The RIP Thread

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Robbie Knievel, daredevil stunt performer and son of Evel Knievel, dies at 60
Robbie Knievel died early Friday at a hospice in Reno after battling pancreatic cancer, his brother said.
Jan. 13, 2023, 9:33 PM PST


Zak Hussein / AP file

LAS VEGAS — Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father, has died in Nevada, his brother said. He was 60.

Robbie Knievel died early Friday at a hospice in Reno after battling pancreatic cancer, Kelly Knievel said.

“Daredevils don’t live easy lives,” Kelly Knievel told The Associated Press. “He was a great daredevil. People don’t really understand how scary it is what my brother did.”

As a boy, Robbie Knievel began on his bicycle to emulate his famous father, Evel Knievel, who died in 2007 in Clearwater, Florida.

But where Evel Knievel famously almost died from injuries when he crashed his Harley-Davidson during a jump over the Caesars Palace fountains in Las Vegas in 1967, Robbie completed the jump in 1989 using a specially designed Honda.

Robbie Knievel also made headline-grabbing Las Vegas Strip jumps over a row of limousines in*1998 at the Tropicana Hotel; between two buildings at the Jockey Club in 1999; and a New Year’s Eve jump amid fireworks in front of a volcano attraction at The Mirage on Dec. 31, 2008.

After a crash-landing to complete a motorcycle leap over a 220-foot chasm at an Indian reservation outside Grand Canyon National Park in 1999, Robbie Knievel noted that his father always wanted to jump the spectacular natural landmark in Arizona, but never did. Robbie Knievel broke his leg in his crash.

Evel Knievel instead attempted to soar over a mile-wide Snake River Canyon chasm in Idaho in September 1974. His rocket-powered cycle crashed into the canyon while his escape parachute deployed.

Robbie Knievel’s brother recalled other stunts including a 2004 jump over a row of military aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, a museum in New York.

Robbie Knievel, who promoted himself as “Kaptain Robbie Knievel,” set several stunt records, but also failed in several attempts. In 1992, at age 29,*he was injured*when he crashed into the 22nd of 25 pickup trucks lined up across a 180-foot span in Cerritos, California.

“Injuries took quite a toll on him,” Kelly Knievel said Friday.

Kelly Knievel lives in Las Vegas. He said his brother died with three daughters at his side: Krysten Knievel Hansson of Chicago, Karmen Knievel of Missoula, Montana, and Maria Collins of Waldport, Oregon.

Services were not immediately scheduled, but Kelly Knievel said his brother will be buried with other family members in Butte, Montana.

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Robbie Knievel jumps above the Grand Canyon during a successful 228 feet world record jump, in Arizona, on May 20, 1999.John Gurzinski / AFP via Getty Images file

[Frothy Afterbirth]

David Crosby, iconic folk rock singer-songwriter, dead at age 81
Updated on: January 19, 2023 / 8:27 PM / CBS/AP


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David Crosby, the influential singer-songwriter who cofounded The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, has died, his publicist confirmed to CBS News. He was 81. News of Crosby's death was first reported by Variety.

Crosby's iconic career spanned seven decades. He wrote or cowrote several fan favorites with each of his bands, including "Eight Miles High" for The Byrds, "Wooden Ships" for Crosby, Stills & Nash, and "Almost Cut My Hair" for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the iteration of CSN which included Neil Young.

He released eight solo albums, two of which — 1971's "If I Could Only Remember My Name" and 2014's "Croz" — entered the Billboard 100 charts.

Crosby first earned success with the Byrds in 1965 when the band scored a number one hit with its cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But in 1967, amid rising tension between Crosby and his fellow bandmates, including anger over his appearance onstage with Buffalo Springfield at the Monterey Pop Festival, he was dismissed from the Byrds.

He soon joined up with Buffalo Springfield's Stephen Stills and the Hollies' Graham Nash to form CSN. The group's self-titled debut was well received, earning favorable reviews and reaching number six on the Billboard charts. Two of the album's singles, "Marrakesh Express" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" also entered the Top 40 charts. The trio also earned the Grammy Award for best new artist in 1970.

