OHNOES: If I had your phone number before, I don't anymore. My phone died. Email me your number! <3
Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes both died recently.
ernie Mac blended style, authority and a touch of self-aware bluster to make audiences laugh as well as connect with him. For Mac, who died Saturday at age 50, it was a winning mix, delivering him from a poor childhood to stardom as a standup comedian, in films including the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and his acclaimed sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show." Labels: obituary
Though his comedy drew on tough experiences as a black man, he had mainstream appeal — befitting inspiration he found in a wide range of humorists: Harpo Marx as well as Moms Mabley; squeaky-clean Red Skelton, but also the raw Redd Foxx.
Mac died Saturday morning of complications from pneumonia in a Chicago-area hospital, his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
"The world just got a little less funny," said "Oceans" co-star George Clooney.
****************************
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. He was 65.
Sheriff's spokesman Steve Shular said authorities received a 911 call after Hayes' wife and young son and his wife's cousin returned to their Memphis home from a grocery store and found him collapsed near a treadmill in a downstairs bedroom.
"The treadmill was running, but he was unresponsive, lying on the floor," Shular said. A sheriff's deputy administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until paramedics arrived. Hayes was pronounced dead an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis. The cause of death was not immediately known.
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Back to the wall... That ball is out of here!
Atlanta Braves broadcaster Skip Caray died in his sleep Sunday afternoon. This year was his 33rd season of calling games for the Atlanta Braves. He passed away in his sleep Sunday afternoon in his home in Atlanta. Labels: local news, obituary, sports news
“Our baseball community has lost a legend today,” said Braves President John Schuerholz in a release by the team. “The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children.”
Skip Caray was the son of legendary Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray. Skip's son Chip Caray followed in their footsteps as well. He joined TBS four years ago to call Atlanta Braves games before moving to their national broadcast team that calls multiple teams. Another son, Josh Caray, currently calls games for the Rome Braves.
According to the Atlanta Braves release, Skip Caray began his broadcasting career at KMOX-Radio in St. Louis, Mo., as host of a 15-minute high school sports show and as a sportscaster for high school basketball games. He later joined his father as a color commentator for University of Missouri football.
He began broadcasting baseball for the Tulsa Oilers of the Southern League in 1963. He also has announced for the Atlanta Crackers in baseball's Southern League and basketball for St. Louis University. He joined the NBA's St. Louis Hawks broadcasting team in 1967, moving to Atlanta with the team the following year.
Caray was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2005 with his longtime broadcast partner Pete Van Wieren.
He devoted many hours to volunteer work, serving as a board member of Camp Twin Lakes, a camp for children with special needs and worked with the Hemophilia Association.
Born in St. Louis, Caray was a graduate of the University of Missouri, with honors in journalism. Skip is survived by his wife, Paula, and four children; Chip, Cindy, Shayelyn, and Josh and seven grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.
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RIP George Carlin
Shit. Labels: obituary
Piss.
Fuck.
Cunt.
Cocksucker.
Motherfucker.
Tits.
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I guess we can have his gun now?
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84.
The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. He declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country."
Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."
With his large, muscular build, well-boned face and sonorous voice, Heston proved the ideal star during the period when Hollywood was filling movie screens with panoramas depicting the religious and historical past.
"I have a face that belongs in another century," he often remarked.
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99X Atlanta, WNNA... Ninety........ nine...........x.........................................
The once gloried alternative rock station, 99X, moves to 99x.com, which means most of its audience will disappear without the 100,000 watts on the FM dial. Labels: Elf, local news, music news, obituary
“We got to cut the cord people!” Bert from Q100's Bert Show said, when told he was still on 100.5 at 5:38 a.m.
At 6 a.m., they did so. 100.5 began running a loop of Bert telling people to move to 99.7 while a bit of Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” played (“To the left, to the left”)
From 5:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., 99x.com simulcast the Bert Show but at 6 a.m., it began the same loop playing on 100.5.
Axel Lowe ended his shift last night at 7 p.m. with another cynical song, R.E.M.’s “Radio Song.”
