The RIP Thread

[Frothy Afterbirth]

‘B.A.P.S.’ Star Natalie Desselle-Reid Dead At 53
The beloved actress who helped create a Black cultural classic with the movie "B.A.P.S" died on Monday.
Charise Frazier Written By Charise Frazier
Posted December 7, 2020




Actress Natalie Desselle-Reid who iconized the term ‘B.A.P.S’ (Black American Princesses) along with her co-star Halle Berry, has died at the age of 53 on Monday.

A family member who spoke with TMZ shared that Desselle-Reid lost her battle with colon cancer and was in hospice in her final days.

The news was confirmed on her official Instagram account.

“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning. She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife. Her diverse career touched so many and she will be loved forever,” the post read.

Friend and fellow actress Holly Robinson Peete also shared the stunning news in a tweet.

“Just absolutely decimated by this news… Actress Natalie Desselle, a bright shining star passed away this morning. I got to know her when my mom was managing her. She will be so missed…sending out prayers to her children and husband. Rest In Peace, Sweet Girl,” she wrote.

Desselle-Reid solidified her acting chops with a multitude of roles during her career which spanned over 30 years. She received roles in a variety of Black films and television shows, including “B.A.P.S.,” “How to Be a Player,” Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Big Happy Family” and “Cinderella” alongside singer Brandy. On the small screen she made appearances in “Built to Last,” “For Your Love,” and the UPN series, “Eve.”

But it was her role as “Mickey” in “B.A.P.S.,” the companion to Berry’s “Nisi” who proved she would not be subjugated to the typical sidekick standard given to Black, voluptuous women in Hollywood. The two created a cultural classic, which is evident in the fashions and styles used in music and art today.

Last week Berry shared a throwback video showing her and Desselle-Reid on a behind-the-scenes shoot during the movie’s filming.

Our condolences go out to her family and friends who are undoubtedly hurting in this time.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

'Star Wars' star Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, dies aged 75
By Sara Spary, CNN 3 hrs ago



© John Phillips/Getty Images


His agent confirmed in a statement to CNN that Bulloch passed away on Thursday, December 17.

"He died peacefully, in hospital, surrounded by his family, from health complications following his many years living with Parkinson's disease," the agent said.

"He had a long and happy career spanning more than 45 years. He was devoted to his wife, three sons, and ten grandchildren and they will miss him terribly. We ask that their privacy be respected at this very difficult time."

Bulloch played the role of Boba Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, in the 1980 movie "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" and in the 1983 sequel "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi."

He later went on to attend many Star Wars conventions over the years, and was celebrated by fans all over the world.

The role of Boba Fett was reprised in the 2002 movie "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones," with the character being played by the actor Daniel Logan, who wrote on Twitter: "I will never forget all you taught me and all the good times we had together. You will be forever remembered."

The Star Wars franchise also paid tribute to Bulloch. In a Tweet on Thursday it said his "unforgettable performance" had "captivated audiences."

"He will be remembered not only for his iconic portrayal of the legendary character, but also for his warmth and generous spirit which have become an enduring part of his rich legacy," the Tweet said.

American actor Mark Hamill, who played the character Luke Skywalker, said Bulloch was "the quintessential English gentleman" and was "so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him."

"I will deeply miss him & am so grateful to have known him," he wrote in the tweet on Thursday.

Bullock was born in 1945 in Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England, and also appeared in the James Bond film "Octopussy" and in the BBC TV series "Dr Who" before securing the role of Boba Fett.

Last month, British actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, died aged 85 after a short illness. CNN reported in 2018 that Prowse was being treated for prostate cancer.

"It's with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world, to announce that our client Dave Prowse M.B.E has passed away," his management said in a statement shared to Twitter at the time.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Lee Wallace, Actor in 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' and 'Batman,' Dies at 90
5:11 PM PST 12/24/2020 by Mike Barnes


Photofest


The Brooklyn native portrayed mayors in both films amid a long career on the stage.

Lee Wallace, the Ed Koch look-alike who coincidentally or not played mayors in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Tim Burton's Batman, died Sunday in New York after a long illness, his family announced. He was 90.