Neil Young, who Crosby had filled in for at the Monterey Pop Festival, joined the band in 1969 — prompting them to change the group's name to CSNY. Their second-ever live performance was famously at the Woodstock music festival in 1969. Crosby announced to the crowd, which has been estimated to have been as large as 500,000 people, "This is our second gig." Stills followed that up by informing the audience, "We're scared s—less."

The group released the album "Deja Vu" in 1970, which reached number one on the Billboard pop chart and spawned three more Top 40 hits.

In May 2021, Crosby, Stills and Nash spoke to "CBS Sunday Morning" ahead of a 50th anniversary expanded release of "Déjà Vu."

Crosby said the band began to record the album following the death of his girlfriend, Christine Hinton, in a car crash.

"I was in terrible shape," Crosby said. "I was damn near destroyed. I'm just really lucky we were making that record, because it gave me a raison d'être."

"It's what kept me alive," he added.

Several former bandmates wrote touching tributes to Crosby following his death.

"It is with a deep and profound sadness that I learned that my friend David Crosby has passed." Nash wrote Thursday on Facebook, "I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years. David was fearless in life and in music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world. He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy. These are the things that matter most. My heart is truly with his wife, Jan, his son, Django, and all of the people he has touched in this world."

In a statement Thursday, Stills wrote, "I read a quote in this morning's paper attributed to composer Gustav Mahler that stopped me for a moment: 'Death has, on placid cat's paws, entered the room.'

"I shoulda known something was up. David and I butted heads a lot over time, but they were mostly glancing blows, yet still left us numb skulls... I was happy to be at peace with him. He was without question a giant of a musician, and his harmonic sensibilities were nothing short of genius.

"The glue that held us together as our vocals soared, like Icarus, towards the sun.I am deeply saddened at his passing and shall miss him beyond measure."

Despite several attempts, neither CSN nor CSNY would record another studio album together until 1977's "CSN," which would reach number two on the Billboard Pop chart. Crosby would continue recording with Nash, however, and the duo released three albums in the 1970s, "Graham Nash David Crosby," "Wind on the Water" and "Whistling Down the Wire," all three of which were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The final Crosby & Nash album, the self-titled "Crosby & Nash," was released in 2004.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young would continue to reunite in various configurations for the next several decades, putting out studio albums and touring, including a full-fledged reunion of all four members for a short tour in 1974 that Crosby would end up referring to as the "Doom Tour."

In recent years, Crosby toured often, and candidly answered questions on Twitter with a blend of affection and exasperation, whether commenting on rock star peers or assessing the quality of a fan's marijuana joint. He loved sailing and his greatest regret, besides hard drugs, was selling his 74-foot boat because of money problems. Among the songs completed on the boat was the classic "Wooden Ships," co-written with Stills and Jefferson Airplane's Paul Kantner.

Crosby was born David Van Cortlandt Crosby on Aug. 14, 1941, in Los Angeles. His father was Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby of "High Noon" fame. The family, including his mother, Aliph, and brother, Floyd Jr., later moved to Santa Barbara.

Crosby was exposed early to classical, folk and jazz music. In his autobiography, Crosby said that as a child he used to harmonize as his mother sang, his father played mandolin and his brother played guitar.

"When rock 'n' roll came in during that era and the Age of Elvis possessed America, I wasn't into it," he recalled.

His brother taught him to play guitar and, still in his teens, he began performing in Santa Barbara clubs. He moved to Los Angeles to study acting in 1960 but abandoned the idea and became a folk singer, working around the country before joining The Byrds. Like so many folk performers, Crosby was dazzled by the Beatles' 1964 movie "A Hard Day's Night" and decided to become a rock star.

Crosby married longtime girlfriend Jan Dance in 1987. The couple had a son, Django, in 1995. Crosby also had a daughter, Donovan, with Debbie Donovan. Shortly after he underwent the liver transplant, Crosby was reunited with Raymond, who had been placed for adoption in 1961. Raymond, Crosby and Jeff Pevar later performed together in a group called CPR.

