Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 12

 


 

New Sound Systems

 


NOTES:

Sadly, I did not have the foresight to archive the 2000 series and deleted most of the files.

To see the 2001 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 1 and then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 2. The summary appears on Archives 2.

To see the 2002 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 3 and then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 4. The summary appears on Archives 4.

To see the 2003 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5 and Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6 then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 7. The summary appears on Archives 7.

To see the 2004 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 8 and Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 9 then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 10. The summary appears on Archives 10.


2005 Sounds

 

NOTE ABOUT BLUE ALERT SYSTEM (3/11/03): Some of you may recall a few years back when I used "name blends" -- rhyming sounds and off-rhyme clues from part of one name to determine what the next name in the sequence might be (or later in the year). An example was the death of Layne Stahley and how "Layne" led to "Lynne" then "Linda" and the car crash death of Linda Lovelace which followed. I surmised that "Lace" in "Lovelace" might lead to a "Leese" then "Lisa" tragedy. The next day, Lisa Lopes of TLC was killed in a car crash.

Rather than create a whole other section on this page for name blends, I will instead highlight certain names in the lists below in light blue that I feel may be influenced by celebrity deaths that have occurred this year.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE ON EXCLUSIONS (1/23/04): We acknowledge the passing of dancer and actress Ann Miller, age 81, and note with great regret the passing of Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo), age 76. However, it is no longer the mission of this website to address the deaths of celebrities who are of advanced age or those who have had a long term health problem and are in their early elderly years. Such deaths are largely inevitable and often beyond any purposeful prediction. Also, the one and only applicable sound in Mr Keeshan's name ("eeeee") we now consider to be far too common to be remarkable or in any way useful for predictive purposes. Ergo, save for certain celebrities of advanced or elderly age who may appear on the prediction lists, we will no longer be publishing their obituaries and including comments.

It is, after all, premature death that we are most concerned about.

Prominent name sounds must also be present. "Ray", for example, is a prominent sound, "Ay", on the other hand, is not. This distinction will become more clear as we progress through the year.

 

NOTE (3/9/05): "Ay" could be a prominent sound if it is combined with one or more other sounds. Again, it depends.

 

Sonny Bono Sonny Bono (d. 1998) - Sonny, Son, Sun, Un, eeeee, Bo, No, Oh

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Chastity Bono, Bono, Sondra Locke, Alison Krauss, Allison Parks, Bronson Pinchot, Harrison Ford, Jackson Browne, Jason Alexander, Jason Biggs, Jason Hervey, Jason Patric, Jason Priestley, Orson Bean, Wilson Cruz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Charles Nelson Reilly, June Allyson, Loni Anderson, Ted Danson, Richard Dawson, Angie Dickinson, Mel Gibson, Kadeem Hardison, Ernie Hudson, Kate Hudson, Kate Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Michael Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Magic Johnson, Twiggy Lawson, Elle Macpherson, Jackie Mason, Liam Neeson, Craig T. Nelson, David Nelson, Willie Nelson, Jack Nicholson, Emma Thompson, Tony Blair, Minnie Driver, Britney Spears, Bonnie Raitt, Courtney Love, Nina Blackwood, Beau Bridges, Bo Derek, Bo Diddley, David Bowie, Adrienne Barbeau, Leon Redbone, Noah Wyle, Nolan Ryan, Bruno Campos, Chelsea Noble, Nick Nolte, Kim Novack, Diana Canova, David Faustino, Lou Ferrigno, Jay Leno, Alyssa Milano, Rita Moreno, Yoko Ono, Al Pacino, Mira Sorvino, Paul Sorvino, Quentin Tarantino. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

Bulgarian Actress Mariana Dimitrova Dies in US "Second Suicide Attempt"

Sofia News Agency

3 June 2005, Friday

Bulgarian actress Mariana Dimitrova has been living in the United States since 1997Bulgarian actress Mariana Dimitrova, whose sudden death was announced on Thursday, has reportedly jumped off the eighth floor of a building in San Diego in an apparent suicide attempt. This is said to be Dimitrova's second attempt to end her life over the last two years.

Her Bulgarian friends and colleagues from Bulgaria's Military Theatre were shocked to hear the sad news on Thursday, describing her as one of the most optimistic and radiant people they have ever known. They stressed Mariana Dimitrova has proved to be Bulgaria's most successful theatre actress abroad and was even cast as Gertrude in Hamlet in a US production.

Mariana Dimitrova was born in 1954 in the village of Kozarevets, the district of Veliko Tarnovo. She has been living in the US since 1997 together with her husband and her two children.

Her best-known and loved roles in Bulgarian movies include "Doomed Souls", "Manly Times", "Ladies Choice" , films about the beauty of love - exotic and tragic, the maze of human feelings, life's adventures and ups and down.

The funeral ceremony will take place in San Diego, Bulgarian consul Georgi Peychinov said.

 

Teen Model's Body Found On Footpath

The Daily Record

27 September 2005

Sally Anne Bowman, 18, was knifed to death after a night on the townA BUDDING supermodel was butchered after a night out and found naked in a pool of blood on the pavement.

Sally Anne Bowman, 18, was due to sign a contract next week that could have netted her £5million. Neighbours heard her screaming near her home in Croydon, Surrey, early on Sunday. A local woman found her body.

Sally bled to death from multiple stab wounds Friends said last night that the 6ft beauty recently split from her bodybuilder boyfriend. One pal said: "He was in his mid or early 20s, stocky and really tanned. "They had been going out for about a year but split up a few weeks ago. She didn't like him that much."

Sally visited several Croydon bars with pals on Saturday night and was seen on town centre CCTV at around 2am. Her body was found on the pavement near her home at about 6.30am. June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton in EastEnders, was one of Sally's neighbours.

Three men, aged 20, 25 and 26 have been arrested in connection with Sally's murder. The two older men have been given police bail.

Talking about her future plans recently, Sally said: "I'm the happiest girl in the world."

But friends had begun to worry about her because she had stopped answering her phone. She failed to turn up last week to a job at London Fashion Week.

Sally's family laid flowers yesterday at the murder scene. They left a note which read: "For our beautiful daughter. She will always be in our hearts." Vasco Rodriguez of Sally's model agency, Pulse, said her colleagues were heartbroken. He added: "She could have earned between £1million and £5million. She was our top model."

 

"Kate Blanch-ette?" Tammy Wynette (d. 1998) - Tammy, Tam, Am, eeeee, Win, In, Et

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, Tammy Parks, Russ Tamblyn, Terence Stamp, Maryam D'Abo, Cameron Diaz, Pamela Sue Martin, Graham Nash, James Cameron, Mia Farrow, Amy Yasbeck, Steve Winwood, Winona Ryder, Wynonna Judd, Kate Winslet, Sarah Wynter, Rosanna Arquette, Carol Burnett, Farah Fawcett, Joanna Pettet, Suzanne Pleshette, Nick Cassavettes. Additional predictions: (1/23/05): Demi Moore, Tanya Roberts, Wynton Marsalis.

 

Cate Blanchett's son burned in hotel accident

15:41 AEST Tue May 17 2005

Cate Blanchett in Morocco, just prior to son's accidentAAP

Australian actor Cate Blanchett's one-year-old son has been burned in an accident in a hotel in Morocco. Mother-of-two Blanchett and son Roman were flown back to London in a private jet for hospital treatment, London's Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

"Roman had an accident and he's being treated for a minor burn," publicist Lisa Kasteler told the newspaper. "He's not on a drip. He's still being treated and Cate is with him."

Roman suffered burns on Sunday night, the day after his Oscar-winning mother threw a party to celebrate her 36th birthday at the exclusive La Mamounia Hotel in Marrakech, in the west of the north African country. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment but Blanchett decided she wanted him treated in London.

The Lord of the Rings star, who lives in Brighton, was loaned a private jet - believed to belong to King Mohammed VI of Morocco - to race Roman to London to see burns specialists. "She flew privately, maybe it was the King's plane but I don't know," Kasteler told the Mirror. Witnesses said the toddler was carried on to the jet on a stretcher by medics.

Blanchett was in Morocco shooting the thriller Babel, together with husband Andrew Upton and sons Dashiell, three, and Roman.

Blanchett, winner of this year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, is expected to return to Morocco in a few days. "She's almost finished filming," said Kasteler.

Roman was on Monday night in London's Great Ormond Street hospital, the Sun newspaper reported.

 

COMMENTS (5/17/05): This may tie in with the Fire Tragedy prediction for December 2004. It's hard to say since the news reports don't tell what kind of accident at the hotel caused Blanchett's son's burns. If there was a fire, then Cate Blanchett would have to be considered as having escaped it unharmed. But the news wires don't specify what actually happened.

 

Pamela Anderson seeks restraining order against stalkerPamela Anderson was last in danger in June 2002 from a Jayne Mansfield type death

Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Posted: 1343 GMT (2143 HKT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Actress Pamela Anderson filed a request for a restraining order against a man she claims has confronted her and her children, court records show.

Anderson contends that William Stansfield, 29, has been "stalking and harassing me, my sons and other family members for more than a month," according to court documents obtained by the TV show "Extra." A hearing is scheduled October 3 in Superior Court.

