The Dead Celeb thread, 2021 & 2022 edition

John Madden, Hall Of Fame Coach And Broadcaster, Dead At 85


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John Madden, the Super Bowl winning Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, legendary commentator and popular video namesake, has died at the age of 85, the National Football League confirmed in an official statement.

The NFL said Madden passed away unexpectedly Tuesday (December 28) morning.

"On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement. "We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
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"Nobody loved football more than Coach. Hewasfootball. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today."
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The NFL confirmed details about a memorial service will be released when available.
Madden led the then-Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl XI victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1977 and retired in 1978 with a 103-32-7 (76.3% winning percentage) career NFL coaching record.

The Minnesota native went on to a legendary NFL broadcasting career as a color analyst for all four major networks: CBS (1979-93), FOX (1994-2001), ABC (2002-05) and NBC (2006-08) before retiring ahead of the 2008 season.

Madden is also the namesake of EA Sports' popular Madden NFL Football video game franchise, initially lending his voice and likeness to the series in 1988.

Madden was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his coaching career in 2006.
 

ENTERTAINMENT ICON BETTY WHITE DIES WEEKS AHEAD OF 100TH BIRTHDAY​

One of America’s favorite actresses and an all-around entertainment icon, Betty White, has died. She was 99.

TMZ broke the news on White, reporting that she passed away early Friday at her home.

“A trailblazer and pioneer in media, Betty had the longest running career for any woman in TV prior to her death — starring in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting way back in 1939,” TMZ wrote.

White was born on Jan. 17, 1922 and became most well-known recently for her role as Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls,” a show that developed a cult following and remains popular in syndication today. It originally aired from 1985-92.

She also had a long and fruitful career as a comedian.

“Betty got her start in radio in the ’40s, making appearances on ‘Blondie,’ ‘The Great Gildersleeve,’ and ‘This is Your FBI,'” TMZ wrote. “She eventually got her own radio program. In 1949, Betty began working on a televised variety show with Al Jarvis called ‘Hollywood on Television’ — which she later co-hosted — before breaking out into more TV roles in the ’50s and beyond.”

White had 115 acting credits to her name in all.
 
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redrumloa said:

ENTERTAINMENT ICON BETTY WHITE DIES WEEKS AHEAD OF 100TH BIRTHDAY​

One of America’s favorite actresses and an all-around entertainment icon, Betty White, has died. She was 99.

TMZ broke the news on White, reporting that she passed away early Friday at her home.

“A trailblazer and pioneer in media, Betty had the longest running career for any woman in TV prior to her death — starring in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting way back in 1939,” TMZ wrote.

White was born on Jan. 17, 1922 and became most well-known recently for her role as Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls,” a show that developed a cult following and remains popular in syndication today. It originally aired from 1985-92.

She also had a long and fruitful career as a comedian.

“Betty got her start in radio in the ’40s, making appearances on ‘Blondie,’ ‘The Great Gildersleeve,’ and ‘This is Your FBI,'” TMZ wrote. “She eventually got her own radio program. In 1949, Betty began working on a televised variety show with Al Jarvis called ‘Hollywood on Television’ — which she later co-hosted — before breaking out into more TV roles in the ’50s and beyond.”

White had 115 acting credits to her name in all.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1476996672357998596
 
Celebrity by association I suppose. I don't care who it is, losing a teenage child is too much to bear for anyone. So sad.

Sinead O’Connor Says Teen Son Dead After Disappearing​

“Following the recovery of a body in the Bray area of Wicklow on Friday 7 January 2022, a missing person appeal in respect of Shane O’Connor, 17 years, has been stood down,” a police spokesperson said.

The manner and circumstances of his death have not been released to the media.

Sinead O’Connor wrote on social media that Shane O’Connor had been hospitalized this week after two suicide attempts.
 

GLOW STAR MATILDA THE HUN PASSES AWAY AT 73​

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Deanna Booher was best known to wrestling fans as Matilda the Hun from the campy 1980’s women’s wrestling promotion GLOW which was later fictionalized for a popular Netflix series. Booher had been suffering from various health issues recently and spent a lot of time in the hospital. Booher has sadly passed away at the age of 73.

Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported on the death of Matilda the Hun. The California native was portrayed as a monster villain during her run with the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Booher stood 6’3″ and was billed at 315 pounds.

Deanna was a legitimate collegiate wrestler at El Camino Junior College. Booher spoke about her experience with wrestling on her website. The boys on the team were afraid of her, she wrote.
 

BUDGIE's BURKE SHELLEY Dies At 71​

Vocalist/bassist Burke Shelley of legendary Welsh rockers BUDGIE has died at the age of 71. The news of his passing was shared earlier today by his daughter Ela. She wrote on Facebook: "It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my father, John Burke Shelley. He passed away this evening in his sleep at Heath Hospital in Cardiff, his birth town. He was 71 years old. Please respect the family during this time.

"With love, His four children: Ela, Osian, Dimitri and Nathaniel."


Budgie influenced Metallica.

 

Louie Anderson, Emmy-winning comedian, has died at 68​

Louie Anderson, whose more than four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series "Baskets," died Friday. He was 68.

Anderson died in Las Vegas of complications from cancer, Glenn Schwartz, his longtime publicist, said in a statement to CBS News. Anderson had a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Schwartz said previously.
 
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Peter Robbins: Voice of Original Charlie Brown Dead at 65​

The man who lent his voice to the beloved cartoon character Charlie Brown in the original Peanuts cartoons has died. Peter Robbins was 65.

