Celebrity deaths, illness, divorce and remembrance
Alton Kelley (June 17, 1940 – June 6, 2008) was an American artist best known for his psychedelic art, in particular his designs for 1960s rock concerts and albums. Along with artists Rick Griffin, Stanley Mouse, Victor Moscoso and Wes Wilson, Kelley founded the Berkeley Bonaparte distribution agency in order to produce and sell psychedelic poster art.
Death of Alton Kelley
Alton Kelley died on June 1, 2008 in Petaluma, California, at the age of 67, after a long illness
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Buy from Amazon: Bo Diddley CD’s & DVD’s
Bo Diddley (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), born Ellas Otha Bates, aka "The Originator", was an influential American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Often cited as a key figure in the transition from blues to rock and roll, he introduced more insistent, driving rhythms and a hard-edged guitar sound. He was also known for his characteristic rectangular guitar.
Death of Bo Diddley
On June 2, 2008, Bo Diddley died at 79 of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida.
Illness of Bo Diddley
On May 17, 2007, Bo Diddley was admitted to intensive care in Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, following a stroke during a concert at Council Bluffs, Iowa on May 13. He had a history of hypertension and diabetes, and the stroke affected the left side of his brain, causing receptive and expressive dysphasia. The hospital reported him in "guarded" condition at the time. (Continues next page)
Those who don’t know Diddly – Check this out!
Charles C. Moskos (May 20, 1934 – June 2, 2008) was a sociologist of the United States Military and a professor at Northwestern University. Described as the nation’s "most influential military sociologist" by the Wall Street Journal, Moskos has long been a source for reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today and other periodicals. He is perhaps most well known as the author of the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, which governs the conduct of homosexual service members.
Death of Charles Moskos "died peacefully in his sleep after a valiant struggle with cancer." Charles Moskos was 74 years old at the time of his death
Buy from Amazon: Yves Saint-Laurent Products & Memorabilia
Yves Henri Donat Dave Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (August 1, 1936 – June 1, 2008) was a French pied noir fashion designer, and was considered among the greatest of the 20th century.
Death of Yves Saint-Laurent
He died on June 1, 2008, in his home in Paris of a long-term illness
The son of an insurance company president, Yves Saint-Laurent was born on 1 August 1936 in Oran, in what was then French Algeria. Saint Laurent left home at the age of 17 to work for the French designer Christian Dior. Following Dior’s death in 1957, Yves, at the age of 22, was put in charge of the effort of saving the Dior house from financial ruin.
Shortly after this success, he was conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence. After 20 days, the stress of being hazed by fellow soldiers led the fragile Saint Laurent to be institutionalized in a French mental hospital, where he underwent psychiatric treatment, including electroshock therapy, for a nervous breakdown.
In 1962, in the wake of his nervous breakdown, Saint Laurent was released from Dior and started his own label, YSL, financed by his companion, Pierre Bergé. The couple split romantically in 1976 but remained business partners. During the 1960s and 1970s, the firm popularized fashion trends such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, Le Smoking suit. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. He was the first, in 1966, to popularize ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratize fashion, with Rive Gauche and the boutique of the same name. He was also the first designer to use black models in his runway shows. Among his muses were Loulou de la Falaise, the daughter of a French marquis and an Anglo-Irish fashion model; Betty Catroux, the half-Brazilian daughter of an American diplomat and wife of a French decorator; Talitha Pol-Getty, who died of drug overdose in 1971; Catherine Deneuve, the iconic French actress; and the Guinean-born Senegalese supermodel Katoucha Niane, the daughter of writer Djibril Tamsir Niane. Ambassador to the couturier during the late 1970s and early 80s was London socialite millionairess Diane Boulting-Casserley Vandelli, making the brand ever more popular amongst the European jet-set and upper classes.
In 1983, he became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In 2001, he was awarded the rank of Commander of the Légion d’Honneur by French president Jacques Chirac.
Saint Laurent retired in 2002 and became increasingly reclusive. From then until his death he spent much of his time at his house in Marrakech, Morocco.
