OBITS

[resigned]

Thanks resigned, I was very sad to wake up to this news this morning. I thought she was a lovely lady and a fine actor. She brought a lot of laughter into the world. Kind thoughts to her family and loved ones and a thank you to Beatrice 'Bea' Arthur for the many smiles you brought to me.

I echo your sentiments. She had a great and very bawdy sense of humor. She has been a hoot in recent years doing a TV Land parody of Sex and the City (she's Carrie) and the Pam Anderson Roast on Comedy Central......here is nice compilation of photos of her over the years....many that I've never seen before. (no embedding link available)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apk_ymHWr94


---------

eta:


Bea Arthur leaves $300k to Ali Forney Center
Organization provides shelter and services to LGBT homeless youth

From Washington Blade staff reports
Oct 27 2009, 3:34 PM

Late "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur has left $300,000 of her estate to the Ali Forney Center, an organization that supports homeless LGBT youth, according to a press release from the organization.


"We work with hundreds of young people who are rejected by their families because of who they are. We are overwhelmed with gratitude that Bea saw that LGBT youth deserve as much love and support as any other young person, and that she placed so much value in the work we do to protect them, and to help them rebuild their lives." says Executive Director Carl Siciliano.


The Ali Forney Center, which began in 2002, offers emergency shelter to homeless LGBT in sites scattered throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. It also operates two drop-in centers that offer food, clothing, medical and mental health treatment, HIV testing, treatment and prevention services, and vocational and educational assistance.


One of the Ali Forney Center's transitional residences is named for Bea Arthur.

http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thel ... g_id=27813

[Seraph]

I echo your sentiments. She had a great and very bawdy sense of humor. She has been a hoot in recent years doing a TV Land parody of Sex and the City (she's Carrie) and the Pam Anderson Roast on Comedy Central......here is nice compilation of photos of her over the years....many that I've never seen before. (no embedding link available)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apk_ymHWr94

Thanks resigned, what a striking woman, always stylish. Loved her sense of humour, very quick witted. She will be sadly missed but remembered with great affection.

[gwen]

I agree. She was a class act and I loved her sense of humor. She will be greatly missed.

[SavannahStar]

My parents had only moved to FL in their retirement not too many years before The Golden Girls began (1985). I was still living in VA. I remember SO well my mom telling me about the show, just raving about it. She would be laughing so hard. I guess being new to FL and retirement they related to those young-at-heart and funny Golden Girls! I started watching it and at that time they seemed "old" (hahahaha, they sure don't now!), but I had to admit the show was so comical. And so "risque" for that time. It was such a grand, classic comedy sitcom! Not more than several weeks ago I happened upon some re-runs on one of the channels. I really LMAO all over again!!!!!!!!

[resigned]

Las Vegas Strip performer Danny Gans dead at 52



By KEN RITTER, AP
Fri May 1, 6:21 PM EDT

Singer-actor-impressionist Danny Gans, who spent more than a decade as one of the most popular entertainers in Las Vegas, died Friday. He was 52.

Gans was pronounced dead in his bed shortly after police and paramedics were summoned to a report of a man not breathing at Gans' home about 3:45 a.m., said police spokesman Todd Rasmussen.

Foul play was not suspected, Rasmussen said. A Clark County coroner's spokeswoman said an autopsy was pending, and Rasmussen said police were investigating "according to standard procedure."

Gans' manager and longtime friend, Chip Lightman, said Gans was in good health but slept poorly after Wednesday's show and took a nap late Thursday afternoon, a day off. He stayed in bed into the evening, and his wife, Julie, summoned police when she couldn't rouse him after 3 a.m.

"This makes no sense," said Lightman, who said Gans didn't use illegal drugs, didn't smoke and had no apparent medical issues. "I managed him 18 years and health was never an issue."

Lightman described Gans, who had a bit part as third baseman Deke in the 1988 baseball film "Bull Durham," as an energetic health nut who watched his diet, loved to perform, and relished his involvement in Las Vegas area fundraisers and philanthropic causes.

Gans was mourned by two Las Vegas entertainment legends, Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn.

Like Gans and Wayne Newton, the careers of the German duo became synonymous with Las Vegas after they brought their acts to the Strip.

"We were blessed to be touched by his generous spirit, kind heart and insurmountable talent," Siegfried & Roy said in a statement.