There were no local phone listings for Stansfield and he could not immediately be located for comment.

In a court document, Anderson said she saw Stansfield talking to her 7-year-old son at school. She said when she approached him, he told her he wanted her to stop working on her TV series "Stacked" and commit to a movie he had written for her. "I was very uncomfortable and immediately told him to leave us alone, and my sons and I left the school," the former "Baywatch" star stated.

She mentioned three other incidents that "frightened me tremendously" in which Stansfield allegedly confronted her mother, sister-in-law and a baby sitter.

 

COMMENTS (9/28/05): Pamela Anderson needs to remain cautious. The doom of the "blonde supreme" from last year could still, theoretically, claim a victim through December due to a year-late repetition by actress Thelma Todd in 1935. Madonna came very close to being "the one" when she fell from a horse and broke a number of bones. She remains in danger as predicted, but this trend from 1920 to 1997 could suddenly switch and extend to any other famous blonde female celebrity. Anderson was last in danger of dying in a car crash like Jayne Mansfield in June 2002 -- the year she was diagnosed with hepatitis c.

 

"Looks like you got your fill, honey .." Phil Hartman (d. 1998) - Phil, Fil, Il, Hart, Art, Ar, Men, Min

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Phil Collins, Mackenzie Phillips, Candy Clark, Susan Clark, Terence Trent D'Arby. Additional predictions: (1/23/05): Mary Hart.

 

Actor Michael Billington dies aged 63

MI6 - Actor News - 09-06-05

Michael Billington in episode of 'The Prisoner'Actor Michael Billington who played Anya's ill-fated lover Sergei Barsov at the start of "The Spy Who Loved Me" died on 6th June 2005 aged 63 - reports Fanderson. He tested for the role of James Bond several times, and won his role in "Spy" because of his Bond-like credentials.

Michael Billington was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, on Christmas Eve 1941, the son of a former factory manager. From school, he went into the estimating department of a neon sign factory, but was so keen on amateur theatrics that he left after six months to try to get into show business. After a stint in distribution at Warner-Pathé, Mike found work on stage at Soho's famous Windmill Theatre and subsequently drifted into musicals as a hoofer, appearing in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Little Me, and the television series Broadway Goes Latin. He also did cabaret work and played straight man to Danny La Rue.

Realising that he wanted to turn his talents towards straight acting, Mike took drama and voice production lessons and landed a small part as a police guard in the West End production of Incident At Vichy with Sir Alec Guinness and Anthony Quayle. He also appeared as one of the Brentwich United footballers in the BBC's United! series and then worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company as a small-part player and understudy.

In 1967, he appeared in a small role as a thug who tried to beat up Patrick McGoohan's character in the A Change Of Mind episode of The Prisoner. From there, he went into the feature film Alfred The Great (1969) playing Offa, one of the nobles, but UFO's casting director, Rose Tobias Shaw, remembered him from The Prisoner and cast him as Colonel Paul Foster. Shortly after UFO was completed, he guested in two episodes of Yorkshire Television's Hadleigh and took a leading role as Daniel Fogherty in the BBC historical drama series The Onedin Line, but he left the programme after the first series and was replaced by Tom Adams.

Mike then appeared in the BBC's epic dramatisation of Tolstoy's War And Peace, toured in a production of Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth as Milo Tindle (the role played by Michael Caine in the 1972 feature film), and featured in a small but important role as Barbara Bach's Russian lover Sergei Barsov in the pre-credits sequence of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). He was subsequently cast in the lead role of Colonel-Sergeant Jacko Jackson in the first season of ITV's army drama Spearhead, guested in an episode of The Professionals and turned his hand to script-writing, penning the original draft of Silver Dream Racer (1980).

In 1982, he decided to jump-start his career in Hollywood where he landed guest roles in episodes of Hart To Hart, Gavilan, The Greatest American Hero, Fantasy Island, Marlowe - Private Eye and Magnum, p.i.. He also appeared in a regular role as the villainous Count Louis Dardinay in ABC's short-lived adventure series The Quest.

On his return to Britain, he was cast in a leading role as customs officer Tom Gibbons in the BBC's The Collectors, but the series was not favourably received by critics or viewers and Mike later admitted, "This pretty well ended my career in England. I never worked meaningfully in TV again." However, he did go on to star in Dwight H. Little's acclaimed spy thriller KGB: The Secret War (1986) and appeared in Kirk Henderson and Peter Winograd's satire on matinee movies, Flicks (1987). His last screen appearance was a guest role in ITV's Maigret in 1993.

Mike tested for the role of James Bond more times than any other actor - for Live And Let Die (1973), Moonraker (1979) and Octopussy (1983) and he was reportedly producer Albert R. Broccoli's first choice for the part should contract negotiations with Roger Moore have fallen through on For Your Eyes Only (1981). His theatre work included roles in productions of The Merchant Of Venice, The Circle and Death Of A Salesman.

Michael Billington died on Monday, June 6th, 2005, aged 63. He leaves a son.

 

Actress Nicola Park relives her latest brush with death

31 August, 2005

Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited.

Nicola Park is recovering from three close encounters with the Grim ReaperACTRESS Nicola Park can't believe she's alive. Then again, she hasn't quite come to terms with the fact she's been knocking on death's door THREE times in less than two years.

Nicola, 33, is thanking her lucky stars after she was in a car crash in Glasgow's Great Western Road. She suffered a broken nose, a broken wrist and severe whiplash, as revealed in yesterday's Evening Times.

The accident follows a bout of pancreatitis last September, which left Nicola on a life support machine and in a coma for seven weeks. And the year before Nicola, while seven months pregnant, was hit by the potentially fatal condition, pre-eclampsia. Again, she was put on life support equipment. "How unlucky can I be?" said the Clydebank-born actress. "This time when I realised I was about to smash into the car in front of me I reckoned I was a goner. I thought 'My number is up after all. I'm not destined to live any longer'."

Nicola was driving her black Renault Clio down Great Western Road on Friday night on her way to star in the Pavilion's hit show, Bender in Benidorm. But she was involved in a collision at the junction with Kirklee Road.

"The air bags came out and I realised my face had whacked into them. But I was also hit on the head because my son's baby seat in the back came flying forward and hit me. I could taste blood in my mouth, I felt I'd broken every bone in my body and I thought I was going to die."

Smoke started to billow from the car - since proclaimed a write-off - and Nicola feared it would explode with her trapped inside. "A man who had been walking by yanked the car door open and dragged me free, just as the fire brigade and the police arrived. It turned out I knew him. It was Kevin Thomson, who used to be a stage hand at the Pavilion. I was never so thankful to see anyone in my life. Anyway, he got me to the side of the road, and from there, sitting in agony, I watched this surreal sight. The elderly lady, who had been driving the other car, which wasn't too badly damaged, was chasing her bag of potatoes which had spilled out on to the main road."

Nicola was taken to the Western Infirmary to be checked over but instead of going home to recover she sought out the old lady who had also been taken to hospital. "I wanted to see how she was. But she didn't seem to remember much about the incident. I guess she was in a state of shock." Back home, the effects of the accident kicked in and Nicola broke down with the realisation she had almost never seen her baby son, Jude, again. "I realised it could all have been so much worse. And I began to think 'Why me?'. But then I began to feel relieved that I was still alive."

Nicola isn't sure when she will drive again - she's still gripped by fear at the thought. But she is determined she will be back at the Pavilion on Thursday and Friday for the final two performances. "I feel so bad for the theatre, the other actors and the audience. Bender in Benidorm had been my comeback after illness. I'll be wearing a splint on my arm, which will have to be written into the script, but my nose doesn't look too bad at the moment. I'm determined to get through the show." She added: "Disaster comes in threes. I've had my share. Now, I'll probably live till I'm 99."

Theatre manager Iain Gordon is entirely supportive of his ill-fated star. "I can't believe the bad luck she has had," he said. "But it says so much about her character that the show will go on, and I'm sure she will be great."

 

Actress Anju Gill Raj kills herself

Mid-Day Multimedia Ltd.

October 9, 2005

Starlet Anju Gill Raj sets herself ablaze after tiff with producer husband Damodaran MudaliarShe made her debut 12 years ago as a lead actress in Zakhmi Dil, a film opposite action hero Akshay Kumar, but disappeared from the Bollywood circuit.

Anjali Mudaliar alias Anju Gill Raj (30), set herself ablaze at her apartment at Tulip Cooperative Society, Oshiwara on the night of October 7 and succumbed to her injuries the next day.

According to Oshiwara police, Anjali had a tiff with her husband Damodaran Mudaliar who also happens to be a hotelier and the producer of her debut film.

The reason of the suicide was Damodaran’s alleged extra-marital relationship.

As the argument heightened, she informed her parents and brother of her intention to commit suicide. She doused herself with kerosene and got engulfed in flames. The family rushed over and tried to save Anjali, but instead got caught in the blaze themselves.

Anjali’s father Shyam Kumar Raj (57), mother Gajnabai (50) and brother Kunal Raj (22) also received minor burns but managed to rush Anjali to the Belle Vue nursing home at Andheri.

