DEATHS ; Notable Passings; The Thread to Pay Last Respects

[LizzieMaine]

Koko the Gorilla has died in her sleep at the age of 46. World-famous for her use of American Sign Language to communicate with her teachers, experts estimated her IQ as somewhere between 65 and 85. Koko was a fan of American popular culture, and was well-known for her interactions with her favorite TV personalities, from Robin Williams to Mister Rogers.

 

[Frunobulax]

Missed this until a day or so ago. Dutch Rennert, long time Major League umpire with the Senior Circuit, died Sunday at the age of 88. I swear, when he was behind the plate, you could hear him call balls and strikes with the sound muted.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Zombie_61]

Koko the Gorilla has died in her sleep at the age of 46. World-famous for her use of American Sign Language to communicate with her teachers, experts estimated her IQ as somewhere between 65 and 85. Koko was a fan of American popular culture, and was well-known for her interactions with her favorite TV personalities, from Robin Williams to Mister Rogers.

When I read of Koko's passing earlier today that footage of her meeting with Robin Williams was the first thing that entered my mind. I remember reports of Koko's sadness when she was informed of Mr. Williams' passing, so he must have made an impression on her.

 

[TimeWarpWife]

Koko the Gorilla has died in her sleep at the age of 46. World-famous for her use of American Sign Language to communicate with her teachers, experts estimated her IQ as somewhere between 65 and 85. Koko was a fan of American popular culture, and was well-known for her interactions with her favorite TV personalities, from Robin Williams to Mister Rogers.

I'm so sad to hear of Koko's death. When my dd was little we watched a documentary about her, so I bought dd a Koko stuffed animal and book. She was an amazing creature.

 

[MisterCairo]

Long-time blues guitarist Matt "Guitar" Murphy has died. Murphy is probably best known to contemporary audiences as a member of The Blues Brothers band, appearing in the movie as band member and husband of soul food restauranteur Aretha Franklin. In the real world Murphy was a legendary sideman, playing with blues royalty such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and James Cotton. Murphy was 88.

Damn...

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

The “Old Man” of Pawn Stars has passed. His irascible old curmudgeon persona made me feel right at home. He could wear a fedora too.
Good bye Old Man.
B

 

[HudsonHawk]

I didn’t catch it when it happened, but a couple of weeks ago we lost another early rock n roll player. Dominic Joseph “D.J.” Fontana, longtime drummer for Elvis during the early years, passed away at the age of 87. Fontana was the house drummer on the Louisiana Hayride radio show, when he teamed up with Scotty Moore and Bill Black to form Elvis’s first band. He played on pretty much all of Elvis’s hits from the 50s, and toured with the King up into the 60s.

On a side note, in more recent years, Fontana and Moore made a record with Alvin Lee playing old 50s style rockabilly. It’s one of my favorite records.

 

[Fading Fast]

I didn’t catch it when it happened, but a couple of weeks ago we lost another early rock n roll player. Dominic Joseph “D.J.” Fontana, longtime drummer for Elvis during the early years, passed away at the age of 87. Fontana was the house drummer on the Louisiana Hayride radio show, when he teamed up with Scotty Moore and Bill Black to form Elvis’s first band. He played on pretty much all of Elvis’s hits from the 50s, and toured with the King up into the 60s.

On a side note, in more recent years, Fontana and Moore made a record with Alvin Lee playing old 50s style rockabilly. It’s one of my favorite records.

You can get a feel for his talent and personality in the "Elvis '68 Comeback Special."

 

[MisterCairo]

Actor Stanley Anderson has died, aged 78. Known for several one-off roles, perhaps the best known as the judge in the final episode of Seinfeld:

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/entertainm...‘seinfeld’-actor-was-78/ar-AAziSYx?ocid=ientp

http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/....img?h=533&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=771&y=395

 

[Frunobulax]

I just saw a notice that author Harlan Ellison has passed away.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Worf]

Wow... what a writer... Ellison's "The Glass Teet" about the effects of constant television viewing is great as was his seminal anthology "Dangerous Visions" which I've read many times.

