^^ Ding ding.
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Amazing how he will be remembered for that above all else.Quote:
Originally Posted by misskit
Thanks for the reminding me of one of her tunes.Quote:
Originally Posted by snakeeyes
William Friedkin, Oscar-winning director of ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The French Connection,’ dead at 87
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — William Friedkin, the generation-defining director who brought a visceral realism to 1970s hits “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist” and was quickly anointed one of Hollywood’s top directors when he was only in his 30s, has died. He was 87.
Friedkin, who won the best director Oscar for “The French Connection,” died Monday in Los Angeles, Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years, told The Associated Press on behalf of his family and wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing. His son Cedric Friedkin told the AP he died after a long illness.
“He was role model to me and to (my brother) Jack,” Cedric Friedkin said. “He was a massive inspiration.”
He cemented his legacy early with “The French Connection,” which was based on a true story and deals with the efforts of maverick New York City police Detective James “Popeye” Doyle to track down Frenchman Alain Charnier, mastermind of a large drug pipeline funneling heroin into the United States.
It contains one of the most thrilling chase scenes ever filmed: Doyle, played by Gene Hackman in an Oscar-winning performance, barely misses making the arrest on a subway train, then stops a passing car to follow the train as it emerges on an elevated railway. He races underneath, dodging cars, trucks and pedestrians, including a woman pushing a baby buggy, before catching up to one of Rey’s henchmen and shooting him.
The movie, which was made for only $2 million, became a box office hit when it was released in 1971. It won Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay and film editing, and led critics to hail Friedkin, then just 32, as a leading member of a new generation of filmmakers.
He followed with an even bigger blockbuster, “The Exorcist,” released in 1973 and based on William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil.
The harrowing scenes of the girl’s possession and a splendid cast, including Linda Blair as the girl, Ellen Burstyn as her mother and Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller as the priests who try to exorcise the devil, helped make the film a box-office sensation. It was so scary for its era that many viewers fled the theater before it was over and some reported being unable to sleep for days afterward.
“The Exorcist” received 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Friedkin as director, and won two, for Blatty’s script and for sound.
With that second success, Friedkin would go on to direct movies and TV shows well into the 21st century. But he would never again come close to matching the acclaim he’d received for those early works, and gained a reputation for clashing with both actors and studio executives.
“I embody arrogance, insecurity and ambition that spur me on as they hold me back,” he wrote in his 2012 memoir.
His 1977 film “Sorcerer,” a gangster thriller starring Roy Scheider was widely panned at the time and also failed with audiences. It’s since been reappraised by critics and has become a cult classic that Friedkin himself would continue to defend. In 2017, he told IndieWire that it’s the only of his films that he could still watch.
“The zeitgeist had changed by the time it came out,” he said in 2013. “It came out at the time of ‘Star Wars,’ and that more than any film that I can recall really captured the zeitgeist.”
“Star Wars” was a film he was approached to produce, but he said later that he couldn’t see its potential. He also turned down “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H” for the same reason.
Francis Ford Coppola praised Friedkin in a statement, saying his films “are alive with his genius.
“Pick any of them out of a hat and you’ll be dazzled. His lovable, irascible personality was cover for a beautiful, brilliant, deep-feeling giant of a man. It’s very hard to grasp that I will never enjoy his company again, but his work will at least stand in for him,” Coppola’s statement said.
A few years after “Sorcerer” brought him back to Earth, he followed with another disappointment: “Cruising,” starring Al Pacino as a cop who goes undercover to solve the grisly murders of several gay men. It was protested by gay rights activists for how it depicted homosexuality.
Other film credits included “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Rules of Engagement” and a TV remake of the classic play and Sidney Lumet movie “12 Angry Men.” Friedkin also directed episodes for such TV shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Rebel Highway” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Born in Chicago on Aug. 29, 1939, he began working in local TV productions as a teenager. By age 16, he was directing live shows.
“My main influence was dramatic radio when I was a kid,” he said in a 2001 interview. “I remember listening to it in the dark, Everything was left to the imagination. It was just sound. I think of the sounds first and then the images.”
He moved from live shows to documentaries, making “The People Versus Paul Crump,” in 1962. It was the story of a prison inmate who rehabilitates himself on Death Row after being sentenced for the murder of a guard during a botched robbery at a Chicago food plant.
Producer David Wolper was so impressed with it that he brought Friedkin to Hollywood to direct network TV shows.
After working on such shows as “The Bold Ones,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” and the documentary “The Thin Blue Line,” Friedkin landed his first film, 1967’s “Good Times.” It was a lighthearted musical romp headlined by the pop duo Sonny and Cher in what would be their only movie appearance together.
