B. August 13, 1929 New York, New York
D. January 6, 2016 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Alzheimer's Disease
I never knew who Pat Harrington was until the sitcom "One Day At A Time", and I didn't follow his career afterwards. He was always, and for me, will always be Schneider, the wise-cracking, always on the lookout for a good time, superintendent to a single mother with two daughters. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work on that show. In a career that started in the 1950's, he had appeared on tons of TV shows such as "The Steve Allen Show", "Make Room For Daddy", "The Munsters", "The Beverley Hillbillies", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "The Partridge Family" and many, many more.
B. January 8, 1947 London, England
D. January 10, 2016 (aged 69) New York, New York
Cause: Liver Cancer
There were two deaths during 2016 that shocked me to my core, one I will get to a little further on, and David Bowie. I think much of the world was shocked at the news of the Thin White Duke's demise. Although he had been in the spotlight for over five decades, very few knew about his health problems. In fact, he had just released another studio album, Blackstar, just before his passing. I wrote about my shock of this news in another blog entry the day after his death, so I won't go into what he meant to me, and others, through the years. But it was a huge loss to the music industry, the fashion industry, the "star machine"...to all of us.
B. February 21, 1946 London, England
D. January 12, 2016 (aged 69) London, England
Cause: Pancreatic Cancer
This one was another shock to the system, as the general population didn't even know he was sick. It was in the movie "Die Hard" where most people first heard of Mr. Rickman, playing Bruce Willis' nemesis Hans Gruber. It was his first major movie role, but far from his last. His enormous talent was soon to be shown in one of my favourite movies, "Truly, Madly, Deeply". From there came big role after big role, as a younger generation got to follow him as Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" films. A phenomenal talent gone way too soon.
B. November 6, 1948 Detroit, Michigan
D. January 18, 2016 (aged 67) New York, New York
Cause: complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis, acute Ulcerative Colitis, Pneumonia
Another music legend gone. Just over a week after David Bowie died, and as we were all trying to get over the shock of that, the "leader" of the Eagles leaves us. Glen Frey was an enormous musical talent who met Don Henley back in 1970 and they soon were asked to play in a back up band for Linda Ronstadt. They decided to form a band soon after and the rest is rock n' roll history. The Eagles went on to win 6 Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.
B. February 24, 1921 Brooklyn, New York
D. January 26, 2016 (aged 94) Woodland Park, New Jersey
Cause: Natural Causes, in his sleep
The rumours, this time, were true. Fish had died. Known mostly for his roles in TV's "Barney Miller" and filmdom's "The Godfather", the distinct looking actor appeared in nearly 100 shows and movies throughout his career. Because of a People magazine article in 1982 that mistakenly claimed Vigoda was dead he had been rumoured to have died many times since. He even got in on it when he would appear on Late Night With Conan O'Brien numerous times just to let people know he was still alive. "For old time sake".
B. December 19, 1941 Memphis, Tennessee
D. February 4, 2016 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Parkinson's Disease
Another shocking loss from the music industry, Maurice White gave us Earth, Wind & Fire. He founded the group back in 1970. From then on, Earth, Wind & Fire would go on to sell more than 90 millions albums. The band won six Grammy Awards and was nominated for 20! It was always White's smooth vocals on some of the most recognizable songs on the 1970's including "Shining Star", "Fantasy", "Boogie Wonderland", "Let's Groove" and my favourite "September". He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's in the late1980's but stayed on as the band's lead voice until 1994. A tremendous talent.
B. January 4, 1959 Niagara Falls, Ontario
D. February 15, 2016 (aged 57) Fremont, California
Cause: Renal failure
If you grew up in the 1980's, you knew who Vanity was. Not only did she have a monster hit in 1982 with "Nasty Girl" but you'd remember her as a part-time actress, appearing in "52 Pick Up" and "Action Jackson" among others. She met Prince in 1980 at the American Music Awards and gave her the name Vanity because she seemed like a female version of himself. More on Prince later...
B. April 28, 1926 Monroeville, Alabama
D. February 19, 2016 (aged 89) Monroeville, Alabama
Cause: Natural Causes
She published one book, but that was all she needed to become an icon in Literature. "To Kill A Mockingbird" was published in 1960, became an instant best-seller and won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Hollywood came calling and the adaptation of her novel became a classic. She said the screenplay adaptation was "one of the best translations of a book to film ever made". Although she would hobnob with some celebrities in the 1960's, she led a very reclusive life, not allowing many interviews or requests for public appearances.
