Weird Harold
Opinionated Old Fart
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- 23,768
Literotica Cemetary
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- Start date
JennyOHill2
Literotica Guru
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- Mar 22, 2010
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- 536
Former Senator George McGovern Dead at 90
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSf8wlFhbO3ODvhkoqA_cPk4HxHlJQJzd3WCCpBQ5Da_pl55AKP
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) — George Stanley McGovern, a staunch liberal who served South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and House for more than two decades and who ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic Party nominee for president in 1972, died Sunday at the age of 90, his family said.
“Our wonderful father, George McGovern, passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by our family and life-long friends,” his family said in a statement.
“We are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace. He continued giving speeches, writing and advising all the way up to and past his 90th birthday, which he celebrated this summer.”
The son of a Wesley Methodist minister, McGovern was born in Avon, South Dakota, on July 19, 1922. Six years later, his family moved an hour north to Mitchell, where McGovern graduated from Mitchell High School in 1940.
His debating skills won him a scholarship to Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, where he met fellow student Eleanor Stegeberg. Three years later, they married. All five of their children were born in Mitchell.
In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and went on to fly 35 combat missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in Europe. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, he returned to college, graduating in 1946. McGovern attended Garrett Seminary for a year before entering Northwestern University in Chicago, where he got his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in American history and government.
He returned to Dakota Wesleyan University in 1950 as a professor of history and political science, leaving in 1955 to help the South Dakota Democratic Party and launch his political career.
In 1956, he won a seat in Congress and was re-elected two years later.
After losing a bid for the U.S. Senate in 1960, McGovern was named special assistant to the president and director of the Food for Peace Program by President John F. Kennedy.
Two years later, he was elected to the Senate and reelected in 1968 and 1974. He served on Senate committees on agriculture, nutrition, forestry and foreign relations, and the Joint Economic Committee.
In 1972, Senator McGovern was selected as the Democratic Party nominee for president on a platform that included ending the war in Vietnam at a time when the country was torn over U.S. involvement there.
“Let us resolve that never again will we send the precious young blood of this country to die trying to prop up a corrupt military dictatorship abroad,” he said to applause at the Democratic convention in Miami Beach, Florida.
He called the unemployment of more than 5 million Americans “the most false and wasteful economics of all” and said his highest domestic priority would be “to ensure that every American able to work has a job to do.” He called for an end to a system of economic controls “in which labor is depressed but prices and corporate profits run sky high,” and he called for national health insurance and “a fair and just tax system.”
But the campaign started out poorly. He selected as running mate Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri after a background check that did not turn up the fact that Eagleton had been treated for mental illness, a fact that was revealed soon thereafter. Eagleton withdrew and McGovern then tapped Sargent Shriver, a brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy and U.S. ambassador to France.
The pair ended up losing in a lopsided vote for incumbent Richard Nixon, with the McGovern ticket earning only 17 electoral votes — from Massachusetts and the District of Columbia — to Nixon’s 520.
He returned to the Senate, where he was re-elected in 1974. But he was beaten when he sought a fourth term in 1980, a victim of what became known as the Reagan Revolution that swept conservatives into power and their views into vogue.
Four years later, he tried again to win the Democratic presidential nomination, but dropped out and former Vice President Walter Mondale became the nominee — only to lose to Reagan in another lopsided race.
After leaving the Senate, McGovern taught at a number of schools, including Columbia University, Northwestern University, Cornell University, American University and the University of Berlin. He served as the president of the Middle East Policy Council from 1991 to 1998. President Bill Clinton appointed him ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and, in 2000, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2001, McGovern was named the first United Nations global ambassador on hunger.
In 2008, McGovern switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. But in a 2009 commentary in the Post, he lashed out at the Obama administration its policies in Afghanistan and reflected on one of the hallmarks of his political life.
“As a U.S. senator during the 1960s, I agonized over the badly mistaken war in Vietnam,” McGovern wrote. “After doing all I could to save our troops and the Vietnamese people from a senseless conflict, I finally took my case to the public in my presidential campaign in 1972. Speaking across the nation, I told audiences that the only upside of the tragedy in Vietnam was that its enormous cost in lives and dollars would keep any future administration from going down that road again.
“I was wrong.”
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSf8wlFhbO3ODvhkoqA_cPk4HxHlJQJzd3WCCpBQ5Da_pl55AKP
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) — George Stanley McGovern, a staunch liberal who served South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and House for more than two decades and who ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic Party nominee for president in 1972, died Sunday at the age of 90, his family said.
“Our wonderful father, George McGovern, passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by our family and life-long friends,” his family said in a statement.
“We are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace. He continued giving speeches, writing and advising all the way up to and past his 90th birthday, which he celebrated this summer.”
The son of a Wesley Methodist minister, McGovern was born in Avon, South Dakota, on July 19, 1922. Six years later, his family moved an hour north to Mitchell, where McGovern graduated from Mitchell High School in 1940.
His debating skills won him a scholarship to Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, where he met fellow student Eleanor Stegeberg. Three years later, they married. All five of their children were born in Mitchell.
In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and went on to fly 35 combat missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in Europe. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, he returned to college, graduating in 1946. McGovern attended Garrett Seminary for a year before entering Northwestern University in Chicago, where he got his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in American history and government.
He returned to Dakota Wesleyan University in 1950 as a professor of history and political science, leaving in 1955 to help the South Dakota Democratic Party and launch his political career.
In 1956, he won a seat in Congress and was re-elected two years later.
After losing a bid for the U.S. Senate in 1960, McGovern was named special assistant to the president and director of the Food for Peace Program by President John F. Kennedy.
Two years later, he was elected to the Senate and reelected in 1968 and 1974. He served on Senate committees on agriculture, nutrition, forestry and foreign relations, and the Joint Economic Committee.
In 1972, Senator McGovern was selected as the Democratic Party nominee for president on a platform that included ending the war in Vietnam at a time when the country was torn over U.S. involvement there.
“Let us resolve that never again will we send the precious young blood of this country to die trying to prop up a corrupt military dictatorship abroad,” he said to applause at the Democratic convention in Miami Beach, Florida.
He called the unemployment of more than 5 million Americans “the most false and wasteful economics of all” and said his highest domestic priority would be “to ensure that every American able to work has a job to do.” He called for an end to a system of economic controls “in which labor is depressed but prices and corporate profits run sky high,” and he called for national health insurance and “a fair and just tax system.”
But the campaign started out poorly. He selected as running mate Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri after a background check that did not turn up the fact that Eagleton had been treated for mental illness, a fact that was revealed soon thereafter. Eagleton withdrew and McGovern then tapped Sargent Shriver, a brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy and U.S. ambassador to France.
The pair ended up losing in a lopsided vote for incumbent Richard Nixon, with the McGovern ticket earning only 17 electoral votes — from Massachusetts and the District of Columbia — to Nixon’s 520.
He returned to the Senate, where he was re-elected in 1974. But he was beaten when he sought a fourth term in 1980, a victim of what became known as the Reagan Revolution that swept conservatives into power and their views into vogue.
Four years later, he tried again to win the Democratic presidential nomination, but dropped out and former Vice President Walter Mondale became the nominee — only to lose to Reagan in another lopsided race.
After leaving the Senate, McGovern taught at a number of schools, including Columbia University, Northwestern University, Cornell University, American University and the University of Berlin. He served as the president of the Middle East Policy Council from 1991 to 1998. President Bill Clinton appointed him ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and, in 2000, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2001, McGovern was named the first United Nations global ambassador on hunger.
In 2008, McGovern switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. But in a 2009 commentary in the Post, he lashed out at the Obama administration its policies in Afghanistan and reflected on one of the hallmarks of his political life.
“As a U.S. senator during the 1960s, I agonized over the badly mistaken war in Vietnam,” McGovern wrote. “After doing all I could to save our troops and the Vietnamese people from a senseless conflict, I finally took my case to the public in my presidential campaign in 1972. Speaking across the nation, I told audiences that the only upside of the tragedy in Vietnam was that its enormous cost in lives and dollars would keep any future administration from going down that road again.
“I was wrong.”
ryan8558
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
- Posts
- 10,243
Sylvia Kristel
http://www.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/EmmanuelleSylviaKristel.jpg
Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60.
"She died during the night during her sleep," her agent, Marieke Verharen, told the AFP news agency.
The actress, who had cancer, was admitted to hospital in July after suffering a stroke.
Emmanuelle, which told the story of a sexually promiscuous housewife, spawned numerous sequels and played in a cinema on the Champs-Elysees for 11 years.
Released in 1974, the soft-focus French film was one of the first erotic movies to be shown in mainstream cinemas.
Kristel herself attributed its success to the changing censorship laws of the era.
"In a lot of countries the light went on, and that contributed very much to the success," she said.
In the UK, however, the film was eventually given the restricted X-rating, having suffered heavy cuts. The unedited version did not appear in the country until 2007.
Kristel went on to star in several Emmanuelle sequels, as well as more mainstream films - many of which, like Lady Chatterley's Lover and Mata Hari, played on her reputation as an erotic film star.
The actress caused a sensation at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival
Born in Utrecht, Holland, in 1952, Kristel grew up with her younger sister Marianne in Room 21 of The Commerce Hotel, which her parents owned.
Convent-educated, she fled her strict Calvinist upbringing for Amsterdam as a teenager, where she worked as a secretary and a waitress before becoming a model.
Aged 21, she won two beauty competitions - Miss TV Holland and Miss TV Europe - and, shortly afterwards, was encouraged to pursue acting by her boyfriend, Belgian author Hugo Claus.
She had already appeared nude in the film Because of the Cats, when she stumbled into the audition for Emmanuelle, having been sent to a casting call for a soap powder commercial next door.
