on Feb. 22, 1996.

"He was a marvelous man. Now he's no longer suffering," Concetta Sposato, a pilgrim who heard the pope had died as she was on her way to St. Peter's to pray, said tearfully. "My father died last year. For me, it feels the same," said Elisabetta Pomacalca, a 25-year-old Peruvian who lives in Rome.
"I'm Polish. For us, he was a father," said pilgrim Beata Sowa.

John Paul declined rapidly after suffering heart and kidney failure following two hospitalizations in as many months. Just two hours before announcing his death, the Vatican had said he was in "very serious" condition, although he was responding to aides.

Since his surprise election in 1978, John Paul traveled the world, inspiring a revolt against communism in his native Poland and across the Soviet bloc, but also preaching against consumerism, contraception and abortion. John Paul was a robust 58 when the cardinals stunned the world and elected the cardinal from Krakow, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In his later years, however, John Paul was the picture of frailty. Although he kept up his travels, he was no longer able to kiss the ground.

Italy's ANSA news agency said Vatican and Italian flags were being lowered to half-staff across Rome and elsewhere. In Washington, flags over the White House also were lowered to half-staff. People in John Paul II's hometown in Poland fell to their knees and wept as the news of his death reached them at the end of a special Mass in the church where he worshipped as a boy.

Church bells rang out after the announcement from the Vatican, but it took several minutes for people inside the packed, standing-room only church to find out as they continued their vigil into a second night. Then parish priest, the Rev. Jakub Gil, came to the front of the church as the last hymn died away. "His life has come to an end. Our great countryman has died," he said. People inside the church and standing outside fell to their knees.

Earlier Saturday, Navarro-Valls said John Paul was not in a coma and opened his eyes when spoken to. But he added: "Since dawn this morning, there have been first signs that consciousness is being affected."

"Sometimes it seems as if he were resting with his eyes closed, but when you speak to him he opens his eyes," Navarro-Valls said.

The pope was last seen in public Wednesday when, looking gaunt and unable to speak, he briefly appeared at his window. His health sharply deteriorated the next day after he suffered a urinary tract infection. Navarro-Valls said the pope was still speaking late Friday but did not take part when Mass was celebrated in his presence Saturday morning. He said aides had told the pope that thousands of young people were in St. Peter's Square on Friday evening. Navarro-Valls said the pope appeared to be referring to them when he seemed to say: "'I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you.'"

One of the pope's closest aides, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was quoted Saturday as saying that when he saw the pontiff on Friday morning, John Paul was "aware that he is passing to the Lord." The pope "gave me the final farewell," the news agency of the Italian bishops conference quoted the German cardinal as saying Friday night.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Prominent poet Robert White Creeley dead at 78

BUFFALO, N.Y. Poet and longtime Buffalo college professor Robert White Creeley has died at 78.

Today's Buffalo News reports that Creeley died yesterday of pneumonia at a hospital in Odessa, Texas, where he was a writer-in-residence.

Creeley taught English at the University at Buffalo for 37 years before leaving in 2003 to take a post at Brown University in Rhode Island.

Creeley wrote more than 60 books of poetry and earned many honors, including the Bollingen Prize, whose winners include e-e cummings and Robert Frost.

Creeley was named New York state's poet laureate in 1989.

The Massachusetts native was friends with several leading figures of the Beat generation, including Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

 

[RoryN]

Nobel, Pulitzer winner Saul Bellow dies
Tuesday, April 5, 2005 Posted: 10:08 PM EDT (0208 GMT)

(CNN) -- American Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Saul Bellow died Tuesday evening at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, his literary agent said. He was 89.

Andrew Wylie cited no official cause of death but said Bellow was "old and failing."

The Jewish-American writer's works widely influenced American literature after World War II.

Three of his works -- "The Adventures of Augie March," "Herzog" and "Mr. Sammler's Planet" -- won the National Book Award for best fiction in the United States.

Bellow's works often involved the anti-hero, and it was Bellow who "took care of him," as the Swedish Academy pointed out in its presentation speech for his Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976.

In spite of their endless defeats, Bellow's anti-heroes "triumph nonetheless, they are heroes nonetheless, since they never give up the realm of values in which man becomes human," the speech said.

His novel "Humboldt's Gift" was awarded the Pulitzer Prize that same year.

He was born in Lachine, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal, in 1915, and was raised in Chicago.

He attended the University of Chicago and received his bachelor's degree with honors in sociology and anthropology from Northwestern University in 1937.