B. February 18, 1925 New York, New York
D. February 28, 2016 (aged 91) Middleton, Idaho
Cause: Heart Disease
He started acting in 1960, and for the next 50 plus years he was one of the most recognizable "bit actor"'s of our time. He was in everything! "The Dirty Dozen", "Cool Hand Luke", the "Airport" series of films, and the "Naked Gun" films. In all, he appeared in over 180 TV shows and movies. He won an Academy Award for his supporting role in "Cool Hand Luke", which was the only time in his illustrious career that he was nominated for an Oscar.
B. July 6, 1921 New York, New York
D. March 6, 2016 (aged 94) Bel Air, California
Cause: Congestive Heart Failure
She was more than just Ronald Reagan's wife and First Lady of the USA from 1980 to 1988. Nancy Reagan appeared in 20 or so films and TV shows of the 1940's and '50's as Nancy Davis. She married the president of the Screen Actors' Guild in 1952, that being Ronald Reagan. They were married for 52 years, until his death in 2004. Nancy's political contribution will undoubtedly be remembered for just three words, "Just Say No". The phrase was everywhere in the '80's, bringing a new awareness to the war on drugs in the United States.
B. January 3, 1926 London, England
D. March 8, 2016 (aged 90) Wiltshire, England
Cause: Natural Causes
He worked as a comedy record producer in the '50's for the likes of Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. In 1962 he was asked to listen to a new group called The Beatles. Upon hearing them live for the first time, he wasn't sure if he wanted to work with them. He felt their original material wasn't that strong. He asked the fellas if there was anything they didn't like. George Harrison said "your tie", Lennon and McCartney joined in on the jokes and pretty soon they were signed to record contract. If it wasn't for George Martin, there may never have been The Beatles, at least in the way we know and love them. With Martin producing or arranging, he won six Grammys and had 30 number one singles in the UK, 23 in the States.
B. November 2, 1944 Yorkshire, England
D. March 11, 2016 (aged 71) Santa Monica, California
Cause: Suicide
He was one of the founders of possibly rock's first progressive band. Teaming up with Greg Lake of King Crimson and Carl Palmer of Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer became a monster success and is sited as a major influence to many well known bands that followed. From 1970 to 1979, their work was regarded as some of the most innovative of the decade. He went solo in 1980 and work with movie producers on soundtracks, also appearing on many collaborative albums through the years. If you have never sat down and listened to ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery" then do yourself a favour and download it!
B. November 29, 1949 Chicago, Illinois
D. March 24, 2016 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Heart Attack
A stand-up comic, actor, writer, producer, he did it all. Before there was "Curb Your Enthusiasm" there was "It's Garry Shandling's Show" and the unbelievably inventive and hilarious "The Larry Sanders Show". In 1973, working as an advertising agent, he wrote scripts for "Sanford & Son" and "Welcome Back, Kotter". His first stand-up routine was in 1978 at the famous Comedy Store in L.A.. He would appear on The Tonight Show multiple times, even subbing in for Johnny Carson on a few occasions. His two shows mentioned above were nominated for over 20 Primetime Emmy Awards.
B. December 14, 1946 Elmhurst, New York
D. March 29, 2016 (aged 69) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Cause: Sepsis from a ruptured intestine
She was a known actress in her teens. She was a major star after the 1962 film "The Miracle Worker" in which she played Helen Keller and won an Academy Award for her performance, at the age of 16! She would go on to appear in more than 140 movies and TV shows, including a show named for her, "The Patty Duke Show", which ran from 1963 to 1966. Throughout her career she was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, winning three, and two Golden Globes. In 1982 she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and spent most of her latter years trying to educate people about mental health issues.
B. April 6, 1937 Oildale, California
D. April 6, 2016 (aged79) Palo Cedro, California
Cause: Complications from Pneumonia
For over 50 years, Merle Haggard was among the greats in the world of Country Music, a genre that I don't listen to much, but some of the greats are hard to ignore. His first big hit came in 1964 when he recorded Wynn Stewart's "Sing A Sad Song". From there on he would record no less than 38 Number One records on the Billboard Country Charts. He has gained many accolades including a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame. He was working right to the end, having had recorded his last song on February 9, 2016. He will always be remembered for his recording of "Okie From Muskogee".
