Tag Archives: obituary

From the Hollywood Reporter: Hugh Hefner, who parlayed $8,000 in borrowed money in 1953 to create Playboy, the hot-button media empire renowned for a magazine enriched with naked women and intelligent interviews just as revealing, has died. He was 91. “My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some …

TMZ reports: Rosie O’Donnell’s ex-wife, Michelle Rounds, was found dead in her home Monday of an apparent suicide, sources tell TMZ. Rosie tells TMZ, “I am saddened to hear about this terrible tragedy. Mental illness is a very serious issue affecting many families. My thoughts and prayers go out to Michelle’s family, her wife and their child.” Rosie and Michelle …

Rolling Stone reports: Walter Becker, guitarist, bassist and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band Steely Dan, died Sunday at the age of 67. Becker’s official site announced the death; no cause of death or other details were provided. “Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard …

Variety reports: Jerry Lewis, the brash slapstick comic who teamed with Dean Martin in the 1950s and later starred in “The Nutty Professor” and “The Bellboy” before launching the Muscular Dystrophy telethon, has died in Las Vegas. He was 91. Over the past 10 years of his life, the cranky icon’s reputation soured as he was forced to apologize for …

Rolling Stone reports: Glen Campbell, the indelible voice behind 21 Top 40 hits including “Wichita Lineman” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” died Tuesday. He was 81. A rep for Universal Music Group, Campbell’s record label, confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone. During a career that spanned six decades, Campbell sold over 45 million records. In 1968, …

Variety reports: Barbara Cook, the golden-age Broadway ingenue who became a beloved cabaret and concert performer in the second act of her career, has died. She was 89. Her son, Adam LeGrant, confirmed to Variety that she died early Tuesday morning at her home in Manhattan, surrounded by friends and family. Known for her rich, clear soprano with an astonishing …

Broadway World reports: Broadway World has just learned that playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director Sam Shepard has passed away. Shepard, who had been ill with ALS for some time, died peacefully on July 30 at home in Kentucky, surrounded by his children and sisters. He was 73 years old. Shepard is the author of forty-four plays as well as …

ABC News reports: John Heard, known for his memorable roles in the “Home Alone” movies and “The Sopranos,” died on Friday, the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office confirmed to ABC News. Heard was 71, the medical examiner said. Heard’s rep did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment, and the details of his death remain unknown. Born …

The Guardian reports: Martin Landau, the actor whose gaunt, hangdog features graced films by film-makers as varied as Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen and Tim Burton has died. He was 89, and his death was confirmed by his publicist “following a short hospitalization”. Arguably Landau’s career high point arrived in 1995, when he won the best supporting actor Oscar for his …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Legendary filmmaker George A. Romero, father of the modern movie zombie and creator of the groundbreaking “Night of the Living Dead” franchise, has died at 77, his family said. Romero died Sunday in his sleep following a “brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer,” according to a statement to The Times provided by his longtime …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Nelsan Ellis, the actor who starred in HBO’s True Blood as Lafayette Reynolds, has died, his manager Emily Gerson Saines, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 39. “Nelsan has passed away after complications with heart failure,” Saines said. “He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed.” On True Blood, Lafayette …

Variety reports: Adam West — an actor defined and also constrained by his role in the 1960s series “Batman” — died Friday night in Los Angeles. He was 88. A rep said that he died after a short battle with leukemia. “Our dad always saw himself as The Bright Knight, and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans’ …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Gregg Allman, the soulful singer-songwriter and rock ‘n’ blues pioneer who founded The Allman Brothers Band with his late brother, Duane, and composed such classics as “Midnight Rider,” “Melissa” and the epic concert jam “Whipping Post,” has died at age 69. He was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1999 and underwent a liver transplant in 2010. …

The Associated Press reports: Rocker Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has died at age 52, according to his representative. Cornell, who had been on tour, died Wednesday night in Detroit, Brian Bumbery said in a statement to The Associated Press. Bumbery called the death “sudden and unexpected” and said …

Rolling Stone reports: Jonathan Demme, the Oscar-winning director of Philadelphia and The Silence of the Lambs and the filmmaker who revolutionized concert movies with his 1984 Talking Heads movie Stop Making Sense, died Wednesday morning from esophegal cancer. He was 73. “Sadly, I can confirm that Jonathan passed away early this morning in his Manhattan apartment, surrounded by his wife, …

NBC News reports: Erin Moran, the actress who played Joanie Cunningham on the hit TV series “Happy Days” has died in Indiana at the age of 56, police said. TMZ first reported the death. The Harrison County, Indiana, sheriff’s office told NBC News that dispatchers got a 911 call for an unresponsive female at 4:07 p.m. Saturday and first responders …

Billboard Magazine reports: Guitarist J. Geils, born John Warren Geils Jr., has died at age 71. Geils was found dead in his Groton, Massachusetts, home. He had lived in the town for 35 years. Groton police said officers responded to Geils’ home around 4 p.m. ET Tuesday for a well-being check and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at …

Variety reports: Abrasive comic Don Rickles, the honorary Rat Pack member and celebrity roast guest whose career spanned six decades, has died. He was 90. Rickles died Thursday morning at his home in Los Angeles from kidney failure, his longtime publicist Paul Shefrin confirmed. He would have turned 91 on May 8. Though he appeared in films and on television, …

Cleve Jones breaks the news on his Facebook page: “I am heartbroken. My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me forty years of love and friendship. I can’t stop crying. I love you forever Gilbert Baker.” No cause of death has yet been disclosed. Gilbert suffered a stroke about five …

Variety reports: Chuck Barris, who hosted “The Gong Show” and created “The Dating Game” and “The Newlywed Game,” died Tuesday of natural causes in Palisades, N.Y., his publicist confirmed. He was 87. His autobiography, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” was made into a film directed by George Clooney and starred Sam Rockwell as Barris. In the book (subtitled “An Unauthorized …