"I regretted losing him many times," Crosby told the AP of Raymond in 1998. "I was too immature to parent anybody, and too irresponsible."

Crosby is also the biological father of singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge's children whom she shares with her now ex-partner Julie Cypher, she revealed in 2000. Cypher carried the children Crosby fathered by artificial insemination, Etheridge told Rolling Stone. One son, Beckett, died in 2020.

Crosby didn't help raise the children but said, "If, you know, in due time, at a distance, they're proud of who their genetic dad is, that's great."

Etheridge on Thursday wrote on Facebook that she was "grieving the loss of my friend and Bailey's biological father, David. He gave me the gift of family. I will forever be grateful to him, Django, and Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come. A true treasure."

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Lisa Loring, actress who played original Wednesday Addams, dies at 64
Loring portrayed Wednesday Addams in the '60s series.
By Carson Blackwelder January 30, 2023, 6:26 AM


Bobby Bank/Getty Images

Lisa Loring, best known for portraying Wednesday Addams in the TV adaptation of "The Addams Family" from the '60s, has died. She was 64.

A representative for Loring confirmed to ABC News she "passed away on Saturday surrounded by her family."

"Lisa was a very loving Mother, Grandmother and friend with a lifetime of amazing stories and experiences. She brought to life one of the most iconic characters in Hollywood history that is still celebrated today," the representative said in a statement. "Lisa loved sharing her memories and meeting all her fans across the world. She will be missed dearly."

Loring starred as Wednesday on "The Addams Family," the first adaptation of Charles Addams' cartoon strip of the same name published in The New Yorker, on ABC when she was just 6, laying the groundwork for future iterations of the beloved character. The series ran for two seasons, from 1964 to 1966.

Loring's portrayal of Wednesday Addams saw renewed attention last year thanks to the hit series "Wednesday," starring Jenna Ortega as the titular character, on Netflix. Just as Loring before her, Ortega gave Wednesday a memorable dance scene.

Following "The Addams Family," Loring appeared in episodes of "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E." and "Fantasy Island" as well as a yearslong stint on the soap opera "As the World Turns" in the '80s.

Loring was married four times during her life and she was mother to two children, both daughters.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHmCEqTTL8o

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Annie Wersching, Star Trek: Picard's Borg Queen and The Last of Us' Tess, Dies at 45
By Jamie Lovett - January 29, 2023 03:05 pm EST


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Annie Wersching, who played the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard's second season, has died. She was 45 years old. Wersching's acting career began and ended in the Star Trek universe. Her first acting credit came from a guest role in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Oasis." Playing Picard's Borg Queen was her final performance. Outside of Star Trek, Wersching appeared as Renee Walker in 24 and had recurring roles on shows such as Bosch and Timeless. She also did some work in the video game industry, including performing the motion capture and voice for the character Tess in the Naughty Dog video game The Last of Us.

According to an online fundraiser launched in support of Wershing's family, Wersching received a cancer diagnosis in 2020, ahead of filming Star Trek: Picard, but chose not to reveal it publicly. "She wanted to live her life, on her terms, and be with her family," the fundraiser says. "She loved her work and cherished her friends, but Steve and the boys were her absolute everything."

"There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today,' Wersching's husband, Stephen Full, said in a statement. "But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn't require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. 'Go find it. It's everywhere.' And find it we shall."

He continued, "As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell BYE! until we were out of earshot and into the world. I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. 'I love you little family…' "

Wersching grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended Millikin University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater.

Wersching worked in theater while also pursuing her career in television. After her guest role in Star Trek: Enterprise, she received roles in shows such as Charmed, Killer Instinct, Supernatural, and Cold Case. In 2007, she had a recurring role as Amelia Joffe on General Hospital. She played FBI Special Agent Renee Walker in two seasons of 24, then followed that up with appearances in CSI, NCIS, Rizzoli & Isles, Hawaii Five-0, Body of Proof, Dallas, Revolution, Castle, Blue Bloods, The Vampire Diaries, and Touch. In 2014, she was a regular in the first season of Bosch on Amazon Prime.

