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Tag: obituary

  • Kirk Douglas Is Dead? Erroneous Obituary Published

    Veteran actor Kirk Douglas is celebrating his 98th birthday next week, but it appears that People Magazine already reporting about his death in an obituary that the news outlet published online.

    The obituary was dated September 29, 2014, but the posting date was not determined. The piece had a “DO NOT PUB” in the headline, signifying that the publishing of the obituary was a grave mistake. The piece read: “Kirk Douglas, one of the few genuine box-office names to emerge just as TV was overtaking American culture in the years right after World War II, died TK TK TK. He was 97 (DOB 12/9/1916) and had been in good health despite having suffered a debilitating 1996 stroke that rendered his speech difficult.”

    “The announcement of my death is premature,” said the veteran actor in a recent interview with USA Today. “I’m looking forward to turning 98 next week.”

    The veteran Spartacus star and father of Michael Douglas is releasing a book in celebration of his birthday. His eleventh book, Life Could Be Verse, features poems and stories that he has accumulated over the years.

    After starring in his first picture back in 1946, Douglas became a bonafide Hollywood star thanks to his popular roles in films like Lust for Life and Champion. He is considered to be one of Hollywood’s finest actors and was nominated for the Academy Awards thrice. Despite the fact that he never won, Steven Spielberg presented Douglas with an Oscar lifetime award for his contributions in the industry.

    News outlets typically write advance obituaries of known personalities that would be instantly published once these celebrities eventually reach the end of their lives. Back in 2008, Bloomberg made the same mistake when they published the obituary of Steve Jobs three years before his passing.

  • Bobby Womack Dies; Rolling Stones Pay Tribute

    Bobby Womack is a Soul music and R&B legend. But even if you think you have little interest in R&B, your music collection has definitely been touched in some way by Bobby Womack, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

    Womack, who died Friday at the age of 70, played guitar for Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. He wrote songs recorded or covered by the Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Janis Joplin, and Chaka Khan. More recently, he sang with Mos Def and Gorillaz. He was working on an album that featured collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, and Rod Stewart.

    Womack’s easily most recognized tune is “Across 110th Street,” which was featured in two movies, the first called Across 110th Street, and then Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.

    The Rolling Stones issued a press statement about Womack.

    “Bobby Womack was a huge influence on us. He was a true pioneer of soul and R&B, whose voice and songwriting touched millions. On stage, his presence was formidable. His talents put him up there with the greats. We will remember him, first and foremost, as a friend.”

    The Stones covered a Womack tune early in their career, “It’s All Over Now.” They took time in their live set on the current tour to mention and praise Womack.

    Here is Womack doing the song.

    Womack had overcome prostate and colon cancer, but was recently diagnosed with Alzheimers. Fans around the world are saddened by his death and are taking to social media to tell how much he meant to them.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon, Secluded Heiress, Dies at 103

    Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon, a secluded heiress, patron of the arts, and a figure in John Edward’s presidential campaign scandal died today in Upperville, VA at 103. Her fortune came from her grandfather’s invention of Listerine, her father’s presidency in the Gillette Safety Razor Company, and her marriage to philanthropist Paul Mellon. She told the New York Times in 1969, she valued privacy above all else: “Nothing should be noticed.”

    Avoiding notice for Mellon could only be maintained for so long. She became entwined in the John Edwards presidential campaign scandal. According to Bloomberg News, Mellon wrote to Andrew Young “I was sitting alone in a grim mood — furious that the press attacked Senator Edwards on the price of a haircut.” She then contributed $725,000 to Edwards as a personal gift or “a way to help our friend without government restrictions.” Edwards was indicted in 2012 for violating campaign finance laws by using the money to hide his pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter.

    Her grandson, Lloyd told the the Associated Press that “she was trying to help (Edwards) for the right reasons, believed in him, and I think frankly he just took advantage of a lot of opportunities that she gave him.”

