Obituary
R.I.P. Dave Prowse, Darth Vader Actor Dies at 85
Dave Prowse, the British actor who portrayed Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at the age of 85. A former champion weightlifter and bodybuilder, the 6-foot-7 Prowse was asked to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca after Star Wars director George Lucas saw him in A Clockwork Orange, where he played as Frank Alexander’s bodyguard, Julian. Ultimately, Prowse tried out for the role of Darth Vader, because as he explained, “everyone remembers the villain.” Prowse filled Darth Vader’s suit for the first three Star Wars movies, including for legendary scenes such as when Darth Vader threw Emperor Palpatine off the balcony. As Lucas wanted a “darker voice,” the character’s lines were later overdubbed by ones read by James Earl Jones in post-production. Fo...
R.I.P. Bruce Swedien, Grammy-Winning Engineer of Michael Jackson Albums Dead at 86
Bruce Swedien, the sensitive ear behind classic Michael Jackson albums, has died at 86. According to a Facebook post from his daughter Roberta Swedien, he “passed away peacefully last night.” Via Swedien’s official website, he was born in Minneapolis in 1934. In 1944 his father gifted him a disc recording machine… Please click the link below to read the full article. R.I.P. Bruce Swedien, Grammy-Winning Engineer of Michael Jackson Albums Dead at 86 Wren Graves You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share o...
Walter C. Miller, Longtime Producer for the CMA Awards, Dies at 94
Walter C. Miller, a former executive producer for the Country Music Association Awards, died on Nov. 13, the organization revealed on Saturday (Nov. 14). He was 94. Miller worked for the CMAs for four decades in various producing capacities. “Walter was an absolute television legend,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer. “When you worked with him, you instantly knew you were in the presence of greatness. He brought so much innovation and brilliance to the CMA Awards over the 40 years he worked with the organization.” He was born in 1926 and began his television career in the ’40s as a lighting director for variety series The Horn and Hardart Children’s Hour on NBC. Among his other early credits, Miller worked on Startime, The Bell Telephone H...
R.I.P. Ken Spears, Scooby-Doo Co-Creator Dead at 82
Ken Spears, the cartoon producer and writer who co-created Scooby-Doo, has died at the age of 82. His son, Kevin Spears, confirmed the news to Variety, saying his father passed on Friday, November 6th from complications related to Lewy body dementia. Spears’ death comes just over two months following that of his longtime collaborator, Joe Ruby. Spears initially befriended the son of William Hanna while living in his Los Angeles hometown. That led to a sound editing job at Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1959, where he met and befriended Ruby. The two became writing partners, co-creating Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! in 1969. They also came up with other classic Hanna-Barbera series Dynomutt, Do Wonder and Jabberjaw. Their success continued outside of Hanna-Barbera, as well, including workin...
Midnight Oil’s Bass Player Bones Hillman Dies at 62
Later, Hillman would step onto the biggest stages of them all when joined Midnight Oil in 1987, replacing Peter Gifford. With Hillman in the lineup, The Oils etched their name in the history books. He took his place on stage with his bandmates in Sydney in 2006 when The Oils were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, again 2009 when the rockers reunited for the Sound Relief fundraiser at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and in 2018, when the group were feted with the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. And when Peter Garrett and Co. got the band back together for The Great Circle 2017 World Tour, Hillman took his place at front of stage. Hillman and Midnight Oil “did thousands of gigs together,” reads the band’s statement. The Kiwi musician played on 1990’s Blue Sky ...
R.I.P. Alex Trebek, Jeopardy! Host Dead at 80
Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy! for more than three decades, has died at the age of 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. In a statement, a spokesperson for Jeopardy! said Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning (November 8th), surrounded by family and friends.” Born in Sudbury, Ontario, on July 22nd, 1940, to chef George Edward Trebek and Lucille Lagacé, George Alexander “Alex” Trebek wore his Canadian heritage as a badge of honor, staying in the country throughout his formative years and receiving a degree in philosophy from the University of Ottawa. Trebek’s aptitude for on-camera work was apparent early into his post-graduate career. In 1961, the year of his graduation, he began to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, headquartered in Ottawa....
