Tag: deaths

James Brown, the dynamic US singer known as the “Godfather of Soul,” whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco, died early today in Atlanta, his agent said. Brown was one of the major musical influences of the past 50 years. He won a Grammy award for lifetime achievement in 1992, as well as Grammys for Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag and Living In America in 1987. He was one of the initial artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1993, Simpsons fans will remember he performed his song I Got You (I Feel Good) on the Season 5 episode “Bart’s Inner Child.” Brown was 73.

SOURCE: Daily Telegraph

Actor Dennis Weaver, best known for his roles in US TV series Gunsmoke and McCloud, has died at the age of 81. “He was a wonderful man and a fine actor, and we will all miss him,” said former Gunsmoke co-star Burt Reynolds. Born in Missouri in 1924, Weaver’s 50-year career included roles in Spielberg’s Duel and, more recently, TV cartoon hit The Simpsons where he starred as Buck McCoy in the Season 13 episode ‘The Lastest Gun In The West’. The Emmy-winning actor died in Colorado from complications of cancer. He is survived by his wife and three sons.

SOURCE: BBC News

Bob Denver, who bumbled and stumbled his way to television stardom as goofy castaway Gilligan in the 1960s comedy “Gilligan’s Island,” died on Friday, at the age of 70. According to his agent Mike Eisenstadt, the actor died at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina, of complications from cancer treatment. In addition to playing the role of the Skipper’s “little buddy” Gilligan in the 60’s series, Denver vocally reprised his role in two Filmation Associates animated shows: The New Adventures of Gilligan, from 1974 to 1975, and Gilligan’s Planet, which aired in 1982. Furthermore, the talented actor appeared as himself in “Gilligan,” a 1994 episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and self-parodying his character of Gilligan on “Simpson Tide,” a 1998 episode of The Simpsons.

SOURCE: Reuters

Academy Award winning actress Anne Bancroft has died at the age of 73. A spokesman for Bancroft’s husband, Mel Brooks, said that Bancroft passed away Monday night at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Ms. Bancroft had been suffering from uterine cancer. Bancroft won her Oscar for portraying Anne Sullivan, the teacher of young Helen Keller in the film ‘The Miracle Worker’ in 1962. She also won a Tony Award for portraying Sullivan on the Broadway stage in the play of the same name. Despite her appearance in so many diverse roles over the course of her career, Bancroft remained best remembered for her role as Mrs. Robinson in the landmark film ‘The Graduate’ starring Dustin Hoffman. Simpsons viewers will remember her has Dr. Zweig in the 1994 episode ‘Fear Of Flying’. She was Marge Simpson’s psychiatrist.

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Johnny Carson, who defined American comedy for 30 years as the king of late-night television and quintessential host of NBC’s Tonight Show, died Sunday at age 79. His nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told the Associated Press, “Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning. He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable. There will be no memorial service.” The late-night fixture had been beset by health problems since his reitrement more than a decade ago. Carson underwent a quadruple-heart bypass in March 1999. Some reports said the comic had suffered a heart attack, necessitating the emergency surgery. In September 2002, he confirmed he was battling emphysema. It was this disease that yesterday killed him. Carson made a guest appearance on The Simpsons in 1993, starring as himself in the episode Krusty Gets Kancelled.

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Rodney Dangerfield, the bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating one-liners brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies and made his lament “I don’t get no respect” a catchphrase, died Tuesday. He was 82. Dangerfield, who fell into a coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced August 25, suffered a small stroke after the operation and developed infectious and abdominal complications. But in the past week he had emerged from the coma, the publicist said.” When Rodney emerged, he kissed me, squeezed my hand and smiled for his doctors,” Dangerfield’s wife, Joan, said. Dangerfield appeared on The Simpsons in the 1996 episode Burns, Baby Burns as Mr. Burns’ long lost son Larry.

Actress Isabel Sanford, best known as “Weezie,” Louise Jefferson on the television sitcom “The Jeffersons,” died of natural causes, her publicist said Monday. She was 86. Sanford died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized since July 4, said Brad Lemack. Her daughter, Pamela Ruff, was at her side, he said. Her health had waned after undergoing preventive surgery on a neck artery 10 months ago, Lemack said. He did not give a cause of death. Sanford co-starred with Sherman Hemsley from 1975 to 1985 on CBS’ “The Jeffersons,” a spin-off of the popular series “All in the Family,” in which she also appeared. She appeared on The Simpsons earlier this year as herself in the episode Milhouse Doesn’t Live Anymore, as an episode narrator and tourguide at the museum of television.

Actor Paul Winfield, who played civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr on television and earned an Oscar nomination for his role as a share-cropping father in Sounder, has died at age 62, associates say. Winfield, who had long battled weight problems and suffered a stroke in recent months, died of a heart attack on Sunday night at a Los Angeles hospital, a representative for the actor said. The tall, deep-voiced actor’s last role was a cameo appearance in an ABC television movie remake last year of Sounder. Simpsons fans will remember Winfield by his role of Lucious Sweet in the episode ‘The Homer They Fall’, and a small cameo in the episode ‘The Trouble With Trillions,’ where he appeared as Drederick Tatum’s manager.

George Plimpton, the self-deprecating author of “Paper Lion” and a patron to Philip Roth, Jack Kerouac and countless other writers, has died. He was 76. Plimpton died Thursday night at his Manhattan apartment, his longtime friend, restaurateur Elaine Kaufman, said Friday. She had no information on the cause. Earlier this year, Plimpton lent his voice to The Simpsons, where he played himself, as the host of the National Spelling Olympics in the episode “I’m Spelling As Fast As I Can”. It was one of the last appearances he’d ever make. You can read about his accomplishments at Chicago Sun Times.

Johnny Cash, “The Man in Black” who became a towering figure in American music with such hits as “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line” and “A Boy Named Sue,” died today. He was 71. Cash died of complications from diabetes that resulted in respiratory failure, his manager, Lou Robin, said in a statement issued by Baptist Hospital in Nashville. He had battled a disease of the nervous system, autonomic neuropathy, and pneumonia in recent years. Cash had a guest guest part on The Simpsons in 1997, playing the role of the Coyote in the episode ‘El Viaje De Neustro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage Of Homer)’. Read MSNBC’s tribute to the legendary musician here.