Howard Zieff (October 21, 1927 Los Angeles – February 22, 2009 Los Angeles) was an American director, television commercial director, and advertising photographer.
Zieff’s films include The Main Event (1979), Private Benjamin (1980), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), The Dream Team (1989), My Girl (1991) and My Girl 2 (1994).
Zieff retired from directing after My Girl 2 was released as he became increasingly debilitated by Parkinson’s disease.
Death of Howard Zieff Zieff passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at 8:10am on Sunday, February 22, his wife (renowned retired motion picture literary agent) Ronda Gomez-Quinones at his side.
Zieff grew up in Boyle Heights. He studied art for one year at Los Angeles City College, then dropped out in 1946 to join the United States Navy. He learned photography at the Naval Photography School in Pensacola, Florida and then, after his discharge, at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He became a commercial photographer in New York City in the 1950s, soon earning a reputation as one one of the city’s best-known advertising photographers of the 1960s. His campaigns included "You Don’t Have To Be Jewish" for Levy’s rye bread, "Mamma Mia, that’s a spicy meatball" for Alka-Seltzer, and ads for the New York Daily News, Polaroid, and Volkswagen.
Robert Walter Quarry (November 2, 1925 – February 20, 2009) was an American actor, known for several prominent horror film roles. His films include Count Yorga, Vampire (1970), its sequel The Return of Count Yorga (1971), and Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972).
Death of Robert Quarry Robert Quarry was 83 and had been in generally declining health for the past year.
Kelly Groucutt (born Michael William Groucutt, (September 8, 1945 – February 19, 2009) was an English musician who was best known for being the bass player for the band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), between 1974 and 1983. He was born in Coseley, Staffordshire.
Death of Kelly Groucutt Kelly Groucutt died of heart attack he suffered the previous night. Kelly Groucutt was 63 years old at the time of his death.
The first Electric Light Orchestra album to feature Kelly on bass guitar and as a backing vocalist was 1975’s Face the Music. He continued contributing on the following albums A New World Record (1976), Out of the Blue (1977), Discovery (1979), Xanadu (1980) and Time (1981).
Groucutt remained with ELO until the onset of the recording sessions for 1983’s Secret Messages album. It was at this juncture that he left the band, unhappy with royalty payments during his tenure, and made the decision to sue management and band leader Jeff Lynne. A settlement for the sum of £300,000 was reached out of court prior to proceedings. He is credited with playing bass on Secret Messages, although it has been stated from an official source that he only played on four songs.
In 2006 Groucutt married his second wife, long time girlfriend Anna-Maria Bialaga. He has four children and two grandchildren.
He took part in some of the many ELO spin-off groups: OrKestra, ELO Part 2, and The Orchestra. He toured worldwide with The Orchestra (Former members of ELO and ELO Part II) and also took part in tours as part of a local, little known band called Session 60.
Snooks Eaglin (born Fird Eaglin, Jr., January 21, 1936 – February 18, 2009) was a guitarist and singer in New Orleans. He has also been referred to as Blind Snooks Eaglin.
His vocal style is reminiscent of Ray Charles; indeed, in the 50s, when he was in his late teens, he would sometimes bill himself as "Little" Ray Charles. He is generally regarded as a New Orleans R&B artist playing a wide range of music from blues, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, country to Latin music. In his early years, he also played some straight-ahead acoustic blues.
Death of Snooks Eaglin Snooks Eaglin died of heart attack. He had been hospitalized for prostate cancer treatment and returned home not long prior to his death.
His ability to play a wide range of songs and his ability to perfectly understand and make the tunes his own earned him the nickname the "human jukebox." Eaglin claimed in interviews that his musical repertoire included some 1,000 songs.
At live shows, he did not usually prepare set lists, and was unpredictable, even to his bandmates. He played songs that come to his head, and he also took requests from the audience.
Snooks Eaglin with George Porter Jr.- Ripstick Traces
Estelle Bennett (July 22, 1941 – February 11, 2009) was a member of the girl group The Ronettes, along with her sister Ronnie Spector and cousin Nedra Talley. After the Ronettes’ 1966 break-up, she recorded a single for Laurie Records, "The Year 2000/The Naked Boy". She then quit the music business and had rarely been seen since. She got married (last name Dong) and raised a family.
In 2007, when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she refused to perform with them, and spoke only a brief two sentences during her acceptance speech, "I would just like to say, thank you very much for giving us this award. I’m Estelle of the Ronettes, thank you."
