Al Jarreau
 

Al Jarreau, the legendary jazz singer who won seven Grammy awards, has died. He was 76.

Jarreau was born March 12, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father was a minister, and he started singing in church as a young boy. Jarreau told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel it was at Lincoln High School where "my love of music and singing really deepened. I began to have ideas of taking this as far as it could go. And I kept dreaming that dream and nourishing that dream."

After moving to San Francisco, he made a name for himself singing with acoustic guitarist Julio Martinez.

Jarreau moved on to Los Angeles and sang at clubs such as the Troubador. He appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and sang on “Saturday Night Live” during the show's inaugural season. Jarreau became known for his rhythmic scat singing.

He was signed to Warner Brothers Records and released his debut record titled “We Got By,” which led to international fame.

His most successful album, “Breakin’ Away,” came out in 1981 and featured his biggest song, “We’re in This Love Together,” a smooth jazz-pop track. Jarreau was also a vocalist on the all-star 1985 track, "We Are the World."

Jarreau released 20 albums during his career and is the only Grammy-winning singer to win in the jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues categories.

Every movie and TV show that he was in was made better by his presence
 

BILL PAXTON DEAD AT 61

2/26/2017 7:18 AM PST

We're told Paxton underwent heart surgery and had complications post-op and suffered a fatal stroke.

Bill Paxton has died ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the actor died suddenly Saturday due to complications from surgery.
Paxton had a string of hits, including "Twister," "Titanic" and "Aliens." He won an Emmy for "Hatfields and McCoys."

He was on a CBS series, "Training Day" at the time of his death. The 61-year-old actor had 2 children and was married to Louise Newbury for 30 years.

The family says, "It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery." The family accurately describes his "illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and flimmaker." The family adds, "Bill's passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable.

http://www.tmz.com/2017/02/26/bill-paxton-dead-dies/

Bill Paxton
 

Mildred Dresselhaus: 1930-2017
 

Known to many as the "queen of carbon science" — for her foundational work uncovering the electrical properties of carbon and other semi-metals — Mildred Dresselhaus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), died on Monday, February 20, at the age of 86 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dresselhaus was President of APS in 1984, and was involved in many research areas in the physics community. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience in 2012, the Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize in 2008, the National Medal of Science in 1990, and numerous other scientific prizes, Dresselhaus was celebrated for her lifelong commitment to researching the electronic properties of two-dimensional materials. Her work included the exploration of ‘buckyballs’ — spherical, hollow molecules composed of carbon atoms — and graphene. Some of her best-known research focused on uncovering the electric properties of carbon nanotubes and enhancing thermoelectric properties of nanowires.

Beyond her scientific research, Dresselhaus was a champion of women in science and an active leader to her colleagues. She became the first woman at MIT to attain the rank of full, tenured professor, and was the first woman to win the National Medal of Science in Engineering. These primary achievements pushed her to lead by example for women following in her footsteps.

In 1971, Dresselhaus and a colleague organized the first Women’s Forum at MIT, and she later accepted a Carnegie Foundation grant to continue encouraging female students in the traditionally male-dominated field of physics research. Dresselhaus was also appointed the Abby Rockefeller Mauze chair, an Institute-wide chair, endowed in support of the scholarship of women in science and engineering. She was later awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2007, and the American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences in 2010.

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

In celebration of Millie Dresselhaus:

Last week, the world lost a pioneer. Millie Dresselhaus, known as the "Queen of Carbon" for her trailblazing research into the element, was the first woman to win the National Medal Of Science in Engineering, and the first woman to attain the rank of tenured MIT professor. Millie's unmatched enthusiasm, mentoring spirit, and commitment to promoting the roles of women in science and engineering are things worth celebrating today and everyday.

We at General Electric were so inspired by Millie's achievements in science and gender equality, that we created a goal for our company to employ 20,000 women in tech roles by 2020. Thank you Millie for inspiring us all.

From your friends at GE....via a full page ad in today's Boston Globe.

Judge Wapner of the people's court died yesterday

Chyna Doll Dupree aka Chyna Gibson
 

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townn...size=630%2C630

I just wrote a post about trans woman Keke Collier being killed in Chicago earlier this week, and now I'm having to announce that we have lost another trans sister in Chyna Gibson

New Orleans Police responded to a call Saturday night around 8:26 PM CST in the 4300 block of Downman Road and found the body of the 31 year old Gibson lying in the parking lot of the Bella Plaza shopping center in New Orleans East between two vehicles in front of a clothing store.

And as usual, at least one NOLA news station, WWL-TV misgendered her.

She had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead on the scene. Gibson is now the fifth US trans woman murdered in 2017, all women of color...
http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2017/...na-gibson.html

Joni Sledge of vocal group Sister Sledge
 

Joni Sledge, a founding member of the vocal group Sister Sledge, was found dead Friday in her home in Phoenix.

The group of sisters recorded the dance anthem "We Are Family" in 1979. Other hits were "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "My Guy."

Chuck Berry
 

Born Oct. 18, 1926, Berry wrote and performed some of the great classics of the early rock 'n' roll era – "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," "Sweet Little Sixteen" and many more.

In 1953, he began performing with Johnnie Johnson, who would become Berry's frequent collaborator. Berry got a kick out of experimenting with combining the blues he regularly played with the country music he heard white audiences requesting. The combination caught on, and more and more people began attending his concerts. He caught the attention of famed bluesman Muddy Waters, who sent him to audition for Chess Records. Founder Leonard Chess liked what he heard, recorded and released "Maybellene," and a legend was born.

Berry churned out hits throughout the 1950s, and after a prison stint in the early 1960s, he was back on the charts with hot singles including "No Particular Place To Go," "Nadine" and "You Never Can Tell." He topped the R&B chart over and over, and while he frequently had songs in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, only one of his singles ever saw the No. 1 spot there – the novelty song "My Ding-a-Ling." He continued to play and tour well into his 80s.

Berry's influence is seen all over rock 'n' roll, and his music is widely considered some of the greatest rock music ever recorded. He was the very first inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His "Johnny B. Goode" ranked No 1 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time," and it's just one of many of his songs to find a place on such lists. John Lennon notably said of Berry, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry.'"

Chuck Barris
 

Chuck Barris, the "dangerous mind" behind game shows including "The Newlywed Game" and "The Gong Show," died Tuesday, March 21, 2017. He was 87.