Wallace also appeared in other notable films including Klute (1971), The Hot Rock (1972), The Happy Hooker (1975), Thieves (1977), Private Benjamin (1980) and Used People (1992).

He was a regular performer with the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts starting in the mid-1960s and appeared opposite Glenn Close in a Yale Repertory production of Uncle Vanya in 1981.

Wallace also worked in eight Broadway productions, from A Teaspoon Every Four Hours in 1969 through the Leonard Nimoy-directed The Apple Doesn't Fall in 1996.

Born Leo Melis in Brooklyn on July 15, 1930, he was raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He graduated from Seward Park High School and attended NYU, then studied with acting teacher Michael Howard for seven years after a stint in the U.S. Army.

Many thought that Wallace bore a striking resemblance to the charismatic Koch, who served as the mayor of New York City from 1978-89, and Burton cast him as the mayor of Gotham City in Batman (1989).

Four years before Koch would be elected, Wallace played a beleaguered and besieged NYC mayor in the great Joseph Sargent-directed crime film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), starring Walter Matthau.

Wallace also showed up on television in Kojak, Lou Grant, Ryan's Hope, Kate & Allie, Law & Order and other shows.

Survivors include his wife of 45 years, One Life to Live actress Marilyn Chris, and their son, Paul.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Adolfo ‘Shabba Doo’ Quinones, Star of ‘Breakin’,’ Dies at 65
By Chris Williams


Star Max/IPx


Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quiñones, the dancer-actor who rose to fame starring in “Breakin'” and its sequel “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” died Wednesday. He was 65.

No cause of death has been announced. Just a day before he was discovered unconscious, Quiñones had posted a photo of himself smiling and giving the peace sign in bed, writing, “Good news y’all! I’m feeling all better, just a wee bit sluggish from my cold, but the good news is I’m Covid 19 negative! Woo hoo!”

Besides appearing in the “Breakin'” films, both in 1984, he had a featured role on the big screen in “Lambada” in 1990. Prior to taking to the movies, Quiñones was already a part of pop culture history for choreographing and appearing in Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” video.

“It’s a sad day for the dance world,” said Michael “Boogaloo Shrimp” Chambers, who co-starred in both “Breakin'” movies, and believes that the Olympics introducing breakdancing as a competitive sport for 2024 would not have happened without Quiñones having helped popularize the artform more than 35 years ago.

Quiñones was a member of the Lockers crew that helped popularize the locking style of street dance. Co-founder Toni Basil posted that “it is with extreme sadness The Lockers family announces the unexpected passing of our beloved Adolfo Shabba-doo Quinones. In this difficult time we are requesting privacy.”


pic.twitter.com/ogJ7T1HE8K
— Toni Basil (@Toni_Basil) December 30, 2020


Sheila E. recalled touring with Richie in her tweet calling Shabba Doo “my brother.”

I just heard I’ve lost another friend Shabba do. A great Hiphop dancer. We toured together w/ Lionel Richie 1983. Gosh, Rest In Peace my brother. @officialshabbadoo @Shabba_Doo pic.twitter.com/YntRWT1t55
— SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) December 30, 2020


“Damn, Shabba Doo. RIP,” wrote DJ the Blessed Madonna (not to be confused with Madonna, with whom Quiñones worked). “So sad to see so many of our foundational dancers passing this year.”

In a 2008 interview with the Black Hollywood File, Quiñones discussed the making and impact of “Breakin’,” saying it was critical in the development of hip-hop culture.

“It took only 21 days to make ‘Breakin’’ at a budget of $900,000,” he said. “It broke box office records and was the beginning of the hip-hop movement as we know it. If it didn’t work I think this culture would have been in trouble… We had ‘Beat Street’ (and) everybody was throwing their hat in the ring, but it was ‘Breakin’’ (that was) the one that really worked. … I think that it was the first film that showed hip-hop … had a multicultural face to it. And we always knew that. When I went out, I saw whites and blacks and Hispanics and I saw Asians and whatever all working together and doing it together. But it was perceived through the media as being only a black culture or Hispanic culture (thing). It wasn’t really something that everybody did. And ‘Breakin’’ showed that, with that white girl in it. … in the middle of all these Black people (and) Spanish people… and they totally identified with that. And that I think was key.”