He did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin and served in the Merchant Marine during World War II.

Bellow is survived by his wife Janis and daughter, Wylie said.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

'Bewitched' Songwriter Jack Keller Dies

Apr 2, 4:30 AM (ET)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Pop songwriter Jack Keller, who wrote the theme song for "Bewitched" and other TV sitcoms and was a producer on the Monkees' first album, died Friday. He was 68.

Keller had leukemia, according to his son, Jordan Keller.

The son of a musician, Keller got his big break when he joined Aldon Music, Don Kirschner's Brill Building publishing company, which also employed a stable of young pop songwriters including Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Neil Sedaka, and Howard Greenfield.

Keller and Greenfield wrote "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own," both No. 1 hits for Connie Francis in 1960, and "Venus in Blue Jeans" for Jimmy Clanton.

After Aldon was purchased by the TV production company Screen Gems, Keller and Greenfield wrote the theme song for the shows "Bewitched" and "Gidget."

The TV work led Keller to the Monkees, getting producer credit on their TV theme song and first album.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

'Judy in Disguise' Rocker Dies After Transplant

NEW ORLEANS (April 16) - John Fred Gourrier, best known for his 1960s hit - "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)'' - died Friday at Tulane Hospital after being ill for months, his former manager said. He was 63.

Gourrier, who went by the stage name John Fred, had been ill for months, said his former manager, Lynn Ourso, of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.

"He had a kidney transplant seven months ago," Ourso said. "Two months after that he had another operation to remove his old kidneys and that's when things went wrong. He'd basically been in and out of the hospital since then."

John Fred & His Playboy Band had a regional following in the South when they recorded their parody of the popular Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," in 1967. Written by Gorrier and fellow band member Andrew Bernard, "Judy In Disguise" was recorded in New Orleans with the Fats Domino band on Dec. 17.

By Jan. 20, 1968 it had replaced another Beatles song, "Hello Goodbye," as the No. 1 song in the nation. The song, well orchestrated with a snappy beat, remained at the top of the charts for two weeks.

"I have a great picture of John with the Beatles when the band toured the United Kingdom at that time," Ourso said.

Although "Judy in Disguise" was the only Top 40 song the group ever had, Fred had made the charts before.

Fred formed his first group while he was still in high school and recorded a song titled "Shirley."

"That made the charts and he was invited to do the Alan Freed show in New York," Ourso said. "After that show he got a call from Dick Clark to be on American Bandstand. He told him he couldn't do it because he had to go home to play in a basketball game."

Fred was a student at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge at the time, Ourso said, and the basketball team was in the state championship race.

Fred played college basketball for a while at Southeastern Louisiana. And worked as a high school basketball coach at times.

"He performed all his life," Ourso said. "There was always a band."

The last performance was about three years ago, Ourso said.

"We played for the Senate every year," Ourso said. "He loved that gig."

Fred is survived by his wife, Sandra, and one son.



Great memories of the old Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

 

[RoryN]

There's an alternate universe: the voice behind Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) is your basketball coach. *head spin*

 

[KindaKinky]

Is that the one that goes, "Judy in disguise, that's what you are…"?

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Actress Debralee Scott, appeared in 'Mary Hartman' and on game shows, dead at 52

http://www.featheredback.com/screencap6/debra6.jpg
Associated Press

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. - Actress Debralee Scott, a regular on the TV sitcom "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and frequent face on the 1970s game show circuit, has died. She was 52.

Scott died of natural causes April 5, three days after her birthday, at her home in Amelia Island, said her sister Jeri Scott, a talent manager in Beverly Hills. The exact cause was not released.

Scott came from a family of show business insiders. Her eldest sister, Scott Bushnell, produced many of director Robert Altman's films. Middle sister Jeri Scott is an agent turned manager.

The two older Scotts moved to San Francisco from their home town of Elizabeth, N.J., as young adults. A few years later, their father said their younger sister Debralee was "getting restless" and he asked if she could join them, Jeri Scott recalled Friday.

"She was 16. She was supposed to finish high school, but I doubt she showed up," Scott said. "It was the '70s in San Francisco. It was wear a flower in your hair."

Scott eventually met an agent in Los Angeles, and got her first major role on "Mary Hartman" at age 22. She later played the role of Hotsy Totsy on the show "Welcome Back Kotter" and appeared in two of the "Police Academy" movies.