Speaking to The Evening Standard in 1994, she said she had no problem convincing director Just Jaeckin of her suitability for the part.
"He asked me to take my dress off," she said. "Luckily it was an easy dress to take off.
"It had spaghetti straps which I just slipped over my shoulders and it just fell off. I carried on talking and smoking in the nude. I was not inhibited at all. I'd done nude modelling and he thought I was very graceful."
Set in Thailand, the film was based on the erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan. It told the story of a bored wife, who had followed her diplomat husband to Asia, and filled her time with romantic trysts.
On release, Emmanuelle inevitably caused controversy. It was banned in Paris, where it was supposed to have its premiere, for six months. But it also made Kristel a star.
She spent seven years in Hollywood, appearing in such films as The Concorde: Airport '79, and Private Lessons.
But the actress, whose parents were both alcoholics, soon found herself addicted to drink and drugs.
The actress had no regrets about being associated with Emmanuelle. "It's hard to find a better character," she said in 2001
"I sometimes needed a shot before doing certain scenes," she said. "It definitely comforted me and gave me courage. But then it turned out that I almost couldn't start a day without a drink."
By this time she had left Claus, with whom she had a son, for British actor Ian McShane. Their relationship was volatile. In her autobiography, she described it as "awful - he was witty and charming but we were too much alike".
Further relationships followed. She wed American millionaire Alan Turner, who ended their marriage after five months, telling Kristel he had made a terrible mistake.
Her second husband, would-be director Philippe Blot, persuaded her to bankroll his films. They were disastrously received.
Kristel said she left the marriage with $400 (£247) to her name.
"If I'd known then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have gone ahead with any of the relationships I was involved in, with the exception of Hugo," she told the Daily Mail in 1993.
She stopped appearing nude on screen in the 1980s because her son, Arthur, was being "teased at school", but returned to the Emmanuelle series in 1994, in a direct-to-video sequel where she appeared, fully-clothed, reminiscing about the exploits of her younger alter-ego.
After leaving America, she retreated to the South of France to paint, specialising in female portraits and pictures of roses. She was diagnosed with both throat and lung cancer in the early 2000s and fought the disease over the last decade.
Her agent declined to say whether Kristel died at home or at hospital, but said her funeral would be private.
http://www.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/EmmanuelleSylviaKristel.jpg
Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60.
"She died during the night during her sleep," her agent, Marieke Verharen, told the AFP news agency.
The actress, who had cancer, was admitted to hospital in July after suffering a stroke.
Emmanuelle, which told the story of a sexually promiscuous housewife, spawned numerous sequels and played in a cinema on the Champs-Elysees for 11 years.
Released in 1974, the soft-focus French film was one of the first erotic movies to be shown in mainstream cinemas.
Kristel herself attributed its success to the changing censorship laws of the era.
"In a lot of countries the light went on, and that contributed very much to the success," she said.
In the UK, however, the film was eventually given the restricted X-rating, having suffered heavy cuts. The unedited version did not appear in the country until 2007.
Kristel went on to star in several Emmanuelle sequels, as well as more mainstream films - many of which, like Lady Chatterley's Lover and Mata Hari, played on her reputation as an erotic film star.
The actress caused a sensation at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival
Born in Utrecht, Holland, in 1952, Kristel grew up with her younger sister Marianne in Room 21 of The Commerce Hotel, which her parents owned.
Convent-educated, she fled her strict Calvinist upbringing for Amsterdam as a teenager, where she worked as a secretary and a waitress before becoming a model.
Aged 21, she won two beauty competitions - Miss TV Holland and Miss TV Europe - and, shortly afterwards, was encouraged to pursue acting by her boyfriend, Belgian author Hugo Claus.
She had already appeared nude in the film Because of the Cats, when she stumbled into the audition for Emmanuelle, having been sent to a casting call for a soap powder commercial next door.
Speaking to The Evening Standard in 1994, she said she had no problem convincing director Just Jaeckin of her suitability for the part.
"He asked me to take my dress off," she said. "Luckily it was an easy dress to take off.
"It had spaghetti straps which I just slipped over my shoulders and it just fell off. I carried on talking and smoking in the nude. I was not inhibited at all. I'd done nude modelling and he thought I was very graceful."
Set in Thailand, the film was based on the erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan. It told the story of a bored wife, who had followed her diplomat husband to Asia, and filled her time with romantic trysts.
On release, Emmanuelle inevitably caused controversy. It was banned in Paris, where it was supposed to have its premiere, for six months. But it also made Kristel a star.
She spent seven years in Hollywood, appearing in such films as The Concorde: Airport '79, and Private Lessons.
But the actress, whose parents were both alcoholics, soon found herself addicted to drink and drugs.
The actress had no regrets about being associated with Emmanuelle. "It's hard to find a better character," she said in 2001
"I sometimes needed a shot before doing certain scenes," she said. "It definitely comforted me and gave me courage. But then it turned out that I almost couldn't start a day without a drink."
By this time she had left Claus, with whom she had a son, for British actor Ian McShane. Their relationship was volatile. In her autobiography, she described it as "awful - he was witty and charming but we were too much alike".
Further relationships followed. She wed American millionaire Alan Turner, who ended their marriage after five months, telling Kristel he had made a terrible mistake.
Her second husband, would-be director Philippe Blot, persuaded her to bankroll his films. They were disastrously received.
Kristel said she left the marriage with $400 (£247) to her name.
"If I'd known then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have gone ahead with any of the relationships I was involved in, with the exception of Hugo," she told the Daily Mail in 1993.
She stopped appearing nude on screen in the 1980s because her son, Arthur, was being "teased at school", but returned to the Emmanuelle series in 1994, in a direct-to-video sequel where she appeared, fully-clothed, reminiscing about the exploits of her younger alter-ego.
After leaving America, she retreated to the South of France to paint, specialising in female portraits and pictures of roses. She was diagnosed with both throat and lung cancer in the early 2000s and fought the disease over the last decade.
Her agent declined to say whether Kristel died at home or at hospital, but said her funeral would be private.
phrodeau
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2002
- Posts
- 78,588
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/836429/thumbs/s-NATINA-REED-DEAD-large.jpg?4
Natina Reed of the late 1990's girl band Blaque has passed away, according to MTV News.
The "Bring It On" star, 32, died early this morning (Oct. 27) after she was hit by a car while crossing the street in Atlanta, Ga. She would have turned 33 tomorrow.
Reed was known as one-third of the Atlanta-based group Blaque, who had hits like "808," "Can't Get It Back" and "Bring It All To Me," which featured NSYNC's J.C. Chasez. She starred in 2000's "Bring It On" with bandmates, Brandi Williams and Shamari Fears-DeVoe. The rapper was a protégé of the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who died in 2002.
Reed was reportedly working on a solo rap album, as well as a new movie and reunion with Blaque.
She is survived by her 10-year-old son, Tren Brown, with rapper Kurupt.
Natina Reed of the late 1990's girl band Blaque has passed away, according to MTV News.
The "Bring It On" star, 32, died early this morning (Oct. 27) after she was hit by a car while crossing the street in Atlanta, Ga. She would have turned 33 tomorrow.
Reed was known as one-third of the Atlanta-based group Blaque, who had hits like "808," "Can't Get It Back" and "Bring It All To Me," which featured NSYNC's J.C. Chasez. She starred in 2000's "Bring It On" with bandmates, Brandi Williams and Shamari Fears-DeVoe. The rapper was a protégé of the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who died in 2002.
Reed was reportedly working on a solo rap album, as well as a new movie and reunion with Blaque.
She is survived by her 10-year-old son, Tren Brown, with rapper Kurupt.
phrodeau
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2002
- Posts
- 78,588
Elliott Carter dies; Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer was 103
By Anne Midgette, Published: November 5
Elliott Carter, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer who fused European and American modernist traditions in seminal but formidable works, and who lived to hear ovations for music that was once thought to be anything but listener-friendly, died Nov. 5 at his home in New York City. He was 103.
His assistant, Virgil Blackwell, confirmed the death but did not disclose an immediate cause.
Mr. Carter’s career was like some of the towering cathedrals of Europe: so long in the making that it reflected the dramatic shifts in artistic style that take place over a century. A late bloomer — he didn’t find his mature voice, or the style for which he was best known, until age 40 — Mr. Carter eventually received acclaim by some critics and composers. Igor Stravinsky was credited with calling Mr. Carter’s “Double Concerto for Harpsichord, Piano and Two Chamber Orchestras” (1961) the first American masterpiece.
Much of Mr. Carter’s music was difficult to play, difficult to listen to and, judging by the slow pace of Mr. Carter’s output, difficult to write. Yet it also embodied a certain simplicity. As Mr. Carter aged, he emphasized the connections between his music and the world around it. He said that he sought to represent the pace of the 20th century: the acceleration and deceleration of an airplane rather than the regular beats, and horses’ hooves, of 18th- and 19th-century music.
Mr. Carter experimented most notably with meter, or rhythm, and challenged audiences to follow multiple instruments that played simultaneously to different beats.
“A piano accelerates to a flickering tremolo as a harpsichord slows to silence,” wrote composer and musicologist David Schiff, describing Mr. Carter’s music. “Second violin and viola, half of a quartet, sound cold, mechanical pulses, while first violin and cello, the remaining duo, play with intense expressive passion. Two, three or four orchestras superimpose clashing, unrelated sounds. A bass lyrically declaims classical Greek against a mezzo-soprano’s American patter.”
Mr. Carter said that his music presented society as he hoped it would be: “A lot of individuals dealing with each other, sensitive to each other, cooperating and yet not losing their own individuality.”