Wersching is survived by her husband, Stephen Full, and children Freddie, Ozzie, and Archie.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

‘Laverne & Shirley’ star Cindy Williams dead at 75
By Eric Hegedus
January 30, 2023 7:14pm Updated


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Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the popular 1970s sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, her family said Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Jan. 25 after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement said. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Williams also starred in director George Lucas’ 1973 film “American Graffiti” — a role for which she received a BAFTA Best Supporting Actress nomination — and director Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation” from 1974.

But she was by far best known for the ratings hit “Laverne & Shirley,” the “Happy Days” spinoff that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 that, in its prime, was among the most popular shows on TV.

Golden Globe-nominated Williams played the straitlaced Shirley to Marshall’s more libertine Laverne on the show, which depicted roommates who were blue-collar workers at a Milwaukee bottling factory in the 1950s and ’60s.

“We sort of had telepathy,” Williams said of working with Marshall in a 2013 interview for the TV Academy Foundation. “If we walk into a room together and if there’s something unique in the room, we’ll see it at the same time and have the same comment about it. We were always just like that.”

Creator Garry Marshall — Penny’s brother, who died in 2016 — discovered a niche that he was ready to explore.

“There are no shows about blue-collar girls on the air,” he said in a 2000 interview with the Television Academy. He recalled how sold the concept to then-ABC honcho Fred Silverman.

“He said, ‘It’s on! What’s its name?’” Marshall recalled. “I said, ‘Laverne & Shirley.’ ‘Good, I love it!’”

Williams and Penny Marshall, who died in 2018 at age 75, were reportedly heavily involved in the show’s quality, even doing some rewrites themselves.

“We had a litmus test, which was if the script made Penny and me laugh out loud. That’s what we were going for … to make the studio audience laugh out loud, then we figured it would translate to the audience at home,” Williams said once in a TVParty.com interview. “So, if it made us laugh out loud at rehearsal, then we knew it was good to go. When it didn’t, we would re-write it, or try and put things in that made it funny. Once we got the show on its feet and started moving around, we would add things, add lines, and ad lib. The whole cast would.”

She also marveled at what the show got away with humor-wise, as its censor was a born-again Christian, according to California-born Williams.

“Great guy, but he just wouldn’t let us say things, so it made the show even better, because it made us have to invent words and phrases around those limitations,” she said in a 2021 interview. “We couldn’t just refer to certain words for our saucy humor. We had to resort to what I would call risqué church camp humor.

“We would substitute the word [sex] for ‘vodeo doe,’” she added, referring to the show’s popular made-up phrase for carnal doings. “We always thought that our born-again Christian sensor made ‘Laverne & Shirley’ funnier, because it involved clean humor, which everybody really enjoys whether they know it or not.”

“Laverne & Shirley” was known almost as much for its opening theme as the show itself. Williams’ and Penny’s chant of “schlemiel, schlimazel” as they skipped together became a cultural phenomenon and oft-invoked piece of nostalgia.

Over her career, Williams appeared in numerous well-known television series and made-for-TV films, including “Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman,” “Touched By an Angel,” “7th Heaven,” “CHiPs,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Police Story,” “Cannon,” “Love, American Style,” “Room 222” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

She reportedly even auditioned to play Princess Leia in George Lucas’ 1977 sci-fi classic “Star Wars,” but the part went to Carrie Fisher.

“It can all be accomplished, but you have to always stay yourself. You have to keep your sense of humor,” she said of her career’s highs and lows in the TV Party interview. “If you get knocked down, you have to get right back up and just keep going.”

Williams became pregnant and subsequently only appeared in a couple of episodes during the final season of “Laverne & Shirley.” In 1982, she wound up suing Paramount for $20 million, according to the Hollywood Reporter, in order to get paid for the full season. She settled for an undisclosed amount and Penny Marshall was left to star solo until the show’s end.

