Hector "Macho" Camacho

11/24/2012

 

 

Hmmmmm, sitting in a car outside a night club in Puerto Rico,  ex-champ Hector "Macho" Camacho was shot in the mellon.  He also had 10 bags of blow in the car with him and the brains of the driver in his lap as well.  Anyway after being on life support for a few days the plug was pulled and the rest of him died.  Adios Puto.



Larry Hagman

11/23/2012

 

 

Another true Hollywood legend takes his final bow.  Larry Hagman, who emerged in the 1960s as the slightly befuddled astronaut in "I Dream of Jeannie," then became a major star in the 1980s primetime soap "Dallas," playing evil oil baron J.R. Ewing, has died. He was 81.
Hagman's cause of death was due to complications related to his battle with cancer according to his family.
Linda Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife on "Dallas" was at the actor's bedside when he died.  Warner Bros."Dallas" executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, and the show's cast and crew released the following statement today: "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace. Everyone at Warner Bros. and in the "Dallas" family is deeply saddened by Larry's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and dear friends during this difficult time."  

The year is coming to an end and we lost a lot of great actors.  Let's see how the final stretch of the year goes.  Come on Joyce.  Don't you feel like a whiskey and xanax right about now??



Gary Collins

10/13/12

 

Gary Collins, an actor who was the longtime host of the syndicated TV show “Hour Magazine” and a former master of ceremonies for the Miss America Pageant, died early Saturday in Biloxi, Miss. He was 74.

Collins died of natural causes soon after arriving at Biloxi Regional Medical Center, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove told the Associated Press.

Alex Karras

10/10/2012

 

 

DETROIT (AP) -- Alex Karras, the rugged lineman who anchored the Detroit Lions' defense in the 1960s, then went on to an acting career in which he starred in the sitcom ''Webster'' and famously punched a horse in the 1974 comedy ''Blazing Saddles,'' died Wednesday. He was 77.

Karras, who had recently suffered kidney failure, died at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family members, said Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney.
Diagnosed with dementia, Karras in April joined the more than 3,500 former NFL players suing the league for not protecting them better from head injuries, immediately becoming one of the best-known names in the legal fight.
Detroit drafted Karras with the 10th overall pick in 1958 out of Iowa and he was a four-time All-Pro defensive tackle over 12 seasons with the franchise.
He was a terror on the field, using a variety of moves to push around opposing linemen and get into the backfield. His Lions handed the powerful 1962 Green Bay Packers their only defeat that season, a 26-14 upset on Thanksgiving during which they harassed quarterback Bart Starr constantly.
Packers guard Jerry Kramer wrote in his diary of the 1967 season about his trepidation over having to play Karras.
''I'm thinking about him every minute,'' Kramer wrote.
For all his prowess on the field, Karras may have gained more fame when he turned to acting in the movies and on television.
Playing a not-so-bright bruiser in Mel Brooks' ''Blazing Saddles,'' he not only slugged a horse but also delivered the classic line: ''Mongo only pawn in game of life.''
Several years before that, Karras had already become a bit of a celebrity through George Plimpton's behind-the-scenes book about what it was like to be an NFL player in the Motor City, ''Paper Lion: Confessions of a Second-string Quarterback.''
That led to Karras playing himself in the successful movie adaption, and it opened doors for Karras to be an analyst alongside Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford on ''Monday Night Football.''
In the 1980s, he played a sheriff in the comedy ''Porky's'' and became a hit on the small screen as Emmanuel Lewis' adoptive father, George Papadapolis, in the sitcom ''Webster.''
''Perhaps no player in Lions history attained as much success and notoriety for what he did after his playing days as did Alex,'' Lions president Tom Lewand said.
Recently, his wife said Karras' quality of life has deteriorated because of head injuries sustained during his playing career.
Susan Clark said earlier this year that her husband couldn't drive after loving to get behind the wheel and couldn't remember recipes for some of the favorite Italian and Greek dishes he used to cook.
''This physical beating that he took as a football player has impacted his life, and therefore it has impacted his family life,'' Clark told The Associated Press earlier this year. ''He is interested in making the game of football safer and hoping that other families of retired players will have a healthier and happier retirement.''
Clark, who also played the wife of Karras' loveable character on ''Webster,'' has said he was formally diagnosed with dementia several years ago and has had symptoms for more than a dozen years. He joined hundreds of other former players suing the league.
''It's the same thing as back in the gladiator days when the gladiators fought to death,'' Mitnick, who represents Karras and hundreds of others in the suit, has said. ''Fans care about these guys when they're playing and they are heroes. But as soon as you're not a hero and not playing the fan doesn't really care what happens to them.''
The NFL has said it did not intentionally seek to mislead players and has taken action to better protect players and to advance the science of concussion management and treatment.
Karras played his entire NFL career with the Lions before retiring in 1970 at age 35. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1960, 1961 and 1965, and he made the Pro Bowl four times. He missed the 1963 season when he was suspended by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in a gambling probe. Karras was recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a defensive tackle on the All-Decade Team of the 1960s.
He was born and raised in Gary, Ind., and was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
''We know Alex first and foremost as one of the cornerstones to our Fearsome Foursome defensive line of the 1960s and also as one of the greatest defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL,'' Lewand said. ''Many others across the country came to know Alex as an accomplished actor and as an announcer during the early years of 'Monday Night Football.'



