The Rest In Peace & Remembrance Thread #2

Iggy Pop Drummer Scott Asheton Dead at 64
The Wrap
By Todd Cunningham

Scott Asheton, a founding member and the drummer in the seminal punk rock band the Stooges has died, singer Iggy Pop said on his Facebook page Sunday.

“My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night,” Pop said in his post. Asheton was 64.

“Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother. He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world. The Ashetons have always been and continue to be a second family to me.

“My thoughts are with his sister Kathy, his wife Liz and his daughter Leanna, who was the light of his life.”

Asheton co-formed the Stooges in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Mich., along with Pop, Dave Alexander and guitarist Ron Asheton, his older brother who died in 2009. Their best known songs include “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Search and Destroy,” and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

No cause of death was indicated. Asheton had suffered a stroke in 2011 that caused his temporary retirement.
 
Fred Phelps Sr., leader of Westboro Baptist Church, dies at 84
By Adam Bernstein
Thursday, March 20, 11:56 AM

Fred Phelps Sr., a fire-and-brimstone preacher whose anti-gay picketing at military funerals inflamed the nation and drew international scorn but was protected by the U.S. Supreme Court as an exercise in free speech, died March 19 at a hospice in Topeka, Kan. He was 84.

His daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper confirmed his death to the Topeka Capital-Journal. The cause was not reported.

Rev. Phelps was an ordained Baptist minister, a disbarred Kansas lawyer and, according to a BBC documentary, the patriarch of the “most hated family in America.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a prominent civil rights group, described his Westboro congregation as a “family-based cult” and “arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America.”

The expression of Rev. Phelps’s bigotry managed to offend the conscience of the Ku Klux Klan, which staged protests to counter Westboro’s demonstrations at military funerals.

Rev. Phelps and his followers protested at hundreds, perhaps thousands, of funerals, including those of entertainer Frank Sinatra, Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.), civil rights activist Coretta Scott King and the miners who died in the 2006 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia.

Full story at Washington Post.
 
Sheriff: Johnny Cash's great-niece found dead
Mar 20, 3:14 PM (ET)

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The great-niece of the late singer Johnny Cash has been found stabbed to death and stuffed in a box in a house, authorities in Tennessee said Thursday.

Putnam County Sheriff David Andrews said Courtney Cash's body was found Wednesday morning in a home near Cookeville, about 70 miles east of Nashville.

Cash's body was found in a chest just inside the front door, Andrews said. A man identified as William Austin Johnson, Cash's boyfriend, was being treated for stab wounds at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Andrews said.

Andrews said the pair had gone out with a friend before an altercation took place in the house where Johnson and Cash lived with their young child. The friend, identified as Wayne Gary Masciarella, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Johnson escaped the attack and took the child with him before driving to the hospital, Andrews said. The scene inside the house was "somewhat bloody," Andrews told reporters at a news conference.

"There was a struggle," the sheriff said.

The suspect may have been trying to hide Cash's body, Andrews said. A motive was not released, but Andrews indicated the stabbings were likely connected to drugs.

"This is a senseless, tragic death of a young lady whose life was probably taken as a direct or indirect result of drugs," Andrews said.

Johnny Cash's brother, Tommy Cash, released a statement asking for prayers for the family after the loss of his granddaughter.

"We are completely heartbroken," the statement said.

Masciarella is being held without bond. He has a court date scheduled for April 21. Officials in Putnam County said they do not know if he has a lawyer.
 
James Rebhorn, Star of 'Independence Day' and 'Scent of a Woman,' Dies at 65

Hollywood is mourning one of its most recognized "that guys" as James Rebhorn has died at age 65.

The veteran character actor, who had an extensive resume of memorable supporting roles in a wide variety of genres from sci-fi blockbusters ("Independence Day") to gritty thrillers ("The Game") to Oscar-winning tearjerkers ("Scent of a Woman"), passed away on Friday surrounded by his family, a rep for Rebhorn confirms to Yahoo Movies.

In all, he appeared in more than 100 television shows, feature films, and stage productions, staking his claim as one of the industry's go-to "that guy" thespians.

Rebhorn was born on Sept. 1, 1948, in Philadelphia and moved to Anderson, Indiana, shortly thereafter, where he matriculated from Madison Heights High School. He attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where he appeared in theatrical productions of Aristophanes's "Lysistrata" and Moliere's "Tricks of Scapin." After graduating in 1970, he moved to New York City, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts at Columbia University and became active in the theater scene.

