Garry Walberg, 90, a character actor best known for playing Lt. Frank Monahan on the NBC crime drama "Quincy, M.E." from 1976 to 1983, died March 27 at an assisted-living facility in Northridge of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and congestive heart failure, his family said. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Walberg had dozens of TV appearances from the early 1950s to the '90s on such series as "Rawhide," "Star Trek," "The Fugitive," "Peyton Place," "Lassie," "Gunsmoke" and "The Odd Couple."http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings-20120416,0,3564288.storyhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906918/
HENRY ROBINSON FROM: The Las Vegas Review-Journal ~ (Paid obit) Henry F. "Hank" Robinson, 89, of Las Vegas, passed away April 7, 2012. He was born March 27, 1923 in Covington, Tenn., and was a 23-year resident of Nevada. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was a retired actor-stuntman with hundreds of film and television credits from "The Apple Dumpling Gang" through "Zapped" (see the International Movie Database, IMDB, for details). His "umpire pickle" scene with Leslie Nielsen in "The Naked Gun" is a cult favorite. While best remembered for his 'umpire and baseball coach' roles in over 350 projects, he was a great cowboy, too. From "Bonanza" through "Blazing Saddles", he rode through the Hollywood "wild west". Television roles included 24 episodes of "Mannix" through "Quantum Leap". He was the "baseball consultant" on over 100 projects from "Fame" through "The Wonder Years". He filmed over 210 national commercials. A former pro-baseball player and manager for the New York Yankees, the Pittsburg Pirates, and The Cincinnati Reds organizations (1942-57), Hank had a career average of .301 and 1006 RBI's. He scouted and coached young ballplayers in California and Nevada, developing their skills. More than 250 signed pro-contracts, and hundreds more played college and high school under his coaching. An avid golfer, he had three hole-in-one's to his credit. No services are scheduled. A memorial baseball game is planned for June on Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife, of 62 years, Mildred; daughters, Carin and Debra; and son, Robbie; also, three grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations c/o Henry F. Robinson Memorial Fund may be made at any Bank of America.
Character actor Luke Askew, who had a key role in "Easy Rider" as the stranger who brings Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda to a hippie commune and recently played polygamist cult leader Hollis Greene on HBO's "Big Love," died of natural causes in Lake Oswego, Ore., on March 29. He was 80.Askew also played one of the prison guards, the sadistic Boss Paul, in Paul Newman starrer "Cool Hand Luke." He had made his film debut the same year, 1967, in Otto Preminger's "Hurry Sundown," starring Michael Caine, Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway.In 1968 he appeared in a pair of war movies, "The Devil's Brigade," with Cliff Robertson and William Holden, and John Wayne's jingoistic Vietnam effort "The Green Berets." Askew then headed for a film representing the very opposite point on the cultural spectrum when he was cast in 1969's countercultural "Easy Rider."In the 1970s the actor appeared in Westerns including "The Culpepper Cattle Co.," "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid," "The Magnificent Seven Ride!" and Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," and he had substantial supporting roles in "Walking Tall Part II," in Fonda's "Wanda Nevada" and, memorably, as the thug Automatic Slim in the 1977 action thriller "Rolling Thunder."Askew worked more heavily in television, with guest roles on series including "Bonanza," "Mission: Impossible," "Police Story," "The Rockford Files," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Quincy" and "Fantasy Island." He also appeared in a number of telepics and miniseries, especially of a Western bent, including "How the West Was Won." Latter TV guest credits include "Knight Rider," "L.A. Law," "MacGyver," "Murder, She Wrote," "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Everwood."On HBO's "Big Love," he recurred as Hollis Greene on 10 episodes from 2007-2010.Later film credits include the indie film "Traveller," "The Newton Boys" and "Frailty."Francis Luke Askew was born in Macon, Ga., and attended the U. of Georgia.He is survived by his wife, Maggie; a son; a daughter from a previous marriage; and a grandson.Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com