Michael Clark Duncan

09/03/2012

 

 

 

 

:( 

Michael Clarke Duncan's fiancee says the Oscar nominee for "The Green Mile" has died while being hospitalized following a July heart attack.

Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Clarke's fiancée, the Rev. Omarosa Manigault, saying the 54-year-old actor died Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital after nearly two months of treatment following the July 13 heart attack.

The 6-foot-5, 300 pound Duncan appeared in dozens of films, including such box office hits as "Armageddon," ''Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panda."

Duncan had a handful of minor roles before "The Green Mile" brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer.

A really good actor from Chicago gone way too soon.  Sucks.





Phyllis Diller

08/20/2012

Yep.  Nothing else I can say.  Another good one gone.  Legendary comedienne Phyllis Diller, who blazed a trail for a generation of female comics with her self-deprecating stand-up routines, has died at age 95, according to TMZ. (The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter have since confirmed.)

Diller had been suffering health problems as of late: She recently hurt her hip and wrist in a fall and has been living under hospice care at her home. She passed away there, surrounded by family.

The wild-haired comedienne enjoyed a six-decade-long career: She started out in stand-up in 1952, and first rose to fame on TV with a series of TV specials alongside Bob Hope in the 1960s. She starred in several TV shows based around her act ("The Phyllis Diller Show," "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show") and often appeared on the seminal '60s variety show "Laugh-In."

In recent years, Diller reveled in her role as an elder statesman of comedy, outdoing much younger comedians in the 2005 documentary "The Aristocrats" and even performing a routine on "The Tonight Show" in 2007, at the tender age of 90.




Ron Palillo

08/14/2012

Ok, now this is getting seriously upsetting.  We have lost another one of televisions greatest characters.  Ron Palillo, better know to the world as "Arnold Horshack" has died.  He was 63.

Mr. Palillo apparently suffered heart attack at his home about 4 a.m., said Karen Poindexter, a close friend of the actor. He was pronounced dead at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

Mr. Palillo was inextricably linked with the character he played from 1975 to 1979 on ‘‘Kotter,’’ the ABC situation comedy, in which the title character returns to his Brooklyn alma mater to teach a group of lovable wiseguys known as the Sweathogs. Horshack was the nasally teen who yelped, ‘‘Oooh, ooh,’’ and shot his hand skyward whenever Kotter posed a question.

The show was a ratings success and a pop cultural phenomenon, injecting smart-Alec phrases such as ‘‘up your nose with a rubber hose’’ into the mainstream and propelling costar John Travolta to stardom. But the series only lasted as long as a high school education and its end, for Mr. Palillo, brought difficulty.

He said he felt exiled throughout the 1980s, unable to find parts, sinking into depression, and rarely venturing from his apartment. When offers did come, he felt typecast as Horshack.

‘‘While I loved him — I really loved him — I didn’t want to do him forever,’’ he told the Birmingham News in 1994.

Ronald Paolillo was born April 2, 1949, in Cheshire, Conn., eventually dropping the first ‘‘o’’ from his surname. His father died of lung cancer when he was 10, and he developed a stutter. His mother thought getting him involved in a local theater might help.

He fell in love with the stage and overcame his speech imped­iment.

He attended the University of Connecticut and earned parts in Shakespearean productions before his big break.

When he auditioned for ‘‘Kotter,’’ he thought he would be passed over for others who had more of a tough-guy New York look. He said his dying father’s voice inspired his character’s trademark wheezing laugh, and he said Horshack tapped into feelings any teenager could relate to.

