Obituary
James Michael Tyler, Gunther from Friends, Dead at 59
James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on Friends, has died at the age fo 59 following a battle with prostate cancer. According to TMZ, Tyler passed away Sunday (October 24th) at his home in Los Angeles. “The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh “Friend”), from the hit series Friends, but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,” his family said in a statement. Advertisement Related Video Tyler appeared on over one hundred episodes of Friends as well as on the recent reunion special. On the show he played Gunther, the manager of the coffee shop Central Perk. His character famously has a crush on Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel, who works as a waitress at Central Perk, but his feelings are not reciprocated. As such, Gunther freque...
Jay Black, Jay and the Americans Singer, Dies at 82
In the 1960s, Black joined the rock band, taking over for original singer Jay Traynor. Black recorded a series of hits with Jay and the Americans, including “Come a Little Bit Closer” (1964) “Cara Mia” (1965) and “This Magic Moment” (1968). Jay and the Americans were the opening act for the Beatles at their very first U.S. concert in 1964, in Washington, D.C. The band parted ways in 1973, with Black moving forward with his career as a solo artist. He also enjoyed a short stint as an actor, with a supporting role in Frank Sinatra’s Contract on Cherry Street in 1977; Black portrayed the character of Tommy Sindardos in the made-for-television film distributed by NBC. Black often performed as a solo artist in the tri-state area and in Florida. He held ...
R.I.P. Jay Black, Frontman of Jay and the Americans Dead at 82
Jay Black, frontman of ’60s rock band Jay and the Americans, has died at the age of 82. According to Rolling Stone, Black passed away Friday, October 22nd, from complications of pneumonia. Black also suffered from dementia. Jay Black was born David Blatt in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park. After a short stint fronting the doo-wop group The Empires, he took over as lead singer of Jay and the Americans in 1962, replacing original singer John “Jay” Traynor. In joining Jay and the Americans, Blatt agreed to assume the professional moniker of Jay Black. Jay and the Americans saw a majority of their success with Jay Black singing lead. “Come a Little Bit Closer,” released in 1963, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. A second top 5 single followed in 1964 with “Cara Mia.” The band’s t...
Teenage Rapper Einar Fatally Shot in Sweden
Police are looking for at least two suspects who allegedly shot the rapper. The motive of the shooting remains unclear but the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the rapper had received several threats recently. It said without providing details that Einar was shot from point-blank range, “execution style.” According to the Swedish public broadcaster SVT, the rapper’s shooting was gang-related. Einar, whose real name is Nils Gronberg, was born in Stockholm and rose to fame at the age of 16 when his song “Katten i trakten,” from his debut album Forsta klass topped the Swedish charts in 2019. He won the song of the year award in 2019 and the newcomer of the year award a year later. Einar’s songs have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times on Spotify. “I understand that [Eina...
R.I.P. Peter Scolari, Emmy-Winning Girls and Bosom Buddies Actor Dead at 66
Peter Scolari, the Emmy-winning actor who starred opposite Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies and played Lena Dunham’s father on Girls, has died at 66 after a two-year battle with cancer. Via Deadline, the news was confirmed by Ellen Lubin Sanitsky at Wright Entertainment. Born September 12th, 1955 in New Rochelle, New York, Scolari’s six-decade career began in 1979, with a guest spot on the Garry Marshall sitcom Angie. His first recurring role came in 1980, as the juggling downstairs neighbor of the women at the center of Goodtime Girls, and he became a household name after donning a blonde wig and chest-enhancing prosthetics for Bosom Buddies. Scolari and Hanks starred as two men who had to disguise themselves as women in order to satisfy the requirements ...
R.I.P. Leslie Bricusse, Willy Wonka and “Goldfinger” Songwriter Dead at 90
Leslie Bricusse, the Academy Award-winning songwriter who worked on numerous film and theater productions, has died at the age of 90. Some of Bricusse’s best-known works include “Pure Imagination” from Mel Stuart’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, as well as the James Bond themes “Goldfinger” and “You Only Live Twice.” His death was confirmed in an Instagram post by actress Joan Collins. “One of the giant songwriters of our time, writer of #candyman #goldfinger amongst so many other hits, and my great friend Leslie Bricusse has sadly died today,” Collins wrote with a photo of her and Bricusse together. “He and his beautiful Evie have been in my life for over 50 years. I will miss him terribly, as will his many friends.” His cause of death has not been publicly reported. Advert...