When I got to the show Yo ho ho I could tell that you had been crying, crying Its that same sing song, and the dj sucks It makes me sad I tried to turn it off To say goodbye my love That radio song Hey hey hey
The final 30 minutes of 99X, according to yes.com, before Green Day, included “Radio Song,” Stone Temple Pilot’s “Dead and Bloated,” Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” Soundgarden’s “Fell on Black Days,” Pearl Jam’s “Black” and Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye.” 99X’s final jock Doug Harding actually finished up his shift with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and U2’s “One.”
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Heath Ledger has died at the age of 28.
Labels: Austrailia, boys, celebrity news, drugs, epic, movies, new york city, obituary
NEW YORK (CBS) ? Heath Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the critically-acclaimed movie "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead -- possibly from a drug overdose -- Tuesday afternoon in a New York City apartment.
The Australian-born actor was just 28.
He was pronounced dead at 3:26 p.m. in an apartment on 421 Broome St. in SoHo.
Police say he was scheduled to have a massage in the apartment, and when the masseuse arrived, a housekeeper went to alert him, but instead found him in cardiac arrest and immediately called 911.
Ledger was said to be found naked at the time of his death.
The actor's death may be drug-related, and that there were pills, possibly a strong sleeping medication, found near his body. However, there was no obvious indication of suicide, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Police do not suspect foul play.
An autopsy was scheduled by the medical examiner for Wednesday.
Early reports said the apartment was owned by actress Mary-Kate Olsen, but a publicist for Olsen later refuted those reports.
Ledger had recently separated from actress Michelle Williams, who he met while filming "Brokeback Mountain" and became engaged to last year. The couple had an apartment in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn and had one daughter, Matilda, who was born in 2005.
Before marrying Williams, Ledger had also dated actress Naomi Watts and Heather Graham.
Most recently, Ledger was featured in the Bob Dylan biography film "I'm Not There."
He was slated to appear in the next installment of the "Batman" movies, "The Dark Knight," opposite Christian Bale as the infamous "Joker" -- becoming the first non-American to take on the role.
Of the most well-known 15 films Ledger appeared in: "The Patriot," "A Knight's Tale," and "Monster's Ball." He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in "Brokeback Mountain."
In 2001, People magazine named him as one of their "50 Most Beautiful People."
According to a quote from Ledger listed on his profile on the Internet Movie Database, the star enjoyed living life one day at a time.
"I'm not good at future planning. I don't plan at all," he said. "I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day planner and I don't have a diary. I completely live in the now, not in the past, not in the future."
Ledger grew up in Perth, and began doing amateur theater at age 10. At 16, he moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career, quickly landing TV movie roles and guest spots on Australian television.
After several independent films and a starring role in the short-lived Fox TV series "Roar," Ledger moved to Los Angeles and co-starred in "10 Things I Hate About You," a teen comedy reworking of "The Taming of the Shrew."
Offers for other teen flicks came his way, but Ledger turned them down, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he didn't like.
Ledger used to shop at a neighborhood home store and children's store owned by a company called Calypso. Michelle Vella, a buyer there, said she had frequently seen Ledger with his daughter -- carrying the toddler on his shoulders, or having ice cream with her.
"It's so sad. They were really close," said Vella. "He's a very down to earth guy and an amazing father."
She said Ledger once bought a bookcase at the home store, and purchased stuffed animals and dresses for his daughter at the children's store.
He would have turned 29 on April 4.
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So fabulous, so fierce.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lillian Ellison, professional wrestling's Fabulous Moolah, has died. She was 84. Labels: obituary
Ellison died Friday, according to Dunbar Funeral Home in Columbia
Born Mary Lillian Ellison in 1923, she was dubbed the Fabulous Moolah after saying she wrestled "for the money ... for the moolah."
She was a longtime champion and the first woman inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame. Her autobiography, "The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle," was published in 2003.
"She was famous, but I never looked at her that way," daughter Mary Austin, 66, told The State newspaper. "She was just Mom, someone that was always there for me. Someone I could turn to."
Ellison grew up in the small community of Tookiedoo, S.C., the youngest of 13 children and the only girl. Austin said her mother had six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, loved her family and wrestling.
