Year: 2011

Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and actor best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He also had a short run with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and is a seven-time world champion: a two-time WWF Champion, four-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and one-time USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion. Also a one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion, WWE has named Savage the greatest Intercontinental champion of all time and credited him for bringing "a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances." Aside from championships, Savage is the 1987 WWF King of the Ring and the 1995 WCW World War 3 winner. For much of his tenures in the WWF and WCW, he was managed by his real life wife, "Miss Elizabeth" Hulette.

Miss Elizabeth died May 1, 2003, at the age of 42

Randy Savage Cause of Death
Randy Savage suffered a heart attack around 10AM while driving on a highway in Tampa, Florida before losing control of the vehicle and crashing.  Randy Savage was driving a 2009 Jeep Wrangler when he "veered across a concrete median … through oncoming traffic … and "collided head-on with a tree." His wife Lynn was a passenger but survived with "minor injuries". According to officials, both were wearing their seat belts at the time.
Randy Savage was 58 years old at the time of his death

 Macho Man promo

On May 15, 2011 Cali Swag District’s member Montae Talbertwas (M-Bone) was killed during a drive-by shooting.

Cali Swag District is an American hip hop group from Inglewood, California, founded by former Death Row artist Big Wy and Dairold Potts. The group is best known for the single "Teach Me How to Dougie", which debuted at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song remained on the chart and climbed steadily during the weeks that followed, rising to number 28 by its thirteenth week. "Teach Me How to Dougie" reached number 1 on Billboard Heatseekers, holding the number 2 position for six consecutive weeks before claiming the number 1 position in its seventh week. The group is signed with Capitol Records’ Checkmate Entertainment imprint.

Cali Swag District-Teach Me How To Dougie (Unofficial Video)
M-Bone in Hello Kitty Shirt  – Warning: explicit lyrics

Bob Flanigan (August 22, 1926 – May 15, 2011), was an American tenor vocalist and founding member of The Four Freshmen, a jazz vocal group

Flanigan, who was born in Greencastle, Indiana, was a respected trombonist, and also played bass guitar with the outfit for several decades, beginning on September 20, 1948, and sang the top part.

After retiring from performing in 1992, Flanigan maintained the band’s name and was responsible for the group’s changing cast of performers.

Bob Flanigan Cause of Death
Bob Flanigan died of congestive heart failure at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 15, 2011. Bob Flanigan was 84 years old at the time of his death.

Four Freshmen – Poinciana (1952) Bob Flanigan on Bass
You can see Beach Boys and Manhattan Transfer were influenced by their style.

 A Visit with Bob Flanigan of The Four Freshmen

Norma Zimmer (July 13, 1923 – May 10, 2011) was a vocalist, best remembered for her 22-year tenure as Lawrence Welk’s "Champagne Lady" on The Lawrence Welk Show.

Zimmer sang with a quartet called The Girlfriends along with Betty Allan and others. They sang backup for Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, and others. Their coup was to be hired as backup for the famous Bing Crosby version of Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas".

As her two sons were growing up, she decided to give it up to raise her children. Welk told her it was all right for her to quit the road tours, but he asked her to stay on the television show until he could find another singer. Each week, a new girl came on as a possible replacement, but Welk kept asking Zimmer to come back the following week. That went on for 20 years. As the show’s Champagne Lady, Zimmer sang one solo and often a duet (usually with Jimmy Roberts); she frequently danced with Welk at the end of the show.

Norma Zimmer Cause of Death
Norma Zimmer stopped performing publicly since she was suffering from a neurological disorder. She died peacefully on May 10, 2011 at her Brea, California home.
Norma Zimmer was 87 years old at the time of her death. She was survived by her two sons, Ron and Mark, as well as three grand children.

Norma Zimmer on The Lawrence Welk Show: Hold Me, Thrill Me
** Recommended **

Mia Amber Davis (1975 – May 10, 2011) was an American model, actress, television producer, magazine editor and style consultant.