Mr. Carter continued composing until shortly before his death, his works ranging from ballets to vocal, instrumental, chamber and orchestral pieces. At age 90, he premiered his first opera, appropriately called “What Next?.” The program for his 100th birthday celebration at New York’s Carnegie Hall included a new work, “Interventions,” conducted by James Levine with Daniel Barenboim as soloist. It was an impressive showing for a composer described earlier in his career as “a musical loner.”
Elliott Cook Carter Jr. was born Dec. 11, 1908, to a prosperous family in New York City. He was able to identify all the music in his parents’ collection before he learned to read.
Mr. Carter attended the private Horace Mann School in New York but spent much of his childhood in Europe; his father, a pacifist lace importer, first took him there to show him the destruction wrought by World War I. The family’s travels helped expose Mr. Carter to the music of revolutionary composers such as Stravinsky, Alexander Scriabin and Arnold Schoenberg — three men who helped determine that Mr. Carter would not grow up to be a lace importer, as his family had hoped. Mr. Carter often said that Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” which he heard as a teenager at Carnegie Hall, inspired him to become a composer.
As an undergraduate at Harvard University, Mr. Carter studied literature. It remained an important part of Mr. Carter’s life: In the 1970s, he wrote a cycle of vocal music based on the writings of poets including Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop and Hart Crane.
In the 1930s, after earning a master’s degree in music at Harvard, Mr. Carter took a step that was virtually de rigueur for a generation of American composers: He went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger.
“She wasn’t encouraging if you wrote very dissonant music,” Mr. Carter told the Guardian in 2006. “But, meanwhile, the world of music had changed. It wasn’t hard to think when we saw pictures of Hitler that it was expression that had gone on and produced such a terrible result in Germany, that it was a working out of that kind of extravagance that had become terrifying. So we thought that it was time to be more orderly and more consciously beautiful, and neoclassicism did seem to have a perfect logic about it.”
Returning to the United States in the late 1930s, Mr. Carter initially worked in the traditional mold of other Boulanger students, creating neoclassical, approachable, “American” works such as the ballet “Pocahontas,” which had its premiere in 1939. That same year, he married sculptor Helen Frost-Jones. She died in 2003. Survivors include a son, David Carter of Spencer, Ind.; and a grandson.
In the mid-1940s, after his “Holiday Overture” was rejected by the Boston Symphony, Mr. Carter moved away from so-called approachability, writing the “Piano Sonata” in 1945-6, the “Cello Sonata” in 1948 and then in 1950-1, the “String Quartet No. 1,” which was considered his first real breakthrough. The sprawling 40-minute work probed the idea of multiple perspectives in a single composition and put Mr. Carter on the map.
A performance of the quartet in Rome won the composer a good reputation in Europe — fame cemented in the 1960s and early ’70s by William Glock, the controller of music for BBC, who admired Mr. Carter’s works and played them on the radio.
If the first quartet won him acclaim in Europe, then “String Quartet No. 2” sealed his reputation in the States. Mr. Carter imagined each instrument as an individual. The first violin, he said, was intended to be “fantastic, ornate and mercurial”; the second was “laconic and orderly”; the viola was “expressive”; and the cello was “somewhat impetuous.” The work won him the first of his two Pulitzer Prizes in 1960; the second was for “String Quartet No. 3” in 1973.
Interest in Mr. Carter and his music surged as he aged, bringing a kind of mainstream attention few living composers ever receive. The subject of at least two documentaries — “A Life in Music” (1983) and “A Labyrinth of Time” (2004) — he was featured on mainstream talk shows leading up to his centennial.
Mr. Carter remained actively involved in the performance of his own work, discussing in great detail with instrumentalists the nuances of a given piece. As he got older, however, an early bedtime limited his concert-going.
In addition to his two Pulitzer Prizes, Mr. Carter’s awards include the National Medal of Arts, the Edward MacDowell Medal and two Guggenheim fellowships. He taught at Juilliard as well as at Columbia, Yale and Cornell universities, among other places.
Given Mr. Carter’s continual acclaim during the last six decades of his life, he had no reason to be anything other than sanguine about his work. But he knew that he was writing for a specialized crowd.
“As society evolves,” he once said, “people will have to become much cleverer and much sharper. And then they will like my music.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...9c4e8c-c5da-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html
By Anne Midgette, Published: November 5
Elliott Carter, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer who fused European and American modernist traditions in seminal but formidable works, and who lived to hear ovations for music that was once thought to be anything but listener-friendly, died Nov. 5 at his home in New York City. He was 103.
His assistant, Virgil Blackwell, confirmed the death but did not disclose an immediate cause.
Mr. Carter’s career was like some of the towering cathedrals of Europe: so long in the making that it reflected the dramatic shifts in artistic style that take place over a century. A late bloomer — he didn’t find his mature voice, or the style for which he was best known, until age 40 — Mr. Carter eventually received acclaim by some critics and composers. Igor Stravinsky was credited with calling Mr. Carter’s “Double Concerto for Harpsichord, Piano and Two Chamber Orchestras” (1961) the first American masterpiece.
Much of Mr. Carter’s music was difficult to play, difficult to listen to and, judging by the slow pace of Mr. Carter’s output, difficult to write. Yet it also embodied a certain simplicity. As Mr. Carter aged, he emphasized the connections between his music and the world around it. He said that he sought to represent the pace of the 20th century: the acceleration and deceleration of an airplane rather than the regular beats, and horses’ hooves, of 18th- and 19th-century music.
Mr. Carter experimented most notably with meter, or rhythm, and challenged audiences to follow multiple instruments that played simultaneously to different beats.
“A piano accelerates to a flickering tremolo as a harpsichord slows to silence,” wrote composer and musicologist David Schiff, describing Mr. Carter’s music. “Second violin and viola, half of a quartet, sound cold, mechanical pulses, while first violin and cello, the remaining duo, play with intense expressive passion. Two, three or four orchestras superimpose clashing, unrelated sounds. A bass lyrically declaims classical Greek against a mezzo-soprano’s American patter.”
Mr. Carter said that his music presented society as he hoped it would be: “A lot of individuals dealing with each other, sensitive to each other, cooperating and yet not losing their own individuality.”
Mr. Carter continued composing until shortly before his death, his works ranging from ballets to vocal, instrumental, chamber and orchestral pieces. At age 90, he premiered his first opera, appropriately called “What Next?.” The program for his 100th birthday celebration at New York’s Carnegie Hall included a new work, “Interventions,” conducted by James Levine with Daniel Barenboim as soloist. It was an impressive showing for a composer described earlier in his career as “a musical loner.”
Elliott Cook Carter Jr. was born Dec. 11, 1908, to a prosperous family in New York City. He was able to identify all the music in his parents’ collection before he learned to read.
Mr. Carter attended the private Horace Mann School in New York but spent much of his childhood in Europe; his father, a pacifist lace importer, first took him there to show him the destruction wrought by World War I. The family’s travels helped expose Mr. Carter to the music of revolutionary composers such as Stravinsky, Alexander Scriabin and Arnold Schoenberg — three men who helped determine that Mr. Carter would not grow up to be a lace importer, as his family had hoped. Mr. Carter often said that Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” which he heard as a teenager at Carnegie Hall, inspired him to become a composer.
As an undergraduate at Harvard University, Mr. Carter studied literature. It remained an important part of Mr. Carter’s life: In the 1970s, he wrote a cycle of vocal music based on the writings of poets including Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop and Hart Crane.
In the 1930s, after earning a master’s degree in music at Harvard, Mr. Carter took a step that was virtually de rigueur for a generation of American composers: He went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger.
“She wasn’t encouraging if you wrote very dissonant music,” Mr. Carter told the Guardian in 2006. “But, meanwhile, the world of music had changed. It wasn’t hard to think when we saw pictures of Hitler that it was expression that had gone on and produced such a terrible result in Germany, that it was a working out of that kind of extravagance that had become terrifying. So we thought that it was time to be more orderly and more consciously beautiful, and neoclassicism did seem to have a perfect logic about it.”
Returning to the United States in the late 1930s, Mr. Carter initially worked in the traditional mold of other Boulanger students, creating neoclassical, approachable, “American” works such as the ballet “Pocahontas,” which had its premiere in 1939. That same year, he married sculptor Helen Frost-Jones. She died in 2003. Survivors include a son, David Carter of Spencer, Ind.; and a grandson.
In the mid-1940s, after his “Holiday Overture” was rejected by the Boston Symphony, Mr. Carter moved away from so-called approachability, writing the “Piano Sonata” in 1945-6, the “Cello Sonata” in 1948 and then in 1950-1, the “String Quartet No. 1,” which was considered his first real breakthrough. The sprawling 40-minute work probed the idea of multiple perspectives in a single composition and put Mr. Carter on the map.
A performance of the quartet in Rome won the composer a good reputation in Europe — fame cemented in the 1960s and early ’70s by William Glock, the controller of music for BBC, who admired Mr. Carter’s works and played them on the radio.
If the first quartet won him acclaim in Europe, then “String Quartet No. 2” sealed his reputation in the States. Mr. Carter imagined each instrument as an individual. The first violin, he said, was intended to be “fantastic, ornate and mercurial”; the second was “laconic and orderly”; the viola was “expressive”; and the cello was “somewhat impetuous.” The work won him the first of his two Pulitzer Prizes in 1960; the second was for “String Quartet No. 3” in 1973.
Interest in Mr. Carter and his music surged as he aged, bringing a kind of mainstream attention few living composers ever receive. The subject of at least two documentaries — “A Life in Music” (1983) and “A Labyrinth of Time” (2004) — he was featured on mainstream talk shows leading up to his centennial.
Mr. Carter remained actively involved in the performance of his own work, discussing in great detail with instrumentalists the nuances of a given piece. As he got older, however, an early bedtime limited his concert-going.