Anjali sustained 60 per cent burns and was critical. After first aid, she and her family were rushed to Saifee Hospital at Marine Lines for intensive care. The actress succumbed at 12.40 am on October 8. The family is out of danger, but is still hospitalised. Anjali’s body has been sent for a postmortem at Cooper Hospital.

Anjali who married Damodaran Mudaliar 16 years ago, is survived by two daughters aged 10 and 12 years. According to sources, Anjali was staging a comeback in a film, which was 70 per cent complete. After her debut film, she worked in several C grade films, among which 1998 sex film Jungle Beauty was a grosser in the northern territory.

 

COMMENTS (10/28/05): Her star burned so briefly, but oh so brightly ...

 

"Who melts in my mouth, instead of my hand?" Lee Remick (d. 1991) - Lee, eeeee, Rem, Em, Ick

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Sheryl Lee, LeAnn Rimes, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lee Majors, Lee Trevino, Lisa Kudrow, Beverly Garland, Cicely Tyson, Emily Robinson, Holly Hunter, Kylie Minogue, Lesley-Anne Down, Lesley Ann Warren, Lily Tomlin, Molly Ringwald, Natalie Maine, Sally Struthers, Sally Field, Shelley Duvall, Shelley Long, Shelley Winters, Talia Shire, Yasmine Bleeth, Lauren Holly, Season Hubley, Carol Lynley, Mary Ann Mobley, Joanne Worley, Cloris Leachman, Erika Remberg, Steve Buscemi, Grace Slick, Stevie Nicks. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

Richard Whiteley dead at 61

telegraph.co.uk

Richard Whiteley bids you welcome to "Final Countdown"28/06/2005

Richard Whiteley, who died on Sunday aged 61, was best known as the host of Countdown, the popular teatime television quiz devoted to anagrams and arithmetic.

The programme was the first to appear when Channel 4 began broadcasting on November 2 1982, and the bespectacled Whiteley greeted viewers with the words: "As the countdown to the launch of a new channel ends, a new Countdown begins." Thereafter, his mildly eccentric brand of humour and thoroughly individual dress sense became inextricably linked with the show, and he eventually proved as popular as its characteristic numbers and letters games.

The loud, stripey suits and large colourful ties (he was said to have more than 500) which were his trademarks had been known to viewers of Yorkshire Television's news output for several years.

But when his bumbling charm and inability to refrain from feeble wordplay were unleashed on national television he developed a substantial, if ironic, personal following, particularly among students and pensioners. The Queen was also said to be a fan of Countdown, a detail which Whiteley said was revealed to him by Princess Margaret.

John Richard Whiteley, always known as Richard, was born in Bradford on December 28 1943. He had one sister. His father was the third and last generation to own and run the family mill ...

 

Eminem hospitalized for sleeping pill addiction

Japan Today

Saturday, August 20, 2005 at 07:34 JST

Eminem in downward spiral?NEW YORK — Rap star Eminem has been hospitalized for addiction to sleeping pills, his publicist revealed Friday, just days after the singer canceled the European leg of his current world tour. "Eminem is in the hospital under doctors' care," Interscope Records publicist, Dennis Dennehy, said. "He's being treated for dependency on sleep medication."

The 33-year-old rapper announced on Tuesday that he was cancelling his Sept 1-17 European tour dates. The reason given at the time was exhaustion, "complicated by other medical issues."

Eminem, whose 2000 album "The Marshall Mathers LP" sold 9.8 million copies, has now made eight albums since 1999. He had three top 10 releases in 2002. Many of his songs have been blasted for their explicit lyrics but the rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, still has an international army of followers.

Recent press reports suggested Eminem's latest tour was intended to be his last, with the singer looking to forsake performing and make a permanent move into production. (Wire reports)

 

COMMENTS (8/22/05): Currently three major rock/pop personalities have been involved in potentially deadly mishaps in this year that is on a timeline that has seen the premature deaths of Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Freddie Mercury, Marc Bolan, Patsy Cline, and members of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd: Eminem (drugs), Courtney Love (drugs and emotional instability), and Madonna (serious injuries from falling from a horse).

 

Dottie West Dottie West (d. 1991) - Dottie, Dot, Ot, eeeee, West, Est

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Dolly Parton, Annie Potts, Teena Marie, Tina Turner, Chandra West, Karen Westwood. Additional predictions: (1/23/05): Adam West.

 

"Only one champion?" Freddie Mercury (d. 1991) - Freddie, Fred, Red, Ed, Murc, Mur, Cure, Reee, eeeee

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Freda Payne, Rebecca DeMornay, Lynn Redgrave, Val Kilmer, Reese Witherspoon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Carrie-Anne Moss, Carrie Fisher, Gloria Estefan, Rex Reed, Al Green, Morgan Freeman, Ben Vereen, Sean Connery, Oprah Winfrey, Marie Osmond, Mary McCormack, Mary Quant, Mary Tyler Moore, Maria Ford, Maria Schneider, Mariel Hemingway, Marianne Faithful, Marion Ross, Tori Amos, Valerie Perrine, Valerie Curtin. Additional predictions: (3/2/05): Ed Norton, Edward Bear.

 

Corin Redgrave suffers heart attack

Friday, June 10, 2005 Posted: 2002 GMT (0402 HKT)Corin Redgrave in Palestine May 2003

LONDON, England (AP) -- Actor Corin Redgrave, the brother of actresses Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave, was in critical condition Friday after suffering a heart attack, the hospital treating him said.

Redgrave, 65, had a heart attack Wednesday at a meeting on the rights of travelers, or people who move from town to town in Britain and live in encampments.

His screen credits include 2004's "Enduring Love" and 1994's "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

In addition to his acting career, he is also a political activist who has been outspoken against the detention of terrorist suspects without charge in Britain and at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Basildon Hospital in Essex, outside London, said Redgrave had improved slightly from Thursday night to Friday morning but remained in intensive care. "The Redgrave family would like to thank the media for respecting their privacy at this extremely difficult time," the hospital said in a statement.

Corin and Vanessa Redgrave last year founded a political party called Peace and Progress to advocate for human rights.

 

Tamil actress Mayuri hangs herself

17th June 2005 17.55 IST

By AKC Bureau

Mayuri: "This is how I do it.."Tamil actress Mayuri ended her life at her residence in Chennai on Wednesday, police sources say.

The 22-year-old actress was found hanging from the ceiling fan of a room of her house yesterday. Police believe that the incident happened on Wednesday when her family members were not at home.

According to the police, a suicide note found in the room says that nobody was responsible for her death. “I have lost faith in life,” the note said.

Mayuri (also known as Shalini) has acted in Tamil films like 7G Rainbow Colony, Manmadhan and Kana Kandein.

She has also acted in some Malayalam and Kannada films.

 

Country singer McCready overdoses -- 'Guys Do It All the Time' singer hospitalized in Florida

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 Posted: 1527 GMT (2327 HKT)Country singer Mindy McCready overdosed in suicide attempt

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- Troubled country singer Mindy McCready has been hospitalized in Florida after an overdose, according to authorities. McCready, 28, was found unconscious Friday in a hotel lobby, according to authorities in Pinellas County, Florida. An incident report did not list the nature of the overdose.

Last week, McCready was charged in Arizona with identity theft and other counts. Within the past two years, she has also faced allegations of driving under the influence and a drug violation.

Dennis Tomlin, who had been her attorney until midday Monday, declined comment on the singer's situation Monday night except to say the singer has retained another lawyer. Tomlin said earlier Monday that McCready had gone to Florida "to visit her mother when she found out about the potential charges in Arizona. The stress got to her and she ended up in the hospital." He said then that she was in intensive care.

Details concerning the charges filed last week in Mohave County, Arizona, were not immediately available. Besides identity theft, charges against McCready included attempted fraudulent scheme and artifices, unlawful imprisonment and hindering prosecution. Tomlin said last week that the singer was helping Arizona authorities apprehend a con artist who had bilked her and other celebrities out of large sums of money. He did not elaborate on the details and declined to discuss them Monday night.

In May, McCready was charged in Tennessee with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. She also told of abuse she had allegedly received from an ex-boyfriend at a hearing. McCready had been severely beaten May 8.

Last year, she pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining the painkiller OxyContin at a pharmacy. She was fined $4,000, sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

She was scheduled to be in a Williamson County court Monday for a probation violation hearing. A judge ordered Tomlin to produce an affidavit from her doctor by Wednesday.

McCready had a No. 1 hit in 1996, "Guys Do It All the Time."

 

Singer Mindy McCready found with suicide note

July 26, 2005, 5:38PM

"Guys do it all the time..."NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Associated Press) — Mindy McCready apparently attempted suicide, and a man charged last spring with trying to kill her was with the country singer when police found her unconscious in a Florida hotel lobby, authorities said Tuesday.

William McKnight, 39, had been charged with attempted criminal homicide and aggravated burglary in an attack on the 28-year-old entertainer earlier this year. The couple had broken up about two weeks before the attack, which occurred at McCready's Nashville home.

McKnight, who described himself as McCready's fiance, told authorities at the Holiday Inn Harborside in Indian Rocks Beach that she had taken a large amount of two substances and drank a lot of alcohol, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Department report.

