Author Topic: Obituaries for 2015 (Read 71731 times)

jmyrlefuller · « **on:** January 02, 2015, 12:56:25 am »

New year, new thread.

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2015, 01:01:07 am »

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[/float]Mario Cuomo, former New York governor, dead at 82

Ever-eloquent Mario Cuomo, a son of Queens who rode his rhetorical gifts to three terms as New York governor and tantalized Democrats by flirting with a run for President, died Thursday, two sources close to the family said. He was 82.

Cuomo passed away six hours after his oldest son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was sworn-in to a second term in Manhattan.

"He couldn't be here physically today ... but my father is in this room," Andrew Cuomo said in his inaugural address. "He's in the heart and mind of every person who is here. His inspiration and his legacy and his spirit is what has brought this day to this point."

As governor, Mario Cuomo wrestled with two recessions and presided over a massive expansion of the state prison system. A liberal, he bucked the political winds by wielding his veto pen year after year to block the restoration of the state death penalty.

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Machiavelli · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2015, 03:07:49 am »

Quote from: jmyrlefuller on January 02, 2015, 12:56:25 am

New year, new thread.

Thank you.

PzLdr · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2015, 03:31:14 am »

The only people whose execution Mario Cuomo didn't oppose were the unborn. Typical liberal.

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2015, 05:17:44 pm »

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[/float]Jeff Golub, jazz and rock guitarist, dies at 59

Jeff Golub, a guitarist who crossed seamlessly between jazz, blues and rock, died today, Jan. 1, following a lengthy illness. He was 59. The precise cause and place of death have not yet been reported but Golub had experienced a series of physical setbacks in recent years that ultimately caused him to no longer be able to perform.

Jeff Golub, who was born in Copley, Ohio, April 15, 1955, played his first gig in 1967 at age 12 and turned professional during the following decade. In 1980, after moving to New York, Golub joined the band of rock singer Billy Squier, with whom he toured and recorded extensively. Golub released his first solo recording, Unspoken Words, for Gaia Records in 1988. Golub released more than a dozen albums in all as a leader and three with the Avenue Blue Band, and spent several years (1988-95) in the band of singer Rod Stewart.

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Machiavelli · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2015, 09:01:00 pm »

'Beverly Hillbillies' Actress Donna Douglas Dies at 81

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Donna Douglas, best known for her role as the tomboy, critter-loving Elly May Clampett on the 1960s fish-out-of-water CBS sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, died on New Year’s Day, according to WAFB Channel 9 in Louisiana, which cited family members. She was 81.

Douglas also co-starred opposite Elvis Presley in the 1966 film Frankie and Johnny (she was Frankie, like Elvis playing a performer on a Mississippi River riverboat) and stood out as the hospitalized woman underneath the bandages in the memorable 1960 Twilight Zone episode "The Eye of the Beholder."

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NavyCanDo · « **Reply #6 on:** January 03, 2015, 12:59:47 am »

Loved The Beverly Hillbillies, and still catch episodes on TV when I can. They just don't make TV like that anymore. RIP Donna. You will be missed.

I didn't realize she was 81. Dang that makes me feel old - and I suppose all of us guys who had a crush on her are feeling the same.

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2015, 01:22:27 am »

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[/float]Little Jimmy Dickens, oldest Opry member, dies at 94

Little Jimmy Dickens, a diminutive singer-songwriter known for his sense of humor and as the oldest cast member of the Grand Ole Opry, has died. He was 94.

Dickens died Friday at a Nashville-area hospital of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke on Christmas Day, Opry spokeswoman Jessie Schmidt said.
Dickens, who stood 4-foot-11, had performed on the Opry almost continuously since 1948. His last performance was Dec. 20 as part of his birthday celebration. He sang "Out Behind The Barn" and delivered his trademark comedy. He had turned 94 a day earlier.

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Full obituary from The Tennesseean

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2015, 06:25:47 pm »

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[/float]Stuart Scott, ESPN anchor, dies at 49

Stuart Scott, a longtime anchor at ESPN, died Sunday morning at the age of 49.

Among the features of the new ESPN studio in Bristol is a wall of catchphrases made famous by on-air talent over the years. An amazing nine of them belong to one man -- from his signature "Boo-Yah!" to "As cool as the other side of the pillow" to "He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin' him to school."

