This thread is dedicated to the passing of people who have affected our lives in one way or another. They could be people of importance, celebrity, fame, fortune, prominence, or even notoriety. They don't even have to be well known, perhaps people of the scientific community who have contributed fairly anonymously for the betterment of mankind. Or a religious figure or activist or politician who made a difference in their community. Or even someone personal to you that you want to share with people who might not have gotten to know a person deserving of one last recognition.
Merle Haggard, country trailblazer and enduring icon, dead at 79 http://mashable.com/2016/04/06/merle-haggard-dead/
I always feared the day when i have to write this. Bud Spencer is dead. Hero of my youth, watched so much of his Movies. Some more than 20 times. Glad that i have met him few years ago !! Ciao and salute Buddy.
R.I.P. Spoiler: Gene Wilder dead at 83 Gene Wilder, star of Mel Brooks movies, dies at 83 3 Hours Ago The Associated Press With his unkempt hair and big, buggy eyes, Wilder was a master at playing panicked characters caught up in schemes that only a madman such as Brooks could devise, whether reviving a monster in "Young Frankenstein" or bilking Broadway in "The Producers." Brooks would call him "God's perfect prey, the victim in all of us." But he also knew how to keep it cool as the boozy gunslinger in "Blazing Saddles" or the charming candy man in the children's favorite "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." His craziest role: the therapist having an affair with a sheep in Woody Allen's "Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex." He was close friends with Richard Pryor and their contrasting personas — Wilder uptight, Pryor loose — were ideal for comedy. They co-starred in four films: "Silver Streak," "Stir Crazy," "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" and "Another You." And they created several memorable scenes, particularly when Pryor provided Wilder with directions on how to "act black" as they tried to avoid police in "Silver Streak." In 1968, Wilder received an Oscar nomination for his work in Brooks' "The Producers." He played the introverted Leo Bloom, an accountant who discovers the liberating joys of greed and corruption as he and Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) conceive a Broadway flop titled "Springtime For Hitler" and plan to flee with the money raised for the show's production. Matthew Broderick played Wilder's role in the 2001 Broadway stage revival of the show. Though they collaborated on film, Wilder and Brooks met through the theater. Wilder was in a play with Brooks' then-future wife, Anne Bancroft, who introduced the pair backstage in 1963. Wilder, a Milwaukee native, was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1935. His father was a Russian emigre, his mother was of Polish descent. When he was 6, Wilder's mother suffered a heart attack that left her a semi-invalid. He soon began improvising comedy skits to entertain her, the first indication of his future career. He started taking acting classes at age 12 and continued performing and taking lesson through college. In 1961, Wilder became a member of Lee Strasberg's prestigious Actor's Studio in Manhattan. That same year, he made both his off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. He won the Clarence Derwent Award, given to promising newcomers, for the Broadway work in Graham Greene's comedy "The Complaisant Lover." He used his new name, Gene Wilder, for the off-Broadway and Broadway roles. He lifted the first name from the character Eugene Gant in Thomas Wolfe's "Look Back, Homeward Angel," while the last name was clipped from playwright Thornton Wilder. A key break came when he co-starred with Bancroft in Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage," and met Brooks, her future husband. "I was having trouble with one little section of the play, and he gave me tips on how to act. He said, `That's a song and dance. He's proselytizing about communism. Just skip over it, sing and dance over it, and get on to the good stuff.' And he was right," Wilder later explained. Before starring in "The Producers," he had a small role as the hostage of gangsters in the 1967 classic "Bonnie and Clyde." He peaked in the mid-1970s with the twin Brooks hits "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein." He went on to write several screenplays and direct several films. In 1982, while making the generally forgettable "Hanky-Panky," he fell in love with co-star Gilda Radner. They were married in 1984, and co-starred in two Wilder-penned films: "The Lady in Red" and "Haunted Honeymoon." After Radner died of ovarian cancer in 1989, Wilder spent much of his time after promoting cancer research. He opened a support facility for cancer patients called "Gilda's Place." In 1991, he testified before Congress about the need for increased testing for cancer. Wilder is survived by his wife, Karen, whom he married in 1991.
R.I.P. Craig Sager ... Longtime Turner broadcaster Craig Sager dead at age 65 http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18286723/long-turner-sports-broadcaster-craig-sager-dead-age-65 Longtime Turner Sports broadcaster Craig Sager has died at the age of 65, the network confirmed in a statement. "Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to all of us," Turner president David Levy said in a statement. "There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports. "While he will be remembered fondly for his colorful attire and the TNT sideline interviews he conducted with NBA coaches and players, it's the determination, grace and will to live he displayed during his battle with cancer that will be his lasting impact. Our thoughts and prayers are with Craig's wife, Stacy, and the entire Sager family during this difficult time. We will forever be Sager Strong."
A tiny piece of my teenage years died with him I'll have to see if I can dig out my old Superunknown CD tonight..... I'll do a 480 mile Soundgarden tribute in the truck tomorrow!
Yessir! I pull an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) trailer now... Mostly local stuff, within about a 200 mile radius.. So I'm home ALMOST every night
R.I.P. Stephen Hawking Professor Stephen Hawking is dead at 76 The renowned physicist and professor at the University of Cambridge made many discoveries in physics, mathematics and cosmology. Hawking suffered for decades from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His early encounter with the disease during was depicted in the film "The Theory of Everything" in 2014. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/14/stephen-hawking-is-dead-at-76.html
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has died at 61 in a suicide, CNN says Chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain was found dead in a suicide in Strasbourg, France, CNN says. He was best known as host of the network's award-winning show "Parts Unknown." The show won five Emmy awards, according to the Television Academy. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/08/cnn-says-celebrity-chef-anthony-bourdain-has-died-at-61.html
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has died Aretha Franklin died Thursday at age 76, said her representative, Gwendolyn Quinn. Franklin was the long-reigning "Queen of Soul" who sang with matchless style on such classics as "Think" and her signature song, "Respect." The cause was advanced pancreatic cancer. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/queen-of-soul-aretha-franklin-has-died-ap-citing-publicist.html
Burt Reynolds, who starred in films including 'Deliverance' and 'Boogie Nights,' has died at age 82 https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/06/actor-burt-reynolds-died-at-age-82-according-to-agent.html