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The following are 12 personalities (some more familiar than others) that have passed on in the past several weeks. Most recent death is shown at the top. Note: some deaths are not reported for days, even weeks. That is why some obit updates do not appear on the top. Once again, obits are listed in order of date of death, most recent date on top. |
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August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012 |
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Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died of unknown causes. She was 48. At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen. Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale." Houston made her album debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. "How Will I Know," "You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of All" also became hit singles. Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with "The Bodyguard." Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success. It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy's record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the "Bodyguard" soundtrack was named album of the year. "Six-time Grammy winner Whitney Houston was one of the world's greatest pop singers of all time who leaves behind a robust musical soundtrack spanning the past three decades," Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy said in a statement.
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March 13, 1929 - February 6, 2012 |
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Peter Breck, who played a hot-headed son of California ranch owner Barbara Stanwyck on the 1960s TV Western The Big Valley, died in Vancouver after a long illness. He was 82. Before the 1965-1969 ABC series, the hark-haired, rugged-looking Breck had worked as a regular on two other TV Westerns: Maverick, as Doc Holliday opposite James Garner, and Black Saddle, on which he played a gunman turned lawyer opposite future Gilligan's Island actor Russell Johnson. A native of Haverhill, Mass., and the son of a jazz musician, Breck scored a contract at Warner Bros. and appeared in dozens of shows from the mid-1950s to the early 2000s, including The Virginian, Hawaiian Eye, Perry Mason, Lawman, Branded, Gunsmoke, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy and John Doe. His film work included roles in Thunder Road (1958), I Want to Live! (1958), The Beatniks (1960), Portrait of a Mobster (1961), Lad: A Dog (1962), Samuel Fuller's Shock Corridor (1963) and Benji (1974). On The Big Valley, Breck played Nick Barkley, who lost his temper easily and was often spoiling for a fight. Nick was the brother of the characters played by Richard Long, Charles Briles and Linda Evans and the half-brother to Lee Majors. He stayed close with Stanwyck after the show finished production. In the mid-1980s, Breck moved to Vancouver, worked in theater and opened an acting school. His wife of 51 years, Diane, wrote on his website that he was suffering from dementia and had been hospitalized since Jan. 10.
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August 28, 1930 - February 3, 2012 |
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Ben Gazzara, whose powerful dramatic performances brought an intensity to a variety of roles and made him a memorable presence in films, on television and on Broadway in the original "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," died of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. In 1955 he originated the role of Brick Pollitt, the disturbed alcoholic son and failed football star in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." He left the show after only seven months to take on an equally challenging role, Johnny Pope, the drug addict in "A Hatful of Rain." It earned him his first of three Tony Award nominations. In 1965 he moved on to TV stardom in "Run for Your Life," a drama about a workaholic lawyer who, diagnosed with a terminal illness, quits his job and embarks on a globe-trotting attempt to squeeze a lifetime of adventures into the one or two years he has left. He was twice nominated for Emmys during the show's three-year run. In the 1970s, he teamed with his friend director John Cassavetes for three films, "Husbands," "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" and "Opening Night." Other films included "The Bridge at Remagen," "The Young Doctors," "They All Laughed," "The Big Lebowski," "The Thomas Crown Affair," "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium," "The Spanish Prisoner," "Stag" and "Road House." He also made several films in Italy.
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September 27, 1936 - February 1, 2012 |
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Don Cornelius, who with the creation of "Soul Train" helped break down racial barriers and broaden the reach of black culture with funky music, groovy dance steps and cutting edge style, died of an apparent suicide. He was 75. Aretha Franklin, an early "Soul Train" performer, called the producer "an American treasure." "God bless him for the solid good and wholesome foundation he provided for young adults worldwide, and the unity and brotherhood he singlehandedly brought about with his most memorable creation of 'Soul Train.'" "Soul Train" began in 1970 in Chicago on WCIU-TV as a local program and aired nationally from 1971 to 2006. It showcased such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White and brought the best R&B, soul and later hip-hop acts to TV and had teenagers dance to them. It was one of the first shows to showcase African-Americans prominently, although the dance group was racially mixed. Cornelius was the first host and executive producer. "There was not programming that targeted any particular ethnicity," he said in 2006, then added: "I'm trying to use euphemisms here, trying to avoid saying there was no television for black folks, which they knew was for them."
