Farewell To A Grass Root and Gilligan's Creator

On successive days this week, we lost two people who played a role in shaping the world of pop culture of the 60s and the 70s: Rob Grill of The Grass Roots and TV producer Sherwood Schwartz. Rob died on Monday in an Orlando, FL hospital at the age of 67. He had been in a coma since sustaining a head injury several weeks earlier when he fell after suffering a stroke in California. On Tuesday,

The Retro Mix Playlist For 1/14/11

Show theme: Performers we lost in 2010- For the groups, the name of the member who passed away is in parentheses. 6 pm hourMy Sharona- The Knack (Doug Fieger)Steppin’ Out- The Gap Band (Robert Wilson)How Bizarre- OMC (Lead singer Pauly Fuemana)Treat Her Like A Lady- The Temptations (Ali-Ollie Woodson)Stormy Weather- Lena HorneThere’s A Moon Out Tonight- The Capris (Nick Santo)Special Lady- Ray,

Remembering Some of the Celebs We Lost In 2010

Along with preparing to say hello to a new year, it's also time to pay tribute to those we lost in the world of entertainment this year. Below is a tribute assembled by TCM of film industry people who we said goodbye to in 2010. The montage is set to the tune "Headlights" by Sophie Hunger.

Law & Order, 1990-2010

Earlier today, it was announced that NBC has canceled the original Law & Order after a 20-year run. The final original episode of L&O will air on Monday, May 24th. Because L&O had survived numerous cast and time slot changes over the years, the announcement that it was getting the ax caught me off guard. It was like the 60 Minutes of TV dramas, I just expected it to be there.A lot has

Lena Horne, 1917-2010

One of the true legends of entertainment, Lena Horne, died Sunday at a New York City hospital at the age of 92. Because Lena was highly successful for such a long period, she had a string of noteworthy appearances in the movies and on TV that stretched across generations:Performing her signature tune "Stormy Weather" in the 1943 movie of the same name:Singing the ABC's with The Muppets on Sesame

Ernie Harwell: 1918-2010

On Tuesday May 4th, sports broadcaster Ernie Harwell passed away at his home in Novi, MI after a nearly year-long battle with incurable cancer. He was 92. Although Ernie previously had served as the announcer for The Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Baltimore Orioles, he is best known for the 40-plus years (1960-1991, 1993-2002) he spent calling games for The Detroit Tigers. In fact,

Dixie Carter, 1939-2010

This past weekend, actress Dixie Carter passed away due to complications of endometrial cancer at the age of 70. Without a doubt, her best known role was as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom Designing Women (1986-1993). One of the highlights of many Designing Women episodes was when the outspoken, liberal Julia would go on a rant that would leave her adversary literally speechless. The scene

Alex Chilton, 1950-2010

Singer-musician Alex Chilton, who experienced mainstream success in the 1960s with The Box Tops and later achieved cult hero status as one of the founders of Big Star, died Wednesday of an apparent heart attack at the age of 59.As the teen-aged lead singer of The Box Tops, Chilton belted out such pop/soul nuggets as The Letter, Cry Like A Baby, and Soul Deep. It's hard to believe the gruff voice

Peter Graves, 1926-2010: Oveur and Out

On Sunday afternoon, actor Peter Graves died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 83. Because of he had a long and varied career in the biz, one's age probably dictates what role you associate with Peter. To some, he is Jim Phelps, the 2nd leader of the IMF on the original version of Mission: Impossible (a role he played from 1967-1973). Peter also assumed the role of Phelps for 1988-

Josh Andrew Koenig, 1968-2010

After being missing since February 14, actor/writer/director Josh Andrew Koenig was found dead on Thursday afternoon in Vancouver at the age of 41. The cause of death was suicide. Best known for his role as Mike Seaver's pal Richard "Boner" Stabone on the sitcom Growing Pains, Josh had reportedly been suffering from clinical depression at the time of disappearance. Josh is survived by his