‘‘I think he was the smartest kid in school,’’ he told the Miami Herald in 2009. ‘‘He was giving up his aptitude in order to be liked. Then and now, that is a very common thing in teenagers.’’

Mr. Palillo went on to get a host of bit parts in shows from ‘‘The Love Boat’’ to ‘‘Cagney and Lacey’’ to ‘‘The A-Team,’’ and played himself for a time on the series ‘‘Ellen.’’ But ‘‘Kotter’’ remained his best-known acting part, and he focused on stage directing and writing.

His last act in life mirrored his most famous one, in a real-life classroom instead of one at the fictional James Buchanan High School. Mr. Palillo taught acting at G-Star School of the Arts, a high school in West Palm Beach. He was due to return for the school year Tuesday morning, Poindexter said, and classes were to resume next week.

Mr. Palillo leaves his partner of 41 years, Joseph Gramm; two brothers, and a sister. Poindexter said that while her friend might, at times, have resented the shadow Horshack cast over him, he remained fond of the character and knew the part was always more of a blessing than a curse.

He remained close to his costars, she said, and knew how closely fans related to the characters.

‘‘All of us have been or known one of those Sweathogs,’’ he told The Los Angeles Times last year.

I'm getting really pissed at this.  Whoever or whatever that is doing this better stop now.  You take these people away from us but yet Justin Beaver and The Kardasiwhores are still alive?  Whatever you are?  You fucking suck.





Sherman Hemsley

07/24/2012

Aw what the hell?  Why are all my favorites passing away?  :(  Actor Sherman Hemsley, best known for his role as George Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," has died at the age of 74 of natural causes at his home in El Paso, Texas. TMZ initially reported the news; it was later confirmed by People magazine.

Hemsley got his big break on "All in the Family." His character, the wise-cracking George Jefferson, was so popular, that Hemsley was soon given his own spinoff. "The Jeffersons" ran for 11 years and had one of the best, most beloved theme songs in television history. Following the end of the "Jeffersons" run, Helmsley starred in another sitcom, "Amen," in which he played the paternal Deacon Frye.

Hemsley’s role on “The Jeffersons” was a landmark. As Entertainment Weekly put it, George Jefferson was the “first black character presented as an arrogant, intolerant bigot -- the black Archie Bunker -- George was also one of TV’s first upper-income blacks, appearing nearly a decade before 'The Cosby Show' began its own long run.”

In a 2003 interview, Hemsley talked about the history of George Jefferson. When he debuted the character on “All in the Family,” Hemsley said he was told to act “pompous and feisty.” While he was off-stage waiting to make his very first entrance on “All in the Family” (already a huge hit), Hemsley said he thought to himself: “Should I run? What the heck did I get myself into? Do I know my lines?” 
Such nervousness was understandable. George Jefferson was a high-profile character. Prior to Hemsley’s casting, George had been mentioned on “All in the Family” many times. However, the character never actually came on stage, a device that built up a kind of mystery around the role. “I didn’t know if I was going to be laughed at or laughed with,” Hemsley said.

He got his start on Broadway, where he was noticed by legendary TV producer Norman Lear. It was Lear who convinced Hemsley to take the role of George Jefferson. For better or for worse, Hemsley was associated with the role for the rest of his career. The show ran for more than a decade, but wasn’t given a proper send-off when it went off the air. The cast later put on a stage play that wrapped up the different storylines.

In recent years, Hemsley appeared on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "The Surreal Life," "Family Guy," and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." He had no wife or children.


Say hello to Weezy for us.






Ernest Borgnine

07/11/2012

One of my all time favorites veteran actor Ernest Borgnine, the star of dozens of films and television shows who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a shy butcher in love in "Marty", has died, his manager said. He was 95.

"It's a very sad day. The industry has lost someone great, the caliber of which we will never see again. A true icon," the manager, Lynda Bensky, said in an email to AFP.

"But more importantly the world has lost a sage and loving man who taught us all how to 'grow young'. His infectious smile and chuckle made the world a happier place."

Bensky said the actor died on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, with his family at his side.

Born to Italian immigrants on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut, Borgnine was primarily known for his roles in comedies such as the popular TV series "McHale's Navy" and dramas like the World War II film "The Dirty Dozen".

The US Navy veteran won an Academy Award for best actor for his role in the 1955 film "Marty", which also took home Oscars for best picture, best director and best screenplay. 