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September 11, 1934 - January 26, 2012 |
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Ian Abercrombie, a busy character actor who gained recognition as Elaine Benes' (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) eccentric boss Mr. Pitt on NBC's Seinfeld, died from undisclosed causes in Hollywood. He was 77. Abercrombie seemed to be always working, appearing in scores of films, TV shows and theater productions during his 50-year-plus career in show business. The British actor made his American stage debut in 1955 in a production of Stalag 17 opposite Jason Robards, played the Wise Man in Sam Raimi's comedy-horror film Army of Darkness (1972) and was 800-year-old wizard Professor Crumbs on Disney Channel hit Wizards of Waverly Place. Abercrombie's film credits start with Von Ryan's Express (1965) and include They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), The Molly Maguires (1970), Young Frankenstein (1974), Puppet Master III (1991), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (2005) and Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties (2006). On television, he was a regular on the WB Network series Birds of Prey and also worked on such shows as Get Smart, Hunter, L.A. Law, Dynasty, Northern Exposure, NewsRadio, Murphy Brown, Desperate Housewives and dozens of others.
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May 7, 1951 - January 26, 2012 |
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Robert Hegyes, the Jersey-born actor who played Jewish Puerto-Rican wheeler-dealer Juan Epstein on the 1970s classic "Welcome Back Kotter," died after an apparent heart attack in his Metuchen, NJ home. He was 60. Hegyes, who also co-starred on "Cagney and Lacey" and taught occasional master classes at his alma mater, Rowan University, was best known for his work on "Kotter," in which he performed alongside a young John Travolta as one of the tough remedial students known at the Sweathogs. Hegyes and nearly all of the original cast members reunited last year at the TV Land Awards to recognize the show's 35th anniversary. Following "Kotter" and "Cagney & Lacey," he continued to act on television, mostly in guest-starring roles including "NewsRadio," "Diagnosis Murder" and "The Drew Carey Show," and made occasional films, including "Bob Roberts" with Tim Robbins. Hegyes was retired but still talked about directing and getting more involved in local arts efforts, Mark Hegyes said. "He always had these great schemes," his brother said, "but last week he said I'm not going to do that anymore."
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February 24, 1938 - January 24, 2012 |
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Actor James Farentino, who appeared in dozens of movies and television shows, died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital after a long illness. He was 73. Farentino starred alongside Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen in the 1980 science fiction film "The Final Countdown." The movie featured a modern aircraft carrier that travels back in time to Pearl Harbor hours before the Japanese attack. Farentino also starred opposite Patty Duke in 1969's "Me, Natalie." In 1967, he won a "Most Promising Newcomer" Golden Globe for his performance in the comedy "The Pad and How to Use It." He also had recurring roles on "Dynasty," ''Melrose Place," ''The Bold Ones: The Lawyers" and "ER," playing the estranged father to George Clooney's character. In 1978, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the television mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth." A four-time divorcee, Farentino's tumultuous personal life made headlines, too. In March 1994, he pleaded no contest to stalking his ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra. In 2010, the actor was arrested at his Hollywood home on suspicion of battery when he tried to physically remove a man from his home.