Daniel Davies Gans grew up in Torrance, Calif., met his wife in college in San Luis Obispo, and parlayed a comedy and impression routine he developed on bus rides as a minor league baseball player into a fledgling entertainment career, Lightman said.

"Danny at that time was just a fun guy on the bus," he said.

After Gans hurt his leg playing baseball, he made a first comedy club appearance on a dare. It worked, and he began honing his routine as a variety show performer in Palm Desert, Calif., before touring the country as a banquet performer for business groups.

In 1995, Gans began a one-man show, "Danny Gans on Broadway: The Man of Many Voices," at the Neil Simon Theater in New York.

"A hardworking, eager-to-please entertainer who does rapid-fire imitations of show-biz personalities ranging from Tony Bennett to Al Pacino to Sarah Vaughan," AP Drama Critic Michael Kuchwara said of Gans in a review.

"He's fun — if you like your impressions in 60-second doses."

Gans' dexterity switching through the voices of John Travolta, Clint Eastwood, Rodney Dangerfield, Wayne Newton, Woody Allen, Robin Leach, Bill Cosby and others in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" impressed Kuchwara, who characterized Gans' humor as "the cozy comedy of ... nudge-nudge, wink-wink reaction."

The reviewer said a duet between Kermit the Frog and Jimmy Stewart made "a great twosome."

Officials at Wynn Resorts, where Gans had performed four nights a week at the 1,500-seat Encore Theater since Feb. 10, and at The Mirage, where he performed from April 2000 to November 2008, said they were stunned by Gans' sudden death.

"The loss of Danny to his wife Julie, his children Amy, Andrew and Emily is at this moment impossible to comprehend," said Steve Wynn, who installed Gans as a headliner when he owned The Mirage and hired him again to perform at Encore, a sister property to the Wynn Las Vegas.

The large electronic marquee in front of the Encore posted Gans' photograph and the message: "Our friend forever, Danny Gans. 1956-2009."

Gans worked his way up in Las Vegas, after deciding to leave Broadway in 1997 to be closer to his family in Flintridge, Calif., Lightman said.

He become a headliner at the Stratosphere hotel-casino, and the next year went to the Rio hotel-casino before Wynn brought him to The Mirage on the Strip.

"This town allowed Danny to go home and be with his family every night and not be on the road," Lightman said. "That meant the world to him, it really did. And Las Vegas embraced him and made him a household name."

Gans held a pro-am golf tournament to raise money for the Danny Gans Junior Golf Academy, which finances golf programs for children, and helped raise some $250,000 to build the Lili Claire Family Resource Center to promote awareness of Williams Syndrome and other neurogenetic disorders and birth defects. Gans also hosted an annual 5K run and children's walk in Henderson to benefit the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Lightman said Gans was excited in recent weeks about plans to shoot a music video to accompany a compact disc he was recording, using several voices to sing the song "What a Wonderful World," made famous by Louis Armstrong.

"It's got Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, George Burns as the voice of `God,' Kermit the Frog, and closes with Louie Armstrong," Lightman said.

Lightman said it was among Gans' favorite songs.

"It was something he was so proud of," he said.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/enterta ... anny.Gans/

[olympic]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tragedy struck NBC's pilot "Parenthood" on Wednesday night when network drama vice president Nora O'Brien died unexpectedly on the Berkeley, Calif., set of the show starring Peter Krause, Maura Tierney and Erika Christensen.

According to sources, O'Brien, a six-year NBC Universal veteran, died of a brain aneurysm. She was 42.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of our beloved colleague Nora, who was respected and cherished by so many people in the entertainment community," NBC Universal said in a statement. "She'll truly be missed by all of us."

NBC, which is set to unveil its fall schedule to advertisers Monday, canceled all pilot screenings slated for Thursday. Production on "Parenthood" has been shut down for two days.
According to the Contra Costa Times, O'Brien, who was single, had been in the Bay Area for the past few weeks as part of a film crew shooting the pilot for "Parenthood," based on the 1989 movie. Several locations in southern Marin County have been used for filming.

O'Brien complained of dizziness and collapsed at about 9:20 p.m. She was pronounced dead shortly before 10 p.m. at Marin General Hospital, the newspaper said.

O'Brien came to NBC in January 2008, when she was named VP drama programing for Universal Media Studios, which merged with the network in December. At the studio, she worked on the upcoming NBC drama series "The Philanthropist," among other projects.

