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Former IL First Lady, Lura Lynn Ryan Dies
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Jun 28, 2011 5:49 AM PDT<em>Tuesday, June 28, 2011 8:49 AM EST</em>Updated:
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Jul 05, 2011 5:40 AM PDT<em>Tuesday, July 5, 2011 8:40 AM EST</em>By Mike Fehn –KANKAKEE, IL – The wife of imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan has died.Ryan’s attorney, Andrea Lyon, confirms that Lura Lynn Ryan died on Monday at a hospital in Kankakee. She was 76.
She had been diagnosed with lung cancer and hospitalized for apparent complications from chemotherapy.
Ryan had spent the waning years of her life seeking freedom for her imprisoned husband.
The former governor is serving a 6 1/2-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, tax fraud and making false statements to the FBI.
Prison officials quietly allowed him to visit his wife in January. His attorney says he sat by his wife’s hospital bed for two hours.
They had been married for 55 years.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
‘Happy Gilmore’ actress Frances Bay dies at 95
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Frances Bay, who tussled with Jerry Seinfeld over a loaf of marble rye and played Adam Sandler’s grandmother in “Happy Gilmore” during a career that began in the 1930s, has died. She was 92.
Her cousin Les Berman says Bay died Thursday at a Los Angeles area hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
After working as a radio actress before World War II, Bay married and became a housewife. She returned to acting in the 1970s and her career took off. Bay played Fonzie’s Grandma Nussbaum on “Happy Days” and kindly older ladies in shows like “The Jeffersons,” ”The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Who’s the Boss?”
The Canadian-born actress also was cast by director David Lynch in several films, including “Blue Velvet” and “Wild at Heart.”
Fans of “Seinfeld” know her as the tough lady who fought with the show’s star over the last loaf of bread.
this triple-hit is listed on cnn today:
09:50 AM ET‘Spartacus’ star Andy Whitfield dead at 39
“Spartacus” actor Andy Whitfield has died, CNN has confirmed. Fans of Starz Entertainment’s original drama “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” know Whitfield as the titular gladiator.
According to the New York Times, the 39-year-old passed away on Sunday in Sydney, Australia from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Whitfield leaves behind his wife, Vashti, two children, and a sister.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Andy Whitfield,” said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement.
“We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in ‘Spartacus’ and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life,” Albrecht continued. “Andy was an inspiration to all of us as he faced this very personal battle with courage, strength and grace. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. He will live on in the hearts of his family, friends and fans.”
“Spartacus” creator Steven DeKnight shared his thoughts on Twitter, writing, “No words to express the depth of such a loss. You will be deeply missed, my brother.”
Whitfield rose to stardom on the Starz series, but took what was intended to be a temporary hiatus following a check-up in March of 2010, the NYT reports. Starz ended up using a variety of actors for a prequel, “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” as they waited for Whitfield to return, but he never became well enough to do so.
Australian actor Liam McIntyre was tapped to fill the lead for the second season. At the time, McIntyre commended Whitfield for his work on the show, and said that “everybody hurts that he’s had to give up that role, myself included.”
Whitfield’s co-stars are chiming in with their condolences as well. In a statement on her fan site, “Spartacus” actress (and former “Xena” star) Lucy Lawless is quoted as saying that “Obviously, Andy Whitfield left an indelible mark on all of us in the ‘Spartacus’ family.”
“He was a gentle man who never said a bad word about anyone, a gifted photographer, engineer (no really!) and a brilliant actor,” the statement said. “Andy’s incandescent film presence made men want to be him and women want to marry him. Andy’s two babies will always know that their Daddy cherished them and their mother, Vashti, above all things. How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. Godspeed, Andy!”
Legendary Motown songwriter Nick Ashford dies at 70Aug. 22, 2011, 8:25 PM EST// <![CDATA[
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NEW YORK (AP) — Nick Ashford, one-half of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson that penned elegant, soulful classics for the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, and funk hits for Chaka Khan and others, died Monday at age 70, his former publicist said.
Liz Rosenberg, who also was Ashford’s longtime friend, told The Associated Press that Ashford — who along with wife Valerie Simpson wrote some of Motown’s biggest hits — died in a New York City hospital. He had been suffering from throat cancer and had undergone radiation treatment.
Though they had some of their greatest success at Motown with classics like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand” by Ross and “You’re All I Need To Get By” by Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Ashford & Simpson also created classics for others, like the anthem “I’m Every Woman” by Khan (and later remade by Whitney Houston).
They also had success writing for themselves: Perhaps the biggest known hit sung by them was the 1980s hit “Solid As A Rock.”
Ashford is survived by his wife and two daughters
Former Warrant lead singer Jani Lane dies at 47
AP – 58 mins ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jani Lane, the former lead singer of the metal rock band Warrant, has died in Los Angeles. He was 47.
Officer Sara Faden says Lane’s body was found Thursday in a Woodland Hills hotel. She had no immediate information on the cause or circumstances of his death.
With his long blond hair and tight leather outfits, Lane embodied the excess of 1980s metal rock bands. He joined Warrant in 1984 and wrote such hits as “Heaven,” ”Down Boys” and “Cherry Pie.”
He had an on-and-off relationship with the band, leaving it in 1992 before returning and quitting again several times.
In recent years, he appeared in VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club” and made news for a drunken driving arrest.
He is survived by two daughters from two previous marriages.
August 4th, 201106:19 PM ET‘Grease’ actress Annette Charles dies at 63
Just a few months after her “Grease” co-star Jeff Conaway died, actress Annette Charles, known to “Grease” fans as Cha Cha, passed away at age 63, CNN has confirmed.