In addition to his two Pulitzer Prizes, Mr. Carter’s awards include the National Medal of Arts, the Edward MacDowell Medal and two Guggenheim fellowships. He taught at Juilliard as well as at Columbia, Yale and Cornell universities, among other places.
Given Mr. Carter’s continual acclaim during the last six decades of his life, he had no reason to be anything other than sanguine about his work. But he knew that he was writing for a specialized crowd.
“As society evolves,” he once said, “people will have to become much cleverer and much sharper. And then they will like my music.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...9c4e8c-c5da-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html
ryan8558
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
- Posts
- 10,243
Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal, one of college football’s most acclaimed coaches, who led the University of Texas Longhorns to three national championships, has died in Austin, Tex. He was 88.
His death was announced on Wednesday by the University of Texas, which did not say when he died. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
When Royal was named the Texas football coach in 1957, he took over a team that had won only one game the previous season. When he retired after 20 seasons, he had coached the Longhorns to 11 Southwest Conference championships and 16 bowl appearances, and he never had a losing team. He was named national coach of the year five times and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
His squads pioneered a wishbone offense running game that influenced college football far beyond the Austin campus.
Texas had fine teams in the 1940s under Coach Dana X. Bible, but never finished atop the national rankings. Royal not only reached that pinnacle three times, but he also endeared himself to Longhorns fans with his homespun style.
After Texas had been beaten by Arkansas and Rice on successive Saturdays in 1965, Royal was asked if he planned major changes. He replied: “There’s an old saying, ‘You dance with the one that brung ya.’ ”
He favored the ground game. As for passing: “Three things can happen, and two of them are bad.”
As for attitude: “You’ve got to think lucky. If you fall into a mud hole, check your back pocket. You might have caught a fish.”
Royal, who was an all-American player at Oklahoma, coached stars like Earl Campbell and Roosevelt Leaks at running back, Scott Appleton at tackle and Tommy Nobis at linebacker, compiling a record of 167-45-5 at Texas. But his image came under fire when one of his reserve linemen of the mid-1960s, Gary Shaw, told of brutality and intimidation in his 1972 book, “Meat on the Hoof: The Hidden World of Texas Football.”
Shaw wrote that Royal put seldom-used players through drills in which they pummeled one another, hoping that many would quit so he could find more recruiting spots for highly talented high school players.
“I don’t deny at all that we ran a tough program, especially back then,” Royal told Texas Monthly in 1982. “I don’t think we ran it without feelings.”
But he added: “I didn’t recognize some of those drills he described. We never had them ever — at any time.”
James Street, the outstanding Texas quarterback of the late 1960s, told Texas Monthly that Royal could be aloof, even toward his top players. “We sure never went to him for fatherly advice,” Street recalled.
Royal delighted in players who relished hard hits, among them Nobis, his all-American linebacker of the mid-1960s. “Aside from his super ability, he’s just one of those trained pigs you love,” he told Sports Illustrated. “He’ll laugh and jump right in the slop for you.”
Darrell K Royal (the middle initial was in honor of his mother, Katy, who died of cancer when he was a few months old) was born in Hollis, Okla., on July 6, 1924.
When he was 15, his father, Burly, who worked odd jobs, took Darrell and a brother to California in the Depression-era migration of the “Okies.” But a few months later Darrell returned to Hollis to play high school football and live with a grandmother.
Royal, at 5 feet 10 and 170 pounds, was an outstanding quarterback and defensive halfback and a brilliant punter at Oklahoma for Coach Bud Wilkinson. He was an all-American in 1949, playing on an undefeated Sugar Bowl-winning team.
He was the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League (1953), Mississippi State (1954-55) and the University of Washington (1956) before getting the Texas post.
Royal’s Longhorns achieved their first No. 1 ranking in 1963 when they were 11-0 and defeated a Navy team led by the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Roger Staubach in the Cotton Bowl. Royal’s Texas teams beat Oklahoma in the Red River rivalry every year from 1958 to 1965.
In September 1968, Royal introduced the wishbone, devised largely by his assistant Emory Ballard. It featured three runners lined up in the shape of a Y, or a wishbone, the fullback directly behind the quarterback and two tailbacks split behind them, offering several options on a given play and emphasizing quickness. Alabama, under Bear Bryant, and Oklahoma, coached by Barry Switzer, along with many other schools copied the attack and thrived with it.
Royal’s best-remembered game, known as the Big Shootout, came in December 1969, when top-ranked Texas rallied to defeat second-ranked Arkansas, 15-14, at Fayetteville, Ark., with President Richard M. Nixon in attendance.
The Longhorns shared a third national championship with Nebraska in 1970. They won 30 straight games from 1968 to 1970.
Royal retired as coach after the 1976 season but stayed on until 1980 as athletic director, a post he had held since 1962. He was later a special assistant to the university president on athletic matters. The Longhorns’ football field has been known since 1996 as Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Survivors include his wife, Edith, and a son, Mack. A daughter, Marian, died in a car accident in 1973 and another son, David, died in a motorcycle accident in 1982.
In February 1964, the University of Texas rewarded Royal for his first national championship by making him a full professor with tenure. But his folksy presence seemed unaffected.
Mickey Herskowitz, the Houston Chronicle sportswriter who gave the wishbone attack its name, recalled how the Texas sports information director, Jones Ramsey, walked into Royal’s office when he was a newly minted professor and saw him scowling while he scribbled on a pad.
As Herskowitz told it: “Jones asked what was wrong. Royal looked up and said, ‘I’ve been sitting here for 30 minutes, trying to figure out if professor has one or two f’s in it.’ ”
Darrell Royal, one of college football’s most acclaimed coaches, who led the University of Texas Longhorns to three national championships, has died in Austin, Tex. He was 88.
His death was announced on Wednesday by the University of Texas, which did not say when he died. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
When Royal was named the Texas football coach in 1957, he took over a team that had won only one game the previous season. When he retired after 20 seasons, he had coached the Longhorns to 11 Southwest Conference championships and 16 bowl appearances, and he never had a losing team. He was named national coach of the year five times and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
His squads pioneered a wishbone offense running game that influenced college football far beyond the Austin campus.
Texas had fine teams in the 1940s under Coach Dana X. Bible, but never finished atop the national rankings. Royal not only reached that pinnacle three times, but he also endeared himself to Longhorns fans with his homespun style.
After Texas had been beaten by Arkansas and Rice on successive Saturdays in 1965, Royal was asked if he planned major changes. He replied: “There’s an old saying, ‘You dance with the one that brung ya.’ ”
He favored the ground game. As for passing: “Three things can happen, and two of them are bad.”
As for attitude: “You’ve got to think lucky. If you fall into a mud hole, check your back pocket. You might have caught a fish.”
Royal, who was an all-American player at Oklahoma, coached stars like Earl Campbell and Roosevelt Leaks at running back, Scott Appleton at tackle and Tommy Nobis at linebacker, compiling a record of 167-45-5 at Texas. But his image came under fire when one of his reserve linemen of the mid-1960s, Gary Shaw, told of brutality and intimidation in his 1972 book, “Meat on the Hoof: The Hidden World of Texas Football.”
Shaw wrote that Royal put seldom-used players through drills in which they pummeled one another, hoping that many would quit so he could find more recruiting spots for highly talented high school players.
“I don’t deny at all that we ran a tough program, especially back then,” Royal told Texas Monthly in 1982. “I don’t think we ran it without feelings.”
But he added: “I didn’t recognize some of those drills he described. We never had them ever — at any time.”
James Street, the outstanding Texas quarterback of the late 1960s, told Texas Monthly that Royal could be aloof, even toward his top players. “We sure never went to him for fatherly advice,” Street recalled.
Royal delighted in players who relished hard hits, among them Nobis, his all-American linebacker of the mid-1960s. “Aside from his super ability, he’s just one of those trained pigs you love,” he told Sports Illustrated. “He’ll laugh and jump right in the slop for you.”
Darrell K Royal (the middle initial was in honor of his mother, Katy, who died of cancer when he was a few months old) was born in Hollis, Okla., on July 6, 1924.
When he was 15, his father, Burly, who worked odd jobs, took Darrell and a brother to California in the Depression-era migration of the “Okies.” But a few months later Darrell returned to Hollis to play high school football and live with a grandmother.
Royal, at 5 feet 10 and 170 pounds, was an outstanding quarterback and defensive halfback and a brilliant punter at Oklahoma for Coach Bud Wilkinson. He was an all-American in 1949, playing on an undefeated Sugar Bowl-winning team.
He was the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League (1953), Mississippi State (1954-55) and the University of Washington (1956) before getting the Texas post.
Royal’s Longhorns achieved their first No. 1 ranking in 1963 when they were 11-0 and defeated a Navy team led by the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Roger Staubach in the Cotton Bowl. Royal’s Texas teams beat Oklahoma in the Red River rivalry every year from 1958 to 1965.
In September 1968, Royal introduced the wishbone, devised largely by his assistant Emory Ballard. It featured three runners lined up in the shape of a Y, or a wishbone, the fullback directly behind the quarterback and two tailbacks split behind them, offering several options on a given play and emphasizing quickness. Alabama, under Bear Bryant, and Oklahoma, coached by Barry Switzer, along with many other schools copied the attack and thrived with it.
Royal’s best-remembered game, known as the Big Shootout, came in December 1969, when top-ranked Texas rallied to defeat second-ranked Arkansas, 15-14, at Fayetteville, Ark., with President Richard M. Nixon in attendance.
The Longhorns shared a third national championship with Nebraska in 1970. They won 30 straight games from 1968 to 1970.
Royal retired as coach after the 1976 season but stayed on until 1980 as athletic director, a post he had held since 1962. He was later a special assistant to the university president on athletic matters. The Longhorns’ football field has been known since 1996 as Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Survivors include his wife, Edith, and a son, Mack. A daughter, Marian, died in a car accident in 1973 and another son, David, died in a motorcycle accident in 1982.