She had been engaged to John Dennis Levi, a police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Scott had just moved to north Florida to be with her older sister.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Panthers Linebacker Coach Sam Mills Dead at 45

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Sam Mills, an undersized linebacker who became a Pro Bowl player with New Orleans and Carolina and was later an assistant coach for the Panthers, died Monday after fighting cancer for nearly two years, the Panthers said. He was 45.

Mills, who was diagnosed with cancer of the small intestine in August 2003 but continued to coach Carolina's linebackers between chemotherapy treatments, died at his home.

"Sam was one of the finest people you will ever meet. You would never know that he was a player who made Pro Bowls and had all this attention because he treated everybody the same no matter who they were," Carolina general manager Marty Hurney said. "He never had a bad thing to say about anybody and had a great ability to laugh at himself.

"He was the type of guy you want your kids to grow up to be."

A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Mills spent the final three seasons of his 12-year NFL career with the Panthers, beginning with their inaugural season in 1995.

There is a statue of him outside Bank of America Stadium and he is the only player in the team's Hall of Honor. Mike McCormack, Carolina's first team president, is the only other inductee in the Hall.

Mills spent his first nine NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints, following three seasons in the United States Football League. He finished his career with 1,319 tackles while starting 173 of 181 games.

He joined the Panthers' coaching staff upon his retirement.

 

[Big Bair]

xcvbnmlkjhgf

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Johnnie Johnson, 80, penned hits with rock icon Chuck Berry

April 14, 2005
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Johnnie Johnson, a rock 'n' roll pioneer who teamed with Chuck Berry for hits such as "Roll Over Beethoven" and "No Particular Place to Go," died. He was 80.

Johnson died at his St. Louis home. The cause of death was not immediately known, said publicist Margo Lewis. He was hospitalized a month ago with pneumonia and was on dialysis for a kidney ailment, said John May, a friend and fellow musician.

Though Johnson was never a household name, his long collaboration with Berry helped define early rock 'n' roll. Johnson often composed the music on piano, then Berry converted it to guitar and wrote the lyrics. In fact, Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" was a tribute to Johnson.

After he and Berry parted ways, Johnson performed with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley, among others. The West Virginia native was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 in the "sidemen" category.

"The world has lost a great man and a great musician," Diddley said.

Johnson and Berry parted ways in the early 1970s, and in 2000, Johnson sued Berry, seeking a share of royalties and proper credit for what Johnson said were more than 50 songs the men composed together.

A federal judge dismissed the suit in 2002, ruling that too many years had passed since the disputed songs were written.

Johnson's survivors include his wife and 10 children.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Stars bid farewell to actor Mills

Thursday, April 28, 2005 Posted: 0331 GMT (1131 HKT)

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Several of Britain's leading actors and the Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair have attended the funeral of Oscar-winner Sir John Mills.

Lord Attenborough, former James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore and Stephen Fry attended the service in Denham, Buckinghamshire, on Wednesday.

Dame Judi Dench, 1960s model Twiggy and actresses Helen Mirren and Nanette Newman also attended.

Members of the public lined the entrance to the church and listened to the service on a loudspeaker.

Mills, who won an Oscar in 1971 for his portrayal of a mute village idiot in "Ryan's Daughter", died on Saturday aged 97.

He made his name in a number of patriotic films during and after World War Two including "The October Man", "Scott of the Antarctic", "Dunkirk" and "Ice Cold in Alex".

Handsome and dapper, he embodied to many the archetypal British wartime hero, either as the cool-headed gentleman officer or the resigned working class soldier.

He always maintained his favorite movie was the 1960 production "Tunes of Glory", in which he co-starred with Alec Guinness as a highly-strung English officer given the job of leading a hostile Scottish army battalion.

He also fathered one of Britain's leading theatrical families. Daughters Juliet and Hayley are successful actresses who gained early experience in some of their father's productions.

A memorial service will be held for Mills either in June or July.

 

[MechaBlade]

Fri Apr 1, 8:03 AM ET Entertainment - AP Music
[/i]

Holy shit, Mitch Hedberg died? Fucking Johnnie Cochrane and Terri Schiavo stealing all the headlines.

 

[RoryN]

Disney artist dies at drawing board

Walt Disney artist Joe Grant, who designed the queen/witch character in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, has died of a heart attack while at his home studio drawing board on Friday.

Mr Grant was 96.

Besides his work on Snow White, Mr Grant also served as co-story director on Fantasia, co-wrote Dumbo and conceived Lady and the Tramp.

Despite his advanced age, Mr Grant remained active, working four days a week at Walt Disney Feature Animation.