Tributes to Borgnine poured in on Twitter, from ordinary folk to fellow actors to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy.

Actress Marlee Matlin, also an Oscar winner, tweeted: "So sad to read about passing of Ernest Borgnine. We spoke recently at Paramount's 100th anniversary photo. A true legend & a gentleman. RIP."

"God bless Ernest Borgnine. An amazingly strong spirit. R.I.P. Ernie," said actor Gary Sinise.

Borgnine -- who began his career as a stage actor and first shot to prominence in Hollywood when he played Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in "From Here to Eternity" -- was also known for his role on the television series "Airwolf".

He also appeared on the celebrity game show "The Hollywood Squares".

Borgnine continued to work into his 90s, voicing the character Mermaid Man on the animated children's series "SpongeBob SquarePants".

In 2009, he appeared in a guest starring role on long-running TV drama "ER" for which he earned an Emmy nomination.

The year before, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in the made-for-TV movie "A Grandpa for Christmas".

The Screen Actors Guild gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award last year.



Goodbye Ernie!

Andy Griffith

07/03/2012

Yeah I thought he was dead too.  Anyway,  Actor Andy Griffith, who played folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry, died Tuesday at the age of 86, his family said.

Griffith died at about 7 a.m. at his home on Roanoke Island, according to Dare County, North Carolina, Sheriff J.D. "Doug" Doughtie.

He passed away after an unspecified illness and "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoake Island," the family said in a statement.

"Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord," his wife, Cindi Griffith, said in the statement issued through the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Best known for his role on "The Andy Griffith Show," the University of North Carolina music graduate also starred as a murder-solving Southern attorney in the television series "Matlock" during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for his roles in movies and on the stage, as a producer and as a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer.



Robert Hegyes Remembered.

Something a little different here.  Back in January the TV world lost one of it's most beloved characters, Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein.  Epstein passed away at the age of 60 from a heart attack.  We here at The Slab want to celebrate a truly funny person.  He wasn't given his rightful induction, but now?  That is not the case.  Sit back and enjoy....EPSTEIN!!!!


Epstein on God: "Y'know, I think God is kinda tough, y'know? But he's fair. Sorta like John Wayne in a white beard, y'know? 'All right, pilgrims, move those clouds in a circle.'" Also ... Epstein: I ain't goin' to class, man. I ain't never goin' to class. Kotter: Where you goin' then? Epstein: I don't know, uh, into the religious life. Kotter: Brother Epstein, huh? I can see the headlines: "Puerto Rican Jew enters monastery, becomes the first 'Schlamonk.'" Epstein on art. Kotter: Do I look like Miss Fishbeck, the art teacher? Epstein: Only around the moustache. Epstein on love. Horshack: A woman is a sometime thing. Epstein: She'll take your heart and give it a fling. Horshack: But when true love runs off its course ... Epstein: Then she'll sue you for divorce. They're all onto Epstein. Kotter: All right, Epstein, come on. Let's have it so we can get to work. Epstein: What? Kotter: One of your famous notes that'll read something like, "Please excuse Juan for being late. He was kidnapped by the jet set and left tied up on a lawn in Hyannis Port." Signed ... Sweathogs: Epstein's mother! Epstein on gambling. Epstein: Hey, I got an idea, listen to this. ISB. Kotter: ISB? Epstein: In-School Betting. Yeah. It's about time we get bettin' off the streets, into the school here, where it belongs! [Sweathogs cheer] Kotter: Are you kiddin'? I'll lay you 5-2 that'll never happen. Epstein on the burdens of flim-flammery. Epstein: Mr. Kotter, I got a note excusing my absenteeism. Kotter: "Dear Mr. Kotter. Please excuse Juan's abs- " Aren't you gonna read along? [Epstein shakes head no] "Please excuse Juan's absence. He was home sick with the stomach flu. Sincerely, Mrs. Epstein." Fine. That's okay, Juan. Your excuse is perfectly legitimate. Epstein: I know. That's the problem. It's the first legitimate excuse I've turned in in 11 years. Me, Juan Epstein, the flim-flam man of Buchanan High School, a legit excuse. What's the world comin' to? Rest in peace, Epstein/Hegyes, flim-flam man, philosopher, and gambler. Who knew you were such a Renaissance man? And now that I'm looking back at those episodes, Barbarino/Travolta may have been the class hottie, but you were adorable. That hair! I'll wear a red bandana in your honor today.

