Official 2020 Deadpool Thread

[Gregzs]

His sculptures were larger than life. Renowned N.J. artist Seward Johnson dies at 89.

J. Seward Johnson Jr., renowned sculptor and heir to the Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, died this week at his home in Key West, Florida. He was 89 and died Tuesday of cancer, according to a published report.

Johnson’s sculptures were literally larger than life, such as a supersized depiction of the celebration at the end of World War II when a sailor kissed a nurse in New York’s Times Square.

Another one of his works, “Double Check”, a disheveled businessman sitting on a bench going through his briefcase, survived the destruction of the World Trade Centers in 2001.

The sculpture in Liberty Park outside of the Trade Centers was so lifelike firefighters frequently mistook it for an actual victim of the attack that needed to be rescued, according to a report in the New York Times.

The New Jersey native son was also known for his 42-acre Grounds for Sculpture in Trenton, which featured dozens of his works laid out in a lifelike, doubletake fantasy exhibit. He opened it in 1992.

It also featured a foundry for other emerging artists to craft their works.

“We have all these paths in the park that go different ways and we want people to use their own intuition about which path to take, which has nothing to do with what anyone would teach about art,” said Johnson in a 2014 interview with NJ Advance Media.

He also encourages people to go their own way when interpreting the art itself.

“Art has its own message for each viewer and it must be viscerally received to have it be powerful,” he said.

Johnson explained what he hoped the park brings to someone who might not be particularly knowledgeable about contemporary art.

“It’s easy sometimes to forget the simple things that give us pleasure,” a statement on Steward Johnson Atelier website said. “If we open our eyes, life is marvelous.”

https://www.guy-than-life-renowned-nj-artist-seward-johnson-dies-at-89.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=njcom_sf&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=nj_facebook_njcom&fbclid=IwAR2VM9nGc9FQrBREZDNqciHEazdNhKOB54Ai_a14Aie1csEV7xfDfhREKSE



https://www.facebook.com/NJ.com/videos/10157559578886234/

[Gregzs]

Wonder Woman Star Lyle Waggoner Dead at 84


Today, the entertainment industry is coming together to remember the talent which Lyle Waggoner brought to the screen. A report by TMZ has confirmed the Wonder Woman and Carol Burnett Show star passed away recent at the age of 84.

The report comes from a source close to Waggoner's family. TMZ says the TV star died at his home on Tuesday after battling with an illness. Waggoner went peacefully while surrounded by his wife and sons.

For those unfamiliar with Waggoner, the actor rose to fame back in the 1960s after he was cast on the show Gunsmoke in a guest role. The actor almost nabbed a role in a very different comic book series before Wonder Woman as he was a lead choice to play Batman, but Waggoner ultimately lost the role to Adam West.

After failing to don the cowl, Waggoner redirected his focus to comedy as he joined The Carol Burnett Show. The star appeared on the iconic sketch comedy series for seven years where he rose to fame.

It was in 1975 that Lyle Waggoner finally landed in DC role. He was cast as Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman TV series where he also played Steve Trevor Jr. He was on the show for more than three seasons alongside Lynda Carter.

Outside of his acting career, Lyle was seen as a sex symbol by many, and he even posted seminude in Playgirl back in 1973. From the big screen to television, Lyle was reliably cast as a hunk to woo female audiences, and he stole plenty of hearts during his time on Wonder Woman.

In the mid-1970s, Waggoner began separating himself from Hollywood to pursue other careers around the entertainment industry. In the years following, he went on to revive his TV legacy on programs such as That '70s Show.

https://comicbook.com/dc/2020/03/17/lyle-waggoner-death-wonder-woman-batman-obituary/

[The Scott]

Wonder Woman Star Lyle Waggoner Dead at 84


Today, the entertainment industry is coming together to remember the talent which Lyle Waggoner brought to the screen. A report by TMZ has confirmed the Wonder Woman and Carol Burnett Show star passed away recent at the age of 84.

The report comes from a source close to Waggoner's family. TMZ says the TV star died at his home on Tuesday after battling with an illness. Waggoner went peacefully while surrounded by his wife and sons.

For those unfamiliar with Waggoner, the actor rose to fame back in the 1960s after he was cast on the show Gunsmoke in a guest role. The actor almost nabbed a role in a very different comic book series before Wonder Woman as he was a lead choice to play Batman, but Waggoner ultimately lost the role to Adam West.

After failing to don the cowl, Waggoner redirected his focus to comedy as he joined The Carol Burnett Show. The star appeared on the iconic sketch comedy series for seven years where he rose to fame.

It was in 1975 that Lyle Waggoner finally landed in DC role. He was cast as Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman TV series where he also played Steve Trevor Jr. He was on the show for more than three seasons alongside Lynda Carter.