Barris was the King of Schlock TV, the creator of a genre of titillating TV shows that some say is the direct ancestor of today's tell-all reality shows. That's a judgment usually accompanied by hand-wringing. Barris' TV creations were lambasted as the lowest-common-denominator viewing of the 1960s and '70s, bringing down the country's collective IQ by several points. Barris would argue, however, that his shows were harmless and positive: They were fun, simple, and eminently watchable.

It all started with 1965's "The Dating Game." Barris' first game show, created after a stint of working backstage for Dick Clark on "American Bandstand," "The Dating Game" took a simple concept and turned it into a long-running TV institution. Created by Barris but hosted by a variety of others, most notably Jim Lange in the show's initial run, it saw three bachelors vying for the hand of one bachelorette. She decided among them by asking them questions about how they would woo her on a date. Once she chose a winner, they'd be sent on a destination date in a faraway city, paid for by the show. The twist: The bachelorette couldn't see the bachelors while she questioned them and had to make her decision based on their answers and voices alone.

The twist jump-started Barris' career and the careers of several others as well. One of the legacies of "The Dating Game" was the leg up it gave to a number of young actors and actresses who appeared as contestants before they became famous. They include John Ritter, Farrah Fawcett, and Casey Kasem.

The success of "The Dating Game" opened the door for other romance-based game shows in a trend that culminated in more recent ratings-grabbers such as "The Bachelor" and "Who Wants To Marry a Millionaire?" For Barris, the obvious next step after setting up couples on dates was to feature young marrieds, in his next hit game show: "The Newlywed Game," in 1966. Like "The Dating Game," it was hosted by others, with Bob Eubanks taking the reins for years. Its premise: Ask a newly married couple questions about their lives together and see just how similar – or uproariously different – their answers would be.

Some questions had the contestants remembering romantic moments, like, "Where was your first kiss?" Others tested a husband's memory: "What did your wife wear on your first date?" Risque answers were often encouraged, especially by the questions about "making whoopee," the show's frequently used euphemism. Barris loved the way the show's simple premise brought never-ending hilarity: "In my opinion, the best game-show format ever was 'The Newlywed Game' because it's so simple: It's just four couples, eight questions, and a refrigerator or washing machine. That's it. You're done, and it worked."

Indeed, it did work: "The Newlywed Game" became one of the longest-running game shows in TV history, with an original run of eight and one-half years, followed quickly by a syndicated run and a number of revivals in the decades that followed. It was still popular when, in 1976, Barris took on hosting duties in his next – and most notoriously strange – TV creation.

"The Gong Show" was a talent show gone off the rails, a deliberately awful collection of the truly talented, the sincere-but-dreadful, and the just plain strange. Originally slated as host, John Barbour was yanked before the first episode when he realized the show would be a parody rather than a genuine talent show and tried to change Barris' mind about the angle. Barris didn't want to change his mind, so he stepped in as host at the last minute, and his quirky persona proved the perfect final touch needed to elevate "The Gong Show" to legendary status.

On "The Gong Show," contestants sang, danced, and otherwise tried to entertain, usually with a bizarre twist: Two competent singers squeezed into one outfit of clothes; a dentist played "The Stars and Stripes Forever" on his drill; an Elvis impersonator sang "Hound Dog" in a droning monotone. And those were the fairly normal acts. Things often got weird on "The Gong Show," encouraged by Barris' enthusiastic introductions. If an act were bad, the celebrity judges – a rotating panel of three that included 1970s notables like Jamie Farr, Phyllis Diller, and Jaye P. Morgan – would rush to hit a gong, signaling the act's end. If it was good, or at least goofy enough to appeal to the judges, it didn't get gonged, and the contestant might be the day's winner of a check for $516.32 (the going day rate for Screen Actors Guild members at the time) and a trophy.

Pulling it all together was Barris, whose discomfort with being onstage manifested in a series of tics that audiences grew to love – he'd punctuate his sentences with claps, point at the camera, dance while watching an act perform. He pushed the envelope with risque acts, which contributed to the show's cancellation in 1978 (though it ran in syndication for another two years and was revived later for a reboot). After the program's cancellation, Barris tried to keep up the show's momentum with "The Gong Show Movie" in 1980, but reviews were dismal; it quickly dropped out of sight.

Other shows created by Barris include 1973's "The New Treasure Hunt," 1967's "How's Your Mother-in-Law?", and, in 1979, the contentious "Three's a Crowd," which pitted a man's wife against his secretary to see who could answer more questions about his life, preferences, and proclivities. The latter show, which was seen as deeply problematic, was denounced by major groups including United Auto Workers and the National Organization for Women. A hostile backlash followed, with "Three's a Crowd" being pulled from the air after just a few months and the rest of Barris' creations also suffering in its wake. The ratings of his programs plummeted, including "The Gong Show," and his various shows still in syndication came to abrupt ends.

Barris rallied, trying out new show concepts including "Camouflage" in 1980 and a new version of "Treasure Hunt" the following year. Then, in 1984, Barris once again demonstrated his ability to surprise the world with his eccentricity when he published the autobiography "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." It included the legendary claim that he was an assassin for the CIA throughout the 1960s and '70s. He asserted that when he chaperoned "Dating Game" contestants on their destination dates, sometimes in foreign – and hostile – countries, he would sometimes slip off to carry out his orders from higher-ups at the CIA, assassinating a target before accompanying the happy couple back home.

Barris insisted on the truth of the claim his whole life, though a CIA spokesman said that his assertion was "ridiculous. It's absolutely not true." But it was fascinating enough for screenwriter Charlie Kaufman to turn it into a feature film, directed by George Clooney and starring Sam Rockwell as Barris. The film added to the mythology of Barris' life by including salacious details that were, themselves, made up. Barris told Time magazine, "(Kaufman) wrote stuff out of nowhere. My mother never dressed me like a girl. I was never on drugs. The part about my father being a serial killer? That's Charlie. He writes such good stuff."

"Dangerous Mind" was one of several books Barris wrote, including two additional memoirs and novels including 1973's "You and Me, Babe" and 2009's "Who Killed Art Deco?" Barris also had a career in music, primarily as a songwriter, though he also recorded. His greatest songwriting success was the 1962 hit "Palisades Park," which Freddy Cannon recorded. The tune reached No. 3 on the Billboard chart.