He followed that with “The Night They Raided Minsky’s,” about backstage life at a burlesque theater, and “The Birthday Party,” from a Harold Pinter play. He then gained critical attention with 1970’s “The Boys in the Band,” a landmark film about gay men.
Author and film historian Mark Harris wrote on social media that, “Not many directors can say they made a gay movie that people argue about decades later. William Friedkin made two: Boys in the Band (I like it, many don’t) and Cruising (I don’t like it, many do). That’s not nothing.”
Friedkin had three brief marriages in the 1970s and ’80s, to French actress Jeanne Moreau; British actress Lesley-Anne Down, with whom he had a son; and longtime Los Angeles TV news anchor Kelly Lange. In 1991, he married Paramount studio executive Lansing.
In recent years, Friedkin wrote a candid memoir, “The Friedkin Connection,” and directed several well-received movies adapted from Tracy Letts plays including “Bug” and “Killer Joe,” starring Matthew McConaughey as a hit man. And he wasn’t done working yet: A new film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.
He was also always willing to reflect on his rollercoaster career, especially as “The French Connection” celebrated its 50th anniversary. Thinking back to the iconic car chase sequence, Friedkin told NBC News in 2021 that it was legitimately life-threatening and that he’d never do it again.
“Everything you see, we actually did. There was no CGI then. There was no way to fake it. I just put the pedal to the metal, and we went 90 miles an hour in city traffic,” he said. “The fact that nobody got hurt is a miracle. The fact that I didn’t get killed, the fact that some of the crew members didn’t get hurt or killed. That’s a chance I would never take again. I was young and I didn’t give a damn. I just went out and did it. I set out to make a great chase scene and I didn’t care about the consequences, and now I do.”
Friedkin’s influence on film and popular culture continues to live on too. A new “Exorcist” film is even coming out this year, from director David Gordon Green, with Burstyn reprising her role.
Friedkin said he never got too worried about what the critics were saying over the years.
“I really don’t live by what the critics write, although I was aware of the critical reception of all of my films,” he reflected in 2013. “My own take on the films I’ve made is based on what I achieved versus what I set out to do.”
https://apnews.com/article/william-f...f3533c19c15094
Clifton Oliver Dead: The Lion King, In The Heights Broadway Star Was 47
Clifton Oliver, who starred on Broadway as Simba in The Lion King and as Benny in In the Heights, has died. He was 47.
His sister, Roxy Hall, shared on Facebook that the actor died Wednesday morning. The cause of death is unknown but Hall noted that he had been in the hospital and hospice six weeks before his death.
“My baby brother, Clifton Oliver, has had his final curtain call. It was peaceful. His partner, Richard, was singing to him the song Psalm 23 as he took his last breath,” her post read. “He had a Gorgeous smile on his Beautiful face!! He went twirling into the afterlife ready to make his Grand Appearance as the Star of his Homecoming Celebration! My heart is sad, and overjoyed at the same time! I will miss him, but he is finally at peace!”
She continued, “He brought so much light to this world! He brought so much light to my life! He impacted the lives of people throughout the world as he showcased his amazing talent, kind soul, and loving spirit to EVERYONE he met! He will be missed, but never forgotten! He lives within all of us! As the song goes in one of his most prominent roles of Simba in the Lion King on Broadway, He Lives In Me!”
Born in 1975, Oliver grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He knew he wanted to pursue a career in the arts early in life and ended up going on to study at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. It wasn’t until 2010 when he moved to New York to start his acting career on Broadway.
His notable projects include Wicked, where he joined the ensemble and served as an understudy for Fiyero, and In the Heights, where he took on the role of Benny, opposite Jordin Sparks, according to Playbill. Oliver also starred as Simba in the Broadway production of The Lion King in 2011 as well as playing the same role in the Las Vegas production and on the national tour.
The actor also joined the tours of Dreamgirls and Motown the Musical and performed in the off-Broadway productions of Miracle Brothers and Bella: An American Tall Tale.
The Instagram account for The Lion King — Musical shared a tribute to the actor by quoting Mufasa: “Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.”
“Our Pride joins in remembering the legacy of the late Clifton Oliver, who shared his talents and light with audiences across Broadway, Las Vegas, and our North American tour from 2000-2011,” the post continued. “As we continue to honor his legacy, a dimming of the lights will occur at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, at 5PM EST.”
Robbie Robertson, Leader of The Band, Dies at 80
Guitarist-songwriter-singer Robbie Robertson, who led the Canadian-American group the Band to rock prominence in the 1970s and worked extensively with Bob Dylan and Martin Scorsese, has died. He was 80.
According to an announcement from his management, Robertson died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a long illness.
