Christina Amphlett in 2007 [photo: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images
Hollywood star Russell Crowe led tributes to Australia’s “Queen of Rock” Chrissy Amphlett, who died in New York after a long battle with cancer. “Dear Chrissie, The last time I saw you was in the (Sydney) Botanic Gardens, loving life and reciting verse. That’s how I’ll remember you, your boy, R,” Crowe…
Legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall, who called NFL games for over 40 years, is dead at the age of 82. He died in his hospital room at Zale Lipshy Hospital where he was recovering from hip surgery, according to a family friend. Summerall was part of network TV broadcasts for sixteen Super Bowls. His…
A sad day for the Deftones, yesterday Chi Cheng died, he was 42. Cheng had been involved in a car accident in 2008, which left him in a coma for some time. Although he eventually began showing signs of improvement, he was never able to make a full recovery.
Deftones bassist, Chi Cheng performs during Xtreme Rock Radio's Holiday Havoc concert at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. -- Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Cheng was taken to the emergency room, where he died at 3 a.m. on Saturday.
His mother, Jeanne Marie Cheng broke the news on his website.
“Our dearest Family, This is the hardest thing to write to you. Your love and heart and devotion to Chi was unconditional and amazing,” the statement reads. “I know that you will always remember him as a giant of a man on stage with a heart for every one of you. He was taken to the emergency room and at 3 am today his heart just suddenly stopped. He left this world with me singing songs he liked in his ear. He fought the good fight. You stood by him sending love daily. He knew that he was very loved and never alone.”
Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno took to his Facebook page to confirm Cheng’s death, writing, “Rest in peace Chi Cheng.”
AP contributed to this report.
(CNN) — Jonathan Winters, the wildly inventive actor and comedian who appeared in such films as “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “The Loved One” and played Robin Williams’ son on the TV show “Mork & Mindy,” has died. He was 87.
Jonathan Winters -- Getty Image
Winters died Thursday evening of natural causes at his home in Montecito, California, according to business associate Joe Petro III.
A childhood friend of Woody Allen who co-wrote his movies “Bananas” and “Take the Money and Run” has died. Mickey Rose was 77.
His daughter, Jennifer, tells the Los Angeles Times ( http://lat.ms/1551DRw ) that he died Sunday from cancer at his home in Beverly Hills.
Mickey Rose & Woody Allen - Photo credit: Getty
Rose and Allen met in high school in Brooklyn, N.Y., and became friends. They shared a love of playing jazz and baseball.
Rose met his late wife, Judy, through a blind date arranged by Allen.
Rose became a TV comedy writer. He wrote for Johnny Carson and Sid Caesar and for shows including “The Smothers Brothers,” ”All in the Family” and “The Odd Couple.”
In a statement, Allen says Rose was one of the funniest humans he’s known — and a “wonderful first baseman.”
News Source:
AP
Former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello dead at 70 (VIDEO) (via Baltimore News Journal)
Legendary Disney Mouseketeer Annette Funicello is dead. She died on Monday due to complications stemming from Multiple Sclerosis, a disease from which she suffered for over 25 years. She was 70 years old. “Annette was and always will be a cherished member of the Disney family, synonymous with the…
Margaret Thatcher, the first woman ever to serve as prime minister has died, she was 87.
Margaret Thatcher - Getty IMage
“It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning,” Lord Timothy Bell said today. “A further statement will be made later.”
Thatcher had significant health problems in her later years, suffering several small strokes and, according to her daughter, struggling with dementia.
During her long career on the political stage, Thatcher was known as the Iron Lady. She led Great Britain as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, a champion of free-market policies and adversary of the Soviet Union.
The AP contributed to this report.
Lilly Pulitzer, Palm Beach socialite turned designer died Sunday at her home, she was 81.
FILE - In this March 16, 1965 file photo, Palm Beach the fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer, wears her own design and creation of the Lilly shift, in Palm Beach, Fla. Pulitzer, known for her tropical print dresses, dies in Florida at 81. (AP Photo/Robert H. Houston, File)
Pulitzer was surrounded by family, according to an announcement on her company’s official Facebook page.