He also created a foundation with Pierre Bergé in Paris to trace the history of the house of YSL, complete with 15,000 objects and 5,000 pieces of clothing.
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Buy from Amazon: Harvey Korman DVD & Memorabilia
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927 – May 29, 2008), was an American actor. He performed in television and movie productions in the U.S. since 1960. His big break was being a featured performer on The Danny Kaye Show, but he was probably best remembered for his performances on The Carol Burnett Show and in the comedy films of Mel Brooks, most notably Blazing Saddles.
Death of Harvey Korman
Harvey Korman died on May 29, 2008 at UCLA Medical Center as the result of complications from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm he had suffered four months previously. Harvey Korman was 81 years old at the time of his death.
Korman was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ellen (née Blecher) and Cyril Raymond Korman.[1] He was Jewish. He was married to Donna Ehlert (1960–1977) and they had two children together: Chris and Maria Korman. He married Deborah Korman in 1982. They have two daughters together, Kate and Laura Korman.
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Harvey Korman Biography
Career
His early television work included voice-over work on Tom and Jerry and as the Great Gazoo on The Flintstones. He did voice work for the live-action movie The Flintstones as well as the animated The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue. He also starred in the short-lived Mel Brooks TV series The Nutt House.
Korman was nominated for six Emmy Awards, and won four (in 1969, 1971 (for Outstanding Achievement by a performer in music or variety), 1972, and 1974). He was also nominated for four Golden Globes, winning in 1975.
Personal life
Korman was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ellen (née Blecher) and Cyril Raymond Korman. He was Jewish. He was married to Donna Ehlert (1960–1977) and they had two children together: Chris and Maria Korman. He married Deborah Korman in 1982. They have two daughters together, Kate and Laura Korman.
Filmography
Blazing Saddles (1974) — Hedley Lamarr
Huckleberry Finn (1974) — The King of France
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) (deleted scene) Professor Balls
High Anxiety (1977) — Dr. Charles Montague
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) — Chef Gormaanda, Krelman, and Toy Video Instructor
Americathon (1979) — Monty Rushmore
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) — Captain Blythe
First Family (1980) — U.N. Ambassador Spender
History of the World, Part I (1981) — Count de Monet
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) — Professor Balls
Radioland Murders (1994)
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) — Dr. Jack Seward
Together Again: Conway & Korman (2006) (DVD) — in various skits
Buy from Amazon: Sidney Pollack, DVDs, Movies, Books
Sydney Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an Academy Award-winning American film director, producer and actor. He directed over 21 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 films or shows, and produced over 44 films. Pollack is best known for directing films Out of Africa (Academy Awards, 1985), Tootsie (1982), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Yakuza (1975), The Way We Were and Jeremiah Johnson (1972), along with newer films The Interpreter (2005), Sabrina (1995), The Firm (1993) and Havana (1990). He has appeared in over 15 films, including The Interpreter (2005), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Husbands and Wives (1992), The Player (1992), and The Electric Horseman (1979). In 2007, he appeared opposite George Clooney in Michael Clayton, a film which he also co-produced.
Death of Sydney Pollack
Sydney Pollack died of cancer on May 26, 2008.
Sydney Pollack was 73 years old at the time of his death.
He died at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California surrounded by family, said his publicist, Leslee Dart. He had been diagnosed with cancer about nine months ago.