But, he added, “Hip-hop may have a multi-cultural face, but let’s not be fooled, because it did come from our people. It did come from Black people, and Africans, and Puerto Ricans and all that too. Just like blues and jazz. But now it (belongs to) the world.”

Chambers, aka “Boogaloo Shrimp” in the “Breakin'” films, told Variety that he and Quiñones had been estranged for a long time but reconciled over the last three years, due to their shared spirituality as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“He had his peace with God,” said Chambers. “But I think his heart was broken when a lot of the new generation from the ‘Step It Up’ movie and TikTok were not giving credit to the innovators. I think it was broken because he was trying to get a new generation of dancers to understand the lineage that went back to ‘Soul Train’ in trying to get the freestyle reputation up to the reputation of jazz and tap. He did accomplish his goal, though. When the story broke about breakdancing being accepted into the Olympics in 2024, for him to at least see that was in the media, that warmed my heart, because at 65 he was able to see street dance get that worldwide respect.”

Chambers added that Quiñones’ role in introducing Madonna to certain dance styles has been underrated.

“When he came into her life, Madonna had no idea what the next dance craze was,” said Chambers. “He told me he got hired because was dancing in a club and Madonna saw him doing Waacking and Punking, so she came up with ‘Vogue,’ which was full of abstract lines and that whole theatrical dance thing. For years,” Chambers said, the part Quiñones’ played in that “went under the radar. She was a mega-icon, and I’m proud that he was able to go from the street and breaking to Madonna and launching a new dance style.”

Born in Chicago to a Black father and Puerto Rican mother, who raised him by herself from when he was 3, Quiñones broke into show business as a member of TV’s “Soul Train” Gang in the early ’70s.

In a 1984 interview with the Sarasota Sun-Herald, he recalled moving to California with his mother when he was 16, and how he would hitchhike from their home in Anaheim to Hollywood for 14-hour filming sessions of “Soul Train” in 1971-72. “They couldn’t keep me out of there,” he said. “I’d get there at 7 in the morning and not leave till almost 10 at night.”

Besides working for Richie, his choreography credits included Madonna’s 1987 “Who’s That Girl?” tour and TV work on MTV’s “Blowin’ Up.” He made television appearances as a dancer as far back as 1976, on “What’s Happening!!”

He noted that he often passed for younger than his age on screen. In a 2008 interview, when he was 53, the dancer said, “That’s a number that kind of surprises people because when they think about the ‘Breakin’’ movies, they thought of me as a kid dancing. I was really a full-fledged man of 30 years old playing an 18-year-old. And I’ve always just looked younger than my age, you know.”

Chambers said that the ebb and flow of his friendship with his costar Quiñones had been the source of a lot of speculation among “Breakin'” fans over the years. “Because of this longstanding beef people thought we had, they’ve always taken our situation and stirred the pot,” he said. “But at the end of the day he’s my spiritual brother. It was not a beef, it was a misunderstanding. He felt that from myself as well as the dance community, he never got the due respect he was entitled to as the first professional street dancer being on TV. He felt smighted that in literature and media, nobody mentioned his name. And we both were in dark places and going through problems.”

But, he says, they bonded over both becoming Bible students as Jehovah’s Witnesses. “He had actually contacted me out of nowhere,” Chambers said. “We hadn’t talked… He said, ‘Michael, I’m gonna go to a Bible convention in Long Beach and I’d love to sit with you and talk and move on.’ So when he came to my house and we talked, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s different.’ Jesus forgave sinners, so who am I? I was willing to accept his peace offering and forgive. Three years ago we came into our spirituality and forgiveness and became better people. We both put water under the bridge and were talking as men.”

Chambers added that he hopes some sort of special tribute will be offered to Quiñones as part of the Olympics’ introductory breakdancing competition in four years.

A message posted earlier on Quiñones’ website said he had been in development on “a film based on his memoirs, ‘The Godfather of Street Dance: The Dance Forefather of Hip Hop,’ which will detail and his life and reveal the true origin of street-dance.”