Ray Bradbury

6/6/2012

Science fiction legend Ray Bradbury -- author of "Fahrenheit 451" and "Something Wicked this Way Comes" -- has died.

According to reports, Ray passed away this morning in L.A. He was 91.

Among Ray's other works -- "The Illustrated Man" and "The Martian Chronicles." Much of his work has been adapted to TV and film.

Ray's grandson told io9.com, "If I had to make any statement, it would be how much I love and miss him ... He was the biggest kid I know."

Ray famously criticized technology and the modern age, opposing his own work's conversion into e-books, saying, "We have too many cell phones. We've got too many internets. We have got to get rid of those machines. We have too many machines now."

Ray's wife passed away in 2003. He is survived by his 4 daughters and grandchildren.                                                                           



Eduard Khil

06/04/2012

Eduard Khil, a Russian singer better known as "Mr. Trololo," died on Monday from complications of a stroke. He was 77.

Khil was hospitalized last month in St. Petersburg following a stroke that left him with severe brain damage, according to the Associated Press.

A popular but fading Soviet singing star, Khil rocketed to global stardom in 2010 when a Cold War-era video of his performance of Arkady Ostrovsky's 1966 "I Am Glad, 'Cause I'm Finally Returning Back Home"—with Khil singing "trololo" instead of censored lyrics—became an Internet sensation.

The original lyrics—about an American cowboy riding across a prairie—didn't sit well with Soviet censors, so Khil changed them in the quirky, vocalized version.

The popularity of the 1976 video—which has garnered more than 14 million views on YouTub—led to an international tour for Khil, and inspired numerous parodies.

"From his grandson, he learned that T-shirts and mugs with his image had become available, and he joked that he never earned a kopeck from them," Mikhail Sadchikov, a Russian music critic, told the AP. "He was also very optimistic, positive and ironic at the same time."

Not surprisingly, Khil's name began trending Monday as news of his death spread. According to the Associated Press, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences.

до свидания comrad.  :(

Richard Dawson

6/2/2012

SURVEY SAYS!!!  

Richard Dawson, an actor and TV host best known for his work on the game show "Family Feud" and sitcom "Hogan's Heroes," has died from complications of esophageal cancer. He was 79.

The British-born actor died on Saturday at Ronald Reagan Memorial hospital in Los Angeles, his son Gary Dawson said on Sunday.

Dawson appeared on numerous TV shows in the 1960s, but it was his job as the emcee of "Family Feud" where his wit and charm served him best as he helped make the program a big hit of the 1970s.

"Feud," which debuted in 1976 with members of two different families competing against each other by trying to guess the results of survey questions, became a No. 1 U.S. daytime TV show for a time.

Over the years, "Feud" expanded into prime-time specials featuring top celebrities and made Dawson the highest-paid game show emcee of his day. It was canceled in 1985, but reborn in syndication. Various incarnations with different hosts have aired since then.

"He was loved by millions of Americans as a television icon, but loved even more as a husband, a father, and grandfather by his family," Gary Dawson wrote on his Facebook page.

Richard Dawson, whose given name was Colin Lionel Emm, was born on November 20, 1932, in Gosport, England. At age 14, he joined the merchant marines and served for three years. After his discharge, he worked as a stand-up comedian in London clubs including the legendary "Stork Room," where he met actress Diana Dors. She became his first wife in 1959.

Dawson soon transitioned from British comedian to Hollywood actor appearing on many top TV programs of the early 1960s, such as "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."
His role as a military prisoner in the 1965 film "King Rat" led to TV's "Hogan's Heroes," about a band of allied POWs in a German camp who were constantly fooling their captors. Dawson portrayed Briton Peter Newkirk, who possessed a clever mind and a quick wit in the hit show that ran from 1965 to 1971.

When the program went off the air, Dawson began appearing as a celebrity panelist on a number of TV game shows, including the popular "Match Game," and those appearances eventually led to his hosting duties on "Family Feud."

Beyond TV, Dawson appeared in movies, including a co-starring role alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Stephen King sci-fi film "The Running Man." In 2000, Dawson retired.

At the height of his success on "Feud," he met contestant Gretchen Johnson, who would become his second wife. Dawson is survived by Johnson, two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren.