    Vanity Fair writer James Reginato took a visit to the 4,000-acre Oak Springs Estate back in 2010. He described driving “down a good mile of winding road, lined with stone and wood fences, a rolling landscape unfolds with meticulously pruned oaks, willows, and sycamores. After passing an imposing red-brick Georgian-style mansion, we continue past a monumental bronze statue of Sea Hero, Mellon’s 1993 Kentucky Derby winner, until we reach a low-lying group of connected whitewashed stone cottages—a house which resembles a charming 18th-century French hamlet.”

    Mellon and her husband had been long time collectors of artwork and paintings. Her husband wrote “we began going to public galleries and those of dealers in New York and abroad – out of interest, out of curiosity – for pleasure, relaxation, education.” The elaborate nature and privacy that the Upperville Oak Springs hopefully gave just the right amount of pleasure and relaxation before her death.

    Image via National Gallery of Art

  • Shirley Temple, First Child Star, Dies at Age 85

    Shirley Temple, “America’s Little Darling,” has passed away at age 85. She died of natural causes at her home in Woodside, Calif., “surrounded by family and caregivers,” according to a family statement.

    “We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and adored wife for 55 years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black,” the statement continues.

    Temple was one of the earliest cinematic child stars, first appearing on film at age 3. She’d appeared in multiple blockbusters by age 10, including “Bright Eyes,” “Curly Top,” “Heidi,” and “The Little Princess.” She ranked as Hollywood’s biggest draw for four years straight (1935-1938) according to a poll of theater owners. During the ‘30s, she commanded as much as $50,000 per picture, a rare sum at the height of the Great Depression. She received a special juvenile Academy Award in 1935 and remains the youngest person ever to receive an Oscar.

    While Temple’s popularity began to wane as she grew older, she continued to act through the 1940s, appearing in “Fort Apache” with co-stars John Wayne and Henry Fonda, and “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy.

    She retired from film after marrying Charles Black, a San Francisco businessman, at age 22, ushering in a 20-year hiatus from life in the spotlight. In 1967, she returned to prominence, running as a republican candidate for congress. She lost the election, but continued in public service. From 1969 to 1974, she served in the U.S. delegation to the United Nations; she was U.S. ambassador to Ghana from 1974 to 1976 and U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992.

    Funeral arrangements are pending, but a remembrance guest book has been set up at shirleytemple.com.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tom Clancy, Legendary Author, Has Died at 66

    Twitter, as well as the New York Daily News, have issued reports that Tom Clancy died last night in a Baltimore hospital near his home at age 66.

    A native of Baltimore, Clancy started out as an insurance salesman before going on to write bestselling political thrillers involving governments, militaries, and CIA agents. In 1996, Clancy co-founded Red Storm Entertainment, which ended up being sold along with his name to Ubisoft Entertainment.

    Clancy’s stories, going back to his first novel,The Hunt for Red October, resonate with so many readers because of his attention to detail. Military generals who were stationed on submarines during the Cold War would go on to marvel at the accuracy of Clancy’s fiction.

    In an interview with retired Air Force General Chuck Horner, Clancy said regarding his ability to write about confidential material that “It’s all out in the open… I call it ‘connect the dots.’ If this is true, and this is true, there has to be something between the two that connects them. I probably would have been a pretty good intelligence officer had I gotten into that instead of doing insurance.”

    Business Insider noted Clancy’s advice to aspiring writers in an AMC blog: “You learn to write the same way you learn to play golf… You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired – it’s hard work.”

    [Image via the YouTube interview of Tom Clancy discussing his writing and characters with Chuck Horner]

  • Ray Dolby, American Sound Pioneer, Has Passed Away

    The AP reported last evening that Ray Dolby, the American inventor who can be credited with assisting in the design of the first practical VHS recording device and many other entertainment devices, has died at age 80 in his San Francisco home. Dolby has been heralded as the man who pioneered recorded sound.

    CNET reported that Dolby had been living with Alzheimer’s in recent years and was enduring a diagnosis of leukemia earlier in the summer. In a press statement from Dolby Labs, current CEO Kevin Yeaman mourned the loss of the Dolby namesake: “Today we lost a friend, mentor and true visionary… Ray Dolby founded the company based on a commitment to creating value through innovation and an impassioned belief that if you invested in people and gave them the tools for success they would create great things. Ray’s ideals will continue to be a source of inspiration and motivation for us all.”