That man is Stuart Scott, and his contributions to the sports lexicon are writ large. But they are only one aspect of his legacy. When he passed away, he left behind so much more. He inspired his colleagues with his sheer talent, his work ethic and his devotion to his daughters, Taelor, 19, and Sydni, 15. He defied convention and criticism to help bring this network into a new century. He spoke to the very athletes he was talking about with a flair and a style that ESPN president John Skipper says, "changed everything."

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2015, 06:50:37 pm »

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[/float]Lance Diamond, lounge singer who recorded with the Goo Goo Dolls, dies

Lance Diamond, a fixture of Western New York's music scene for over 40 years, died of heart trouble January 4.

He could be heard on Saturday nights at Milkie's on Elmwood with his 24 Karat Diamond Band, located in Buffalo on Elmwood Avenue. Diamond performed at Nekter Martini Bar and Grille, on Sunday evenings during the Summer also on Elmwood. Diamond, together with his band the 24 Karat Diamond Band, played many classic rock and disco-era songs. He often called himself the "Love Doctor," getting the name from his #1 radio show, Saturday Night Fever which he hosted every Saturday night from 6pm-12mid on what is now WMSX, 96.1 in the city.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCNkgpDGqCc

Machiavelli · « **Reply #10 on:** January 06, 2015, 08:31:03 pm »

Allie Sherman Dies at 91; Led Giants to Title Games

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Allie Sherman, who possessed a dubious football pedigree as a left-handed quarterback at Brooklyn College but went on to take the New York Giants to National Football League title games in his first three seasons as their coach, died on Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91.

His death was announced by his family.

Sherman's early years as the Giants' coach have long been remembered as a revered time in the franchise's history. His players included quarterbacks Charley Conerly and Y. A. Tittle, backs Alex Webster, Kyle Rote and Frank Gifford and wide receiver Del Shofner, as well as a formidable defensive lineup that included Sam Huff, Andy Robustelli and Roosevelt Grier.

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mountaineer · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2015, 11:40:06 pm »

Andraé Crouch, Who Moved Gospel Into The 21st Century, Has Died
January 09, 2015 3:57 PM ET

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Andraé Crouch, known as the Father of Modern Gospel, has died. The Grammy Award-winning musician wrote contemporary standards that bridged the black and white Christian communities. That's Andraé Crouch's choir on Madonna's "Like a Prayer." He even arranged and conducted for the Lion King soundtrack. Crouch died Thursday in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack last weekend. He was 72.

Andraé Crouch was the son of a preacher man. When he was nine, his dad opened a pentacostal church in a garage in the San Fernando Valley.

"I learned as my father needed a piano player in his church," said Crouch in a 1980s TV special hosted by LeVar Burton. "He needed a piano player and he prayed for me one Sunday. And I started playing the piano about three weeks later."

By then Andraé Crouch had already played a major role in creating a more contemporary, conservative gospel sound. The demonstrative shouts of the sanctified church were toned down to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Crouch was on The Jeffersons and he played Billy Graham crusades, the White House — even the Grand Ole Opry. Tennessee Ernie Ford introduced him from stage, in a performance that aired on PBS in 1985: "Now the man I'm about to introduce is a rare talent. He not only sings — he sings fine gospel, but he's a fantastic writer."

Songs Crouch wrote in the 1960s are still in use. Brian Courtney Wilson is a gospel singer and the music director of Covenant Glen United Methodist Church in Missouri City, Texas.

"Just this Sunday, we were singing 'The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power.' I was leaning on him to make sure we had something to say on Sunday," he said. "There's a certain clarity to what he's doing. He's being very clear about the truths he's trying to communicate."

That clarity has at times been dismissed by critics and academics as bland.

"Andraé himself was, I think, by the kindest yardstick, a gentle vocalist. Not a housewrecker," says Anthony Heilbut, who wrote a definitive history of gospel music, called The Gospel Sound, and a book of essays called The Fan Who Knew Too Much, in which he aired some of gospel's dirty laundry. Nevertheless, he says, Crouch knew how to move a congregation.

"His compositions have had an extreme importance and are very very popular, and the responses to the songs are very emotional," says Heilbut. "He really was a visionary then, in taking the theology, combined with these ambitious melodies."

