Mark Russell was the political satirist and comedian best known for his series of semimonthly comedy specials on PBS television between 1975 and 2004.
March 31, 2023
In Memoriam
Total 1391 Posts
Willis Reed was the Hall of Fame basketball player who spent his entire NBA career with the New York Knicks.
I still remember walking Yonge Street and participating in a trivia contest hosted by CKCO-TV's Johnnie Walters. I still remember the larger than life laugh when I cracked a lame joke. That show Johnnie Walters was hosting was called Trivia Company, and he hosted it from 1984 to 1988. During
Lance Reddick was the John Wick actor who appeared in Oz, Lost, Fringe, Bosch and Resident Evil, but I'll remember him best as Cedric Daniels in The Wire. Fun fact: Lance Reddick initially auditioned for the roles of Bubbles and Bunk Moreland before being cast as Cedric Daniels.
Bobby Caldwell is the singer best known for his signature song "What You Won't Do for Love" from his double platinum debut album Bobby Caldwell in 1978. Bobby Caldwell also wrote the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single "The Next Time I Fall" for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera.
Helen Hutchinson was an award-winning television news journalist who co-anchored W5, Canada AM, Arts '73 and Point of View: Women. She was also the first woman to be part of the "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast when she hosted the show in 1973.
Robert Blake was the child actor who appeared in Our Gang short films before transitioning into adult roles, including his Emmy Award-winning role of Tony Baretta in Baretta. In March 2005, Blake was tried and acquitted of the 2001 murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley.
Chaim Topol was the actor, singer, and illustrator best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from the late 1960s through 2009. He won a Golden Globe
Gary Rossington was a founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, in which he played lead and rhythm guitar. He was the last surviving original member of the band.
Tom Sizemore was the actor best known for playing Sergeant Mike Horvath in Saving Private Ryan.
If you've ever heard a Pandemic Friday episode of Toronto Mike'd featuring Stu Stone, or #TOAST when Stu was a regular, you likely heard Stu's Aunt Sandy updates. Stu and his Aunt Sandy were very close, and listeners were regaled with stories about Sandy's trip to Vegas, her lottery wins,
Wayne Shorter was a 12-time Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer. In addition to his own celebrated albums and his work over eight decades with jazz supergroup the Weather Reporter, he also collaborated with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, and Joni Mitchell.
Gordon Pinsent had a storied acting career spanning dozens of films and TV projects including Due South, The Red Green Show, The Shipping News and Away From Her.
In this 1210th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike remembers Tom Stephen, drummer for The Jeff Healey Band, and FOTM. My sincere condolences to Tom's family and friends. This episode is exactly 1:36:40. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways: Subscribe via Apple PodcastsSubscribe via
In this 1207th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike and Steve Paikin pay tribute to Peter Herrndorf, who passed away Saturday at the age of 82. This episode is exactly 12:59. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways: Subscribe via Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Google PodcastsSubscribe via
Richard Belzer is the standup comic turned actor who is best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/Sergeant, and DA Investigator John Munch. Richard Belzer played John Munch in the following programs: Homicide: Life on the StreetLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & OrderThe X-FilesThe BeatLaw &
Tim McCarver was the All-Star catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster who during 60 years in baseball won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a long run as the one of the most recognized television commentators
Raquel Welch became an international sex symbol in the 1960s, widely remembered for playing a bikini-clad cavewoman in the 1966 film One Million Years BC. She also won a Golden Globe for her role in 1974's The Three Musketeers.
Guido Basso was the jazz musician who is best known by those of us of a certain vintage for playing the music we heard on Night Ride/Night Walk.
David Jude Jolicoeur was the rapper and producer who rose to fame as a member of De La Soul under the stage name Trugoy The Dove. He also wrote and rapped a verse on the Gorrilaz's “Feel Good Inc.”.
Burt Bacharach was a prolific and popular composer and Oscar winner who had hits with “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and dozens of other songs you know and love. The man has written 73 US Top 40 hits!
Mendelson Joe was a prolific singer-songwriter, guitarist, painter and one of my great Toronto thrills was biking along Davenport in the early 90s and seeing Mendelson Joe out for a stroll. I yelled out his name and he waved back.
I'm an absolute sucker for an interesting independent podcast that's produced in Toronto. There are interesting podcasts, and there are independent podcasts, and there are Toronto-based podcasts, but rarely do I find all three in one. But that doesn't stop me from searching. As part of this search, I sample
Melinda Dillon was the actress nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles as Jillian Guiler in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Teresa Perrone in Absence of Malice. She is well known for her role as Mother Parker in the holiday classic A Christmas
Lanny Poffo, better known by his ring names "Leaping" Lanny Poffo and The Genius, was best known as a professional wrestler who competed for many wrestling companies, most notably the WWF from 1985 to 1992 where he wrestled with his brother Macho man Randy Savage.