Chicago Rapper King Von Shot and Killed: Report
Chicago rapper King Von was reportedly shot and killed outside of an Atlanta nightclub early Friday morning. According to Atlanta police deputy chief Timothy Peek (via the Atlanta Journal Constitution), a confrontation between two groups erupted outside of Atlanta’s Monaco Hookah Lounge shortly after 3:00 a.m. local time. Tragically, “that physical altercation escalated into an exchange of gunfire with those groups.” Two off-duty Atlanta police officers who were working security at the club intervened and exchanged gunfire. Peek said police are investigating the incident, but have yet to determine a motive or identify the gunman(s) responsible for the fatal shots. DJ Akademiks has confirmed that King Von was one of the victims killed in the shooting. “I spoke with his manager who...
Cheryl Tiano, Longtime Film/TV Music Agent, Dies at 59
The Society of Composers & Lyricists also acknowledged Tiano’s death with the following statement: “Cheryl had long ago taken her place amongst the top tier of composer agents in the entertainment industry. Her clients loved her, and she loved repping them. She is an enormous loss to our media music community.” Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tiano studied composition at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and later graduated from the California Institute of the Arts. Early in her career, she spent several years working at a variety of high-profile arts organizations, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where she ran the Monday Evening Concert series. She was hired at Gorfaine/Schwartz in May 1993. It was Tiano’s music background that, in the words of GSA partner ...
R.I.P. Sean Connery, James Bond Actor Dead at 90
Sean Connery, the Academy Award-winning Scottish actor who portrayed James Bond in seven films, has died at the age of 90. According to BBC News, Connery passed away overnight in his sleep, while in the Bahamas. He was said to be ill for some time. Connery was the first actor to play the British super spy in film, starring in seven Bond pictures between 1962 and 1983. He led the franchise’s first five installments — Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967) — and later reprised the role for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever and 1983’s Never Say Never Again. To this day, Connery remains a beloved figure in the Bond franchise, and is considered the favorite Bond among fans and critics alike. In a recent poll conducted by...
R.I.P. Billy Joe Shaver, Pioneering Outlaw Country Songwriter Dead at 81
Outlaw country legend Billy Joe Shaver died Wednesday in Waco, Texas, after suffering a stroke. His friend Connie Nelson confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. He was 81 years old. Though not as well known for his own recordings, Shaver was a pioneer of the outlaw country movement thanks to his hard-lived songwriting. He penned 10 of the 11 songs on Honky Tonk Heroes, Waylon Jennings’ 1973 album seen as perhaps the seminal effort in the genre. Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Patty Loveless, and Bob Dylan all recorded his work, while Willie Nelson once dubbed him “the greatest living songwriter.” The Texas native had plenty of inspiration to draw on, from cutting off two of his fingers in a sawmill accident at the age of 21, to run-ins with the law, to years of personal t...
R.I.P. Jerry Jeff Walker, “Mr. Bojangles” Outlaw Country Singer Dead at 78
Jerry Jeff Walker, the outlaw country songwriter best known for penning “Mr. Bojangles”, has died following a long battle with throat cancer. He was 78 years old. Walker was born Ronald Clyde Crosby on March 16th, 1942 in Oneonta, New York. He played guitar in a few local bands before becoming a full-time traveling musician after graduating from high school. On his way south, Walker spent some time in New York City, where, inspired by Greenwich Village’s folk scene, he ended up recording two albums with a group dubbed Circus Maximus. His journey took him to places like the Florida Keys and New Orleans, and it was in the latter Louisiana city that he officially took up his stage name of Jerry Jeff Walker. It was also a chance encounter in the Big Easy’s drunk tank that would eventually insp...
R.I.P. Tony Lewis, Singer of The Outfield’s “Your Love”, Dies at 62
Tony Lewis, the lead singer and bassist of UK pop rock band The Outfield, has died at the age of 62. According to a statement from his publicist, Lewis died “suddenly and unexpectedly” on Monday (Oct. 19th) near London. A cause of death was not immediately made available. The Outfield’s origins date back to the early 1980s, when Lewis and guitarist John Spinks formed a prog rock band called Sirius B. The duo later recruited drummer Alan Jackman and reinvented themselves as a power-pop group under the moniker of The Outfield. The band experienced almost immediate success with the release of their debut, 1985’s Play Deep, which climbed to No. 9 on the album charts and was certified three-times platinum in the US. Much of the album’s success is owed to its massive single, “Your Love”, wh...
