Legends dropping like flies

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/02/29/george-kennedy-dies-at-age-91/21320518/ :cry:
George Kennedy, who won a supporting actor Oscar for his role alongside Paul Newman in the beloved film "Cool Hand Luke," and was also a fixture of 1970s disaster movies including the "Airport" franchise and "Earthquake," died Sunday in Boise, Idaho. He was 91. His grandson Cory Schenkel reported the death on his Facebook page.
While Kennedy largely played gruff, blue-collar characters in dramas and genre films, he allowed a comedic side to emerge in the deadpan "The Naked Gun" movies.
Kennedy appeared in all four of the "Airport" movies of the 1970s as Joe Patroni, the reluctant, cigar-chomping but highly effective chief mechanic who could be counted upon when the chips were down and supreme expertise was required. He also turned in a powerful performance in 1975's "Earthquake" as the hearty, sentimental police sergeant Slade, who helps where he can in the wake of the devastating temblor.
Kennedy toiled in the TV trenches for much of the 1960s, especially guesting on Westerns — and occasionally appearing in supporting roles in high-profile films such as "In Harm's Way," "The Sons of Katie Elder," "The Flight of the Phoenix" and "The Dirty Dozen."
He finally burst into the public consciousness with his 1967 role as Dragline in "Cool Hand Luke," in which he was second-billed and held his own alongside star Paul Newman. The New York Times said: "George Kennedy is powerfully obsessive as the top-dog who handles things his way as effectively and finally as destructively as does the warden or the guards."
During the 1970s he made two attempts at starring in his own television series: 1971's brief "Sarge," in which he played a priest with a police background, and 1975's "The Blue Knight," an adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel and subsequent TV movie in which he played a Los Angeles beat cop.
Other notable film credits during the 1970s included Michael Cimino's "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot"; "The Eiger Sanction"; and Agatha Christie period mystery "Death on the Nile," in which he was gruff as always but in this case exceptionally well groomed. He worked steadily in the 1980s but made an impression only in the 1988 deadpan police comedy "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" and its sequels.
He recurred on primetime soap "Dallas" as rancher Carter McKay from 1988-91 and appeared in the reunion telepics "Dallas: J.R. Returns" (1996) and "Dallas: War of the Ewings" (1998).
Most recently he appeared in the 2014 crime drama remake "The Gambler," starring Mark Wahlberg.
Kennedy was born in New York City to parents in show business. He first appeared onstage at the age of two, but later he would spend 16 years in the U.S. Army, ultimately working for Armed Forces Radio. He participated in the opening of the Army Information Office, which provided technical advice to the entertainment industry. A role as technical adviser to "The Phil Silvers Show" led to his early career in television.
The actor also wrote books: murder mysteries "Murder on Location," published in 1983, and "Murder on High, released in 1984. His autobiography, "Trust Me," was published in 2011.
Kennedy was married four times, the first time to Dorothy Gillooly in the 1940s, the second (and third) time to Norma Wurman.
He is survived by fourth wife Joan McCarthy and two children from Wurman.
 
http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news...e-and-palmer-dead-at-71/ar-AAgFY9S?li=BBnb7Kz :cry:
Keith Emerson, one of the most legendary keyboardists in rock history thanks to his work in Emerson, Lake & Palmer and The Nice, died at age 71 on March 10, according Emerson, Lake & Palmer's official Facebook page.
"We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 71," the post reads. "We ask that the family's privacy and grief be respected."
"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson," Carl Palmer said on his website. "Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. Rest in peace, Keith."
The British prog-rock supergroup formed in 1970 and released nine albums over the course of its career, the first five of which hit the top 10 of the Billboard 200. The band's 1970 self-titled debut is a prog-rock classic; the follow-up, 1971's Tarkus, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. 1973's Brain Salad Surgery is regarded by many fans as their finest work. Emerson, Lake & Palmer broke up in 1979, with Emerson and Lake continuing on with a new drummer as Emerson, Lake & Powell. The original trio reunited in the early '90s to release two more albums
Prior to his success with the immensely popular and influential outift, Emerson played with British band The Nice, melding rock music with classical and jazz influences. Emerson was classically trained as a child, and one of the most technically proficient keyboard players of his generation. He started experimenting with the Moog synthesizer after hearing the landmark 1968 LP Switched-On Bach. Emerson's showmanship while performing on the Moog, Hammond organ or piano was one of the trio's defining elements.
 