In February 1964, the University of Texas rewarded Royal for his first national championship by making him a full professor with tenure. But his folksy presence seemed unaffected.
Mickey Herskowitz, the Houston Chronicle sportswriter who gave the wishbone attack its name, recalled how the Texas sports information director, Jones Ramsey, walked into Royal’s office when he was a newly minted professor and saw him scowling while he scribbled on a pad.
As Herskowitz told it: “Jones asked what was wrong. Royal looked up and said, ‘I’ve been sitting here for 30 minutes, trying to figure out if professor has one or two f’s in it.’ ”
CaptainKirk
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2007
- Posts
- 16,626
Larry Hagman
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2012/11/24/hagman2-3_4_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec
So long, JR; rest in peace.
______________________________________________________________
Actor Larry Hagman, 81, whom fans for decades confused with J.R. Ewing, the conniving character he so convincingly played on TV's Dallas, died Friday in the Texas city that made him a household name.
Hagman had been battling cancer for the past year, having announced his diagnosis just as he began work on the soap-opera reboot for TNT.
A statement released to the Dallas Morning News by the actor's family noted, "Larry's family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time."
In a statement, Warner Bros. and the new show's executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael Robin, said, "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace." And the network called him "a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor"
Hagman relished the chance to reprise his best-known character. "Of course it's fun to play the villain," Hagman told USA TODAY in 2011 while filming an episode of the new Dallas, which returned to television earlier this year after a 20-year absence. "I don't understand why people love J.R. so much, but it's not just America, it's all over the place. France, England. Ireland. In Germany they have this amazing core of people who follow my career."
Hagman, like the scheming oil baron J.R., the star of the prime time soap opera which aired from 1978 to 1991, was a Texan. He was born in Forth Worth in 1931. His father, Ben Hagman, was a district attorney and his mother, Mary Martin, was a renowned Broadway actress.
Hagman, who became a household name for playing J.R., said for years he would remind people that he wasn't J.R., but that later in life, he changed his attitude. "I used to say, 'No, I'm not J.R.,' but I don't now. When people think I'm J.R., I play up to that."
In the fall of 2011, while filming the new Dallas, Hagman released a statement in which he announced he was battling cancer but, "I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer." He had previously battled cirrhosis of the liver as a result of heavy drinking, which led to a liver transplant in 1995.
Drinking wasn't his only vice. A heavy smoker earlier in his career, he served as the chairperson of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout" from 1981 to 1992.
Though best known for his work on Dallas, Hagman, who graduated from Bard College and served in the Air Force, also appeared on the daytime soap opera Edge of Night from 1961-63. In 1954 he wed Maj Axelsson, with whom he had two children, daughter Heidi Kristina and son Preston.
He credited the longevity of his marriage to "two bathrooms," and his ability to live vicariously through J.R.. "I did all my fooling around on screen," he told USA TODAY in 2004.
Hagman's career took off when he played astronaut Maj. Anthony Nelson on the 1965-70 sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie. The story revolved around Nelson's secret relationship with a magical and beautiful genie, played by Barbara Eden.
"I Dream of Jeannie has been around for 47 years," Hagman said in 2011. "Most people in their 50s and 60s grew up with it, and I watch it occasionally. It's a lot of fun. It's still popular all around the world."
Eden posted on her Facebook page: "I still cannot completely express the shock and impact from the news that Larry Hagman has passed. I can still remember, that first day on Zuma Beach with him, in the frigid cold. From that day for five more years, Larry was the center of so many fun, wild, shocking… and in retrospect, memorable moments that will remain in my heart forever."
Other friends, fans and co-workers expressed their sorrow on Twitter. "I'm shocked," tweeted Larry King. "Larry Hagman was a dear man who had an incredible career. He helped me to stop smoking." Wrote Elizabeth Hurley, "Thank you for being such an entertaining actor and giving us such happy memories." And Angie Harmon, star of TNT's Rizzoli & Isles, tweeted, "Thank you for being as amazing & talented & kind in person as I'd always hoped!"
In addition to his television work, Hagman portrayed a corrupt Texas oilman in Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995), And in Mike Nichols' Primary Colors (1998), he played an ex-Florida governor.
The second season of TNT's Dallas is scheduled to premiere Jan. 28; six of the 15 episodes had been filmed at the time of his death.
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2012/11/24/hagman2-3_4_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec
So long, JR; rest in peace.
______________________________________________________________
Actor Larry Hagman, 81, whom fans for decades confused with J.R. Ewing, the conniving character he so convincingly played on TV's Dallas, died Friday in the Texas city that made him a household name.
Hagman had been battling cancer for the past year, having announced his diagnosis just as he began work on the soap-opera reboot for TNT.
A statement released to the Dallas Morning News by the actor's family noted, "Larry's family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time."
In a statement, Warner Bros. and the new show's executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael Robin, said, "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace." And the network called him "a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor"
Hagman relished the chance to reprise his best-known character. "Of course it's fun to play the villain," Hagman told USA TODAY in 2011 while filming an episode of the new Dallas, which returned to television earlier this year after a 20-year absence. "I don't understand why people love J.R. so much, but it's not just America, it's all over the place. France, England. Ireland. In Germany they have this amazing core of people who follow my career."
Hagman, like the scheming oil baron J.R., the star of the prime time soap opera which aired from 1978 to 1991, was a Texan. He was born in Forth Worth in 1931. His father, Ben Hagman, was a district attorney and his mother, Mary Martin, was a renowned Broadway actress.
Hagman, who became a household name for playing J.R., said for years he would remind people that he wasn't J.R., but that later in life, he changed his attitude. "I used to say, 'No, I'm not J.R.,' but I don't now. When people think I'm J.R., I play up to that."
In the fall of 2011, while filming the new Dallas, Hagman released a statement in which he announced he was battling cancer but, "I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer." He had previously battled cirrhosis of the liver as a result of heavy drinking, which led to a liver transplant in 1995.
Drinking wasn't his only vice. A heavy smoker earlier in his career, he served as the chairperson of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout" from 1981 to 1992.
Though best known for his work on Dallas, Hagman, who graduated from Bard College and served in the Air Force, also appeared on the daytime soap opera Edge of Night from 1961-63. In 1954 he wed Maj Axelsson, with whom he had two children, daughter Heidi Kristina and son Preston.
He credited the longevity of his marriage to "two bathrooms," and his ability to live vicariously through J.R.. "I did all my fooling around on screen," he told USA TODAY in 2004.
Hagman's career took off when he played astronaut Maj. Anthony Nelson on the 1965-70 sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie. The story revolved around Nelson's secret relationship with a magical and beautiful genie, played by Barbara Eden.
"I Dream of Jeannie has been around for 47 years," Hagman said in 2011. "Most people in their 50s and 60s grew up with it, and I watch it occasionally. It's a lot of fun. It's still popular all around the world."
Eden posted on her Facebook page: "I still cannot completely express the shock and impact from the news that Larry Hagman has passed. I can still remember, that first day on Zuma Beach with him, in the frigid cold. From that day for five more years, Larry was the center of so many fun, wild, shocking… and in retrospect, memorable moments that will remain in my heart forever."
Other friends, fans and co-workers expressed their sorrow on Twitter. "I'm shocked," tweeted Larry King. "Larry Hagman was a dear man who had an incredible career. He helped me to stop smoking." Wrote Elizabeth Hurley, "Thank you for being such an entertaining actor and giving us such happy memories." And Angie Harmon, star of TNT's Rizzoli & Isles, tweeted, "Thank you for being as amazing & talented & kind in person as I'd always hoped!"
In addition to his television work, Hagman portrayed a corrupt Texas oilman in Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995), And in Mike Nichols' Primary Colors (1998), he played an ex-Florida governor.
The second season of TNT's Dallas is scheduled to premiere Jan. 28; six of the 15 episodes had been filmed at the time of his death.
Emily Squires, Sesame Street Director, Dies at 71
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/...PyAPGAUM/story.html?camp=rss:ae&dlvrit=834313
NEW YORK (AP) — A longtime ‘‘Sesame Street’’ director who also worked on soap operas including ‘‘The Guiding Light’’ and ‘‘As the World Turns’’ has died. Emily Squires was 71.
She died Wednesday at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital.
Squires’ husband, Len Belzer, said Friday that the cause of death hasn’t been determined.
Squires directed the ‘‘Sesame Street’’ children’s television series from 1982 to 2007 while also writing for the program.
She directed several ‘‘Sesame Street’’ TV specials as well as other children’s programs such as the PBS show ‘‘Between the Lions,’’ which promoted reading.
She also was a scriptwriter for soap operas including ‘‘The Guiding Light,’’ ‘'Search for Tomorrow,’’ ‘'The Secret Storm’’ and ‘‘As the World Turns.’’
Squires later directed documentaries including ‘‘Visions of Perfect Worlds,’’ a conversation with the Dalai Lama.
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/...PyAPGAUM/story.html?camp=rss:ae&dlvrit=834313
NEW YORK (AP) — A longtime ‘‘Sesame Street’’ director who also worked on soap operas including ‘‘The Guiding Light’’ and ‘‘As the World Turns’’ has died. Emily Squires was 71.
She died Wednesday at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital.
Squires’ husband, Len Belzer, said Friday that the cause of death hasn’t been determined.
Squires directed the ‘‘Sesame Street’’ children’s television series from 1982 to 2007 while also writing for the program.
She directed several ‘‘Sesame Street’’ TV specials as well as other children’s programs such as the PBS show ‘‘Between the Lions,’’ which promoted reading.