Dick Clark, Entertainment Icon Nicknamed 'America's Oldest Teenager,' Dies at 82. ...ABCApril 18, 2012Dick Clark, the music industry maverick, longtime TV host and powerhouse producer who changed the way we listened to pop music with "American Bandstand," and whose trademark "Rockin' Eve" became a fixture of New Year's celebrations, died today at the age of 82.Clark's agent Paul Shefrin said in statement that the veteran host died this morning following a "massive heart attack."Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 1929, Richard Wagstaff Clark began his lifelong career in show business began before he was even out of high school. He started working in the mailroom of WRUN, a radio station in upstate New York run by his father and uncle. It wasn't long before the teenager was on the air, filling in for the weatherman and the announcer.Clark pursued his passion at Syracuse University, working as a disc jockey at the student-run radio station while studying for his degree in business. After graduating in 1951, Clark went back to his family's radio station, but within a year, a bigger city and bigger shows were calling.Clark landed a gig as a DJ at WFIL in Philadelphia in 1952, spinning records for a show he called "Dick Clark's Caravan of Music." There he broke into the big time, hosting Bandstand, an afternoon dance show for teenagers.From the Beatles to the Boss: 50 Years of 'Bandstand' Memorabilia Watch VideoRinging in the New Year in Style Watch VideoRyan Seacrest's 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' Preview Watch VideoWithin five years, the whole country was watching. ABC took the show national, and "American Bandstand" was born.Blazing a New Trail in Pop Music"American Bandstand's" formula was simple. Clean-cut boys and girls danced to the hottest hits and the newest singles. In between, Clark chatted with the teens, who helped "rate-a-record," turning songs into sensations. Everyone showed up on "American Bandstand," from Elvis Presley to Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry to Chubby Checker.When Dick Clark moved to Hollywood in 1963, "American Bandstand" moved with him. He started Dick Clark Productions, and began cranking out one hit show after another; his name became synonymous with everything from the $25,000 "Pyramid" to "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes" to the "American Music Awards." In 1972, Dick Clark became synonymous with one of the biggest nights of the year.
Sad news came in over the weekend, as it was announced yesterday that actor William Finley, best known for his work with Brian De Palma, had passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. The actor was a long-time friend of De Palma, having appeared in his early films "Woton's Wake," "Murder a la Mod" and "The Wedding Party," before turning heads as Emil Breton, the husband of Margot Kidder's character, in the director's breakout picture "Sisters."The duo would go on to work together many times, with Finley cropping up in "The Fury," "Dressed To Kill" (as the uncredited voice of killer Bobbi) and most recently, in "The Black Dahlia," but there's one, or rather two parts that the actor will forever be remembered for: as Winslow Leach/The Phantom, the songwriter ripped off and framed by Satanic record producer Swan (Paul Williams), only to be reborn after a horrific mutilation as The Phantom, in De Palma's rock opera classic "Phantom of the Paradise," his riff on "Phantom of the Opera."The film's had an ever-growing cult in the years since its release, thanks to the support of people like Edgar Wright (who, sadly, had written an email to Finley, a fan of the director's only a few hours after Finley passed away -- you can read Wright's touching account and tribute over on his website), and Finley's performance in the picture is absolutely wonderful, a tragic monster that deserves to live alongside Lon Chaney in the Phantom hall of fame. In memory of the actor, you can find five tidbits about the film that you might not be aware of. And if you've never seen it, the film's available on DVD now.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
