Ending 2008

'Shadow' illustrator Cartier dies at 94
Jan 3, 2:23 PM (ET)
RAMSEY, N.J. (AP) - Edward D. Cartier, whose illustrations graced "The Shadow" and numerous other science fiction and mystery publications in a career that spanned several decades, has died at 94.

Cartier died Dec. 25 at his home in Ramsey, according to his son, Dean Cartier. The elder Cartier had suffered from Parkinson's disease in recent years, his son said.

Cartier's artwork appeared in works by authors such as Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov, but he is perhaps best known for the hundreds of illustrations he did for "The Shadow" in the 1930s and 1940s.

Written by Walter B. Gibson, "The Shadow" novels appeared in pulp magazines and detailed the exploits of a mysterious, black-attired crime fighter.

Cartier began doing illustrations for the novels in 1936. Not long after that, he turned down an offer to be an assistant to Norman Rockwell, according to Anthony Tollin, editor of "The Shadow & Doc Savage" reprint trade paperbacks.

In addition to more than 800 illustrations for "The Shadow," Cartier drew hundreds of illustrations for numerous other science fiction magazines. He also was the premier artist for the Fantasy Press and Gnome Press book publishing houses in the 1950s.

Dean Cartier said his father created a Christmas card that he sent to family and friends each year starting in the late 1970s. The last one, drawn in 2005, depicted Santa Claus handing "The Shadow" a gift.

Original Texas Playboys fiddler Bob Boatright dies

Thursday, January 1, 2009 – Bob Boatright, 69, fiddle player for Bob Wills Original Texas Playboys, died Sunday of cancer. Mr. Boatright was born Sept. 30, 1939, in Denison, Texas. "He started taking lessons when he was 10 years old on the fiddle," said Mr. Boatright's wife, Linda in an obituary in the Fort Worth, Texas Star-Telegram. "That is what his daddy wanted him to play. He never bucked his daddy. He did what his daddy told him to."

While a student in math and physics at Midwestern State University, Boatright played fiddle on the side. After graduating, Boatright worked as a math teacher at a high school, Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. and at a junior college in Gainesville, Texas.

He and his family later moved to Mansfield. Boatright played the fiddle around Fort Worth at nights and on weekends. He later joined on with the Texas Playboys, founded in the 1930s by Wills.

"He was the most reliable, sober musician in the group," said Leon Rausch, a leader of the Playboys who had known Boatright since the early 1970s, in the Star-Telegram. "He was my right-hand man, and it's going to be awfully hard to replace him." Boatright played with Rausch for about 35 years.

Edmund Purdom, 1950s Hollywood star, dies aged 84

ROME (AFP) — British actor Edmund Purdom, star of Hollywood blockbusters "The Egyptian" and "The Prodigal" in the mid-50s, has died aged 84 in Rome where he was a longtime resident, his family told AFP on Friday.

Purdom, who died Thursday, began his acting career in theatre on both sides of the Atlantic.He landed the lead role in the MGM musical "The Student Prince" in 1954, displacing an overweight Mario Lanzo, and moved on to replace Marlon Brando who opted out of "The Egyptian" the same year.

After settling in Rome in the mid-60s, Purdom played in "sword and sandal" epics and Italian B movies, and then worked for many years as a voice-dubbing actor, mainly from Italian into English.

In a romantic history that included four weddings and three divorces, Purdom was best known for abruptly leaving his first wife Anita Philips and their children to marry Mexican actress Linda Christian, with whom he starred in "Athena" (1954). Christian was the ex-wife of American heartthrob Tyrone Power.

El Paso songwriter Clint Ballard Jr. dies at age 77

By Doug Pullen / El Paso TimesPosted: 12/31/2008 12:00:00 AM MSTEL PASO -- A memorial service is scheduled on Wednesday in Denton, Texas, for an El Paso native who wrote some memorable pop songs of the 1960s and '70s. Clinton Conger Ballard Jr., better known as Clint Ballard Jr., wrote myriad songs, but two topped the charts.