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb...ola-dead-at-90/ar-BBqQcuR?ocid=ansmsnsports11 :cry:
Joe Garagiola, who played nine MLB seasons before a long broadcasting career, died Wednesday at the age of 90.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of baseball legend and former #Dbacks broadcaster Joe Garagiola. pic.twitter.com/ojaWGp05oC

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 23, 2016
"Joe was one of a kind and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know him and his family,” Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick said in a statement. “His sense of humor certainly stood out to all of us, but perhaps more importantly, the mark he left in the community around him will carry on his legacy for generations to come.
Over his 58-year broadcasting career, Garagiola ingratiated himself to viewers and listeners thanks to his witty sense of humor. He received the 1991 Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. 
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of this amazing man who was not just beloved by those of us in his family, but to generations of baseball fans who he impacted during his eight decades in the game," Garagiola's family said in a statement. "Joe loved the game and passed that love onto family, his friends, his teammates, his listeners and everyone he came across as a player and broadcaster. His impact on the game, both on and off the field, will forever be felt."
A St. Louis native, Garagiola was childhood friends with Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Garagiola, signed by the Cardinals as a 16-year-old before Berra signed with the Yankees, later said, “Not only was I not the best catcher in the major leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street.”
As a rookie, Garagiola helped the Cardinals beat the Ted Williams-led Boston Red Sox in the 1946 World Series.
Garagiola did not have the playing career his best friend enjoyed. After spending nearly five seasons with the Cardinals, Garagiola was sent to Pittsburgh in 1951. Two years later, he moved on to the Cubs and finished his playing career in 1954 with the Giants.
Garagiola hit .257 with 42 home runs and 255 RBIs over his nine-year career. Because he was traded four times during his career, Garagiola once joked he was “either wanted or modeling uniforms, but didn’t know which.”
Garagiola went from the field to the booth in 1955, calling Cardinals games on KMOX radio from 1955-62. During that time, he also wrote a book entitled, “Baseball is a Funny Game,” published in 1960. But it was as a broadcaster that the congenial Garagiola became a household name.
Hired by NBC in 1961, Garagiola started calling games on television, bringing his knowledge of the game into the homes of millions with a unique waggishness that set him apart from broadcasters of the era.
Teamed with legendary broadcaster Vin Scully in 1983, the two became baseball’s broadcasting dream team and called three World Series, three All-Star Games and three National League Championship Series together. When NBC was on the verge of losing its baseball rights to CBS, Garagiola left the network following the 1988 World Series.
Serving as a guest commentator over the next decade, Garagiola joined the Arizona Diamondbacks broadcast team in 1998 and was a part-time color commentator for the team until his retirement in 2013.
In addition to the 1991 Ford Frick Award, Garagiola was also given the 2014 Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.
“You get a call from the Hall of Fame, especially the way I played, you wonder what they want,” Garagiola said then. “They certainly don’t want my bat, they don’t want my glove.”
Garagiola was more than just a baseball broadcaster, however. He had guest spots on “The Today Show” and “The Tonight Show,” called various parades and hosted several game shows — most notably “The Match Game” in the late 1970s. He also served as the co-host for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show from 1994-2002.
Garagiola was a longtime advocate against the use of tobacco products after quitting cold turkey in the late 1950s. Though he had a brain tumor removed in 2009, he never lost his witty charm.
Garagiola was devoted to his wife of more than 60 years, Audrie, whom he maintained was the “best catch” he ever made. The couple had three children. Joe Jr. is the senior vice president of standards and on-field operations for Major League Baseball and former general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Steve and Gina Garagiola both followed their father’s footsteps into broadcasting.  
 