"Repent Harlequin Cried the Tick Tock Man!"

Worf

 

[Frunobulax]

Wow... what a writer... Ellison's "The Glass Teet" about the effects of constant television viewing is great as was his seminal anthology "Dangerous Visions" which I've read many times.

"Repent Harlequin Cried the Tick Tock Man!"

Worf

Even as a science fiction reader, I am deficient in reading Mr. Ellison's works. I need to correct that.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

I first met Harlan in 1971. He was controversial and, let it be said, some people loathed him, but he never had any but kind words for me. He was very supportive of a young, aspiring sf writer and I reconnected with him a number of times in the last 47 years. He was one of a kind and he will be missed. He wrote what many regard as the finest Star Trek episode. "The City on the Edge of Forever," a multi award winner.

 

[MisterCairo]

This was sad to hear, but he seems to have been a character, and did not care what anyone thought of that!

I fell in love with Joan Collins in that Star Trek episode!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/harlan-ellison-science-fiction-master-dies-at-age-84-1.4727733

 

[Doctor Strange]

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream!

Harlan Ellison wrote lots of great stuff. But as an old-school Trek fan (since 9/8/66) who considers "The City On the Edge of Forever" my favorite, and perhaps greatest, ST episode, I have to point out that it's common knowledge among Trekkers that Ellison's script was massively revised by D.C. Fontana, Gene Coon, etc. - to the point that Ellison disowned it and wanted a pseudonym used on the episode's title (which Gene Roddenberry refused to allow).

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...olatile-legend-science-fiction-was-84-1062923

I intend no sleight on his many other great stories and projects, I enjoyed lots of them. But it's pretty ironic that City On the Edge is getting so much attention in his obits and articles!

And MisterCairo: While seeing this episode when I was 12 solidified my fascination with Joan Collins, it was her appearance in the fifties film Land of the Pharaohs that first burned her into my consciousness. I saw this flick on TV when I was much younger, and its finale (spoiler alert: her cunning, duplicitous wife of pharaoh unexpectedly finds herself sealed alive in his pyramid along with his other possessions and priestly retinue!) terrified me. My mom had to be my shrink for several nights afterwards when I was too freaked-out to sleep. It's not a good film (despite having a screenplay by William freaking Faulkner!), but Collins made a big impression in the role of Princess Nellifer!



But really, is there any Trek fan who doesn't adore her wonderful performance as Edith Keeler?!?

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

Harlan was quick to point out that the Writer's Guild Award he won for "City on the Edge of Forever" was for his original script, as submitted to the Guild, not the script that was actually shot for ST.

 

[3fingers]

Joan Collins was beautiful. My favorite comment about her came from Joan herself. When asked what others most common comment about her was she replied "Oh Joan, Shocking girl!" It bothered her not at all, so she and Ellison had that in common.

 

[Just Jim]

I first met Harlan in 1971. He was controversial and, let it be said, some people loathed him, but he never had any but kind words for me. He was very supportive of a young, aspiring sf writer and I reconnected with him a number of times in the last 47 years. He was one of a kind and he will be missed. He wrote what many regard as the finest Star Trek episode. "The City on the Edge of Forever," a multi award winner.

While he was a talented writer, I think he gave people good cause to loathe him. I suspect his passing won't be mourned by as many as his friends believe.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

French journalist, writer, film director & producer & to some extent, philosopher, Claude Lanzmann, died yesterday aged 92. He is prehaps best known for his 10 hour documentary, ' Shoah' (1985) .....it was of course cut shorter for American audiences as long films usually are.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Stan Lee's OTHER great collaborator at early sixties Marvel Comics:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/07/obituaries/steve-ditko-dead-spider-man.html

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/steve-ditko-was-a-comic-creator-time-1125510

https://news.avclub.com/r-i-p-spider-man-co-creator-steve-ditko-1827409317