In a statement, Robertson’s manager of 34 years, Jared Levine, said, “Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her partner Nicholas, and his children Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine, and Delphine’s partner Kenny. He is also survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel and Seraphina. Robertson recently completed his fourteenth film music project with frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to support a new Woodland Cultural Center.”
After the Band’s 1976 farewell concert “The Last Waltz” was captured on film by Scorsese, Robertson worked with the director as composer, music supervisor, and music producer starting in 1980 on films including “Raging Bull,” “The King of Comedy,” “The Color of Money,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Departed,” “Shutter Island,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Silence,” “The Irishman” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
However, he is best known for the classic songs he wrote for the Band, including “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “The Shape I’m In” and “It Makes No Difference.” His story with The Band was captured in the 2019 documentary “Once Were Brothers.“
Robertson did what turned out to be his final interview just two weeks ago with Variety, talking about his 55 years of collaborating with Scorsese, on up through “Flower Moon,” which is set to come out later this year. “We’re in awe ourselves that our brotherhood has outlasted everything,” he said of his work with the director. “We’ve been through it; we’ve been there and back. I am so proud of our friendship and our work. It’s been just a gift in life.” (The interview will run in full at a later date.)
The singer-songwriter-guitarist was just 16 when he joined the Hawks and the group began apprenticing as American rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins’ backup unit. Robertson and his bandmates – drummer Levon Helm, bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson – struck out on their own in 1964.
The Hawks served as Bob Dylan’s forceful touring band (minus Helm for most dates) during the singer-songwriter’s tumultuous first electric tour of 1965-66; they reunited with their dissident percussionist during famed, much-bootlegged informal recording sessions with Dylan, known as the “basement tapes,” in 1967.
Signed to Capitol Records in 1968, the rechristened Band shot to fame with its first two albums, “Music From Big Pink” and “The Band,” which drew from a heady stream of American music tributaries and would influence both contemporaries like Eric Clapton and George Harrison and succeeding generations of American roots musicians.
Speaking of the bedrock of the Band’s sound with journalist Paul Zollo, Robertson said, “I always thought, from the very beginning, that this music was born of the blues and country music, Southern stuff. The Mississippi Delta area, and the music came down from the river and from up the river and met, and it made something new. I always looked at that as kind of the source of the whole thing.”
MORE Robbie Robertson Dead: The Band Guitarist and Singer Was 80 - Variety
Rodriguez, musician rediscovered in ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ documentary, dies at 81
Sixto Rodriguez, the singer-songwriter who found fame as the subject of the Oscar-winning 2012 documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” died on Tuesday at 81.
His death was announced on his official website: “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters — Sandra, Eva and Regan — and to all his family.”
No cause of death was given.
Performing as Rodriguez, the Detroit-born artist developed an idiosyncratic blend of confessional folk and psychedelic soul on a pair of albums he released to little attention in the early 1970s. Rodriguez retired from music to work blue-collar jobs in his hometown, but those records found an unlikely audience in South Africa, earning him a cult following that crested in the early 2010s with the release of “Searching for Sugar Man.”
MORE Rodriguez of '''Searching for Sugar Man''' dies at 81 - Los Angeles Times
^Cujo will be crushed.
Sixto Rodriguez - Sugar Man - YouTube
Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, dies aged 80
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Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, has died aged 80.
Robertson was behind such classics as The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek, and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
His manager of 34 years, Jared Levine, wrote: "Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her partner Nicholas, and his children Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine and Delphine's partner Kenny.
"He is also survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel and Seraphina."
The Band initially served as Bob Dylan's backing group - before becoming highly influential in the 1960s and 70s. They played at Woodstock in 1969.
Besides Robertson, who was born in Canada, the group featured drummer-singer Mark "Levon" Helm and bassist-singer-songwriter Rick Danko, keyboardist singer-songwriter Richard Manuel and all-around musical wizard Garth Hudson.
The Band are still defined by their first two albums, Music From Big Pink and the self-titled The Band, both released in the late 1960s.
Robertson also frequently collaborated with Martin Scorsese, including on The Colour Of Money, The King Of Comedy, The Departed, The Irishman and the director's latest movie Killers Of The Flower Moon.
In a statement released today, the film-maker paid tribute.
"Robbie Robertson was one of my closest friends, a constant in my life and my work," Scorsese said.
"I could always go to him as a confidante. A collaborator. An advisor. I tried to be the same for him.
"Long before we ever met, his music played a central role in my life - me and millions and millions of other people all over this world.
"The Band's music, and Robbie's own later solo music, seemed to come from the deepest place at the heart of this continent, its traditions and tragedies and joys. It goes without saying that he was a giant, that his effect on the art form was profound and lasting.