At the time of his death, he was developing several feature-length and short animation projects, Disney said in a statement.

***

This guy came back to Disney after a 40-year absence to work on Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin, and a few others as well.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Bob Hunter, Co-Founder of Greenpeace, Dies

Mon May 2, 7:04 PM ET

TORONTO - Canadian Bob Hunter, who co-founded Greenpeace and used his savvy as a journalist to turn the environmental group's fight to an international cause, died Monday after a battle with prostate cancer, the organization said. He was 63.

Hunter, a columnist for the Vancouver Sun in the 1960s and most recently an ecology broadcaster for Canadian media, first came to prominence in 1971 with the launch of Greenpeace and its protests against nuclear testing. He brought public attention to the hunting of whales and seals, as well as the dumping of toxic waste into the oceans.

The thick-bearded Hunter was once named one of Time magazine's top eco-heroes of the 20th century.

"Bob was a creative force in shaping Greenpeace," said Bruce Cox, executive director of Greenpeace Canada. "His passion and his commitment translated into powerful communications, and his unorthodox approach to communications helped define Greenpeace."

Hunter, who coined the phrase "Don't Make a Wave" to describe his opposition to nuclear testing, boarded a small fishing boat, dubbed the "Greenpeace," in 1971 to set off to Alaska to protest U.S. nuclear testing.

"I thought I was going to be a reporter, taking notes," Hunter later said, according to a news release from Greenpeace. "In reality, I wound up on first watch." He remained on board for 45 days.

Hunter helped establish the in-your-face communication style that became a Greenpeace trademark. He became the first president of Greenpeace in 1973, and led it through its transformation into an international group present in 40 countries, with more than 2.5 million members worldwide.

His media savvy and passion for ecology was critical to the organization, the group said, having adopted the term "rainbow warriors" to describe Greenpeace activists.

In his most recent role, the Manitoba-born Hunter was the ecology news specialist for CHUM's Citytv and CP24 TV channels. He was perhaps best known to Toronto viewers for Paper Cuts, a segment in which Hunter wore a bathrobe and commented on the stories in the day's newspapers.

"This was a man with a great loving heart, a brilliant mind and a massive spirit," said Stephen Hurlbut, vice president of news programming for Citytv.

Hunter died surrounded by his wife, Bobbi and his children Will, Emily, Conan and Justine, according to Citytv. Funeral arrangements were yet to be decided.

"Bob was an inspirational storyteller, an audacious fighter and an unpretentious mystic," said John Doherty, Chair of Greenpeace Canada. "He was serious about saving the world while always maintaining a sense of humor."

Greenpeace said Hunter's spirit would live on "through the people he inspired, the whales he saved and the organization he helped create."

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Bluegrass Singer Jimmy Martin Dies at 77

May 14, 6:07 PM (ET)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Jimmy Martin, a pioneering bluegrass singer and guitarist who performed with the Blue Grass Boys and many other performers, died Saturday. He was 77.

Martin died in a Nashville hospice, more than a year after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, said his son, Lee Martin.

"He loved bluegrass music, country music. Bill Monroe was his idol and someone he patterned himself after musically," Lee Martin said, referring to bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, head of the Blue Grass Boys.

After performing as lead vocalist for the Blue Grass Boys periodically through 1955, Martin formed his own band, the Sunny Mountain Boys, and recorded with Decca records for 18 years.

"In his heyday, he could take an audience of any size and have them eating out of his hand," said Sunny Mountain Boy member Bill Emerson. "He'd just smoke those people, and they'd be waiting in line for him when he got offstage."

Martin recorded several bluegrass standards, including "Rock Hearts,""Sophronie,""Hold Watcha Got,""Widow Maker" and "The Sunny Side of the Mountain."

Martin was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Honor in 1995. His life was also the subject of an independent documentary film, "King of Bluegrass: The Life and Times of Jimmy Martin," which was released in 2003.

According to the film's Web site, Martin was fired at the age of 21 for singing on the job at a factory in Morristown. He then went to see the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and talked his way backstage, where he persuaded Monroe to sing a couple of songs with him.

Martin collaborated with many other artists throughout his career, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His voice was the first heard on the Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album in 1972, and his appearances on subsequent albums brought his feisty spirit to audiences that might never have attended a bluegrass festival.

Martin performed until his later years, usually from April until October. He also served as a mentor to many musicians, including J.D. Crowe and Paul Williams.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Frank Gorshin Dies at 72

From Associated Press

Actor Frank Gorshin, the impressionist with 100 faces best known for his Emmy-nominated role as The Riddler on the old "Batman" television series, has died. He was 72.

