The Dead Celeb thread, 2019 edition

redrumloa

redrumloa

Active Member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Messages
14,961
Reaction score
2,152
WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund Passes Away

Gene_Okerlund_1920x1080--136c39d8ac776add14a635c89593c4bb.jpg


WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Gene Okerlund, the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 76.

“Mean Gene”, as he was named by fellow Minnesotan, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, first came to prominence as an interviewer in the American Wrestling Association. In 1984, Okerlund made the move to WWE where he became as recognizable as the Superstars he asked the tough questions to, including “Macho Man” Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and, perhaps Okerlund's greatest guest, Hulk Hogan. Countless Hulkster interviews included the indelible phrase, "Well you know something 'Mean' Gene!"

As the respected and reliable man behind the microphone in WWE, Okerlund branched out from interviewing and provided ringside commentary and hosted several shows, including All-American Wrestling, Tuesday Night Titans, Wrestling Challenge and Prime Time Wrestling.

Announcing wasn't all that Okerlund could do with a microphone, as he performed the National Anthem at the first WrestleMania in 1985. Later that year, Okerlund would sing “Tutti Frutti” on WWE’s The Wrestling Album.

In 1993, Okerlund joined WCW where he continued to interview many of the legends he had worked with in the AWA and WWE as well as WCW stalwarts like Sting, Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg and others.

Okerlund returned to WWE in 2001 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania 17 along with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and continued to appear on WWE television programming, including as a cast member on WWE Network’s Legends’ House.

WWE extends its condolences to Okerlund’s family, friends and fans.

 
redrumloa said:
WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund Passes Away
Click to expand...

I rarely get chocked up about celebrities that I have not met in person. I can think of only a couple times. I'm not chocked up about Mean Gene, but certainly saddened. If someone never followed wrestling at all, they don't know the cultural significance of him and his time in the business. He was the voice of the pinnacle of the business. By the time he got out of doing it full time in the late 90s, the business had changed. Vince McMahon (WWF/WWE owner) was forced to admit in Federal Court that outcomes were predetermined. Kayfabe (protecting the business as real, at all costs) was dead. By the early-mid 00s, the industry was essentially over. To this day only WWE survives, and most of that is due to them owning most historical tape libraries on their streaming service. Their modern product has less viewership than ever in ~100 years of wrestling history.

People like me see Mean Gene as one of the most prominent faces, if not THE face of a lost era. He was also hilarious. He played the straight-man interviewer, but would throw in dry subtle insults to the heels (bad guys). This is back in an era where interviews were rarely scripted. The best talkers like him were never scripted. Some of his best work was when he was teamed with the heel commentator/coach Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. It was enjoyable because it was extremely organic.

Anyhow, 'nuff rambling. Mean Gene was a good part of my childhood. Sad to see him gone.

TMZ: WWE Legend Mean Gene Okerlund Dead at 76, Tributes Pour In

(The black guy at the end is Rocky Johnson, father of "The Rock")


 
Last edited:
I'm not chocked up about Mean Gene, but certainly saddened. If someone never followed wrestling at all, they don't know the cultural significance of him and his time in the business. He was the voice of the pinnacle of the business.
Click to expand...

Yep, I hear what you're saying. Somehow, it is always when the voices of a sport or pastime pass away that it all really hits home. It might be a factor of the time period I grew up in, but it seems rather impossible to think of wrestling without hearing in my head Mean Gene running around getting great quotes (and making a few of his own) and stirring the pot up. He was the voice of the sport. We all knew it wasn't really a sport. Kayfabe or whatever, I don't think it mattered, we knew it was a show. But, somehow, in its own 80's way it totally worked, anyhow. Sure there was wrestling before and after, but the 80's WWF was a cultural phenomenon that just can't be replicated, or even compared to anything today.
 
redrumloa said:
Shame, I only know the Germs as "Pat Smear's old band". Wikipedia doesn't have a page for her for me to look up. Did she branch out into other bands like Pat did, or solely do the Germs?

RIP.
Click to expand...
sadly, all the people I know who would be knowledgeable about this aren't around.
 
Dick Miller, Legendary Character Actor, Passes Away at 90 Years Old


Dick-Miller-Dies-90-Years-Old.jpg

Perhaps the most memorable of all of Miller's roles came in the 1984 horror comedy Gremlins. As a kindly neighbor named Murray Futterman, the character is the first to warn Billy of the potential dangers of the gremlins. In the movie, Murray gets his home destroyed by the troublemaking creatures, presumably resulting in the death of him and his wife. However, both characters would later return in the sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch, once again giving Miller the chance to steal the show as he always does. Fans of the actor will always appreciate all of the various Walter Paisleys, but there's just as much to love about Murray Futterman as well.

These are just a few of the many, many roles Miller has appeared in. Beyond seeing him in movies like Gremlins, Miller can be spotted in many other well-known movies as well. Among others, this includes The 'Burbs, Small Soldiers, and Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. Miller also had a very memorable role in the 1984 James Cameron movie The Terminator, playing the owner of a gun shop visited by Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular cyborg. The size of the role may always vary, but Miller always shined in every single part.
 
Julie Adams, Creature from the Black Lagoon Star, Dies at 92

Julie-Adams-Dead-Rip-Creature-From-The-Black.jpg


Julie Adams, the actress best-known for playing the bathing damsel in distress in 1954's monster movie Creature from the Black Lagoon passed away on Sunday, February 3rd in Los Angeles. She was 92-years old. Adams' official website made the announcement. She was a leading lady in the 1950s for Universal and appeared in many of their projects over the years and continued to work for six decades. While she is arguably best-known for the horror classic Creature From the Black Lagoon, she had a number of notable roles.

 
WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales has passed away at age 76

WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales has passed away at age 76, WWE posted the following:

WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales has passed away.

A native of Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, Morales moved to New York in his youth and debuted in the ring in 1959 at age 17. After establishing his reputation as a fiery competitor in WWE on the east coast, Morales traveled west to territories in Texas and California, where he competed for much of the 1960s. In California, he battled The Destroyer in a famous rivalry, and formed a popular tag team with Pepper Gomez.

Morales returned to WWE in 1970, and in less than a year, he captured the WWE Championship from Ivan Koloff inside Madison Square Garden. During his nearly three years on top, Morales developed a passionate following in the northeast, particularly among New York City’s growing Hispanic population. More than 22,000 fans turned out to Shea Stadium in 1972 to watch him battle close friend and former champion Bruno Sammartino in the main event of the inaugural Showdown at Shea supercard. After 75 minutes of action, the bout was ruled a draw in accordance with the state athletic commission’s strict 11 p.m. curfew.

His WWE Championship reign ended at the hands of Stan Stasiak in December 1973, but Morales achieved history again in 1980, winning the World Tag Team Titles with Bob Backlund and, later that year, the Intercontinental Title to become the first “Triple Crown” Champion in WWE history. Morales hung up his boots in 1987 but continued on as an ambassador for sports-entertainment. He later became a commentator for both WCW and WWE’s Spanish announce teams, and in 1995, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

WWE extends its condolences to Morales’ family, friends and fans.

 
redrumloa said:
I may be one of the few people in the US to actually see Downfall in the theater on its first release. It wasn't advertised, and I just happened to check the local "Art House" theater. His performance was absolutely perfect. RIP
Click to expand...
2004? The theatre where I saw that is offices now. What an intense movie, und Ganz war sehr gut.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top