Celebrity Death Thread

[clouddead]

May 27, 2024 19:42:37 GMT -6 lollaman44 said:

I never post anymore and I love all of you but this one really sucks.

be well, my man

[scoots]

Jason Benetti wrote a tribute to Walton that is wonderful and perfect.

"My first thought when you asked me for my favorite memory of Bill Walton was this: “Please don’t put me in a binary world.”

In the times we got to work together, I’d sometimes ask Bill a question about his favorite something. He’d respond with some form of “this is not a binary world.” I’d laugh and needle him. He’d always choose not to choose. He saw the beauty in everything. No need for a ranking system. So, out of respect, I won’t choose a favorite.

I will say there were a few moments: The day he agreed to do the (Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels) game in August of 2019 is one I will never forget. The game that night coincided with Bill’s grandson’s birthday. The Angels were gracious in giving Bill’s grandson and his grandson’s friends a suite so they could celebrate. I met Bill and a gaggle of kids in the parking lot of Angel Stadium. We all walked in together. Bill and I were running a little bit late to be in the clubhouse and we both knew it. Even so, Bill stopped before we got to the entrance of the stadium and asked the kids to stop as well. A month prior, Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs passed away. There was a memorial at the front of the stadium. Bill turned to the kids and said, “Kids, we need to take a minute to think about Tyler.” There were no cameras around. The driving force was simply the overwhelming decency of a human being who felt the kids he was with should think about another human being. I’ll always carry that with me.

After that, I took Bill into the clubhouse. White Sox manager Rick Renteria carved out for Bill to give a pregame speech to the team. Without notes, Bill spent 15 minutes or so talking to the 2019 White Sox about teamwork, about John Wooden, and about Bill’s own struggles with injuries and depression. Bill’s speech was exceptional. Even players who didn’t know Bill before that day were cheering. Renteria asked me later if we could have Bill back, just to talk to the team. His speech was that powerful. Then the game happened and we went on a three-hour, 11-minute adventure without a seat belt. Those clips are all readily available.

Postgame, we interviewed James McCann — then-White Sox catcher. There was quite a bit of game-related stuff we could talk about with James on the headset down on the field. But among Bill’s first questions were: “What is that under your eyes?” (James was wearing eye black) and “What did you eat before the game?” Bill’s curiosity was boundless. That’s what made it such endless fun working with him. I tried to wrap up the interview with James several times and James wanted no part of my rip cord. At one point I jokingly said something like, “I tried to give you an out, the rest of this is on you.” And there they went, James and Bill, talking for about 10 minutes, as I recall. It was the longest, happiest postgame interview in the history of baseball television. I’ll always cherish that night and the range of humanity Bill had then, and always.

One last thing that I will always deeply appreciate about Bill. … I’m certain there are thousands of people whose life he changed, and that’s what makes him the cosmic force he is. I grew up with and still have cerebral palsy. On the “Throw it Down” NBA show one time, I was talking about a player coming back from an injury and how difficult it was for the player. Bill’s response, on air, with no hint of a chuckle or irony: “What do you know about physical challenges?”

He didn’t care what I looked like. He didn’t care what anyone looked like. He cared about what the world felt and thought and sensed. For that, and many other things, I will always love Bill Walton. He will remain my idol forever."

[ferro_man]

[nanatod]

Brother Marquis, of 2 Live Crew, died yesterday.

[monasterymonochrome]

RIP to Francoise Hardy, forever one of the coolest

[isyourbedmade]

The logo, Jerry West.

[venom]

mark james died last week. he wrote "suspicious minds", "hooked on a feeling", "always on my mind", and several others that everyone knows. great songwriter.

[nanatod]

Angela Bofill died on the 13th. She had suffered strokes in 2006 and 2007 which caused her to lose her ability to sing. In the 80's and 90's, she's was kind of like a 1/2 Cuban, 1/2 Puerto Rican r and b jazz version of Whitney Houston.

[Tweet]

[doso]

RIP to another true legend

[Javo]

[nanatod]

Also, No Wave saxophonist James Chance died today in New York per his brother.

Saw James Chance play in Pilsen, and Willie Mays play at Wrigley, separately.

[clouddead]

do you remember anything about seeing Willie mays?

[nanatod]

Sitting in the 3rd base grandstands at Wrigley at least once, maybe as much as three times, with the Cubs always losing to the SF Giants. We probably took the Skokie Swift to the Howard L back and forth each times.

[monasterymonochrome]

Jun 18, 2024 21:35:35 GMT -6 nanatod said:

Also, No Wave saxophonist James Chance died today in New York per his brother.

Saw James Chance play in Pilsen, and Willie Mays play at Wrigley, separately.

Huge bummer on both counts. Really regret not seeing James when I had the Chance a few years ago. He’s been in pretty poor health in recent years, unfortunately.

[raylan]

At the time of his death, Mays was the oldest living Hall of Famer, inheriting that title on Jan. 7, 2021, when Tommy Lasorda passed away. Shortstop Luis Aparicio, 90, now holds that distinction

[mookie]

[concertgoer]

He was one of the greats. RIP

[claypoolfan]

Shifty Shellshock

[mookie]

[venom]

Jun 28, 2024 21:14:41 GMT -6 mookie said:

if his first move in the afterlife isn't surprising jessica walter, what are we even doing here?

[Kamera]

Loved him in 2.5 Men.

[chvrchbarrel]

Shelley Duvall

[kb]

just got a text from papa kells: The young boy from ALF is dead at 46

[munkivelli]

Jul 11, 2024 9:30:28 GMT -6 kb said:

just got a text from papa kells: The young boy from ALF is dead at 46

Sad story... He and his service dog were both found dead in his car.

[kb]

fell asleep in his car and overheated

[Kamera]

[doso]

RIP Dr. Ruth.

[mookie]

Another 80's icon, Richard Simmons

[scoots]