One of the original DEAD END KIDS, HALLY CHESTER, who also produced “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” is dead at 91.Alternately known as HAL CHESTER, HAL E. CHESTER, he was born Harold Ribotsky in Brooklyn, New York, on March 6 1921, the son of a real estate developer who went bust during the Wall Street crash of 1929.Chester wanted a career in show business and from an early age was employed as a magician’s assistant on Coney Island, He also earned money for his family as a runner on Wall St and selling newspapers.Adopting the stage name Hally Chester he became one of “The Dead End Kids” along with Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey appearing in Sidney Kingsley’s hit Broadway play “Dead End” in 1935. Ironically, he didn't appeared in the film adaptation.Chester moved to Hollywood with the rest of the gang, appearing in a series of B movies, including “Crime School” (1938) with warden Humphrey Bogart.When the gang split off into two movie series, Chester went with the “Little Tough Guys” (1938), a social satire as a gang of Lower East Side street toughs were unleashed on a high society Long Island estate. Despite cast changes including Jackie Cooper, Chester stayed a Little Tough Guy throughout the series.With his youth on the wane, Chester began producing low budget flicks at poverty row studio Monogram. He secured the rights to the popular Ham Fisher comic strip about a boxer “Joe Palooka” and produced 11 fisticuffs comedies.Chester had his first big hit as a producer in 1953, with “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” helmed by the first solo effort by stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen about an unfrozen dinosaur loose in Manhattan. The indie produced flick was picked up by Warner Brothers -- and aided by a stirring David Buttolph score -- made cinema history.In 1955, Chester relocated to Europe and began producing films for the newly emerging international co-productions toplining established American stars like Mickey Rooney and Lizabeth Scott.He produced two other films considered classics: “Night of the Demon” (aka “Curse of the Demon”) starring Dana Andrews and Nial MacGinnis which features a satanic cult and centers upon a parchment curse in runic symbols. Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest horror films ever made.The comedy “School for Scoundrels” (1960) with Terry-Thomas and Alistair Sim is about a failure who enrolls at the “School of Lifemanship”, where he is taught how to win in life by being a scoundrel.In 2003 Chester was paralyzed by a stroke and never fully recovered.Farewell to Hally the Dead End Kid who persevered.http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/dead-end-kid-dead
Ralph Ferraro dies at 82Was composer, orchestrator for films, TVBy Jon BurlingameVarietyRalph Ferraro, a composer and orchestrator whose credits include episodes of "The Virginian" and the cult movie spoof "Flesh Gordon," died of respiratory failure April 3 at UCLA Medical Center. He was 82. Ferraro was best known as an orchestrator for composers including Leonard Rosenman (on films including "A Man Called Horse," "Bound for Glory" and the animated "Lord of the Rings"), Randy Edelman (on films including "Gettysburg," "DragonHeart" and "XXX"), Quincy Jones ("The Wiz") and Bill Conti ("Masters of the Universe"). But he was also a composer who was active in television, especially in the 1960s, scoring episodes of "The Virginian," "It Takes a Thief," "The Name of the Game" and "The Men From Shiloh." He scored several pilots including "Riding for the Pony Express" in 1980. In addition to composing the music for the 1974 sendup "Flesh Gordon," Ferraro scored several 1960s and '70s films including "The King's Pirate," "She Beast" and "Antonio." He was born in Waterbury, Conn., and earned a master's degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music. After serving in the Navy, he relocated to Rome, Italy, where he worked as a jazz drummer, including considerable work for Italian cinema and television. Ferraro played percussion on numerous classic scores for Nino Rota (including "La Dolce Vita," "8 1/2" and "Juliet of the Spirits"), Ennio Morricone ("The Battle of Algiers"), Riz Ortolani ("Mondo Cane") and Armando Trovaioli ("Two Women"). He began arranging for Rosenman in Rome in 1962 and continued to do so when he returned to the U.S. in 1967. He also arranged for singers including Andy Williams, Rod McKuen and Donny Osmond. For Walt Disney's Epcot Center in 1982, he orchestrated the ride "Imagination" based on songs by Disney songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman. Survivors include his wife and two daughters.