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Sydney Pollack’s filmography
Director
The Slender Thread (1965) director
This Property Is Condemned (1966) director
The Scalphunters’ (1968) director
The Swimmer (1968) co-director
Castle Keep (1969) director
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) director
Jeremiah Johnson (1972) director
The Way We Were (1973) director
Three Days of the Condor (1975) director
The Yakuza (1975) director/producer
Bobby Deerfield (1977) director/producer
The Electric Horseman (1979) director/actor
Absence of Malice (1981) director/producer
Tootsie (1982) director/producer/actor
Out of Africa (1985) director/producer
Havana (1990) director/co-producer
The Firm (1993) director/producer
Sabrina (1995) director/producer
Random Hearts (1999) director
Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005) director
The Interpreter (2005) director, executive producer, and actor
Producer
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) executive producer
Presumed Innocent (1990) producer
Sense and Sensibility (1995) executive producer
Sliding Doors (1998) producer
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) executive producer
Iris (2001) executive producer
The Quiet American (2002) executive producer
Cold Mountain (2003) producer
Breaking and Entering (2006) producer
Michael Clayton (2007) producer
Recount (2008) executive producer
Appearances in film and television
War Hunt (1962) actor
Tootsie (1982) actor
Husbands and Wives (1992) actor
A Civil Action (1998) actor
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) actor
Will & Grace (2000) actor
King of the Hill (2000) as Grant Trimble
Changing Lanes (2002) actor
One Six Right (2005) as himself
The Interpreter (2005) actor
Avenue Montaigne (2006)
The Sopranos (2007) actor
Michael Clayton (2007) actor
Entourage (2007) as himself
Made of Honor (2008) actor
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Dick Martin (January 30, 1922 – May 24, 2008) was an American comedian and director.
In the 1950s Dick Martin and Dan Rowan formed the comedy team Rowan and Martin, and played in nightclubs across the United States and overseas. In 1958 they starred in a feature film, Hal Kanter’s comedy western Once Upon a Horse, which failed to catch on with moviegoers. They returned to the nightclub circuit until 1966, when they were tapped to host the summer-replacement series for The Dean Martin Show. The exposure led to an opportunity for Rowan and Martin to team up with producers Ed Friendly and George Schlatter and create Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1968-1973) on NBC.
Martin died May 24, 2008 of respiratory complications in Santa Monica, California at the age of 86.
Alexander Courage (December 10, 1919 – May 15, 2008) was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and motion pictures.
Death of Alexander Courage
Courage had been in declining health before he died on May 15, 2008 at the Sunrise assisted-living facility in Pacific Palisades, California
Mr. Courage is probably best known for writing the Theme from Star Trek for the Star Trek: The Original Series, and some other music for the series
Mr. Courage began as an orchestrator/arranger at MGM studios, which included work in such films as Show Boat ("Life Upon the Wicked Stage" number), The Band Wagon ("I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan") and ‘Gigi’ (the can-can for the entrance of patrons at Maxim’s), and the barn-raising dance from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
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John Phillip Law (September 7, 1937 – May 13, 2008) was an American film actor, with more than a hundred movie roles to his credit. He was the son of actress Phyllis Sallee, and the brother of actor Thomas Augustus Law.
He is best known for his roles as the blind angel Pygar in the science fiction classic Barbarella, and as news anchor Robin Stone in The Love Machine. (The latter reteamed him with Alexandra Hay, his costar from the 1968 "acid comedy" Skidoo.)
Besides Barbarella, a few of Law’s movies have become cult classics, including Danger: Diabolik, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Death Rides a Horse, Attack Force Z, and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.
Death of John Phillip Law
Cause of death is not known, John Phillip Law was 70 years old at the time of his death
Death Rides a Hourse – US Film Trailer
Eddy Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who was second to George Jones in the number of individual hits on the country charts but, according to a formula derived by Joel Whitburn, is the all-time leader in an overall ranking for hits and their time on the charts. From 1945 through 1983 he had 145 charted songs, including 28 number-one hits.
Death of Eddy Arnold
Eddy performed his final concert on May 16, 1999 (the day after his 81st birthday) at the Hotel Orleans in Las Vegas. He married the former Sally Gayhart in November of 1942. She preceded him in death in March of 2008 following hip replacement surgery. The couple were the parents of a son and a daughter, "Dickie" and Jo Ann. Arnold died on May 8, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. Both Eddy and Sally were survived at the times of their deaths by their children, "Dickie" and Jo Ann, as well as two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren
Eddy Arnold biography
Early years
Born Richard Edward Arnold in Henderson, Tennessee, he made his first radio appearance in 1936. During his childhood, he lost both his father and the family farm. When he turned 18 he left home to try to make his mark in the music world.
