Recent Deaths

[wjfox]

Annie Wersching, best known for role in TV series 24, dies at 45

Actor appeared in two series of the thriller as well as Star Trek: Picard, and was reportedly diagnosed with cancer in 2020

Sun 29 Jan 2023 22.49 GMT

The actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the TV series 24, has died at the age of 45.

Wersching died on Sunday morning in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer, her publicist told the Associated Press. The type of cancer was not specified.

Neil Druckmann, who created the video game The Last of Us on which Wersching provided the voice for Tess, wrote on Twitter: “We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered. Thoughts are with her loved ones.”

[...]

Born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, Wersching appeared on dozens of television shows over the course of her two-decade career. Her first credit was in Star Trek: Enterprise, and she would go on to have recurring roles in the seventh and eighth seasons of 24, as well as in Bosch, The Vampire Diaries, Marvel’s Runaways, The Rookie and, most recently, the second season of Star Trek: Picard as the Borg Queen.

Wershing was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, according to Deadline, and continued working. She is survived by her husband, actor Stephen Full, and three sons. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radi ... dies-at-45

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Barrett Strong: Motown trailblazer and hitmaker, dies at 81

Published
1 hour ago

By Mark Savage
BBC Music Correspondent

Barrett Strong, a pivotal figure in the history of Motown Records, has died at the age of 81.

He sang the label's first major hit, Money (That's What I Want), in 1959, and went on to co-write classic songs like I Heard It Through the Grapevine, War and Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.

Those hits were "revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit of the times", Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a written tribute to the musician.

No cause of death has been disclosed.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64450921

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Lisa Loring, original Wednesday Addams actress, dead at 64
Source: CNN Entertainment

CNN — Lisa Loring, best known as the first actress to play Wednesday Addams in the original “The Addams Family” sitcom, has died at the age of 64.

Loring’s daughter, Vanessa Foumberg, confirmed in a statement to Variety that her mother died Saturday of a stroke.

“She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands,” Foumberg said.

Laurie Jacobson, Loring’s friend, also reported her death on Facebook, saying she had “suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertai ... index.html

[weatheriscool]

'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75

Source: Associated Press/

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the popular sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, her family said Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.

"The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," the statement said. "Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved."

Williams also starred in director George Lucas' 1973 film "American Graffiti" and director Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" from 1974.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/television-t ... osition_07

[Time_Traveller]

George R. Robertson dies as Police Academy actor remembered for playing Chief Hurst

07:44, 4 Feb 2023

Police Academy star George R. Robertson has died at the age of 89.

The actor played Chief Hurst in six movies in the franchise and was remembered for playing the old guard who was always longing for the days when cops "all had Johnsons".

His family have confirmed he died at a Toronto hospital last Sunday and a memorial is planned for later in March.

The star was born in Brampton, Ontario in 1933, and he went on to be a prize-winning athlete in his school days before crossing the border and going to business school at Columbia University.

It was there that he met his future wife Adele and they were married for 61 years until his death last month.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity- ... s-29066263

[wjfox]

Burt Bacharach, one of pop's greatest songwriters, dies aged 94

6 minutes ago

One of pop music's greatest composers, Burt Bacharach, has died aged 94.

He wrote enduring hits like I Say A Little Prayer, Walk On By and What The World Needs Now Is Love.

Along with lyricist Hal David, he also wrote numerous movie themes including What's New, Pussycat, Alfie, and The Look Of Love, a major hit for Dusty Springfield.

Bacharach died on Wednesday at home in Los Angeles of natural causes, his publicist Tina Brausam said.

Known for his airborne melodies and sumptuous orchestral arrangements, Bacharach was one of the most important songwriters of the 20th Century.

Over his career, he scored 73 Top 40 hits in the US and 52 in the UK, working with artists including Dionne Warwick, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Barbara Streisand, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin and Elvis Costello.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64587070



Credit: Reuters

[wjfox]

Raquel Welch: US actress and model dead at 82

1 hour ago

US actress Raquel Welch, often credited with paving the way for modern day action heroines in Hollywood films, has died at the age of 82.

The Hollywood star passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning after a brief illness, her manager said.

Welch became an international sex symbol in the 1960s, widely remembered for playing a bikini-clad cavewoman in the 1966 film One Million Years BC.

She also won a Golden Globe for her role in 1974's The Three Musketeers.

Born Jo Raquel Tejada in 1940, Welch grew up in California, where she won teen beauty pageants and later became a local weather forecaster.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64657781

[wjfox]

Sounds like Jimmy Carter doesn't have long left.