Her obituary from the funeral home lists 63-year-old Katie Glass of Columbia as Ellison's adopted daughter. Glass, known as "Diamond Lil," was a professional midget wrestler for 25 years. She said she was just 17 when she moved to Columbia to live with Ellison and learn to wrestle.
"She just taught me the basics, the holds, how to get somebody down, lock them down and everything," Glass told The State.
Glass said she will miss Ellison.
"It's going to be hard, I'll tell you," Glass said. "We're doing the best we can. She was there for me. She's a very nice lady. I'm going to miss her dearly and I love her very much."
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Wheel of Time author dies.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Author Robert Jordan, whose "Wheel of Time" series of fantasy novels sold millions of copies, died Sunday of a rare blood disease. He was 58. Labels: obituary
Jordan, whose real name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., was born and lived in this southern city most of his life. He died at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston of complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, his personal assistant, Maria Simons, said Monday. The blood disease caused the walls of Rigney's heart to thicken.
He wrote a trilogy of historical novels set in Charleston under the pen name Reagan O'Neal in the early 1980s. Then he turned his attention to fantasy and the first volume in his Wheel of Time epic, "The Eye of the World," was published in 1990 under the name Robert Jordan.
Jordan's books tells of Rand al'Thor, who is destined to become the champion who will battle ultimate evil in a mythical land.
Book 11, "Knife of Dreams," came out in 2005; there was also a prequel, "New Spring: The Novel," in 2004. The other titles in the series include "The Great Hunt," "Lord of Chaos" and "The Path of Daggers." Jordan was working on a 12th volume at the time of his death, Simons said.
"The younger devotees of the series, who seem to be legion, have a habit of dutifully re-reading the complete gospel before each addition. ... (Jordan) creates a universe simple enough to master and then challenges the characters to do the same in meticulously choreographed battles against chaos and dissolution."
In a 2004 online chat on the USA Today Web site, Jordan said he hoped to finish the main "Wheel" series in two more books. "It's not an absolute promise, but I'm very much hoping for it and I think I can do it," he wrote.
Most of the books made The New York Times list of best sellers.
A graduate of The Citadel, South Carolina's state military college, Rigney worked as a nuclear engineer at the old Charleston Naval Shipyard before taking up writing full time in 1977. He served two tours of duty with the Army in Vietnam. He was decorated several times, including winning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star.
He is survived by his wife, Harriet McDougal Rigney.
Funeral arrangements had not been finalized on Monday, Simons said.
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Bret Somers is now doing [blank] in heaven now.
WESTPORT, Conn. - Actress and comedian Brett Somers, who amused game show fans with her quips on the "Match Game" in the 1970s, has died, her son said. She was 83. Labels: obituary, television
Somers died Saturday at her home in Westport of stomach and colon cancer, Adam Klugman said Monday.
Hosted by Gene Rayburn, "Match Game" was the top game show during much of the 1970s. Contestants would try to match answers to nonsense questions with a panel of celebrities; much of the humor came from the racy quips and putdowns.
Shows from the 1973-79 run, featuring regulars like Somers, Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly, are still seen on cable TV's GSN (formerly Game Show Network.)
Somers married actor Jack Klugman, the future star of the television shows "Quincy" and "The Odd Couple," in 1953. The two separated in 1974, but never divorced.
They made many television appearances as a couple. Somers appeared on several episodes of "The Odd Couple," playing the ex-wife of Klugman's character.
In the summer of 2003, she appeared in a one-woman cabaret show, "An Evening with Brett Somers," which she wrote and co-produced. She continued to perform after being diagnosed with cancer.
She was born Audrey Johnston in New Brunswick, Canada, and grew up in Portland, Maine. She ran away from home at age 17 and headed for New York City, where she settled in Greenwich Village. She changed her first name to Brett after the lead female character in the Ernest Hemingway novel "The Sun Also Rises." Somers was her mother's maiden name.
Her son said she was caustic, irreverent and a self-declared bohemian.
"She maintained her independence till the end, and her irreverence," Adam Klugman said. "She died very much at peace."
In addition to Adam Klugman, Somers is survived by another son, David, and a daughter, Leslie.