             

This was one of my favorite shows.  And Dawson was the reason.  Say hello to Ray Combs when you're up there!

http://youtu.be/xStvfbIddM0

Robin Gibb

05/20/2010

Bee Gee Robin Gibb succumbed to a longtime struggle with liver cancer Sunday, a spokesperson confirmed. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was 62.

Sorry he's dead.  But his looks always creeped me out.  Guess it's true.  ANYONE in a band can get some! 

This is a real...wait for it.......TRAGEDY!   yea, yea. You knew it was coming, but it's still funny!



Donna Summer

05/17/2012

Legendary disco singer Donna Summer died Thursday after a battle with cancer, sources close to the singer confirmed to FoxNews.com. She was 63.
"Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith," family of the singer said in a statement.
"While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time."
Often called the Queen of Disco, Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on Dec. 31, 1948, in Boston. She began singing early in the church choir and by her teens had formed several musical groups.
Her sound was a mix of genres, and helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.
Her first album, "Lady of the Night," arrived in 1974 in Europe, and 1975's "Love to Love You Baby" brought her worldwide fame.
In the 1978 disco film "Thank God it's Friday," her song "Last Dance" won Summer her first Grammy.
Summer's soaring vocals on "She Works Hard for the Money" brought her a Best Pop Vocal Performance Award in 1984.
In the mid-1980s, Summer encountered controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments related to AIDS. She claimed she had been misquoted but not before thousands of her records were returned and dance clubs boycotted her music.
Summer holds the record for most consecutive double albums to hit number one on the Billboard charts (three) and was the first female to have four number one singles in a 12-month period: three as a solo artist and one as a duo with Barbra Streisand, CBS said.
She released her last album, "Crayons," in 2008. She also performed on "American Idol" that year with its top female contestants.

I'm going to boogie fever down to the disco shop and get me some platforms and bell-bottoms!

Donald "Duck" Dunn

05/13/2012

Donald "Duck" Dunn, the bassist who helped create the gritty Memphis soul sound at Stax Records in the 1960s as part of the legendary group Booker T. and the MGs and contributed to such classics as "In the Midnight Hour," ''Hold On I'm Coming" and "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," died Sunday at 70.

Dunn, whose legacy as one of the most respected session musicians in the business also included work with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd's Blues Brothers as well as with Levon Helm, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and others, died while on tour in Tokyo.

News of his death was posted on the Facebook site of his friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour. Cropper said Dunn died in his sleep.

Dunn was born in Memphis, Tenn., in 1941, and according to the biography on his official website, was nicknamed for the cartoon character by his father.

His father, a candy maker, did not want his son to be a musician

"He thought I would become a drug addict and die. Most parents in those days thought music was a pastime, something you did as a hobby, not a profession," Dunn said.

But by the time Dunn was in high school, he was in a band, the Royal Spades, with Cropper, a group that would eventually become the Mar-Keys.

Cropper left the band to become a session player at Stax Records, the legendary Memphis-based record company that would become known for its gritty soul records and artists like Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes and the Staples Singers.

Soon, Dunn followed Cropper and joined the Stax house band, which would become Booker T. and the MGs. It included Booker T. Jones on organ and Al Jackson on drums and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I would have liked to have been on the road more, but the record company wanted us in the studio. Man, we were recording almost a hit a day for a while there," Dunn said.

The group had its heyday in the 1960s as backup for Stax artists such as Redding. Booker T. and the MGs had its own hits as well, including "Hang 'Em High," and "Soul-Limbo."

In the 1970s, the group's members drifted apart. Jackson was killed in Memphis in 1975 by an intruder in his home.

The remaining members had a brief reunion in 1979, but Cropper and Dunn would have a sustained reunion when they joined Ackroyd and Belushi's Blues Brothers band and appeared in the 1980 "Blues Brothers" movie.

"How could anybody not want to work with John and Dan? I was really kind of hesitant to do that show, but my wife talked me into it," Dunn said in a 2007 interview with Vintage Guitar magazine, "and other than Booker's band, that's the most fun band I've ever been in."

Dunn also did session work on recordings by Clapton, Young, Dylan, Rod Stewart, Sam and Dave and Stevie Nicks, according to his discography. He was on Redding's "Respect" and "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," Sam and Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming" and Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour."

Dunn once said that he and Cropper were "like married people."

"I can look at him and know what he'll order for dinner," he said. "When we play music together we both know where we're going."

Dunn received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007 for his work with Booker T. and the MGs.