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twkQ4ToK5D0

Only 6 months ago, the cast and crew of Breakin' reunited in a Zoom meeting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2X6qa0wWIM

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Dawn Wells, ‘Gilligan’s Island’s’ Mary Ann, Dies of COVID at 82
By Pat Saperstein




Dawn Wells, who starred as “good girl” Mary Ann in popular 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died Wednesday of causes related to COVID-19 in Los Angeles. She was 82.

Pig-tailed and attired in her ubiquitous dungarees or gingham dress, which is on display at the Hollywood Museum, the Mary Ann character was the girl-next-door to Tina Louise’s suggestive evening dress-clad Ginger, who was often subjected to leering comments from the male stars they were shipwrecked with on a tropical island after becoming stranded during a “three-hour tour.”

Louise, the last remaining member of the crew, said in a statement, “I was sad to learn of Dawn’s passing, I will always remember her kindness to me. We shared in creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time. I hope that people will remember her the way that I do – always with a smile on her face.”

She told Smashing Interviews magazine that she was happy to change her image with a role as a prostitute in “The Owl and the Pussycat” soon after the show ended, “Mary Ann was a good girl. She was polite. She was a hard worker. She would be your best friend. She cooked. She cleaned. She did all of those things, and she was a really good role model. But the first thing you want to do is break that character and go do something else,” Wells said.

Wells represented Nevada in the 1959 Miss America pageant and appeared on several TV series before being cast in “Gilligan’s Island” in 1964. A native of Reno, Wells also appeared in “77 Sunset Strip,” “Maverick,” “Bonanza,” “The Joey Bishop Show” and “Hawaiian Eye.”

Publicist Harlan Boll announced her death.

After the series ended in 1967, she returned for several TV movies and spinoff series. She served as producer on TV movies “Surviving Gilligan’s Island” and “Return to the Bat Cave” with Adam West.

She went on to appear in series including “Growing Pains,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Baywatch” and voiced Gumbalina Toothington in “The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants” series.

In movies, Wells appeared in “Winterhawk,” “The Town That Dreaded Sundown,” “Super Sucker,” “The New Interns,” “It’s Our Time” and “Silent But Deadly.”

Wells had a long career onstage, appearing in the national tours of “Chapter Two” and “They’re Playing Our Song” as well as in “Fatal Attraction” with Ken Howard,” “The Odd Couple” with Marcia Wallace, “Steel Magnolias” and “The Vagina Monologues.”

Though she appeared in numerous TV shows, movies and plays, her role as Mary Ann was her most enduring, leading to gigs such as “castaway correspondent” for Australia’s Channel 9 and spokeswoman for the MeTV network. She wrote the book “A Guide to Life: What Would Mary Ann Do?” in honor of the 50th anniversary of “Gilligan’s Island.”

Her charitable efforts included working as chair of the Terry Lee Wells Foundation, focusing on women and children in Northern Nevada, and she received the Elephant Sanctuary Trumpeting Award for her work with the Elephant Sanctuary. She also ran the Film Actors Boot Camp for seven years in Idaho.

Wells is survived by her stepsister, Weslee Wells. Donations may be made to the Elephant Sanctuary, Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum or the Shambala Preserve.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Tanya Roberts, a Charlie’s Angel and a Bond Girl, Is Dead at 65
By Anita Gates
Jan. 5, 2021

After finding stardom in the 1980s, she fell out of the spotlight until re-emerging in 1998 in the sitcom “That ’70s Show.”


Credit...Alexis Duclos./Associated Press

Tanya Roberts, the breathy-voiced actress who found fame in the 1980s as a detective on “Charlie’s Angels” and as a brave earth scientist in the James Bond film “A View to a Kill,” died on Monday night in Los Angeles. She was 65.

Her death, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, was confirmed on Tuesday by her companion, Lance O’Brien. Her publicist, who was given erroneous information, had announced her death to the news media early Monday, and some news organizations published obituaries about her prematurely.

The publicist, Mike Pingel, said Ms. Roberts collapsed on Dec. 24 after walking her dogs near her Hollywood Hills home and was put on a ventilator at the hospital. He did not give the cause of death, but said it was not related to Covid-19. He said she had not been noticeably ill before she collapsed.