[weatheriscool]

Richard Belzer, star of Law & Order and acclaimed comedian, dead at 78
Source: Iowa News Now

HOLLYWOOD — Richard Belzer, acclaimed comedian and long-time actor in NBC's long running Law and Order franchise, has died at 78. The news first broke from long-time friend Laraine Newman, who worked with Belzer during his many appearances in the early years of Saturday Night Live.

Between Homicide: Life on the Streets and Law & Order, Belzer played the role of John Munch for 23 years beginning in 1993. Belzer retired from acting in 2016 at the age of 71.

Read more: https://cbs2iowa.com/news/entertainment ... dead-at-78

[wjfox]

Sad to hear this. A legend in sports commentary and a highly recognisable voice. I will miss his enthusiasm during England matches.

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John Motson: Legendary commentator dies aged 77

Last updated on
16 minutes ago

Legendary commentator John Motson, who had an illustrious 50-year career with the BBC, has died aged 77.

Motson covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for BBC Sport before retiring from the organisation in 2018.

Popularly known as 'Motty', he had worked on Match of the Day since 1971.

"It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today (Thursday)," said a statement from Motson's family.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64742833

[wjfox]

First woman Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd dies

47 minutes ago

The first female Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd has died aged 93.

She served as Speaker from 1992 to 2000, before going on to become a baroness in the House of Lords from 2001.

The current Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle described her as "an inspirational woman" who was known for her "no-nonsense style".

She was the Labour MP for West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000.

"To be the first woman Speaker was truly groundbreaking and Betty certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache," Sir Lindsay said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64786680

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Gary Rossington, Founding Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitarist, Dies at 71
Source: Yahoo/Spin

Gary Rossington, the guitarist for legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, died at 71. The band posted a statement confirming Rossington’s death on its verified Facebook account. Rossington was the last surviving original Lynyrd Skynyrd member.

“It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today,” the statement said. “Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does. Please keep Dale, Mary, Annie and the entire Rossington family in your prayers and respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.”

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gar ... 29069.html

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US Disability rights activist Judy Heumann dies aged 75
Judy Heumann, a renowned advocate for the rights of disabled people, has died at the age of 75.

Heumann was an internationally recognized leader of the disability rights movement whose activism led to the implementation of major legislation in the United States.

After contracting polio as a child, she became the first wheelchair user to work as a teacher in New York City.

She died in Washington DC on Saturday.

Heumann was "widely regarded as 'the mother' of the disability rights movement", according to a message posted on her website announcing her death.

She was at the forefront of major disability rights demonstrations, helped spearhead the passage of laws and founded national and international advocacy organizations, it added.

More at Link - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64854839

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Bobby Caldwell, 'What You Won't Do For Love' singer and songwriter, dead at 71

Source: CNN Entertainment

CNN — Bobby Caldwell, the soulful singer and songwriter behind R&B hits like “What You Won’t Do For Love” and “Open Your Eyes,” has died, according to a statement from his wife, Mary Caldwell. He was 71.

“Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years,” Mary Caldwell’s statement, shared on his verified Twitter account, read in part.

She said Caldwell had been dealing with health issues for some time. Caldwell’s hit song “What You Won’t Do For Love” hit the Billboard 100 charts after its release in 1978. Artists including Tupac Shakur, Common and John Legend have all sampled his music.

Questlove, who collaborated with Common on “The Light,” which sampled Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes,” shared a tribute to the late artist on Instagram, describing how he tried to work with him over the years. “Man such a missed opportunity to meet a legend,” Questlove wrote. “Thank you for your voice and gift,

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/15/entertai ... index.html

[MythOfProgress]

Lance Reddick, steely star of 'The Wire' and 'John Wick' films, dies at 60

Source: Yahoo

Lance Reddick, the lanky, stalwart character actor whose no-nonsense demeanor was on full display in the John Wick franchise opposite Keanu Reeves and acclaimed series like The Wire, Oz and Lost, died on Friday. Mia Hansen, the actor's representative at Portait PR, told Yahoo that Reddick "passed away suddenly of natural causes."

"Lance will be greatly missed," said Hansen, who requested privacy for the actor's surviving family members, wife Stephanie and children Yvonne Nicole and Christopher.

Reddick was noticeably absent from the John Wick: Chapter 4 premiere in New York City on Wednesday for reasons not immediately made clear. However the actor, who plays Charon, was doing press and participated in multiple interviews this week. The film is set to be released March 24.

