Jim Abrahams was best known for the movies he co-wrote and produced with brothers Jerry Zucker and David Zucker, such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun series.
November 29, 2024
In Memoriam
Total 1564 Posts
Rico Carty achieved his greatest fame with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, culminating in a National League All-Star Game appearance and batting title in 1970, but I'll remember him best as a member of my Toronto Blue Jays in 1978 and 1979. He was, and will forever be, The Beeg
Chuck Woolery was the original host of the original daytime Wheel of Fortune, the original incarnation of Love Connection, Scrabble, and during a brief revival, Greed and Lingo. For my generation, he was Mr. Love Connection, and he'd be back in two minutes, two second.
In a career that spanned more than 75 years, Quincy Jones won 28 Grammy awards and was named as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine. He was a musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and many others.
Teri Garr was the actress best known for roles in Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Tootsie and Mr. Mom. Her role in Tootsie earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Phil Lesh was a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career. In 1994, he was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead.
Scott Carefoot visited me three years ago for an episode of Toronto Mike'd and we talked about his RaptorsBlog and his foray into sports media with stops at The Toronto Sun, theScore, Bell Media, The Hockey News, and Rogers Radio. Here's a taste: My sincere condolences to all who knew
Fernando Valenzuela was the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981.
Bill Vigars, who accompanied Terry Fox on his 1980 Marathon of Hope, has passed away. 13 months ago, I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with Bill about his time with Terry and the Marathon of Hope.
Luis Tiant, nicknamed El Tiante, pitched in the major leagues for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox.
John Amos was the TV writer turned Emmy-nominated actor who starred as the stoic father on Good Times.
Pete Rose was a 17-time All-Star who won three World Series championships with the Cincinnati Reds. He holds the major league record for hits (4,256), games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890) and the NL record for the longest hitting streak (44).
Dikembe Mutombo was a legendary shot blocker and humanitarian who was induced into basketball'sHall of Fame.
Kris Kristofferson was the multi-award winner best known for his songwriting, notably credited for Me and Bobby McGee, Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down, and Help Me Make It Through the Night, among others. He also acted in the hit movie A Star Is Born.
Dame Maggie Smith had an extensive career on stage and screen over seven decades and has received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards.
Tito Jackson and his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael were members of The Jackson 5. The family group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s including ABC, I Want You Back and I'll Be
James Earl Jones was the actor best known for being the voices of the Star Wars villain Darth Vader. He starred in dozens of films including Field of Dreams, Coming To America, Conan the Barbarian and The Lion King.
One of FOTM Keith Hampshires big hits was Big Time Operator, which is a cover of a song by Zoot Money's Big Roll Band. Zoot Money's Big Roll Band featured a pre-Police Andy Summers! Zoot Money was the vocalist, and he has passed away at the age of 82.
Johnny Gaudreau, nicknamed “Johnny Hockey,” was an 11-year NHL veteran and seven-time All-Star who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Calgary Flames. He and his brother Matthew passed away Thursday while cycling when stuck by a drunk driver.
In this 1542nd episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike is joined by Retrontario's Ed Conroy as they remember Harry Forbes, Synth library pioneer and composer of TVO's Magic Shadows and Bits and Bytes theme songs. This episode is exactly 46:41. September 6, 1943 – August 22, 2024 Edmonton, Alberta – Toronto, Ontario
Phil Donahue was the “King of Daytime Talk” who created and hosted the The Phil Donahue Show.
Jack Russell was a founding member of Great White, the band best known for the singles "Rock Me" and "Once Bitten, Twice Shy."
Gena Rowlands was an acclaimed acctress of film and television who may be best known for her role in The Notebook, directed by her son Nick Cassavetes.
Chi Chi Rodriguez was the professional golfer who collected 30 career victories between the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.
Maurice Williams wrote and recorded the #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 hit "Stay" while with the Zodiacs. He wrote the song when he was fifteen and it was the shortest single ever to reach the top of the American record charts at that time, at 1 minute 36 seconds.