"There's never enough time with anyone you love. And I loved Robbie."
Singer Neil Diamond tweeted: "The music world lost a great one with the passing of Robbie Robertson. Keep making that Beautiful Noise in the sky, Robbie. I'll miss you."
Brian Adams added: "RIP Robbie Robertson. Thanks for the amazing music and the great hangs, especially photographing you in LA not so long ago. We'll keep Anna Lee company for you..."
Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood said: "Such sad news about Robbie Robertson - he was a lovely man, a great friend and will be dearly missed xx R."
Former president Bill Clinton posted: "Robbie Robertson was a brilliant songwriter, guitarist, and composer whose gifts changed music forever.
"I'm grateful for all the good memories he gave me-going back to his time in the Hawks when I was a teenager-and for his kindness through the years. I'll miss him."
The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, dies aged 80 | Ents & Arts News | Sky News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM
^it was posted just a short time ago dummy
_______
John Gosling Dead: The Kinks Keyboard Player Was 75
John Gosling, a former keyboard player for the Kinks, has died. He was 75.
Gosling joined the Kinks in 1970 and stayed in the band until 1978. He appeared on 10 albums and embellished such hits as “Lola” and “Celluloid Heroes.”
The news was announced in a statement on the band’s official social media page Friday morning: “We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of John Gosling. We are sending our condolences to John’s wife and family.”
The Kinks’ lead singer Ray Davies paid tribute to his former bandmate, saying: “Condolences to his wife, Theresa, and family. Rest in peace dearest John.”
Added lead guitarist Dave Davies, “‘I’m dismayed deeply upset by John Gosling’s passing… He has been a friend and important contributor to the Kinks music during his time with us. Deepest sympathies to his wife and family. I will hold deep affection and love for him in my heart always. Great musician and a great man.”
Drummer Mick Avory also paid tribute to Gosling. “Today we lost a dear friend and colleague, he was a great musician and had a fantastic sense of humour… Which made him a popular member of the band, he leaves us with some happy memories. God Bless him.”
Prior to Ian Gibbons, who joined the band in 1979, Gordon Edwards of Pretty Things took over from Gosling on keyboards upon his departure from the group.
Gosling became a founding member of the Kast Off Kinks in 1994 — which includes former Avory, John Dalton and Jim Rodford — and remained in the band until his retirement in 2008.
David Laflamme lead singer and violinist with the 1960s/70s San Francisco band It's a Beautiful Day has died at 82.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q918fs4RAto
Jamie Reid, artist for Sex Pistols who defined punk style, dies at 76
Mr. Reid created one of the most influential images of the punk era with a defaced image of Queen Elizabeth II for the Sex Pistols single ‘God Save the Queen’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-ap...ized.jpg&w=691
Jamie Reid, an artist who translated the buzz-saw anarchy of 1970s punk rock into images for the British group the Sex Pistols, helping define punk art and fashion with works such as a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with her eyes and mouth torn away, died Aug. 8 at his home in Liverpool. He was 76.
The Sex Pistols’ 1976 single “Anarchy in the U.K.” featured art by Mr. Reid showing a half-burned British flag with the band’s name spelled out in letters ripped from publications, crafted like a ransom note. Then in 1977, coinciding with Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, Mr. Reid unveiled one of the most influential images of the punk era. He started with the official portrait for the queen’s 25th year on the throne, and tore away her eyes and mouth and replaced them with ripped-out lettering of the band’s name and the title of its new single, “God Save the Queen.”
Mr. Reid created the cover for the Sex Pistols’ only studio album, “Never Mind the Bollocks” (1977), which in some versions featured a pink background with the band’s name, in disjoined letters, over a slab of lime green.
His work is part of the collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate Gallery in London and New York’s Museum of Modern Art, among other institutions.
https://l-13.org/wp-content/uploads/...dpi-forweb.jpg
TRUMP! Peace F*CKER!!
A 21st Century reworking of Reid’s original John Wayne Peace Is Tough,
Robbie Robertson, Leader of The Band, Dies at 80
Robbie Robertson Dead: The Band Guitarist and Singer Was 80 - Variety
The Band - The Band (1969) Part 2 (Full Album) - YouTube
^
Poor guy, this is the third time he has died on this thread:)
Oops...:rofl:
(2131) The Band- Don't Do It - YouTubeQuote:
Originally Posted by Norton
Someone's obviously got it in for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceman123
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The last known surviving Royal Navy veteran of Dunkirk has died at the age of 102.
Lawrence Churcher took part in the historic evacuation of the French port town in May 1940. He was only 18 when he joined the Navy in 1938, one year before World War 2 broke out. He had landed in France during the early part of the war to help get ammunition to troops on the front line, and was posted outside Dunkirk.