Outside of his acting career, Lyle was seen as a sex symbol by many, and he even posted seminude in Playgirl back in 1973. From the big screen to television, Lyle was reliably cast as a hunk to woo female audiences, and he stole plenty of hearts during his time on Wonder Woman.

In the mid-1970s, Waggoner began separating himself from Hollywood to pursue other careers around the entertainment industry. In the years following, he went on to revive his TV legacy on programs such as That '70s Show.

https://comicbook.com/dc/2020/03/17/lyle-waggoner-death-wonder-woman-batman-obituary/

A very handsome gentleman. He was from St. Louis and a friend of some of my family back there.  I never met him.   

[Rambone]

Kenny Rogers, country music icon, dies at 81

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/entertainment/kenny-rogers-country-music-icon-dead-at-81.amp

Kenny Rogers, a longtime star of country music, died Friday night, according to a statement posted by his family. He was 81.

Known for such hits as “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Lucille,” Rogers died peacefully at home in Sandy Springs, Ga., of natural causes at 10:25 p.m., the statement said.

Rogers later developed "The Gambler" into a series of television movies in which he starred.

In all, Rogers had 24 No. 1 hits and was the winner of six CMA Awards and three Grammys, the family's statement said.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2013 he received the Country Music Association's Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Variety.

Early in his career, Rogers led the band Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, whose hits included the Mel Tillis-written song, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town."

Born in Houston, Rogers was raised in public housing along with seven siblings. He had his first gold single at age 20 with a song called "That Crazy Feeling."

Prior to The First Edition, Rogers sang with the New Christy Minstrels in the 1960s. After The First Edition disbanded in 1974 he launched his enormously successful solo career.

His duet hit "Islands in The Stream," sung with Dolly Parton, grew from a suggestion by Bee Gees star Barry Gibb, who wrote the song, according to The Associated Press.

Until that point, Rogers hadn't been thrilled with the song. But then Parton joined him in the recording studio.

“From the moment she marched into that room, that song never sounded the same,” Rogers said, according to the AP. “It took on a whole new spirit.”

Last May, Rogers was admitted to a Georgia hospital for dehydration, amid rumors that his overall health was failing.

In 2018, health problems prompted Rogers to call off shows during what was billed as his farewell concert tour.

"Kenny Rogers has been working through a series of health challenges and has been advised to cancel all performances through the end of the year to focus on recuperation," a statement from the singer's management said at the time.

"I didn't want to take forever to retire," Rogers was quoted as saying. "I've thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on 'The Gambler's Last Deal' tour."

[Gregzs]

William Dufris, a longtime voiceover artist known for playing animated construction worker Bob the Builder, has died at the age of 62 after a battle with cancer. His passing was confirmed on Twitter by Pocket Universe Productions, an entertainment company he co-founded with Lance Roger Axt.

"We are heartbroken to announce that the co-founder of @pocketplot and the director of 'EC Comics Presents... The Vault of Horror,' William Dufris, has died from cancer," reads the tweet from Monday. "There is a hole in a lot of people’s hearts right now. We will have more to say later. Bless you, Bill."

Born in Houlton, Maine in early February of 1958, Dufris's voiceover career began in London where he lived for 13 years. He appeared in several BBC radio plays alongside legends like Kathleen Turner, Sharon Gless, Stockard Channing, and Helena Bonham-Carter. In addition, he collaborated with audio drama writer/director Dirk Maggs on audio adaptations of The Amazing Spider-Man (here, he voiced Peter Parker), Judge Dredd, and An American Werewolf in London.

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, Dufris voiced characters for English dubs of Japanese anime such as Angel Cop, Genocyber, Patlabor: The Movie, and more.

Between 1998 and 2006, he portrayed Bob the Builder in the U.S. and Canada. He also created the voices for Farmer Pickles and Mr. Beasley. Animated in the style of stop-motion, the kids' program (created by Keith Chapman) follows an upbeat contractor who solves structural problems with some help from his talking machinery. The main character's constant refrain is "Can we fix it? Yes we can!"

After founding The Story Circle, Ltd in England, Dufris returned to America, where he established Mind’s Eye Productions and Audio Comics. The aforementioned Pocket Universe is focused on the production of "fully immersive 'audio movies,' adapted from science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thriller prose, as well as from stage plays and graphic novels," reads the site.

Prior to his death, Dufris received APA’s Audie Award, as well as several Golden Earphones Awards from AudioFile Magazine. That same publication once named him "One Of The Best Voices At The End Of The Century."