Rainbow Flag Creator Gilbert Baker Dead at 65
 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8Rm1xRVoAEBGpW.jpg

Gilbert Baker, the artist and LGBT civil-rights activist who designed the Rainbow Flag, passed away Friday at the age of 65. According to the Bay Area Reporter, Baker’s cause of death has not been disclosed and he passed away in New York. Baker’s long-time friend and fellow gay-rights activist Cleve Jones confirmed the news, posting on Twitter, “My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert Baker gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me forty years of love and friendship.” Baker designed the iconic symbol of the gay pride movement in 1978.

Don Rickles
 

Don Rickles, comedian, dies at age 90.


Don Rickles, one of the most influential comedians in history, has died at the age of 90.

Rickles passed away from kidney failure on Thursday morning in his Los Angeles home, his longtime publicist confirmed. He would have turned 91 on May 8.

His wife of 52 years, Barbara, was by his side at the time of his death.

The icon, whose career spanned more than seven decades, is known as the best "insult comic" ever. His first big break came in 1965 when he appeared on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson." Soon after, he reached headliner status in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe.

He was also a regular on Dean Martin's "Celebrity Roast," which perfectly showcased his no-mercy stand-up comedy style that earned him the nickname "The Merchant of Venom." The comedian's roast of then-president Ronald Reagan (which you can watch here) during his inaugural ball in 1985 is one of Rickles' most noteworthy performances.

Don found the most success in his TV guest appearances throughout the years, appearing in a variety of shows like "The Lucy Show," "Get Smart" and "Hot In Cleveland." He also had his own show, "The Don Rickles Show," which only lasted one season in 1972.

Later in his career, he became the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" films. According to IMDb, he was set to reprise his role in "Toy Story 4," which is expected to premiere in 2019.

The industry icon has remained out of the spotlight in recent years.

The day after Johnny Carson's death in 2005, Don appeared with Bob Newhart, whom he considered his best friend, on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to honor the longtime host. In 2014, the funnyman was honored by the likes of David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart in the Spike TV special "One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles."

He also penned a memoir, "Rickles' Book," that was published in 2007. A documentary about his career, "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project," debuted on HBO later that year -- his performance in the special earned him an Emmy for individual performance in a variety or music program.

The legend was born in Manhattan in 1926 and studied acting at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City after serving in the Navy during World War II.

I am very sorry Rickles died. Thanks for posting, Gemme.

I have to say I never cared for Don Rickles' brand of humor. "Sacrifice one person so the whole group gets a laugh." Mean-spirited type humor. I have seen people sincerely hurt or humiliated by him. Just not funny to me! (only my opinion)

Anyway, like I said, I hate to hear of anyone losing their life.

Thanks, again! :)

He did a great voice for Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story! I wonder who will replace him in that roll?

Aaron Hernandez
 

Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell Wednesday morning in an apparent suicide, Massachusetts corrections officials said.

The 27-year-old was serving a life sentence for murder. Just last week he was acquitted in a double homicide case.

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Man had so much talent and potential. Thought he would be greater than Gronk. Hope he finds the peace in death that eluded him in life.

Cuba Gooding Sr. , age 72, Soul Singer

Found slumped over in his car in Woodland Hills California

"Everybody plays the fool"

RIP

Erin Moran
 

Erin Moran, best known as Ron Howard’s kid sister in the classic sitcom “Happy Days,” has died. She was 56.

Moran was just six years old when she was cast in the TV series “Daktari,” where her most unusually costars were a chimp named Judy and Clarence the Lion. During that three-season run, she made her film debut in the Debbie Reynolds comedy “How Sweet It is!” As a child, Moran also appeared in Melvin Van Peebles’ “Watermelon Man” and made guest appearances in “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” “My Three Sons,” “Family Affair” and “Gunsmoke.”

But Moran was best known for playing Ron Howard’s feisty kid sister, Joanie Cunningham, on the sitcom “Happy Days” from the time she was 12 until 22 (1974-1984). Her teaming with Scott Baio proved to be so popular that they spun off into their own short-lived series, “Joanie Loves Chachi.”

She later went on to make appearance on “The Love Boat,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Arrested Development.” In 2008, she was a contestant on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club.”

Trump lackey Scott Baio first blames Erin Moran's death on drugs without knowing the facts: yuck!
 

Scott Baio blames 'fake news' for his harsh comments about former co-star Erin Moran's death

ROB MORAN

Last updated 13:26, April 26 2017

Actor Scott Baio has been forced to backtrack from harsh comments he made about his former Happy Days co-star Erin Moran's death following criticism from fans.

While appearing on The Bernie and Sid Show on Tuesday morning, the actor appeared to blame Moran for her own untimely passing, saying, "you do drugs or drink, you're gonna die."

"I'm sorry if that's cold, but God gave you a brain, gave you the will to live and thrive and you've gotta take care of yourself," he said on the show.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...n-morans-death

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Scott Baio regrets blaming Erin Moran’s death on drugs, alcohol

BY KATE FELDMAN

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 5:46 AM

“Happy Days” star Scott Baio regrets speaking out on Erin Moran’s deathas drug-related before learning it was likely complications from stage four cancer.

The 56-year-old actor reportedly went to bed reading that Moran died of a possible heroin overdose and he went on “The Bernie & Sid Show” the next morning under that impression, according to TMZ.

Baio added that he would have never discussed her past drug and alcohol abuse if he had known about the cancer diagnosis.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.3096540

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How did Erin Moran die? Stage 4 cancer likely killed ‘Joni’ Happy Days star, not drug overdose

By AP/Wire

Erin Moran, the former child star who played Joanie Cunningham in the sitcoms “Happy Days” and “Joanie Loves Chachi,” has died at the age of 56 and her cause of death was likely stage 4 cancer, authorities said today.

“A joint investigation into Mrs. Moran’s death was conducted by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Harrison County Coroner’s Office. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Mrs. Moran likely succumbed to complications of stage 4 cancer,” Sheriff Rod Seelye said in a statement.

Toxicology results are pending but no illegal narcotics were discovered at Moran’s Indiana residence, the statement revealed.

http://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/04/2...drug-overdose/

Jonathan Demme (1944 - 2017)
 

Director Jonathan Demme, who won an Academy Award for “The Silence of the Lambs,” has died. He was 73.

In a 46-year career in Hollywood, Demme is best known for directing 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” and 1993’s “Philadelphia.” His most recent feature was 2015’s “Ricki and the Flash,” which starred Meryl Streep as an aging rock star.