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Thumbs Down.
Surrounded by family and friends, ABC's beaming and insightful movie critic Joel Siegel has died in New York, after a long and remarkably courageous struggle with cancer, at the age of 63.
Both colleagues and fans delighted in his unique way of blending cheerful good humor and piercing critical acumen in reviews that made them instantly clear to anyone. You knew exactly what he thought — often with the bonus of a good laugh.
In a statement today, ABC News President David Westin said, "Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him. He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Siegel is survived by his young son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea, an artist.
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Chris Benoit killed wife, son, then self.
Labels: crime drama, local news, murder, obituary, suicide, television
(Chris Benoit, left, pictured with also deceased friend Eddie Guerrero at Wrestlemania 20)
ATLANTA (AP) - Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room, a law enforcement official close to the investigation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son. Steroid abuse has been linked to depression, paranoia, and aggressive behavior or angry outbursts known as "roid rage."
"We don't know yet. That's one of the things we'll be looking at," said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard. He said test results may not be back for weeks.
Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities were investigating the deaths at a secluded Fayette County home as a murder-suicide and were not seeking any suspects. The official who described the manner of death spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information was to be released at a news conference later Tuesday.
Investigators believe Benoit (pronounced ben-WAH) killed his wife, 43- year-old Nancy, and son Daniel during the weekend and then himself Monday. The bodies were found Monday afternoon in three separate rooms of the house, off a gravel road about two miles from the Whitewater Country Club.
Fayette County Coroner C.J. Mowell did not return calls seeking comment. The answering service for his funeral home said he was out of town.
Asked about the condition of the interior of the house, sheriff's Sgt. Keith Whiteside said investigators found "nothing really out of the ordinary." He said Benoit was found in the home's weight room, his wife in an office and the son in an upstairs bedroom.
Neighbors said the Benoits led a low-key lifestyle.
"We would see Chris walking in his yard from time to time. He wasn't rude, but he wasn't really outwardly warm," said Alaina Jones, who lives across the street.
Jimmy Baswell, who was Benoit's driver for more than five years, placed a white wreath at the Benoits' gate. "They always seemed like they were the happiest people," he said.
World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received "several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning."
The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., said authorities asked that it not release further information on the deaths.
Benoit, born in Montreal, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles. His names in the ring included "The Canadian Crippler."
"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the company said in a statement on its Web site.
"He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard," said fellow Canadian Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the World Wrestling Federation. The federation has since changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.
Benoit had maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling. The Fayette County Tax Assessors Office lists the value of the house, situated on more than 8.5 acres, at nearly $900,000.
The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.
Benoit's wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name "Woman." They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of a story line on World Championship Wrestling, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.
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SCIENCE!
LOS ANGELES — Don Herbert, who as television's "Mr. Wizard" introduced generations of young viewers to the joys of science, died Tuesday. He was 89. Herbert, who had bone cancer, died at his suburban Bell Canyon home, said his son-in-law, Tom Nikosey. Labels: obituary
"He really taught kids how to use the thinking skills of a scientist," said former colleague Steve Jacobs. He worked with Herbert on a 1980s show that echoed the original 1950s "Watch Mr. Wizard" series, which became a fond baby boomer memory.
In "Watch Mr. Wizard," which was produced from 1951 to 1964 and received a Peabody Award in 1954, Herbert turned TV into an entertaining classroom. On a simple, workshop-like set, he demonstrated experiments using household items.
"He modeled how to predict and measure and analyze. ... The show today might seem slow but it was in-depth and forced you to think along," Jacobs said. "You were learning about the forces of nature."
Herbert encouraged children to duplicate experiments at home, said Jacobs, who recounted serving as a behind-the-scenes "science sidekick" to Herbert on the '80s "Mr. Wizard's World" that aired on the Nickelodeon channel.
When Jacobs would reach for beakers and flasks, Herbert would remind him that science didn't require special tools.
"'You could use a mayonnaise jar for that,'" Jacobs recalled being chided by Herbert. "He tried to bust the image of scientists and that science wasn't just for special people and places."