Lel McCullough counts herself fortunate for her 62-year marriage to Jim McCullough Sr. — a ride she described as wild."It's been fun, and it's been scary (just for me)," she said laughingly. "Boy, he was a risk taker."A pioneer in Louisiana film making, Jim McCullough died Friday in Shreveport at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, son Jim Jr., and daughter Cathy Glover. Services are set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist of Shreveport's Church Frost Chapel."He was a family storyteller," his wife said. "He always wanted it to be a good message for families and an intense look at characters and personality, and to make it worthwhile — he had quite a sense of adventure."Born May 12, 1928, the filmmaker grew up in Lebanon, Mo.. According to his wife, it was there that he began his quest for adventure, including an avid love for hunting and fishing. That sense of adventure propelled him to become a pilot, and eventually begin a career in filmmaking.It was at Centenary College in 1945 when he met his wife."At Centenary, it was a wonderful atmosphere for us to get to know each other, and he was trying to get a handle on my conservative upbringing," McCullough said. "We had such a different style that when he said he wanted to go to the West Coast and go to UCLA, it scared me to death."In California, Jim got started in the film business, working as an actor in CBS's live-action "Playhouse 90 Theater" and Ziv Studio's "Highway Patrol" and "Black Beauty."As a producer and director, Jim's work included "The St. Tammany Miracle," "Video Murders," "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" and "The Aurora Encounter." Other works of his include "Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.," "Creature from the Black Lake," "Charge of the Model T's" and his most famous, "Where the Red Fern Grows.""He was film when film wasn't cool," said local actor Richard Folmer, who worked with Jim on "The St. Tammany Miracle.""He loved the process, and worked very hard at it. His energy would be a big, big help to the area even now, because now the opportunities are happening.""He was a hands on producer and very, very in love with film," Folmer said. "They weren't huge, blockbuster movies, but they were movies shot in Louisiana. He was a major contributor to film activity in the area when there wasn't that much going on. He gave a lot of local people some work."One of those people was John Fertitta."He gave me my break into the business, as he did so many other people," said Fertitta, who acted in five of Jim's films. "He was a great guy, and taught me so much about the film business — not only me, though, there were so many others he gave a break to. I was lucky to be working in front of the camera and behind it with him. I know how important to him that was."http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120410/NEWS01/204100334/Local-filmmaker-family-storyteller-dies?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs
Former The Dictators and Twisted Sister star Richard Teeter has died at the age of 61.News of the drummer's death was confirmed in posts on both bands' websites, but no other information was available as WENN went to press. The statement posted on the Twisted Sister site reads, "Twisted Sister is saddened to note the passing of drummer Richie Teeter. Richie was a member of The DICtators with Mark 'The Animal' Mendoza and later played drums for Twisted Sister from December 1980 until April 1981. Our thoughts and prayers are with Richie's family at this time." The DICtators add, "Sad news to report on the passing of the former DICtators drummer. Rest in peace, brother." Teeter joined The DICtators in 1976 and played on two of the punk group's albums before leaving in 1979. He went on to join Twisted Sister in 1980 as a replacement for Tony Petri, but Teeter bowed out in 1981.http://www.contactmusic.com/news/drummer-teeter-dies_1316083
Ralph Ferraro dies at 82Was composer, orchestrator for films, TVBy Jon BurlingameVarietyRalph Ferraro, a composer and orchestrator whose credits include episodes of "The Virginian" and the cult movie spoof "Flesh Gordon," died of respiratory failure April 3 at UCLA Medical Center. He was 82. Ferraro was best known as an orchestrator for composers including Leonard Rosenman (on films including "A Man Called Horse," "Bound for Glory" and the animated "Lord of the Rings"), Randy Edelman (on films including "Gettysburg," "DragonHeart" and "XXX"), Quincy Jones ("The Wiz") and Bill Conti ("Masters of the Universe"). But he was also a composer who was active in television, especially in the 1960s, scoring episodes of "The Virginian," "It Takes a Thief," "The Name of the Game" and "The Men From Shiloh." He scored several pilots including "Riding for the Pony Express" in 1980. In addition to composing the music for the 1974 sendup "Flesh Gordon," Ferraro scored several 1960s and '70s films including "The King's Pirate," "She Beast" and "Antonio." He was born in Waterbury, Conn., and earned a master's degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music. After serving in the Navy, he relocated to Rome, Italy, where he worked as a jazz drummer, including considerable work for Italian cinema and television. Ferraro played percussion on numerous classic scores for Nino Rota (including "La Dolce Vita," "8 1/2" and "Juliet of the Spirits"), Ennio Morricone ("The Battle of Algiers"), Riz Ortolani ("Mondo Cane") and Armando Trovaioli ("Two Women"). He began arranging for Rosenman in Rome in 1962 and continued to do so when he returned to the U.S. in 1967. He also arranged for singers including Andy Williams, Rod McKuen and Donny Osmond. For Walt Disney's Epcot Center in 1982, he orchestrated the ride "Imagination" based on songs by Disney songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman. Survivors include his wife and two daughters.
