The Dead Celeb thread, 2017 edition

[redrumloa]

Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, dies at 69

McCorvey fully shed her courtroom pseudonym in the 1980s, lending her name first to supporters of abortion rights and then, in a stunning reversal, to the cause's fiercest critics as a born-again Christian. But even after two memoirs, she remained an enigma, as difficult to know as when she shielded her identity behind the name Jane Roe.

 

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Yeah, this one sucks too.

Actor John Hurt of 'Alien' and Harry Potter series dies at 77

The Alien(s) franchise lost another one

Bill Paxton Dead at 61 Due to Complications from Surgery

Actor Bill Paxton died due to complications from surgery, PEOPLE confirms.

“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” a family representative said in a statement. “A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. Bill’s passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable. We ask to please respect the family’s wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father.”

The Texas native, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work in the TV mini-series Hatfields and McCoys, began acting in the 1970s. His earliest acting credits include minor roles in blockbusters such as Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986).

 

[metalman]

directed by & featuring Bill Paxton.

 

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'People's Court' Judge Joseph Wapner Dies At 97

Retired Los Angeles Judge Joseph Wapner presided over The People's Court from 1981 to 1993 — deciding real small-claims cases.

The judge's son, David Wapner, told The Associated Press that his father died at home in his sleep after being hospitalized a week ago with breathing problems. He had been under home hospice care.

Wapner auditioned for The People's Court shortly after retiring in 1979 from Los Angeles courts, where he had been a judge for more than 20 years.

At one time, he was the presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, the largest court in the United States.

 

[redrumloa]

The Alien(s) franchise lost another one

Bill Paxton Dead at 61 Due to Complications from Surgery

Actor Bill Paxton died due to complications from surgery, PEOPLE confirms.

“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” a family representative said in a statement. “A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. Bill’s passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable. We ask to please respect the family’s wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father.”

The Texas native, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work in the TV mini-series Hatfields and McCoys, began acting in the 1970s. His earliest acting credits include minor roles in blockbusters such as Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986).

He was more bad ass than I knew. From Facebook:

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - OFFICIAL

"I'm extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Paxton, someone I was lucky enough to know and call a real friend.
I meet him when I was 16 as we both worked delivering the L.A. Times in the morning.
We were the only "young ones" there as most of the people were at least 40.

Bill had moved out to Santa Monica to be an "actor". I told him I was gonna start a band

He was just an incredibly cool, friendly, optimistic guy that never got discouraged when he couldn't get even an audition for the smallest roles.
But every morning at 2am he came into work with a smile.
He loved music too, so we'd sometimes go to punk rock shows and then go straight from the Starwood or Whiskey to delivering the morning paper to Northside SM.

So many great stories and times I will never forget.
I'm so sad for his family and their loss.
It's always hurts when someone passes away, especially when it's too soon and without warning.
And the older you get the more often it happens.
And each time it does, people think of the good things to say and remember them by.

The special thing about Bill is, I have never heard anyone that knew him, from before his success or during it, that ever had anything but great things to say about him. Truly an amazing person, who literally followed his dream, and never gave up.

Lastly, Someone just sent me this photo. That's the way I remember Bill, not cause he's wearing and SxTx shirt, but that smile. And of course he was an amazing actor and director...but more importantly he was as good a person as they come! Rest in Peace. You will be missed but never forgotten. So proud of you and thankful that I knew you."

Mike Muir SxTx

 

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We're slacking... The death count has been rising :-(

Former Boston Drummer Sib Hashian Dead at 67

 

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We're all slacking here.

RIP Don Rickles. He would never get away with this edgy comedy today but boy is it funny.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=886493534821876

 

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A lot of celebs are being passed over it seems. Here's the newest.

Erin Moran, Who Played Joanie on ‘Happy Days,’ Dies at 56

Erin Moran, the former child actor who played the sweet but mischievous Joanie on the television series “Happy Days” and “Joanie Loves Chachi,” has died. She was 56.

The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department in southern Indiana confirmed her death. She was found unresponsive on Saturday afternoon, and the authorities said an autopsy was pending.

Ms. Moran started acting at 5, and got her first taste of television in a commercial for First Federal Bank. She went on to play minor characters in television and film in the late 1960s and early ’70s. At 12, she landed her biggest role: Joanie, the freckle-faced troublemaker and sister of Richie Cunningham, the all-American teenager played by Ron Howard.