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/william-dufris-voice-of-bob-the-builder-dies-at-62?utm_campaign=9yearoldboysearchingwalnut&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=organic&utm_content=link_ad&__source=Blastr_Vayner_syfy_Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ooTN9v0trIQjZIfsXoOBvue_-_yCyS37wyWsTAWfgQ4csLbfITXj28E0

[Gregzs]

Harlem Globetrotters Star Fred "Curly" Neal Dead at Age 77


Harlem Globetrotters legend Fred Curly Neal has died at the age of 77 years old, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. No details have been released about the cause of death, but Neal's Globetrotters teammate and friend Curley Boo Johnson shared the sad news on social media, saying "FRED “CURLY” NEAL Last night the World lost a true ambassador of the game of basketball and outside of Muhammad Ali one of the most recognizable faces on the Planet! Rest In Peace my Brother.... #harlemglobetrotters". You can find his post below, which also included several photos of the two together during their time on the team (via TMZ).

Curly is one of the most recognizable members of the famous team, as he spent 22 years dazzling fans in more than 6000 games. During that stint, he appeared in some of the Globetrotter's most notable pop-culture crossovers, the team-up with Scooby-Doo and Gilligan's Island, as well as The Harlem Globetrotter's Popcorn Special.

His #22 jersey was retired in 2008, and he's only one of 5 players to receive that honor from the Globetrotters.

https://comicbook.com/irl/2020/03/26/harlem-globetrotters-fred-curly-neal-dead-age-77/?fbclid=IwAR0BIfSOxRU2BX379si5XuTFkiSmqwSbBArJNfmfNCafSZgKmPlpOiyaKPA

[Gregzs]

N.J. actor Mark Blum, star of ‘Desperately Seeking Susan,’ ‘Mozart in the Jungle,’ dies from coronavirus

Veteran actor Mark Blum has died from complications of the coronavirus disease.
Blum, a Newark native known for his roles in TV series including “Mozart in the Jungle” and films like “Desperately Seeking Susan,” was 69.

Rebecca Damon, executive vice president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, announced Blum’s death on social media.
“Mark was smart, funny, and a true actor’s actor,” she tweeted. “He will be deeply missed.”

Blum played Gary Glass, a hot tub salesman married to unhappy Fort Lee housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) in Susan Seidelman’s 1985 mistaken identity film “Desperately Seeking Susan," opposite Madonna.
“I’m so deeply sad for his family and for his fans,” Arquette tweeted. “He was a wonderful actor and a very good and kind man. May you rest In peace and power Mark. God bless you.”

For four seasons, the actor also played Union Bob, a piccolo player in the Amazon series “Mozart in the Jungle" who keeps the conductor of the New York Symphony apprised of all the union rules.

Blum, an alumnus of Columbia High School in Maplewood, also played the hapless scapegoat Bill on HBO’s “Succession" and Mr. Mooney on the Lifetime/Netflix series “You." He appeared in the 1986 film “Crocodile Dundee" as well as in the movies “The Presidio" (1988) and “Shattered Glass” (2003).

Blum played Randall Curtin in a 1999 episode of “The Sopranos” called “Meadowlands" and appeared in other series like “Billions," “NYPD Blue,” “Frasier,” “Law & Order" and “Capital News.”
He was a respected theater actor, starring in Broadway shows “The Graduate,” Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” “The Best Man,” “Twelve Angry Men” and “The Merchant.”

Blum won an Obie Award for playing Al in a production of “Gus and All" at the off-Broadway theater Playwrights Horizons. The theater memorialized Blum on Twitter, calling him “a dear longtime friend and a consummate artist.”

“Thank you, Mark, for all you brought to our theater, and to theaters and audiences across the world,” Playwrights tweeted. "We will miss you.”
Blum is survived by his wife, actress Janet Zarish.

“When I was in drama school Mark Blum was exactly the kind of actor I aspired to be: constantly employed, deeply respected, total mensch,” tweeted “Hunters” actor Josh Radnor. “Gutted to hear of his passing. His wife Janet Zarish was my acting teacher at NYU. They were the loveliest couple. My heart breaks for her.”
Trenton native Judith Light also shared a remembrance of Blum.

“Mark Blum, so generous, so kind, so humble, so talented,” she tweeted. Our time together in the play The Assembled Parties at MTC (Manhattan Theatre Club) was a true joy. May he rest in peace knowing that he transformed the lives of so many and was cherished by so many; me among them."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/nj-actor-mark-blum-star-of-desperately-seeking-susan-mozart-in-the-jungle-dies-from-coronavirus/ar-BB11L66q?ocid=spartandhp

[Desolate]

I remember him from Crocodile Dundee and The Presidio.

He was the boyfriend in Crocodile Dundee and the main bad guy in The Presidio.

The Presidio is pretty good. The Meg Ryan scenes are awful.

But it has a young Mark Harmon and an older Sean Connery still getting it done.

R.I.P.