He is survived by his wife, June; a son, Jeff; and a grandchild, Michael, said Michael Leahy, Dunn's agent.

___

Vidal Sassoon

05/09/2012

Legendary hairstylist Vidal Sassoon has died, his Beverly Hills salon confirmed to ABC News today. He was 84.
Sassoon styled hair for seven decades. He pioneered a geometric haircut in the 1960s that came to be known as the new version of the classic bob cut, and famously chopped off Mia Farrow’s long hair for “Rosemary’s Baby.”
Born in London, Sassoon relocated to the U.S. where he sold his name to Procter & Gamble to manufacturer the Vidal Sassoon line of hair products. A 2010 documentary, “Vidal Sassoon: The Movie,” chronicled his life and career.
Sassoon remained true to his techniques, which he said took nine years to develop, and worked until his last days. In a 2011 interview with the New York Times, Sassoon said he appeased failed hair experiments with a catch phrase: “It’ll grow, darling. Come back and be my guest.”

No word on how he died.  But Benson Head And Shoulders is being held for questioning.

(oh yea. I know some football players died as well.  But who really cares about them?  didn't think so!)

George Lindsey

05/06/2012

George Lindsey, who spent nearly 30 years as the grinning Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Hee Haw," has died. He was 83.
A press release from Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home in Nashville said Lindsay died early Sunday morning after a brief illness. Funeral arrangements were still being made.
Lindsey was the beanie-wearing Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" from 1964 to 1968 and its successor, "Mayberry RFD," from 1968 to 1971. He played the same jovial character — a service station attendant — on "Hee Haw" from 1971 until it went out of production in 1993.
"America has grown up with me," Lindsey said in an Associated Press interview in 1985. "Goober is every man; everyone finds something to like about ol' Goober."

Goodbye Goob!



Adam Yauch

05/05/2012

Adam Yauch, one-third of the pioneering hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, has died at the age of 48, Rolling Stone has learned. Yauch, also known as MCA, had been in treatment for cancer since 2009. The rapper was diagnosed in 2009 after discovering a tumor in his salivary gland.

Yauch sat out the Beastie Boys' induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, and his treatments delayed the release of the group's most recent album, Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2. The Beastie Boys had not performed live since the summer of 2009, and Yauch's illness prevented the group from appearing in music videos for Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2.

Yauch co-founded the Beastie Boys with Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz in 1979. The band started off as a hardcore punk group, but soon began experimenting with hip-hop. The band broke big with their first proper album, Licensed to Ill, in 1986, and further albums Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication cemented the band as a true superstar act.

In addition to his career with the Beastie Boys, Yauch was heavily involved in the movement to free Tibet and co-organized the Tibetan Freedom Concerts of the late Nineties. In 2002, he launched the film production company Oscilloscope Laboratories.


NO SLEEP TILL........the morgue!

Greg Ham

04/19/2012

This one sucks. Men at Work was my first real band I ever got into. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Greg was a great musician and a good person. Here's the write up:

Greg Ham, a musician with the iconic Australian band Men at Work, was found dead in his Melbourne home on Thursday, Australian reports said.Victoria state police confirmed that the deceased was the 58-year-old resident of the house but did not identify him by name, in keeping with local practice. Ham was 58 and neighbors said he was the lone occupant of the house.Two concerned friends who had not heard from Ham in some time found the body after going to check on him, police said, declining to release any details on how Ham died or if the circumstances were suspicious."There are a number of unexplained aspects to it which has caused our attendance here today, and we're assisting the local detectives to determine what has occurred," Detective Senior Sergeant Shane O'Connell told reporters.Newspapers including The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Ham had died.Men at Work frontman Colin Hay issued a statement expressing a deep love for his longtime friend, whom he met in 1972 when they were seniors in high school. Hay recalled decades of shared experiences with Ham — from appearing on "Saturday Night Live," to flying through dust storms over the Grand Canyon, to getting lost in the rural Australian countryside."We played in a band and conquered the world together," Hay said. "I love him very much. He's a beautiful man. The saxophone solo on 'Who Can It Be Now' was the rehearsal take. We kept it, that was the one. He's here forever."Ham was perhaps best known for playing the famous flute riff in the band's smash 1980s hit "Down Under." But the beloved tune came under intense scrutiny in recent years after the band was accused of stealing the catchy riff from the children's campfire song "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree." The publisher of "Kookaburra" sued Men at Work, and in 2010 a judge ruled the band had copied the melody. The group was ordered to hand over a portion of its royalties.Ham later said the controversy had left him devastated, and he worried it would tarnish his legacy."It has destroyed so much of my song," he told Melbourne's The Age newspaper after the court ruling. "It will be the way the song is remembered, and I hate that. I'm terribly disappointed that that's the way I'm going to be remembered — for copying something."On Thursday, neighbor John Nassar praised Ham, whom he had known for about 30 years."He was a lovely human being, never judgmental about anyone," Nassar told reporters. "He was a very friendly human being."Ham also played the saxophone and keyboards, and more recently worked as a guitar teacher."Down Under" and the album it was on, "Business As Usual," topped the Australian, American and British charts in early 1983. The song remains an unofficial anthem for Australia and was ranked fourth in a 2001 music industry survey of the best Australian songs. Men at Work won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.Australian rock historian Glenn Baker, who was Australian editor of Billboard magazine when Men At Work was at its peak touring the world, recalled Ham as bursting with energy during the band's glory days."When they came back (from tour), it was generally Greg who I would interview because he'd tell the best stories and he was effervescent, energetic, good fun, good-humored and good-natured," Baker said. "He was having a great time."___