O'Brien joined NBC from sister cable network Sci Fi, where she served as VP original programing for four years. There, she developed episodic and longform programs, including the miniseries "The Lost Room," and worked as a programing executive on "Stargate" and "Stargate Atlantis."

Sci Fi executive vice president Mark Stern remembered that O'Brien was one of the first executives he brought over to the cable network, having earlier crossed paths with her during the postproduction of a movie.

"What was clear from the start was that she had a great passion, she was very smart and insightful, had great taste and aptitude for development and production, and her thoughts on the material were spot-on," Stern said. "But the most amazing thing about her was her integrity. She fought for what she believed in, and she didn't tolerate dishonesty or a lot of the bull this business can throw at you. She believed in being a straight-up honest person, and that's why so many people were touched by her and are devastated by her loss."

Before Sci Fi, O'Brien worked for five years as VP television at Trilogy Entertainment Group, overseeing development and current programing. The Boston College graduate began her career as an associate producer for Reunion Prods. in Boston, where she wrote and produced documentary films.

Plans for a memorial service are yet to be announced.

[olympic]

In this image released by NBC Universal, executive Nora O'Brien is shown. NBC announced Friday, May 1, 2009, that O'Brien, 44, died Wednesday, April 29, after collapsing in Berkeley, Calif., on the set of a TV series in development for the network.

[gwen]

David Cook: My Brother Was a Great Man



David Cook learned that his brother Adam died hours before the Idol champ was scheduled to take part in the Race for Hope in Washington, D.C. – but says that despite the devastating news, he never thought of pulling out. Instead, he wanted to participate in tribute to his late brother.

"My brother never wanted his illness to affect others," Cook, 26, writes on his Celebrity MySpace page. "That was evident in the fact that he wanted his illness to have no part in my experience on Idol, a point he was quite adamant about. So, with that wish in mind, I ran and was involved with the event as an homage to him."

Cook announced the news of his brother Adam's death at the event on Sunday. The 5K race benefited the National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure.


Thanks Fans
"I want to again thank everyone who donated to the race and continues to donate, sent a kind email, posted thoughts and prayers, called, etc," Cook continues. "I take it as affirmation that my brother was the great man that I knew, and whose ideals I constantly try to uphold in myself. It is with those ideals in tow that I vow to continue to speak out in hopes of raising whatever necessary to help eliminate cancer entirely."

In keeping with his brother's wish that his cancer battle not interfere with Cook's career, the singer says he is forging ahead with a tour. (He will reschedule a show in Toledo, Ohio, originally slated for May 6.)

Acknowledging his fans and their unwavering support, Cook writes, "Thank you to everyone for allowing us, as a family, to grieve and come to terms privately. This event has shown me, beyond doubt, that I have the greatest people in my life, family, friends, and fans alike, and for that, I can never offer enough thanks."

A private funeral is set for Thursday for Adam, who is survived by wife Kendra and their two children.

"It's been a really tough day for Kendra and for the family," said family spokeswoman Julie Henricks. "Even though they know it's coming, it's still hard."

[woebedamned]

Actor Dom DeLuise, who starred in such comedy classics "The Cannonball Run" and "Blazing Saddles," died at a Los Angeles hospital Monday night, according to a report on TMZ.com.

DeLuise, 75, may best be known for his role in "Fatso" where he played a man constantly struggling with his weight until he meets his dream girl.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/ne ... 3153.story

[resigned]

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Dom DeLuise

August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009


R.I.P.

[gwen]

Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist 'Ean' Evans dead at 48


COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - Bassist Donald "Ean" Evans of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died of cancer at his home in Mississippi.

Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said Evans died Wednesday. He was 48.

A statement posted on lynyrdskynyrd.com said, "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of longtime Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans. Ean put up a valiant battle with an aggressive form of cancer and he will be sorely missed by family, friends and fans."

Evans was born in Atlanta, but moved to Columbus in eastern Mississippi after marrying his wife, Eva. He joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2001 and had been touring regularly with the band until being diagnosed with cancer in 2008, when he cut back on performances with the band.

Survivors include his wife and two daughters.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

Mike Chain, a local guitarist who was close friends with Evans, told The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus, Miss., that Evans was always a dreamer with a "big heart."

"He was just one of those guys who was always a dreamer and always seeing ahead," Chain said. "And he was the most positive person I've ever met."