Sgt. Jim Bordner refused to identify the substances, citing McCready's medical confidentiality rights. Bordner also refused to release McCready's condition or the hospital where she was taken. He said only that she was "recovering at a local hospital."

According to the report, McKnight told authorities that he "had been having some relationship problems" with McCready and gave them a four-page suicide note he said she had written. The note wasn't released.

McCready had testified in May that McKnight punched her in the face and choked her after he said she wasn't going to make a fool out of him by seeing other men. He posted $130,000 bail last month. A few days before the attack, McCready — who had a hit in 1996 with Guys Do It All the Time — was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.

Last year, she pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining the painkiller OxyContin at a suburban Nashville pharmacy and was fined $4,000, sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

 

COMMENTS (7/27/05): Now we have a famous female singer (country) who has both overdosed on drugs and left a suicide note. So now there is an actress (Shelley Long) and a singer (Mindy McCready) who have both come close to fulfilling the Famous Actress/Singer Dies from Drugs Overdose prediction. The timing is still premature, but only by about three months, making this a second CLOSE CALL. I suppose you could call it a case of Close Call Overkill.

Amazingly, every letter in the name Mindy McCready but the "M" in "McC" (M + "ick") appears in a name sound. "Min" from Phil Hartman and Tammy Wynette, "Dy" ("dee") from Andy Kaufman, "Ick" from Lee Remick, "Read" ("red") from Freddie Mercury, and "Dy" ("dee") again from John F. Kennedy. It may be a miracle that she is still alive.

 

Country Star Mindy McCready Survives Second Suicide Attempt

Mindy McCready: three strikes and yer out?Soul Shine Magazine

2005-09-29

Country singer Mindy McCready was taken to hospital late last week after overdosing on antidepressants in an apparent suicide attempt, just two weeks after being released from jail. McCready, who is pregnant, took approximately 30 antidepressant pills after becoming involved in a heated phone argument with her boyfriend, fellow country singer William McKnight, who is also the father of her unborn child. McKnight called emergency services after receiving no answer when trying to call McCready back.

This is the second such attempt in three months for McCready, who was found unconscious in a hotel in Fort Myers, FL in July after another attempted overdose. The Nashville star has had a troubled year, to say the least. The aforementioned McKnight was charged with attempted murder earlier this year after breaking into McCready’s home and physically assaulting her. McCready, 29, has also been charged with identity theft, hindering prosecution, driving under the influence and illegally obtaining prescription drugs in the past couple of years alone.

McCready became a Nashville sensation with her 1996 No. 1 hit, "Guys Do It All The Time”. Bizarrely, McCready’s latest single, released around the time of her first suicide attempt, is a duet with McKnight, entitled “Sweeter”.

 

COMMENTS (10/5/05): Deeper and deeper we go into the year 2005, beyond the Elvis Presley August 1977 morbidity influence, which did witness the potentially deadly horse riding accident of pop/rock icon Madonna, beyond country singer Patsy Cline's fatal March 1963 plane crash, beyond T-Rex frontman Marc Bolan's untimely September 1977 car crash death, and beyond the September 1970 drug-related death of rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix. Now we find ourselves at the 35th anniversary of blues rock singer Janis Joplin's death from drugs overdose.

And, as I have only learned today, country singer Mindy McCready made yet another suicide attempt approximately a week ago by taking over 30 antidepressant pills. It was her second bid to commit suicide by drugs overdose in two months. This scenario was predicted by me some time ago on the 2005 (Part Three) page. If she tries such a stunt again before this year comes to an end, I think she will finally succeed.

 

"Hey, pop, point that thing somewhere else..." Marvin Gaye (d. 1984) - Marvin, Mar, Vin, In, Gay

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Marvin Hamlisch, Martin Sheen, Marty Balin, Mariah Carey, Marlo Thomas, Martha Hyer, Martin Landau, Martie Maguire, Martha Stewart, Julianne Margulies, Penny Marshall, Steve Martin, Barbara Corday, Barbara Eden, Barbra Streisand, Carmen Electra, Carlos Santana, James Arness, Vikki Carr, Claudia Cardinale, George Carlin, Judy Carne, Kim Carnes, Richard Carpenter, Scott Carpenter, Carlene Carter, Angela Cartwright, Veronica Cartwright, Yvonne DeCarlo, Terri Garr, James Garner, Andrew McCarthy, Jenny McCarthy, Paul McCartney, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D'Onofrio, Linda Lavin, Rebecca Gayheart, Susan Day George, Susan Dey, Geena Davis, Carroll Baker, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Carol Kane. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

Shaima Rezayee: The woman killed for pop music

The Times Online

TV vee-jay Shaima RezayeeMay 20, 2005

Bright and modern, she hosted a music show in Afghanistan. It drove extremists to murder her.

SHAIMA REZAYEE was the face of a new generation of young Afghan women: she discarded her shalwar kameez and burkha for Western clothes and a glamorous job as a television presenter on Kabul’s answer to MTV. But two months ago her bosses were forced to dismiss Ms Rezayee, 24, under pressure from conservative mullahs who were disgusted by the “unIslamic values” of her music show.

This week she paid for her unconventional choices with her life: she was shot dead in her home by an unknown assailant.

Police said that they believed the killing was linked to her former job as a “veejay” — video journalist — on Hop, which was broadcast by Tolo TV, one of a number of private stations set up since the fall of the Taleban. Ms Rezayee was the only female presenter on the show, which won as many young urban fans as it did enemies among the mullahs. Her murder raises the stakes in the battle for the soul of Afghanistan’s young people.

Like other young women, Ms Rezayee was denied five years of schooling while the Taleban were in control and like them was forced to wear the burkha whenever she ventured out of the house. When the Taleban were driven from power, she was one of the first to drop the veil. Then in October she burst on to Kabul television screens presenting an hour-long music and chat show airing videos of Western singers such as Madonna, as well as Turkish and Iranian pop stars.

Tolo TV was the latest private station to test the boundaries of acceptability in an Islamic republic — and the most controversial. The station was the brainchild of an Afghan who returned from Australia and who already owned Arman, a wildly popular youth radio station. Tolo quickly became the most watched station in the city with a reported 81 per cent audience share and Hop was its No 1 programme. But it drew the ire of the country’s mullahs and members of the Supreme Court, who were still incensed after losing a battle last year to have women removed from the nation’s television screens.

In March the national Ulema Council, a government panel of religious scholars, issued a statement accusing the station of “broadcasting music, naked dance and foreign films, which are against Islam and other national values of Afghanistan”. Hop was at the top of their hitlist. The information ministry asked the station to tone down the show, objecting specifically to the raciness of the pop videos and the “casual” chat between male and female presenters. In Afghanistan even conversation between men and women who are not related is regarded as suspect.

S.A.H. Sancharaky, the Deputy Minister for Information and Culture, told a foreign interviewer that the Government prided itself on not censoring the show but was compelled to ask for changes. One particularly offensive incident, he noted, was when a male presenter had complimented Ms Rezayee on her shoes. “He says, ‘Can you hold up your legs so everybody can see how good your shoes are?’” the official recalled. “ ‘Hold up your legs’ has a very bad meaning in our language.”

It was to be Ms Rezayee and not the male presenter who would pay for this exchange.

As they prepared to go national with satellite broadcasting, the station dropped her. Young viewers expressed disappointment but not surprise. In an interview three months ago Ms Reyazee noted that the split in attitudes towards women on television was generational, pitting the urban young, who delight in their freedom to watch satellite television and foreign movies, against their conservative elders.

She acknowledged that she was pushing boundaries that other young Afghan women were afraid to challenge. She hoped others would follow.

 

Porno queen's mysterious death -- murder or suicide?

MSN-Mainichi Daily News: WaiWai

July 11, 2005

Porn actress Yumika HayashiMystery surrounds the recent untimely death of Yumika Hayashi, star of over 400 blue movies and a woman referred to as Japan's Original Adult Video Queen, according to Friday (7/22). Fans of the veteran porn starlet who passed away aged just 34 have not hidden their shock at her late June demise, with many doubts remaining about whether she was a victim of her own hand or something more sinister.

Hayashi started working in the water business -- Japan's ever-flowing entertainment trade -- before making her debut as a videotape vixen in 1989, the heyday of the Japanese AV industry. Over the following 16 years, she made flick after flick doing what the Germans call fick. And it wasn't just dirty movies, Hayashi also starred in the documentary "Yumika" and "Tamamono," a full-length feature good enough to earn invitations to a number of international film festivals.

Hayashi's body was found in her Tokyo apartment early on the morning of June 28. An autopsy revealed she had died two days earlier, the day before she would have turned 35.

"About 11 o'clock that night, all this noise suddenly broke out. I looked out the window and saw all these cop cars outside the apartment block. I wondered what had happened and later learned she'd died in there," a neighbor of the late actress tells Friday. Hayashi's body was found by her mother, AV director Katsuyuki Hirano and an AV production associate. The director was upset that Hayashi had failed to turn up for work for a couple of days and contacted her mother to go up and check on the actress, but instead made the ghastly find of her body.

"Yumika was lying in her bed and the three people who found her thought she was sleeping. When they realized she wasn't breathing, they quickly called for an ambulance, but it was already too late," a pal of the actress says. "Yumika's mom was shattered, screaming, crying and going half crazy."

Nothing appeared to have been disturbed in the home and police have yet to determine the cause of the actress's death, with neither suicide nor murder ruled out. "She had no particular health worries, so it's hard to tell whether she was killed or killed herself," an AV production company associate says. "What sticks in my mind, though, is the massive amount of sleeping pills found in her room. She'd also packed down quite a bit of the booze she loved before she went to sleep."

Yumika's friends deny any possibility that she took her own life. "She was a really bright kid. She'd told me that she'd just found a new boyfriend and was really happy. I cannot believe she could possibly have committed suicide," Yumi Yoshiyuki, director of what turned out to be Hayashi's final movie, tells Friday.

Others aren't so sure, pointing to Hayashi's busy love life that left a long trail in its wake and past reactions to failed relationships. "About three months before she died, Yumika broke up with the considerably younger porno production company worker she'd been dating," another AV company worker says. "They'd lived together for a while. She seemed to have been pretty shocked when the relationship came to an end."

Hayashi's neighbor adds: "About three months ago, she had a huge fight with a guy that forced the cops to be called to our apartment block. A pile of men's photos and underpants came flying out of the window of her eighth floor apartment and landed on passers-by."

 

COMMENTS (8/22/05): This could be related to my prediction of a porn actress committing suicide this fall. However, the MO does not follow my suspicion that it will be a hanging like that of porn star Nancee Kellee in 1991. Indeed, it isn't even certain, although likely, that Yumika committed suicide.

 

'Walking in Memphis' singer Marc Cohn shot in head, survives

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 Posted: 1218 GMT (2018 HKT)

Marc Cohn(CNN) -- Singer Marc Cohn, known for the 1991 smash hit "Walking in Memphis," was shot in the head Sunday during an attempted carjacking in Denver but survived, his manager said Monday. Cohn has been treated and released from Denver Health Medical Center, his manager, Karen Malluk, said in a written statement.

Police said Cohn had performed at the Denver Botanical Gardens on Sunday night and was driving back to his hotel with band members when a man who was fleeing security officers tried to carjack their van. The van's driver tried to drive around the gunman, who then fired, striking Cohn, police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.

"Marc Cohn was shot in the head above his right temple. The bullet was lodged in his head but has since been taken out," Malluk said. Cohn's road manager, Tom Dube, was injured in the attack by flying glass that hit him in the face and eye, said Malluk. Dube has also been released from the hospital.

Police interviewed Cohn and the other band members Monday morning, Jackson said.

The suspect, identified as wanted felon Joseph Yacten, remains on the loose. Jackson said Yacten had been arrested in late June on possession of a controlled substance and possession of a weapon by a previous felon. The man, who was out on $25,000 bond, was to have appeared in court July 15 but failed to show up, Jackson said.

He said that before the shooting, the gunman had tried to use a credit card at a nearby hotel but then immediately ran from the building. He tried to carjack another vehicle as security guards pursued him, and then came across Cohn's vehicle. He was last seen driving a 2005 gold Subaru Forester, with Colorado license plate 207 KUM.

Cohn has been co-headlining a tour with Suzanne Vega at sites across the nation. The tour has been postponed, but Malluk said, "Marc will do his best to reschedule the concerts after he has fully recovered from this incident. Suzanne has agreed to join him for the rescheduled dates." Cohn won the 1991 Grammy for Best New Artist, the same year his "Walking in Memphis" was a chart-topper. He is married to ABC News correspondent and 20/20 co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas.

 

COMMENTS (8/22/05): Country music stars are having their problems now: a suicide attempt and this attempted murder. I predicted a plane crash would kill a female country star this year. It hasn't happened yet, and maybe it won't. But these ominous events involving Mindy McCready and Marc Cohn ae not good.

 

"Hi, I'm Andee ..." Andy Kaufman (d. 1984) - Andy, Ann, Dee, eeeee, Cough, Men

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Andy Griffith, Andy Williams, Brandy, Mandy Moore, Randy Quaid, Randy Travis, Sandy Duncan, Sandahl Bergman, Tony Orlando, Anne Rice, Sue Ane Langdon, Anna Kournikova, Diana Rigg, Diahann Carroll, Diane Ladd, Diane Lane, Diane Keaton, Diane Sawyer, Diane McBain, Ivana Trump, Joanna Cassidy, Susannah York, Suzanne Somers, Suzanne Vega, Vanna White, Amanda Pays, Lance Bass, Laurie Anderson, Dyan Cannon, Jackie Chan, Rue McClanahan, Jack Palance, Susan Sarandon, Jackie Shannon, Dido, Dee Wallace-Stone, Dee Dee Sharp, Goldie Hawn, Mindy Sterling, Cindy Williams, Woody Allen, Claudine Longet, Billy Dee Williams, Kiki Dee, Sandra Dee, Cat Deeley, David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, Dustin Hoffman, Justine Bateman, Honor Blackman, Joan Blackman, Tracy Chapman, Gene Hackman, Sally Kellerman, Jack Klugman, Dennis Rodman, Tracy Ullman. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

Luther Vandross dead at 54

Friday, July 1, 2005; Posted: 8:15 p.m. EDT (00:15 GMT)

Luther Vandross died Friday, two years after a debilitating stroke(CNN) -- Legendary R&B artist Luther Vandross, whose smooth, silky voice gave soul to songs about life, love and relationships, died Friday. He was 54 years old.

The popular crooner suffered a debilitating stroke in April 2003. Even so, his album "Dance With My Father," co-written with Richard Marx, sold nearly a million copies in its first month of release that June. The following year, that album won three Grammy Awards, including song of the year.

His eighth and final Grammy came for best R&B performance by a duo -- the remake of "The Closer I Get to You," sung with Beyonce Knowles. Vandross died at JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey at 1:47 p.m. ET, surrounded by family, friends and a medical support team, a statement from the hospital said.

Alluding to the stroke, "which he never fully recovered from," hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh said, "Throughout his illness, Luther received excellent medical care and attention from his medical team. Luther was deeply touched by all the thoughts and wishes from his fans."

Vandross' songs and emotionally charged ballads carry a signature sound. During his four-decade career, Vandross sold more than 25 million copies, each one of his 14 albums achieving either platinum or multi-platinum status.

Luther Ronzoni Vandross was born into a New York City family steeped in the traditions of gospel and soul. He began his career writing and performing jingles for television commercials. He even appeared on "Sesame Street" in October 1969.

It was after a chance meeting with David Bowie at a recording studio in 1975 that Vandross was asked to sing backup on Bowie's hit album, "Young Americans." Later, Vandross served as Bowie's opening act. Vandross also sang backup for Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand.

When record companies rejected him, Vandross used his own money to produce his 1981 debut album, "Never Too Much."It went on to top the R&B charts and sold 2 million copies.

Luther belts out a tune in early 1999 while standing in front of his "lucky" George Harrison posterBy the end of the 1980s Vandross had nearly two dozen smash singles, including "Give Me the Reason," "Stop to Love" and "There's Nothing Better Than Love," made with Gregory Hines. Arguably his most memorable hit was the 1989 classic, "Here and Now," which has become a wedding staple. The momentum carried into the 1990s, with Vandross recording "The Best Things In Life Are Free," a pop duet with Janet Jackson that hit the Top 10 and No. 1 on the R&B charts. He followed that in 1994 with "Endless Love," a duet with Mariah Carey that reached No. 2 on the pop charts.

"I was Luther from day one, from the day I began, and I think that's a very important thing," he once said. "I think that's what sustained my career for so long is that when I start, you know it's me."

Vandross struggled with health and image problems, claiming that he lost 100 pounds -- 13 times. He suffered from hypertension and diabetes, which killed two siblings and his father, but refused to slow down until his stroke two years ago.

Of "Dance With My Father," he once said that title song "was very emotional for me and, yes, it is based on my own experience. "It's not just about losing one's father, but about missing someone who is gone -- for whatever reason -- and the longing you feel for that moment in the past when you were together," he said.

 

COMMENTS (7/11/05): Yep, Luther & George. Can't think of one without thinking of the other.

 

"I feel another one coming on."Jennifer Aniston collapses

Sydney Morning Herald

July 12, 2005

Jennifer Aniston has collapsed on a movie set and wags are putting it down to the strain of seeing one too many photos of Brad Pitt alongside Angelina Jolie. Aniston passed out on the set of her new movie, unfortunately titled The Break Up, in Chicago.

Though the official cause of her collapse was given as heatstroke, it comes as no surprise that sources on the set insisted she was overcome with emotion. Her fainting spell came after it was reported that Pitt was in Ethiopia with Jolie, where the actress was adopting an AIDS orphan.

A source was quoted in British newspaper the Daily Mail as saying: "She's been walking around with a sad look on her face and has not been her usual self.

"While her collapse was blamed on heatstroke, everyone thinks it's more down to stress than anything else. She can't have escaped all the stories about Brad and Angelina and it looks like the situation has taken its toll on her."