Death of Estelle Bennett Estelle Bennett died on February 11, aged 67
Jeremy Lusk (November 24, 1984 – February 9, 2009) was an American freestyle motocross racer from San Diego, California.
He won gold and silver medals at the 2008 X Games. He won a bronze helmet in the 2008 Moto X World Championships.
Death of Jeremy Lusk On February 7, 2009, Lusk crashed while attempting to land a Hart Attack backflip in a freestyle motocross competition in Costa Rica. He died of head injuries on February 10, 2009. At the time of his death, he lived in Temecula, California.
* There are Jeremy Lusk’s videos of the accident at youtube. That video will not be posted here.
Molly Bee, born Mollie Gene Beachboard and also known as Molly Muncy (August 18, 1939 – February 7, 2009), was an American country music singer who became a popular teenage star on the 1950s TV show Hometown Jamboree.
She was born in Oklahoma City. She had her first major recording success at the age of 13 with I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. This was followed by at least three more hit singles, and a brief acting career. On February 7, 2009, Bee died of complications relating to a stroke, at the Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, California. She was 69
Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1926 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and known for her "distinctive, girlish voice".
Death of Blossom Dearlie Dearie died on February 7, 2009, at her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City
In 1974, Dearie established her own label, Daffodil Records. Her distinctive voice and songs have been featured on the soundtracks of several films, including Kissing Jessica Stein, My Life Without Me, The Squid and the Whale and The Adventures of Felix. She has also recorded with various musicians, including Lyle Lovett.
Dearie continued to perform in clubs until 2007. One of the last remaining supper-club performers, she performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years
James Allen Whitmore, Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American two-time Academy Award-nominated, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning film actor.
Death of Jame Whitmore Whitmore was diagnosed with lung cancer in November of 2008. He died of the disease, at his home in Malibu, California, James Whitmore was 87 years old at the time of his death.
Biography Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway in the role of the Sergeant in Command Decision. MGM hired Whitmore on contract, however his role in the film was played by Van Johnson. Whitmore’s first major movie was Battleground that was turned down by Spencer Tracy, for which Whitmore was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other major films included The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear, Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give ’em Hell, Harry!, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former President of the United States Harry S Truman.
To a younger generation, he was probably best known, in addition to his role in The Shawshank Redemption, as the commercial spokesman for Miracle-Gro plant food for many years.
Brooks Commits Suicide – James Whitmore as Brooks
James Whitmore’s Filmography continues next page
James Whitmore’s Filmography
The Majestic (2001) Here s To Life (2000) Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998) The Relic (1997) Wild Bill, Hollywood Maverick: The Life and Times of William A. Wellman (1996) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Where The Red Fern Grows – Pt. 1 & 2 (1992) Old Explorers (1990) Glory! Glory! (1988) All My Sons (1987) Frontier Heritage (1987) Nuts (1987) Celebrity (1985) The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) The Killing of Randy Webser (1981) Rage (1980) The First Deadly Sin (1980) Bully (1978) The Word (1978) The Serpent’s Egg (1977) Give ‘Em Hell, Harry! (1975) I Will Fight No More Forever (1975) Where the Red Fern Grows (1974) High Crime (1973) The Harrad Experiment (1973) Chato’s Land (1971) Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) Madigan (1968) Nobody’s Perfect (1968) Planet of the Apes (1968) Chuka (1967) Waterhole Number 3 (1967) Black Like Me (1964) Who Was That Lady? (1960) Face of Fire (1959) The Restless Years (1958) The Deep Six (1957) Crime in the Streets (1956) The Eddy Duchin Story (1956) The Last Frontier (1956) Battle Cry (1955) Oklahoma! (1955) The McConnell Story (1955) Them (1954) All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953) Kiss Me Kate (1953) The Girl Who Had Everything (1953) The Great Diamond Robbery (1953) Above and Beyond (1952) Because You’re Mine (1952) The Next Voice You Hear (1950) Battleground (1949) Ray Bradbury Dancing Among the Muses
Shirley Jean Rickert (March 25, 1926 – February 6, 2009) was an American child actress who was briefly the "blonde girl" for the Our Gang series in 1931, during the Roach talkie period. She left the "Our Gang" to work at Mickey Rooney’s comedy show.
After the series, she had a brief movie career, followed by a string of jobs including driving trucks for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. She also worked in burlesque as Gilda and Her Crowning Glory. Until her death, she performed quilting and worked with her daughter and grandchild.
Death of Shirley Jean Rickert Shirley Jean Rickert died February 6, 2009 in Saratoga Springs, New York. Shirley Jean Rickert died after a long illness.