Rebhorn made his big screen debut as the Casting Director in the little-seen show business comedy, "The Yum Yum Girls" (1976). Some of his most memorable roles include New England prep school headmaster Mr. Trask in "Scent of a Woman" (1992), Secretary of Defense Albert Nimzicki in "Independence Day" (1996), put-upon actor Jim Feingold in "The Game" (1997), and wealthy shipbuilder Herbert Greenleaf (the father of Jude Law's character) in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999).

Rebhorn also worked with his "Scent of a Woman" co-star Al Pacino in "Carlito's Way" (1993) and his "The Game" co-star Michael Douglas in "Basic Instinct" (1992). Other notable film appearances include "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992), Ridley Scott's "White Squall" (1996), "Meet the Parents" (2000), "Scotland, Pa." (2001), and "Cold Mountain" (2003).

Rebhorn's most recent film roles include Marvin in "Real Steel" (2011), Joseph Crudstaff in "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" (2012), and Frank in Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk with Me" (2012).

Rebhorn had several notable TV credits, including the recurring role of Reese Hughes on "White Collar" (2009-2013) and appearances on "Law & Order," "Boston Legal" and "The Book of Daniel." His most recent television role was Frank Mathison, the father of CIA operative Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), on Showtime's "Homeland."
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Richard Petty's wife Lynda dies at 72
USA TODAY Sports staff
9:13 p.m. EDT March 25, 2014


Lynda Petty, the wife of seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty, died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. She was 72.

She was diagnosed with central nervous system lymphoma four years ago.

Richard and Lynda Petty were married in 1959, and she played an instrumental role in her husband's early racing career. Richard Petty, who holds the Sprint Cup record with 200 victories, told USA TODAY Sports in 2008 that Lynda would feed their four children and the pit crew from the back of a 1960 Chrysler sedan parked in the infield.

Full story at USA Today.
 
Ken Forsse Dead -- Teddy Ruxpin Toy Creator Dies at 77
3/26/2014 12:00 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Ken Forsse -- the creator of the talking Teddy Ruxpin toy bear -- is dead at 77.

Giving young children nightmares since 1985 -- Teddy Ruxpin was able to move his mouth and eyes while reciting bedtime stories that were stored on cassettes inserted into his back.

Teddy was Forsse's claim to fame -- even developing a TV show named "The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin."

During the 1980s Ruxpin became the "Official Spokesbear for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children."
 
Former 'Dynasty' star Kate O'Mara dies at age 74
Mar 30, 10:44 AM (ET)

LONDON (AP) - British actress Kate O'Mara, best known for her role in the 1980s soap opera "Dynasty," died Sunday at the age of 74, her agent said.

Phil Belfield said O'Mara died in a nursing home in southern England after a short illness.

The actress, who began her television career in the 1960s, became a household name for playing Cassandra "Caress" Morrell, sister to Joan Collins' Alexis Colby, in "Dynasty."

In Britain she is often remembered for her role in "Triangle" - a soap opera set aboard a North Sea ferry that is often cited as the worst piece of British television.

She also appeared in the original run of British series "Doctor Who" and BBC drama "Howards' Way." In the 1990s she starred in the comedy show "Absolutely Fabulous" with Joanna Lumley.

More recently she appeared in a 2012 stage adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile."

She is survived by her sister, actress Belinda Carroll.
 
House music legend Frankie Knuckles dead at 59
Apr 1, 5:38 PM (ET)
By CARYN ROUSSEAU

CHICAGO (AP) - Frankie Knuckles, a Grammy-winning Chicago disc jockey known as the "Godfather of House Music" who worked with artists including Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, has died at age 59.

Knuckles died Monday in Chicago, the Cook County medical examiner said Tuesday. The medical examiner said a cause of death was not available.

Knuckles is considered a key figure in the evolution of the house music genre, dating back three decades to venues in Chicago and New York.

"When you're as fortunate as most of us working DJs to be able to share our creative blessings with the rest of the world, no matter how great or small, wouldn't you agree that it's best to give the world the best of who you are?" Knuckles said, in a quote provided Tuesday in a release from his company, Def Mix Productions.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday that Chicago has lost "one of its most treasured cultural pioneers."

Knuckles was born Francis Nicholls on Jan. 18, 1955, in the Bronx. He worked as a DJ in the early 1970s in New York before moving to Chicago in the late 1970s. In Chicago he was resident DJ at the city's The Warehouse club until it closed in 1983.