According to her official website, she also hit the boards and toured with stage productions including “Grease,” “Deathtrap” (featuring Elliot Gould) and “Steel Magnolias.” She made her Broadway debut in 2007 in the musical “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which won five Tony Awards.

Williams was married to Bill Hudson of the famed Hudson Brothers from 1982 until their 2000 divorce.

With Post wire services.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

The Drifters Star Charlie Thomas Dead: The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Was 85
Charlie Thomas featured on The Drifters' hits including "This Magic Moment," "Up on the Roof," "On Broadway" and chart-topper "Save the Last Dance for Me"
By Anna Lazarus Caplan
Published on February 7, 2023 09:12 AM



Charlie Thomas . Photo: The Photo Access/Alamy Live News

Charlie Thomas, a member of The Drifters for more than 60 years, has died. He was 85.

The musician's friend and fellow singer Peter Lemongello Jr. confirmed Thomas' death on Instagram on Jan. 31. Speaking to The New York Times on Monday, he added that Thomas died following complications from liver cancer.

"I am completely devastated and shattered after losing my best friend of so many years, Charlie Thomas, the last original recording member of The Legendary Drifters," Lemongello wrote on Instagram.

"Charlie was with the group longer and on more hit records than any other member in history," he added. "His accomplishments were recognized when he was 1 of just 7 members of The Drifters to be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. I have so many fond memories that we have spent together through much of my life growing up, that I will cherish forever. I can still hear Charlie proclaim 'Peter Is A Star!' which he would often tell me and whoever was around."

"I'll miss you forever Charlie! Love you always, Peter"

Thomas, who sang with The Drifters on hits such as "Under the Boardwalk" and "There Goes My Baby" became part of the singing group at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, when he and other bandmates were set to perform in their R&B group The Crowns.

That night, however, the Drifters' manager, George Treadwell, became upset when his band members got drunk and inserted Thomas and his fellow bandmates, including Ben Nelson — who would go on to be known as Ben E. King — into the Drifters' lineup, according to music historian Marv Goldberg.

The "new" Drifters took on their predecessor's concert dates too, but it wasn't a seamless transition. "We got booed off the stage for a year almost before getting into the studio to record," King told Goldberg.

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The Drifters ultimately found success with hits like "This Magic Moment," "Up on the Roof" and "On Broadway", with "Save the Last Dance for Me" topping the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1960.

Thomas toured for decades with the group, even as members left and founded other Drifters-named iterations. When King went on to launch a solo career, two of the original Drifters came back into the fray — Rudy Lewis and Johnny Moore — in 1964.

While Thomas was not the lead singer on most of the group's hits, he did sing lead vocals on "Sweets for My Sweet" and "When My Little Girl is Smiling."

The singer toured until the pandemic hit, which charted a different course for the star.

"He was aging, but he was active almost every weekend," Lemongello told The New York Times. "Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and he started going downhill."

Thomas is survived by his wife, Rita Thomas, his daughters Crystal Thomas Wilson and Victoria Green, and his sons, Charlie Jr., Michael Sidbury and Brian Godfrey, as well as multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

R.I.P. Burt Bacharach, master pop composer
Story by Hattie Lindert • 5h ago


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Burt Bacharach, the legendary pop songwriter who charted a whopping 73 Top 40 U.S. hits—and 52 in the U.K.—has died. Bacharach’s publicist Tina Brausam confirms to The Associated Press that he died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes, at the age of 94.

Known for his masterful ability to capture a buoyant romanticism in his smooth and sophisticated melodies, Bacharach’s sound became integral to the careers of countless seminal artists. An eight-time Grammy winner, Bacharach penned hits for Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Neil Diamond, Dr. Dre, Sheryl Crow, and many more during his life. Artists like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, and Frank Sinatra covered his compositions; the White Stripes, Twista and Ashanti all sampled his work in later years. Even early on in his time in music, he served as an arranger and conductor for Marlene Dietrich, traveling with her throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Many of his most enduring compositions he created alongside long-time writing partner, the lyricist Hal David, who he met in 1957. When they connected with then-green New Jersey singer Dionne Warwick, lightning struck and didn’t stop— starting with 1962's “Don’t Make Me Over,” David, Bacharach, and Warwick marched out a steady parade of Top 40 hits, including “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “Walk On By,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.” The trio pioneered a breezy but refined style that The New York Times’ Stephen Holden describes as an “immediate forerunner” to the Motown sound that defined the middle to late ‘60s. Bacharach credited much of his style to a childhood love for bebop and his classical training.