Ms. Roberts’s big acting break came in her mid-20s, when she was cast in the fifth and last season of “Charlie’s Angels,” the ABC drama series that, trading on its stars’ sex appeal, followed the exploits of three attractive former police officers who often fought crime wearing short shorts, low-cut blouses and even bikinis.

The show was an immediate hit in 1976, but Farrah Fawcett, its breakout star, left after one season, replaced by Cheryl Ladd. Kate Jackson quit in 1979, and her replacement, Shelley Hack, was gone after just one season. Ms. Roberts replaced Ms. Hack. Jaclyn Smith appeared throughout the series run.

There were high hopes for Ms. Roberts when she joined the cast. Her character, Julie, had some of Ms. Jackson’s character’s streetwise attitude; Julie was known to knock a handgun right out of a tough criminal’s hand. Her part couldn’t save the show’s plummeting ratings, but it did lead to an active decade for her in Hollywood.

Most notably, she was a “Bond girl,” playing a geologist threatened by a microchip-monopolist madman (Christopher Walken) in “A View to a Kill” (1985), Roger Moore’s last appearance as Agent 007.

Ms. Roberts also appeared in “The Beastmaster” (1982), a fantasy film. And she played the title role in “Sheena” (1984), a highly publicized adventure film inspired by a queen-of-the-jungle comic book character. Sheena, a female Tarzan type, wore skimpy fur outfits with décolletage, rode a zebra, talked to animals and shape-shifted. The film flopped at the box office, and Ms. Roberts began fading from public view.

She returned to the spotlight in 1998 on the sitcom “That ’70s Show” as the glamorous, youngish Midwestern mom of a teenage girl (Laura Prepon). In that role she was beautiful, slim and sexy — and delightfully dimwitted. The comic mystery, year after year, was how her short, dumpy husband, played by Don Stark with frighteningly overgrown sideburns, had ever won her heart. Ms. Roberts appeared on the show for three seasons and later made guest visits.

She was born Victoria Leigh Blum in the Bronx on Oct. 15, 1955, the second of two daughters of Oscar Maximilian Blum, a fountain pen salesman, and Dorothy Leigh (Smith) Blum. According to some sources, Tanya was her nickname. She spent her childhood in the Bronx and lived briefly in Canada after her parents’ divorce. She began her career by running away from home to become a model when she was 15.

Back in New York, she studied acting, appeared in some Off Broadway productions and worked as a model and a dance instructor to make ends meet. Her modeling career included work for Clairol and Ultra-Brite toothpaste. She made her screen debut in the horror thriller “The Last Victim” (1976), about a serial rapist-murderer.

Ms. Roberts, right, in 1999 in a scene from the sitcom “That ’70s Show” with Laura Prepon, another star of the show. Ms. Roberts had kept a low profile for many years until re-emerging in the show.Credit...Frank Carroll/Fox
After “Charlie’s Angels,” Ms. Roberts acted in both television and films. Her roles included the private eye Mike Hammer’s secretary in the television movie “Murder Me, Murder You” (1983), a detective working undercover at a sex clinic in “Sins of Desire” (1993) and a talk-radio host on the erotic anthology series “Hot Line” (1994-96). Her final screen appearance was on the Showtime series “Barbershop” in 2005.

Even in her heyday, Ms. Roberts appeared not to enjoy being interviewed. Chatting with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” in 1981, she laughed nervously, gave short answers and flirted with Michael Landon, her fellow guest. At one point, Mr. Carson mentioned a cover article about her in People magazine, prompting Ed McMahon, the host’s sidekick, to suggest, “Maybe there’s something in the magazine that’d be interesting.”

Ms. Roberts was a teenager when she married in 1971, but the union was quickly annulled at the insistence of her new mother-in-law. In 1974, she met Barry Roberts, a psychology student, while both were standing in line at a movie theater. They married that year. Mr. Roberts became a screenwriter and died in 2006 at 60.

In addition to Mr. O’Brien, she is survived by a sister, Barbara Chase, who was Timothy Leary’s fourth wife.

Ms. Roberts had always insisted that she was a New Yorker at heart, and not just because she hated driving.

“L.A. drives you crazy,” she said in the 1981 People magazine article. “I’m used to weather and walking and people who say what they mean.”