Ronnie Tutt, Drummer for Elvis and Other Stars, Dies at 83
Elvis Presley Enterprises noted Tutt’s death in a statement Saturday. The group that runs Graceland recalled how Tutt drummed for Elvis with the TCB Band from 1969 until 1977, joining the band put together by James Burton for Elvis’ 1969 Las Vegas opening and staying with Elvis until his death in 1977. Beyond Elvis, Tutt played with some of the biggest names in music, touring with Neil Diamond’s band and recording and playing with Cash, Nicks, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Elvis Costello, Michael McDonald and more, Elvis Presley Enterprises wrote. “In addition to being a legendary drummer, he was a good friend to many of us here at Graceland,” the group said in a statement. “We enjoyed each time he joined us here to celebrate Elvis Week, Elvis’ Birthday and many other special occasions. Ron...
R.I.P. Paddy Moloney, Chieftans Leader Dead at 83
Paddy Moloney, leader of the pioneering Celtic band The Chieftans, has died at the age of 83. In a sign of Moloney’s massive importance, especially in his native Ireland, news of his death was announced by the country’s president, Michael D Higgins. “The Irish music community, and indeed the much larger community throughout the world who found such inspiration in his work, will have learnt with great sadness today of the passing of Paddy Moloney, founder and leader of the Chieftains,” Higgins said in a statement released on Tuesday. “Paddy, with his extraordinary skills as an instrumentalist, notably the uileann pipes and bodhrán, was at the forefront of the renaissance of interest in Irish music, bringing a greater appreciation of Irish music and culture internationally.” A native of Dubl...
John Ashton Thomas, Conductor and Orchestrator on ‘Black Panther,’ Dies at 60
The pair also teamed on the Paul Greengrass-directed The Bourne Supremacy (2004), United 93 (2006) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007); three Ice Age films and two Rio films helmed by Carlos Saldanha; Happy Feet and Kung Fu movies; and The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), The Italian Job (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), among other efforts. Thomas partnered with composer James Newton Howard on films including The Last Airbender (2010), The Bourne Legacy (2012) and installments of the Hunger Games, Fantastic Beasts and Maleficent franchises. More recently, he worked on Captain Marvel (2019), Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019), The Call of the Wild (2020), The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) and Operation Mincemeat, set for release next year. He also wrote ar...
Deon Estus, Wham! & George Michael Bassist Behind the Hit ‘Heaven Help Me,’ Dies at 65
Estus — born Jeffery Dean Estus in Detroit in 1956 — had a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Heaven Help Me,” billed to Deon Estus with George Michael. The song, which was co-written and featured background vocals from Michael, peaked at No. 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Adult Contemporary charts. “Heaven Help Me” was from Estus’ only album, Spell, released in 1989, which also produced the Dance Club Songs hit “Me or the Rumours” and the Adult Contemporary top 20 title track. In addition to his work with Wham! and Michael, according to Estus’ bio, he played bass with Tina Turner, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Frank Zappa and Annie Lennox. In an interview with Billboard following the Christmas Day death of Michael in ...
Beverly Noga, Former Publicist for Sonny & Cher and the Bee Gees, Dies at 87
Noga’s mother discovered and managed Johnny Mathis, and as the singer’s career took off, he and her family moved into a home on Sunset Boulevard and Elm Drive in Beverly Hills. Noga became an integral part of her mom’s management team in its California and New York offices, and their Beverly Hills home became a place to host celebrities from the worlds of music and film. Survivors include her daughter, prolific voiceover actress Sherry Lynn; son-in-law Robert Briscoe Evans, an actor; granddaughter Jessica Evans, an actress, and her partner, Freddy Delgadillo; granddaughter Katie Cooper and her husband, Kyle Cooper; and great-granddaughter Rilo Anne Cooper. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This article was...
R.I.P. Everett Morton, Drummer of UK Ska Band The Beat Dead at 71
Everett Morton, co-founding member and drummer of influential UK ska band The Beat, has died at the age of 71. “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of Everett Morton, a beautiful and talented man,” The Beat’s official Twitter account wrote in a tweet posted on Saturday. “His family are naturally grieving. Please respect their privacy. RIP Gaffah.” A cause of death was not disclosed. Originally from the West Indies, Morton emigrated to the Birmingham, UK, and in 1978 formed The Beat alongside vocalist Dave Wakeling, guitarist, Andy Cox, and bassist David Steele. Soon after, the band’s lineup was rounded out with the additions of vocalist/toaster Ranking Roger and saxophonist Saxa. Advertisement Related Video At the forefront of the UK ska revival in the late 1970s,...
