Obituary Stories category, Page 6
James Earl Jones, acclaimed actor and voice of Darth Vader, dies at 93
NEW YORK —James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen — eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader — has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died...
James Darren, ‘Gidget’ teen idol, singer and director, dies at 88
LOS ANGELES — James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday at 88. Darren died in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital, his son Jim Moret told news...
Hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut
NEW YORK — Fatman Scoop, the hip-hop artist who topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful” in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by artists including Missy Elliott and Ciara, died after collapsing on stage at a show in Connecticut, according to...
Sid ‘Vicious’ Eudy, pro wrestling star in 1990s, dies at 63
Sidney Raymond Eudy, a professional wrestler known as Sid Vicious who was known for his intense persona and imposing stature, has died, his son announced Monday. He was 63. Gunnar Eudy, one of the wrestler’s two sons, wrote on Facebook that his father died after “battling cancer for several years.”...
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible TV genre, dead at 88
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, has died. He was 88. NBC’s “Today” show, citing family members, said Donahue died Sunday after a long illness. Dubbed “the king of daytime...
Jack Russell, lead singer of band Great White who was onstage during horrific ’03 concert fire, dies
NEW YORK — Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy ’80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, has died. He was 63. “Jack...
‘Hollywood Squares’ host and Broadway star Peter Marshall dies at 98
LOS ANGELES — Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” has died. He was 98. He died Thursday of kidney failure at his home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, publicist Harlan...
Acting powerhouse Gena Rowlands dies at 94
Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son’s tear-jerker “The Notebook,” has died. She was 94. Rowlands’...
Cookie creator Wally Amos dies at 88; he lost Famous Amos but found other success
HONOLULU — Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, has died. He was 88. Amos created the Famous Amos cookie empire and eventually lost ownership of the company — as...
‘He breathed and lived Gateway’: Scott Williams remembered for community service
Friends recall a favorite saying of the late Scott Williams of Monroeville. “There’s a right way, there’s a wrong way, and then there’s the Gateway.” A paraplegic since the age of 18, Williams, 59, died July 26, 2024, at UPMC Montefiore Hospital in Oakland after a prolonged battle with cancer....
Pittsburgh native, comedian who appeared on ‘Seinfeld,’ has died
Mitzi McCall was born in Pittsburgh in 1930, and she died in Los Angeles last week. She lived one heck of a life in the nearly 94 years in between those dates, making a name for herself as a comedian and actress. McCall, 93, worked alongside her husband, Charlie Brill,...
Chi Chi Rodriguez, Hall of Fame golfer known for antics on the greens, dies at 88
Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens during and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday. He was 88. Rodriguez’s death was announced by Carmelo Javier Ríos, a senator in Rodriguez’ native...
William Calley, who led the My Lai massacre that shamed U.S. military in Vietnam, has died
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80. Calley died on April 28, according to his...
John Mayall, tireless and influential British blues pioneer, dies at 90
LONDON — John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, has died. He was 90. A statement on Mayall’s Instagram page announced his death Tuesday, saying the musician died Monday at his home in...
Bernice Johnson Reagon, whose powerful voice helped propel the Civil Rights Movement, has died
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bernice Johnson Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, according to her daughter’s social media post. She was 81. Reagon was probably...
Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, last of the original Four Tops, is dead at 88
NEW YORK — Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops that was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” has died at age 88. Fakir died Monday of heart failure at...
Bob Newhart mourned by Kaley Cuoco, Judd Apatow, Al Franken and more
LOS ANGELES — Former co-stars and famous fans paid tribute to comedian and actor Bob Newhart, known for his deadpan humor and the sitcoms he starred in bearing his name, after his death Thursday at age 94. — “What a dream it was to witness the genius that was Bob...
Lou Dobbs, conservative pundit and Fox Business host, dies at 78
NEW YORK — Lou Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and cable TV host who was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, has died. He was 78. His death was announced Thursday in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter...
Bob Newhart, the low-key comedian and legendary sitcom star, has died at age 94
LOS ANGELES — Bob Newhart, the deadpan accountant-turned-comedian who became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album, has died at 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died Thursday in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses....
Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant, dies at 69
PHILADELPHIA — Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died, his alma mater announced Tuesday. Bryant, who spent eight seasons in the NBA with three different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant...
Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star, dies at 53
LOS ANGELES — Shannen Doherty, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories, has died at 53. After years with breast cancer, Doherty died Saturday, according to a statement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was...
Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76
NEW YORK — Richard Simmons, television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday. He turned 76 on Friday. Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist...
Shelley Duvall, star of ‘The Shining,’ ‘Nashville,’ dies at 75
Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” has died. She was 75. Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy,...
Joe Bonsall, celebrated tenor in the country and gospel group Oak Ridge Boys, dies at 76
Joe Bonsall, Grammy award winner and celebrated tenor of the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys, died Tuesday. He was 76. Bonsall died from complications of the neuromuscular disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, according to a statement from representatives of his family. “Joe loved to sing. He loved to...
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, defense hawk who called human-caused climate change a ‘hoax,’ dies at 89
OKLAHOMA CITY — Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, a conservative firebrand known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change, has died. He was 89. Inhofe, a powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, died Tuesday...