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Actress Tanya Roberts Died of a UTI—How Can That Happen?
Claire Gillespie
January 06, 2021

After some confusion, her publicist confirmed that she passed away on January 4 of a urinary tract infection.

Actress Tanya Roberts, who starred in the TV sitcom That '70s Show and the 1985 James Bond movie A View to Kill, has died at age 65 from a urinary tract infection (UTI) that spread to other parts of her body.

The sad news came after a bizarre turn of events. TMZ initially reported, via Roberts' publicist Mike Pingel, that the star collapsed at home on Christmas Eve after walking her dogs. She was then taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator, according to the news outlet, but never recovered and died on Sunday (January 3). Roberts' husband of 18 years, Lance O'Brien, told the outlet he was unable to visit her in the hospital because of COVID-19 restrictions, but hospital staff made an exception when they realized the actress probably wouldn't survive. He believed Roberts died during his visit, and relayed the news to Pingel.

But on Tuesday, Pingel confirmed that Roberts actually died on Monday night. In a statement to Metro.co.uk, he said, "With a heavy heart I can confirm the death of Tanya Roberts (age 65) last night on January 4, 2021 around 9:30pm PT at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA."

The rep also confirmed that Roberts' cause of death was "a urinary tract infection which spread to her kidney, gallbladder, liver and then bloodstream."

(Article continues on the causes, stastistics, and treatment of UTI with
Benjamin Brucker, MD, director of the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Program at NYU Langone Health)

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[MrGoutHimself]

Dying twice in one year is a lot of dedication.

[amtronic]

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Ummmmm, dead quim.


~!

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda dies at 93
ESPN News Services
Jan 8, 20217 Minute Read


George Rose/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES -- Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93.

The Dodgers said Friday that he suffered heart failure at his home in Fullerton, California. Resuscitation attempts were made on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday.

Lasorda had a history of heart problems, including a heart attack in 1996 that ended his managerial career and another in 2012 that required him to have a pacemaker.

He had just returned home Tuesday after being hospitalized since Nov. 8 with heart issues.

Lasorda attended the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Oct. 27 in Texas that clinched the team's first World Series title since 1988.

"It feels appropriate that in his final months, he saw his beloved Dodgers win the World Series for the first time since his 1988 team," commissioner Rob Manfred said.

Lasorda had served as special adviser to team owner and chairman Mark Walter for the last 14 years, and maintained a frequent presence at games sitting in Walter's box.

"He was a great ambassador for the team and baseball, a mentor to players and coaches, he always had time for an autograph and a story for his many fans and he was a good friend," Walter said. "He will be dearly missed."

Lasorda worked as a player, scout, manager and front office executive with the Dodgers dating to their roots in Brooklyn.

He compiled a 1,599-1,439 record, won World Series titles in 1981 and '88, four National League pennants and eight division titles while serving as Dodgers manager from 1977 to 1996.

He was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1997 as a manager. He guided the U.S. to a baseball gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Lasorda was the franchise's longest-tenured active employee since Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully retired in 2016 after 67 years. He drew standing ovations when introduced at games in recent years.

"There are two things about Tommy I will always remember," Scully said. "The first is his boundless enthusiasm. Tommy would get up in the morning full of beans and maintain that as long as he was with anybody else. The other was his determination. He was a fellow with limited ability and he pushed himself to be a very good Triple-A pitcher. He never quite had that something extra that makes a major leaguer, but it wasn't because he didn't try."

Lasorda often proclaimed, "I bleed Dodger blue" and he kept a bronze plaque on his desk reading: "Dodger Stadium was his address, but every ballpark was his home.″

As a pitcher, Lasorda had a modest career at the major league level, going 0-4 with a 6.48 ERA and 13 strikeouts from 1954 to 1956.

Born Thomas Charles Lasorda on Sept. 22, 1927, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, his pro career began when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted free agent in 1945. He missed the 1946 and '47 seasons while serving in the Army.

Lasorda returned in 1948 and once struck out 25 in a 15-inning game. In his next two starts, he struck out 15 and 13, gaining the attention of the Dodgers, who drafted him from the Phillies. He played in Panama and Cuba before making his major league debut on Aug. 5, 1954, for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although he didn't play in the 1955 World Series, he won a ring as a member of the team.