It was there that he defined House music's distinct style and took on the role of DJ as tastemaker, said Phil White, co-author of "On the Record: The Scratch DJ Academy Guide." Knuckles "defined really what House music was in terms of style," White said. Knuckles even would cut and tape together pieces of reel-to-reel recordings to make extended tracks, he said.

Knuckles went on to have his own recording career, putting out his own albums on Virgin Records and working as a producer and remixer with many famous musicians. He had a hit with his first album's first single, "The Whistle Song."

Knuckles won a Grammy in 1997 for Remixer of the Year and Chicago named a stretch of road near downtown for him, calling it "Honorary 'The Godfather of House Music' Frankie Knuckles Way." He also was a governor and trustee for the New York City chapter of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

"His electrifying remixes and high-energy performances on the turntables packed clubs for decades, and he inspired a generation of DJs, bringing house music to the mainstream," the academy said in a Tuesday statement.
 
Savings and loan figure Charles Keating dies at 90
AP source: Charles Keating Jr., leading figure in 1980s savings and loan scandal, dead at 90
Associated Press
By Bob Christie, Associated Press 13 hours ago

PHOENIX (AP) -- Charles H. Keating Jr., the notorious financier who served prison time and was disgraced for his role in the costliest savings and loan failure of the 1980s, has died. He was 90.

A person with direct knowledge of the death confirmed on Tuesday that Keating had died but didn't provide further details. The person wasn't authorized to release the information and spoke on condition of anonymity.

When Keating's Phoenix-based home construction company, American Continental Corp., bought Lincoln Savings & Loan in 1984, the multimillionaire elevated its worth from $1.1 billion to $5.5 billion in a four-year period.

But his financial empire crumbled with state and federal convictions for defrauding investors. Keating allegedly bilked Lincoln customers by selling them $200 million of unsecured "junk" bonds. They became worthless when Keating's company became bankrupt.

The thrift's collapse cost taxpayers $2.6 billion and tarnished the reputations of five senators who became known as the "Keating Five." One of them was Republican U.S Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and the scandal re-entered the spotlight during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Full story at Yahoo News.
 
Mickey Rooney, versatile actor and master showman, dies at 93

(Reuters) - Actor Mickey Rooney, who became the United States' biggest movie star while a brash teenager in the 1930s and later a versatile character actor in a career that spanned 10 decades, died on Sunday of natural causes, Los Angeles authorities said. He was 93.

Rooney, who developed a reputation as a hard-partying, off-screen brat in his heyday and married eight times, died at his home in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said, citing information from the Los Angeles Police Department.

"He was undoubtedly the most talented actor that ever lived.

There was nothing he couldn't do," said actress Margaret O'Brien, who recently worked with Rooney on a film adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

Actress Rose Marie, a long-time friend of Rooney, said he was one of the greatest talents show business had ever had. "I shall miss him and the world shall miss him," she said in a statement.

Other stars took to Twitter to express their sadness about Rooney's death.

"RIP Mickey Rooney. We can only be awed and grateful for so many great performances," actress Mia Farrow said.

Actor William Shatner described him as "one of the greats," and author Anne Rice said he was not only an actor but a legend.

"Sad to think of him gone. But what an amazing life he lived," Rice added on Twitter.

Rooney was an entertainer almost from the day he was born in New York on September 23, 1920. His parents, Joe Yule Sr. and Nell, had a vaudeville act and Joe Jr., as he was known then, was not yet 2 when he became a part of it, appearing in a miniature tuxedo

As he grew older, Rooney added dancing and joke-telling to his stage repertoire before landing his first film role as a cigar-smoking little person in the silent short "Not to Be Trusted."

After his parents split, Rooney and his mother moved to California where she steered him into a movie career. He was about 7 when he was cast as the title character in the "Mickey McGuire" series of film shorts that ran from 1927 to 1934. Nell even had his name changed to Mickey McGuire before changing the last name back to Rooney when he began getting other roles.

As a teenager, Rooney was cute, diminutive - he topped out at 5 feet 2 inches - and bursting with hammy energy. Those attributes served him well when he was cast as the wide-eyed, wise-cracking Andy Hardy in a series of films that would give movie-goers a brief opportunity to forget the lingering woes of the Great Depression in the late 1930s.

'KID' OSCAR

The first "Andy Hardy" film, "A Family Affair" in 1937, became a surprise hit and led to a series of 16, with Rooney's character becoming the main focus and helping make him the biggest box-office attraction of 1939 and 1940. The Hardy films were wholesome, sentimental comedies in which Andy would often learn a valuable lesson from his wise father, Judge Hardy.