The rapid approach of Nazi forces across northern France however soon forced the British to pull back from the region, and Mr Churcher was one of many navy men who helped get troops onto boats which had been hastily brought across the English Channel to get them home.
In remarkable scenes, he was reunited with his two brothers on the beach, who were serving with the Hampshire Regiment. Recalling the drama of the day in a later interview, Lawrence said: "When my brothers found me, I just felt relief. There were so many soldiers there and continuous aircraft dropping bombs and strafing us, I had so many things on my mind until I got on board of our ship. One fella leaned on my shoulder, gave a sigh of relief and said, ‘thank God we’ve got a navy’ and that sort of churned it up inside of me. I felt relief that the soldiers could come on those boats, there was all sorts there, practically rowing boats. We knew we had to get those soldiers back from Dunkirk."
After returning to Britain, the three of them were not reunited until after the end of the war. Mr Churcher also saw action in the Mediterranean, D-Day and ended the war in the Far East, while his brothers' battalion went on to serve in North Africa, Italy, Palestine and Greece. He was awarded the Legion d'Honneur.
Lawrence died on Thursday at a care home in Fareham, Hampshire, just a few days short of his 103rd birthday, according to the Project 71 charity. In 2020, he laid a wreath in Portsmouth in a special ceremony to honour those who lost their lives at Dunkirk. He was joined there by a Padre and a Royal Marines bugler, as well as Lieutenant Calvin Shenton, who had organised the service as a friend of Mr Churcher.
Project 71, which supports World War 2 veterans, said Mr Churcher was thought to be the last known naval veteran of the evacuation. The charity posted on Facebook: "A truly remarkable man, loved and respected by all who knew him. Stand down Lawrence, your duty is done. It has been an honour to have known you."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...teran-30692091
Iconic WW2 codebreaker Margaret MacFarlane dies at 102
Margaret MacFarlane, a Scottish codebreaker who cracked Nazi secrets during World War II, has passed away at the age of 102. She was one of the last surviving codebreakers.
MacFarlane was so secretive about her role that she allegedly kept her role a secret for more than 30 years. Her grandson, Jamie MacFarlane, celebrated his grandmother's legacy as being one of the only women to be able to use the world-famous Enigma machine.
According to the Scottish Daily Record, she signed the Official Secrets Act and was sworn to secrecy, taking it so seriously that she wouldn't even tell her closest family members. When she shared her involvement years later, her family members were shocked.
One notable teammate of hers was Alan Turing, the codebreaker at the center of the story for the award-winning film The Imitation Game.
Margaret fit the bill
Margaret was a 22-year-old secretary when she was recruited to join the Enigma team, which also successfully broke the codes of the enemy Italian and Japanese forces.
The government was looking for women with good typing and mathematical skills, and Margaret fit the bill.
Tom Jones is dead.
But not that one. Another one.
Tom Jones Dead: 'The Fantasticks' Lyricist and Librettist Was 95 - Variety
Tom Jones, creator of ‘The Fantasticks,' dead at 95
Tom Jones, creator of the longest-running musical ‘The Fantasticks,’ dead at 95
Tom Jones — the lyricist, director and writer of “The Fantasticks,” the longest-running musical in history — has died. He was 95.
Jones died Friday at his home in Sharon, Connecticut, according to Dan Shaheen, a co-producer of “The Fantasticks,” who worked with Jones since the 1980s. The cause was cancer.
Jones, who teamed up with composer Harvey Schmidt on “The Fantasticks” and the Broadway shows “110 in the Shade” and “I Do! I Do!,” was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1998.
“The Fantasticks,” based on an obscure play by Edmond Rostand, doesn’t necessarily have the makings of a hit. The set is just a platform with poles, a curtain and a wooden box.
The tale, a mock version of “Romeo and Juliet,” concerns a young girl and boy, secretly brought together by their fathers, and an assortment of odd characters.
cores of actors have appeared in the show, from the opening cast in 1960 that included Jerry Orbach and Rita Gardner, to stars such as Ricardo Montalban and Kristin Chenoweth, to “Frozen” star Santino Fontana.
The show was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1991.
“So many people have come, and this thing stays the same — the platform, the wooden box, the cardboard moon,” Jones told The Associated Press in 2013. “We just come and do our little thing and then we pass on.”
For nearly 42 years the show chugged along at the 153-seat Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village, finally closing in 2002 after 17,162 performances — a victim both of a destroyed downtown after 9/11 and a new post-terrorism, edgy mood.
In 2006, “The Fantasticks” found a new home in The Snapple Theater Center — later The Theater Center — an off-Broadway complex in the heart of Times Square.
