Conway is survived by his wife of 35 years, his stepdaughter, his six biological children and two granddaughters. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family would like donations to be made to The Lou Ruvo Brain Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The beloved actor is best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show, winning viewers over with characters like the Oldest Man and Mr. Tudball, whose accent he has said was inspired by his Romanian mother. He was known to ad-lib his sketches — even surprising his scene partners — and won a Golden Globe Award for the series in 1976, along with Emmys in 1973, 1977 and 1978.
He appeared as a guest star on The Carol Burnett Show for eight seasons before becoming a regular in 1975.
“They used to do 33 shows a year on Burnett,” he told the L.A. Times. “She said why don’t you just be a regular on the show? I said I will tell you what. I will do 32 shows and leave one week open at the end, so I can guest on somebody’s show. I always guested on her show, but I did have the right to go somewhere else. My job on every show was to break everybody up.”
Academy Award nominee and Hollywood royalty, Doris Day, has passed away at the age of 97.
According to The Doris Day Animal Foundation, the actress and singer died early Monday at her Carmel Valley, California, home. The foundation said she was surrounded by close friends.
“The vivacious blonde, who also had a successful singing career, teamed with Rock Hudson in “Pillow Talk” and other lighthearted romantic comedies including “Lover Come Back” and “Send Me No Flowers.” Her other significant screen roles included Alfred Hitchcock thriller “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956), co-starring James Stewart and featuring Day’s Oscar-winning song “Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be”); and “The Pajama Game” (1957), based on the Broadway musical.”
After many successful films, she starred on CBS in “The Doris Day Show” for five years starting in 1968, and soon after retired to Carmel, Calif. She released 29 albums, most recently “My Heart,” which consisted of previously unreleased songs, in 2011.
Actor Luke Perry, who shot to fame and teen idol status as loner Dylan McKay in the 1990s hit TV series, Beverly Hills, 90210, has died at the age of 52 after suffering a massive stroke last Wednesday.
TMZ reports that the actor passed away Monday morning at a hospital in Burbank, California.
Originally from Mansfield, Ohio, Perry began his acting career with roles on daytime dramas Another World and Loving.
But he became an overnight sensation with the launch of 90210 in 1990. Over several seasons, the handsome actor handled storylines that shined a light on alcohol abuse and drug addiction, as well as relationship struggles.
Perry starred in the series for several seasons but stepped away in 1995 only to return in 1998. He remained with the show until its finale in 2000.
Most recently, Perry has been starring on the CW’s Riverdale playing the conservative father of lead character, Archie Andrews (KJ Apa).
The same day of his stroke, Fox TV announced a six-episode summer reboot of 90210 with original stars Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling returning to play ‘larger-than-life’ versions of themselves filming a reboot of the iconic show.
Perry was not scheduled to participate, but there were reports that he might make an appearance.
Luke Perry (center) – (photo – 90210 Productions)
The actor will appear posthumously in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Perry is survived by his daughter, Sophie, and his son, Jack.
Perry’s 90210 co-stars Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Cateris, and Jennie Garth issued these statements:
Dearest Luke, I will forever bask in the loving memories we’ve shared over the last thirty years. May your journey forward be enriched by the magnificent souls who have passed before you, just like you have done here, for those you leave behind.
Dearest Luke- I am so heart broken and at a loss for words. You my friend were a mighty soul and have left your mark. My love and prayers to the family and all who loved you. RIP— Gabrielle Carteris (@TheGabrielle_C) March 4, 2019
“My heart is broken. He meant so much to so many. Such a very special person. I share my deep sadness with his family and all who loved him. Such a terrible loss." -Jennie Garth on 'Beverly Hills, 90210' costar Luke Perry
Peter Tork, who found fame as one of the made-for-TV pop foursome, the Monkees, has died at the age of 77.
Cast in the 1966 sitcom (with fellow band mates Davey Jones, Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz), the blues/folk musician found he was limited in utilizing his skills when it came to the show’s music.
Producer Don Kirshner was more interested in sitcom hi-jinks and parodying the Beatles than having the actors be actual musicians.
Eventually, the ‘pre-fab four’ fought for and won the right to participate in creating band’s music.
Wikipedia notes that the quartet sold over 75 million albums and scored such hits as “Daydream Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer,” and the show’s iconic theme song.
Although the TV show ended in 1968, the band would experience a revival in fandom when MTV began airing the series in 1986. A reunion tour followed, where the band reportedly made more money than ever thanks to nostalgia.
The Washington Postwrites, “If the Monkees were a manufactured version of the Beatles, a “prefab four” who auditioned for a rock-and-roll sitcom and were selected more for their long-haired good looks than their musical abilities, Mr. Tork was the group’s Ringo, its lovably goofy supporting player.”
As a kid, I wore a hole in my Monkees albums playing them over and over.