Or maybe it was just heat exhaustion.

 

Scarlett Johansson In A Car Accident With A Paparazzi

SOFTPEDIA NEWS

22nd of August 2005

Scarlett JohanssonActress Scarlett Johansson was involved in a car accident just outside Disneyland when her Mercedes hit another car as she was trying to escape chasing paparazzi.

According to witnesses, Scarlett, 21, was driving her car, accompanied by two pals, near the entrance, when she band away to get rid of the chasing paparazzi and hit another vehicle containing a woman and her two young daughters.

An onlooker says: "The front of Scarlett's Mercedes damaged the side of the other car pretty badly.

Scarlett looked really shaken up and when both cars pulled over in a safe spot, she apologised profusely to the other woman. After that, they spent around 40 minutes on their phones, sorting out all of their insurance and legal paperwork."

Soon after the incident, a Mercedes representative showed up with a new car for the actress, so she can go home safely.

Johansson's publicist Marcel Parideau states: "The fender bender was induced by the paparazzi, which chased her for 45 minutes."

 

D'Angelo critically injured in SUV crash

Monday, September 26, 2005 Posted: 1931 GMT (0331 HKT)

D'Angelo won a Grammy for 'Untitled (How Does It Feel)' from his album 'Voodoo.'RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- R&B crooner D'Angelo, who won over America with his '90s soul ballads only to fade after bouts with the law and drugs, was critically injured in a car wreck outside his hometown of Richmond.

D'Angelo, 31, born Michael Eugene Archer, was in a 2003 Hummer sport utility vehicle on September 19 when it crossed the roadway and struck a fence, ejecting the singer, State Police Sgt. Kevin Barrick said Monday. Archer wasn't wearing a seat restraint, Barrick said.Barrick said Archer was initially listed in critical condition.

The singer's attorney and business adviser, L. Londell McMillan, Monday released a statement about D'Angelo. "D'Angelo is home and doing well. ... His spirit is very positive and he is blessed that the accident was not fatal," said the statement.

Officials at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, where the Grammy-winning artist was flown after the wreck, said the family had asked that his condition not be released. Another person, Lynne Sellers, also was injured in the wreck. Police couldn't say which of the two had been driving.

The accident occurred in Powhatan County, a bedroom community west of the city. Archer lives in Midlothian, just outside Richmond. The cause of the crash is under investigation, Barrick said.

Known for hits such as "Brown Sugar" and a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'," Archer rode a wave of popularity that culminated with a Grammy in 2001 for best male R&B vocal performance for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" from the album "Voodoo," which won a Grammy for best R&B album. In April, the singer was fined $250 and given a 90-day suspended jail term on a driving under the influence of alcohol conviction. His driver's license was suspended for one year.

On a marijuana charge, Archer was fined $50 and given a 10-day suspended jail term. His driver's license was suspended for an additional six months. Earlier this month, he received a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of cocaine possession. Archer had faced three years in prison.

 

"I got a hunka-hunka-hunka-hunka-hunka-hunka-hunka-hunka burnin' love for yuh, honey ..." Elvis Presley (d. 1977) - Elvis, El, Vis, Iss, Pres, Res, Es, Lee, eeeee

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Elvis Costello, Elton John, Alvin Lee, Alice Cooper, Ellen Burstyn, Elias Koteas, Helen Hunt, Kelly Packard, Stella Stevens, Dawn Wells, Tuesday Weld, Maria Bello, Lori Spelling, James Belushi, Kate Nelligan, Dean Stockwell, Geri Halliwell, Liza Minnelli, Valerie Bertinelli, Priscilla Presley, Jaime Pressly, Billy Preston. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

"I'm waiting ..." Inger Stevens (d. 1970) - Inger, Ing, Gur, Stee, eeeee, vens

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Ingrid Pitt, Laura Harring, Laura Herring, Gloria Loring, Connie Stevens, Dorinda Stevens, Stella Stevens, Oakley Stevenson, Steve Miller, Steve Miner, Garn Stephens, Nancy Stephens, Stephen Baldwin, Stephen Bishop, Stevie Wonder, Barbara Steele, Danielle Steel, Mary Steenburgen, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Applegate, Seymour Cassel. Additional predictions: (3/2/05): Tony Curtis.

 

Taryn Manning: Emergency landing 'surreal'

Friday, September 23, 2005 Posted: 0911 GMT (1711 HKT)

Taryn ManningLOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Actress Taryn Manning says flying in an airliner that was the subject of a breaking news story she sat watching on inflight TV was the most "out of body experience I ever had."

Manning, who has appeared in such films as "Hustle and Flow," "Crossroads" and "8 Mile," was among 140 passengers on the JetBlue airliner that had to make an emergency landing Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport after its front landing gear became stuck in a sideways position. No one was hurt.

JetBlue airliners have satellite television monitors installed in the backs of the seats so passengers can watch TV during their flights. "When we saw our plane on TV as 'breaking news' ... it was the most surreal, out of body experience I ever had," Manning told talk-show host Craig Ferguson during a taping of "The Late Late Show" on Thursday.

While the plane circled Southern California for three hours to burn off excess fuel before landing, Manning said she, like other passengers, wrote a note to her family. "I just composed a little something so that if anything happened they would know that our last goodbye wasn't on the phone," she said. The passengers displayed a range of emotions during the ordeal, according to the actress. "A lot of the women of course were crying," she said. "There was a gentleman across the way who was writing in his journal and crying, and seeing that isn't easy."

When the plane finally touched down safely amid a shower of sparks and smoke as its front tire disintegrated, Manning said passengers burst into a deafening round of cheers and applause. "It sounded like Dodger Stadium in there," she said.

 

COMMENTS (9/28/05): There is a small chance of a an actress dying in a plane crash this year -- but it would likely be someone more famous and established than Manning. This would be someone of the stature of Carole Lombard, who was killed in a plane crash in January 1941. The odds are greater that a crash victim this year will be a female country singer or several members of a country rock band.

 

"Welcome to rock n' roll heaven, bro." Jimi Hendrix (d. 1970) - Jimi, Jim, Me, eeeee, Hen, Dricks, Ricks

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Jimmy Dean, Jim Nabors, Eddie Kendricks, Jason Gedrick, Katie Couric, Florence Henderson, Gisele MacKenzie, Mackenzie Astin. Additional predictions: (1/11/05): Jimmy Page.

 

Bob Denver, TV's 'Gilligan,' dies at 70

Tuesday, September 6, 2005 Posted: 2019 GMT (0419 HKT)

The late Bob Denver as 'Gilligan'LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Bob Denver, whose portrayal of goofy castaway Gilligan on the 1960s TV show "Gilligan's Island" made him an iconic figure to generations of TV viewers, has died. He was 70.

He died Friday at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina of complications from treatment he was receiving for cancer, his agent, Mike Eisenstadt, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

His wife, Dreama, and children Patrick, Megan, Emily and Colin were with Denver, who also had undergone quadruple heart bypass surgery earlier this year. "He was my everything and I will love him forever," Dreama Denver said in a statement.

Denver's signature role was Gilligan, but when he took the role in 1964 he was already widely known to TV audiences for another iconic character, Maynard G. Krebs, the bearded beatnik friend of Dwayne Hickman's Dobie in the "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," which aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963. Krebs, whose only desire was to play the bongos and hang out at coffee houses, would shriek every time the word "work" was mentioned in his presence.

Gilligan, on the other hand, was industrious but inept. And his character was as lovable as he was inept. Viewers embraced the skinny kid in the Buster Brown haircut and white sailor hat. So did the Minnow's skipper, Jonas Grumby, who was played by Alan Hale Jr., and who always referred to his first mate affectionately as "little buddy."

"As silly as it seems to all of us, it has made a difference in a lot of children's lives," Dawn Wells, who played castaway Mary Ann Summers, once said. "Gilligan is a buffoon that makes mistakes and I cannot tell you how many kids come up and say, 'But you loved him anyway.' "

TV critics were less kind, dismissing the show as inane. But after it was canceled by CBS in 1967, it found new audiences over and over in syndicated reruns and reunion films, including 1981's "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island." (It also led to the recent TBS reality series "The Real Gilligan's Island.")

One of the most recent of those films was 2001's "Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three-Hour Tour in History," in which other actors portrayed the original seven-member cast while three of the four surviving original members, including Denver, narrated and reminisced.

"Gilligan's Island" writer-creator Sherwood Schwartz insisted that the show had social meaning along with the laughs: "I knew that by assembling seven different people and forcing them to live together, the show would have great philosophical implications."

Denver went on to star in other TV series, including "The Good Guys" and "Dusty's Trail," as well as to make numerous appearances in films and TV shows. But he never escaped the role of Gilligan, so much so that in one of his top 10 lists -- "the top 10 things that will make you stand up and cheer" -- "Late Show" host David Letterman once simply shouted out Denver's name to raucous applause.

"It was the mid-'70s when I realized it wasn't going off the air," Denver told The Associated Press in 2001, noting then that he enjoyed checking eBay each day to keep up on the prices "Gilligan's Island" memorabilia were fetching. "I certainly didn't set out to have a series rerun forever, but it's not a bad experience at all," he added.