Dick Clark

04/18/2012

A true American iCON for sure. Thank you for teaching white people how to dance....well at least trying to teach them!

Host and TV producer Dick Clark has died. He was 82.
It was first reported by the news Wednesday afternoon. A rep told the site that Clark
underwent surgery Tuesday night and suffered a "massive" heart attack following
the procedure.
Clark started his career as a radio announcer at WRUN in Utica, N.Y., when
he was 17. His long-running show, "American Bandstand," was on the air from 1957-1989.
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" began in 1972 and continues to this day
with Ryan Seacrest.
Clark launched the American Music Awards in 1973. He became a Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame inductee in 1993.
Clark suffered a stroke in December 2004. He continued performing even after
the stroke, even though it had affected his ability to speak and walk.

Davy Jones

02/29/2012

Ugh. Well such is life and in life you have to mention the passings of someone you enjoyed. Today is that day. An official from the medical examiner's office for Martin County, Florida confirmed they received a call from Martin Memorial Hospital informing them that Jones had passed away.Jones is survived by his wife Jessica and 4 daughters from previous marriages. He was 66-years-old. Jones joined The Monkees in 1965 ... along with Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork ... and together they churned out a bunch of hugely popular songs including 3 number 1 hits -- "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer." The group was initially cast by TV producers who wanted to create a scripted series about an actual rock n' roll band. But the group exploded, and Jones in particular became a Beatles-caliber heartthrob.The Monkees songs were covered by huge bands like Coldpay, and Smash Mouth's version of "I'm a Believer" was famously featured in "Shrek."

Gary Carter

02/17/2012

The effervescent Hall of Fame catcher whose single for the Mets in the 1986 World Series touched off one of the most improbable rallies in baseball, died Thursday. The Kid was 57.Carter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last May, two weeks after finishing his second season as coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Carter died at a hospice in the West Palm Beach, Fla., area.

Whitney, Etta, Coach and an Epstein.

I know! Sorry for the lack of updates over here. I've been busy and I'm not the only one! Death has been busy as well these past few weeks. Here's a foursome that left us. We had a crack whore in a tub, an old man who "didn't see anything", a great singer, and a wonderful actor who made us laugh and cry. And here's something else to make you cry. Slabber Debbie already has two!! Debbie racks up an impressive 42 points. Don't be discouraged! We have a loooooooong year ahead of us! Let's get SLABBING!!!!!!!!

2011 is over...you're winner is............

SLABBER DEBBIE!!!!!!!!! AGAIN!!!!!

Yes that is right! Debbie has won the death pool for the second time in a row! I would never want to upset her. I sure as hell don't want to end up on her list!!! Debbie racked up over 170 points. How does she do it? Debbie will never tell!

2011 is over and now we look forward to 2012. What will the new year bring? Who will leave? What surprises are in store for us all? We'll we even be around to see the end of the year? Will the world end? Will Lindsey Lohan visit the morgue in a non-community service role? Will The Justin Beaver OD on pop-rocks and Mountain Dew? The only way to find out is to wait and see!!!

The slabbers are hard at work picking and choosing. So stay tuned to this site for all the updates (well, the ones I care about updating about). And see the drama unfold!

Are you ready? LET'S GET READY TO SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB!!!!!!