In 1938, Rooney and Deanna Durbin received miniature Academy Awards for juveniles.

"Call him cocky and brash but he has the sort of exuberant talent that keeps your eyes on the screen," the New York Times said of Rooney in a 1940 review.

It was in "Love Finds Andy Hardy" that he first worked with Judy Garland, who was on the verge of superstardom herself with "The Wizard of Oz."

They made two more Hardy movies together and in 1939 were cast together in "Babes in Arms," a Busby Berkeley musical about two struggling young entertainers that earned Rooney, then 19, an Academy Award nomination.

Movie-goers loved the lively "let's put on a show!" chemistry that Rooney and Garland brought to the screen. They were paired again in "Girl Crazy" in 1943.

"We weren't just a team, we were magic," Rooney said in a stage show about his life.

Rooney proved he could handle serious roles, too, with a notable performance in 1938 in "Boys Town" as a troubled kid helped out by a kindly priest played by Spencer Tracy.

He picked up another Oscar nomination for "The Human Comedy" in 1943 and starred with Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet" in 1944.

Off the screen, the young Rooney was the Justin Bieber of his time. His fame, money, gambling, lust and mercurial nature were problems for the MGM studio, which did not like seeing its young star sully his reputation and box-office potential.

The studio assigned a full-time staffer to keep Rooney out of trouble, but his antics still frequently ended up in gossip columns. MGM was greatly upset when Rooney, 21, married Ava Gardner, then a 19-year-old aspiring actress, in 1942. The marriage lasted barely a year.

From 1939 to 1941 Rooney had ranked as the top U.S. male box-office attraction. After he returned from serving the military as an entertainer during World War Two, the public was growing weary of seeing him play teenagers and he would have to retool his career.

"I was a 14-year-old boy for 30 years," he once said.

After the rush of stardom, Rooney was battered by a stalled career, drug and gambling addictions, bad marriages, a failed production company and the deep financial problems they caused. He lost his hair and grew paunchy but he persevered.

"I'm a ham who wants to be a small part of anything," he told the Times.

He took small parts, worked in lesser movies and tried a couple of television shows. He picked up two more Oscar nominations for 1956's "The Bold and the Brave" and "The Black Stallion" in 1979.

In 1979 he also broke through on Broadway, harking back to his vaudeville beginnings with "Sugar Babies," a burlesque-style revue with MGM tap dancer Ann Miller in which he sang, danced and dressed in drag. He said the role saved him from being "a famous has-been."

"The American public is my family," Rooney said. "I've had fun with them all my life."

Rooney won an Emmy and a Golden Globe in 1982 for the TV movie "Bill," playing a mentally handicapped man trying to live on his own. He was given a lifetime achievement Oscar in 1983.

In 1978 he found a lasting marriage with country singer Jan Chamberlin. In his late 80s they toured the country with a song-and-dance act.

Rooney, who had five sons and five daughters, told a U.S. Senate committee on aging that he had been emotionally and financially abused by family members. He later said Christopher Aber, Chamberlin's son, had deprived him of food and medicine, prevented him from leaving the house and meddled in his financial affairs.
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Comedian John Pinette dead at 50
By Associated Press on Apr 6, 2014 at 9:48PM

John Pinette, the chubby stand-up comedian who portrayed a hapless carjacking victim in the final episode of Seinfeld, has died. He was 50.

Pinette died of natural causes Saturday at a hotel in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office said Sunday evening. Pinette’s agent confirmed his death.

The portly Pinette was a self-deprecating presence on stage, frequently discussing his weight on stand-up specials Show Me the Buffett, I’m Starvin’! and Still Hungry.

Pinette had been working on another stand-up project when he died, his agent, Nick Nuciforo, said.

“He should be celebrated for the amazing comedian he was,” Nuciforo said.

The Boston native appeared in movies including The Punisher and had a trio of stand-up shows released on DVD but was perhaps best known as the portly carjacking victim whose plight lands the Seinfeld stars before a judge for failing to help under a “good Samaritan” law. Pinette also appeared in the television series Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.

Pinette also appeared on state in a national tour of Hairspray as Edna Turnblad, the mother of the play’s heroine.

The medical examiner’s office said no autopsy was performed and Pinette’s own physician signed off on the cause of death.

Pinette had been preparing for a stand-up tour of the U.S. and Canada, Nuciforo said.

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Peaches Geldof dies unexpectedly at age 25
Apr 7, 4:34 PM (ET)
By SYLVIA HUI

LONDON (AP) - Peaches Geldof, the wild-child second daughter of Irish singer Bob Geldof who filled the pages of British tabloids with her late-night antics as she partied through the world of fashion and celebrity, was found dead Monday at age 25.