Over the 10-year run of “Happy Days,” Joanie transformed from the young teenager who complained about being sent to her room to a major character on the show. In later seasons, Joanie’s love interest with the aspiring musician Chachi Arcola became a major story line.

In 1982, the two characters were given their own show, “Joanie Loves Chachi,” a widely panned comedy that followed their romantic adventures and musical pursuits in Chicago. While “Happy Days” was a No. 1 hit, the spinoff with Ms. Moran and Scott Baio, who played Chachi, lasted only 17 episodes.

 

[Robert]

 

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We're slacking people. No one posted what was probably the biggest celeb death so far in 2017. RIP Chris Cornell (Sound Garden, Audio Slave).

CHRIS CORNELL 'Should Never Have Been Exposed To' The Medication Ativan, Says DR. DREW

Chris Cornell's friend, Detroit artist and musician Kevin Morris, who attended the singer's final show with SOUNGARDEN on Wednesday (May 17) at Detroit's Fox Theatre, has told People.com that something was definitely wrong with Chris at the gig.

"The whole performance, you could tell something wasn't right," Morris said. "Into the second song, he started getting disoriented or something. I just figured he wasn't feeling well.”

"Everybody felt there was something going on," Morris continued. "Like he wasn't with us. Like he was on a cloud. It was like he was really fighting to get through the show."

He added: "What was troubling him I don't think we'll ever know. I think he was a little nervous about playing in Detroit, the music capital of the world, and he took a little too much of the Ativan."

Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam, a benzodiazepine, that is used to treat anxiety, drug withdrawal, agoraphobia and seizure disorders, among other things. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, serious side effects of using Ativan include worsening depression, unusual mood or behavior and suicidal thoughts.

A bodyguard gave Chris Cornell two Ativans before his suicide and found his dead body. According to a police report, the bodyguard gave Cornell two of the anti-anxiety pills after the Detroit concert. Cornell's attorney said that the singer had a prescription for the medication.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, who has worked with everyone from actors and musicians to everyday folks as an addiction specialist, told 95.5 KLOS that, as a recovering addict, Cornell "should never have been exposed to" Ativan. He added (hear audio below): "Benzodiazepines can make people suicidal. It's the hidden epidemic. People have gotta remember — we're getting awareness about opiates. Benzos, over a long term, particularly — and by long term, I mean more than two weeks — are a very dangerous class of medications, and extremely dangerous if you have a history of addiction."

 

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Roger Moore, Who Played James Bond 007 Times, Dies

When I was growing up, Roger Moore was the only James Bond i knew

 

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2017 is heating up now :-/

Clerks Actress Lisa Spoonauer Dies At Age 44

Lisa Spoonauer, known for playing Caitlin Bree in Kevin Smith’s cult classic Clerks, has died at the age of 44.

She died at home in New Jersey on Saturday, according to her obituary. Born and raised in the state, Spoonauer appeared in just two films: 1994’s Clerks and 1997’s Bartender. She was briefly married to her Clerks costar Jeff Anderson from 1998-1999, and later went on to become a restaurant manager and event planner.

Spoonauer is survived by her husband, Tom Caron; her daughter, Mia Spoonauer; her stepson, Tyler Caron; her mother, Dolores Spoonauer; her twin brothers, Michael and Mark Spoonauer and their families; and her grandfather, Frank Figurelli, according to the website.

WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGAUGE:

 

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Music legend Gregg Allman dies at 69

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

This list is getting a bit sad.
On a more positive note:

Zbigniew Brzezinski dead at 89

Of course this can't really be confirmed until they put the stake through his chest.

 

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'Batman' actor Adam West dies

 

[metalman]

 

[metalman]

 

[metalman]

In 1983, Adam West wrote a short op-ed about video games

 

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How Adam West's phone number was listed in Ketchum ID

 

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How Adam West's phone number was listed in Ketchum ID

I'm old enough to to remember his Batman in routine syndication growing up, but for most people my age and younger they know him from Family Guy. He was a really, really good sport when it came to that show and being able to poke fun at himself. It's something to really respect about a person, not taking themselves seriously.