The WIRE: Week In REview, #3

After a month-plus hiatus due to my hectic schedule procrastination, the WIRE (my weekly recap of pop culture news) has returned! Here are some of the items that caught my eye:Note to Rip Torn: This ain't Bonnie & Clyde &%$@*$#!On January 29th, actor Rip Torn (The Larry Sanders Show, 30 Rock, etc.) was arrested after breaking into a closed Litchfield Bancorp branch office in Salisbury, CT (the

Pernell Roberts: A Good Guy Who Wore Black

Actor Pernell Roberts, who became a household name as eldest son Adam Cartwright on the classic western series Bonanza and who made a comeback several years later as the title character on the hospital drama Trapper John, M.D., has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. Over the last few years, Bonanza has become one of my favorite shows and Roberts' portrayal of Adam was a primary reason.

Soul Legend Teddy Pendergrass Dies At 59

Teddy Pendergrass, who was one of the biggest stars in music before a car accident temporarily derailed his career, has died after a battle with colon cancer. He was 59. As lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Teddy's powerful vocals fronted such Philly Soul classics as If You Don't Know Me By Now, Bad Luck, Where Are All My Friends, and Wake Up Everybody. Due to the fact that some

Remembering the Celebs We Lost In 2009

Along with preparing to say hello to a new decade, it's also time to pay tribute to those we lost in the world of entertainment this year. Below is a tribute assembled by TCM of film industry people who we said goodbye to in 2009. The montage is set to the tune "To Live Is To Fly" by Steve Earle.The link below takes you to a photo gallery of celebs (including those outside the film industry)

Actress Brittany Murphy Dead At 32

This story literally made me jump in my chair from shock. Actress Brittany Murphy was pronounced dead this morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after going into full cardiac arrest. Perhaps best known as Tai Frasier in the 1995 movie Clueless, Murphy also appeared in such films as Don't Say A Word, Girl Interrupted, Uptown Girls, and 8 Mile. She is survived by her husband, British

The WIRE: Week In REview, #2

Andy Keaton: A Fugitive No MoreOn December 11, Brian Bonsall, best known for his role as Andy Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties was charged in Colorado with second-degree assault after police say he repeatedly hit a friend in the head with a broken wooden stool in a December 5th bar brawl. The 28 yr old Bonsall had apparently been on the lam for over a year due to previous legal troubles when he

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Direct TV Ad Poll... Thank You

As you many of you know, Direct TV has made a series of commercials in which characters from popular movies and TV series break the fourth wall to promote the service's picture quality and HD availability. The latest spot features David Spade as Richard Hayden (his character in Tommy Boy) in new scenes shot specifically for the commercial and the late Chris Farley in footage from the movie.When I

Soupy Sales Dead At 83

The Grim Reaper takes yet another pop culture icon. Comedian and children's TV pioneer Soupy Sales died Thursday at the age of 83. Sales, who had been in declining health for several years, passed away at the hospice in the Bronx that he entered last weekBest known for his children's TV programs (which originally aired on WXYZ in Detroit and later moved on to other markets), Soupy helped raise

TV Theme Songwriter Vic Mizzy Dies At 93

Mizzy (above center) with Green Acres stars Eddie Albert and Eva GaborVic Mizzy, the songwriter who earned a spot in the Pop Culture Hall of Fame by penning two of the more memorable theme songs in TV history (The Addams Family and Green Acres), died Monday at the age of 93. In addition to those tunes, Mizzy also composed the themes to such lesser known TV series as The Double Life of Henry

R.I.P. L.S.D.

It was announced today that Lucy Vodden died in London last week at the age of 46 after a long battle with lupus. Although she isn't a household name, Vodden was the inspiration for one of the most famous songs of the rock era... The Beatles' psychedelic classic Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds. Vodden's part in the creation of the Sgt. Pepper track began at the age of 4 when she was schoolmates