In Remembrance:2007

[GrayLinnorm]

George Grizzard, who won acclaim, and a Tony for performing in Edward Albee's plays, died yesterday. He was 79.

Grizzard made numerous appearances on television including Playhouse 90 and Law & Order (and won an Emmy for appearing in The Oldest Living Graduate) but considered himself primarily a stage actor.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Charles Griffith, who wrote The Little Shop of Horrors and cowrote the remake, died Sept. 28 of a heart attack. He was 77.

Griffith worked on over a dozen films with Roger Corman (including Little Shop) and directed a handful of films, including Eat My Dust, which starred Ron Howard.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Singer Teresa Brewer, who had a string of hits in the 1950s and performed with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, died yesterday of a neuromuscular disease. She was 76.

 

[Jamdin]

Two very talented ladies passed on:

Deborah Kerr died on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at the age of 86. She was the British actress that shared one of cinema's most famous kisses with Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity.

Carol Bruce died on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 at the age of 87. She was best known for her sultry voice in the 1940 Broadway musical comedy Louisiana Purchase and as Mama Carlson (replacing Sylvia Sidney) on WKRP In Cincinnati.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Last of the Rat Pack dies

Comedian Joey Bishop, the last surviving male member of the Rat Pack, died yesterday. He was 89.

Bishop starred in his own sitcom, The Joey Bishop Show, and made numerous appearances on talk shows in the 1960s and 1970s (even getting his own short-lived show). His last appearance was in the movie Mad Dog Time in 1996.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Country singer Porter Wagner has died of lung cancer. He was 80.

Wagoner helped launch Dolly Parton's career. He had one of the first syndicated TV shows to come from Nashville (The Porter Wagoner Show, which lasted 21 years). Wagoner was enjoying a career resurgence just before his death.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Award-winning singer Robert Goulet died today while awaiting a lung transplant. He was 73.

Goulet gained stardom playing Sir Lancelot in Camelot in 1960 and made numerous appearances on TV shows. He won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1962 and a Tony for The Happy Time. Goulet had no problem poking fun at his fame, appearing recently in an Emerald nuts commercial where he messes with the stuff of sleeping office workers. His last performance was in Syracuse, NY September 20.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Friedman Paul Erhardt, better known as Chef Tell, died last Friday. He was 63.

One of America's pioneering TV chefs, Chef Tell is also believed to be the inspiration for the Swedish Chef.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Washoe the chimpanzee, the first non-human to learn sign language, died Tuesday. She was 42.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Professional wrestler Lillian Ellison, better known as the Fabulous Moolah, died last Friday. She was 84.

The Fabulous Moolah was the first woman wrestler inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.