Lel McCullough counts herself fortunate for her 62-year marriage to Jim McCullough Sr. — a ride she described as wild."It's been fun, and it's been scary (just for me)," she said laughingly. "Boy, he was a risk taker."A pioneer in Louisiana film making, Jim McCullough died Friday in Shreveport at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, son Jim Jr., and daughter Cathy Glover. Services are set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist of Shreveport's Church Frost Chapel."He was a family storyteller," his wife said. "He always wanted it to be a good message for families and an intense look at characters and personality, and to make it worthwhile — he had quite a sense of adventure."Born May 12, 1928, the filmmaker grew up in Lebanon, Mo.. According to his wife, it was there that he began his quest for adventure, including an avid love for hunting and fishing. That sense of adventure propelled him to become a pilot, and eventually begin a career in filmmaking.It was at Centenary College in 1945 when he met his wife."At Centenary, it was a wonderful atmosphere for us to get to know each other, and he was trying to get a handle on my conservative upbringing," McCullough said. "We had such a different style that when he said he wanted to go to the West Coast and go to UCLA, it scared me to death."In California, Jim got started in the film business, working as an actor in CBS's live-action "Playhouse 90 Theater" and Ziv Studio's "Highway Patrol" and "Black Beauty."As a producer and director, Jim's work included "The St. Tammany Miracle," "Video Murders," "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" and "The Aurora Encounter." Other works of his include "Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.," "Creature from the Black Lake," "Charge of the Model T's" and his most famous, "Where the Red Fern Grows.""He was film when film wasn't cool," said local actor Richard Folmer, who worked with Jim on "The St. Tammany Miracle.""He loved the process, and worked very hard at it. His energy would be a big, big help to the area even now, because now the opportunities are happening.""He was a hands on producer and very, very in love with film," Folmer said. "They weren't huge, blockbuster movies, but they were movies shot in Louisiana. He was a major contributor to film activity in the area when there wasn't that much going on. He gave a lot of local people some work."One of those people was John Fertitta."He gave me my break into the business, as he did so many other people," said Fertitta, who acted in five of Jim's films. "He was a great guy, and taught me so much about the film business — not only me, though, there were so many others he gave a break to. I was lucky to be working in front of the camera and behind it with him. I know how important to him that was."http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120410/NEWS01/204100334/Local-filmmaker-family-storyteller-dies?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs
Former The Dictators and Twisted Sister star Richard Teeter has died at the age of 61.News of the drummer's death was confirmed in posts on both bands' websites, but no other information was available as WENN went to press. The statement posted on the Twisted Sister site reads, "Twisted Sister is saddened to note the passing of drummer Richie Teeter. Richie was a member of The DICtators with Mark 'The Animal' Mendoza and later played drums for Twisted Sister from December 1980 until April 1981. Our thoughts and prayers are with Richie's family at this time." The DICtators add, "Sad news to report on the passing of the former DICtators drummer. Rest in peace, brother." Teeter joined The DICtators in 1976 and played on two of the punk group's albums before leaving in 1979. He went on to join Twisted Sister in 1980 as a replacement for Tony Petri, but Teeter bowed out in 1981.http://www.contactmusic.com/news/drummer-teeter-dies_1316083
WWE Hall of Famer Chief Jay Strongbow dead at age 83 Apr 3, 2012 - 03:47 PM
WWE Hall of Famer Jay Strongbow (a/k/a Joseph Scarpa) died on Tuesday.Powell's POV: Strongbow was a longtime pro wrestler a former WWE Tag Champion. He went to work as an agent for the company following his retirement. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994.