Gorshin's wife of 48 years, Christina, was at his side when he died Tuesday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, his agent and longtime friend, Fred Wostbrock, said today.

"He put up a valiant fight with lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia," Mrs. Gorshin said in a statement.

Despite dozens of television and movie credits, Gorshin will be forever remembered for his role as The Riddler, Adam West's villainous foil in the question mark-pocked green suit and bowler hat on "Batman" from 1966-69.

"It really was a catalyst for me," Gorshin recalled in a 2002 Associated Press interview. "I was nobody. I had done some guest shots here and there. But after I did that, I became a headliner in Vegas, so I can't put it down."

West said the death of his longtime friend was a big loss.

"Frank will be missed," West said in a statement. "He was a friend and fascinating character."

Gorshin earned another Emmy nominations one for a guest shot on "Star Trek."

In 2002, Gorshin portrayed George Burns on Broadway in the one-man show "Say Goodnight Gracie." He used only a little makeup and no prosthetics.

"I don't know how to explain it. It just comes," he said. "I wish I could say, 'This is step A, B and C.' But I can't do that. I do it, you know. The ironic thing is I've done impressions all my life -- I never did George Burns."

Born in Pittsburgh, Gorshin broke into show business in New York. He did more than 40 impressions, including Al Jolson, Kirk Douglas, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and James Cagney.

Later, he took his impressions to "The Ed Sullivan Show" on a memorable evening -- the same night the Beatles were featured. He did impressions in Las Vegas showrooms, opening for Bobby Darin, paving the way for other impressionists like Rich Little.

Sammy Davis Jr. said it was Gorshin who taught him to do impressions, Wostbrock said.

"He said you had to look like them and walk like them. Once you get that down, the voice comes easy," he said.

Gorshin's movie roles included "Bells are Ringing" (1960) with his idol Dean Martin and a batch of fun B-movies such as "Hot Rod Girl" (1956), "Dragstrip Girl" (1957) and "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957).

"He was fun, fascinating, wild and always a class act," Wostbrock said. "Here's a guy who always wore great clothes, stood up when a woman walked into the room -- he was a gentleman. We did all our deals with a handshake. There was never a signed contract."

His other TV credits included roles on "General Hospital, "The Edge of Night" and "The Munsters" as well as guest appearances on "Donny & Marie," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Murder, She Wrote," "The Fall Guy," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Wonder Woman," "Charlie's Angels" and "Police Woman."

Besides his wife, Gorshin leaves his son Mitchell Gorshin of Orlando, Fla., and sister Dottie Roland of Pittsburgh.

 

[GeorgeWBush]

I thought i would had fred flintstone to the list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voice of Fred Flintstone
has died at 85
Henry Corden voiced caveman since 1977
Henry Corden provided the voice for Fred Flintstone for more than two decades. Corden took over as the lovable loudmouth when original voice Alan Reed died in 1977.
The Associated Press
Updated: 6:18 p.m. ET May 20, 2005LOS ANGELES - Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon caveman Fred Flintstone’s “Yabba-dabba-doo!” for more than two decades, has died. He was 85.

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Corden died of emphysema Thursday night at AMI Encino Hospital, his longtime agent Don Pitts said Friday. Corden’s wife of nine years, Angelina, was with him at the time.

He took over as the lovable loudmouth Fred Flintstone when original voice Alan Reed died in 1977. Reed had been doing Flintstone since the character debuted in 1960.

Born in Montreal, Corden moved to New York as a child and arrived in Hollywood in the 1940s. His first acting role was in the 1947 film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Known for playing villains, he found small parts in movies, including 1952’s “The Black Castle” and “The Ten Commandments” in 1956.

“As Henry said, he always played the cold-blooded creeps,” Pitts said.

Corden moved into voice acting in the 1960s, and deployed his dialect skills in bit parts for Hanna-Barbera, including “Jonny Quest,” “Josey and the Pussycats” and “The New Tom & Jerry Show.”

Since “The Flintstones” echoed “The Honeymooners,” Corden tweaked his role to approximate Jackie Gleason’s Ralph Kramden character, Pitts said.

Corden, who lived in Encino, had been working until his health suffered about three months ago. He can most recently be heard on ubiquitous cereal commercials yelling “Barney, my Pebbles!”

Besides his wife, Corden is survived by five children and five grandchildren. A private
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