For his part, Andraé Crouch would insist those melodies weren't all his, as he told NPR in 2006.

"I just wanted to, you know, keep up with what he has given me. And I don't think that it will ever drain out of me. I think that as long as I want to do music I think that God will continually pour into me."

And Brian Courtney Wilson says he's seen the music of Andraé Crouch at work. "I'm not schooled, officially, in doing this. You know, I don't have a degree in gospel music. I don't have a degree in gospel music history. It's just something that I've lived. And I've seen impact people's lives."

What he made retained its potency even when he grafted it onto pop music. You've felt it. That's Andraé Crouch's choir on "Man in the Mirror," and behind Michael Jackson at the 1988 Grammy Awards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iZm9__sJL8

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #12 on:** January 11, 2015, 03:20:04 am »

Taylor Negron, Comedian & Actor, Dead At 57

Brad “Taylor” Negron, an actor who appeared in a number of films and television series in the 1980s and 1990s, mostly in minor roles Negron described as “alternative everyman” parts, died at 57 after a long battle with cancer. His cousin, Three Dog Night singer Chuck Negron, confirmed the news.

Obituary from Deadline.com

Wikipedia

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2015, 06:36:25 pm »

Lowell “Bud” Paxson, inventer of home shopping TV and television mogul, dies at 80

Paxson was best known for his ownership of television stations. WNYP, his first station, attempted (without success) to introduce Canada's CTV network to the U.S. market in the 1960s. In 1982, now in Florida, Paxson was paid for an account in can openers and launched an impromptu on-air sale to liquidate his payment; the success of the sale prompted Paxson to found the Home Shopping Network.

Eventually becoming a born-again Christian, Paxson sold off HSN in 1996 and launched PAX TV, a family-friendly television network. Pax, which drew much of its original content from CTV, was never a major success but continues in operation to this day, now known as Ion Television.

The Hollywood Reporter story

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2015, 02:30:48 am »

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[/float]Kim Fowley, Legendary Record Producer, Dead at 75

He made a name for himself in the early 1960s as a co-producer/co-publisher on a string of successful records, such as the top-charting novelty song "Alley Oop" and Paul Revere and the Raiders' instrumental "Like, Long Hair." He went on to work with acts including The Murmaids, Gene Vincent, KISS, Alice Cooper, Leon Russell and Kris Kristofferson.

In 1975, Fowley helped form the Runaways, with whom he worked until 1977 when the group severed ties, due in large part to his unorthodox work methods, mistreatment and verbal assaults.

In an interesting turn of events, former Runaways frontwoman Cherie Currie cared for Fowley during his fight with cancer this past year.

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #15 on:** January 18, 2015, 03:03:02 am »

Rebecca D. Lockhart, former leader of the Utah House of Representatives, dies at 46

Lockhart, a Republican who represented Provo in the Utah State Legislature for 16 years, ascended to Speaker of the House. She was the first woman to be House Speaker and was viewed as an inspiration for women to serve in politics regardless of their political affiliation.

Lockhart was known for her “consensus-building” style in the House caucus, but also for her grit and determination. She was widely believed to be a candidate for governor in 2016, and most recently sought to be the state schools superintendent.

At a news conference Saturday afternoon, doctors at University Medical Center and Lockhart’s family disclosed that she had been diagnosed with the extremely rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. They said it is a “one in a million” diagnosis and the Speaker initially sought treatment for vertigo. The degenerative disease progressed quickly.

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #16 on:** January 18, 2015, 01:00:45 pm »

Don Harron, Canadian entertainment icon, dead at 90

During CBC’s 1952 television revue The Spring Thaw , the relatively unknown Harron took to the stage for a four-minute set. Few people watching knew they were about to witness a marquee moment in Canadian show business.

That evening he introduced Canada to Farquharson – the country bumpkin from rural Ontario known for his incessant puns and decrepit grey cardigan sweater – a character that would solidify Harron’s place among the nation’s great entertainers.

Harron achieved international success in the late 1960s when he began an 18-season stint performing as Farquharson on the hit U.S. variety show Hee Haw.

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #17 on:** January 23, 2015, 03:17:24 am »

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[/float]Wendell H. Ford, former Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator, dies at 90

Former Kentucky Sen. Wendell Ford has passed away at the age of 90.