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December 21, 1926 - January 22, 2012 |
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Legendary former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, fired in November after 46 years as head coach in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal involving an assistant, died of complications from lung cancer. Paterno, 85, the winningest coach in major college football history, disclosed he had treatable lung cancer shortly after university trustees ousted him for failing to tell police about a sex abuse allegation years earlier against longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno had been in and out of the hospital since the cancer disclosure for treatment with radiation and chemotherapy, and also after he fell at home in December and broke his pelvis. A member of the College Hall of Fame, Paterno was head coach of the Nittany Lions for 46 years. With 409 victories at Penn State, he won more games in big-time college football than any other coach in the sport's history. "Joe was just so much a part of Penn State. He gave back. He loved the school," said Lynn Kyle, 58, a Penn State alumnus. "Penn State fans will always cherish what he has given to this institution. He was loved by all."
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January 25, 1938 - January 20, 2012 |
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Etta James, whose assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as "The Wallflower," "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and the wedding favorite "At Last", died from complications from leukemia. She was 73. She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. The powerhouse singer, known as "Miss Peaches," lived an eventful life. She first hit the charts as a teenager, taking "The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)", an "answer record" to Hank Ballard's "Work With Me, Annie", to No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1955. She joined Chess Records in 1960 and had a string of R&B and pop hits, many with lush string arrangements. After a mid-decade fade, she re-emerged in 1967 with a more hard-edged, soulful sound. Throughout her career, James overcame a heroin addiction, opened for the Rolling Stones, won six Grammys and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite her ups and downs, including a number of health problems, she maintained an optimistic attitude. "Most of the songs I sing, they have that blue feeling to it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don't know what I'm sorry about", I don't!", she once told a reporter.
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October 21, 1986 - January 12, 2012 |
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Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teenager who vanished on a high school trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005, was declared legally dead, just 24 hours after the chief suspect in her disappearance pleaded guilty to killing a young woman in Peru. Jefferson County Probate Judge Alan King granted the request by Holloway's father to have his daughter, who was 18 when she disappeared, declared dead. Holloway's body was never found. Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Ala., vanished on May 30, 2005, the day she was scheduled to fly home from her school trip to Aruba, and her case quickly became a media sensation in the US. Holloway graduated with honors from Mountain Brook High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society, her school dance squad, and was a participant in other extracurricular activities. According to her family, Holloway was to attend the University of Alabama on a full scholarship, where she planned to pursue a pre-med track.
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November 20, 1921 - December 16, 2011 |
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Veteran film and television actor Dan Frazer, best known for his role as Captain Frank McNeil on the 1970s television series "Kojak," died of cardiac arrest at his home in Manhattan. He was 90. Frazer started playing character roles in various television series and films in the 1950s. His films include "Cleopatra Jones," ''Take the Money and Run" ''Gideon's Trumpet" and "Deconstructing Harry." Besides "Kojak," Frazer's television appearances include "Car 54, Where Are You," ''Route 66," ''Barney Miller" and "Law & Order." He was a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an adviser to The Workshop Theatre Co.
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April 10, 1915 - December 7, 2011 |
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Emmy-winning character actor Harry Morgan, whose portrayal of the fatherly Col. Potter on television's "M-A-S-H" highlighted a show business career that included nine other TV series, 50 films and the Broadway stage, died at his home in Brentwood after having pneumonia. He was 96. Morgan appeared in mostly supporting roles on the big screen, playing opposite such stars as Henry Fonda, John Wayne, James Garner, Elvis Presley and Dan Aykroyd. On television, he was more the comedic co-star, including roles on "December Bride," its spin-off "Pete and Gladys," as Sgt. Joe Friday's loyal partner in later "Dragnet" episodes and on CBS-TV's long-running "M-A-S-H" series, for which he earned an Emmy award in 1980. One of his earliest films was "The Ox Bow Incident" in 1943 with Fonda. Other films included: "High Noon," "What Price Glory," "Support Your Local Sheriff," "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and "The Shootist." "Television allowed me to kick the Hollywood habit of typing an actor in certain roles," Morgan said, referring to his typical sidekick or sheriff portrayals on the big screen. But it was his role as Col. Sherman Potter on "M-A-S-H" for which Morgan became best known. "M-A-S-H was so damned good," Morgan told the AP. "I didn't think they could keep the level so high."
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