After starting out directing television commercials, Demme’s film career began in the early 1970’s, writing and directing for B-movie producer Roger Corman. His earliest film credit is as a screenwriter on 1971’s biker movie “Angels Hard as They Come,” and 1974’s “Caged Heat,” written by Demme to satisfy Corman’s desire to fill the “women in prison” niche of exploitation films, was Demme’s directorial debut.

1980’s “Melvin and Howard” was Demme’s first film to win critical acclaim. “Melvin and Howard” is a fictionalized account of a true story, an encounter between reclusive movie mogul Howard Hughes (played by Jason Robards) and a Utah gas station attendant, Melvin Dummar (Paul Le Mat). The film also starred Mary Steenburgen, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance.

“Melvin and Howard,” widely praised by critics including Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael and nominated for a number of Academy Awards and Golden Globes, marked the beginning of a string of successful films for Demme, including 1984’s Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn vehicle “Swing Shift,” 1986’s “Something Wild,” starring Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels, and the 1988 comedy “Married to the Mob,” which featured Michelle Pfeiffer as a mobster’s wife attempting to detach herself from the mafia.

At the same time, Demme was also directing a number of successful documentaries, including the 1984 Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense,” praised by critic Pauline Kael as “close to perfection;” and the Spalding Gray monologue “Swimming to Cambodia” (1987).

But it was 1991’s thriller “The Silence of the Lambs” and 1993’s “Philadelphia” that cemented Demme’s place in the pantheon of great film directors. “The Silence of the Lambs,” based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, starred Jodie Foster as FBI agent Clarice Starling, who must consult with imprisoned serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to track down another killer. The film was a huge critical and popular success, one only three films to win all five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.

Demme followed up “The Silence of the Lambs” with the 1993 drama “Philadelphia,” starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. “Philadelphia,” one of the first major movies to deal in depth with the topics of HIV/AIDS and homophobia, is loosely based on a 1987 lawsuit alleging wrongful dismissal because of AIDS discrimination. Roger Ebert called the film “a ground-breaker like ‘Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,’” and Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Academy Award and Golden Globe for his performance.

Demme’s films since “Philadelphia” include 1998’s “Beloved,” a thriller based on a Toni Morrison novel; a 2004 remake of “The Manchurian Candidate,” 2007’s “Man from Plains,” a documentary about former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; and 2008’s “Rachel Getting Married,” widely seen as a return to successful return to the style of Demme’s early 1980s films.

Michael Parks
 

Character actor Michael Parks, 77, who played memorable roles in films by directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith has died.

Parks’ acting career began with small roles on 1960s television series, and from 1969 to 1970, he starred on NBC’s “Then Came Bronson” as Jim Bronson, a wanderer who motorcycles around the country. Parks also sang the show’s theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway," which became a pop and country hit. The song’s popularity led to a series of MGM albums in the following years.

Though he continued acting through the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, notably playing Canadian drug smuggler Jean Renault in five episodes on David Lynch’s cult classic ABC series “Twin Peaks” in 1990, Parks’ career experienced a resurgence around the turn of the century. Coming to the attention of director Quentin Tarantino, Parks played Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in the Tarantino-written “From Dusk Till Dawn” and the same character again in both of Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies as well as in the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino collaboration “Grindhouse.” He also appeared in Tarantino’s acclaimed 2012 drama, “Django Unchained.” The same year, he also played comic book author Jack Kirby in the best picture Oscar-winning “Argo.”

Parks played multiple roles in several movies, including “Kill Bill Vol. I” and Kevin Smith’s “Tusk.” Smith, who called Parks “hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform,” also directed him in the 2011 thriller “Red State.”

Powers Boothe
 

Powers Boothe, a character actor on screens large and small had died. He was 68.

The Emmy Award-winning Boothe excelled in playing evil characters, including his role on the hit TV show "Deadwood." His film credits include "Sin City," "Tombstone," and "The Avengers."

He won his Emmy in 1980 for playing the eponymous crazed cult leader in the television movie "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones."

Boothe was featured on the HBO series "Deadwood," playing the brothel owner Cy Tolliver. He also had a memorable role as the smarmy Sen. Roark in 2005's "Sin City" and the 2014 sequel "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For."

Fans of "24" remember his turn as acting President Noah Daniels on "24: Redemption."

Trailblazing guitarist Corki Casey O'Dell dead at 80
 

Born May 13, 1936, O'Dell was part of a group of young rock 'n' rollers making waves in the Phoenix music scene during the mid-1950s. She was the only woman in that group, which included Duane Eddy, Sanford Clark and producer/songwriter Lee Hazlewood.

“She stood her place with all the guys. She was not looked at as a female player. She was looked at as a player, period,” said Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame. “She was just a joy to be around.”

In 1956, she played rhythm guitar on Clark's hit "The Fool," a song written and produced by Hazlewood.

Beginning in 1957, O'Dell played on many Duane Eddy's most memorable recordings, including twangy gems "Rebel Rouser," "Ramrod" and his take on the "Peter Gunn" theme. The pair, who had known each other since they were teenage guitarists in Phoenix, were lifelong friends and sidekicks. Eddy fondly called her "the first side-chick of rock 'n' roll."

In 2014, O'Dell, Barbara Mandrell and Velma Smith were the first three women inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Other members of the Class of 2014 included Buddy Guy and Peter Frampton, among others. She called that moment her "Cinderella night," said Chambers. “Corki didn’t miss a beat. She was just tearing it up.”

Chris Cornell - Frontman to the group Soundgarden
 

Chris Cornell, the powerful, dynamic singer whose band Soundgarden was one of the architects of grunge music, has died at 52.

Mr. Cornell died Wednesday night in Detroit, said his representative, Brian Bumbery, in a statement that called the death “sudden and unexpected” and that said the singer’s family would be “working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause.”

Mr. Cornell was born in 1964 in Seattle and helped form Soundgarden 20 years later. Sub Pop, then a fledgling record label, released the group’s first single, “Hunted Down,” in 1987, as well as two subsequent EPs. The group’s debut album, “Ultramega OK,” came a year later.

“Badmotorfinger,” released in 1991, benefited from the swell of attention that was beginning to surround the Seattle scene, where Soundgarden, along with Nirvana and Pearl Jam, were playing a high-octane, high-angst brand of rock ’n’ roll. Soundgarden’s musical journeys tended toward the knotty and dark, plunging into off-kilter meters and punctuated by Mr. Cornell’s voice, which could quickly shift from a soulful howl to a gritty growl.