More on Reddick: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/lan ... 29916.html

[wjfox]

Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder and creator of Moore's Law, dies aged 94

57 minutes ago

Silicon Valley pioneer and philanthropist Gordon Moore has died aged 94 in Hawaii.

Mr Moore started working on semiconductors in the 1950s and co-founded the Intel Corporation.

He famously predicted that computer processing powers would double every year - later revised to every two - an insight known as Moore's Law.

That "law" became the bedrock for the computer processor industry and influenced the PC revolution.

Two decades before the computer revolution began, Moore wrote in a paper that integrated circuits would lead "to such wonders as home computers - or at least terminals connected to a central computer - automatic controls for automobiles, and personal portable communications equipment".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65073812

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Mark Russell, political satirist with a star-spangled piano, dies at 90
Source: Washington Post

Mark Russell, Washington’s social-political satirist and stand-up comic who spoofed, teased and laughed at celebrities, politicians, politics and popular culture for more than 50 years from behind his star-spangled piano, died March 30 at his home in D.C. He was 90.

The cause was complications from prostate cancer, said his wife, Alison Russell.

From the waning years of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration through the presidencies of 10 succeeding chief executives, Mr. Russell poked fun at the foibles and flaws of the well-known, the pompous and the powerful in monologues replete with pithy one-liners and musical ditties. He called himself “a political cartoonist for the blind.”

Long an institution on Washington’s stages and in hotel bars, Mr. Russell gained a national following on public television, where for 30 years he made regular broadcasts. In the 1980s and 1990s, he took his show on the road, appearing live in public and corporate venues in cities and towns across the United States.

In addition, he wrote syndicated observations for newspaper op-ed pages, where he delivered such quips as “a broken campaign promise to change the way Washington works is exactly the way Washington works.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituari ... nist-dead/

[wjfox]

Nigel Lawson: Reforming chancellor dies aged 91

5 hours ago

Former Conservative Chancellor Nigel Lawson has died at the age of 91.

Holding several cabinet posts under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, he was seen as one of the most consequential of all post-war UK chancellors.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called him an "inspiration to me and many others".

He is credited with creating powerful entrepreneurial forces in a decade also remembered by many communities around the UK as a time of widening inequality and painful deindustrialisation.

Lord Lawson is survived by six children, including Nigella Lawson, a food writer and celebrity cook.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65167914

[wjfox]

Fashion designer Dame Mary Quant dies aged 93

Thu 13 Apr 2023 13.42 BST

Mary Quant, the British designer who made the miniskirt fashionable, has died aged 93.

A statement from her family to the PA news agency said she “died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK this morning”.

Her family said she “was one of the most internationally recognised fashion designers of the 20th century and an outstanding innovator of the Swinging Sixties”.

During the 1960s Quant became a poster girl for London’s Youthquake. Although she is often miscredited as the inventor, she undoubtably made the miniskirt the “it” clothing item for a new generation of young women. With her Vidal Sassoon haircut and burgeoning reputation as the figurehead for Swinging London, she was frequently photographed and was almost always wearing a mini – including on the occasion of receiving her OBE in 1966. Quant did far more than wear miniskirts – she designed them too.

She was at the vanguard of the 60s shift in fashion, one that put youth centre stage for the first time. Her clothes were bright, colourful, comfortable and simple, taking inspiration from subcultures such as the mods as well as school uniforms. While they were not cheap – a pinafore dress cost six guineas in 1963, the equivalent of just over £100 – her clothes were more affordable than those made by designer brands.

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/202 ... quant-dies

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Anne Perry, crime novelist with her own murder record, dies at 84
Source: Washington Post

Anne Perry, a popular British-born crime novelist who once served five years in prison for a grisly murder she helped commit as a teenager, died in Los Angeles on April 10. She was 84.

...snip...

Ms. Perry, a prolific writer who sold more than 26 million books worldwide, had already become well established as a novelist when her sinister past was exposed in 1994, just before the release of Peter Jackson’s film “Heavenly Creatures.”

The movie, based on a chilling matricide in New Zealand some four decades earlier in which a Christchurch woman was bludgeoned to death in a park by her daughter and Ms. Perry — then 15 years old and known as Juliet Hulme — rekindled media interest in the case. The author, who had relocated years earlier to Scotland and changed her name, was tracked down by journalists.

Ms. Perry’s character in the film, played by Kate Winslet, strikes up an intense relationship with her best friend, Pauline Parker, that Juliet’s parents view as “unwholesome.” When Juliet’s parents split and make plans to send her to South Africa, the girls concoct a plan to murder Pauline’s mother — who apparently objected to her joining Juliet abroad.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituari ... ime-books/