The Jacksonville-based band was formed in 1966 by a group of high school students; famously, it took its name from a physical education teacher they disliked, Leonard Skinner.

They released their first album, "Pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd." It became one of the South's most popular rock groups and gained national fame with such hits as "Free Bird,""What's Your Name" and especially "Sweet Home Alabama," which reached the top 10 on the charts in 1974. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

The band was shattered on Oct. 20, 1977, when their chartered plane crashed in a swamp near McComb, Miss. The crash claimed the lives of six people, including the band's lead singer Ronnie Van Zant.

And in 2001, bassist Leon Wilkeson died in his sleep in a hotel room near Jacksonville, Fla.

Chain said he was with Evans the night he got hired by the band.

"We were spending New Year's Eve together when this Skynyrd thing was happening," Chain said. "It didn't look like it was going to happen. But he just set his feet in the ground ... and was ready to stand up and fly to the moon. And he did."


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090507/D981KCQ81.html

[Fashionista]

<center>

Actor Stanley Tucci’s Wife, Kate Tucci, Dies Of Cancer



.

[resigned]

Coroner: Danny Gans died accidentally


By KEN RITTER, AP

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans' death was accidental, caused by a prescription painkiller, a coroner said Tuesday.

Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said an autopsy, toxicology and microscopic samples showed the 52-year-old Gans died from toxic levels of hydromorphone. The opiate drug is used to treat chronic pain, which Gans suffered from, Murphy said.

Murphy said Gans had heart disease caused by high blood pressure — which makes the heart work overtime and left him more susceptible to heart irregularities. Gans also had a condition (polycythemia) that results in too many red blood cells, Murphy said.

"Mr. Gans' health conditions placed him at greater risk for heart irregularities, and the hydromorphone was a factor in exacerbating those risks," Murphy said.

Gans was found dead in bed at home in Henderson early May 1 after his wife, Julie, reported she couldn't rouse him.

Upon Gans' death, his manager Chip Lightman described Gans as someone who watched his diet, loved to perform and relished his involvement in Las Vegas area fundraisers and philanthropic causes.

"I managed him 18 years and health was never an issue," Lightman told The Associated Press at the time. "Danny lived a good, clean Christian life. He was not a drug user. He would have a glass of wine because they say red wine is good for you. He didn't smoke."

On Tuesday, Lightman said: "Everyone knew he had two shoulder surgeries and excruciating back problems."

He attributed Gans' pain to injuries dating back to his years playing baseball.

A one-time minor league baseball player, Gans was a singer-actor-impressionist who spent more than a decade working his way to top billing at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.

His show brought impressions in rapid-fire succession — Tony Bennett, Al Pacino, Sarah Vaughan, Clint Eastwood, Rodney Dangerfield, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Kermit the Frog, Jimmy Stewart.

A May 21 memorial drew about 1,000 guests at the Encore.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/enterta ... anny.Gans/

[Isanah]

Resigned posted in Sticky thread:

Coroner: Danny Gans died accidentally


By KEN RITTER, AP

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans' death was accidental, caused by a prescription painkiller, a coroner said Tuesday.

Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said an autopsy, toxicology and microscopic samples showed the 52-year-old Gans died from toxic levels of hydromorphone. The opiate drug is used to treat chronic pain, which Gans suffered from, Murphy said.

Murphy said Gans had heart disease caused by high blood pressure — which makes the heart work overtime and left him more susceptible to heart irregularities. Gans also had a condition (polycythemia) that results in too many red blood cells, Murphy said.

"Mr. Gans' health conditions placed him at greater risk for heart irregularities, and the hydromorphone was a factor in exacerbating those risks," Murphy said.

Gans was found dead in bed at home in Henderson early May 1 after his wife, Julie, reported she couldn't rouse him.

Upon Gans' death, his manager Chip Lightman described Gans as someone who watched his diet, loved to perform and relished his involvement in Las Vegas area fundraisers and philanthropic causes.

"I managed him 18 years and health was never an issue," Lightman told The Associated Press at the time. "Danny lived a good, clean Christian life. He was not a drug user. He would have a glass of wine because they say red wine is good for you. He didn't smoke."

On Tuesday, Lightman said: "Everyone knew he had two shoulder surgeries and excruciating back problems."

He attributed Gans' pain to injuries dating back to his years playing baseball.