    Dolby Laboratories was founded by Ray Dolby in 1965 in London after he served the United Nations as an adviser to India, although the company would not see an American headquarters until 1976 in San Francisco. Born in Portland, Oregon and eventually moving to San Francisco, Dolby attended both Stanford and Cambridge Universities and earned his stripes working for Ampex as a chief electronic designer on the first videotape recorder.

    Dolby’s electronic work can be seen in any device that utilizes stereo sound, which is a vast number of technologies over the last forty-odd years from iMAX to iPod. Star Wars would not have sounded anywhere near as awesome without Dolby and his labs, and thanks to him the hissing of cassette tapes became a first-world memory.

    Twitter saw a series of heartfelt tributes for the sound legend:

    Dolby is survived by his wife, his two sons, their two wives and four grandchildren.

    The Dolby press statement may be viewed here.

    [Image via a brief 1 minute YouTube tribute]

  • Davy Jones of The Monkees Dead at 66

    And then there were three.

    Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz – The Monkees were a made-for-television pop band that held a great fan base long after their TV show ended. Today, those fans received the sad news that Davy Jones had died in his home of a massive heart attack in his sleep. He was 66.

    Jones, born in Manchester, England, was the lead singer of of the group. He said he got his start in music after he appeared on an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show with a theater troupe he was in. That same episode was the night of the Beatles first appearance. Jones said of that night, “I watched the Beatles from the side of the stage, I saw the girls going crazy, and I said to myself, ‘This is it. I want a piece of that!’”

    Jones was a member of The Monkees from 1965-1971. In 2011, they did a 45th Anniversary Tour. The Monkees were known for such hits as “Last Train to Clarksville”, “Daydream Believer”, “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, “I’m a Believer”, and of course “The Theme From the Monkees”.

    People used to scoff at the idea of a band put together by television producers having hit songs. Now it’s commonplace for acts to be put together based on demographics and marketing studies.

    Trivia: Singer David Bowie was born David Jones, and was billed as Davy Jones in the early days of his career. He changed his name to avoid confusion with the massively popular Monkee.

    “Last Train to Clarksville” was a hit for The Monkees in 1966.

    You can sign Davy Jones memorial guestbook here: http://www.famousdead.com/davy-jones/

    Upon news of the passing of Jones, people took to Twitter to express their dismay and sadness.

    @justinarmynavy
    justin /army navy    The Monkees at the Puyallup Fair was my first concert ever. So great! I wore my Levi’s jacket with The Monkees logo on the back #davyjones 6 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @DickyBellringer
    CuntyVonCrink©    My missus said #davyjones was dead. I thought she was jokin. But then I saw her face. 16 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @451Degrees
    451 Degrees    there is one less good Monkee out there #rip #davyjones Marcia Brady is #crushed 17 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @451Degrees
    451 Degrees    there is one less good Monkee out there #rip #davyjones Marcia Brady is #crushed 17 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @ThePumpkinGeek
    The Pumpkin Geek    Sad to hear the passing of #DavyJones – GREAT memories growing up watching The Monkees. #DaydreamBelieverSorelyMissed 57 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @nwamarquez
    David Marquez    Marcia Brady you are in my thoughts #davyjones 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @a_little_wine
    Emma Hurley    RIP the original daydream believer #davyjones 11 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @just_jotter
    Charlsey     #DavyJones passed? *cries* There goes my pre-adolecense. Guess hr took “The Last Train to Clarksville”. 🙁 13 minutes ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @MrsCavendish
    Elena Lockett    Just found out that #davyjones from the monkees was related to my dad! #shocker #claimtofame 7 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @CelesteThom
    Celeste Thomason    Davy Jones dead at 66. Very sad. Remember watching the Monkees when I was a tween. #davyjones 7 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Laurie2
    Laurie Bloom    So sad to hear of the passing of #DavyJones #Monkees. Saw him a few months back – he was terrific! RIP Davy! 7 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto