Who Died Today?

[gatortom64 1]

'Daydream Believer' writer John Stewart John Stewart wrote "Daydream Believer," sang 1979 hit "Gold"Stewart died of brain aneurism Saturday LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- John Stewart recorded some of pop music's most acclaimed solo albums, helping create a style that came to be called Americana, but he was always best known for writing the Monkees' enduring hit "Daydream Believer."John Stewart had a top 10 hit in 1979 with "Gold," with Stevie Nicks singing backup. Stewart, who came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of folk music's Kingston Trio, died Saturday at a San Diego hospital after suffering a brain aneurism. He was 68."He was a lovely man and a very gentle soul and I guess the only thing you can say today is that the world is less one great songwriter," the Monkees' Micky Dolenz told The Associated Press on Sunday.Stewart left the Kingston Trio shortly before the Monkees released "Daydream Believer" in 1967, then went on to record nearly four dozen solo albums, including the critically acclaimed "California Bloodlines" and "Bombs Away Dream Babies." The latter included the hit single "Gold," in which he dueted with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks.Still, as with "Daydream Believer," he was likely best known for writing songs for others, including Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Roseanne Cash and Anne Murray."He was a cult hero, he never made it super huge," said his manager, Dean Swett. "He was one of those outlaw rebels, one of the people who refused to conform to what the record labels expected him to be."A husky-voiced singer and accomplished guitarist who delivered his lyrics in a poignant, often longing voice, his music was hard to classify. It fell somewhere between rock, country and folk and eventually came to be called Americana.He wrote "Runaway Train," a country hit for Roseanne Cash, and "Strange Rivers," which Joan Baez included on her 1992 "Play Me Backwards" album. Nanci Griffith dueted with him on "Sweet Dreams" and Murray, like the Monkees before her, had a hit with "Daydream Believer.""There are certain songs that you just go in humming. It was one of those," Dolenz said of "Daydream Believer," which also was Stewart's best-known recording. Although he sang background to Davy Jones' lead on the Monkees' version, Dolenz performs the song himself at his solo shows."To this day it is one of the biggest songs that I do in concert," he said.Stewart joined the Kingston Trio in 1961, replacing Dave Guard in the group that had helped usher in an American folk music revival in the late 1950s."John truly was the right fit. A first rate entertainer and gifted songwriter," the group said in a statement on its Web site.He recorded more than a dozen albums with the trio before going on to a solo career in 1967. A year later he released "California Bloodlines," which included the minor hit "July You're a Woman." "Bombs Away Dream Babies" came out in 1979.He eventually recorded more than 40 solo albums. Others included "The Lonesome Picker Rides Again, "Airdream Believer" and "Rough Sketches," the latter a collection of songs about the iconic American highway "Route 66."Stewart was said to be at work on still another album at the time of his death.Stewart's wife, Buffy, and children were at his side when he died, according to a statement on the Kingston Trio's Web site. There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.

[digitalmonkey 929]

Suzanne Pleshette dies at 70Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.

I met Allan Melvin many years ago on a Santa Monica pier. He seemed like a nice guy.

[dna4ever 2]

rip heath ledger

[digitalmonkey 929]

A death from last week that I never heard about until today.

[Ben_G 0]

Several thousand of my future offspring passed away in a tubesock beside my bed.RIP slow swimmers, and all this time i thought i was shooting blanks!You will be missed.

[brvheart 1,752]

Brad Renfrohttp://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?...33&gt1=7701

A death from last week that I never heard about until today.

Yep, that looks like about a week.... and just a few posts above yours.

[wsox8 10]

CBS 2 morning anchor, Randy Salerno (Chicago)http://cbs2chicago.com/local/randy.salerno...s.2.637658.html

[jeff_536 3]

CBS 2 morning anchor, Randy Salerno (Chicago)http://cbs2chicago.com/local/randy.salerno...s.2.637658.html

Are we now just randomly posting anyone who's died?Edith Baumgartner, 82, quietly in her sleep.

[wsox8 10]

Are we now just randomly posting anyone who's died?Edith Baumgartner, 82, quietly in her sleep.

certainly not random to me.

[gatortom64 1]

'Jaws' actor Roy Scheider diesStory HighlightsHospital: Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma for 2 yearsScheider's famous "Jaws" line: "You're gonna need a bigger boat"Scheider had two Oscar nominations, for "French Connection," "All that Jazz"Scheider also participated in rallies protesting the war in IraqLITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) -- Roy Scheider, the actor best known for his role as a police chief in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," has died. He was 75.Scheider died Sunday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock, hospital spokesman David Robinson said. The hospital did not release a cause of death.However, hospital spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital's Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy for the past two years.Scheider received two Oscar nominations, for best-supporting actor in 1971's "The French Connection" in which he played the police partner of Oscar winner Gene Hackman, and for best-actor for 1979's "All That Jazz," the autobiographical Bob Fosse film.However, he was best known for his role in Steven Spielberg's1975 film, "Jaws," the enduring classic about a killer shark terrorizing beachgoers and well as millions of moviegoers.Widely hailed as the film that launched the era of the Hollywood blockbuster, it was also the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office. Scheider starred with Richard Dreyfuss, who played an oceanographer.In 2005, one of Scheider's most famous lines in the movie -- "You're gonna need a bigger boat" -- was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies.That year, some 30 years after "Jaws" premiered, hundreds of movie buffs flocked to Martha's Vineyard, off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, to celebrate the great white shark.The island's JawsFest '05 also brought back some of the cast and crew, including screenwriter Carl Gottlieb and Peter Benchley, who wrote the novel that inspired Spielberg's classic. Spielberg, Scheider and Dreyfuss were absent.Scheider was also politically active. He participated in rallies protesting U.S. military action in Iraq, including a massive New York demonstration in March 2003 that police said drew 125,000 chanting activists.

[MNBassin 0]

'Jaws' actor Roy Scheider diesStory HighlightsHospital: Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma for 2 yearsScheider's famous "Jaws" line: "You're gonna need a bigger boat"Scheider had two Oscar nominations, for "French Connection," "All that Jazz"Scheider also participated in rallies protesting the war in IraqLITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) -- Roy Scheider, the actor best known for his role as a police chief in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," has died. He was 75.Scheider died Sunday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock, hospital spokesman David Robinson said. The hospital did not release a cause of death.However, hospital spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital's Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy for the past two years.Scheider received two Oscar nominations, for best-supporting actor in 1971's "The French Connection" in which he played the police partner of Oscar winner Gene Hackman, and for best-actor for 1979's "All That Jazz," the autobiographical Bob Fosse film.However, he was best known for his role in Steven Spielberg's1975 film, "Jaws," the enduring classic about a killer shark terrorizing beachgoers and well as millions of moviegoers.Widely hailed as the film that launched the era of the Hollywood blockbuster, it was also the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office. Scheider starred with Richard Dreyfuss, who played an oceanographer.In 2005, one of Scheider's most famous lines in the movie -- "You're gonna need a bigger boat" -- was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies.That year, some 30 years after "Jaws" premiered, hundreds of movie buffs flocked to Martha's Vineyard, off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, to celebrate the great white shark.The island's JawsFest '05 also brought back some of the cast and crew, including screenwriter Carl Gottlieb and Peter Benchley, who wrote the novel that inspired Spielberg's classic. Spielberg, Scheider and Dreyfuss were absent.Scheider was also politically active. He participated in rallies protesting U.S. military action in Iraq, including a massive New York demonstration in March 2003 that police said drew 125,000 chanting activists.

heard this on the radio into work this morning. love Jaws

[ajs510 122]

LOS ANGELES - Car-building legend Boyd Coddington, whose testosterone-injected cable TV reality show "American Hot Rod" introduced the nation to the West Coast hot rod guru, has died. He was 63. Coddington died at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in suburban Whittier at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday. His La Habra office spokeswoman Amanda Curry wouldn't disclose the cause of death.Coddington was a machinist by trade, working at Disneyland during the day and tinkering with cars in his home garage at night and on weekends. His rolling creations captured the imagination of car-crazy Southern Californians and soon he was building custom cars and making money.Most often, he customized 1932 Ford "little deuce coupes.""It was one of those things when a hobby turned into business," Messer said, noting Coddington was also "one of the first guys to get into the custom wheel business."Wheels by Boyd were fetching $2,000 apiece, which was unheard of two decades ago.Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.Always dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, Coddington said he loved his "American Hot Rod" Discovery Channel show, which featured ground-up construction of $500,000 hot rods."The viewers are ... people who lived in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and loved these cars. Now, they have money," Coddington told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview.

[chrozzo 19]

LOS ANGELES - Car-building legend Boyd Coddington, whose testosterone-injected cable TV reality show "American Hot Rod" introduced the nation to the West Coast hot rod guru, has died. He was 63. Coddington died at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in suburban Whittier at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday. His La Habra office spokeswoman Amanda Curry wouldn't disclose the cause of death.Coddington was a machinist by trade, working at Disneyland during the day and tinkering with cars in his home garage at night and on weekends. His rolling creations captured the imagination of car-crazy Southern Californians and soon he was building custom cars and making money.Most often, he customized 1932 Ford "little deuce coupes.""It was one of those things when a hobby turned into business," Messer said, noting Coddington was also "one of the first guys to get into the custom wheel business."Wheels by Boyd were fetching $2,000 apiece, which was unheard of two decades ago.Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.Always dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, Coddington said he loved his "American Hot Rod" Discovery Channel show, which featured ground-up construction of $500,000 hot rods."The viewers are ... people who lived in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and loved these cars. Now, they have money," Coddington told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview.

[Buckeye Hughes 0]

Wow that's a real shocker about Boyd. Great car guy, and his show was cool too.

[fryer98 30]

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

RIP to two of the finest.

[ajs510 122]

OTTAWA (AFP) - Blind Canadian rocker Jeff Healey, who uniquely played his guitar flat on his lap, died of cancer Sunday on the eve of his latest album release, his publicist said in a statement. Healey, 41, died in a Toronto hospital of a rare cancer, retino blastoma, that he had fought since birth and which claimed his eyesight at the age of one."Visually, Jeff was an intriguing player to watch, because he played guitar -- by any conventional standard -- all wrong, with it flat across his lap," his publicist Richard Flohil told broadcaster CTV. "But he was a remarkable, a virtuoso player."The Jeff Healey Band's 1988 Grammy-nominated album "See the Light," which included the hit "Angel Eyes," sold more than one million copies in the United States.He played with blues legends B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, and recorded with George Harrison, Mark Knopfler, and the late Jimmy Rogers.At the time of his death, he was about to release his first rock-blues album in eight years, "Mess of Blues." The CD will be released in March and April in North America and Europe, respectively.A tour of Germany and Britain, as well as an appearance on the BBC's Jools Holland Show have been cancelled.Last year, Healey had surgery to remove the cancer from his legs, and later from both lungs. He also underwent radiation treatment and chemotherapy.The article doesn't mention the reason he's most famous in the US, he appeared in the cult classic "Roadhouse" as the blind leader of the Double Deuce's house band.

[HollywoodAFD 0]

Daddy Kaye died on this day in 1987

[jeff_536 3]

I saw Jeff Healey in concert, opening for Tom Cochrane back in 95 or 96. He was brilliant. Although he played mostly blues/rock, he was a huge jazz aficionado, both as a musician and collector.Angel Eyes is a beautiful songhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=QYz_LHKrgDYHe also did a spectacular cover of While My Guitar Gently Weepshttp://youtube.com/watch?v=MJh3KaIKDAw&feature=related

[ajs510 122]

He also did a spectacular cover of While My Guitar Gently Weepshttp://youtube.com/watch?v=MJh3KaIKDAw&feature=related

That's pretty incredible. The mullet, I mean. The song is very good too, but that's about the greatest 80's mullet since Jaromir Jagr cut his off.

[Southern Buddhist 1]

For all you geeks and nerds, Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons and guest voice on Futurama, dead at 69:http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obit-Gygax.html

[HollywoodAFD 0]

Minnie Pearl"Kissing a fella with a beard is like a picnic. You don't mind going through a little brush to get there."

[Balloon guy 158]

A couple days late, I heard about this while driving back from WyomingBen Chapman passed away at 12:15 am Hawaii time on Thursday, February 21 at the Tripler Medical Center in Honolulu. His health began to deteriorate February 12. He collapsed and was admitted to the hospital on February 20. His life support was turned off Wednesday around noon and his pacemaker was turned off shortly before he died. He died peacefully with his wife, Merrilee, and son, Ben Chapman III, by his side. He was 79 years old at his death.Ben Chapman was the Gillman in the Creature from the Black Lagoon. First movie to ever scare me enough to not let me sleep.Fan sitePlus he was a war hero, RIP BEN

[speedz99 145]

RIP John Madden. You were annoying as hell, but I love your video games.

[bigkg 0]

RIP John Madden. You were annoying as hell, but I love your video games.

Wait, seriously?