DEATHS ; Notable Passings; The Thread to Pay Last Respects

[HudsonHawk]

Another music legend gone, this time a big one in the world of country music:

Merle Haggard died today, his 79th birthday.

 

[Frunobulax]

2016 is turning out to be heck on the music industry...

 

[1mach1]

I just heard of Merle's passing. He was one of the greats. RIP

 

[MisterCairo]

Sad news indeed...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/obit-merle-haggard-1.3523425

 

[hatsRme]

Merle was one of my favorites. And I've never visited Muskogee.

 

[kaiser]

R.I.P Merle, you were one of the great ones.

 

[MisterCairo]

Music producer and former Mr. Minelli David Guest has died, aged 62 in London:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/obit-david-guest-1.3531920

 

[Otter]

Gareth Thomas has passed on. Best know for his title roll in the classic 1979's BBC ScFi series Blake's 7.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

Dan Ireland has passed away at the age of 57. Ireland was a founder of the Seattle Film Festival and directed several himself. His first effort "The Whole Wide World"is of special interest to Golden Age aficionados. Set in West Texas in the 30s, it is a biographical film about the great Texas pulp writer, Robert E. Howard. It starred a young Vincent Dónofrio as Howard and Rene Zellweger in her first role as Novalyne Price, Howard's love interest.

 

[MisterCairo]

One of my favs, Doris Roberts, has died at age 90:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/doris-roberts-obit-1.3542069


Rest in peace Doris. Loved you starting with Angie way back in the day. And your turn in Christmas Vacation, what can one say...

 

[MisterCairo]

English comedian and actor Victoria Woods has died, aged 62. She had been diagnosed with cancer six months ago. I have been a fan since her shows in the 80s with Julie Walters and Celia Imrie.

So young, so sad...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/victoria-woods-final-hours-family-7800090

 

[MisterCairo]

WWE wrestler "Chyna", actually Joanie Laurer, has died aged 45. No cause of death was known at the time of the press release:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/chyna-laurer-obit-1.3546209

 

[Frunobulax]

If it was one of the guys, I would guess complications from steroids. Kevin Nash's post makes it sound like it could be something self-inflicted. INtentional or not. 45? We need a round of "Death Takes a Holiday" for the celebrity world in 2016.

 

[MisterCairo]

Breaking news, no word on an identity as yet:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/prince-paisley-park-death-1.3546878

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The singer Prince is dead at 57 yrs old...
http://www.wthr.com/story/31784190/tmz-prince-dead-at-57

 

[MisterCairo]

This is truly awful. One of the few 80s superstars I admired.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/prince-paisley-park-death-1.3546878

 

[Frunobulax]

I'm shocked, gobsmacked. A truly talented artist.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/21/entertainment/prince-estate-death/

2016, STOP! Just STOP!

 

[Fading Fast]

He falls into that category of incredibly, unbelievably talented artists of whom I only liked a subset of what he did - but respected almost all of what he did. His music was head and shoulders above the average very successful artist.

 

[kaiser]

I was shocked as well when I heard this. He really was one of the great ones that will be really missed.

R.I.P. Prince

 

[Worf]

As a working musician and songwriter (people pay me to play so I guess that makes me one of the fraternity) Prince's death hit me especially hard. He was in my mind the basterd son of Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. He could play like Jimi, dance like James and sing like Little Richard. On top of ALL that he was an amazing songwriter. Not all of his output was "accessible" but nearly all of it was interesting. His Superbowl halftime show in the pouring rain, no lipsynching there, was amazing. I'm stunned and saddened. I expect musicians older than me to go, but when someone this talented and this young goes so early... Glad I got to see him at Madison Square Garden. Morris Day opened, Sheila E joined in and Prince killed it. Throw in Maceo Parker on sax and I thought I'd gone to heaven.

Worf