A one-time minor league baseball player, Gans was a singer-actor-impressionist who spent more than a decade working his way to top billing at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.

His show brought impressions in rapid-fire succession — Tony Bennett, Al Pacino, Sarah Vaughan, Clint Eastwood, Rodney Dangerfield, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Kermit the Frog, Jimmy Stewart.

A May 21 memorial drew about 1,000 guests at the Encore.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/enterta ... anny.Gans/




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I just read somewhere that the doc whom prescribed and administered a pain killer injection hours prior to his death said it was more related to marijuana intoxication! Yeah, right. That is the poorest CYA defense that I have ever heard. Apparently, he was the one to find him the next morning unconscious in bed. No it wasn't the narcotic, it was that last joint he smoked! I suppose the pot may not have helped any, but it damn sure wasn't the predominant reason he died!

[gwen]

Mia Farrow’s brother found dead in art gallery
He was found late Monday by police responding to an emergency call


CASTLETON, Vt. - The brother of actress Mia Farrow has been found dead in his Vermont art gallery, and police say his death is suspicious.

Sixty-six-year-old sculptor Patrick Farrow was found late Monday by police responding to an emergency call from the Farrow Gallery in Castleton, a small town near the New York border. A woman there had called asking for help.

An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of Farrow’s death. Police says they won’t release additional information until it’s complete.

Vermont State Police Lt. Timothy Oliver called the death suspicious in a written statement Tuesday. He won’t say why. He hasn’t returned a telephone call seeking details.

The Farrow Gallery is described on its Web site as selling jewelry and mixed-media works of art. It’s owned and operated by Farrow and his wife, artist Susan Farrow.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31394545/ns ... lebrities/

[Fashionista]

<center>TV Legend Ed McMahon Dies





</center>

Television legend and longtime 'Tonight Show' sidekick Ed McMahon has passed away, NBC is reporting. He was 86 years old. McMahon died shortly after midnight at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. His publicist Howard Bragman didn't give a cause of death, but said Ed had a "multitude of health problems the last few months."

<center>


.

[AC]

Police: TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at home


TAMPA (AP) — Tampa police say Billy Mays, the television pitchman known for his boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean, has died. He was 50.

Authorities say Mays was pronounced dead Sunday morning after being found by his wife at home. There were no signs of a break-in, and investigators do not suspect foul play. The coroner's office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon.

Mays' wife, Deborah Mays, says the family doesn't expect to make any public statements and asked for privacy.

Mays was also featured on the reality TV show Pitchmen on the Discovery Channel, which followed Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their marketing jobs.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television ... mays_N.htm.

[Fashionista]

<center>OxiClean pitchman, Billy Mays, dead at 50


</center>


- Update June 28, 12:30 PM


It was reported on MSNBC that TV pitchman Billy Mays has died today. Mays was 50 years old.

Billy Mays was perhaps best known for the OxiClean commercials he appeared in. He was recognizable not only by his beard and blue shirt, but by his "yelling" delivery of his product pitches.

He was found dead this morning by his wife in their Florida home. Police report no signs of a break-in or foul play.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death on Monday afternoon.

The family is not expected to make a public statement and they have asked for privacy.