 

COMMENTS (9/8/05): I had no idea Gilligan was that old. I thought he was getting a bit rough looking (generally a clue that someone is aging). Like Mick Jagged and the Rolling Bones. Another part of the friendly past, now gone forever. Makes one feel like swiss cheese, with less cheese and more holes as time goes by.

Bob Denver as 'Gilligan,' Dawn Wells as 'Mary Ann,' and Alan Hale Jr as 'The Skipper' "Hey, skipper ... this must be Paradise Island. Think we can talk Mary Ann into joining us?"

"Definitely needs a woman's touch, itty-bitty buddy..."

So this is the tale of our castaways,
they're here for a long, long time.
They'll have to make the best of things,
it's an uphill climb.

The first mate and his skipper too,
will do their very best,
to make the others comfortable,
in their tropic island nest ...

 

"I need a MAN to love ..." Janis Joplin (d. 1970) - Janis, Jan, Ann, Iss, Jop, Op, Lin, In

Possible predictions (1/8/05): Janis Ian, Janis Kelly, Janice Page, Janet Jackson, Janet McTeer, Janine Turner, Jan Michael-Vincent, Iggy Pop, Dennis Hopper, Ewa Aulin, James Brolin, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Franklin, Loretta Lynn, Marilyn McCoo, Marilyn Chambers, Marilyn Beck, Sherilyn Fenn, Lynn Anderson, Lynda Carter, Linda Blair, Linda Hamilton, Linda Gray, Linda Harrison, Linda Hunt, Linda Ronstadt, Belinda Carlisle. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

Actress Lindsay Lohan slightly hurt in car crash

Wed Jun 1, 2005 06:31 PM ET

Lindsay LohanLOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan and a passenger in her Mercedes suffered minor injuries when a photographer crashed his car into hers after pursuing her through the streets of Los Angeles, police said on Wednesday.

Police arrested Galo Cesar Ramirez who they said followed Lohan, 18, and her 19-year-old passenger on Tuesday and tried to snap a photograph of the "Mean Girls" actress. Lohan stars in the upcoming Walt Disney film "Herbie: Fully Loaded."

A spokeswoman for Lohan said the actress knew Ramirez had been arrested, but had no comment on the criminal investigation pending against him. "Lindsay is shaken up and extremely upset from the incident caused by the aggressive paparazzi," Lohan spokeswoman Leslie Sloane said in a statement.

After Lohan made a U-turn to evade Ramirez, he intentionally crashed his minivan into the driver's side door of Lohan's Mercedes-Benz coupe, police said. The crash occurred just outside the Beverly Hills city limits, police said.

Lohan suffered a cut to her ankle and complained of pain in her neck and ankle, police said. Her passenger, whom police did not identify, complained of pain in her head and wrist.

Lohan had called police from her cell phone to complain that she was being chased by paparazzi shortly before the crash, police said. Ramirez, 24, was booked on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon and on an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor marijuana possession, police said. He was released on Wednesday on $35,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 22.

 

Lindsay Lohan in another car crash -- Witnesses say actress was trying to avoid paparazzi

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 Posted: 0524 GMT (1324 HKT)

Lindsay Lohan:  Strrrike 2 ! Strike 3 may be fatal.LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Lindsay Lohan and two other people were taken to a hospital Tuesday after the actress' black Mercedes-Benz convertible collided with a van in West Hollywood, authorities said. Witnesses said Lohan was trying to avoid paparazzi photographers when the crash occurred.

Lohan and a female passenger in her car suffered minor injuries, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht. The driver of the van, which was knocked into a parked vehicle, suffered moderate injuries, Hecht said. The identities of Lohan's passenger and the male driver of the van were not immediately released.

The accident was witnessed by a number of people, including a reporter for the syndicated television show "The Insider." "Insider" reporter Victoria Recano told The Associated Press she saw Lohan and a passenger run into an antique store immediately after the collision. Javier Ramirez, who works at the store, said he recognized Lohan. "She was very upset," Ramirez told the AP. "She kept saying, 'Oh my God, oh my God, I can't believe it."' Ramirez said Lohan and her passenger left after a few minutes and although both were shaken up, neither appeared badly hurt.

Television news footage showed a badly damaged black Mercedes outside the store with both its driver- and passenger-side air bags inflated. The sheriff's department said the driver of the van appeared to be turning in front of Lohan's car when the vehicles collided. There was no evidence alcohol was involved in the crash, Hecht said in a news release.

Witnesses said dozens of paparazzi photographers had been following Lohan through the area before the crash. At one point, according to Lori Satzberg, 43, several photographers tried to take pictures of Lohan as she shopped at a clothing store. The photographers then followed her outside to her car. "She got into her black Mercedes across the street and they literally were like sitting on her car, trying to take pictures of her, she was like yelling at them to get off," Satzberg said.

The crash was the second one Lohan, 19, has been involved in recent months. Police said the star of such films as "Mean Girls" and "Herbie: Fully Loaded" was attempting to evade a paparazzi photographer in June when the photographer crashed his car into her Mercedes. She suffered cuts and bruises in that crash but did not seek medical attention.

The photographer was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon. Police said it appeared he deliberately crashed into the actress' vehicle. A new state law signed Friday allows victims of paparazzi assaults to file lawsuits seeking up to three times the damages they suffered. The law goes into effect Jan. 1.

 

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (d. 1963) - Sylvia, Sil, Il, Vee, eeeee, Plath, Ath

Possible predictions (1/8/05): Celine Dion, Cybill Shepherd, Olivia Cole, Olivia D'Abo, Olivia Burnette, Olivia Hussey, Olivia Newton-John, Billie Piper, Gillian Anderson, Jill St John, Jill Sobule, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Cheryl Tiegs, Faith Hill, Lauryn Hill, Paris Hilton, Genevieve Bujold, Christie McVie, Tim Matheson, Kathy Bates, Kathy Ireland, Kathy Mattea, Kathleen Beller, Kathleen Turner, Catherine Deneuve, Catherine McCormack, Catherine Mary Stewart, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Additional predictions: (3/3/05): Jennifer Tilly, Meg Tilly.

 

Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (d. 1963) - Patsy, At, See, eeeee, Cly, Ly, Line, Ine

Possible predictions (1/8/05): Patsy Pease, Patsy Kensit, Patti D'Arbanville, Patti Davis, Patti Loveless, Patti Smith, Patty Duke, Pat Benatar, Pat Boone, Pat Priest, Patricia Wettig, Nancy Allen, Nancy Kovak, Nancy Loomis, Lucy Lawless, Barbara Anne Klein, Kevin Kline, Tania Kline, Sue Lyon. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

"America Pie" actress Natasha Lyonne fights for life in New York hospital

August 23, 2005

Natasha LyonneNew York (AP)--"American Pie" star Natasha Lyonne is reportedly fighting for her life in a New York City hospital, after being found with hepatitis C, a heart infection and a collapsed lung.

Her dad Aaron Braunstein believes she may have picked up the liver virus while shooting a movie abroad three years ago.

Although it has been rumoured that she's also fighting a battle with heroin - the primary mode of transmission of hepatitis C is via contaminated blood--through needles shared by drug users or through blood transfusions.

The 26 year old actress, whose credits also include "Slums of Beverly Hills," "Die Mommy, Die" and last year's "Blade: Trinity," has not had a publicist or Hollywood representation for the past several months.

She was charged in December 2004 with criminal mischief, harassment and trespassing after she allegedly exploded in a temper tantrum on her New York neighbor, ripping a mirror off the woman's wall and threatening to sexually molest her dog.

Lyonne had been due in court April 19th to answer the charges but left the courthouse early, prompting Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Abraham Clott to put out an arrest warrant.

 

John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy (d. 1963) - John, On, F., Ken, En, Dee, eeeee

Possible predictions (1/8/05): John Aniston, John Cleese, John Cusack, John Davidson, John Carpenter, John Elway, John Fogerty, John Goodman, John Hurt, John Kassir, John Landis, John Lithgow, John Malkovich, John McEnroe, Pope John Paul II, John Stamos, John Travolta, Johnny Carson, Johnny Crawford, Johnny Depp, Johnny Mathis. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

 

Peter Jennings has lung cancer

ABC news chief anchor Peter Jennings has been diagnosed with lung cancer.Tuesday, April 5, 2005 Posted: 1641 GMT (0041 HKT)

(CNN) -- ABC news anchor Peter Jennings has been diagnosed with lung cancer, his colleagues were told Tuesday.

ABC News President David Westin informed the staff of ABC News in a memo saying Jennings, 66, would begin outpatient treatment and expects to continue to anchor "World News Tonight."

"There will be good days and bad, which means some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky," Jennings told ABC News employees in an e-mail, according to The Associated Press.

The text of the memo from Westin is as follows:

"This morning, Peter Jennings told his senior staff at World News Tonight that yesterday afternoon he was diagnosed with lung cancer. ... He will begin outpatient treatment next week here in New York.

It's both Peter's and my expectation that he will anchor World News Tonight during the period of treatment to the extent he can do so comfortably; but, we should also expect him to be off the broadcast from time to time, depending on how he feels.

