Celebrity Deaths

[Eddie Coyle]

No, it's not right to crow over anyone's death. But you (stevesh, MV, and others) CANNOT understand how much thatcher was reviled in this country. It's not (just) about politics. She was the figurehead for a very definite movement towards a "screw you, I've got mine" mentality which made Britain in the 80's a palpably sinister place in which to grow up.

In the US, Thatcher enjoyed terrific press. The Falklands was viewed as a flawless success, your domestic issues like the '84 Miners strike were hardly covered. Her monetarist policies, privatization in particular, were lauded by the Friedmanites over here. And being seen as Reagan's strongest ally...so, a lot of Americans would be bemused by how many in the UK felt about her.

        Granted, I come from a biased perspective- a heavily Irish Republican background, so I heard about her in rather overwhelmingly negative tones from the start. When she was nearly killed in the Brighton Hotel bombing in October '84...put it this way, novenas weren't being sent her way.

[ItsOver]

Goodbye Jonathon.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/04/12/comedian-jonathan-winters-dies-at-age-87/2077723/

[West of the Rockies]

Honestly, I sort of thought Winters had passed away in the 90's... shows what a pop-culture have-not I am.  Actually, I thought very highly of him; he was creative and very entertaining.

[Sardondi]

Honestly, I sort of thought Winters had passed away in the 90's... shows what a pop-culture have-not I am.  Actually, I thought very highly of him; he was creative and very entertaining.

I am so sorry to hear it. In the 60's there was simply no one else like him. His great popularity was unusual since his style and material was so far out of the mainstream at the time; but it struck a chord with people. I think his obvious gentleness and essential niceness was a great part of his success. IIRC he had significant problems with depression (and perhaps some schizophrenia?) going back to the 60's, which I think may have required institutionalization on at least one occasion.

I'll miss him. His character in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad etc. World always makes me howl with laughter.

[b_dubb]

without Winters we would never have had Robin Williams. I'm not sure how I feel about that

[McPhallus]

I read that he had several nervous breakdowns in his earlier days, apparently from the stress if performing in nightclubs.

I am so sorry to hear it. In the 60's there was simply no one else like him. His great popularity was unusual since his style and material was so far out of the mainstream at the time; but it struck a chord with people. I think his obvious gentleness and essential niceness was a great part of his success. IIRC he had significant problems with depression (and perhaps some schizophrenia?) going back to the 60's, which I think may have required institutionalization on at least one occasion.

I'll miss him. His character in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad etc. World always makes me howl with laughter.

[Eddie Coyle]

without Winters we would never have had Robin Williams. I'm not sure how I feel about that

         I consider Williams a major rip off of Dick Shawn as well.

[Unquenchable Angst]

Johnathan Winters was one of my favorites. I first saw him when he would be a guest on Jack Parr's Tonight Show. When I was in the 5th Grade 1957-58 I was madly infatuated with Annette. Anyone remember Winter's in "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma's Hung You In The Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad"?

[stevesh]

Frank Bank, who played Lumpy Rutherford on Leave It To Beaver, dead at 71.

[MV/Liberace!]

Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned Annette Funicello.

[Eddie Coyle]

Frank Bank, who played Lumpy Rutherford on Leave It To Beaver, dead at 71.

       Pretty iconic role. Decades after that show was cancelled, fat kids all over America were still being called "Lumpy".

[stevesh]

Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned Annette Funicello.

Post 845.

[Morgus]

Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned Annette Funicello.

yeah you missed it, several posts about that last week including a posted tribute video of Annette singing "Monkey's Uncle" 

[Morgus]

Frank Bank, who played Lumpy Rutherford on Leave It To Beaver, dead at 71.

Is Lumpy the first of the Leave it to Beaver "kids" to pass on?
I think Beaver, Wally, and Eddie are still alive.
I know the dad passed on many years ago.

[Sardondi]

Pretty iconic role. Decades after that show was cancelled, fat kids all over America were still being called "Lumpy".

Is Lumpy the first of the Leave it to Beaver "kids" to pass on? I think Beaver, Wally, and Eddie are still alive. I know the dad passed on many years ago.

Yeah, Mom's dead too - Barbara Billingsley. Her second most famous role was the bit in Airplane when she spoke "Jive" to the two brothers. But Beaver, Wally and the Uriah Heep-ish Eddie Haskell still live. 

[stevesh]

Pat Summerall, my all-time favorite sports play-by-play announcer, dead today at 82.

[ItsOver]

Pat Summerall, my all-time favorite sports play-by-play announcer, dead today at 82.

One of the best.  He was teamed for awhile in the early '70s with one of my favorites, Ray Scott, who always brings back memories of "The Ice Bowl."  Man, was pro football great drama back then.     Can't stand a lot of the so-called sport announcers of today, with the "drooling"    Brent Musberger coming to mind.  He should have hung it up ten years ago.

[MV/Liberace!]

Post 845.

oops.

[Juan]

Pat Summerall played in the NFL, then came home to Lake City, Florida and taught English.  He continued to teach until his CBS gig was expanded to include golf.  That's when he could finally make a living from one job.  He spoke fondly of his years teaching.

[PB the Deplorable]

...  Brent Musberger coming to mind.  He should have hung it up ten years ago.

Turdburger may be the worst of all time.  Lou Holtz being the worst in-studio commenter.

[stevesh]

Turdburger may be the worst of all time.  Lou Holtz being the worst in-studio commenter.

Musberger is the worst, by far. I think the worst color guy of all time is Matt Millen, but then he is the worst at everything he's ever tried after his football career.

[Sardondi]

Musberger is the worst, by far. I think the worst color guy of all time is Matt Millen, but then he is the worst at everything he's ever tried after his football career.

I disagree: Millen was tops at being "Just One More Slow, Puddin'-Ass, White Linebacker from Penn State".

[stevesh]

Richie Havens, dead at 72.


Richie Havens - Here Comes The Sun (live 1971) HQ


Why the hell can't I paste youtube URLs in posts using Firefox here ?

[UnscreenedCaller]

Oh my, this makes me so sad. I wore out my first Havens record, playing it over and over in the wee hours of the night. 'High Flyin' Bird': that one defines a certain rather freewheeling period in my life. Good memories, sad news.

[ItsOver]

Loved Richie's voice.

[MV/Liberace!]

Why the hell can't I paste youtube URLs in posts using Firefox here ?

when you post a URL, make sure it does not have https.  http is fine.

[stevesh]

Allan Arbus, as Dr. Sidney Freedman, one of the more interesting M*A*S*H characters, dead at 95.

[Sardondi]

Allan Arbus, as Dr. Sidney Freedman, one of the more interesting M*A*S*H characters, dead at 95.

And yet what immediately springs to my mind about him is that he was married to photog Diane Arbus, who had one of the creepiest and most disturbing artistic sensibilities ever.

[Histronic Fop]

Country music legend George Jones dead at 81.

The big question is if he will be a no-show at his own funeral.

[Eddie Coyle]

Allan Arbus, as Dr. Sidney Freedman, one of the more interesting M*A*S*H characters, dead at 95.

At his funniest as the pimp/drug dealer in 1973's Coffy.