Herbert's place in TV history was acknowledged by later stars. When "Late Night with David Letterman" debuted in 1982, Herbert was among the first-night guests.
Born in Waconia, Minn., Herbert was a 1940 graduate of LaCrosse State Teachers College and served as a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot during World War II. He worked as an actor, model and radio writer before starting "Watch Mr. Wizard" in Chicago on NBC.
The show moved to New York after several years.
He is survived by six children and stepchildren and by his second wife, Norma, his son-in-law said. A private funeral service was planned.
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Toshi becomes another Japanese suicide statistic.
TOKYO - Japan's agriculture minister died Monday after hanging himself just hours before he was to face questioning in a political scandal, officials said, dealing a powerful blow to the increasingly beleaguered government ahead of July elections. Labels: government, Japan, obituary
Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 62, was found in his apartment Monday unconscious and declared dead hours later.
An autopsy showed that he died after hanging himself, according to a Tokyo Metropolitan Police official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity. The minister was found hanging from a door in his apartment earlier Monday, and he left a suicide note, according to local media reports.
Matsuoka's death comes just ahead of upper house elections, and as support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet is plunging.
Abe, looking shaken after visiting the hospital where Matsuoka died, said although the minister had been "under intense questioning" in parliament, he had continued to be a useful member of the Cabinet.
"I am very disappointed," he said. "When I saw his face, he seemed to be at peace."
Matsuoka had faced heavy criticism over a scandal involving suspicious bookkeeping practices in his offices, and was scheduled to appear before a parliamentary committee Monday afternoon for further questioning.
He was under fire for allegedly claiming more than $236,600 in utility fees even though he rented a parliamentary office where utility costs are free. Opposition lawmakers had demanded his resignation, but Matsuoka denied any wrongdoing.
Abe had defended Matsuoka, saying that the agriculture minister reported to him all the alleged issues were properly handled and that his dismissal was not needed.
Matsuoka had been dogged by scandal. Along with the utilities questions, he apologized publicly just three days after taking office for not declaring $8,500 in political donations.
He acknowledged the undeclared funds, which came in the form of purchased tickets to a fundraising party, saying he was unaware that the contributions had not been reported. Matsuoka had since corrected his political funds report for 2005.
Japan's political funds law requires politicians to declare such donations when they exceed $1,700, Kyodo News said. The contributions came from the World Business Expert Forum, a group associated with scandal-hit business consultant FAC Co., which was raided by authorities in June on suspicion of illegally collecting funds from investors, Kyodo said.
Japan's suicide rate is among the highest in the industrialized world. More than 32,000 Japanese took their own lives in 2004, the bulk of them older Japanese suffering financial woes as the country struggled through a decade of economic stagnation.
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In leiu of flowers, the family asks you to send [blank]
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Charles Nelson Reilly, the Tony Award winner who later became known for his ribald appearances on the "Tonight Show" and various game shows, has died. He was 76. Labels: obituary
Reilly died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, his partner, Patrick Hughes, told the New York Times.
Reilly began his career in New York City, taking acting classes at a studio with Steve McQueen, Geraldine Page and Hal Holbrook. In 1962, he appeared on Broadway as Bud Frump in the original Broadway production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." The role won Reilly a Tony Award.
He was nominated for a Tony again for playing Cornelius in "Hello, Dolly!" In 1997 he received another nomination for directing Julie Harris and Charles Durning in a revival of "The Gin Game."
After moving to Hollywood in 1960s he appeared as the nervous Claymore Gregg on TV's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and as a featured guest on "The Dean Martin Show."
He gained fame by becoming what he described as a "game-show fixture" in the 1970s and '80s. He was a regular on programs like "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares," often wearing giant glasses and colorful suits with ascots.
His larger-than-life persona and affinity for double-entendres also landed him on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson more than 95 times.
Reilly ruefully admitted his wild game-show appearances adversely affected his acting career. "You can't do anything else once you do game shows," he told The Advocate, the national gay magazine, in 2001. "You have no career."
His final work was an autobiographical one-man show, "Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly," about his family life growing up in the Bronx. The title grew out of the fact that when he would act out as a child, his mother would often admonish him to "save it for the stage."