Jamaa Fanaka, who emerged as a dynamic young black filmmaker with his gritty 1979 independent film “Penitentiary” and later made headlines with his legal battles alleging widespread discrimination against minorities in the film and television industry, has died. He was 69.Fanaka was found dead in his apartment in South Los Angeles on Sunday, said Jan-Christopher Horak, a friend. The cause of death has not yet been determined.The Mississippi-born Fanaka was still enrolled in the UCLA film school when he wrote, produced and directed his first three feature films: “Welcome Home, Brother Charles” (1975), “Emma Mae” (1976) and “Penitentiary.”In his review of “Penitentiary,” The Times’ Kevin Thomas wrote that Fanaka “has taken one of the movies’ classic myths, the wrongly imprisoned man who fights for his freedom with boxing gloves, and made it a fresh and exciting experience.”Fanaka went on to write, produce and direct two “Penitentiary” sequels, in 1982 and 1987. His final feature film was “Street Wars,” a low-budget 1992 action-drama.A complete obituary will follow at latimes.com/obits.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/04/jamaa-fanaka-penitentiary-filmmaker-dies-at-69.html
This was posted at Rockin' 50's-Just found out that my friend from the Kelly Four, Dave Shriver has passed away from a heart attack. Bobby Cochran got in touch and told us the very sad news today. Dave was Eddie Cochran's bass player for the last year and a half of Cochran's life. Dave would call all of the time to check up on me. I will truly miss him.
Ronnie Montrose's Death Ruled a Suicide Guitarist died from self-inflicted gunshot wound, autopsy reveals By Steve Baltin April 10, 2012 9:00 PM ET Guitarist Ronnie Montrose died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a report from the San Mateo County Coroner has revealed. The suicide ruling contradicts earlier reports that the cause of death was prostate cancer, which Montrose had been suffering from when he died on March 3rd. Montrose's family did not contradict those reports at the time. The family has now released a statement on Montrose's official Website in reaction to the autopsy report. "By now, the devastating truth of Ronnie’s death is public knowledge," reads the statement. "We hope you can understand why we wanted to keep this news a private family matter for as long as possible. We can only hope that you will choose to celebrate Ronnie’s life, and what his music meant to you, rather than mourn his passing. Ronnie would have wanted it that way. He loved being a guitarist, a composer, a producer, and a creator of magic. He fully understood his gifts, and yet he constantly pushed himself to evolve, improve, and make better music. He did this for himself, and he did this for you, because he adored and appreciated his fans. Please keep his energy, his joy, and his love in your hearts." In an interview with Guitar Player, Montrose's widow Leighsa explained that her husband had suffered from clinical depression since childhood. "He never thought he was good enough. He always feared he’d be exposed as a fraud. So he was exacting in his self criticism, and the expectations he put upon himself were tremendous. Now I see that perhaps he didn’t want to carry these burdens for very much longer," she said, adding that Montrose did not leave a suicide note. The autopsy report, which was released last Friday, also revealed that Montrose had a blood alcohol level of .31 percent. Montrose got his first break when he was invited to play on Van Morrison's 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. Additional appearances on recordings by Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, and the Edgar Winter Group soon followed before he formed his own band, Montrose, in 1973. In addition to the guitarist, the band consisted of a then-unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals. "Ronnie Montrose gave me my first break as a songwriter, as a front man, as a recording artist and as a touring artist, and for that I will always be grateful," Hagar told Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ronnie-montroses-death-ruled-a-suicide-20120410
WWE Hall of Famer Jay Strongbow (a/k/a Joseph Scarpa) died on Tuesday.Powell's POV: Strongbow was a longtime pro wrestler a former WWE Tag Champion. He went to work as an agent for the company following his retirement. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994.
Jamaa Fanaka, who emerged as a dynamic young black filmmaker with his gritty 1979 independent film “Penitentiary” and later made headlines with his legal battles alleging widespread discrimination against minorities in the film and television industry, has died. He was 69.Fanaka was found dead in his apartment in South Los Angeles on Sunday, said Jan-Christopher Horak, a friend. The cause of death has not yet been determined.The Mississippi-born Fanaka was still enrolled in the UCLA film school when he wrote, produced and directed his first three feature films: “Welcome Home, Brother Charles” (1975), “Emma Mae” (1976) and “Penitentiary.”In his review of “Penitentiary,” The Times’ Kevin Thomas wrote that Fanaka “has taken one of the movies’ classic myths, the wrongly imprisoned man who fights for his freedom with boxing gloves, and made it a fresh and exciting experience.”Fanaka went on to write, produce and direct two “Penitentiary” sequels, in 1982 and 1987. His final feature film was “Street Wars,” a low-budget 1992 action-drama.A complete obituary will follow at latimes.com/obits.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/04/jamaa-fanaka-penitentiary-filmmaker-dies-at-69.html
This was posted at Rockin' 50's-Just found out that my friend from the Kelly Four, Dave Shriver has passed away from a heart attack. Bobby Cochran got in touch and told us the very sad news today. Dave was Eddie Cochran's bass player for the last year and a half of Cochran's life. Dave would call all of the time to check up on me. I will truly miss him.