Robbins died last week, his family told FOX 5 San Diego, as they confirmed his death on Tuesday (25 January).

They said the actor – who had bipolar disorder – took his own life.

Robbins’ career began when he was just nine, when he voiced the 1963 special A Boy Named Charlie Brown, becoming the first actor to give life to the character previously only enjoyed in print.

He voiced six more specials, including the famous holiday specials A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969).
 

Howard Hesseman Dies, WKRP in Cincinnati Star Was 81​

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Veteran actor Howard Hesseman has passed away. Per Variety, the prolific character actor, who's best known for his role on the classic series WKRP in Cincinnati, died on Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery he'd undergone last summer. The actor was 81 years old.

"Howard was a groundbreaking talent and lifelong friend whose kindness and generosity was equaled by his influence and admiration to generations of actors and improvisational comedy throughout the world,” Hesseman's longtime rep Robbie Kass said in a statement.

Destined for stardom, Hesseman was born in Lebanon, Oregon on Feb. 27, 1940. He ventured into improv comedy in 1965 as a member of the comedy troupe The Committee in San Francisco, mastering the craft as a performer for ten years. He also furthered his work in entertainment by working as a radio DJ under the name Don Study. This led to guest roles on popular TV shows like The Andy Griffith Show, Dragnet 1967, Soap, and Sandford and Son.

Over the years, Hesseman continued to work in television, appearing in many other very popular programs thoughout the decades. This includes stints on The Rockford Files, Laverne and Shirley, The Bob Newhart Show, That '70s Show, Boston Legal, and hosting Saturday Night Live. He'd also guest star on Fresh Off the Boat, Chicago Med, Mike & Molly, and Psych.

Hesseman's film work also includes roles in movies such as Salvation Boulevard, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, About Schmidt, This Is Spinal Tap, Wild Oats, The Rocker, All About Steve, and Rob Zombie's Halloween II.
 
This man's importance to (real) metal cannot be overstated. RIP

Megaforce Records Founder Jon ‘Jonny Z’ Zazula Has Died at 69​


Zazula founded Megaforce Records in the early 1980s with his wife, Marsha, and helped jumpstart the career of the legendary Metallica when he signed them. He'd been given a copy of the band's No Life 'Til Leather demo by a customer at his record stand at a New Jersey flea market and contacted the band in hopes of working together.

"When I put it on, it was like lightning. It was like I got hit by, I don't know what, like a beam. And I listened to the whole thing was like flipping out," Zazula told us in October of 2019. "This is America's answer — I just said to Motorhead and the new wave of British heavy metal — this would be the start of America's own scene in that vein."

"I basically said to Marsha, 'I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I'm gonna do something with this band. I gotta be part of the legacy.' I knew there was gonna be a legacy."

He'd been booking local shows in New Jersey at the time, with bands including Venom, Raven, Anvil and Manowar, and told Lars Ulrich he'd send Metallica money to rent a U-Haul to come perform in New York. Eventually, he put out the band's first two full-length albums — 1983's Kill 'Em All and 1994's Ride the Lightning.

Throughout his career, Zazula also worked with notable names in heavy music such as Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, Mercyful Fate, Ministry and more.
 
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redrumloa said:
Megaforce Records Founder Jon ‘Jonny Z’ Zazula Has Died at 69
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Rockers React To Death Of MEGAFORCE RECORDS Co-Founder JON ZAZULA​

Members of BLACK SABBATH, ANTHRAX, EXODUS, ANVIL, VENOM, MEGADETH and EXCITER are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the passing of Megaforce Records founder Jon "Jonny Z" Zazula. The 69-year-old died earlier today (Tuesday, February 1) in Florida surrounded by his brother, daughters, granddaughters and friends, according to Variety.

Jon's wife Marsha, with whom he founded Megaforce, passed away of cancer in January of last year.

Megaforce is widely credited for launching the career of METALLICA by releasing the band's first two albums, 1983's "Kill 'Em All" and 1984's "Ride The Lightning", before METALLICA landed a major label deal with Elektra. Megaforce's roster has also included such artists as ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, Ace Frehley, MINISTRY, KING'S X, STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH and RAVEN.

Born in 1952, Jonny began his extraordinary journey as a renegade youth who went from living on the streets of the Bronx in New York City, to later working on Wall Street, and eventually (and unexpectedly) transitioning into the music business and discovering METALLICA, ANTHRAX and others.


After Wall Street, Jonny Z began selling records at a flea market store in 1981 to put food on the table for his family. Dubbed Rock N' Roll Heaven, the store eventually blossomed into a major record store that influenced the heavy metal movement as we know it today. In the winter of 1982, Jonny Z received an unexpected demo tape from unsigned underground band called METALLICA. Eager and determined to have the music heard by the entire world, Jonny and Marsha founded Megaforce the following year and released "Kill 'Em All". Through this release, Megaforce cemented its position as the de-facto music label in America for heavy metal.

Jon's acclaimed autobiography, "Heavy Tales: The Metal. The Music. The Madness. As Lived By Jon Zazula", was released in October 2019. The book tells the story of how the Zazulas ended up signing a band that shaped the sound of heavy metal for decades to come.

"It's all a blessing when you work hard and you stay smart and you go into the game and then eventually something comes your way and you're ready for it. And you're able to jump upon it and ride it," Jonny told Variety. "We were very fortunate, Marsha and I, that we have them to choose as a band that became the biggest band in the world. Not to mention a bunch of other great bands that made history."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1488638801467609096
 
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