The stage show was made into the 2006 feature film called "The Life of Reilly."
Reilly's openly gay television persona was ahead of its time, and sometimes stood in his way. He recalled a network executive telling him, "They don't let queers on television."
Hughes, his only immediate survivor, said Reilly had been ill for more than a year.
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Rev. Jerry Falwell dies.
Surprised to discover Saint Paul and Timothy are happy fags greeting him at pearly gates.
LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - The Rev. Jerry Falwell was stricken at his campus office and died Tuesday after a career in which the evangelist used the power of television to transform the religious right into a mighty force in American politics. He was 73. Labels: obituary, religious news
The founder of the Moral Majority was discovered without a pulse at Liberty University and pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later. Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said he had a heart condition and presumably died of a heart rhythm abnormality.
(more about his so called life)
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Don Ho's Daughter Dead Too
HONOLULU — The late Don Ho's daughter, Dayna Ho-Henry, was found dead Friday, her brother said. Labels: celebrity news, obituary
The 51-year-old's death comes less than a week after the Waikiki Beach funeral for her father, who died April 14 of heart failure at age 76.
Ho-Henry was one of the legendary singer's 10 children. The entertainer is best known for his catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles."
No foul play is suspected, police spokeswoman Michelle Yu said.
"The family is grieving the loss of my sister and we're just trying to make sense of it," said Ho-Henry's brother, Dwight Ho.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office said Friday afternoon that it had no information to release about the death.
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This death notice is rated NC-17 for violence, nudity, and adult language.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jack Valenti, the former White House aide and film industry lobbyist who instituted the modern movie ratings system and guided Hollywood from the censorship era to the digital age, died Thursday. He was 85.
Valenti had a stroke in March and was hospitalized for several weeks at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in Baltimore.
He died of complications from the stroke at his Washington, D.C., home, said Seth Oster of the Motion Picture Association of America.
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Don Ho has died.
HONOLULU — Legendary crooner Don Ho, who entertained tourists for decades wearing raspberry-tinted sunglasses and singing the catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," has died. He was 76. Labels: celebrity news, obituary
He died Saturday morning of heart failure, publicist Donna Jung said.
Ho had suffered with heart problems for the past several years, and had a pacemaker installed last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand.
Promoter Tom Moffatt said he attended Ho's final show Thursday and Ho received a standing ovation. Afterward, Ho reminisced about his many years in Waikiki and talked about how Judy Garland sang with him one night.
"Don was in great spirits," he said. "He was fine."
Ho entertained Hollywood's biggest stars and thousands of tourists for four decades. For many, no trip to Hawaii was complete without seeing his Waikiki show — a mix of songs, jokes, double entendres, Hawaii history and audience participation.
Shows usually started and ended with the same song, "Tiny Bubbles." Ho mostly hummed the song's swaying melody as the audience enthusiastically took over the familiar lyrics: "Tiny bubbles/in the wine/make me happy/make me feel fine."
"I hate that song," he often joked to the crowd. He said he performed it twice because "people my age can't remember if we did it or not."
The son of bar owners, Ho broke into the Waikiki entertainment scene in the early 1960s and, except for short periods, never left. Few artists are more associated with one place.
"Hawaii is my partner," Ho told The Associated Press in 2004.
One of Ho's most memorable TV appearances was a 1972 cameo on an episode of "The Brady Bunch."
"I've had too much fun all these years," he said in the 2004 interview. "I feel real guilty about it."
Gov. Linda Lingle said Ho created a legacy that will inspire future generations of musicians in Hawaii.
"Hawaii has lost a true island treasure," she said. "He laid the foundation for the international prominence Hawaii's music industry enjoys today."
Besides "Tiny Bubbles," his other well-known songs include "I'll Remember You," "With All My Love," and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song."
In the final years of his life, Ho's heart problems couldn't keep him away from the stage. He was back performing at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel on a limited schedule less than two months after his heart procedure in Thailand. His final performance was Thursday, Jung said.
Ho is survived by his wife, Haumea, and 10 children, including Hoku, who sometimes performed with her father.
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