Three of Soundgarden’s studio albums have been certified platinum, including “Superunknown,” from 1994, which featured “Black Hole Sun,” “Fell on Black Days,” “Spoonman” and “My Wave.”

The group — which includes the guitarist Kim Thayil, the bassist Ben Shepherd and the drummer Matt Cameron — disbanded in 1997, but it reunited in 2010 and performed regularly since then. In a review of a 2011 concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, The New York Times chief pop critic Jon Pareles called Soundgarden “one reunited band that can pick up right where it left off.” In 2012, it released “King Animal,” its first album in 16 years, which Mr. Pareles said “sounds like four musicians live in a room, making music that clenches and unclenches like a fist.”

The group played at the Fox Theater in Detroit on Wednesday night, and it had been scheduled to perform in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday at the Rock on the Range festival.

Mr. Cornell appeared to be active on social media in the hours before his death. A post on his Twitter account on Wednesday announced that the group had arrived in Detroit, and a clip of the group’s 2012 release “By Crooked Steps” was posted to his official Facebook page hours before his death.

Mr. Cornell had admitted in interviews to struggling with drug use throughout his life. In a 1994 Rolling Stone article, he described himself as a “daily drug user at 13,” who had quit by the time he turned 14.

After Soundgarden disbanded in 1997, Mr. Cornell returned to heavy drug use, he told The Guardian in a 2009 interview, describing himself as a “pioneer” in the abuse of the opiate OxyContin, and saying that he had gone to rehab.

Mr. Cornell released five solo albums during and after his time with Soundgarden, starting with the 1999 LP “Euphoria Morning.” His 2007 album “Carry On” featured an acoustic cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” that served as the inspiration for a well-received version of the song on “American Idol.” He contributed the song “Seasons” to the soundtrack of “Singles,” Cameron Crowe’s love letter to the Seattle music scene, and performed alongside other members of Soundgarden in the film.
Chris Cornell - "Seasons" Video by Micheleland

In 2001, after Rage Against the Machine’s lead singer, Zack de la Rocha, left the group, Mr. Cornell and members of the band formed Audioslave. The group released three albums before announcing its split in 2007.

Rage Against the Machine posted a message on Twitter honoring Mr. Cornell shortly after news of his death began to spread online.

In November 2016, Mr. Cornell hit the road for the first time with another supergroup of sorts, Temple of the Dog, which features a blend of members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. The group was formed a quarter-century ago as a tribute to Andrew Wood, the lead singer of the Seattle bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone, who died in March 1990 of a heroin overdose.

Speaking to The New York Times, Mr. Cornell said the group had decided to finally bring its songs to life to honor Mr. Wood. “I thought, well, this is one thing that I can do to remind myself and maybe other people of who this guy is and was and keep his story and in a way his life with us,” he said.

Dina Merrill
 

Dina Merrill, a beautiful, blonde actress with an aristocratic bearing known as much for her wealthy origins, philanthropy and marriage to actor Cliff Robertson as for her work in film and television, died on Monday. She was 93.

Her parents were Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, and her second husband, Wall Street’s E.F. Hutton.

In 1983, on the occasion of Merrill’s musical comedy debut in a revival of Rodgers and Hart’s 1936 musical ”On Your Toes,” the New York Times gushed, “Long regarded as the essence of chic, the epitome of class and such a persuasive purveyor of charm and charity that she could have a rightful claim to fame as an eloquent spokesman — and fund-raiser — for a slew of worthy causes, Miss Merrill has evoked instant recognition and elegant associations, more so for her persona than for her stage and screen performances.”

As Merrill hit the feature scene in the late 1950s, she was marketed as a replacement for Grace Kelly and certainly shared that actress’s elan. Merrill played nurse Lt. Duran, the love interest of Tony Curtis’ character, in Blake Edwards’ 1959 popular submarine comedy “Operation Petticoat,” and in 1960’s “Butterfield 8,” in which Elizabeth Taylor’s prostitute character has a relationship with a married man played by Laurence Harvey, Merrill played Harvey’s wife. Reviewing the latter film, the New York Times said that in her role Merrill is “lovely and simple.”

Also in 1960, the actress had a supporting role in Fred Zinnemann’s critically hailed “The Sundowners,” starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr as a couple trying to make their way in rural Australia.

Merrill had the lead female role opposite Burt Lancaster in John Frankenheimer’s 1961 effort “The Young Savages,” a social-issues film about poverty and crime in which Lancaster plays a assistant district attorney from the streets and Merrill his limousine-liberal wife — who in one (for the time) harrowing scene is threatened by gang members at knifepoint.

In Vincente Minnelli’s 1963 film “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” the actress played an elegant potential mate for Glenn Ford’s widower who is disapproved of by the titular Eddie.

Merrill, who, by the 1960s, was spending more time working in television than on films, also appeared in the 1965 Bob Hope comedy “I’ll Take Sweden”; in starring roles in 1973 Western “Running Wild” opposite Lloyd Bridges and 1974 family film “Throw Out the Anchor!” opposite Richard Egan; and in supporting roles in 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic “The Greatest,” Robert Altman’s 1978 film “A Wedding,” Sidney Lumet’s 1980 film “Just Tell Me What You Want” and John Cusack-James Spader thriller “True Colors.” She was also among the many celebrities with small roles in Altman’s 1992 Hollywood satire “The Player.”

Merrill made her feature debut in the 1957 Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn office comedy “Desk Set” and her last credited bigscreen appearance in the 2003 poker-themed film “Shade,” starring Sylvester Stallone.

The actress’s relatively recent TV credits include A&E’s 2002 remake of “The Magnificent Ambersons” and a guest gig as a judge on A&E’s legal drama “100 Centre Street” the same year. In 1984 she had a series regular on the brief thriller series “Hot Pursuit.” She had a role in “Roots: The Next Generations,” among other TV movies and miniseries, and she guested on a wide variety of series beginning with “Four Star Playhouse” in 1955 and “Playhouse 90,” and on through “Dr. Kildare,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Night Gallery,” “The Odd Couple,” “The Love Boat” and, of course, “Murder, She Wrote.”

She and husband Cliff Robertson appeared as guest villains on “Batman,” she as Calamity Jan, he as Shame. They also starred together in the 1968 telepic “The Sunshine Patriot,” directed by Joseph Sargent.

