Actress -- via the New York Times. One of three remaining actors who played Munchkins in the 1939 classic film "The Wizard of Oz."
Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Lloyd Moss
Classical-music radio host and children's author -- via the New York Times. The silver-tongued announcer kept me entranced for years during his shifts on WQXR in New York. He was authoritative but friendly, and his syndicated "First Hearing" led me to a lot of recordings I might have missed, and gave us listeners many insights as to HOW to listen to music.
Lew Cady aka Lewis Carter Cady
Creative marketing director, publisher and writer of one of the supreme comic creations, "The Little Kingdom Come," devout baseball fan and beer devotee -- via the Denver Post.
One of the funniest and most memorable characters in Denver's history, I knew Lew for decades, only because a) I grew up here, and had friends in Central City (where we could get bar service while still in high school), where he founded and published the Central City newspaper "The Little Kingdom Come," "published whenever we damn well please," from 1970 to just recently. Long before The Onion, Lew's scurrilous rag neatly skewered all the feuds and foibles endemic to every small mountain town, focusing specifically on "old," pre-gambling Central City. I treasure the few paper copies of the "Kingdom Come" I have -- they are still hilarious. Lew could deflate pomposity and capture the essence of a bar regular with equal pithiness, teaching me much about the funny. And b) he loved baseball as much as I do! He enjoyed it wherever it was played, but his loyalty was all for the Denver teams -- first the Bears, then the Zephyrs, and finally, for better or worse, with the Rockies.
One of the funniest and most memorable characters in Denver's history, I knew Lew for decades, only because a) I grew up here, and had friends in Central City (where we could get bar service while still in high school), where he founded and published the Central City newspaper "The Little Kingdom Come," "published whenever we damn well please," from 1970 to just recently. Long before The Onion, Lew's scurrilous rag neatly skewered all the feuds and foibles endemic to every small mountain town, focusing specifically on "old," pre-gambling Central City. I treasure the few paper copies of the "Kingdom Come" I have -- they are still hilarious. Lew could deflate pomposity and capture the essence of a bar regular with equal pithiness, teaching me much about the funny. And b) he loved baseball as much as I do! He enjoyed it wherever it was played, but his loyalty was all for the Denver teams -- first the Bears, then the Zephyrs, and finally, for better or worse, with the Rockies.
Leon Ferrari
Artist -- via the New York Times. His provocative pieces were condemned, besides others, by the current Pope.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Eydie Gorme aka Edith Gormezano
Pop singer -- via the New York Times. She and her husband and co-warbler Steve Lawrence were the epitome of cheesy Vegasness to our ungrateful, callow generation. However, she was a superb stylist, technically flawless and able to sell a song, to really connect emotionally with her audience -- a talent that is pretty rare. If both their performing talents were mocked at the time as cliches, it's only because they came at the very end of the singer-interpreter boom that dominated pop music until rock 'n' roll came along -- 1942-1963. She was a Spanish-language diva; and she was hip to herself -- she and Steve did a killer cover of "Black Hole Sun," which you can listen to below.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Karen Black aka Karen Blanche Ziegler
One of the iconic film actreses of the '60s and '70s: singer and songwriter; screenwriter -- via the L.A. Times. Her slightly cock-eyed, slatternly sexual affect aided her in any number of memorable and peculiar film roles, including work in "Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces," the 1974 "Great Gatsby," "Airport 1975 (in which she flew the plane!), "Trilogy of Terror," "Nashville," and "Burnt Offerings." No one could scream like Karen!
Cosmo Allegretti
Actor and puppeteer; best known as the man behind Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose on "Captain Kangaroo" -- via the New York Times. He also played Grandfather Clock and Dancing Bear! And Dennis the Painter.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
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