Linda Ronstadt had a No. 1 hit in 1975 with "You're No Good," which was included on her "Heart Like a Wheel" album. The song was recorded before that by R&B singers Betty Everett and Dionne Warwick. Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, Jose Feliciano and Little Milton are among dozens of artists who also recorded it.

His other signature song was "Game of Love," which was a No. 1 hit in 1965 for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders and later featured in the Robin Williams movie "Good Morning Vietnam."

Ballard, 77, died "peacefully in his sleep" on Dec. 23 in Denton, according to friend Jacqueline Martinez.

He was born and raised in El Paso, graduated from Tex as Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso) and received a bachelor of science degree in radio production, according to a biography supplied by Martinez.

"He was a highly successful composer of popular songs and Broadway musicals," she said via fax."As early as the age of 3, Clint's musical ability was recognized and he played the piano for KTSM, a local radio station," according to the biography.

"At age 11, he attended a musical program for gifted students at North State State Teachers College (now the University of North Texas), in Denton."After a stint in the Army, Ballard moved to New York to pursue a career in music. He became a successful pop song writer and a composer of musicals, including "Come Back Little Sheba."

His song, "Hey, Little Baby," was recorded by band leader Mitch Miller and used as the theme of the 1958 World's Fair in Belgium.

Ballard wrote more than 550 songs and musicals, according to his biography. All Music Guide lists recordings of his songs by Rick Nelson, Connie Francis, the Hollies, the Zombies, Billy Eckstine, Louis Prima, Patti Page, Jan & Dean and Frankie Avalon.

By JENNIFER 8. LEE

Donald E. Westlake, a prolific, award-winning mystery novelist who pounded out more than 100 books and five screenplays on manual typewriters during his half-century career, died Wednesday night. He was 75.

Mr. Westlake collapsed, apparently from a heart attack, as he headed out to New Year’s Eve dinner while on vacation in San Tancho, Mexico, said his wife, Abigail Westlake. Mr. Westlake, considered one of the most successful and versatile mystery writers in the United States, has earned three Edgar Awards, an Academy Award nomination for screenplay writing, and the elite title of Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993. Since his first novel, “The Mercenaries,” was published by Random House in 1960, Mr. Westlake has written under his own name and several pseudonyms, including Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt and Edwin West.

Despite the diversity of names, one shared feature was that almost all his books were set in New York City, where he was born. He used many names in part to combat skepticism over his rapid rate of writing books, which at some points reached four a year.

“In the beginning, people didn’t want to publish more than one book a year by the same author,” said Susan Richman, his publicist at Grand Central Publishing, his current publisher. In the later half of his career, Mr. Westlake had narrowed himself to his own name and Richard Stark, author of a dark series about a one-name criminal named Parker.

The full panoply of all his books was a spectacle to behold, his friends said. “We were in his library, this beautiful library surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of titles, and I realize that every single book was written by Donald Westlake, English language and foreign language editions,” said Laurence Kirschbaum, his agent. Mr. Westlake’s cinematic style of storytelling, along with his carefully crafted plots and crisp dialogue, translated well to the screen. More than 15 of his books were made into movies, some multiple times.

In addition, he himself wrote a number of screenplays, including “The Grifters,” which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1991. Donald Edwin Westlake was born to Lillian and Albert Westlake on July 12, 1933, in Brooklyn, but raised in Yonkers and Albany. He attended a number of colleges in New York State, but did not graduate from any of them. He married his current wife, Abigail, in 1979, and the couple made their home in Gallatin, N.Y.

He was previously married to Nedra Henderson and Sandra Kalb. He is survived by his wife; his four sons by his previous marriage, Sean Westlake, Steven Westlake, Paul Westlake, Tod Westlake; two step-daughters, Adrienne Adams and Katherine Adams; a step-son, Patrick Adams; his sister, Virginia; and four grandchildren. He was writing all the way till he passed away. His next novel, “Get Real,” is scheduled to be released in April 2009.