Over the course of his career, Ingram achieved eight Top 40 hits, two of which — his 1982 duet with Patti Austin, “Baby, Come to Me” and 1990’s “I Don’t Have the Heart” — went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another one of notable hits, a collaboration with Linda Ronstadt called “Somewhere Out There”, peaked at No. 2, while his songs “One Hundred Wats” and “Yah Mo B There” featuring Michael McDonald earned him Grammys for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
Ingram also co-wrote “The Day I Fall in Love”, from the film Beethoven’s 2nd, and Patty Smyth’s “Look What Love Has Done”, from the movie Junior, earning him back-to-back Oscar for Best Original Song in 1994 and 1995.
His final album as a recording artist, Stand (In the Light), was released in 2018.
My dear Carol Channing passed away this morning at the age of 97.
I celebrate this Broadway legend and my many years working with her.
What a gift.
Carol and Hello, Dolly! changed my life forever in 1994.
The experience gave me my first Broadway show; I met my husband of 24 years, Michael; supervising the national tour gave me the downpayment for my first home; and I have been lucky to stage almost a dozen major regional productions of the show passing on what I learned from Carol and our director, Lee Roy Reams.
Celebrate our fabulous Tony Award winning, Academy Award nominee (Thoroughly Modern Millie) Carol Channing today. She is, was, and always will be a national treasure.
I originally wrote some of this post years ago to celebrate her 90th birthday, but updated it with a couple more stories. Everyone always asks for the stories… 🙂
Back in 2010, I performed with her again (picture below) in the opening number of the Gypsy of the Year competition, which is a major charity event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She brought the house down as only she can.
The last time Carol and I danced together at the Gypsy of the Year event in 2010 Thank you, Bruce Glikas, for the photo 🙂
For those that don’t know, I spent two and a half incredible years performing with Carol in the last Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!. I eventually became the production supervisor, and she would ask me for notes – on how to perform the role of Dolly Levi!
As if I could tell her anything she didn’t already know.
Me with Carol at the 2010 Gypsy of the Year event on Broadway
A quick Carol story: when I was supervising Dolly on tour, one day we had a particularly long and dreadful travel day – two planes, a bus, a train and a donkey or two – to get to what Carol called “a soccer arena” where we would perform the show that night.
In the sound check Carol looked down and realized that the musician’s pit was 25 feet beneath us. This was the pit that I had to leap over every night in the middle of the Hello, Dolly! number. For the first time in 30 years of doing the show she decided this was dangerous.
After the sound check she came looking for me to ask if someone could put a net or something between the pit and the stage in case those of us who jumped over the pit happened to fall into it. At this point, I had 30 minutes before the performance and was taking a long shower to rid myself of the long travel day. This being a “soccer arena” the showers where open showers in a locker room.
Covered in soap and standing under the water I suddenly heard a very low baritone voice say “Randy”. I turned and there was Carol, in the open showers with me, smiling. She waited for me to turn and went into her concerns about the pit, a net and all sorts of other things as I stood there completely naked.
When she finished expressing her concerns I said, “Absolutely, Carol. But right now I’m soaking wet, taking a shower.”
She looked me up and down, smiled and said, “Oh! Yes, of course. (pause) Well, you know, we’re all just show folk,” and then turned and left me to finish my shower.
Nudity was nothing to this old pro who had changed costumes in the wings for decades.
For the Gypsy of the Year event in 2010, they asked many of the Dolly boys to come back and do the opening number with Carol as a tribute to her. As the number evolved, I ended up partnering with her much of the number.
While we were rehearsing for a few days, the producer of a documentary of Carol’s life asked us if we’d sit and talk about our time with her. About nine of us sat for about an hour and a half reminiscing and sharing.
I only had one particular story about Carol that I knew I wanted to share. As the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! was winding down, one of the male dancers in the show (who was very dear to me and to Carol) was dying of AIDS.
I was very grateful my brief story about Carol and Don Ives made it into the film, Larger Than Life.
Watch below.
RIP my dear, wonderful Carol. I am certain there is a standing ovation awaiting you as you enter immortality.
Freezing in the cold but loving life on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Having lunch floating down the San Antonio Riverwalk
Reunited at the Gypsy of the Year in 2010
The cover of Theater Week Magazine just after we opened the 1995 Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! A very young me on my knee on the left.
Dragon’s ex-wife, Toni Tennille, “was with him as he took his last breath,” said Harlon Boll, a spokesperson for the singer. In a statement, Tennille said, “He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly. I was at my most creative in my life when I was with him.”
Dragon died of renal failure, according to Boll.
“Love Will Keep Us Together,” the title track from the duo’s 1975 debut album, reached No. 1 in July of 1975 and won the top Record of the Year prize at the following year’s Grammy Awards. “Do That to Me One More Time,” the last of their big hits, also reached the top of the chart, in 1979. In the interval, the Captain & Tennille reached the top 10 with “Muskrat Love,” “The Way I Want to Touch You,” “Lonely Night (Angel Face)” and “Shop Around.”