Ronnie Montrose's Death Ruled a Suicide Guitarist died from self-inflicted gunshot wound, autopsy reveals By Steve Baltin April 10, 2012 9:00 PM ET Guitarist Ronnie Montrose died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a report from the San Mateo County Coroner has revealed. The suicide ruling contradicts earlier reports that the cause of death was prostate cancer, which Montrose had been suffering from when he died on March 3rd. Montrose's family did not contradict those reports at the time. The family has now released a statement on Montrose's official Website in reaction to the autopsy report. "By now, the devastating truth of Ronnie’s death is public knowledge," reads the statement. "We hope you can understand why we wanted to keep this news a private family matter for as long as possible. We can only hope that you will choose to celebrate Ronnie’s life, and what his music meant to you, rather than mourn his passing. Ronnie would have wanted it that way. He loved being a guitarist, a composer, a producer, and a creator of magic. He fully understood his gifts, and yet he constantly pushed himself to evolve, improve, and make better music. He did this for himself, and he did this for you, because he adored and appreciated his fans. Please keep his energy, his joy, and his love in your hearts." In an interview with Guitar Player, Montrose's widow Leighsa explained that her husband had suffered from clinical depression since childhood. "He never thought he was good enough. He always feared he’d be exposed as a fraud. So he was exacting in his self criticism, and the expectations he put upon himself were tremendous. Now I see that perhaps he didn’t want to carry these burdens for very much longer," she said, adding that Montrose did not leave a suicide note. The autopsy report, which was released last Friday, also revealed that Montrose had a blood alcohol level of .31 percent. Montrose got his first break when he was invited to play on Van Morrison's 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. Additional appearances on recordings by Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, and the Edgar Winter Group soon followed before he formed his own band, Montrose, in 1973. In addition to the guitarist, the band consisted of a then-unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals. "Ronnie Montrose gave me my first break as a songwriter, as a front man, as a recording artist and as a touring artist, and for that I will always be grateful," Hagar told Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ronnie-montroses-death-ruled-a-suicide-20120410
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/boxing/post/_/id/1265/rest-in-peace-bert-sugar
From the Oldies Music news page: Nick Noble, who scored four top 40 national hits from 1955 to 1957, died Saturday (March 24) in his native Chicago. He was 75. Born Nicholas Valkan in 1936, he is best remembered for “The Bible Tells Me So” (#22-1955) on Wing Records and “To You, My Love” (#27-1956), “”A Fallen Star” (#20-1957) and “Moonlight Swim” (#37-1957) on its parent, Mercury Records. However, in his home town he charted 21 times with records on the Liberty, Coral, Chess and 20th Century labels, as well. His biggest Chicago hit was “The Tip Of My Fingers,” which made the top ten on the WJJD survey in 1960.
