In Memoriam
Total 1693 Posts
Gary Coleman was 42. He was the child star best known for his stint on "Diff'rent Strokes," which aired from 1978 to 1986. I loved Diff'rent Strokes as a kid, but I was first introduced to Gary Coleman in The Kid with the 200 I.Q. Whatchu talkin' bout, everyone.
Art Linkletter was 97. He was host of People Are Funny, House Party and Kids Say The Darndest Things.
Jose Lima was 37. He was an All-Star right-hander who spent 13 years in the major leagues, going 21-10 with a 3.58 ERA in 35 starts for the NL Central champion Houston Astros in 1999.
Ronnie James Dio was 67. He was a singer with the bands Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio, whose powerful, semioperatic vocal style and attachment to demonic imagery made him one of the best-loved figures in classic heavy metal. If you want to see some great Dio footage, watch "Metal: A
Charlie Francis was 61. He was the sprint coach most noteworthy for being the trainer of sprinter Ben Johnson, the first competitor to be stripped of an Olympic gold medal for using banned drugs, and sprinters Angella Issajenko, Mark McKoy and Desai Williams. Francis was banned by Athletics Canada following
Lena Horne was 92. She was the enchanting jazz singer and actress who reviled the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, slowing her rise to Broadway superstardom. In 1943, MGM Studios loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers
Gwyn "Jocko" Thomas was 96. He was the Toronto Star's chief police reporter for 60 years.
Ernie Harwell was 92. He was the Detroit Tigers broadcaster for 42 years.
Lynn Redgrave was 67. She was a member of the famed Redgrave acting dynasty noted for her roles in "Georgy Girl" and "Gods and Monsters."
Juan Antonio Samaranch was 89. His 21-year term as president of the International Olympic Committee was marked by both the unprecedented growth of the games and its biggest ethics scandal.
Keith "Guru" Elam was 43. He and DJ Premier formed Gang Starr, one of the top hip hop crews of the 1990s. I remember picking up Daily Operation at the Sam the Record Man at Yonge and Dundas back in '92.
Peter Steele was 48. He was the vocalist and bassist of heavy metal band Type O Negative. Here's a nice cover they did of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl".
Dixie Carter was 70. She was the actress best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom "Designing Women." I remember her well as Maggie McKinney on Diff'rent Strokes.
Malcolm McLaren was 64. He was the former manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls.
John Forsythe was 92. He was the actor best known as the voice of "Charlie" in the original television series "Charlie's Angels" and the two feature films, "Charlie's Angels" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." He also portrayed Blake Carrington in "Dynasty."
David Mills was 48. He was the award-winning TV writer and producer whose credits included celebrated series such as The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street and ER. I will be eternally grateful for his collaborations with David Simon, especially The Wire, The Greatest Show On Television, Ever™.
Eric Tunney was 45. He was the comedian best known as Ed the Sock's co-host following the departure of Harland Williams and prior to the arrival of Humble Howard Glassman. I couldn't find any video of Eric Tunney hosting Ed the Sock, but I did find this clip of him
Robert Culp was 79. He was the actor best known as Kelly Robinson in the '60s TV show I Spy and more recently as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond. I knew him best as Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero.
Fess Parker was 85. He was the actor who played Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. I came within a Y chromosome have having a son named Daniel Boon.
Alex Chilton was 59. He was the singer and guitarist who rose to prominence in Big Star and The Box Tops.
Dan Achen was 51. He was a producer as well as the lead guitarist for the Hamilton rock band Junkhouse.
Peter Graves was 83. He was the actor best known for his starring role in the television series Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973, and its revival, from 1988 to 1990. I'll always remember him as Captain Clarence Oveur from Airplane!
Merlin Olsen was 69. He was a member of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" in the 1960s, along with Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier. He later starred on NFL broadcasts, commercials, and the TV series "Little House on the Prairie" and "Father Murphy."
Corey Haim was 38. He was the Toronto actor who starred in such films as "Lucas", "The Lost Boys" and "License to Drive". Locals will remember him as Larry on "The Edison Twins" before he shot to fame in the mid-to-late 80s. Growing up in this city, it seemed like
Mark Linkous was 47. He was the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for the alternative rock band Sparklehorse. Here's Sparklehorse's appropriately titled "Sick of Goodbyes".