Lasorda pitched for the Dodgers for two seasons before the Kansas City Athletics bought his contract. He was traded to the Yankees in 1956 and sent down to the Triple-A Denver Bears before being sold back to the Dodgers in 1957. During his time with the Bears, Lasorda was influenced by manager Ralph Houk, who became his role model.

"Ralph taught me that if you treat players like human beings, they will play like Superman," Lasorda said in his 2009 biography "I Live For This: Baseball's Last True Believer."

"He taught me how a pat on a shoulder can be just as important as a kick in the butt.″

Lasorda stayed on with the Dodgers as a scout after they released him in 1960. That was the beginning of a steady climb through the Dodgers' system that culminated in his 1973 promotion to the big-league staff under longtime Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston.

Lasorda spent four seasons as third base coach while considered to be the heir apparent to Alston, who retired in September 1976.

Lasorda took over and his gregarious personality was in stark contrast to his restrained predecessor. Lasorda was known for his enthusiasm and outspoken opinions about players. He would jump around and pump his arms in the air after Dodgers victories and embrace players in the dugout after home runs or other good plays.

In L.A., Lasorda found many of the players he had managed in the minors, including Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Bobby Valentine and Bill Buckner.

As beloved as Lasorda was publicly, behind the scenes he was known for cussing a blue streak with reporters, rendering many of his quotes unusable.

Some of his most memorable rants live on via the internet, notably one from July 1982 involving Kurt Bevacqua of the San Diego Padres, who called Lasorda "that fat little Italian″ after Dodgers pitcher Tom Niedenfuer was fined $500 for beaning Joe Lefebvre, Bevacqua's teammate.

Lasorda denied ordering Niedenfuer to hit Lefebvre while unleashing a series of F-bombs.

"If I ever did," Lasorda said, his voice rising, "I certainly wouldn't make him throw at a f---ing .130 hitter like Lefebvre or f---ing Bevacqua who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a f---ing boat."

In 1978, Dave Kingman of the Chicago Cubs hit three homers and drove in eight runs in a 10-7, extra-inning victory over the Dodgers and a reporter asked Lasorda what he thought of Kingman's performance.

"I think it was f---ing horses---. Put that in,″ Lasorda said. "He beat us with three f---ing home runs. How could you ask me a question like that?"

Lasorda was known for his friendship with Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood stars. Sinatra sang the national anthem on Opening Day of the 1977 season to mark Lasorda's debut as manager. The faux-wood paneled walls of Lasorda's office were crowded with black-and-white autographed photos of his celebrity friends, the framed glass stained by red sauce from the pasta served in large foil trays after games.

Lasorda's appetite for winning and eating was equally voracious. His weight ballooned throughout his years as manager, and he explained, "When we won games, I'd eat to celebrate. And when we lost games, I'd eat to forget.″

He parlayed his struggles into a role as pitchman for a popular weight loss product.

Lasorda managed nine National League Rookie of the Year winners, including Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax, Steve Howe, Mike Piazza, Eric Karros and Hideo Nomo.

"You have to know who to pat on the back, when to pat him on the back, when you have to kick them in the butt and when you have to stroke them a little bit," said Mike Scioscia, former Dodgers catcher and major league manager. "And Tommy had that gift, to know what players needed what."

Lasorda managed in four All-Star games. He was serving as third base coach in the 2001 game when he tumbled backward while trying to avoid the shattered barrel of Vladimir Guerrero's bat in a comical scene.

In 1998, Lasorda became interim general manager after Fred Claire was fired in the middle of the season. He resigned from that job after the season and was appointed senior vice president. After the team was sold in 2004 to Frank McCourt, Lasorda became special adviser to the chairman.

Lasorda had a heart attack during a 2012 trip to New York to represent the Dodgers at the major league draft. He had a pacemaker implanted and it was replaced five years later.

He is survived by Jo, his wife of 70 years. The couple lived in the same modest home in Fullerton for 68 years. They have a daughter, Laura, and a granddaughter, Emily. The couple's son, Tom Jr., died in 1991 of AIDS-related complications.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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