In 2013, the show celebrated reaching 20,000 performances.
It closed in 2017, ending as the longest-running production of any kind in the history of American theater with a total of an astonishing 21,552 performances.
Clarance Avant
The guy was hardly a household name but he was responsible for some wonderful music. RIP.
Clarence Avant: Music industry legend known as the '''Black Godfather''' dies aged 92 - BBC News
(Sir) Michael Parkinson, he of the late night show, interviewing more than 2000 celebrities including some absolute classics, has passed after a short illness, aged 88.Michael Parkinson, broadcaster and talkshow host, dies aged 88 | Television | The Guardian
Music mogul Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records, dies at 88
Jerry Moss, a music industry mogul who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police, the Carpenters and hundreds of other performers, has died at 88.
Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died on Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California, according to a statement released by his family. He died of natural causes, his widow, Tina, told Associated Press.
“They truly don’t make them like him any more and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun,” said the statement. “The twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure.”
For more than 25 years, Alpert and Moss presided over one of the industry’s most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert’s Whipped Cream & Other Delights, Carole King’s Tapestry and Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive! Their label was home to the Carpenters and Cat Stevens, Janet Jackson and Soundgarden, Joe Cocker and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Go’s and Sheryl Crow.
Moss made one of his last public appearances in January when he was honoured with a tribute concert at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. Among the performers were Frampton, Amy Grant and Dionne Warwick, who was not an A&M artist but had been close to Moss from the time he helped promote her music in the early 1960s. While Moss did not speak at the ceremony, many others praised him.
“Herb was the artist and Jerry had the vision. It just changed the face of the record industry,” singer Rita Coolidge said on the event’s red carpet. “Certainly A&M made such a difference and it’s where everybody wanted to be.”
Moss’s surviving family include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children……………….
Music mogul Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records, dies at 88 | Music industry | The Guardian
Ron Cephas Jones
Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us star, dies aged 66 - BBC News
Terry Funk dies, aged 79: Pro wrestling industry pays tribute to hardcore icon
https://library.sportingnews.com/sty...&itok=eQInzj8I(WWE)
Professional wrestling icon Terry Funk has died, aged 79.
The legendary performer, whose career spanned five decades across multiple promotions, had been battling dementia in recent years and living in an assisted living facility.
Funk rose to prominence in the 1970s, competing in Florida and Japan, before becoming a household name in the United States throughout the 1980s.
Originally from Indiana, the Funk family would relocate to Amarillo, Texas and the region would become synonymous with his lengthy pro wrestling career.
With stints across NWA, WCW, ECW and WWF throughout his career, Funk captured multiple world titles and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside his brother Dory in 2009.
AD
But it was Funk's rejuvenation from a traditional southern grappler to an all-out hardcore wrestler that continued to transcend the business, with his battles against the likes of Mick Foley becoming an integral part of wrestling history.
Funk finally retired - for good - in 2017, ending one of the longest careers the industry has seen.
More here ---> Terry Funk dies, aged 79: Pro wrestling industry pays tribute to hardcore icon | Sporting News Australia
And another one...
Former WWE champion Bray Wyatt dies at age 36
play
WWE star Bray Wyatt, known for being one of the most creative minds in professional wrestling who pushed the boundaries with innovative characters, died Thursday at the age of 36, WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced on social media.
Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, had been inactive over the past several months in WWE while dealing with an undisclosed health issue. He had been with WWE since 2009, save for just over a year in 2021 and 2022 when he was surprisingly released. Rotunda returned to WWE last September with much fanfare and a mysterious storyline, including cryptic vignettes, which helped boost television ratings.
"Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda -- also known as Bray Wyatt -- unexpectedly passed earlier today," Levesque wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time."
Windham Rotunda, also known as WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt, has died at age 36. He had been inactive over the last several months in WWE while dealing with an undisclosed health issue. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY SportsRotunda came from a wrestling family. His father Mike gained fame in WWE as Irwin R. Schyster, as well as in other promotions under his real name or Michael Wallstreet. Rotunda's uncle Barry Windham was one of the most highly regarded wrestlers of the 1980s and early 1990s and a former member of the prestigious Four Horsemen stable. Rotunda's brother, Taylor, also wrestles for WWE and in the past used the moniker Bo Dallas.
Windham Rotunda was married to former WWE ring announcer JoJo Offerman. They had two children and Rotunda had two other children from a previous marriage. He was a two-time former WWE Universal champion and former WWE champion.