“Lilly has been a true inspiration to us and we will miss her,” the statement said. “In the days and weeks ahead we will celebrate all that Lilly meant to us. Lilly was a true original who has brought together generations through her bright and happy mark on the world.”
Jacqueline Kennedy was one of the first celebs to be photographed wearing one of Pulitzer’s dresses.
The iconic designer was married to Pete Pulitzer, the grandson of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, whose bequest to Columbia University established the Pulitzer Prize. They divorced in 1969. Her second husband, Enrique Rousseau, died in 1993.
Pulitzer, who was known for hosting parties barefoot at her Palm Beach home, also published two guides to entertaining.
“That’s what life is all about: Let’s have a party. Let’s have it tonight,” she said.
(MSNBC) The youngest son of Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” has committed suicide, the evangelical pastor said in a letter to members of his church on Saturday.
Pastor Rick Warren speaks at the Elton John AIDS Foundation and UNAIDS breakfast, July 24, 2012, in Washington. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The Elton John AIDS Foundation)
Matthew Warren, the youngest son of Warren and his wife Kay, died after a long struggle with mental illness, according to the statement from Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif. The church asked for “everyone to join us in praying for the entire Warren family” on Saturday.
“At 27 years of age, Matthew was an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many,” Saddleback Church said in the statement. “Unfortunately, he also suffered from mental illness resulting in deep depression and suicidal thoughts.”
Warren wrote about his son’s death in an emotional letter to his church, calling his son “an incredibly kind, gentle, and compassionate man.”
“No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now,” Warren wrote in the letter. “He had a brilliant intellect and a gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room. He’d then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them.”
“In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided,” Warren wrote to church members. “Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.”
News Source: MSNBC
By Carla B.– Follow on Twitter @EOTMPR - Facebook @EOTM.Media
It’s a sad day in the film industry, Roger Ebert, probably the most prolific movie critic alive has died. The Chicago Sun-Times confirmed the report.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist passed away on Thursday due to complications stemming from cancer, he was 70. Just two days ago Ebert revealed on his blog that the cancer that had robbed him of his voice, but not his determination to share his love of cinema, had returned. He warned that he would have to cut back on his reviewing output for the Chicago Sun-Times. He also insisted that he would not be taking a leave of absence, but a “leave of presence.”
Ebert had been battling serious health issues for the past several years. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2006, he lost portions of his jaw and the ability to speak, eat or drink, which required him to use a chin prosthesis and necessitated him to step down from his TV duties.
Roger Ebert - Photo credit: AP/Getty
He leaves behind a legacy that includes countless book collections; a 2011 memoir, Life Itself; Ebertfest, a film festival in its 15th year that will take place at his alma mater, the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, April 17-21; and the relaunch of “Rogerebert.com the new Ebert Digital,” an entity run by his wife of 20 years, Chaz, which will house an archive of 10,000 of his reviews.
President Obama commented on Ebert’s passing:
”Roger was the movies,” President Obama said about Ebert in a statement. “When he didn’t like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive – capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient – continuing to share his passion and perspective with the world. The movies won’t be the same without Roger, and our thoughts and prayers are with Chaz and the rest of the Ebert family.”
The Chicago Times contributed to this report.
Jane Nebel Henson 1934-2013 (via PR Newswire)
Puppeteer, philanthropist and founder of The Jim Henson Legacy Download image Download image HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Jane Henson died in her Connecticut home on April 2, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. A tribute page celebrating Jane and featuring images from her life…
“Buckwild” star Shain Gandee was found dead today in a vehicle at the end of a long dirt road in Sissonville, West Virgina, he was 21.
Cast of MTV's Buckwild -- Photo credit: MTV
Kanawha County Commission Cpl. B.D. Humphreys said the body of Shain’s uncle, David Gandee, 48, was also in the vehicle. The identity of the third person has not been released. Gandee and his uncle had been reported missing on Sunday.
Humphreys said the vehicle was in a muddy area that’s difficult to reach, and deputies had to use all-terrain vehicles to access the area.
No foul play is suspected.
“We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident,” MTV said in a statement to FOX411. “We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly.”
The reality TV show was just recently picked up for a second season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Filmmaker John Charles Upton Jr., was shot and killed on Thursday following a dispute with a neighbor over trimming shrubbery on a dirt path of his Encinitas home, he was 56. Upton is best known for his documentaries.
