Alex Napier, who played bass for the Cobras with Stevie Ray Vaughan and in the bands of both Charlie and Will Sexton, died Thursday morning after a bout with liver cancer. He was 59.

He was one of the white musicians from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Paul Ray, Denny Freeman and Doyle Bramhall, who helped establish Austin's blues town reputation during the "cosmic cowboy" era.

During the late '60s, he did light shows at the Vulcan Gas Company and opened a club in Westlake that eventually became Soap Creek Saloon.

A founding member of the Leroi Brothers, Napier passed away at his home in DeSoto, his nephew Mark Stanley said.

In addition to being a noted bassist, Napier was an unforgettable character, with a great sense of humor and a sly grin.

"He had more stories than any book will ever be able to write about the Texas blues days in the '60s-2000s," said Steve Dean, who often booked Napier's bands at the old AusTex Lounge.


Tony Malinosky, the former Brooklyn Dodger who was the oldest-living
major-leaguer, passed away Tuesday at age 101, the Los Angeles Dodgers
said.


Malinosky played 35 games at third base and shortstop for Brooklyn in
1937, batting .228 in 79 at-bats. According to Baseball-Reference.com,
his career-best performance was a 3-for-5 day against the St. Louis
Cardinals. The Dodgers purchased his contract from the Pittsburgh
Pirates the previous winter.

Character actress, Peggy Rea, 89, known for her many roles in television series, and a number of films, died at her home in Toluca Lake on February 5th. She died of complications from congestive heart failure. Peggy was born in Los Angeles to her parents, Jack and Ruth Rea, on March 31, 1921. Peggy began her television acting career in the 1960's as a member of Red Skelton's TV stock company. Among her recurring roles in television were as Olivia Walton's cousin, Rose Burton, on "The Walton's", as man chasing, Lulu Hogg on "The Dukes of Hazzard", as Ivy Baker, the mother of Suzanne Sommers' character on "Step by Step", and as Brett Butler's mom, Jean Kelly on "Grace Under Fire". Peggy also appeared in such television programs as "I Love Lucy", "Sergeant Bilko", "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke" "Ironside", "Hunter", "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Burke's Law", and "MacGyver". Among her many film credits are "Cold Turkey" (1971) "In Country" (1989), "Love Field" (1992), and "Made in America" (1993). Interment will take place at 11:00 a.m., on Monday, February 28, at Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Drive. Santa Barbara, in the Mausoleum in the Pines Courtyard. Published in Los Angeles Daily News on February 9, 2011


Born Oct. 7, 1909 in Collinsville, Ill., Malinosky attended Whittier
College in California with Pres. Richard Nixon, according to the
Dodgers, and served in the U.S. Army in World War II.


The Dodgers honored him at Dodger Stadium in 2009 on the occasion of
his 100th birthday. He was living in Oxnard, Calif. when he passed
away.


"Tony lived an incredibly full life, both on and off the field," the
Dodgers said in a statement. "He remained a Dodger fan his whole life
and his visit to Dodger Stadium in 2009 gave the organization a great
opportunity to celebrate not only his 100th birthday, but the Dodger
chapter of his life that meant so much to him. He will be most
certainly missed by all who knew him."