Sunday, September 21, 2014

Polly Bergen

Actress, singer, writer, and cosmetics entrepreneur -- via the New York Times. AKA Nellie Paulina Burgin. She was busy on stage, in TV and on film. She played the wife in the original "Cape Fear"; she won an Emmy for portraying Helen Morgan; she did solid work in the Herman Wouk WWII saga "Winds of War" and its sequel; she played the female lead in a number of Martin and Lewis films; she wound up being a big hit in a revival of Sondheim's "Follies."



U Srinivas

Mandolinist -- via the Times of India.

Elaine Lee

Actress -- via the Sydney Morning Herald.

Will Radliff

Avraham Heffner

Friday, September 19, 2014

Kenny Wheeler

Trumpeter and composer -- via the Guardian.

Giuliana Berlinguer

Director, screenwriter, and novelist -- via La Repubblica.

Wayne Tefs

Writer -- via the CBC.

Jerry Phillips

Radio host -- via the Washington Post.

David G.B. Brown

TV writer -- via Variety.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

George Hamilton IV

Johnny Rotella

Multi-instrumentalist, studio musician, and songwriter -- via the Los Angeles Daily News. His big hit, recorded by Sinatra: "Nothing But the Best."



Nigel Evans

Filmmaker -- via the Guardian.

Lee Maddux

TV writer and producer -- via Variety.

Edward L. "Buster" Jones

Voice artist and actor -- via Variety.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Jackie Cain

Half of the jazz/pop duet of Jackie & Roy -- via the Washington Post. I kid Jackie & Roy; they represent the suburban bossa nova style that rock 'n' roll saved us from in the 1960s. And Roy couldn't hit the low notes on "Samba Triste," their biggest hit. They worked for a half-century, however; they were pros.

Bill Smithies

Journalist -- and obituarist! -- via the Guardian. "His most enjoyable assignment was the five years he spent running the obituaries department – and his most memorable moment when he was asked to organise a Christmas lunch for the comment section's staff and contributors at the Kolossi Grill, a local haunt. Asked whether they would like a belly-dancer, Bill took advice and accepted. During the inevitable consternation that greeted her appearance, Bill recalled, a leading feminist contributor was asked for her response: 'She is a working woman – we should all support her!'" My kinda guy.



Teddy Riedel

Pianist and songwriter -- via Family Funeral Service. His big hit, "Judy," was released by Elvis in 1961.

Davie Lee White

Voiceover artist, drummer, radio host; best know for pronouncing the tagline, "This Bud's for you" -- via St. Louis Public Radio. At 18, at KDNT Radio, he spun records; Willie Nelson sold ads, and Bill Moyers did the news!

China Zorilla

Actress -- via El Pais.

Philip Somerville

Milliner -- via the Telegraph.

Wendell Brown

Poet -- via the L.A. Times.

Lonnie Lynn

Poet and performer -- via the New York Daily News. AKA Pops His spoken-word work can be heard on the albums of his son, the rapper Common. And hey, he played for the old ABA Denver Rockets!

Tom Skeeter

Music studio owner -- via Ultimate Classic Rock. He ran Sound City Studios, which recorded Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Metallica, and Nirvana.

Keith Wilson

Drummer -- via the Orlando Sentinel.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Weekly Reader: Stories on death, dying, mourning, and more

A day late this week, due to an over-filled schedule, as well as a plethora of stories.

TOP STORIES

In NYC, many ways to mourn 9/11 develop as the years pass – written by Denis Hamill in the New York Daily News


Funeral home offers drive-through viewings – via Bob Johnson of the Saginaw News


DEATH

The nightmare world of Iraq’s morgue workers – from Abigail Hauslohner at the Washington Post

In the Guardian, David Crystal writes about euphemisms and “a thousand words for death”

Ashya King case in Britain prompts: ‘We must stop being cowardly about death,’ by Archie King in the Independent


Don’t die a celebrity – in Epoch Times, Zachary Stieber discusses the re-evaluated 2009 death of actress Brittany Murphy, the bad TV movies that result, and various forms of post-mortem litigious carnage






MOURNING

Via Quartz and the Atlantic, Gabrielle Birkner of Modern Loss writes about differences in mourning, on 9/11 and now. And she quotes . . . me? Yes. Hope this doesn't reduce the credibility of the story for you.

Can you mourn without a body? asks David Andreatta of the Rochester, NY Democrat & Chronicle

Mourning, private and public – from Allison Hrabar in the Swarthmore Daily Gazette


CONFESSIONS OF A FUNERAL DIRECTOR

Caleb Wilde’s blog is turning out a great deal of important and interesting writing on the topic at hand – here are some highlights from this week alone:

Confessions of a Funeral Director presents: 10 Way to Save Money When You Die! That is, if you care.

Caleb Wilde of Confessions of Funeral Director tells a much more affecting story about empathy, sympathy, and becoming part of the narrative





FUNERALS

Inside NYC’s “funeral home for the stars” – via Jerry Oppenheimer for the New York Post


Funeral home ought not to have cremated Buddhist deceased – from Oren Yaniv at the New York Daily News

Funeral etiquette: what to wear? by Julie Kendrick at Kendrick Works


OBITS/TRIBUTES


Stephen Miller of Bloomberg News has found a calling in writing about those who have died. Here's his story! (Please note, he is a long-standing electronic friend of mine; however, I think his skills are extraordinary.)TOP STORIES


Andy Stapp

Founder of the American Servicemen's Union -- via the New York Times.

Henrik Have

Artist and writer -- via Avisen.


Salah El Mahdi

Boris Khimichev

Actor -- via news2night.com.


Tony Auth

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist -- via the New York Times.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Angus Lennie

Actor -- via The Mirror. Best remembered as Flight Officer Archibald Ives in "The Great Escape," he also played a long-running role in the British sitcom "Crossroads," and many others.





Ives Crosses the Wire


The Great Escape

— MOVIECLIPS.com


Andrea Marongiu

Del Roy

Actor -- via legacy.com. AKA Roy Weinedel Jr.

Vivienne Chandler

Actress and photographer -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. AKA Holly Bush AKA Holly Bund AKA Vivienne Maya


Peter Gutteridge

Rocker -- via the New Zealand Herald.