http://www.examiner.com/x-3035-Everyday ... 50--Update




```````````````````````


"The Web site TMZ.com is reporting that Mays was struck in the head by something that fell from a luggage rack during a rough landing Saturday aboard a U.S. Airways flight.

The plane’s front tire blew out after the jet touched down.

Fox told a Tampa TV station something struck him in the head, TMZ reported.

He reportedly wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time of the landing."



http://www.kwtx.com/nationalnews/headli ... 82987.html



.

[Fashionista]

<center>Fred Travalena Passes Away</center>


Posted on June 29th, 2009 3:21 PM
Fred Travalena, the Las Vegas cutup and late-night TV stalwart known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces," died Sunday at age 66 after a long battle with cancer.

According to news reports, Fred Travalena passed away at his Encino, Calif., home from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with in 2002.

He also was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003, after which the funnyman spent five years in remission before the lymphoma returned last July.



<center></center>

Travalena's master mimicry ran the fame gamut from Frank Sinatra, Jack Nicholson, Bugs Bunny, Dr. Ruth, Clint Eastwood and Bruce Springsteen to presidents like JFK and Richard Nixon. He boasted of having nearly 400 voices in his repertoire.

Fred was featured on shows ranging from The Jetsons and Scooby-Doo to The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, The Late Show With David Letterman and The New Hollywood Squares. He also made appearances on Love Boat and Fantasy Island.

Fred Travalena is survived by his wife of 39 years, Lois, two sons and a granddaughter.



.

[gwen]

Billy Mays: Autopsy Says Heart Disease Killed TV Pitchman
Mays 911 Call: 'It's Too Late,' a Voice Says to Operator

Autopsy results released today indicate that famously bearded TV pitchman Billy Mays' death was not caused by head trauma but, rather, a heart problem, according to Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Dr. Vernard Adams.

The results, available on the same day that authorities released dramatic 911 calls from the family home the night of his death, showed he had an enlarged heart, with officials saying they would perform toxicology tests but that there was "no indication of drug abuse."

Adams said Mays was taking the prescription painkillers Tramadol and hydrocodone for hip pain, and that pill counts showed he had been taking the correct dosages.

The autopsy results for the salesman with the recognizable voice who was known for hawking products like Orange Glo and OxiClean, noted extensive heart disease and muscular thickening of the left ventricle. But authorities are withholding the cause of death until all tests are complete. No clots were found, officials said.

Mays' wife, Deborah Mays, discovered her 50-year-old husband unresponsive Sunday in the family's Tampa, Fla., home.

A 911 recording captured a distraught woman, presumably Deborah Mays, saying she woke up next to Mays. "I went to roll him over and his lips are all purple," the woman said. "And he's cold."

She said Mays wasn't awake or breathing.

The operator tried to talk the woman through CPR, by first having her move Mays to the floor. But a man on the phone told the operator, "It's too late. He's gone."

"I cannot move him. He's all rigid," he said on the emergency recording.

Mays had returned to his Florida home a day before his death after shooting a commercial.

Deborah Mays found him dead after Mays complained of not feeling well when he went to bed at about 10 that night.

"Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days," she said in a statement Sunday. "Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."

Initially, some drew comparisons between the "As Seen on TV" salesman's death andactress Natasha Richardson's. Mays had been a passenger Saturday on a US Airways flight from Philadelphia that blew its front tires while landing, causing him to hit his head. The airplane landed at Tampa International Airport and left debris on the runway.

He was able to get up, walk away and seemed fine, not unlike Richardson after her skiing accident earlier this year.

Mays Talked About Bump on Head
"All of a sudden, as we hit ... it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping," Mays told a local news affiliate after getting off the plane. "It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

Authorities were skeptical of a connection. "Trying to link Billy Mays' untimely death to the emergency landing of the US Airways flight would purely be speculation," said Laura McElroy of the Tampa Police Department. US Airways said no passengers or crew members were injured during the landing.

Besides his wife, Mays is survived by a 3-year-old daughter and a stepson in his 20s, police said.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7955223&page=1

[gwen]

Friends, Family Gather For Ed McMahon Funeral

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
Friends and family gathered to pay their final respects to Ed McMahon on Sunday in Los Angeles, Access Hollywood has confirmed.

Approximately 200 guests attended the memorial service for the longtime “Tonight Show” sidekick, which was held at the Church of the Hills at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries in the Hollywood Hills.

Among the celebrities in attendance were Jimmy Kimmel, Natalie Cole, Tony Danza and music mogul David Foster.

Johnny Carson’s widow, Joanna Carson, was also on hand.

The service featured an emotional serenade by Cole, who sang her song “Smile,” accompanied by Foster.

McMahon’s wife, Pamela, along with his children and grandchildren, spoke during the service.