Ford, a Democrat, served in the Senate from 1974 to 1999. He also served as the governor of Kentucky from 1971 to 1974.

ABC News obituary

Wikipedia

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #18 on:** January 24, 2015, 01:37:59 pm »

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[/float]Ernie Banks, baseball's “Mr. Cub,” dies at 83

The Chicago Cubs were playing a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The date doesn't matter; it could have been any time from 1953 to 1971. Ernie Banks, the always ebullient, always energetic slugger who famously told us, "Let's play two," popped his head out of the Cubs dugout, looked first at the bright blue sky and then at the big crowd, and said, "Let's play three!"

That was Ernie Banks. One game in a day wasn't enough, and when there were two, he wanted three. No one, but no one, loved playing the game more than Ernie Banks. And not many played it better, especially as a young man when he changed, at least for a few years, the way baseball looked at the position of shortstop. He is a Hall of Famer, one of only 26 players who have hit at least 500 home runs (he finished his 19-year career with 512). And he is, in every way, on and off the field, Mr. Cub.

ESPN

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EC · « **Reply #19 on:** January 25, 2015, 05:37:33 pm »

Edgar Froese dead: Tangerine Dream founder dies aged 70

Froese, who was best known for his work with ground-breaking electronica band, died suddenly from the effects of pulmonary embolism in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday.

The news was broken by Froese’s son Jerome on Friday, in a Facebook post on the band’s page he wrote: “The sadness in our hearts is immensely. Edgar once said: “There is no death, there is just a change of our cosmic address." Edgar, this is a little comfort to us.”

http://report24.co.uk/2015/01/edgar-froese-dead-tangerine-dream-founder-dies-aged-70/

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Machiavelli · « **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2015, 10:15:22 pm »

Rush Limbaugh's chief of staff dies

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Christopher “Kit” Carson, the chief of staff for America’s top-rated radio host Rush Limbaugh, died Monday morning in New Jersey after a four-year battle with brain cancer. He was 58.

“It’s such a void because he loved this job,” Limbaugh said Monday with a heavy heart as he paid tribute for nearly an hour to Carson, who was the first staffer he hired for his show 27 years ago. “He’s just going to be really missed … Even though we knew this was coming for a while … It’s a huge void in everybody’s heart.”

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Machiavelli · « **Reply #21 on:** January 29, 2015, 07:13:52 pm »

Colleen McCullough, Author of 'The Thorn Birds,' Dies at 77

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Colleen McCullough, a former neurophysiological researcher at Yale who, deciding to write novels in her spare time, produced "The Thorn Birds," a multigenerational Australian romance that became an international best seller and inspired a hugely popular television mini-series, died on Thursday on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, where she had made her home for more than 30 years. She was 77.

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Machiavelli · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:13:11 pm »

Rod McKuen, Prolific Poet and Lyricist, Dies at 81

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Rod McKuen, a ubiquitous poet, lyricist and songwriter whose work met with immense commercial success if little critical esteem, died on Thursday in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 81...

Mr. McKuen, whom The St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture described as having been, at his height, "the unofficial poet laureate of America," was the author of dozens of books of poetry, which together sold millions of copies...

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jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #23 on:** February 06, 2015, 11:58:46 pm »

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[/float]Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-MS) dies at 56

Rep. Alan Nunnelee, a Mississippi Republican and part of the historic 2010 GOP wave election that gave the party control of the House, died Friday, the family confirmed. He was 56.

Nunnelee, who was serving his third term, underwent brain surgery last June and had been in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation centers the past year. He was plagued with health problems through much of his life, including losing his eyesight while attending college (he later received a cornea transplant that restored his sight).

Obit from Gannett

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mountaineer · « **Reply #24 on:** February 07, 2015, 12:17:05 am »

My congressman's statement on the death of Rep. Nunnelee:

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Today, my friend, Rep. Alan Nunnelee of Mississippi, passed away after a heroic struggle following brain surgery and chemotherapy.

The loss of Alan is hard to fathom. When we came to Washington, our families became fast friends. Through his deep and abiding faith, Alan became a teacher and an inspiration to me. He lived his faith and it was a source of profound strength for him until the end.

Though Mary and I know he is in heaven now, he will be sorely missed. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Tori, and his children, Reed, Emily, and Nathan.