[Rambone]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/joe-diffie-country-singer-dead-obituary-974556/

Joe Diffie, Nineties Country’s ‘Pickup Man,’ Dead at 61 From Coronavirus
Singer of hits like “John Deere Green” and “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)” tested positive for COVID-19 last week

Joe Diffie, a consistent country-music hitmaker throughout the Nineties, died Sunday due to complications related to COVID-19. His publicist confirmed the death to Rolling Stone. Diffie was 61.
With a traditional-leaning voice that drew comparisons to George Jones, Diffie populated his records with honky-tonk ballads and lighthearted novelty tunes, earning the Oklahoma native five Number One singles in the first half of the Nineties. These began with his debut release, the deeply moving “Home,” followed by “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Pickup Man,” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” In all, Diffie charted 18 Top Ten singles, with the majority reaching the Top Five, including the 1993 radio staples “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)” and “John Deere Green.”
The singer was famously name-checked, as were a number of his best-known songs, in Jason Aldean’s 2013 single “1994.” “There are plenty of singers in this town, but not many with a range like his,” Diffie’s fellow Opry star Vince Gill told People magazine in 1993.
Joseph Logan Diffie was born in Tulsa and raised in the tiny community of Velma, Oklahoma. In the intervening years, the Diffie family lived in San Antonio, Washington state, and Wisconsin. His father, who held jobs as a teacher, rancher, truck driver, and welder, had musical tastes that ran more toward traditional country, but Diffie learned about harmony singing by working in gospel and bluegrass groups, including, respectively, Higher Purpose and Special Edition. Diffie also played bars, VFW halls, and honky-tonks as a solo act in Duncan, Oklahoma, where he lived with his wife and children while working in a local foundry. He also partnered with his father to run a small recording studio.

[Gregzs]

David Schramm, Star on NBC’s ‘Wings,’ Dies at 73


Schramm was a founding member of New York’s The Acting Company, which announced the news of his death on Sunday.

He played Roy Biggins, the rival airline owner on “Wings,” and appeared in all 172 episodes between 1990 and 1997. Throughout his 40-year career, Schramm also appeared in the TV movie “The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story” in 1990 and played Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in the miniseries “Kennedy.” His film credits include “Let It Ride,” “Johnny Handsome” and “A Shock to the System.”

He graduated from New York City’s Julliard School and appeared in productions on and off-Broadway, at the New York Theatre Workshop, Pasadena Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Washington D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company and more. His theater credits include Alan Ayckbourn’s “Bedroom Face” and the 2009 revival of “Finian’s Rainbow.”

“We mourn his loss and will miss him,” Margot Harley of The Acting Company said in the group’s statement.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/david-schramm-star-on-nbcs-wings-dies-at-73/ar-BB11SA2Y?ocid=spartandhp&pfr=1

[Gregzs]

The Shining Composer Krzysztof Penderecki Dies at 86


Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, known for his work on The Shining, The Exorcist, and Wild at Heart as well as many others, has died at his home in Krakow at 86. Penderecki's death was confirmed by the director of the Ludwig van Beethoven Association, an organization founded by his wife, Elzbieta.

Penderecki was born in Dębica, Poland in 1933 and studied at the Academy of Music in Krakow and became one of Poland's most well-known composers. Penderecki began composing in the 1960s and, in addition to his soundtrack and score work, produced eight symphonies, four operas, a requiem, and various concertos and choral works, many of them politically motivated and notably technically difficult to play, including his most famous work "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" which has also appeared in films, including Children of Men.

His musical influence also reached well beyond his work in film as he served as inspiration for musicians such as Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood who himself has worked on the soundtracks for various films, including There Will Be Blood. Greenwood mourned Penderecki's passing in a post to Twitter on Sunday.

"What sad news to wake to," Greenwood wrote. "Penderecki was the greatest -- a fiercely creative composer, and a gentle, warm-hearted man. My condolences to his family, and to Poland on this huge loss to the musical world."

Greenwood has long credited Penderecki as an influence in his work and even collaborated with Penderecki, with Penderecki praising Greenwood's work with Radiohead in a 2012 interview with The Guardian.

"I told my granddaughter, and she knew immediately who they were," Penderecki said at the time. "She is 11 and she and my children gave me some discs to hear their music. I like it very much; it is very soft, very musical."

According to Poland's Ministry of Culture, Penderecki died following a "long and serious illness.

"After a long and serious illness, Krzysztof Penderecki - on of the greatest Polish musicians, a world authority in the field of classical music died," the announcement said (via Reuters).