The TV legend died on June 23 at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, Calif.

According to McMahon’s publicist, Howard Bragman, the 86-year-old was surrounded by his family and his wife when he passed away.

A cause of death has yet to be announced, but Bragman said McMahon suffered from a “multitude of health problems the last few months.”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/friends- ... icle_19900

[resigned]

Johnny Carson’s widow, Joanna Carson, was also on hand.

Joanna (Holland) Carson was one of Johnny Carson's ex-wives(1972–1985).

Alexis (Maas) Carson was his widow. (married 1987).

----
Ed McMahon

Rest in Peace

[Fashionista]

Actor Karl Malden, who won an Oscar in 1951 for "A Streetcar Named Desire," has died at 97, his manager says

<center></center>

Karl Malden, the Academy Award-winning actor whose intelligent characterizations on stage and screen made him a star despite his plain looks, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 97.

Malden died of natural causes surrounded by his family at his Brentwood home, they told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He served as the academy's president from 1989-92.

While he tackled a variety of characters over the years, he was often seen in working-class garb or military uniform. His authenticity in grittier roles came naturally: He was the son of a Czech mother and a Serbian father, and worked for a time in the steel mills of Gary, Indiana, after dropping out of college.

Malden said he got his celebrated bulbous nose when he broke it a couple of times playing basketball or football, joking that he was "the only actor in Hollywood whose nose qualifies him for handicapped parking."

Malden won a supporting actor Oscar in 1951 for his role as Blanche DuBois' naive suitor Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire" — a role he also played on Broadway.

He was nominated again in 1954 for his performance as Father Corrigan, a fearless, friend-of-the-workingman priest in "On the Waterfront." In both movies, he costarred with Marlon Brando.

Among Malden's more than 50 film credits were: "Patton," in which he played Gen. Omar Bradley, "Pollyanna," "Fear Strikes Out," "The Sting II," "Bombers B-52," "Cheyenne Autumn," and "All Fall Down."

One of his most controversial films was "Baby Doll" in 1956, in which he played a dullard husband whose child bride is exploited by a businessman. It was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency for what was termed its "carnal suggestiveness." The story was by "Streetcar" author Tennessee Williams.

Malden gained perhaps his greatest fame as Lt. Mike Stone in the 1970s television show "The Streets of San Francisco," in which Michael Douglas played the veteran detective's junior partner.

During the same period, Malden gained a lucrative 21-year sideline and a place in pop culture with his "Don't leave home without them" ads for American Express.

"The Streets of San Francisco" earned him five Emmy nominations. He won one for his role as a murder victim's father out to bring his former son-in-law to justice in the 1985 miniseries "Fatal Vision."

Malden played Barbra Streisand's stepfather in the 1987 film "Nuts;" Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. in the 1988 TV film "My Father, My Son;" and Leon Klinghoffer, the cruise ship passenger murdered by terrorists in 1985, in the 1989 TV film "The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro."

He acted sparingly in recent years, appearing in 2000 in a small role on TV's "The West Wing."

In 2004, Malden received the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award, telling the group in his acceptance speech that "this is the peak for me."

Malden first gained prominence on Broadway in the late 1930s, making his debut in "Golden Boy" by Clifford Odets. It was during this time that he met Elia Kazan, who later was to direct him in "Streetcar" and "Waterfront."

He steadily gained more prominent roles, with time out for service in the Army in World War II (and a role in an Army show, "Winged Victory.")

"A Streetcar Named Desire" opened on Broadway in 1947 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle awards. Brando's breakthrough performance might have gotten most of the attention, but Malden did not want for praise. Once critic called him "one of the ablest young actors extant."

Among his other stage appearances were "Key Largo," "Winged Victory," Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," "The Desperate Hours," and "The Egghead."

Malden was known for his meticulous preparation, studying a script carefully long before he stepped into his role.

"I not only figure out my own interpretation of the role, but try to guess other approaches that the director might like. I prepare them, too," he said in a 1962 Associated Press interview. "That way, I can switch in the middle of a scene with no sweat."

"There's no such thing as an easy job, not if you do it right," he added.

He was born Mladen Sekulovich in Chicago on March 22, 1912. Malden regretted that in order to become an actor he had to change his name. He insisted that Fred Gwynne's character in "On the Waterfront" be named Sekulovich to honor his heritage.

The family moved to Gary, Indiana, when he was small. He quit his steel job 1934 to study acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre "because I wasn't getting anywhere in the mills," he recalled.

"When I told my father, he said, `Are you crazy? You want to give up a good job in the middle of the Depression?' Thank god for my mother. She said to give it a try."

Malden and his wife, Mona, a fellow acting student at the Goodman, had one of Hollywood's longest marriages, having celebrated their 70th anniversary in December.