In addition to the 1983 appearance in musical “On Your Toes,” Merrill appeared onstage in 1991 among the rotating cast in the Off Broadway staged reading of the play “Wit and Wisdom.”

Roger Moore
 

Roger Moore, whose 12-year run as James Bond in the ’70s/’80s turned him into a Hollywood icon, has died. He was 89.

Moore — who remains the longest-serving Bond actor — succeeded Sean Connery as 007 No. 3 in the early ’70s. All told, he appeared in seven Bond pics: Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985).

His pre-Bond work included the UK TV series Ivanhoe (1959-1959) and (most memorably) The Saint (1962-69), as well as ABC’s Maverick, in which he played the English-accented cousin of James Garner’s titular card shark.

Nicky Hayden, MotoGP World Champion
 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/22/mo...cycling-italy/


Nicky Hayden dies five days after cycling crash
By Aimee Lewis and Jill Martin, CNN
Updated 1853 GMT (0253 HKT) May 22, 2017

American Nicky Hayden won the MotoGP world championship in 2006.

American MotoGP rider Nicky Hayden dies aged 35
Hayden was involved in a cycling crash five days ago
He was crowned MotoGP world champion in 2006
(CNN)Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has died five days after being involved in a cycling accident in Italy, according to Italy's ANSA news agency and Red Bull Honda, a sponsor of Hayden. He was 35.

Hayden, the 2006 MotoGP world champion, had been hospitalized at the Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, Italy, following the accident last week.
"It is with great sadness that Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has to announce that Nicky Hayden has succumbed to injuries suffered during an incident while riding his bicycle last Wednesday," Red Bull Honda posted on its website Monday.
"The nicest man in Grand Prix racing"

Thanks for the memories, Nicky. #RideOnKentuckyKid pic.twitter.com/BX4VvGgKWC

— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) May 22, 2017
The statement also said that fiancée Jackie, mother Rose and brother Tommy, who flew in from the US, were at his side.
"On behalf of the whole Hayden family and Nicky's fiancée Jackie I would like to thank everyone for their messages of support -- it has been a great comfort to us all knowing that Nicky has touched so many people's lives in such a positive way," Tommy Hayden said.
"Although this is obviously a sad time, we would like everyone to remember Nicky at his happiest -- riding a motorcycle. He dreamed as a kid of being a pro rider and not only achieved that but also managed to reach the pinnacle of his chosen sport in becoming World Champion. We are all so proud of that.
"Apart from these 'public' memories, we will also have many great and happy memories of Nicky at home in Kentucky, in the heart of the family. We will all miss him terribly."
Nicky was a great sportsman, a true gentleman and a friend. We'll never forget him. Our hearts and thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/Tc49KNUeFP

— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) May 22, 2017
The American, who had been racing for Red Bull Honda's World Superbike team, collided with a car near Rimini on May 17 while training. He had been in the intensive care unit at the hospital in Cesena.
A statement released Friday by the hospital confirmed he had sustained multiple injuries, including "serious cerebral damage."
"Throughout his career Nicky's professionalism and fighting spirit was greatly valued and carried him to numerous successes, including his childhood dream of being crowned MotoGP World Champion with Honda in 2006," Red Bull Honda said. "As well as being a true champion on the track, Nicky was a fan favourite off it due to his kind nature, relaxed demeanour, and the huge smile he invariably carried everywhere.
"Nothing says more about Nicky's character than the overwhelming response expressed by fellow racers and his legions of fans over the past few days. Jackie and his family are truly grateful for the countless prayers and well wishes for Nicky."
Nicky Hayden 1981-2017. We all will miss you pic.twitter.com/k0uyowmv9Z

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 22, 2017
Hayden, from Owensboro, Kentucky, was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital near Rimini before being transferred to the facility in Cesena.
"Hayden will be deeply missed by the paddocks he has graced throughout an incredible career, his millions of fans around the world, and by all those closest to him," MotoGP said on its website. "We wish to pass on our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, team and colleagues as we sadly bid farewell to the 'Kentucky Kid' far too soon -- a true legend of the sport, and to all those who knew him."
Marilia Brocchetto and Sarah Chiplin contributed to this reporting.

‘Game of Thrones’ Actor Neil Fingleton Dies at 36

Neil Fingleton, who played the colossal warrior Mag the Mighty on “Game of Thrones,” died from heart failure on Saturday. He was 36.

Fingleton was the U.K.’s tallest man at seven feet, seven inches in height. In addition to “Thrones,” Fingleton appeared in “Doctor Who,” Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and “X-Men: First Class.”

His death was announced Sunday by Tall Person Club’s Facebook page.

“Sadly it has come to our attention that Neil Fingleton Britain’s Tallest man passed away on Saturday,” the statement reads. “Neil became Britain’s Tallest man in 2007 passing the height of Chris Greener. Neil started off in basketball in the USA before becoming an actor and starring in the X-Men First Class and also recently in the Game of Thrones. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.”

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/game...36-1201996907/


https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.c...0&h=377&crop=1

Manchester victims
 

All those young children and those adults murdered just outside the Ariana Grande gig, RIP, your light was gone too soon.
All the families left behind who now have to cope with so many questions and feelings, its hard to even comprehend what they must be going through.
The Manchester arena was the first place i ever saw Madonna, and its holds so many amazing memories.
I feel so sad and sickened by these senseless deaths, no-one can justify it.
We love you Manchester

Greg Allman
 

Gregg Allman, the soulful singer-songwriter and rock n' blues pioneer who founded The Allman Brothers Band with his late brother, Duane, and composed such classics as "Midnight Rider," "Melissa" and the epic concert jam "Whipping Post," has died at age 69.

The group also landed 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits between 1971-1981. It earned its best showing with "Ramblin Man," which reached No. 2 in October 1973, and reached the top 40 two more times with "Crazy Love" (No. 29, 1979) and "Straight From the Heart" (No. 39, 1981). The band also logged a No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 1990 with "Good Clean Fun." In total, since Nielsen Music began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991, Allman Brothers Band have sold 9.3 million albums in the U.S.

As a soloist, Allman notched seven charting albums on the Billboard 200, including one top 10 set: the No. 5-peaking Low Country Blues in 2001. On the Hot 100, he claimed a pair of entries with "Midnight Rider" (No. 19 in 1974) and "I'm No Angel" (No. 49 in 1987). The latter also topped the Mainstream Rock Songs chart that same year.