Over the course of Penderecki's career, he won many awards including four Grammy Awards, the latest in 2016 for Best Choral Performance.

https://comicbook.com/movies/2020/03/29/shining-composer-krzysztof-penderecki-dies/?fbclid=IwAR2xG_qh7Dut5GRwlPLuAnk5k_kw3rwmOfYSARN89aSSI519aBBsCOsXQMk

[Humble Narcissist]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/joe-diffie-country-singer-dead-obituary-974556/

Joe Diffie, Nineties Country’s ‘Pickup Man,’ Dead at 61 From Coronavirus
Singer of hits like “John Deere Green” and “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)” tested positive for COVID-19 last week

Joe Diffie, a consistent country-music hitmaker throughout the Nineties, died Sunday due to complications related to COVID-19. His publicist confirmed the death to Rolling Stone. Diffie was 61.
With a traditional-leaning voice that drew comparisons to George Jones, Diffie populated his records with honky-tonk ballads and lighthearted novelty tunes, earning the Oklahoma native five Number One singles in the first half of the Nineties. These began with his debut release, the deeply moving “Home,” followed by “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Pickup Man,” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” In all, Diffie charted 18 Top Ten singles, with the majority reaching the Top Five, including the 1993 radio staples “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)” and “John Deere Green.”
The singer was famously name-checked, as were a number of his best-known songs, in Jason Aldean’s 2013 single “1994.” “There are plenty of singers in this town, but not many with a range like his,” Diffie’s fellow Opry star Vince Gill told People magazine in 1993.
Joseph Logan Diffie was born in Tulsa and raised in the tiny community of Velma, Oklahoma. In the intervening years, the Diffie family lived in San Antonio, Washington state, and Wisconsin. His father, who held jobs as a teacher, rancher, truck driver, and welder, had musical tastes that ran more toward traditional country, but Diffie learned about harmony singing by working in gospel and bluegrass groups, including, respectively, Higher Purpose and Special Edition. Diffie also played bars, VFW halls, and honky-tonks as a solo act in Duncan, Oklahoma, where he lived with his wife and children while working in a local foundry. He also partnered with his father to run a small recording studio.

I wonder if they'll prop up Joe on the jukebox now.

[Gregzs]

'Star Wars' Actor & Dialect Coach Andrew Jack Dies from Coronavirus

'Star Wars' actor Andrew Jack, who was also a dialect coach to the stars, has died from the coronavirus ... TMZ has learned.

Andrew's rep, Jill McCullough, tells us her client passed away Tuesday morning at a hospital outside of London as a result of complications he'd developed from COVID-19.

Jill says Andrew's wife couldn't be there for her husband because she herself is in quarantine in Australia -- and there may not be a way to accommodate a proper funeral due to conditions created by the global pandemic.

Andrew was still very much active and working up until a few weeks ago -- most notably, he was hired as the dialect coach on the new 'Batman' movie starring Robert Pattinson. That production was shut down less than a month ago

His biggest claim to fame -- aside from teaching countless actors different accents and dialects over the years on blockbuster films -- might be the 'Star Wars' franchise itself. He acted in some of the latest installments, and also served as the dialect coach.

So, in other words, the reason British John Boyega pulled off such a convincing American accent as Finn is probably due, in part, to Andrew.

He served as the dialect coach on "Avengers: Endgame," 'Robin Hood,' 'Sherlock Holmes,' "Alien v. Predator," "Lord of the Rings," "Die Another Day," "Eastern Promises," "Captain America," "Men in Black: International" and on and on and on.

He's worked with Viggo Mortensen, Christian Bale, Robert Downey, Jr. and so many other A-list actors -- and was a master of Chinese and Japanese dialects too. In other words ... he had a ton of range during his 30-plus year career.

Andrew was 76.

RIP

https://www.tmz.com/2020/03/31/star-wars-actor-dialect-coach-andrew-jack-dead-dies-coroanvirus/?fbclid=IwAR3LwcnPeo1YABfTybxreAPSeH1uFtKcV7CWBSB5Zir6aKCy795CaI6UMR4

[Gregzs]

Adam Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne and ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Songwriter, Dies at 52 of COVID-19


Adam Schlesinger, the bassist-songwriter from the rock band Fountains of Wayne and a music producer and composer on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” has died due to complications from the coronavirus, his lawyer Josh Grier told The New York Times. He was 52.

Schlesinger had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 for the past week and was on a ventilator, TheWrap reported on Tuesday. Representatives for Schlesinger and for Fountains of Wayne did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Schlesinger earned three Emmy Awards for his work writing songs for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and for the 2011 and 2012 Tony Awards broadcasts. He won a Grammy Award for the 2008 comedy album “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!”

In 1996, he also earned an Oscar nomination for co-writing the title song to Tom Hanks’ movie “That Thing You Do!” as well as a Tony nomination for the score to the 2008 Broadway musical version of John Waters’ “Cry-Baby.”

But he was best known for his work with the quirky late-’90s rock band Fountains of Wayne, which he formed with fellow Williams College graduate Chris Collingwood in 1995, which was inspired by bands like The Kinks, Big Star and The Cars.

