Obituary
Kirstie Alley, Cheers Star, Dead at 71
Kirstie Alley, the Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her role as Rebecca Howe in Cheers, has died at age 71. Her family announced the news on social media, revealing she had passed after a short battle with cancer. “We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” Alley’s family said. “She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.” Read the full statement below. Alley starred in a number of films in the 1980s, including Summer School, Shoot to Kill, and Look Who’s Talking. Her bre...
Sesame Street Star Bob McGrath Dead at 90
Bob McGrath, who for five decades portrayed Bob Johnson on Sesame Street, has passed away at the age of 90. McGrath died peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 4th, according to a statement from the actor’s family. Along with Loretta Long, who played Susan Robinson, McGrath was one of the two longest-serving human actors on Sesame Street. Beginning with the show’s premiere in 1969 through 2016, McGrath portrayed Bob Johnson, a music teacher who lived above Hooper’s Store. His character famously sang songs like “The People in Your Neighborhood,” “Believe in Yourself,” and “I’ve Got Two.” Advertisement Related Video McGrath appeared on over 150 episodes of Sesame Street, as well as in numerous specials, direct to video movies, and two feature films. After the show was retooled in 2017, M...
Bob McGrath, Original, Longtime Resident of ‘Sesame Street,’ Dies at 90
Bob McGrath, the Sing Along With Mitch tenor who portrayed the friendly music teacher Bob Johnson for more than four decades as an original castmember on Sesame Street, has died. He was 90. “Hello Facebook friends, the McGrath family has some sad news to share,” McGrath’s family posted on his Facebook page Sunday (Dec. 4). “Our father Bob McGrath passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.” Born on a farm in Illinois, McGrath was one of the four non-Muppet castmembers when Sesame Street debuted on public television stations of Nov. 10, 1969. With no acting experience, producers always told him to be himself. Over the years, he sang dozens of the show’s signature tunes, including “Sing, Sing a Song” and “The People in Your Nei...
Al Strobel, the “One-Armed Man” in Twin Peaks, Dead at 83
Al Strobel, the actor best known for portraying Phillip Michael Gerard a.k.a. the “One-Armed Man” in Twin Peaks, has died at 83. The news was announced on Saturday by Twin Peaks producer and longtime David Lynch collaborator Sabrina Sutherland via Facebook, who shared, “I am sad to have to post that Al Strobel passed away last night. I loved him dearly.” No further details have been released at this time. Strobel was born in Seattle in 1939 and settled in the Pacific Northwest region for most of his life. At 17 years old, he lost his left arm in a car accident, and he later pursued a career in the performing arts while living in Oregon. During this time, he founded the Church of the Creative commune and worked as an architect for the group. In 1972, he assisted with the Grateful Dead’s leg...
Quentin Oliver Lee, Broadway Actor, Dies at 34
Broadway actor Quentin Oliver Lee has died following a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was 34. Lee’s wife, Angie Lee Graham, confirmed his death Thursday in an Instagram post, saying, “He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves. It was peaceful, and perfect.” Lee’s Broadway credits included the 2017 production of Prince of Broadway and the 2021 revival of Caroline, or Change. He played the title role in a national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and earlier this year was part of an Off-Broadway production of Oratorio for Living Things that had a two-month run after opening in March. The Phantom of the Opera posted a tribute to Lee on its Instagram account: “The Phantom family is saddened to...
Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird,” Dead at 79
Christine McVie, the legendary vocalist and songwriter who lifted Fleetwood Mac with clear-eyed optimism, has died at the age of 79. McVie “passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness. She was in the company of her family,” according to a statement. “We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.” “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” Fleetwood Mac added in a separate statement. “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have ...
Al Mair, Canadian Music Industry Pioneer and Attic Records Co-Founder, Dies at 82
<!– <!– _ _ _ ____ _ _____ _ ___ | | (_) | _____ / ___|___ __| | ___ | ____| |__|__ \ | | | | |/ / _ \ | | / _ \ / _` |/ _ \ | _| | '_ \ / / | |___| | Al Mair, Canadian Music Industry Legend & Label Founder, Dead at 82 – Billboard Skip to main content ad [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”category” title=”Select category”][flexi-form-tag type=”tag” title=”Insert tag”][flexi-form-tag type=”article” class=”fl-...
Irene Cara, ‘Fame’ & ‘Flashdance’ Singer-Actor, Dies at 63
Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie Fame and then belted out the era-defining hit “Flashdance … What a Feeling” from 1983′s Flashdance, has died. She was 63. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, writing that a cause of death was “currently unknown.” Moose also confirmed the death to an Associated Press reporter on Saturday (Nov. 26). Cara died at her home in Florida. The exact day of her death was not disclosed. “Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief,” Moose wrote. “She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and ...
Charles Koppelman, Former Music Exec and Martha Stewart Living Chairman, Dies at 82
Charles Koppelman, former music executive and Martha Stewart chairman, died on Friday (Nov. 25). He was 82. A cause of death was not given at the time. His son, showrunner Brian Koppelman, announced the loss on his social media, saying, “I’ll write more about my dad, Charles Koppelman, when I can. But the only thing that matters is how much I loved him. And how much he taught me about every single thing that matters.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Billions co-creator continued, “He lived exactly the life he wanted to live. And he spent his last days surrounded by those he loved the most. Pop, thank you.” Koppelman began his career in entertainment as a member of musical trio The Ivy Three, which had a Top 10 hit in 1960 called “Yogi.” Sho...
Irene Cara, Oscar-Winning Singer of “Flashdance” and “Fame” Theme Songs, Dead at 63
Irene Cara, who sang two of the most iconic theme songs in movie history, has passed away at the age of 63. The Oscar-winning singer-actress died in her Florida home on Friday (November 25th), according to her representative, with no cause of death disclosed. “It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” publicist Judith A. Moose shared on the singer’s social media pages. “The Academy Award winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home. Her cause of death is currently unknown and will be released when information is available…. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.” Cara is best known for singing the theme songs to the movies Fame (1980) and Flashdan...
Geoff Wonfor, Director of Beatles ‘Anthology,’ Dies at 73
Geoff Wonfor, a Grammy-winning British filmmaker who directed the Beatles’ acclaimed “Anthology” documentary series and worked on the 1980s music program “The Tube” as well as several projects with Paul McCartney, has died at age 73. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news His death was confirmed Tuesday by daughter Sam Wonfor, who said he died in Newcastle, where he grew up. Additional details were not immediately available. Released in the mid-1990s, “The Beatles Anthology” was an authorized, multimedia project that included an eight-part documentary, three double albums and a coffee table book. Wonfor spent 4 1/2 years on the film, which combined archival footage with new interviews with the then-three surviving Beatles (McCartney, Ringo Starr and G...
Wilko Johnson, Game of Thrones Actor and Dr. Feelgood Guitarist, Dead at 75
Wilko Johnson, the British musician who also portrayed Ser Ilyn Payne in Game of Thrones, has died. He was 75. The news was shared early Wednesday morning via Johnson’s social media: “This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died,” reads a tribute post. “He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson.” Born John Peter Wilkinson in Essex, England, Johnson rose to prominence in the ’70s as the guitarist of the rock band Dr. Feelgood, known for his distinctive percussive sound. Dr. Feelgood released three studio albums throughout their short tenure, as well as a 1976 live album Stupidity, which would go on to top the UK album char...