Elena Verdugo
 

Elena Verdugo, the actress best known for her role as nurse Consuelo Lopez on the TV series “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” has died at the age of 92.

Verdugo was a native of Los Angeles who started acting as a child. She appeared in many movies in the 1940s. She starred opposite Gene Autry in the movie “The Big Sombrero.” She had a supporting role in the Abbott and Costello comedy “Little Giant.” In 1957, Verdugo starred in the musical comedy film “Panama Sal.”

Verdugo starred in the CBS radio comedy “Meet Millie” as the wisecracking Brooklyn secretary Millie Bronson. She then starred on the television version of “Meet Millie” from 1952 until 1956. The show was one of the first to be broadcast live from Hollywood.

She had a recurring role in 1964 on “The New Phil Silvers Show” as the sister of Silver’s character. She also starred in the CBS sitcom “Many Happy Returns” during the 1964-1965 season.

Her most popular character was Nurse Consuelo Lopez on “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” which ran from 1969 until 1976. She received supporting actress Emmy nominations in 1971 and 1972 for playing the thoughtful nurse. Many consider the role to be one of the first to portray a working-professional Latina woman.

Jimmy Piersall (1929 - 2017)
 

Jimmy Piersall, former Major League center fielder who wrote about his struggle with mental illness, has died at the age of 87.

PIersall played with the Red Sox for seven seasons and is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame. He made his first appearance in the Majors in 1950. He made the All-Star team in 1954 and 1956. In 1956, he led the league in doubles. Piersall was an outstanding defensive player who won two gold gloves. After playing for the Red Sox, he went on to play for the Indians, Senators, Mets and Angels. Piersall retired after the 1967 season.

Piersall co-wrote his biography in 1955 titled “Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story.” He talks about having a nervous breakdown and being admitted to a mental hospital for therapy. Piersall’s father put a great amount of pressure on him to be great in baseball. The book was adapted into a movie in 1957 that featured Anthony Perkins as Piersall. Piersall later was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

After his playing career, Piersall was a broadcaster for the Texas Rangers in 1974 and the Chicago White Sox from 1977 until 1981.

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

Guy bears an uncanny resemblance to Ben Affleck.

Adam West, tv's Batman
 

Adam West — an actor defined and also constrained by his role in the 1960s series “Batman” — has died. He was 88.

With its “Wham! Pow!” onscreen exclamations, flamboyant villains and cheeky tone, “Batman” became a surprise hit with its premiere on ABC in 1966, a virtual symbol of ’60s kitsch. Yet West’s portrayal of the superhero and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, ultimately made it hard for him to get other roles, and while he continued to work throughout his career, options remained limited because of his association with the character.

West also chafed against the darker versions of Bob Kane’s hero that emerged in more recent years, beginning with the Michael Keaton-starring, Tim Burton-directed adaptations that began in 1989, and followed by Christopher Nolan’s enormously successful Dark Knight trilogy.

In February 2016, CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” which had hosted a number of geek favorites over the years, celebrated its 200th episode — and marked the 50th anniversary of “Batman” — with an appearance by West.

Stephen Furst - Animal House
 

Stephen Furst, the actor best known for playing Flounder in “Animal House,” died Saturday, from complications related to diabetes. He was 62.

He starred as awkward fraternity pledge Kent “Flounder” Dorfman in the hit comedy, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978). He reprised the role in the TV sitcom version, “Delta House,” which aired for one season in 1979.

Furst’s had other notable television roles, including Dr. Elliot Axelrod in “St. Elsewhere” (1983-1988), and Vir Cotto in the sci-fi series “Babylon 5” (1994-1998). He also went on to direct three movies for the Sci Fi Channel during the 2000s.

Bill Dana
 

Bill Dana, the entertainer who was known best for his dialect comedy embodied in the character José Jiménez, had died. He was 92.

Dana created and, with a thick accent, played the Bolivian character José Jiménez, frequently as an astronaut, on television programs. He created the character in 1959.

Dana was born William Szathmary Oct. 5, 1924, in Quincy, Massachusetts. He later created the Dana stage name, altering the first name of his mother, Dena.

Dana served in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning a Bronze Star as a combat infantryman. After the war, he began his career as an NBC page. At night, he performed in New York City nightclubs along with partner Gene Wood.

In the 1950s, he performed on “The Imogene Coca Show,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” and “The Martha Raye Show.” Dana also wrote for and produced “The Spike Jones Show.”

Dana’s career began to be noticed after he wrote comedy routines for the stand-up comedian Don Adams. Among them was the “Would you believe?” routine that Adams later used on his sitcom “Get Smart.” With that success, Dana was hired to write for “The Steve Allen Show,” the program for which he originated the Jiménez character for Allen’s “Man in the Street” interviews. Dana also played Jiménez on “The Ed Sullivan Show” as well as Dana’s eponymous sitcom, which aired from 1963 to 1965; he played the character as a clumsy bellhop.

Dana also wrote for several television shows, and he penned lines including those for the episode of “All in the Family” that featured the actor and singer Sammy Davis Jr.

In the 1990s, he played Uncle Angelo on “The Golden Girls.”

In 1997, Dana received an image award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

Martin Landeau
 

His résumé includes 'Mission: Impossible,' 'Tucker: The Man and His Dream' and 'North by Northwest.'

Martin Landau, the all-purpose actor who showcased his versatility as a master of disguise on the Mission: Impossible TV series and as a broken-down Bela Lugosi in his Oscar-winning performance in Ed Wood, has died. He was 89.

Landau, who shot to fame by playing a homosexual henchman in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 classic North by Northwest, died Saturday of "unexpected complications" after a brief stay at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

After he quit CBS’ Mission: Impossible after three seasons in 1969 because of a contract dispute, Landau’s career was on the rocks until he was picked by Francis Ford Coppola to play Abe Karatz, the business partner of visionary automaker Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges), in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988).

Landau received a best supporting actor nomination for that performance, then backed it up the following year with another nom for starring as Judah Rosenthal, an ophthalmologist who has his mistress (Anjelica Huston) killed, in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989).

Landau lost out on Oscar night to Kevin Kline and Denzel Washington, respectively, in those years but finally prevailed for his larger-than-life portrayal of horror-movie legend Lugosi in the biopic Ed Wood (1994), directed by Tim Burton.

Landau also starred as Commander John Koenig in the 1970s science-fiction series Space: 1999, opposite his Mission: Impossible co-star Barbara Bain, his wife from 1957 until their divorce in 1993.