The band scored its biggest hit with the 2003 single “Stacy’s Mom,” which also was famous for a racy music video starring the supermodel Rachel Hunter. The song hit No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

He had also been at work on a stage musical version of the Fran Drescher ’90s sitcom “The Nanny,” collaborating with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” creator Rachel Bloom. He and Bloom together on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a cult favorite on The CW from 2015-19 that wove Broadway-style parody songs into the rom-com storyline.

Some of his other credits included songs for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Damsels in Distress,” “Music & Lyrics” and “Crank Yankers.”

https://www.thewrap.com/adam-schlesinger-dies-coronavirus-fountains-wayne-crazy-ex-girlfriend/

[Gregzs]

William Dufris, a longtime voiceover artist known for playing animated construction worker Bob the Builder, has died at the age of 62 after a battle with cancer. His passing was confirmed on Twitter by Pocket Universe Productions, an entertainment company he co-founded with Lance Roger Axt.

"We are heartbroken to announce that the co-founder of @pocketplot and the director of 'EC Comics Presents... The Vault of Horror,' William Dufris, has died from cancer," reads the tweet from Monday. "There is a hole in a lot of people’s hearts right now. We will have more to say later. Bless you, Bill."

Born in Houlton, Maine in early February of 1958, Dufris's voiceover career began in London where he lived for 13 years. He appeared in several BBC radio plays alongside legends like Kathleen Turner, Sharon Gless, Stockard Channing, and Helena Bonham-Carter. In addition, he collaborated with audio drama writer/director Dirk Maggs on audio adaptations of The Amazing Spider-Man (here, he voiced Peter Parker), Judge Dredd, and An American Werewolf in London.

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, Dufris voiced characters for English dubs of Japanese anime such as Angel Cop, Genocyber, Patlabor: The Movie, and more.

Between 1998 and 2006, he portrayed Bob the Builder in the U.S. and Canada. He also created the voices for Farmer Pickles and Mr. Beasley. Animated in the style of stop-motion, the kids' program (created by Keith Chapman) follows an upbeat contractor who solves structural problems with some help from his talking machinery. The main character's constant refrain is "Can we fix it? Yes we can!"

After founding The Story Circle, Ltd in England, Dufris returned to America, where he established Mind’s Eye Productions and Audio Comics. The aforementioned Pocket Universe is focused on the production of "fully immersive 'audio movies,' adapted from science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thriller prose, as well as from stage plays and graphic novels," reads the site.

Prior to his death, Dufris received APA’s Audie Award, as well as several Golden Earphones Awards from AudioFile Magazine. That same publication once named him "One Of The Best Voices At The End Of The Century."

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/william-dufris-voice-of-bob-the-builder-dies-at-62?utm_campaign=9yearoldboysearchingwalnut&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=organic&utm_content=link_ad&__source=Blastr_Vayner_syfy_Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ooTN9v0trIQjZIfsXoOBvue_-_yCyS37wyWsTAWfgQ4csLbfITXj28E0

Vincent Marzello, ‘Never Say Never Again’ and ‘Bob the Builder’ Actor, Dies at 68

Vincent Marzello, an actor who has appeared in the James Bond films “Never Say Never Again” and “The Spy Who Loved Me,” as well as lent his voice to the animated series “Bob the Builder,” has died. He was 68.

Marzello was treated for cancer in 2009 and was then diagnosed with early onset dementia following his treatment. His wife, “Notting Hill” actress Lorelei King, shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday.

“The love of my life, my darling husband Vincent Marzello, died this morning. To those who knew him, I am sorry to post the news rather than contact you personally, but I am overwhelmed. My heart is broken,” King said.

After a few TV roles, Marzello’s first film part was an unnamed role in “The Spy Who Loved Me” in 1977, followed by another role in the original “Superman” film. He’d appear alongside 007 again, this time Sean Connery, in 1983’s “Never Say Never Again.” He would also play Anthony Cox, Yoko Ono’s ex-husband, in the TV movie “John and Yoko: A Love Story,” from 1985.

Some of his other film credits include “The Witches,” “A Kid In King Arthur’s Court,” “The Fragile Heart” and “Velvet Goldmine.” For over 70 episodes across over 15 years, Marzello also provided the voice of Farmer Pickles in the animated series “Bob the Builder.” Earlier this month, the voice actor who played Bob the Builder himself, William Dufris, also passed away at age 62.

Marzello was a native of Brooklyn in New York and lived with King in London.

https://www.thewrap.com/vincent-marzello-never-say-never-again-and-bob-the-builder-actor-dies-at-68/

[Humble Narcissist]

Adam Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne and ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Songwriter, Dies at 52 of COVID-19


Adam Schlesinger, the bassist-songwriter from the rock band Fountains of Wayne and a music producer and composer on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” has died due to complications from the coronavirus, his lawyer Josh Grier told The New York Times. He was 52.