All of this happened right in the middle of my teen years where I lived for television music specials and series.
I remember watching their TV series where it was clear even at my young age that Dragon wasn’t all that comfortable being on TV, thus his primarily silent role as co-star.
But he was a serious hottie for the times.
I was sad when the couple divorced in 2014 after 39 years of marriage. Glad to hear Tennille was there with him as he let go.
And one of the least likely titles you could imagine for a hit pop song, “Muskrat Love:”
TMZ is reporting that iconic actress and director Penny Marshall, of Laverne & Shirley fame, has passed away at the age of 75.
The reported cause of death was complications from diabetes.
Marshall’s first big splash came as a recurring role on the popular TV series, The Odd Couple, where she played “Myrna Turner” in 27 episodes.
But an appearance on the red-hot Happy Days in 1975 as “Laverne DeFazio” (with soon-to-be longtime sidekick Cindy Williams as “Shirley Feeney”) was so popular, the duo were spun-off in their own series, Laverne & Shirley.
The series would run for 8 seasons with Marshall earning 3 Golden Globe nominations along the way. The ABC series was originally set in Milwaukee, but moved to Burbank in season six.
Throughout the series, Marshall would wear her trademark “L” for Laverne on her sweaters becoming one of the most famous logos in television history.
But acting was just the beginning of Marshall’s career. Following her brother, Garry, she was soon directing hit movies, beginning with 1986’s Jumpin’ Jack Flash starring Whoopi Goldberg.
But it was her second film, Big, starring Tom Hanks that made her an A-list director in Hollywood as she became the first female director to have a film gross over $100 million at the U.S. box office.
She would go on to helm such hits as A League of Their Own (1992) starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell (which also grossed over $100 million); Awakenings (1990) starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, which would garner three Oscar nominations including one for ‘Best Picture;’ and The Preacher’s Wife with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in 1996.
Marshall was married to actor/director Rob Reiner from 1971 to 1981.
According to TMZ, Marshall’s family issued a statement which read, “Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall. Penny was a tomboy who loved sports, doing puzzles of any kind, drinking milk and Pepsi together and being with her family.”
She had previously been treated for brain and lung cancer back in 2009.
RIP Penny Marshall.
In addition to acting in A League of Their Own, Madonna contributed a new song, “This Used to Be My Playground,” for the closing credits. The single hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 becoming Madge’s 10th number one single.
Mourning the loss of a funny, poignant, and original American voice. Penny Marshall was a pioneer in television and the big screen who understood humor comes in many forms and some of life’s deeper truths require a laugh. She will be missed. May she RIP.
My heart is heavy upon hearing the news that the awesome, legendary and gifted Nancy Wilson has passed at the age of 81.
Jazz ballads, standards, torch songs, show tunes, pop songs – there was nothing she couldn’t sing. I should rephrase that, there was no style of music she couldn’t bring to life in her own special way.
In interviews over the years, she shared that she began singing at the age of 3 or 4.
“I have always just sung. I have never questioned what it is. I thank God for it and I just do it,” she told NPR’s Piano Jazz in 1994.
In addition to her decades of sterling musical performances and recordings, she had an enviable TV career – her NBC variety show, The Nancy Wilson Show, which garnered her an Emmy Award; appearing as a frequent guest herself on countless variety shows hosted by Andy Williams, Carol Burnett and more; and acting roles on hit TV shows like Hawaii 5-O, The Cosby Show, The FBI and more.
And then, of course, she touches my heart with the moral courage she showed during the 1960s. Among many events, she took part in the 1965 march on Selma, Alabama.
In 1998, she rightfully was honored with the NAACP Image Award for raising her voice during the civil rights movement.
NPR notes that she addressed the idea of retiring at a 2007 gala in her honor at Carnegie Hall.
“After 55 years of doing what I do professionally, I have a right to ask how long?,” she told the audience.
“I’m trying to retire, people,” she said with a laugh before leaving the stage to a standing ovation.
I won’t be morose, folks. I’ve loved her music and grace, and will continue to do so. My house will be filled with Miss Nancy today.
Here’s just a few of what’s on repeat in my office right now. I really encourage to take a listen to the incredible range and variety of her musical gifts.
Over the weekend I learned that actor Ken Berry, star of such TV series as F Troop (1965-1967), The Andy Griffith Show (1968), and its spin-off, Mayberry, R.F.D. (1968-1971), had died at the age of 85.
He also appeared 19 times on The Carol Burnett Show (1968-1978), creating the character “Vinton Harper” on Mama’s Family (1983-1990), which was a spin-off of the show’s “The Family” sketches.
But what most folks don’t know is he was a highly trained singer and dancer having performed on Broadway (The Billy Barnes Revue) and toured extensively in a national company of the hit musical, George M!
I had several friends who worked with Berry in several musical productions, and everyone said he was a prince of a guy.