Bacharach’s mark on the music world extends beyond his Top 40 prowess into the cinematic pantheon. He also won the Academy Award for Best Song twice: in 1970 for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” which he wrote with David, and in 1982 “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do),” which he wrote with Peter Allen, Carole Bayer Sager and frequent collaborator Christopher Cross. His score for 1969's Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid won him another Oscar, for best original score for a nonmusical motion picture. Also the composer behind soundtracks for What’s New, Pussycat?, Alfie and the 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale, Bacharach even made some onscreen appearances. He performed his 1965 hit “What The World Need Now Is Love” in 1997's Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, and also made cameo’s in the films two sequels.

Bacharach is survived by his fourth wife, Jane Hansen, who he married in 1993, as well as his children Oliver, Raleigh and Cristopher, Brausam told AP. Bacharach was predeceased by his daughter, Nikki Bacharach, who died in 2007.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Raquel Welch Dead: Actress Dies At 82 After ‘Brief Illness’

The screen legend has sadly passed away at age 82. Her family confirmed the news on Feb. 15.
By: Audrey Rock, Alyssa Norwin
February 15, 2023 2:24PM EST


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Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82. The iconic 1960s sex symbol passed after a struggle with a brief, unknown illness, according to TMZ. Her family confirmed the news to the site on Feb. 15, stating that she had passed away that morning.

Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago on September 5, 1940, the first child of a Bolivian aeronautical engineer and his wife, she was a performer and entertainer from an early age, per her official Wikipedia page. The family moved to Southern California when she was two, and at age seven, the beauty began training in classical ballet — a pursuit she abandoned a decade later when she was told she didn’t have the right build for a professional ballerina.

By her mid-teens, she was already carving out a space for herself as an icon of American beauty. After winning titles for Miss Contour and Miss Photogenic, she went on to grab the titles of Miss La Jolla and Miss San Diego. She studied theater arts at San Diego State College, where she’d won a scholarship, then married James Welch on May 8, 1959. Raquel would go on to have two children with him, Damon Welch and Latanne Welch, but the marriage to James ended with a separation in 1962 and a divorce two years later.

The brunette bombshell later married Patrick Curtis from 1967 to 1972; André Weinfeld from 1980 to 1990, and Richard Palmer from 1999 till their separation in 2003. Along the way, she became a local TV weather reporter in San Diego, then an international superstar, posing for Playboy in 1979 without ever going fully au naturel, appearing in a legendary fuzzy bikini in One Million Years B.C. in 1966, and becoming an unforgettable pinup girl.

Her list of television credits includes Bewitched, Seinfeld, and McHale’s Navy, and her film credits include roles in 100 Rifles, The Three Musketeers (for which the famed beauty won a Golden Globe Award), and The Last of Sheila. Through it all, Raquel said she never meant to become a sex symbol. “I was not brought up to be a sex symbol, nor is it in my nature to be one,” she once said, per Wikipedia. “The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous and fortunate misunderstanding”

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Raquel Welch Remembered: Photos Of The Actress & Model Dead At 82
By: Elissa Anderson

An icon remembered. Raquel Welch, one of Hollywood’s most enduring beauties, has died at age 82. Born in Chicago in 1940, Raquel kicked off her career with a small role in the 1964 film A House is Not A Home, where she played a call girl. She skyrocketed to international fame with two 1966 roles: Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. Her part in the latter turned her into a sensation and a sex symbol, due to her tiny fur bikini, which became a popular poster, even though her character only had three lines.