Schlesinger had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 for the past week and was on a ventilator, TheWrap reported on Tuesday. Representatives for Schlesinger and for Fountains of Wayne did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Schlesinger earned three Emmy Awards for his work writing songs for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and for the 2011 and 2012 Tony Awards broadcasts. He won a Grammy Award for the 2008 comedy album “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!”

In 1996, he also earned an Oscar nomination for co-writing the title song to Tom Hanks’ movie “That Thing You Do!” as well as a Tony nomination for the score to the 2008 Broadway musical version of John Waters’ “Cry-Baby.”

But he was best known for his work with the quirky late-’90s rock band Fountains of Wayne, which he formed with fellow Williams College graduate Chris Collingwood in 1995, which was inspired by bands like The Kinks, Big Star and The Cars.

The band scored its biggest hit with the 2003 single “Stacy’s Mom,” which also was famous for a racy music video starring the supermodel Rachel Hunter. The song hit No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

He had also been at work on a stage musical version of the Fran Drescher ’90s sitcom “The Nanny,” collaborating with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” creator Rachel Bloom. He and Bloom together on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a cult favorite on The CW from 2015-19 that wove Broadway-style parody songs into the rom-com storyline.

Some of his other credits included songs for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Damsels in Distress,” “Music & Lyrics” and “Crank Yankers.”

https://www.thewrap.com/adam-schlesinger-dies-coronavirus-fountains-wayne-crazy-ex-girlfriend/

I told him to stay away from Stacy's mom.

[Gregzs]

Ellis Marsalis Jr., legendary jazz musician, teacher and patriarch, dies at age 85 of coronavirus


Legendary jazz pianist and teacher Ellis Marsalis Jr., the patriarch of New Orleans' great musical family, died Wednesday at 85 due to complications of coronavirus.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Ellis Marsalis Jr.," son Branford Marsalis said in a statement, saying his father was admitted to hospital on Saturday and "died peacefully this evening."

"My dad was a giant of a musician and teacher, but an even greater father. He poured everything he had into making us the best of what we could be," Branford Marsalis said.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell marked Marsalis' passing with a statement posted on her Twitter account.

"Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz. The love and the prayers of all of our people go out to his family, and to all of those whose lives he touched," Cantrell wrote.

Marsalis was a New Orleans legend who had just ended a three-decade run at New Orleans' Snug Harbor on Frenchman Street that ended in January. Marsalis told the club’s proprietor late last year it had become too exhausting to play his two 75-minute sets every Friday evening at the club.

But his fame was international, burnished by his musician family. Four of Marsalis' six sons are musicians: Wynton, a nine-time Grammy-winning trumpeter and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York; Branford, a saxophonist and musical director of the "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in the 1990s; Delfeayo, a trombonist; and Jason, a drummer.

Branford Marsalis quoted a text he received from Harvard Law Professor David Wilkins on his father. “We can all marvel at the sheer audacity of a man who believed he could teach his black boys to be excellent in a world that denied that very possibility, and then watch them go on to redefine what excellence means for all time.”

His musical teaching went far beyond family. Marsalis nurtured countless musicians over the year at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Xavier University and the University of New Orleans. His students include trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard; singer/pianist Harry Connick Jr.; saxophonists Donald Harrison and Victor Goines; and bassist Reginald Veal.

Born on Nov. 14, 1934, the son of a New Orleans hotel operator, Marsalis began formal music studies at the Xavier University junior school of music at 11, playing clarinet and tenor saxophone. After high school, Marsalis enrolled in Dillard University (New Orleans) as a clarinet major, graduating in 1955.

Branford Marsalis told The Washington Post in 2009 that his father was in his 20s when he switched to the piano after realizing he would never equal the great saxophonists he heard. He passed on his clarinet to Branford and gave Wynton a trumpet (a gift from Ellis’ boss at the time, Bourbon Street legend Al Hirt).

To celebrate his teaching retirement in 2001, the entire Marsalis family performed, captured on the release "The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration." In 2008, Ellis was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Marsalis’ wife, Dolores, died in 2017. He is survived by sons Branford, Wynton, Ellis III, Delfeayo, Mboya and Jason.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/ellis-marsalis-jr-legendary-jazz-musician-teacher-and-patriarch-dies-at-age-85-of-coronavirus/ar-BB1238oh?pfr=1

[Gregzs]

Julie Bennett of the Yogi Bear Show Dies from COVID-19 Complications


Today, the voiceover community is mourning the loss of one of its own. A report by Deadline has confirmed Julie Bennett, the longtime voice of. Cindy Bear from the the Yogi Bear cartoons, died at 88 years old due to complications from COVID-19.