There was no immediate word on the cause of her death at her home in Wrotham, Kent, southeast England but police called it "unexplained and sudden."

Peaches Geldof had admitted using drugs in the past but said in a 2009 interview that she had quit.

The news of her death came as a shock to Britain's entertainment and fashion circles, where Geldof had been active as a model, television presenter and fashion writer. She was a frequent attendee at fashion shows in London and New York, and was photographed just last week at a London show for the Tesco brand F&F.

Geldof was only a girl of 11 when her mother Paula Yates, a popular television presenter, died of a drug overdose in 2000, and those who knew her said it hit her extremely hard.

The last tweet she sent on Twitter came on Sunday, when she posted a photograph of herself as a toddler next to her mother along with the caption: "Me and my mum."

Full story at Iwon / AP News.

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Arthur Smith, instrumentalist/songwriter (Dueling Banjos) 93

(CMT.com) - Arthur Smith, the multi-instrumentalist and composer perhaps best known for ‘Dueling Banjos,’ died at his home in Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday (April 3). He was 93.

Born in 1921 in Clinton, S.C., Smith grew up in Kershaw, where his father, a mill worker, also led a brass band. Smith played trumpet in that group as a child, and also mastered mandolin, fiddle and guitar, among other instruments. He played in a Dixieland group with his brothers, and began to cut records when he was 15.

At the age of 24, Smith released ‘Guitar Boogie,’ which is widely considered one of the earliest rock and roll records. He also began a career in radio that led to a syndicated TV shows, ‘The Arthur Smith Show,’ which featured a wide range of guests, including personal friends like Billy Graham and Johnny Cash.

In 1955 Smith recorded a song he’d written titled ‘Feuding Banjos,’ which became a popular bluegrass tune. It attained a permanent place in popular culture when it was used in the classic 1972 film ‘Deliverance’ under the title ‘Dueling Banjos.’ The appearance was not licensed, and Smith sued Warner Bros., reportedly receiving a substantial settlement.

In later years Smith turned his attention to a wide variety of business interests, including a recording studio, as well as boating and sports fishing.
 
Ultimate Warrior dead at 54, days after WWE Hall of Fame induction
Updated at 05:20 AM today

April 9, 2014 (WLS) -- The WWE says one of its superstars, who just days ago was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, has died.

The Ultimate Warrior, 54, began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Ultimate Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter.

"We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans," a WWE statement said.

The WWE offered its sincere condolences to Warrior's family, friends and fans. The Ultimate Warrior is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters, the WWE said.

The Ultimate Warrior was known for his neon mask and energetic ring entrances, when he would run full speed down the entrance ramp and run circles around the ring before shaking the ropes "like a man possessed," the WWE said.

At SummerSlam in 1988, the powerful competitor famously defeated The Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Championship in 30 seconds, the WWE said. In the early '90s, the intense superstar then entered into a rivalry with "Macho Man" Randy Savage, culminating in a legendary Retirement Match at WrestleMania VII, which Ultimate Warrior won. In the months that followed, he battled superstars like Undertaker, Papa Shango and Sid, but disappeared from the ring suddenly, the WWE said.

The WWE said throughout the '90s, Ultimate Warrior made sporadic returns to the WWE, including a smashing of a young Triple H at WrestleMania XII, and finally popped up in World Championship Wrestling for a rematch with Hogan at Halloween Havoc in 1998. This contest would be his last major ring appearance, bringing an anticlimactic end to the career of one of sports-entertainment's most unique competitors, the WWE said.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Sunday.
 
Phyllis Frelich, Tony Award-Winning Deaf Actress, Dies at 70

Phyllis Frelich, the Tony-award winning actress, has passed away at the age of 70, according to The Silent Grapevine.

Born on February 29, 1944 in Devils Lake, North Dakota, Frelich was born to deaf parents and was the oldest of nine deaf children. She attended the North Dakota School for the Deaf and graduated in 1962.

Frelich's stage work includes Sganarelle and Songs From Milk Wood at The National Theater of the Deaf. She was also seen in Big River and Prymate on Broadway. Frelich won the 1980 Tony award for Best Actress in a Play for her work as Sarah Norman in Children of a Lesser God.

Frelich's screen work includes Santa Barbara, ER, Sweet Nothing in My Ear, Children on Their Birthdays, and Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. Her most recent credit was as Mrs. Betty Grissom on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
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