Besides his wife, Malden is survived by daughters Mila and Cara, his sons-in-law, three granddaughters, and four great grandchildren.



.

[annie13]

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.as ... &GT1=28101

July 1, 2009, 2:37 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Karl Malden, the Academy Award-winning actor whose intelligent characterizations on stage and screen made him a star despite his plain looks, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 97.

Malden died of natural causes surrounded by his family at his Brentwood home, they told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He served as the academy's president from 1989-92.

While he tackled a variety of characters over the years, he was often seen in working-class garb or military uniform. His authenticity in gr
grittier roles came naturally: He was the son of a Czech mother and a Serbian father, and worked for a time in the steel mills of Gary, Indiana, after dropping out of college.

Malden said he got his celebrated bulbous nose when he broke it a couple of times playing basketball or football, joking that he was "the only actor in Hollywood whose nose qualifies him for handicapped parking."

Malden won a supporting actor Oscar in 1951 for his role as Blanche DuBois' naive suitor Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire" — a role he also played on Broadway.

He was nominated again in 1954 for his performance as Father Corrigan, a fearless, friend-of-the-workin gman priest in "On the Waterfront." In both movies, he costarred with Marlon Brando.

Among Malden's more than 50 film credits were: "Patton," in which he played Gen. Omar Bradley, "Pollyanna," "Fear Strikes Out," "The Sting II," "Bombers B-52," "Cheyenne Autumn," and "All Fall Down."

One of his most controversial films was "Baby Doll" in 1956, in which he played a dullard husband whose child bride is exploited by a businessman. It was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency for what was termed its "carnal suggestiveness." The story was by "Streetcar" author Tennessee Williams.

Malden gained perhaps his greatest fame as Lt. Mike Stone in the 1970s television show "The Streets of San Francisco," in which Michael Douglas played the veteran detective's junior partner.

During the same period, Malden gained a lucrative 21-year sideline and a place in pop culture with his "Don't leave home without them" ads for American Express.

"The Streets of San Francisco" earned him five Emmy nominations. He won one for his role as a murder victim's father out to bring his former son-in-law to justice in the 1985 miniseries "Fatal Vision."

Malden played Barbra Streisand's stepfather in the 1987 film "Nuts;" Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. in the 1988 TV film "My Father, My Son;" and
Leon Klinghoffer, the cruise ship passenger murdered by terrorists in 1985, in the 1989 TV film "The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro."

He acted sparingly in recent years, appearing in 2000 in a small role on TV's "The West Wing."

In 2004, Malden received the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award, telling the group in his acceptance speech that "this is the peak for me."

Malden first gained prominence on Broadway in the late 1930s, making his debut in "Golden Boy" by Clifford Odets. It was during this time that he met Elia Kazan, who later was to direct him in "Streetcar" and "Waterfront."

He steadily gained more prominent roles, with time out for service in the Army in World War II (and a role in an Army show, "Winged Victory.")

"A Streetcar Named Desire" opened on Broadway in 1947 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle awards. Brando's breakthrough
performance might have gotten most of the attention, but Malden did not want for praise. Once critic called him "one of the ablest young actors extant."

Among his other stage appearances were "Key Largo," "Winged Victory," Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," "The Desperate Hours," and "The Egghead."

Malden was known for his meticulous preparation, studying a script carefully long before he stepped into his role.

"I not only figure out my own interpretation of the role, but try to guess other approaches that the director might like. I prepare them, too," he said in a 1962 Associated Press interview. "That way, I can switch in the middle of a scene with no sweat."

"There's no such thing as an easy job, not if you do it right," he added.

He was born Mladen Sekulovich in Chicago on March 22, 1912. Malden regretted that in order to become an actor he had to change his name. He insisted that Fred Gwynne's character in "On the Waterfront" be named Sekulovich to honor his heritage.

The family moved to Gary, Indiana, when he was small. He quit his steel job 1934 to study acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre "because I wasn't getting anywhere in the mills," he recalled.

"When I told my father, he said, `Are you crazy? You want to give up a good job in the middle of the Depression?' Thank god for my mother. She said to give it a try."

Malden and his wife, Mona, a fellow acting student at the Goodman, had one of Hollywood's longest marriages, having celebrated their 70th anniversary in December.

Besides his wife, Malden is survived by daughters Mila and Cara, his sons-in-law, three granddaughters, and four great grandchildren.


Photos: In Memoriam 2009

[Fashionista]

<center>Frank McCourt
July 19



Irish author Frank McCourt died Sunday of cancer in New York City at age 78.
He was best known for "Angela's Ashes," the Pulitzer Prize-winning epic
of woe about his impoverished Irish childhood.


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