After starting in WWE's developmental program as the character Husky Harris, Rotunda found himself with Bray Wyatt, a maniacal swampland cult leader who recruited followers with a devilish charm. He and his Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan and the late Luke Harper, whose real name was Jonathan Huber) got popular in NXT, WWE's developmental brand, and came to the WWE main roster with much fanfare in 2014.
Rotunda was known at that point as one of the most gifted performers on the roster, especially when it came to telling a story on the microphone. He started using the catchphrase "follow the buzzards" and the song lyrics "he's got the whole world in his hands." During his entrances, with the arena shrouded in darkness before he appeared holding a lantern, fans would hold up their cellphone lights as his eerie music played.
In 2019, Rotunda reinvented himself as the supernatural character The Fiend, wearing a horror movie mask that was a terrifying facsimile of a clown. Bray Wyatt still existed in kid-friendly skits called Firefly Funhouse, but The Fiend, a dark alter ego, wrestled in his place. These were intricate, creative ideas that Rotunda for the most part came up with himself. The Fiend was polarizing as a character due to its near invulnerability in the ring, but it was an inventive leap and one of the most interesting things on WWE television at the time.
Rotunda returned to WWE last year after being released in 2021 as the former Bray Wyatt, a good-guy character who was apparently haunted by past demons like The Fiend and Uncle Howdy. The storyline was still developing in February when Rotunda disappeared from television due to health issues.
"Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wrote Thursday on X. "Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with the WWE universe. Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling."
Covid 19 vaccine related?
Well, my daddy left home when I was threeQuote:
whose real name was Windham Rotunda
Didn't leave very much to my mom and me
Except this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
What's that ?Quote:
Originally Posted by TizMe
Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden dies aged 72
Rock and blues guitarist amassed one of the most extensive and coveted private guitar collections in the world
Bernie Marsden, original guitarist for the band Whitesnake, has died, according to a statement from his family. He was 72.
Marsden “died peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife, Fran, and daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, by his side”, his family wrote on Instagram. “Bernie never lost his passion for music, writing and recording new songs until the end.”
Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden dies aged 72 | Music | The Guardian
Bob Barker dead at 99.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna42292
“The price is wrong, bitch!”
Happy GIlmore - The Price is Wrong Bitch - YouTube
Now I don't blame him because he ran and hid......Quote:
Originally Posted by TizMe
But the meanest thing that my daddy ever didQuote:
Originally Posted by nidhogg
Was before he left, he went and named me Socal
Jack Sonni, Dire Straights "other guitarist".
Cause of death and obituary of Jack Sonni: how did the guitarist die? - Esajaelina
Mohamed Al Fayed, the Egyptian-born businessman who owned the department store Harrods, has died aged 94.
His death comes almost 26 years to the day after the car crash in Paris that killed his eldest son, Dodi, and Diana, Princess of Wales, on 31 August 1997.
In a statement released by Fulham FC, his family said: “Mrs Mohamed Al Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather, Mohamed, has passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday 30 August 2023.
“He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones. The family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time.”
Fayed was born in Alexandria and was the son of a schoolteacher.
His break in business came after he met his first wife, Samira Khashoggi, the sister of Saudi millionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who employed him in his Saudi Arabian import business.
The role helped him forge new connections in Egypt and he went on to launch his own a shipping business, before becoming an adviser to one of the world’s richest men, the Sultan of Brunei, in 1966.
When he arrived in the UK in the 1960s, he joined the board of the mining conglomerate Lonrho in 1975, but left nine months later. In 1979, with his brother Ali, he bought the Paris Ritz Hotel.
The Fayeds’ next target became Harrods and in 1985, the brothers succeeded in clinching a £615m takeover bid of the store in Knightsbridge.
He retained ownership of the store after the Frasers group entered public trading until 2010, when he sold it to Qatar Holding. The businessman also resurrected the satirical magazine Punch.
In 1997 he bought Fulham football club in west London for £6.25m and famously invited Michael Jackson to watch a game at Craven Cottage.
In 1999, Fayed agreed for the club’s manager, Kevin Keegan, to take over as the England national team manager. Fayed sold the club to billionaire businessman Shahid Khan in 2013.
Khan said on Friday evening: “On behalf of everyone at Fulham Football Club, I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohamed Al Fayed upon the news of his passing at age 94.
“The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on the positive impact of Al Fayed as chairman. His legacy will be remembered for our promotion to the Premier League, a Europa League final, and moments of magic by players and teams alike.
“I always enjoyed my time with Al Fayed, who was wise, colourful and committed to Fulham, and I am forever grateful for his trust in me to succeed him as chairman in 2013.
“I join our supporters around the world in celebrating the memory of Mohamed Al Fayed, whose legacy will always be at the heart of our tradition at Fulham Football Club.”