Earl Scruggs, Country Music Hall of Famer, dies at age 88 Posted on March 28, 2012 by Peter Cooper Click to see a decades-spanning gallery of Earl Scruggs photos (this image: Josh Anderson/AP Photo). Country Music Hall of Famer Earl Scruggs, a singular talent of collective import, died Wednesday morning at a Nashville hospital. He was 88. A quietly affable presence, Mr. Scruggs popularized a complex, three-fingered style of playing banjo that transformed the instrument, inspired nearly every banjo player who followed him and became a central element in what is now known as bluegrass music. But Mr. Scruggs’ legacy is in no way limited to or defined by bluegrass, a genre that he and partner Lester Flatt dominated as Flatt & Scruggs in the 1950s and ‘60s: His adaptability and open-minded approach to musicality and to collaboration made him a bridge between genres and generations. Rather than speak out about the connections between folk and country in the war-torn, politically contentious ‘60s, he simply showed up at folk festivals and played, at least when he and Flatt weren’t at the Grand Ole Opry. During the long-hair/ short-hair skirmishes of the ‘60s and ‘70s, he simply showed up and played, with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and The Byrds. And when staunch fans of bluegrass - a genre that would not exist in a recognizable form without Mr. Scruggs’ banjo - railed against stylistic experimentation, Mr. Scruggs happily jammed away with sax player King Curtis, sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, piano man Elton John and anyone else whose music he fancied. “He was the man who melted walls, and he did it without saying three words,” said his friend and acolyte, Marty Stuart in 2000. Check back here for more as we continue reporting. http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2012/03/28/earl-scruggs-country-music-hall-of-famer-dies-at-age-88/
Actor Warren Stevens dies at 92Known for sci-fi roles in film and on TVBy Variety StaffActor Warren Stevens, who appeared in films including "Forbidden Planet" and "The Barefoot Contessa" and in numerous TV shows ranging from the original "Star Trek" to "ER," has died. He was 92.http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052032
Champy’s Couchey Succumbs #Champ #LakeChamplainMonster #Obituary #RichieRichFamed artist and cartoonist Sid Couchey has died.http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/couchey-obit/by: Loren Coleman on April 2nd, 2012
From the Oldies Music news page: Nick Noble, who scored four top 40 national hits from 1955 to 1957, died Saturday (March 24) in his native Chicago. He was 75. Born Nicholas Valkan in 1936, he is best remembered for “The Bible Tells Me So” (#22-1955) on Wing Records and “To You, My Love” (#27-1956), “”A Fallen Star” (#20-1957) and “Moonlight Swim” (#37-1957) on its parent, Mercury Records. However, in his home town he charted 21 times with records on the Liberty, Coral, Chess and 20th Century labels, as well. His biggest Chicago hit was “The Tip Of My Fingers,” which made the top ten on the WJJD survey in 1960.
Earl Scruggs, Country Music Hall of Famer, dies at age 88 Posted on March 28, 2012 by Peter Cooper Click to see a decades-spanning gallery of Earl Scruggs photos (this image: Josh Anderson/AP Photo). Country Music Hall of Famer Earl Scruggs, a singular talent of collective import, died Wednesday morning at a Nashville hospital. He was 88. A quietly affable presence, Mr. Scruggs popularized a complex, three-fingered style of playing banjo that transformed the instrument, inspired nearly every banjo player who followed him and became a central element in what is now known as bluegrass music. But Mr. Scruggs’ legacy is in no way limited to or defined by bluegrass, a genre that he and partner Lester Flatt dominated as Flatt & Scruggs in the 1950s and ‘60s: His adaptability and open-minded approach to musicality and to collaboration made him a bridge between genres and generations. Rather than speak out about the connections between folk and country in the war-torn, politically contentious ‘60s, he simply showed up at folk festivals and played, at least when he and Flatt weren’t at the Grand Ole Opry. During the long-hair/ short-hair skirmishes of the ‘60s and ‘70s, he simply showed up and played, with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and The Byrds. And when staunch fans of bluegrass - a genre that would not exist in a recognizable form without Mr. Scruggs’ banjo - railed against stylistic experimentation, Mr. Scruggs happily jammed away with sax player King Curtis, sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, piano man Elton John and anyone else whose music he fancied. “He was the man who melted walls, and he did it without saying three words,” said his friend and acolyte, Marty Stuart in 2000. Check back here for more as we continue reporting. http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2012/03/28/earl-scruggs-country-music-hall-of-famer-dies-at-age-88/
Actor Warren Stevens dies at 92Known for sci-fi roles in film and on TVBy Variety StaffActor Warren Stevens, who appeared in films including "Forbidden Planet" and "The Barefoot Contessa" and in numerous TV shows ranging from the original "Star Trek" to "ER," has died. He was 92.http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052032
Champy’s Couchey Succumbs #Champ #LakeChamplainMonster #Obituary #RichieRichFamed artist and cartoonist Sid Couchey has died.http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/couchey-obit/by: Loren Coleman on April 2nd, 2012
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