Raquel continued acting through the 20th Century and into the 2000s. Her most recent roles came in 2017, when she played Rosa in Date My Dad and How To Be A Latin Lover, where she played Celeste.

The bombshell died at age 82 on Feb. 15, 2023, following a brief illness, as reported by TMZ. She was married four times, and is survived by her two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch.

Raquel will always be an icon to us. Pay tribute to the late beauty with a look back at her best photos over the years.

Raquel Welch made her acting debut in 1964! She had a handful of one-off roles in small movies and TV shows like ‘Bewitched’, ‘The Virginian’, and ‘McHale’s Navy.’

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Actor Richard Belzer, Who Played ‘Law & Order’ Detective, Has Died
Belzer, who also did comedy and authored several books, starred as Detective John Munch in the long-running crime drama.

By Nina Golgowski
Feb 19, 2023, 02:48 PM EST


Justin Stephens

Actor, comedian and author Richard Belzer, who was known for portraying a cynical detective on the long-running “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” TV series, has died, his friends and former publisher said Sunday.

Belzer, 78, died early Sunday “peacefully with family at his side” at his home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, southeast France, his longtime friend Bill Scheft told HuffPost.

“His last words were ‘Fuck you, motherfucker!’ said Scheft, a comedy writer who told The Hollywood Reporter that Belzer had “lots of health issues.”

He is survived by his wife, actress Harlee McBride, his stepdaughters Bree and Jessica Benton, and six grandchildren, said Scheft.

Tony Lyons, who published one of Belzer’s final books on conspiracy theories, praised him as brave and nonconforming in a statement to HuffPost also confirming his death.

“Richard Belzer was an incredibly brave man and his death is a great loss, especially at a ... time where the mass of men lead lives of sheepish conformity,” said Lyons of Skyhorse Publishing.

Fellow actress and comedian Laraine Newman, who worked with Belzer at NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” when he was a comic and she was an original cast member, was among the first to react to the news of Belzer’s death.

“He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest,” she tweeted Sunday.

Belzer was best known professionally for his portrayal of Detective John Munch in more than 300 episodes of the NBC “Law & Order” drama. He also portrayed Munch in the 1990s police drama “Homicide: Life in the Street,” which was based in Baltimore.

He left “Law & Order: SVU” as a series regular in 2013.

Warren Leight, who worked as a showrunner on “Law & Order: SVU,” called Belzer “open, warm, acerbic, whip smart, surprisingly kind,” while reacting to news of his death.

“I loved writing for Munch, and I loved being with Belz. We sensed this would be his parting scene,” he posted on Twitter while sharing a video clip of Belzer’s final appearance on the show.

The last appearance of our dear Richard Belzer. We will miss you �� pic.twitter.com/4k2NkYnWGN
— Law & Order SVU (@NBCSVU_fans) February 19, 2023

Though Belzer’s character had occasional mentions on the show after his departure, he hadn’t been brought up in a while until an unexpected revelation last week. Munch’s former partner, Odafin “Fin” Tutuola — who is played by Ice-T — said Munch had moved “back to Baltimore.”

“He retired. I guess he just ran out of gas,” Fin said. “Met a divorced female rabbi. And he bought back his old cop bar. It’s 1:30 a.m. He’s probably cracking a joke to some barfly. That skinny bastard had a punchline for every second of the day.”

Belzer’s books include a crime fiction series, a stand-up comedy guide, and several publications on alleged cover-ups and conspiracies, including his latest co-authored book, “Corporate Conspiracies: How Wall Street Took Over Washington.”

“Belzer wrote books that would certainly be broadly censored by the current corporate media that has a stranglehold on what is presented as truth to the American people,” said Lyons.

In addition to unraveling conspiracies, actual or alleged, Beltzer’s website describes him as also “particularly concerned about violence, gun control, and animal welfare” and lists nonprofit organizations that he encouraged support for. These include the North Shore Animal League, a no-kill rescue and adoption organization based in New York, and the Brady Campaign, which advocates for gun control and against gun violence.