http://www.aol.com/article/2016/03/29/patty-duke-oscar-winning-actress-dies-at-69/21335102/ :cry:
Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Patty Duke has died at the age of 69, TheWrap has learned.
The cause of death was sepsis from a ruptured intestine.
"She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be greatly missed," said her manager in a statement.
Duke started her career as a child actress on daytime soap opera "The Brighter Day," and she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for "The Miracle Worker" when she was just 16, becoming the youngest Oscar winner at the time.
In 1963 she was given her own TV show, "The Patty Duke Show," which was created for her. She played identical cousins, the fun-loving Patty and the prim and proper Cathy. The show ran for three seasons.
Duke then transitioned to adult roles by starring in "Valley of the Dolls," which has become a cult classic. In 1970 she returned to television with "My Sweet Charlie," which won her her first Emmy award. Her second win came in 1977 with miniseries "Captains and the Kings." Her third win was for the 1980 remake of "The Miracle Worker," with Duke in the role of Anne Sullivan rather than Helen Keller.
Duke continued acting steadily into the 2000s, and has appeared on shows such as "Hawaii Five-O" and "Glee."
The actress revealed in her autobiography that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982, and has been an advocate for mental health.
Duke was also relatively active on social media, her last tweet regarding her 30th wedding anniversary with her husband Mike Pearce.
 
Merle Haggard, RIP

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Country-legend-Merle-Haggard-dies-at-79-of-pneumonia/articleshow/51720166.cms
 
A true American music, Merle Haggard legend passed......RIP and my his hard times be over for even better.

Merle Haggard, one of the most successful singers in the history of country music, a contrarian populist whose songs about his scuffling early life and his time in prison made him the closest thing that the genre had to a real-life outlaw hero, died at his ranch in Northern California on Wednesday, his 79th birthday.

His death was confirmed by his agent, Lance Roberts. Mr. Haggard had recently canceled several concerts, saying he had double pneumonia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/07/a...untry-musics-outlaw-hero-dies-at-79.html?_r=0

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http://m.nydailynews.com/entertainment/prince-dead-57-music-legend-found-estate-article-1.2610011

Prince, the multi-talented musical genius who emerged from Minneapolis with a unparalleled funk-rock sound that made him a global megastar, died suddenly Thursday at his home
 
http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/19...-in-southern-california/ar-BBs3Azr?li=BBnbfcL :cry:
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — Chyna, the WWE star who in the 1990s became one of the best-known and most-popular female professional wrestlers in history, has died, authorities said.
Police in Southern California said they were responding to a 911 call from a friend of former WWE wrestler Chyna when they found her dead in her Redondo Beach apartment.
A friend had gone Wednesday to check on Chyna, whose real name is Joan Marie Laurer, after she had failed to answer her phone for a few days, Redondo Beach police said in a statement. The friend told the 911 operator that Laurer wasn't breathing.
The 46-year-old Laurer was dead when officers arrived, police said. Several media outlets report that she was 45.
Neither police nor coroner's officials have released any cause of death.
A coroner's investigator was still at the location with the body late Wednesday night, according to Los Angeles County coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz. He said he had no further information on the death.
The tall, muscle-bound, raven-haired Laurer billed herself as the "9th Wonder of the World" because her wrestling predecessor Andre the Giant had already called himself the eighth.
She was a member of the wrestling squad that dubbed itself "D-Generation X," often wrestled against men and at one point was the WWE women's champion.
On her official website a statement posted Wednesday night reads, "Today we lost a true icon, a real life superhero. Joanie Laurer aka Chyna, the 9th Wonder of the World has passed away. She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her."
Laurer was a native of Rochester, New York and graduated from the University of Tampa in Florida before taking up wrestling.
She joins a long list of WWE professional wrestlers who have died relatively young, including Rick Rude, Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig, the Ultimate Warrior and Owen Hart.
After leaving the WWE in 2001, Laurer posed for Playboy and appeared in adult films and on reality TV, including the shows "The Surreal Life" and "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."
 
In is earlier days, around the early 1980's, Prince used to play the small local clubs around here. That was back when I used to keep up with the up and coming local talent. The first time I saw Prince was at a roller-skating rink in Hollywood. He had a 3 piece band and were playing on an island in the middle of the rink with skaters circling around them. Not too many were paying attention to the music that night. I saw him a few more times in small clubs like the now closed Music Machine where the crowds were sparse and standing at the front of the stage was easy to do. He always kepted a very tight leash on his band and if he didn't like the way things were going a quick wave of his hand and they would come to a dead stop. He would say something to the other two and then they allwould blast off into another song. At that time I would see him would walking around the town with too tall beautiful model looking beauties, one on each arm. He was a short man so the two women on either side of him was a humorous sight to see. His music speaks for itself, but his shows were always a lot of fun

RIP Prince June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016

[youtube]1Lmq6RDn5O8[/youtube]
 
Too soon?