B. November 4, 1925 St. Louis, Missouri
D. April 17, 2016 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Stroke
I had no idea Doris Roberts was as old as she was! I figured 70, maybe 75, but then I remembered that "Everybody Loves Raymond" was about 15 years ago so, yeah. She won 4 Emmy Awards playing the role of Raymond's mother, Marie. But she had started in the business many years before that, appearing in over 150 TV shows and movies throughout her career.
B. December 27, 1969 Rochester, New York
D. April 20, 2016 (aged 46) Redondo Beach, California
Cause: Drug Overdose
Even if you had a cursory knowledge of professional wrestling, you probably still knew the name Chyna. She was six foot monster of a woman that, because she was so much bigger than most other women in the industry, would perform with many of the men. She was a pretty big deal during the late '90's and early 2000's, making appearances up to 2011. She then performed in a few pornographic films before she passed from taking too many anxiety pills.
B. June 7, 1958 Minneapolis, Minnesota
D. April 21, 2016 (aged 57) Chanhassan, Minnesota
Cause: Fentanyl Overdose
I mentioned how surprised I was at David Bowie's passing, and was just as shocked of another's. That shock came when the news of Prince passing came out. I was stunned, stopped me right in my tracks. Prince was one of those artists that was ever-present in my life. When I was younger I remember when videos for "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" came out. I remembered his movie "Purple Rain" and the great music that came from that. I remembered "Raspberry Beret" and "Sign O' The Times" and "U Got The Look" and "Batdance" and "Cream" and "Diamonds And Pearls" and so many others. To me, he was the funkier Jimi Hendrix, an absolute master on the guitar and a non-stop showman. As I write this I'm stunned that I have to live in a world without Prince.
**We got out of May without a major celebrity dying, although that gorilla was shot, so, there's that.
B. January 17, 1942 Louisville, Kentucky
D. June 3, 2016 (aged 74) Scottsdale, Arizona
Cause: Septic Shock
He was a fighter, a boxer who was considered by many as the greatest of all-time. But he became so much more than that. It would be easy to say he was one of the most important sports figure ever. Muhammed Ali stood up for what he believed in. He fought foes in the ring and out during the Civil Rights movement. He refused to go to Viet Nam because it wasn't his war and he wasn't going to kill people. He fought every day for the betterment of his race. And he could taunt his challengers like nobody else, making it into an art form that played out on TV sets all over the world. He was, three times, the Heavyweight Champion Of The World, but his battle with Parkinson's Disease was one battle too many, diagnosed in 1984. We all knew his time would come. And we all cried when it finally did.
B. March 31, 1928 Floral, Saskatchewan
D. June 10, 2016 (aged 88) Sylvania, Ohio
Cause: Natural Causes
Two sports LEGENDS within a week, first the greatest boxer who ever lived, then, to many, the greatest hockey player to ever live. In the 1950's and '60's there would be little dispute to this claim. He was the first player to tally 90 points in a season in 1953. He was the first to score 600 goals for a career, and first to score 700 and 800 for that matter. He played 25 years for the Detroit Red Wings before signing for more money in the upstart WHA with the Houston Aeros. In 1977 he signed with the Hartford Whalers of that league to play with his two sons. When the WHA folded in 1979 they joined the NHL and, during the year, Howe turned 52 years old, the oldest ever to play in the NHL. His opponents would tell you he was a mean son of bitch to play against. But away from the ice, he was one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Gordie Howe, to this day, still ranks 2nd all-time in goals scored and 4th all-time in points.
B. February 3, 1939 New York, New York
D. July 2, 2016 (aged 77) Beverly Hills, California
Cause: Unknown
The name may not be familiar to you, but you've probably heard and/or watched some of his movies. Cimino directed "The Deer Hunter", a film that won 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture. He also directed a movie that changed the way films were financed afterward. The film "Heaven's Gate" is a western he directed in 1980 that was famous for it's excessive spending that would tighten the purse strings of movie studios in the future. Although it is more appreciated today, at the time of it's release it was panned by just about every critic working. He spent more than $40-million on the movie and it took in only $3-million at the Box Office. It just about bankrupted United Artists and ruined his reputation. He lead a pretty reclusive life after his last movie, "Sunchaser", in 1996.