“If you’re a fan of The Belz, you probably already know that underneath that tough-guy TV image and caustic stand-up humor, there’s a big sloppy soft heart,” his website reads. “He supports key organizations in these areas, and wants you to support them too.”

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Actor Tom Sizemore, known for tough-guy roles and scandal, dead at 61
By Steve Gorman
March 4, 20235:30 AM PSTLast Updated 2 days ago


REUTERS/Phil McCarten

March 3 (Reuters) - Actor Tom Sizemore, known as much for his struggles with drug addiction and run-ins with the law as for his tough-guy roles in such films as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down," died on Friday at age 61, said his manager, Charles Lago.

Sizemore, who was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a brain aneurysm on Feb. 18, died in his sleep at a hospital in Burbank, California, Lago said in a statement on Friday.

A native of Detroit, where his mother worked for the city's ombudsman and his father was an attorney and philosophy professor, Sizemore attended Wayne State University and earned a graduate degree in theater from Temple University in Philadelphia.

As an aspiring actor in New York City waiting tables and performing in plays, Sizemore got his first break when director Oliver Stone cast him in a bit role as Vet #1 in the 1989 anti-war film "Born on the Fourth of July."

Additional supporting parts followed in the early 1990s, leading to a string of higher-profile work playing hard-boiled detectives in such films as Stone's 1994 mass murder drama "Natural Born Killers," the 1995 noir mystery "Devil in a Blue Dress" and 1995 cyberpunk thriller "Strange Days."

He also landed prominent supporting roles as frontier gunfighter Bat Masterson in Kevin Costner's 1994 western "Wyatt Earp," a violent sidekick to Robert De Niro's career criminal in the 1995 ensemble heist movie "Heat," and a paramedic with a messianic complex in Martin Scorsese's 1999 psycho-drama "Bringing Out the Dead."

Sizemore's first major leading role came in the 1997 horror thriller "The Relic," again playing a police detective. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2000 as best actor in a miniseries or made-for-television movie for his role as a mob snitch in "Witness Protection."

But he is best remembered for playing battle-hardened soldiers in two films - Steven Spielberg's 1998 World War Two epic "Saving Private Ryan" Ridley Scott's 2001 portrayal of the U.S. military's ill-fated 1993 raid in Mogadishu, Somalia, "Black Hawk Down."

On television, Sizemore won plaudits for his starring role as a police detective in the short-lived CBS television drama "Robbery Homicide Division." He previously had a recurring role on the ABC network's Vietnam War drama "China Beach," playing an enlisted man who falls for star Dana Delany's character.

Through it all, Sizemore's career was largely overshadowed by personal upheavals stemming from his acknowledged long-time bouts with substance abuse, which landed him in and out of jail and drug rehabilitation treatment, and a relationship with onetime Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.

He was convicted in 2003 of domestic violence against Fleiss during their stormy yearlong romance, resulting in a six-month jail sentence.

Fleiss, who had served time in jail for running a 1990s call-girl ring for Hollywood's rich and famous, testified that Sizemore stubbed a cigarette out on her and once knocked her to the ground outside his home.

Sizemore, who denied the charges but did not testify at his trial, said in a letter to the judge that he had "permitted my personal demons to take over my life." The actor, then 41, also wrote that he was "convinced that if I had not been under the influence of drugs, I would have controlled by behavior."

A separate conviction on charges of methamphetamine possession led to court-ordered drug rehab.

In 2005 he was jailed for violating terms of his probation from the domestic abuse and meth convictions by failing a drug urine test when he was caught trying to use a prosthetic penis device, called a Whizzinator, to fake the results.

Sizemore's probation was reinstated after he checked into a psychiatric hospital for treatment of chronic depression and drug dependency that a doctor said the actor had fought for years.

He was arrested again on suspicion of domestic abuse in 2016 and the following year pleaded no contest, the legal equivalent of guilty in California, and was sentenced to three year's probation.

In 2010, Sizemore parlayed his notoriety and history of addiction into an appearance with Fleiss on the third season of the VH1's reality show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."

Sizemore chronicled his turbulent life in the 2013 memoir, "By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There."

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