She also was a scriptwriter for soap operas including ‘‘The Guiding Light,’’ ‘'Search for Tomorrow,’’ ‘'The Secret Storm’’ and ‘‘As the World Turns.’’
Squires later directed documentaries including ‘‘Visions of Perfect Worlds,’’ a conversation with the Dalai Lama.
TonyClifton
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2012
- Posts
- 3,173
Lorilei
asexual prude
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Posts
- 24,621
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2012/11/24/hagman2-3_4_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec
So long, JR; rest in peace.
______________________________________________________________
Actor Larry Hagman, 81, whom fans for decades confused with J.R. Ewing, the conniving character he so convincingly played on TV's Dallas, died Friday in the Texas city that made him a household name.
Hagman had been battling cancer for the past year, having announced his diagnosis just as he began work on the soap-opera reboot for TNT.
A statement released to the Dallas Morning News by the actor's family noted, "Larry's family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time."
In a statement, Warner Bros. and the new show's executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael Robin, said, "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace." And the network called him "a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor"
Hagman relished the chance to reprise his best-known character. "Of course it's fun to play the villain," Hagman told USA TODAY in 2011 while filming an episode of the new Dallas, which returned to television earlier this year after a 20-year absence. "I don't understand why people love J.R. so much, but it's not just America, it's all over the place. France, England. Ireland. In Germany they have this amazing core of people who follow my career."
Hagman, like the scheming oil baron J.R., the star of the prime time soap opera which aired from 1978 to 1991, was a Texan. He was born in Forth Worth in 1931. His father, Ben Hagman, was a district attorney and his mother, Mary Martin, was a renowned Broadway actress.
Hagman, who became a household name for playing J.R., said for years he would remind people that he wasn't J.R., but that later in life, he changed his attitude. "I used to say, 'No, I'm not J.R.,' but I don't now. When people think I'm J.R., I play up to that."
In the fall of 2011, while filming the new Dallas, Hagman released a statement in which he announced he was battling cancer but, "I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer." He had previously battled cirrhosis of the liver as a result of heavy drinking, which led to a liver transplant in 1995.
Drinking wasn't his only vice. A heavy smoker earlier in his career, he served as the chairperson of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout" from 1981 to 1992.
Though best known for his work on Dallas, Hagman, who graduated from Bard College and served in the Air Force, also appeared on the daytime soap opera Edge of Night from 1961-63. In 1954 he wed Maj Axelsson, with whom he had two children, daughter Heidi Kristina and son Preston.
He credited the longevity of his marriage to "two bathrooms," and his ability to live vicariously through J.R.. "I did all my fooling around on screen," he told USA TODAY in 2004.
Hagman's career took off when he played astronaut Maj. Anthony Nelson on the 1965-70 sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie. The story revolved around Nelson's secret relationship with a magical and beautiful genie, played by Barbara Eden.
"I Dream of Jeannie has been around for 47 years," Hagman said in 2011. "Most people in their 50s and 60s grew up with it, and I watch it occasionally. It's a lot of fun. It's still popular all around the world."
Eden posted on her Facebook page: "I still cannot completely express the shock and impact from the news that Larry Hagman has passed. I can still remember, that first day on Zuma Beach with him, in the frigid cold. From that day for five more years, Larry was the center of so many fun, wild, shocking… and in retrospect, memorable moments that will remain in my heart forever."
Other friends, fans and co-workers expressed their sorrow on Twitter. "I'm shocked," tweeted Larry King. "Larry Hagman was a dear man who had an incredible career. He helped me to stop smoking." Wrote Elizabeth Hurley, "Thank you for being such an entertaining actor and giving us such happy memories." And Angie Harmon, star of TNT's Rizzoli & Isles, tweeted, "Thank you for being as amazing & talented & kind in person as I'd always hoped!"
In addition to his television work, Hagman portrayed a corrupt Texas oilman in Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995), And in Mike Nichols' Primary Colors (1998), he played an ex-Florida governor.
The second season of TNT's Dallas is scheduled to premiere Jan. 28; six of the 15 episodes had been filmed at the time of his death.
I'm so sad.
TonyClifton
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2012
- Posts
- 3,173
TonyClifton
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2012
- Posts
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A picture Brittany Murphy a few months before her death.
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID15166/images/Brittany-Murphy.jpg
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID15166/images/Brittany-Murphy.jpg
JustSkye
Gatinha
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- Aug 16, 2003
- Posts
- 45,535
JennyOHill2
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
- Posts
- 536
Marvin Miller dies at 95
Baseball union chief led push for free agency
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKNPPcY2c-HCCeTI1fB36xV9zD0XcX6qvNIWkamS2SLiUwgDLv
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-marvin-miller-20121128,0,7875985,full.story
Baseball union chief led push for free agency
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKNPPcY2c-HCCeTI1fB36xV9zD0XcX6qvNIWkamS2SLiUwgDLv
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-marvin-miller-20121128,0,7875985,full.story
JennyOHill2
Literotica Guru
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David Courtney, PA voice, dies
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7TbhkhaWngPsBeQcjU9WehXDbJlx6aF1w5snX2UaLiLjJ3RKDBg
LOS ANGELES -- David Courtney, the public-address announcer for the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Clippers, died Thursday, all three teams announced. He was 56.
Courtney worked with the Kings for 34 years in various capacities, serving as the team's public relations director before becoming the team's public-address announcer in 1989. He has also been the public-address announcer for the Angels the past 18 seasons and was in his third season with the Clippers.
Los Angeles Dodgers public address announcer Eric Smith, who was the Clippers' public-address announcer before Courtney, filled in for Courtney on Wednesday night at Staples Center during the Clippers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Courtney tweeted at the time that he was "in the hospital waiting for an angiogram."
"David was tremendously passionate about the Kings, our fans and the game of hockey," said Kings president of business operations Luc Robitaille in a statement. "His time with the Kings dates back to the mid 1970s both in our PR office as our public relations director and also with work he did in our video department before he took over full-time Public Announcing duties at the Forum and Staples Center. In the arena he was an institution -- he was the voice of the Kings -- and his work added so much to the live, in-game experience for our fans as it did for the Clippers and Angels as well.
"Next season would have been David's 35th year with our franchise, and on behalf of the entire Kings organization and AEG we are incredibly saddened by this news and we send our deepest condolences to his wife Janet and the rest of the Courtney family."
Courtney left the Kings in 1978, but according to the team's website, he returned in 1985 at the urging of his friend, mentor and longtime Kings play-by-play announcer Bob Miller. Courtney was the in-arena voice of the Kings from 1989 when Wayne Gretzky called the Fabulous Forum home until the team won its first Stanley Cup at Staples Center in June. He was also the public address announcer when the Angels won their first World Series in 2002.
"The Angels family is deeply saddened to hear of David's passing," the Angels said in a statement. "He was a gentle soul, a consummate professional and an unforgettable voice tied to several professional Southern California sports teams. Over the past 18 years, his love, dedication and passion for the Angels was evident every time his voice rang through the ballpark. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David's family at this difficult time."
"Today our organization lost a good friend. In his years as public address announcer for Clippers' home games, David Courtney was a consummate professional who brought a unique passion and energy to every event," the Clippers said in a statement. "We are saddened by his passing, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Janet and the rest of his family. David will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched."
Courtney also worked for Metro Networks as a sports, traffic and news reporter, for the past 20 years and was regularly heard on ESPNLA 710.
Courtney is survived by his wife, Janet Fisher-Courtney.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7TbhkhaWngPsBeQcjU9WehXDbJlx6aF1w5snX2UaLiLjJ3RKDBg
LOS ANGELES -- David Courtney, the public-address announcer for the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Clippers, died Thursday, all three teams announced. He was 56.
Courtney worked with the Kings for 34 years in various capacities, serving as the team's public relations director before becoming the team's public-address announcer in 1989. He has also been the public-address announcer for the Angels the past 18 seasons and was in his third season with the Clippers.
Los Angeles Dodgers public address announcer Eric Smith, who was the Clippers' public-address announcer before Courtney, filled in for Courtney on Wednesday night at Staples Center during the Clippers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Courtney tweeted at the time that he was "in the hospital waiting for an angiogram."
"David was tremendously passionate about the Kings, our fans and the game of hockey," said Kings president of business operations Luc Robitaille in a statement. "His time with the Kings dates back to the mid 1970s both in our PR office as our public relations director and also with work he did in our video department before he took over full-time Public Announcing duties at the Forum and Staples Center. In the arena he was an institution -- he was the voice of the Kings -- and his work added so much to the live, in-game experience for our fans as it did for the Clippers and Angels as well.
"Next season would have been David's 35th year with our franchise, and on behalf of the entire Kings organization and AEG we are incredibly saddened by this news and we send our deepest condolences to his wife Janet and the rest of the Courtney family."
Courtney left the Kings in 1978, but according to the team's website, he returned in 1985 at the urging of his friend, mentor and longtime Kings play-by-play announcer Bob Miller. Courtney was the in-arena voice of the Kings from 1989 when Wayne Gretzky called the Fabulous Forum home until the team won its first Stanley Cup at Staples Center in June. He was also the public address announcer when the Angels won their first World Series in 2002.
"The Angels family is deeply saddened to hear of David's passing," the Angels said in a statement. "He was a gentle soul, a consummate professional and an unforgettable voice tied to several professional Southern California sports teams. Over the past 18 years, his love, dedication and passion for the Angels was evident every time his voice rang through the ballpark. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David's family at this difficult time."
"Today our organization lost a good friend. In his years as public address announcer for Clippers' home games, David Courtney was a consummate professional who brought a unique passion and energy to every event," the Clippers said in a statement. "We are saddened by his passing, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Janet and the rest of his family. David will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched."
Courtney also worked for Metro Networks as a sports, traffic and news reporter, for the past 20 years and was regularly heard on ESPNLA 710.