A former newspaper cartoonist, Landau turned down the role of Mr. Spock on the NBC series Star Trek, which went to Leonard Nimoy (who later effectively replaced Landau on Mission: Impossible after Trek was canceled).

Landau was born in Brooklyn on June 20, 1928. At age 17, he landed a job as a cartoonist for the New York Daily News, but he turned down a promotion and quit five years later to pursue acting.

In 1955, he auditioned for Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio (choosing a scene from Clifford Odets’ Clash by Night against the advice of friends), and he and Steve McQueen were the only new students accepted that year out of the 2,000-plus aspirants who had applied.

With his dark hair and penetrating blue eyes, Landau found success on New York stages in Goat Song, Stalag 17 and First Love. Hitchcock caught his performance on opening night opposite Edward G. Robinson in a road production of Middle of the Night, the first Broadway play written by Paddy Chayefsky, and cast him as the killer Leonard in North by Northwest.

He went on to perform for such top directors as Joseph L. Mankiewicz in Cleopatra (1963) — though he said most of his best work on that film was sent to the cutting-room floor — George Stevens in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), John Sturges in The Hallelujah Trail (1965) and Henry Hathaway in Nevada Smith (1966).

Landau met Bruce Geller, the eventual creator of Mission: Impossible, when he invited the writer to an acting class. Bain was in the class as well, and Geller wrote for them the parts of spies Rollin Hand and Cinnamon Carter. Landau earned an Emmy nomination for each of his three seasons on the series.

Landau found a kindred spirit in Burton, who also cast him in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and as the voice of a Vincent Price-like science teacher in the horror-movie homage, Frankenweenie (2012).

Landau played puppet master Geppetto in a pair of Pinocchio films and appeared in other films including Pork Chop Hill (1959), City Hall (1996), The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998), Rounders (1998), Edtv (1999), The Majestic (2001), Lovely, Still (2008) and Mysteria (2011).

On television, he starred in the Twilight Zone episodes “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” and “The Jeopardy Room,” played the title role in the 1999 Showtime telefilm Bonnano: A Godfather’s Story and could be found on The Untouchables, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Maverick, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Wagon Train, I Spy and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

More recently, Landau earned Emmy noms for playing the father of Anthony LaPaglia’s character on CBS’ Without a Trace and guest-starring as an out-of-touch movie producer on HBO’s Entourage. He portrayed billionaire J. Howard Marshall, the 90-year-old husband of Anna Nicole Smith, in a 2013 Lifetime biopic about the sex symbol, and starred for Atom Egoyan opposite Christopher Plummer in Remember (2015).

And Landau appeared opposite Paul Sorvino in The Last Poker Game, which premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

Harvey Atkin
 

Harvey Atkin, the Canadian character and voice actor has died. He was 74.

He was famous for the combination of glasses, a big nose, and a mustache for most of his roles.

Atkin was perhaps best known as camp director Morty in the 1979 comedy “Meatballs.” He also played Staff Sgt. Capt. Ronald Coleman on “Cagney and Lacey” and Judge Ridenour on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” Most recently, he has a role as a judge on the tv series "Suits".

Atkin appeared in more than 75 films during his long and varied career. Besides Meatballs, he was also in Silver streak, Atlantic City, Beetlejuice, and Ticket to Heaven.

He was also the voice of Mario's and Luigi's archenemy King Koopa on DiC Entertainment's cartoon version of Super Mario Bros. (notably, he is the first English voice actor for the character). Playing Bowser in all three Mario animated series, he is the only voice actor to appear in all three series as the same character.

Chester Bennington, front man for Linkin Park
 

from The New York Times:

Chester Bennington, the ferocious lead singer for the platinum-selling hard rock band Linkin Park, was found dead in his home near Los Angeles on Thursday. He was 41.

Brian Elias, the chief of operations for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, confirmed the death, in Palos Verdes Estates, and said it was being investigated as a possible suicide after law enforcement authorities responded to a call shortly after 9 a.m.

Mr. Bennington, who was known for his piercing scream and free-flowing anguish, released seven albums with Linkin Park. The most recent, “One More Light,” arrived in May and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The band was scheduled to start a tour with a concert on July 27 in Mansfield, Mass.

Mike Shinoda, one of Linkin Park’s founders, spoke on behalf of the group in a tweet. “Shocked and heartbroken,” he wrote, adding that the band would issue a statement.

Charlie Gard
 

Charlie Gard, the British baby who caught the world’s attention as he struggled with a rare genetic disorder while his parents fought the courts for the right to place him on an experimental treatment plan, died today

Charlie spent much of his short life in a hospital bed at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London on life support machines, unable to hear, see or breathe on his own. Born August 4, 2016, he initially appeared to be a perfect, healthy baby. But within weeks, he began to exhibit symptoms that would lead doctors to diagnose him with infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS).

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


Charlie, your life was brief yet meaningful. You touched the hearts of millions. Godspeed lil buddy.

Sam Shepard
 

Sam Shepard, the bard of America’s flat highways, wide-open spaces and wounding, dysfunctional families, has died at the age of 73 in his home in Kentucky from complications from Lou Gehrig’s disease, his family announced Monday.

Shepard found incredible success as both a playwright and as an actor. He won a Pulitzer Prize for drama for his 1979 play, Buried Child, and wrote 40 plays over the course of his career. He also wrote the screenplays for Zabriskie Point; Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas; and Robert Altman's Fool for Love, a film version of his play of the same title. As writer/director, he filmed Far North and Silent Tongue in 1988 and 1992 respectively.

A famously intense and taciturn actor, Shepard broke out as a Hollywood actor in Terrence Malick’s “Days Of Heaven” (1978), playing opposite Richard Gere and Brooke Adams. For his appearance in “The Right Stuff” (1983), he was nominated for an Academy Award. And many fans adore his work in Wim Wenders’ acclaimed “Paris, Texas” (1984) for which Shepard co-wrote the screenplay. His Hollywood portfolio was diverse, encompassing “Crimes of the Heart,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Black Hawk Down.”

Shepard played the Weston patriarch in the 2013 movie version of Tracy Letts’ “August: Osage County,” originally a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that owed much to his structural and thematic influence — an influence that extends to Ireland and the Anglo-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh.

Shepard was romantically involved with the actress Jessica Lange from 1982 to 2009, although the pair never married. They had two children together: Hannah Jane Shepard, 31, and Samuel Walker Shepard, 30.