In Memoriam
Total 1561 Posts
Gil Scott-Heron was 62. He was the poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and 80s, and for his collaborative soul works with musician Brian Jackson. He was the man behind such seminal pieces of music as “Home Is Where
Jeff Conaway was 60. He made his name playing bad boy Kenickie in the movie Grease and as struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in the sitcom Taxi.
Pete Griffin was 81. He and David Haydu formed the comedy duo Pete & Geets, hosting a morning-drive radio show on CHUM-FM in the early 1970s that was later revived between 1982-1987 on CFNY. Here's some great audio of Pete and Geets, originally shared here. I once interviewed my buddy
"Macho Man" Randy Savage was 58. He was one of the most famous WWF superstars of all-time. I always loved Macho Man. In fact, less than a month ago, I wrote about his epic rap career. I highly recommend you visit Macho Man's Rap Career Was Epic for more memories
Harmon Killebrew was 74. He was the affable, big-swinging Hall of Famer whose tape-measure home runs made him the cornerstone of the Minnesota Twins.
Derek Boogaard was 28. He played 277 regular-season games with the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers over six seasons, accumulating three goals and 13 assists and 589 penalty minutes.
Mel Queen was 69. He had a brief stint as the Toronto's interim manager in 1997 and served the Blue Jays in numerous roles, including director of player development and pitching coach.
Seve Ballesteros was 54. He was a five-time major golf champion whose passion and gift for imaginative shot-making invigorated European golf and the Ryder Cup.
Osama bin Laden was 54. He was the founder of the jihadist organization al-Qaeda, most widely recognized for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. I've been documenting the deaths of the famous and infamous here for over 10
Ken Kostick was 57. He hosted the TV cooking show What's for Dinner with Mary Jo Eustace. He was also part of the first morning show in the history of 103.9 Proud FM.
Sidney Lumet was 86. He was the award-winning director of such acclaimed films as "Network," "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "12 Angry Men."
Roger Abbott was 64. He was one of the driving forces behind CBC’s Royal Canadian Air Farce on both TV and radio.
Elizabeth Taylor was 79. She was one of the 20th Century's biggest movie stars, winning winning a best actress Oscar in 1960 for "Butterfield 8" and then again in 1966 for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Here she is on What's My Line?
Nathaniel D. Hale a.k.a. Nate Dogg was 41. He was part of an extended family of rappers known as the Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips (DPGC). You likely know him best from Regulate with Warren G.
Rick Martin was 59. He was the first ever 50 goal scorer for the Buffalo Sabres and a member of their famed “French Connection” line.
Jane Russell was 89. She was the 1940s and '50s movie bombshell, whose name was synonymous with voluptuousness.
Duke Snider was 84. He was a Hall of Fame outfielder who hit 407 home runs in an 18-year career that spanned the Dodgers' final years in Brooklyn and first years in Los Angeles.
Len Lesser was 88. He was best known for his recurring role as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld. I loved Uncle Leo.
Chuck Tanner was 82. He managed four teams from 1970 to 1988, posting an overall record of 1,352-1,381 over 19 seasons. He's best known for leading the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 to one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history.
Maria Schneider was 58. She was best known for her role opposite Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris.
Jack LaLanne was 96. He was a fitness, exercise, nutritional expert, and motivational speaker who had been called "the godfather of fitness". I remember him best from his Power Juicer infomercials.
Roy Hartsfield was 85. He was the first manager of our Toronto Blue Jays, compiling a record of 166-318 (.343) in 484 games.
John Dye was 47. He's best known for playing Andrew on the television series "Touched by an Angel."
Gerry Rafferty was 63. He was the singer best known for hit tracks Stuck in the Middle With You and Baker Street.
Anne Francis was 80. She was the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic "Forbidden Planet" and later was a sexy private eye in "Honey West" on TV.