Courtney is survived by his wife, Janet Fisher-Courtney.
princess4u
still a princess
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- Oct 27, 2001
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- 14,938
oooops
Last edited:
princess4u
still a princess
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2001
- Posts
- 14,938
The voice of Smurfette, Lucille Bliss, has died
by Maane Khatchatourian
Tags: Crusader Rabbit, In Memoriam, Lucille Bliss, The Smurfs, TV
Lucille Bliss, who provided the voices for the cartoon characters Smurfette, Crusader Rabbit, and Rags died of natural causes on Nov. 8 in Costa Mesa, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. She was 96.
The animation voice actress’ career spanned over 60 years; she was working as recently as last month. In addition to her groundbreaking double role in Crusader Rabbit (as the title character and Rags) and her most recognizable role in The Smurfs (as Smurfette), Bliss also gave voice to the stepsister Anastasia in Disney’s 1950 film Cinderella and the original Elroy in the 1960s TV series The Jetsons. Her smaller projects included The Flintstones and Star Wars spinoffs and video games.
“She was a pioneer in television animation,” author and animation historian Charles Solomon told the Los Angeles Times. “[Crusader Rabbit] really set a pattern for a lot of future shows — the smart little character and the big dumb sidekick.”
Bliss, who never married, has no immediate survivors. A memorial service will be held in her honor on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
by Maane Khatchatourian
Tags: Crusader Rabbit, In Memoriam, Lucille Bliss, The Smurfs, TV
Lucille Bliss, who provided the voices for the cartoon characters Smurfette, Crusader Rabbit, and Rags died of natural causes on Nov. 8 in Costa Mesa, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. She was 96.
The animation voice actress’ career spanned over 60 years; she was working as recently as last month. In addition to her groundbreaking double role in Crusader Rabbit (as the title character and Rags) and her most recognizable role in The Smurfs (as Smurfette), Bliss also gave voice to the stepsister Anastasia in Disney’s 1950 film Cinderella and the original Elroy in the 1960s TV series The Jetsons. Her smaller projects included The Flintstones and Star Wars spinoffs and video games.
“She was a pioneer in television animation,” author and animation historian Charles Solomon told the Los Angeles Times. “[Crusader Rabbit] really set a pattern for a lot of future shows — the smart little character and the big dumb sidekick.”
Bliss, who never married, has no immediate survivors. A memorial service will be held in her honor on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
JennyOHill2
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
- Posts
- 536
Dave Brubeck, legend who helped define jazz, dies
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR095spkXB--fqhhfskDHkt91PShFJzbJXhreF9SydJp_N6r1PV
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...fa70e4-3959-11e0-bb8c-90acdd319fdd_story.html
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR095spkXB--fqhhfskDHkt91PShFJzbJXhreF9SydJp_N6r1PV
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...fa70e4-3959-11e0-bb8c-90acdd319fdd_story.html
Weird Harold
Opinionated Old Fart
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- Mar 1, 2000
- Posts
- 23,768
JennyOHill2
Literotica Guru
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- Mar 22, 2010
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Jack Hanlon Dead: 'Our Gang' Actor Dies At 96
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTT3W26ZUEuURp_9B3Xfvf7UhaL7SU-hvGhQmgGsltvMydJF5AR
RENO, Nev. -- Jack Hanlon, who had roles in the 1926 silent classic "The General" and in two 1927 "Our Gang" comedies, died Thursday in Las Vegas, family members said Sunday. He was 96.
The precocious, freckle-faced Hanlon was a natural as a child actor from 1926 to 1933, said his niece, Wendy Putnam Park of Las Vegas.
"He was absolutely the sweetest, most charming man," Park told The Associated Press. "He loved talking about being in the movies if you brought the subject up. He loved sharing stories about being in them."
After a small role with Buster Keaton in "The General," he played mischievous kids in two of Hal Roach's "Our Gang/Little Rascals" films: "The Glorious Fourth" and "Olympic Games."
Hanlon also played an orphan in the 1929 drama "The Shakedown," and got an on-screen kiss from Greta Garbo in the 1930 film "Romance."
He appeared in eight more "talkies," including "Big Money" with Clark Gable, in the 1930s before calling it a career at the age of 16. He rarely made more than $5 a day.
His friend, Bob Satterfield, told the Las Vegas Sun that he watched the Our Gang films and "The General" with Hanlon.
"He told me it was like watching someone else because it was a lifetime ago ... Jack led a full life," Satterfield, a Southern California high school activities director and silent film buff, told the Sun.
After leaving Hollywood, Hanlon became an Army paratrooper and mover for Allied Van Lines. He had resided in Las Vegas for 18 years, Park said, and lived in his own home until October when he moved to an assisted living center.
"Surprisingly, he was in good physical shape until two months ago," Park said. "He liked being independent and watching old movies on TV. He basically died of old age."
He will be buried in Santa Monica, Calif., along with his wife of 37 years, Jean.
Survivors include two other nieces and a nephew.
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTT3W26ZUEuURp_9B3Xfvf7UhaL7SU-hvGhQmgGsltvMydJF5AR
RENO, Nev. -- Jack Hanlon, who had roles in the 1926 silent classic "The General" and in two 1927 "Our Gang" comedies, died Thursday in Las Vegas, family members said Sunday. He was 96.
The precocious, freckle-faced Hanlon was a natural as a child actor from 1926 to 1933, said his niece, Wendy Putnam Park of Las Vegas.
"He was absolutely the sweetest, most charming man," Park told The Associated Press. "He loved talking about being in the movies if you brought the subject up. He loved sharing stories about being in them."
After a small role with Buster Keaton in "The General," he played mischievous kids in two of Hal Roach's "Our Gang/Little Rascals" films: "The Glorious Fourth" and "Olympic Games."
Hanlon also played an orphan in the 1929 drama "The Shakedown," and got an on-screen kiss from Greta Garbo in the 1930 film "Romance."
He appeared in eight more "talkies," including "Big Money" with Clark Gable, in the 1930s before calling it a career at the age of 16. He rarely made more than $5 a day.
His friend, Bob Satterfield, told the Las Vegas Sun that he watched the Our Gang films and "The General" with Hanlon.
"He told me it was like watching someone else because it was a lifetime ago ... Jack led a full life," Satterfield, a Southern California high school activities director and silent film buff, told the Sun.
After leaving Hollywood, Hanlon became an Army paratrooper and mover for Allied Van Lines. He had resided in Las Vegas for 18 years, Park said, and lived in his own home until October when he moved to an assisted living center.
"Surprisingly, he was in good physical shape until two months ago," Park said. "He liked being independent and watching old movies on TV. He basically died of old age."
He will be buried in Santa Monica, Calif., along with his wife of 37 years, Jean.
Survivors include two other nieces and a nephew.
JennyOHill2
Literotica Guru
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- Mar 22, 2010
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- 536
Ex-MLB player Ryan Freel dead of apparent suicid
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-KPZ125Uf8RyxYWoNFOMblvNYC-p9rZqB9qVGzLeYLW_-ec__
Popular former MLB infielder was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Freel played for the Reds from 2003 to 2008.
Freel coached young players in Jacksonville, Fla., following his retirement.
During an eight-year major-league career that took him to five teams, Ryan Freel enjoyed a reputation among teammates as high-energy, outgoing and hilarious. That's why so many were shocked to learn that Freel, 36, was found dead Saturday in his Jacksonville, Fla., home with what police told the Florida Times-Union appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sean Casey, Freel's former teammate with the Cincinnati Reds, tweeted about his death: "RIP Ryan Freel!! Great teammate, great guy, n loved his family! Such a sad day today with his passing! Awful news! Prayers are with his family!"
Freel played for the Reds from 2003 to 2008, and during one three-year stretch had 110 stolen bases. He was paid $11.55 million in his career, which ended prematurely because of a succession of injuries that plagued him after 2006.
He was hit in the head with a pickoff throw in 2009, an injury that put him on the disabled list. Two years earlier he went on the disabled list for five weeks with head and neck injuries after colliding in the outfield with Norris Hopper. He said at the time that he'd had "probably nine or 10" concussions in his life.
Freel aborted a comeback attempt in 2010 when he left the independent Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League during spring training. After retiring, Freel returned to Jacksonville, his hometown, and coached youth players for an organization called Big League Development. He was named head coach of St. Joseph Academy in June but resigned shortly after taking the job.
He left a wife, Christie, and three young daughters.
Freel was raised by his Cuban-American mother, who worked 16 hours a day as a teacher and housecleaner in Jacksonville. He credited her for his gritty, all-out style of play. Freel also had a goofy side. He told the Dayton Daily News in 2006 that he had an imaginary friend named Farney.
"He's a little guy who lives in my head who talks to me and I talk to him," he told the paper. "That little midget in my head said, 'That was a great catch, Ryan.' I said, 'Hey, Farney, I don't know if that was you who really caught the ball, but that was pretty good if it was.'"
Freel twice was arrested for alcohol-related offenses but said he'd stopped drinking. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. In 2006, he was charged with misdemeanor disorderly intoxication.
"I have not had a sip of alcohol in (nearly) three years. I definitely learned from that," Freel told the Baltimore Sun when the Orioles acquired him in 2009. "Me and drinking probably wasn't a good thing. Kicking that whole thing was probably the best thing to happen for me, my family and my career."
His former teammates recall a personable, giving person. The Reds released a statement that said in part: "His teammates and our fans loved him for how hard he played the game, and he loved giving back to the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Brandon Phillips, another of Freel's teammate with the Reds, tweeted, "Really hurt by his passing. You never will be forgotten."
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-KPZ125Uf8RyxYWoNFOMblvNYC-p9rZqB9qVGzLeYLW_-ec__
Popular former MLB infielder was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Freel played for the Reds from 2003 to 2008.