Mia Amber Davis Cause of Death
Mia Amber Davis has died at the age of 36 after routine knee surgery. Also a plus-size model, she famously played Rhonda, the curvy lady who seduced geeky Kyle (DJ Qualls) in the 2000 film (Road Trip).

 Plus Size Supermodel Mia Amber Davis talking about Monif C. Plus Sizes

Dolores Fuller (born Dolores Eble; March 10, 1923 – May 9, 2011) was an American actress and songwriter best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist’s girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood’s Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster. Later, Elvis Presley recorded a number of her songs written for his films.

Ed Wood (1994 film)
Fuller was portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker in Tim Burton’s 1994 Wood biopic Ed Wood.

Dolores Fuller Cause of Death
Dolores Fuller died at her Las Vegas home after a long illness.
Dolores Fuller was 88 years old at the time of her death.

Jail Bait Preview

Cornell Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman, and written a book on soul and blues guitar: Rhythm and Blues Guitar ISBN 0-634-00149-3. He reputedly recorded on 2,500 sessions.

Cornell Dupree also worked with Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt and Mariah Carey.

He played on Brook Benton’s "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", and is featured on two tracks of Peter Wolf’s 1998 album, Fool’s Parade. He is also known for playing the opening guitar riff on Aretha Franklin’s "Respect"

Cornell Dupree Cause of Death
Cornell Dupree died of emphysema while waiting for lung transplant.
Cornell Dupree was 69 years old at the time of his death.

Rainy Night in Georgia – Brook Benton

Aretha Franklin – Respect [1967]

Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros Sota (April 9, 1957 – May 7, 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No. 1 who was one of the sport’s leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He gained attention in the golfing world in 1976, when at the age of 19 he finished second at the British Open. A member of a gifted golfing family, Ballesteros won five major championships between 1979 and 1988, the British Open three times, and The Masters twice. He was also successful in the Ryder Cup, helping the European team to five wins both as a player and captain, and won the World Match Play Championship a record-tying five times. He is best known for his great short game, and his erratic driving of the golf ball. He is generally regarded as the greatest Spanish golfer of all time.

Seve Bellesteros Cause of Death
On 6 May 2011, his family released a press release announcing that Ballesteros’s neurological condition had "suffered a severe deterioration". He died within hours of the announcement in the early hours of 7 May 2011. 

Tiger Woods said of Ballesteros that he was "one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game"

John Joseph Maus (November 12, 1943 – May 7, 2011), known professionally as John Walker, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the founder of The Walker Brothers, who had their greatest success in the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom.

The Walker Brothers sold about 23 million albums and disbanded in the late 60s.

John Walker Cause of Death
In 2010 Walker was diagnosed with liver cancer from which he died, at his home, in Los Angeles on 7 May 2011.
JohnWalker was 67 years old at the time of his death

The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore) – Walker Brothers

 John Walker – Kentucky Woman (of The Walker Brothers)

John Walker’s Official Website

Related:
Kevin McCarthy, ‘Body Snatchers’, Prolific Actor, Dies 96 (September 11, 2010)

Dana Wynter (born Dagmar Winter; June 8, 1931 – May 5, 2011) was a German-born British actress, who was brought up in England and Southern Africa. She appeared in film and television for more than forty years beginning in the 1950s, most notably in the original version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Dana Wynter Cause of Death
Dana Wynter died on 5 May 2011 from congestive heart failure at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital’s Continuing Care Center; she was 79 years old. She had suffered from heart disease in later years, and was transferred from the hospital’s intensive care unit earlier in the day. Her son Mark said she was not expected to survive, and "she stepped off the bus very peacefully", 33 days short of her 80th birthday.

Danny Kaye: ON THE DOUBLE  (with Dana Wynter)

Related:
Kevin McCarthy, ‘Body Snatchers’, Prolific Actor, Dies 96 (September 11, 2010)