Arnold’s formative musical years included early struggles to gain recognition until he landed a job as the lead male vocalist for the Pee Wee King band. By 1943, Arnold had become a solo star on the Grand Ole Opry. He was then signed by RCA Victor. In December of 1944, he cut his first record. Although all of his early records sold well, his initial big hit did not come until 1946 with "That’s How Much I Love You." In common with many other country and western singers of the time, he had a folksy nickname: "The Tennessee Plowboy."
Managed by Col. Tom Parker (who later went on to control the career of Elvis Presley), Arnold began to dominate country music. In 1947-48 he had 13 of the top 20 songs. He successfully made the transition from radio to television, appearing frequently in the new medium. In 1955, he upset many in the country music establishment by going to New York to record with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra. The pop-oriented arrangements of "Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man (In the World)", however, helped to expand his appeal beyond its country base.
With the advent of rock and roll, Arnold’s record sales dipped in the late 1950s. Along with RCA Victor label-mate Jim Reeves, he continued to try to court a wider audience by using pop-sounding, string-laced arrangements, a style that would come to be known as the Nashville sound.
Second career
After Jerry Purcell became his manager in 1964, Arnold embarked on a "second career" that surpassed the success of the first one. In the process, he succeeded in his ambition of carrying his music to a more diverse audience. Already recorded by several other artists, "Make The World Go Away" was just another song until recorded by Arnold. Under the direction of producer Chet Atkins, and showcased by Bill Walker’s arrangement and the talents of the Anita Kerr Singers and pianist Floyd Cramer, Arnold’s rendition of "Make the World Go Away" became an international hit.
Bill Russell’s precise, intricate arrangements provided the lush background for 16 straight Arnold hits through the late 1960s. Arnold started performing with symphony orchestras in virtually every major city. New Yorkers jammed prestigious Carnegie Hall for two concerts. Arnold appeared before the Hollywood crowd at the Coconut Grove and had long, sold-out engagements in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.
After having recorded for RCA Victor since the 1940s, Arnold left the label to record four albums for MGM Records in the 1970s, posting one hit ("If The Whole World Stopped Lovin’ "). He then successfully returned to RCA Victor with both the album Eddy, and the hit single "Cowboy", which evoked stylistic memories of his classic "Cattle Call." After a few more RCA releases, he retired from active singing; however, he did release a new RCA album, After All These Years in 2005 at the age of 87.
Reasons for success
There are several reasons for Arnold’s great success. From the beginning he stood out from his contemporaries in the world of country singers. He never wore gaudy, glittering outfits. He sang from his diaphragm, not through his nose. He avoided the standard honky-tonk themes, preferring instead to sing songs that explored the intricacies of love.
Arnold also benefitted from his association with excellent musicians. The distinctive steel guitar of the late Roy Wiggins highlighted early recordings. Charles Grean, once employed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, played bass and wrote early arrangements, adding violins for the first time in 1956. Chet Atkins played on many of Arnold’s records, even after he started serving as producer. Bassist, Bob Moore, the most recorded musician in history, first performed on the road with Eddy Arnold on the 1954 RCA Caravan and later performed on 75% of Arnold’s hit recordings. Arnold also benefited from the management of Col. Parker, who guided his first career, and Jerry Purcell, who masterminded the second.
The most important factor for his success, however, was his voice. Steve Sholes, who produced all of his early hits, called Arnold a natural singer, comparing him to the likes of Bing Crosby and Enrico Caruso. Arnold worked hard perfecting his natural ability. A review of his musical career shows his progression from fledgling singer to polished performer.
Arnold’s longevity is exceptional. For more than 50 years, he has transcended changing musical tastes. His recent concerts attract three generations of fans. To some he also serves as a role model; in a field often awash with alcohol and drugs, he has remained temperate.
Arnold has been honored with induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966, been voted the first Country Music Association’s Entertainer Of The Year the following year, and received the Academy of Country Music’s Pioneer Award in 1985. Over his career, Arnold has sold over 85 million records and had 147 songs on the charts, including 28 Number 1 hits on Billboard’s "Country Singles" chart. Among his recordings are songs for mothers and children, hymns, show tunes, and novelty numbers. Probably, however, Arnold is best known for his way with a love song.
In 2003, Arnold ranked #22 in CMT’s 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.
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