The entrepreneur is known for his involvement in the cash-for-questions scandal in 1994, which saw MPs resign after failing to declare that they had been paid by the Egyptian to ask questions in parliament.
He approached the Guardian with the allegations in 1994, and the affair led to the resignation of MP Tim Smith as a Northern Ireland minister
Another MP, Neil Hamilton, was found to have accepted bribes, including a holiday at the Ritz and a free shopping spree at Harrods. Hamilton did not stand down, lost a libel case he lodged against Al Fayed, and lost his seat at the 1997 general election.
Fayed married the Finnish socialite and former model Heini Wathén in 1985, with whom he had four children: Jasmine, Karim, Camilla, and Omar.
The billionaire fought a long-running campaign after the deaths of Dodi and Diana, alleging that the crash was not an accident and that it had been orchestrated by the British security services.
However, French police concluded that it was an accident, caused in part by speeding and by the high alcohol level in driver Henri Paul’s blood. In 2006, a Metropolitan police inquiry led by Lord Stevens found no evidence to back up claims that the security services were involved in any way.
Al Fayed became a friend of Diana through his sponsorship of charities and events attended by royal family members. The billionaire’s relationship with the royal family was recently depicted in season five of The Crown, where he was played by Salim Daw.
He set up the Al Fayed Charitable Foundation in 1987 to better the lives of impoverished, traumatised and very sick youngsters.
Al Fayed fell out with the British government over its refusal to grant him citizenship of the country that was his home for decades, and threatened to move to France, which gave him the Legion of Honour, its highest civilian award.
Mohamed Al Fayed, former Harrods and Fulham FC owner, dies aged 94 | Harrods | The Guardian
Jack Sonni, Former Dire Straits Guitarist, Dead at 68
Jack Sonni, The ‘Other Guitar Player’ In Dire Straits, Dies at 68
Jack Sonni, the ex-guitar player with Dire Straits, whose contributions can be heard on the band’s 1985 release Brothers In Arms, one of the U.K.’s all-time best-selling albums, died Wednesday (Aug. 30). He was 68.
Born Dec. 9, 1954 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Sonni’s passion for music began at a young age, when he learned various instruments, including piano, trumpet and the six-string, which he mastered.
Sonni furthered his career with a relocation to New York, and he’d make his mark in the history books as the “other guitar player in Dire Straits,” a reference he was happy to share on his official biography.
Dire Straits’ lead guitarist is, of course, frontman Mark Knopfler, widely recognized by his peers as one of the finest to ever play the instrument. The two axemen reportedly met in a guitar shop, after which Sonni was invited to record parts for the band’s fifth studio album.
The result was Brothers In Arms, which led the Official U.K. Albums Chart for 14 weeks, and reigned over the Billboard 200 for nine weeks. The album smashed records around the world, shifting an estimated 30 million copies worldwide, and won two Grammys (best music video, short form for the title track, and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for the Billboard Hot 100 leader “Money For Nothing”).
When the rockers embarked on a major world tour in support, Sonni wore a distinctive red coat. That tour, too, was a record-setter. In Australia, fans bought more than 950,000 tickets, a record that stood for decades.
Sonni played guitar synthesizer on album cut “The Man’s Too Strong” and performed on stage with the band for the Wembley Stadium leg of the historic 1985 Live Aid concerts.
Following the birth of his daughters, Sonni calling time as on his career as a musician in 1988, instead pivoting to marketing. He went on serve as vice president of marketing for Guitar Center, a role that kept him connected with his beloved instrument.
Writing on his official site, Sonni described himself as “a writer, musician, nomadic raconteur, father and grandfather who has taken to heart the reality in the hard-learned lesson that life is short.” In life, he embraced the philosophy to “live well and live now” in pursuit of “creating memorable moments with friends and family”.
When the rockers embarked on a major world tour in support, Sonni wore a distinctive red coat. That tour, too, was a record-setter. In Australia, fans bought more than 950,000 tickets, a record that stood for decades.
Sonni played guitar synthesizer on album cut “The Man’s Too Strong” and performed on stage with the band for the Wembley Stadium leg of the historic 1985 Live Aid concerts.
Following the birth of his daughters, Sonni calling time as on his career as a musician in 1988, instead pivoting to marketing. He went on serve as vice president of marketing for Guitar Center, a role that kept him connected with his beloved instrument.
Writing on his official site, Sonni described himself as “a writer, musician, nomadic raconteur, father and grandfather who has taken to heart the reality in the hard-learned lesson that life is short.” In life, he embraced the philosophy to “live well and live now” in pursuit of “creating memorable moments with friends and family”.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dirk diggler
Focus!Quote:
Originally Posted by S Landreth
no justice was given on your post
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