B. November 13, 1934 The Bronx, New York
D. July 19, 2016 (aged 81) Burbank, California
Cause: Pneumonia after a stroke
He did it all; producer, director, actor. If Garry Marshall had a toe in your TV show or movie, it was destined to be popular. He created "Happy Days", one of the most beloved sitcoms of my generation. He directed a bunch of romantic comedies that may have been critically panned, but made tons of money; "Pretty Woman", "Runaway Bride", "The Princess Diaries". He started out in 1959 writing jokes for comedians and kept going right up to his death, making an appearance in the new version of "The Odd Couple", which was a show he produced way back in 1970. Some other TV shows he was responsible for include "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "Gomer Pyle, USMC", "Laverne And Shirley" (starring his sister Penny), and "Mork & Mindy" just to name a few.
B. August 24, 1934 Birmingham, England
D. August 13, 2016 (aged 81) Lancashine, England
Cause: Chronic Lung Condition
The man that was inside one of the most endearing characters in movie history, R2D2, in all of the Star Wars films up to his death. (He worked as a consultant on "The Force Awakens"). He appeared in other films throughout his career such as "Willow", "The Elephant Man", "Labyrinth" and "Amadeus". But he will always be remembered by the geeks of this world (of which I have a membership card) as the little robot helping to save the galaxy!
B. November 22, 1923 Edmonton, Alberta
D. August 17, 2016 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Natural Causes
The name may not be familiar, but this Canadian born director made it big in Hollywood. He directed over 30 films in a career the spanned over 50 years. During his time in Hollywood he worked with many of the stars of the time; Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, Al Pacino, and many others. His biggest hit movie was "Love Story" starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw. The film earned over $130-million in 1970, which was A LOT of money! He was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the film.
B. June 11, 1933 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
D. August 29, 2016 (aged 83) Stamford, Connecticut
Cause: Complications from Alzheimer's Disease
He was one of the funniest comic actors of our time. His first role in film was in the rather dramatic movie "Bonnie And Clyde", but his character provided the comic relief that was needed to cut the tension in the film. From there he seemed to be in every successful comedy in Hollywood; "The Producers", "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein", "The Frisco Kid", "Stir Crazy". Most people will say his role in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" is their favourite. He was married to the phenomenally talented Gilda Radner, who died at an early age in 1989, and stopped making movies soon after. He popped up in TV in 1994 for a comedy titled "Something Wilder" which only lasted 18 episodes, but made a few brief appearances in other shows as well. If I were to rank my favourite comic actors that ever lived, Gene Wilder would easily be in the top five.
B. March 12, 1928 Virginia
D. September 16, 2016 (aged 88) Montauk, New York
Cause: Bladder Cancer
He was one of the most celebrated dramatists in America. The winner of 3 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (1967's "A Delicate Balance", 1975's "Seascape" and 1994's "Three Tall Women), but he possibly will be best remembered for writing the play "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" which won him a Tony Award for the best play of 1963. He wrote or adapted more than 30 plays in his life including adaptations of "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and "Lolita".
B. May 25, 1935 Edmonton, Alberta
D. September 16, 2016 (aged 81) Hope, B.C.
Cause: Assisted Death
He wrote possibly the most famous baseball themed novel in "Shoeless Joe", which was the basis of the film "Field Of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner. He wrote seven novels in his career, along with 19 short stories. He was given the Order Of Canada in 1993 and the Order Of British Columbia in 2005. He suffered from diabetes his whole life and, when it got unmanageable, was able to have a physician's assisted death.
B. September 10, 1929 Latrobe, Pennsylvania
D. September 25, 2016 (aged 87) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cause: Heart Disease
He turned professional in 1954 and from that time on he was considered one of the best golfers ever. He became a superstar athlete in the '50's and '60's due to the television coverage of the sport. During his time on the PGA Tour he won 62 titles, which placed him third behind Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. (He was now dropped to fifth place). He dominated the sport in the years 1958 to 1964, winning seven Major titles during those years, including 4 Masters titles. He also won 10 Seniors PGA titles, earning his last in 1988. His peers regarded him as not only a great golfer, but a great man.
