Tuesday, February 15, 2011

T.P. McKenna

Stalwart actor of film and TV -- via tpmckenna.com. Another, longer remembrance here --

Monday, February 14, 2011

Kenneth Mars

Comic actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Well, this one really hurts. Mars was one of the funniest performers of the 20th century -- his roles in Mel Brooks films such as "Young Frankenstein" (as the one-armed Inspector Kemp) and "The Producers" (as Franz Liebkind, crazy Nazi playwright of "Springtime for Hitler") make him immortal. He did so much more -- other films, TV, stage work -- nearly 200 IMDB credits alone! He was a voice master as well -- he could do any accent, instantly and with ease and facility. He was eloquently daffy, and somehow subtly slapstick. God bless him! Never forget -- "He vill currrzzz de dey he vasschh borrrrn a Frangeunshhtein!"


George Shearing

Great jazz pianist -- via the BBC. This amazing and prolific performer and composer wrote over 300 tunes, including the standard, "Lullaby of Birdland." He worked with just about everyone of note (so to speak) in nearly 75 years of work.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Bad News Brown aka Paul Frappier

Rapper -- via the Toronto Sun.

Peter Alexander

Actor and singer -- via monstersandcritics.com.

Marie Wuczynski

[Photo courtesy Jim Newberry -- jimnewberry.com]
Bar owner -- via the Chicago Sun-Times. She liked people and made them feel welcome. That's a pretty big accomplishment!

Betty Garrett

Actress, singer, dancer , comedian -- via tvseriesfinale.com. She will be best remembered for her TV roles in series such as "All in the Family" and "Laverne & Shirley," but Garrett started out as a theatrical and cabaret actress/singer/dancer before World War II. She made it to Broadway, then in to movies such as "On the Town," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "My Sister Eileen." After a period of blacklisting of her and her husband Larry Parks during the Second Red Scare, she came roaring back.

Gladys Caroline Frazier Benbow

Dancer, singer, actress, writer -- via legacy.com and the Winston-Salem Journal.

Tom Carnegie

Announcer most noted for his long association with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- via indystar.com.

James Spruill

Actor, director and educator -- via boston.com.

James "Chops" Jones

Trumpeter -- via the Star-Ledger.

Ahmed Massiouni

Artist and musician -- via voy.com. Died from asphyxiation due to tear gas during Egyptian street protests.

Joan Bonham

Singer with the Zimmers -- via ledzeppelinnews.com. Also, the mother of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

Bella Itkin-Konrath

Acting teacher -- via the Chicago Tribune.

Jesse Valadez

Godfather of lowriders -- via the L.A. Times.

Ernie Tyler

Umpires attendant for the Baltimore Orioles -- via baltimore.orioles.mlb.com. He worked for the team for 51 years, with a streak of 3,819 consecutive home games.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Barbara "Bookie" Weiner Grasgreen

An unique individual -- via legacy.com. This beautifully written summation of her life was found and pointed out by Alana Baranick!

Blanche Honegger Moyse

Conductor -- via sentinelsource.com. Often referred to as "one of classical music's best-kept secrets," she was considered the foremost interpreter of Bach in the world. Her concerts created deep new levels of meaning and feeling in their listeners.

David Sanchez Juliao

Writer and journalist -- via colombiapassport.com.

Michael Har-Segor

Historian -- via the Jerusalem Post.

Bo Carpelan

Poet, novelist and short-story writer -- via yle.fi.

Charles O. Perry

Sculptor -- via the New York Times.

James Blears Jr.

Surfer -- via surfline.com.

Steve Mancha aka Clyde Wilson

Soul singer -- via lineout.thestranger.com.

Edward J. McDonald

Set decorator for film and television -- via the Glendale News-Press.

Chuck Tanner

Major league baseball player and manager -- via MLB.com. An incurable optimist, he will be most noted as the last skipper to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series championship.

Bill Justice

Animator -- via the Los Angeles Times.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Tony Malinosky

Major league player for the 1937 Brooklyn Dodgers -- via ESPN.At the time of his death, he was the oldest living major-leaguer.

Bob Monks

Cartoonist and humorist -- via the CBC.

Willi Dansgaard

Paleoclimatologist -- via icenews.is.

Along Sega

Tribal chief who fought to preserve his homeland -- via the Telegraph.

Peggy Rea

Character actress -- via legacy.com. Noted for her many prominent supporting roles in TV series such as "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The Waltons," "Step by Step" and "Grace Under Fire."