Freel coached young players in Jacksonville, Fla., following his retirement.
During an eight-year major-league career that took him to five teams, Ryan Freel enjoyed a reputation among teammates as high-energy, outgoing and hilarious. That's why so many were shocked to learn that Freel, 36, was found dead Saturday in his Jacksonville, Fla., home with what police told the Florida Times-Union appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sean Casey, Freel's former teammate with the Cincinnati Reds, tweeted about his death: "RIP Ryan Freel!! Great teammate, great guy, n loved his family! Such a sad day today with his passing! Awful news! Prayers are with his family!"
Freel played for the Reds from 2003 to 2008, and during one three-year stretch had 110 stolen bases. He was paid $11.55 million in his career, which ended prematurely because of a succession of injuries that plagued him after 2006.
He was hit in the head with a pickoff throw in 2009, an injury that put him on the disabled list. Two years earlier he went on the disabled list for five weeks with head and neck injuries after colliding in the outfield with Norris Hopper. He said at the time that he'd had "probably nine or 10" concussions in his life.
Freel aborted a comeback attempt in 2010 when he left the independent Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League during spring training. After retiring, Freel returned to Jacksonville, his hometown, and coached youth players for an organization called Big League Development. He was named head coach of St. Joseph Academy in June but resigned shortly after taking the job.
He left a wife, Christie, and three young daughters.
Freel was raised by his Cuban-American mother, who worked 16 hours a day as a teacher and housecleaner in Jacksonville. He credited her for his gritty, all-out style of play. Freel also had a goofy side. He told the Dayton Daily News in 2006 that he had an imaginary friend named Farney.
"He's a little guy who lives in my head who talks to me and I talk to him," he told the paper. "That little midget in my head said, 'That was a great catch, Ryan.' I said, 'Hey, Farney, I don't know if that was you who really caught the ball, but that was pretty good if it was.'"
Freel twice was arrested for alcohol-related offenses but said he'd stopped drinking. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. In 2006, he was charged with misdemeanor disorderly intoxication.
"I have not had a sip of alcohol in (nearly) three years. I definitely learned from that," Freel told the Baltimore Sun when the Orioles acquired him in 2009. "Me and drinking probably wasn't a good thing. Kicking that whole thing was probably the best thing to happen for me, my family and my career."
His former teammates recall a personable, giving person. The Reds released a statement that said in part: "His teammates and our fans loved him for how hard he played the game, and he loved giving back to the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Brandon Phillips, another of Freel's teammate with the Reds, tweeted, "Really hurt by his passing. You never will be forgotten."
gotsnowgotslush
skates like Eck
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2007
- Posts
- 25,720
December 23, 2012
Mike Scaccia, the guitarist for Ministry and Rigor Mortis died on Saturday night at the age of 47.
Scaccia was born in Babylon, New York, on July 14th, 1965
"Life without Mikey is like orange juice without pulp – kind of bland.
I have no words to express what this guy meant to me, my family,
my career. . . . Everything!"
- Al Jourgensen
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...-scaccia-dies-after-onstage-collapse-20121223
In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida
December 21, 2012
Lee Dorman, the bassist for psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, has died at age 70.
Douglas Lee Dorman was born in St. Louis, Missouri September 15, 1942
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/...an-dies-age/Anb6GK4qdJ4EyTfDCT6n3I/story.html
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/iron-butterfly-bassist-lee-dorman-dead-at-70-20121222
During Iron Butterfly's temporary break-up in the 1970s, Dorman and guitarist Larry Reinhardt formed the metal-jazz fusion band
Captain Beyond, with Rod Evans from Deep Purple. The group released three albums and had a radio hit with the 1973 song
"Sufficiently Breathless."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...rman-died-of-natural-causes-coroner-says.html
Mike Scaccia, the guitarist for Ministry and Rigor Mortis died on Saturday night at the age of 47.
Scaccia was born in Babylon, New York, on July 14th, 1965
"Life without Mikey is like orange juice without pulp – kind of bland.
I have no words to express what this guy meant to me, my family,
my career. . . . Everything!"
- Al Jourgensen
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...-scaccia-dies-after-onstage-collapse-20121223
In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida
December 21, 2012
Lee Dorman, the bassist for psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, has died at age 70.
Douglas Lee Dorman was born in St. Louis, Missouri September 15, 1942
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/...an-dies-age/Anb6GK4qdJ4EyTfDCT6n3I/story.html
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/iron-butterfly-bassist-lee-dorman-dead-at-70-20121222
During Iron Butterfly's temporary break-up in the 1970s, Dorman and guitarist Larry Reinhardt formed the metal-jazz fusion band
Captain Beyond, with Rod Evans from Deep Purple. The group released three albums and had a radio hit with the 1973 song
"Sufficiently Breathless."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...rman-died-of-natural-causes-coroner-says.html
Beco
I'm Not Your Guru
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2002
- Posts
- 57,795
Beco
I'm Not Your Guru
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2002
- Posts
- 57,795
Legendary actor Jack Klugman dies at 90
LOS ANGELES – Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's "The Odd Couple" and the crime-fighting coroner in "Quincy, M.E.," died Monday, a son said. He was 90.
Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side./
"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.
Adam Klugman said he was spending Christmas with his brother, David, and their families. Their father had been convalescing for some time but had apparently died suddenly and they were not sure of the exact cause.
"His sons loved him very much," David Klugman said. "We'll carry on in his spirit."
Never anyone's idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing the type of man you could imagine running into at a bar or riding on a subway with -- gruff, but down to earth, his tie stained and a little loose, a racing form under his arm, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted.
His was a city actor ideal for "The Odd Couple," which ran from 1970 to 1975 and was based on Neil Simon's play about mismatched roommates, divorced New Yorkers who end up living together. The show teamed Klugman -- the sloppy sports writer Oscar Madison -- and Tony Randall -- the fussy photographer Felix Unger -- in the roles played by Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway and Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1968 film. Klugman had already had a taste of the show when he replaced Matthau on Broadway and he learned to roll with the quick-thinking Randall, with whom he had worked in 1955 on the CBS series "Appointment with Adventure."
"There's nobody better to improvise with than Tony," Klugman said. "A script might say, `Oscar teaches Felix football.' There would be four blank pages. He would provoke me into reacting to what he did. Mine was the easy part."
They were battlers on screen, and the best of friends in real life. When Randall died in 2004 at age 84, Klugman told CNN: "A world without Tony Randall is a world that I cannot recognize."
In "Quincy, M.E.," which ran from 1976 to 1983, Klugman played an idealistic, tough-minded medical examiner who tussled with his boss by uncovering evidence of murder in cases where others saw natural causes.
"We had some wonderful writers," he said in a 1987 Associated Press interview. "Quincy was a muckraker, like Upton Sinclair, who wrote about injustices. He was my ideal as a youngster, my author, my hero.'
"Everybody said, `Quincy'll never be a hit.' I said, `You guys are wrong. He's two heroes in one, a cop and a doctor.' A coroner has power. He can tell the police commissioner to investigate a murder. I saw the opportunity to do what I'd gotten into the theater to do -- give a message.
"They were going to do cops and robbers with `Quincy.' I said, 'You promised me I could do causes.' They said, `Nobody wants to see that.' I said, `Look at the success of "60 Minutes." They want to see it if you present it as entertainment."'
LOS ANGELES – Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's "The Odd Couple" and the crime-fighting coroner in "Quincy, M.E.," died Monday, a son said. He was 90.
Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side./
"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.
Adam Klugman said he was spending Christmas with his brother, David, and their families. Their father had been convalescing for some time but had apparently died suddenly and they were not sure of the exact cause.
"His sons loved him very much," David Klugman said. "We'll carry on in his spirit."
Never anyone's idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing the type of man you could imagine running into at a bar or riding on a subway with -- gruff, but down to earth, his tie stained and a little loose, a racing form under his arm, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted.
His was a city actor ideal for "The Odd Couple," which ran from 1970 to 1975 and was based on Neil Simon's play about mismatched roommates, divorced New Yorkers who end up living together. The show teamed Klugman -- the sloppy sports writer Oscar Madison -- and Tony Randall -- the fussy photographer Felix Unger -- in the roles played by Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway and Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1968 film. Klugman had already had a taste of the show when he replaced Matthau on Broadway and he learned to roll with the quick-thinking Randall, with whom he had worked in 1955 on the CBS series "Appointment with Adventure."
"There's nobody better to improvise with than Tony," Klugman said. "A script might say, `Oscar teaches Felix football.' There would be four blank pages. He would provoke me into reacting to what he did. Mine was the easy part."
They were battlers on screen, and the best of friends in real life. When Randall died in 2004 at age 84, Klugman told CNN: "A world without Tony Randall is a world that I cannot recognize."
In "Quincy, M.E.," which ran from 1976 to 1983, Klugman played an idealistic, tough-minded medical examiner who tussled with his boss by uncovering evidence of murder in cases where others saw natural causes.
"We had some wonderful writers," he said in a 1987 Associated Press interview. "Quincy was a muckraker, like Upton Sinclair, who wrote about injustices. He was my ideal as a youngster, my author, my hero.'
"Everybody said, `Quincy'll never be a hit.' I said, `You guys are wrong. He's two heroes in one, a cop and a doctor.' A coroner has power. He can tell the police commissioner to investigate a murder. I saw the opportunity to do what I'd gotten into the theater to do -- give a message.
"They were going to do cops and robbers with `Quincy.' I said, 'You promised me I could do causes.' They said, `Nobody wants to see that.' I said, `Look at the success of "60 Minutes." They want to see it if you present it as entertainment."'
LiFeNdEaTh
The Usual.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2010
- Posts
- 21,307
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