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http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/...ding-his-bike-throwing-all-night-dance-party/Went out in style, reminds me a little of Jimmy Hendrix. Saw him perform Purple Haze @ Newport '69.


Just a day after being hospitalized for flu-like symptoms, Prince is healthy enough to host an all-night dance party.
In celebration of “good weather and 4 all the love and support” he received after news broke of his hospitalization, Prince is inviting fans to come by his Paisley Park Estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota Saturday night for a dance party.
It’s unclear whether Prince will perform this evening, though if his afternoon activities are any indication, the musician is ready to go. The Purple One was spotted riding his Little Red Bicycle around town, which has to be the greatest sight ever witnessed by human eyes.
 
markz said:
Rockstar death? OD'ing and choking on his own vomit? Gotta wonder why they go so young.

I still know a few rock-n-rollers around here. The life style is very unhealthy in general. Substance abuse, bad food, stress, long bouts of partying. It all adds up to a shortish life. The healthiest music performer I know got hepatitis C from a dirty needle and was forced to get healthy or die in her 20's.
She got healthy and is clean sober and healthy today and is planing a show in town next month.
 
Hillhater said:
........Watch Prince's gitar at the end........

That was the kind of stuff he used to do around here in the earily '80's. Not as refined as that show stopper....

Nice find!!!

:D
 
amberwolf said:
So...now he is "the former artist known as prince"? :/

........ :shock:



:D
 
http://abc7.com/news/soul-singer-billy-paul-dies-at-age-81-manager-says/1307337/ :cry:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 06:08PM
BLACKWOOD, N.J. --
Soul singer Billy Paul had died at the age of 81, according to his manager.
The singer, born Paul Williams, died in his Blackwood, New Jersey, home Sunday from pancreatic cancer, his manager stated.
The Philadelphia native was a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, best known for his 1972 No. 1 hit single "Me and Mrs. Jones."
According to his website, "(Paul) is one of the many artists associated with the Philadelphia soul sound created by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell."
 
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...Dies-After-Collapsing-On-Stage-380418541.html :cry:
Nick Menza, former drummer for the influential metal band Megadeth, died after collapsing on stage during a performance of his progressive jazz trio in Southern California, a family spokesman said Sunday.
Menza's latest band OHM was three songs into a semi-regular set at The Baked Potato in Studio City Saturday night when the drummer collapsed, J. Marshall Craig told The Associated Press.
Friends and audience members rendered aid while paramedics were called. The 51-year-old died at the club of a suspected massive heart attack, Craig said.
Menza was Megadeth's longest-serving drummer, performing on five records over nine years, including 1990's thrash metal landmark, "Rust In Peace."
Dave Mustaine, co-founder of Megadeth, said on Twitter that he awoke at 4 a.m. to the news.
"Tell me this isn't true," Mustaine wrote. Marty Friedman, the band's guitarist from 1990 to 2000, wrote on Facebook that Menza was "a great and unique drummer" and "a trustworthy friend, a hilarious bandmate, as well as a very loving dad."
After leaving Megadeth in 1998, Menza pursued an interest in jazz and became an accomplished woodworker.
Menza's autobiography, co-written by Craig, will detail the drummer's life in and out of music and is set for a July release.
He is survived by his mother and father, the jazz saxophonist Don Menza, and two sons.
 
Looks like the "Artist Formerly Known..... whatever" died of a drug overdose. I saw that one coming. Got no idea nor care for what Opiode stands for. Probably an upper. Oh wait its Fentanyl. Well he should have known better. I never really liked the guy as a singer. A few songs I liked, just too freakily dressed. I saw a little bit of a TV show on him, he wasnt into contracts. He had no will, but I wonder what he did for music contracts, or mortgages, or utility bills.

TMZ where the well informed get their news from :oops:

https://www.tmz.com/2016/06/02/prince-cause-of-death-opioid/
 
RIP Muhammad Ali!!!

Boxer, Ambassador, Poet, Father, war resister and the "Greatest of all Time." Or as George Forman just said in an interview...."He was a beautiful thing on this earth." And he was!

If you were never able to see him box, then do your best to find footage of his best fights, and then know he spent 4 years in jail, during the peak of his athletic career in jail for refusing to go and kill in the Vietnam war.

What an amazing man he was.

RIP Muhammad Ali!!!!!
 
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