"Charlie Gibson, Elizabeth Vargas, and others will be substituting for Peter as necessary and when their other responsibilities permit.

"All of us at ABC News have watched over the years as Peter has led us on various assignments with strength and with courage. We've done our best to support him in these endeavors. Now, Peter's been given a tough assignment. He's already bringing to this new challenge the courage and strength we've seen so often in his reporting from the field and in anchoring ABC News.

"I know that all of us will give him every bit of support that he needs and asks for. Peter will once again lead the way, but we will stand with him at every turn."

Jennings has been the sole anchor of "World News Tonight" since 1983. He was part of a group of anchors, with Frank Reynolds and Max Robinson, for several years before that. He also anchored ABC's evening news show in the 1960s, when he was in his late 20s.

 

Peter Jennings dies of lung cancer -- Longtime ABC News anchor was 67

Monday, August 8, 2005 Posted: 2323 GMT (0723 HKT)

Peter JenningsNEW YORK (CNN) -- Veteran newsman Peter Jennings was remembered Monday as an outstanding journalist, a hard worker and "a man of conscience and integrity." The longtime anchor of ABC "World News Tonight" died Sunday, some four months after he announced on the air that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Jennings was 67.

"Good Morning America" co-host Charles Gibson announced late Sunday that Jennings had died in his New York City apartment. His wife, Kayce, his children Elizabeth and Christopher, and his sister were at his side, Gibson said. He read a statement from the family that said: "Peter died with his family around him, without pain and in peace. He knew he had lived a good life."

ABC News President David Westin told reporters Monday that it was a sad day at the network where Jennings had worked for more than 40 years. "Peter, in addition to being an outstanding journalist, an outstanding leader, was also a very warm and decent man and a great friend and colleague to so many of us," Westin said. "We all got to see how professional he was on the air, and sometimes his urbanity could be mistaken for a certain distance. But in fact he was a very sensitive, warm, decent man who cared passionately for what he did, for what all of us do -- for reporting the news every day of the year."

In a written statement to his staff, Westin wrote on Sunday that "we will have many opportunities in the coming hours and days to remember Peter for all that he meant to us all. ... But for the moment, the finest tribute we can give is to continue to do the work he loved so much and inspired us to do."

Anchor Barbara Walters described Jennings as a stickler for details, adding that "if I knew the name of the person in the parade, he knew the name of the horse. He pushed himself, he pushed us, he made us better. One of the things that I think was very interesting about Peter is that he didn't graduate from high school, and this gave him a kind of insecurity that made him want to work harder, and learn more," Walters said. "He wrote like a dream. You would think that he was reading a script, and it was all ad-lib. He was an anchor in every true sense of the word."

President Bush remembered Jennings as a distinguished journalist. "A lot of Americans relied upon Peter Jennings for their news. He became a part of the life of a lot of our fellow citizens, and he will be missed," Bush said as he prepared to board Air Force One. "May God bless his soul."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement that she was saddened by the death of her "close, personal friend." "Peter Jennings represented all that was best in journalism and public service. A man of conscience and integrity, his reporting was a guide to all of us who aspire to better the world around us. I learned from him and was inspired by him," she wrote.

Determined fight

Since April 5, when Jennings announced his diagnosis on the news program, he kept his public comments positive. Even during the initial announcement, he said he would be undergoing chemotherapy and joked about losing his hair. "I wonder if other men and women ask their doctors right away, 'OK, doc, when does the hair go?' " he said.

Jennings said he was determined to fight the disease, citing National Cancer Institute statistics that nearly 10 million Americans are living with cancer. "I have a lot to learn from them, and 'living' is the key word," he said.

The network's "World News Tonight" Web site has maintained an online forum where viewers could post expressions of support and good wishes for Jennings. It has also posted statements from Jennings thanking viewers for their support and his thoughts on topics such as the recent terrorist bombings in London.

In an April 29 letter posted on the site, Jennings said he had been "spoiled rotten" by well-wishers and added, "I assume there are a few others out there who, like me, are going with the flow until the day gets better."

His last posting came on July 29, Jennings' birthday. "Many thanks to all of you for your birthday wishes," the statement from Jennings said. "Your words -- as always -- are a great source of strength. I am celebrating today with my family -- we are all grateful."

Network anchor at age 26

Jennings was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1938. His father, Charles, was the first voice of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation when it was established in the mid-1930s. At age 9, Jennings hosted "Peter's Program," a short-lived Saturday morning children's show on the CBC.

A high school dropout, Jennings worked as a bank teller for several years before moving into radio and then into television in 1961. He was hired by ABC in 1964.

The following year, when he was 26, Jennings was picked to anchor "The ABC Evening News." But two years later, he told his bosses he needed more seasoning and returned to field reporting, CNN correspondent Jeff Greenfield, a former ABC News employee, has said.

Jennings became a foreign correspondent for the network, covering such stories as the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, when members of the Arab terrorist group Black September seized the Israeli compound and took athletes hostage and later killed them.

Since he began anchoring the program in 1983, Jennings has won numerous awards, including a National Headliner Award, a George Foster Peabody Award and several Overseas Press Club Awards. He also won some 16 Emmys, according to the ABC News Web site.

Asked how it felt after anchoring ABC's evening news program for 20 years, Jennings told CNN's Larry King on September 8, 2003: "Seems like yesterday; seems like forever -- all at the same time. It's sort of, how do you measure it? Do you measure the fact that I'm 20 years older? No. I think I measure it by the events. You know, I came just as the Cold War was coming to an end. When you think about the events that we've been through, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to, I guess you'd say, 9/11 being the culmination at the end of that, of that scope, what extraordinary changes there have been."

 

COMMENTS (8/22/05): This is one of many late posts. My computer crashed in early August and it took a week to find a replacement. What I have is much more powerful, but takes some getting used to since the operating system is the most up-to-date. Unfortunately, I had not backed-up this website since May when the computer crashed, so I have been busy updating pages to what they should be and not what they were over three months ago. That has required downloading pages directly from my website on the Internet to get the newer text I wrote and newer images (that never got backed up) saved to my pages and website folder on my computer. It is a tedious and lengthy process.

Peter Jennings died while I was in a state of limbo between the old computer and the newer one I now have. It was a sad event for me personally. He seemed like a nice guy and I was always used to his presence on the news since the days when the Iranian Revolution and the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini were happening in 1979. His career as ABC anchor until his death marks an era that has taken up nearly half of my life. That's a long time to see a familiar face suddenly extinguished. Nowadays, 67 years old, the age which Peter Jennings was, is not what it was 30 years ago ... he was a young 67. He was a superstar as far as TV journalists are concerned and will be greatly missed.

 

Blues star Long John Baldry dies

"Long John" BaldryBBC NEWS

Friday, 22 July, 2005, 23:22 GMT 00:22 UK

British-born blues singer "Long John" Baldry has died aged 64 after fighting a chest infection for four months. Born John William Baldry, he passed away at Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia, Canada.

Baldry - whose only UK number one came in 1967 with Let The Heartaches Begin - was a friend of Paul McCartney and inspired Eric Clapton to play guitar. He also performed with Rod Stewart and Elton John before a Grammy nomination in 1998 for narration work with Disney.

Baldry - who leaves behind siblings Margaret and Roger, as well as long-time friend and partner Felix "Oz" Rexach - started his career playing folk and jazz in the 1950s. He became one of the founding fathers of British Rock 'n' Roll in the 1960s and appeared at The Cavern in Liverpool, becoming friends with McCartney.

Baldry was invited to perform on the Beatles' internationally televised special "Around the Beatles" in 1964, along with P J Proby and Cilla Black. He performed with influential British bands Blues Incorporated, and Cyril Davies' R&B All Stars in the 60s.

Later, he fronted the Hoochie Coochie Men, which included Rod Stewart, who later joined Baldry in Steam Packet, also featuring keyboardist Brian Auger and singer Julie Driscoll. After a brief period with Bluesology, which featured Elton John on keyboards, Baldry went solo.

With production assistance from Rod Stewart and Elton John, he recorded the album, It Ain't Easy, for Warner Bros. featuring his signature song "Don't try to Lay no Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock n' Roll."

After emigrating to Canada in the early 1980s, he recorded for EMI Music Canada, and since 1991 recorded five albums for Stony Plain Records in Edmonton, Alberta. The label is set to re-release Baldry's Warner Bros. albums, It Ain't Easy and Everything Stops for Tea, in the autumn.

Since the early 1990s, he was also known in Canada for his extensive voice work in commercials. He also narrated on Winnie The Pooh recordings for Disney and was the voice for Robotnik on the popular Sonic The Hedgehog computer game.

 

COMMENTS (7/27/05): When this story broke, "Long John" made me think of "Shelley Long" who attempted suicide by drugs overdose late last year. I thought it might be apt to warn of another attempt, but it appears the country singer Mindy McCready, name sounds cousin of Tammy Wynette, Andy Kaufman, Lee Remick, and Freddie Mercury, has suddenly filled the spot ... for now.


 

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The Madonna-Pamela Anderson Prophecy (Part Two)

Pope Benedict XVI and the Rose Prophecy