**Nothing too major to report for October
B. September 21, 1934 Westmount, Quebec
D. November 7, 2016 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Leukemia
Probably one of the most respected artists to come out of Canada. He released 14 studio albums, including one earlier in the year titled "You Want It Darker". He also released at least a dozen works of poetry. He was active in the arts for 60 years, very often compared to Bob Dylan when talking about the impact of folk music and writings on society. Although he wrote many, many songs, he will always be remembered for the hauntingly beautiful "Hallelujah" which was released in 1984 and has been covered by more than 200 artists.
B. November 22, 1932 New York, New York
D. November 11, 2016 (aged 83) Danbury, Connecticut
Cause: Acute Leukemia
If you were to look up Robert Vaughn's name on imdb.com you would see he had over 220 credited appearances in TV and movies. In the '60's and '70's it seemed his familiar mug showed up in everything, which was a credit to how good an actor he was. He was nominated only once for an Oscar and only twice for an Emmy award. His most notable roles include TV's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "The Magnificent Seven", "Bullitt", "The Towering Inferno", TV's "The A-Team" and his many appearances in "Murder She Wrote".
B. February 14, 1934 Dale, Indiana
D. November 24, 2016 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California
Cause: Heart Failure
If you grew up in the '60's or '70's you may have thought of Florence Henderson as your second mom. She was cast as Mrs. Carol Brady in 1969 and stayed the sweet, understanding yet strict mother of six until 1974. But "The Brady Bunch" would go on forever in syndication, allowing us to relive the moments we loved over and over again. She was a lady of many talents, appearing on stage in the late '50's and singing and dancing in many TV variety shows, including "Tonight Starring Jack Paar" which was the precursor to "The Tonight Show". In fact, after Paar left the show and before Johnny Carson took over, Henderson appeared as a guest host in 1962. But no matter what she did before or after, she will always be Mrs. Brady.
B. August 13, 1926 Holguin Province, Cuba
D. November 25, 2016 (aged 90) Havana, Cuba
Cause: Not Released
Castro first appeared on the Broadway stage in a production of...oh, wait, wrong guy. This list couldn't be complete without mentioning possibly the most polarizing figure in politics this century. Millions loved him, millions hated him. He was the self-appointed leader of Cuba from 1959 until 2011 when his brother took over. Whether you believe he was a Socialist or a Communist, there is no denying his influence in world politics during some very heavy times.
B. July 18, 1921 Cambridge, Ohio
D. December 8, 2016 (aged 95) Columbus, Ohio
Cause: Not Disclosed...but he was 95!
This guy did it all. You talk about living life to it's fullest, there would be no better example than John Glenn. As a 20-year old he decided to quit college and enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps after the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbour. He never got called to duty and instead became a pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps. He flew 59 bombing missions during WWII and was hit 5 times by anti-aircraft fire. He flew in the Korean War starting in 1953, going on 63 combat missions. After the war he became a test pilot and, in 1957, flew the first supersonic transcontinental flight, California to New York, in 3 1/2 hours. In 1958 he reported to NASA to become an astronaut. In 1962 he became the first American to orbit the Earth. He then became a US Senator representing Ohio in 1974 and held that seat for 25 years. The man is, and always will be, a true legend!
...And as I was compiling all these losses in 2016, one more joined the list...
B. March 1, 1947 Kirkland Lake, Ontario
D. December 13, 2016 (aged 69) Burbank, California
Cause: Heart Attack
Well, if you're Canadian, there's no better way to go out; playing hockey with your son. It's tragic, but fitting. Everybody knew who Alan Thicke was, mainly because of his run on the very popular sitcom "Growing Pains", which aired between 1985 and 1992. Even though he was Canadian, that show made him "America's Dad". Up in the Great White North, we were always proud when we heard Alan Thicke was hosting a show, from game shows to talk shows. He had his own late night talk show for a couple of years, "Thicke Of The Night" and a popular show in Canada fittingly called "The Alan Thicke Show". Most recently he made appearances on "This Is Us" and Fuller House". A devastating, sudden loss.
Well, I hope that's it for the year. I really don't want to have to edit this list! But we should use it as a reminder that 2016 Sucked Ass!!!
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