According to the report, Bennett died on March 31 after she contracted COVID-19. The actress' death was announced by Mark Scroggs, a friend and talent agent who knew her very well.

Born in January 1932, Bennett was raised in New York before moving to Los Angeles at a young age. She attended school in Beverly Hills before returning to New York to pursue her career in entertainment. Her gigs in TV dramas and radio shows led Bennett to doing voiceover work.

Decades ago, Bennett got here first work in voice acting when she began doing voiceovers for Fractured Fairy Tales on The Rock and Bullwinkle Show. It was afterwards Bennett was cast in The Yogi Bear Show to play Cindy, Yogi's girlfriend.

Over the years, Bennett went on to reprise her role as Cindy time and again. She also joined in on multiple Hanna-Barbera projects as well as Looney Tunes, Mr. Magoo, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and more. She has also made appearances in live action projects like Dragnet, The Tonight Show, Gunsmoke, and more. In the 1990s, Bennett left voiceover work behind to pursue entertainment management, and she represented numerous clients during her career.

Bennett is survived by several close friends including Scroggs. Our thoughts are with the star's loved ones during this difficult time.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/2020/04/02/julie-bennett-death-yogi-bear-show-covid-19-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR0SylQiwN9yMNXbeA7ofkqx_MSc1pG1bWYuWvx-om-DTII_JNmQX-5NFkg

[Humble Narcissist]

If a person gets run over by a Greyhound bus and tests positive for Covid-19 they will say the Coronavirus killed them.

[Primemuscle]

Bill Withers, great American singer-songwriter passed on March 30, 2020 for cardiovascular disease. He was 81 years old. He's best known songs were, ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’

[Matt]

Bill Withers, great American singer-songwriter passed on March 30, 2020 for cardiovascular disease. He was 81 years old. He's best known songs were, ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’

It was very obvious to me how Trump was NOT the elite's first pick for president, in 2016.

He is a bit of a rogue leader.  Not to the extent that a true statesman like Hitler was - but definitely a rogue leader.

I wonder if this social distancing stuff is to somehow ruin his chances of winning in 2020?

[Primemuscle]

It was very obvious to me how Trump was NOT the elite's first pick for president, in 2016.

He is a bit of a rogue leader.  Not to the extent that a true statesman like Hitler was - but definitely a rogue leader.

I wonder if this social distancing stuff is to somehow ruin his chances of winning in 2020?

? Have you completely lost it?

[Desolate]

If a person gets run over by a Greyhound bus and tests positive for Covid-19 they will say the Coronavirus killed them.

This. 100%.

[Gregzs]

Acclaimed Comics Artist Juan Gimenez Dies Due To Coronavirus


Juan Giménez, an Argentine comic book artist who contributed work to the Heavy Metal animated movie in the '80s, has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. He was 76 years old. Giménez was bornin 1943, in Mendoza, Argentina. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona, and after working for a while in advertising (where he says he learned a lot of storytelling and artistic basics) ultimately went on to illustrate comics in Argentina, Spain, and Italy in the '70s, with a focus on war and science fiction stories. He worked more or less consistently up until 2005, and has had a fairly low profile since.

One of his best-known works is The Metabarons, which was written by creator and filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. It ran from 1992 until 2003, and then was reprinted in English in collected editions by Humanoids from 2004 until 2010. The Metabarons carry a lot of influences from Frank Herbert's Dune -- especially notable since Jodorowsky famously tried to get a film verison off the ground in the early '70s.

In 1980, he designed the "Harry Canyon" segment of the animated film Heavy Metal, inspired by the beloved British comics anthology of the same name. Throughout the '80s, he worked on notable European comics magazines like the French-language Metal Hurlant and the Italian L'Eternauta. He earned particular acclaim for a number of science-fiction short stories published under the title of Time Paradox, and worked with writer Ricardo Barreiro on The City. In the '80s he also tried his hand at writing with Le Quatrième Pouvoir (The Fourth Power).

While he may not have had as much commercial success in the United States as he did in Europe, Giménez is well-known by comic book professionals, and has been drawing praise on social media from people like Ron Marz, Cully Hamner, and Joyce Chin.

"I didn't know him but loved his work," said Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. "He was actually a major influence (don't know if it shows) on the more tech sci-fi bits of my old Ironwolf graphic novel."

Batman Inc. and Officer Downe artist Chris Burnham called him "one of the greats," and said, "The Metabarons is an astounding artistic achievement and a huge influence on me. I haven’t read The Fourth Power or Leo Roa, so it’s good to know there are still works out there by the master that will be new to me."

https://comicbook.com/comics/2020/04/03/acclaimed-comics-artist-juan-gimenez-dies-due-to-coronavirus/

[Humble Narcissist]

This. 100%.

Covid19 today is what AIDS was to the gay population of the 1980's.  People seem to think it is heroic to die from it.