Michael Vilkin, 61, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and was being held without bail, pending arraignment Tuesday, authorities said.
Vilkin, in an interview conducted in county jail, told KGTV in San Diego that the killing was in self-defense after Upton menaced him with a gun during the dispute. Vilkin told reporters”
“I did not go to him. He came to me threatening and pulled a gun (on) me.”
Vilkin said he owns vacant property next to Upton’s home. Upton’s brother, Michael Upton, told U-T San Diego that his brother and Vilkin previously argued about trees.
Police have not said whether Mr Upton, 56, had a gun on him at the time of the shooting.
‘I shot him; you know, I predicted him to fall immediately because this is a .44-caliber Magnum,’ Vilkin said.
‘He did not, he did two or three steps toward me and then I shot him in the head.’
Reid Flair, 25-year-old son of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair died Friday, wrestlingobserver.com was one of the first outlets to report the death. Details surrounding his death are still sketchy. Flair was found dead in a Charlotte hotel room.
Ric Flair kisses his son, Reid, after Ric's retirement match at WrestleMania 24 in 2008. (WWE/Getty Image)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County police received a call about 10:30 ET Friday morning about an unresponsive man at a Marriott Residence hotel. The current police report indicates that foul play is not believed to be involved in his death.
Reid had been working in Japan and was scheduled to tour with his father this weekend. Ric Flair had recently rejoined the WWE, and Reid was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“We are heartbroken to confirm that Ric’s son, Reid has passed away today March 29, 2013 in Charlotte, NC,” Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, said in a statement. “The investigation into the cause of death is ongoing. Reid was 25 and an incredible son, brother, friend, and professional wrestler. No words can describe the grief that Ric and his family are experiencing and they do request privacy during this devastating time.”
Harry Potter actor Richard Griffiths dies aged 65 (via AFP)
British actor Richard Griffiths, best known for his roles as Harry Potter’s uncle and in the cult film “Withnail & I”, has died aged 65, his agent said on Friday. The portly star of stage and screen, one of Britain’s best loved character actors, died on Thursday from complications following heart surgery…
The Academy of Motion Pictures makes a statement on the Passing of Former Academy President Fay Kanin.
Fay Kanin - Getty Image
The Academy is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved former president and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Fay Kanin.
She was committed to the Academy’s preservation work and instrumental in expanding our public programming. A tireless mentor and inspiration to countless filmmakers, Fay’s passion for film continues to inspire us daily.
Our prayers and condolences go out to her loved ones.
Kanin was a Emmy-winning and Oscar- and Tony-nominated writer who was the first full-term female president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. She was also an advocate for film preservation and a mainstay on the Hollywood circuit for decades. Her death was confirmed by the Academy, she was 95.
Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, author of “Things Fall Apart” has died, he was 82.
His death was announced by a government spokesman in Achebe’s home state of Anambra.
Chinua Achebe dead at 82 - Getty Image
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called him “a cultural icon” and said that his “frank, truthful and fearless interventions in national affairs will be greatly missed at home in Nigeria.”
Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki wrote a statement on his website stating:
I am deeply saddened by the news of Professor Achebe’s death because his intellectual wealth are treasures we may never find as a nation- all his articles, books and interviews released are kept on the most treasured side of my personal library and I visit and reflect on them for guidance on various issues from time to time.
In moments like this, we should come together as a nation, irrespective of the tribe, religion and social status, critically examine together in oneness the progressive ideologies of a an icon like Professor Achebe and thoroughly inject them into our political, economic, educational and social culture, never to let his effort on Nigeria be in vain.
On behalf of good people of my constituency and Senate Committee on Environment, I send my sincere condolence message to the families of the late professor Achebe and Nigerians.
Achebe received his country’s highest award for intellectual achievement, the Nigerian National Merit Award.
Achebe is a major part of African literature, and is popular all over the continent for his novels, especially “Anthills of the Savannah,” which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987, and “Things Fall Apart.”
His final book, published last year, was about the Nigerian region of Biafra’s unsuccessful war for independence and resulting famine, “There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra.”
Achebe was born Nov. 16, 1930, in Ogidi in southern Nigeria.
Reuters contributed to this report.