Her rep says that she died at her home in Los Angeles on Wednesday night due to complications from cancer. According to TMZ, she’d learned of her condition just a few months ago.
Of course, Charles is best known for her sultry role as Cha Cha DiGregorio in the 1978 movie “Grease.” Her character memorably kicked up her heels as “the best dancer at St. Bernadette’s,” stealing the attention of John Travolta’s Danny Zuko during Rydell High’s televised dance competition.
Charles went on to roles in “The Incredible Hulk” TV series and “Magnum, P.I.”
Football great and ‘Police Academy’ star Bubba Smith dies
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 3, 2011 10:30 p.m. EDT
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(CNN) — Former college and pro football star Charles Aaron “Bubba” Smith, who went on to an acting career after his retirement from sports, was found dead at his home, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said Wednesday. He was 66.
Police and fire officials were called to Smith’s home after “he was found unresponsive” and pronounced him dead, said Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations and investigation for the coroner.
An autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death, Winter said. However, asked if there was any reason to believe the death was due to anything other than natural causes, he replied, “Not at this time.”
An imposing 6 foot 8 and 260 pounds, Smith was considered one of the most fearsome pass rushers of his day. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1967 National Football League draft, he played nine seasons in the NFL — for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers.
He played for the Colts in two Super Bowls and was also a two-time Pro Bowl pick.
Smith was one of the anchors of an overwhelming defense that was heavily favored to win Super Bowl III. Nonetheless, the New York Jets, led by Joe Namath, defeated the Colts in the 1969 championship of pro football, widely considered one of the biggest upsets in U.S. sports history.
The Colts atoned for that embarrassment — somewhat — two years later in a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V, but Smith reportedly said he was so dismayed by the game’s sloppiness that he never wore his Super Bowl ring.
Smith was sidelined by a severe knee injury during an exhibition game in 1972, and the next season joined the Raiders. He told Sports Illustrated in 1973 that “not playing was terrible. I didn’t want to show my face in public. I don’t know if it was that we were losing or what, but it almost drove me crazy.”
After retiring from pro football in 1975, Smith landed small roles on TV series such as “Good Times,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Semi-Tough,” according to IMDb, before landing his signature role as Lt. Moses Hightower in the first “Police Academy” movie in 1984. He reprised the role in all six movies in the popular comedy franchise.
Smith was a two-time All-America defensive end at Michigan State University. He played in what the national media dubbed “the game of the century” between Michigan State and Notre Dame in 1966, a 10-10 tie that resulted in the two teams’ splitting the vote for that year’s national championship.
Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988, an event he called “the jewel in my crown, for my collegiate days were very special to me.”
Smith was born on February 28, 1945, in Beaumont Texas. His father was a high school football coach and his mother had earned two college degrees. According to his member biography on the College Football Hall of Fame website, he said he took his parents with him when he went to speak to youth groups “to demonstrate my respect for them.”
this is 29 points i could sure use.
Alex Trebek injured chasing a burglar out of his hotel room
By the CNN Wire StaffJuly 28, 2011 1:35 p.m. EDT
(CNN) — Alex Trebek, longtime host of the television quiz show “Jeopardy,” was injured while chasing a burglar out of his hotel room early Tuesday.
The 71-year-old TV personality revealed his condition at the National Geographic World Championship in San Francisco. Footage shot by CNN affiliate KGO showed Trebek taking the long way to the stage, hobbling on crutches up the disabled-access ramp. He placed his crutches to one side and hopped over to the podium, where he told his story with the dry wit “Jeopardy” fans have come to love.
“I deal with answers and questions,” Trebek told the crowd. “And today I’m going to start with the answer to a question I suspect is on many of your minds right now. The answer is ‘At 2:30 yesterday morning, chasing a burglar down the hall … until my Achilles tendon ruptured and I fell in an ignominious heap, bruising my other leg in the process.”
Trebek did not address the injury again except to say that he was fine and expected surgery to take place Friday. But when reached for comment, a communications director for the show confirmed the incident.
“It’s true!” said Phil Zimmerman, a spokesman for “Jeopardy” at Sony. “Alex is fine and all the details in this story are true. Alex isn’t going to be making any official statement or commenting any further than what he said at the National Geographic World Championship this morning.”
But the San Francisco Police Department revealed details of the case and the subsequent arrest in response to inquiries from CNN.
The police report does not identify Trebek or his wife, who was also in the room, by name. It does say that movement in the hotel room awoke one of the victims, who gave chase as a suspect left with stolen personal items. The other victim notified hotel security, who were able to detain the suspect. She was identified by both victims as the person in the hotel room.
The suspect was arrested by police, and identified as 56-year-old Lucinda Moyers.
She has been charged with burglary and receiving stolen property.
Former pitcher Hideki Irabu dead in apparent suicide
By the CNN Wire StaffJuly 28, 2011 5:41 p.m. EDT
Hideki Irabu came to the United States from Japan in 1997 and retired in 2002.(CNN) — Former professional baseball pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead at his California home, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Homicide detectives and representatives from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office determined that he committed suicide, Sgt. Diane Hecht said Thursday. She did not know the method he used.
His body was discovered in his Rancho Palos Verdes home around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, Hecht said.
Irabu, 42, was a successful and well-established player in Japan when he came to the United States after being drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1997, according to CNN affiliate KTLA.
But Irabu refused to play for the Padres. He insisted he would play only for the New York Yankees, a stand that helped create the system that Japanese players currently use if they wish to join the Major Leagues before they are eligible for free agency, according to an article on Major League Baseball’s website.
It was during Irabu’s two seasons with the Yankees that he had an infamous altercation with owner George Steinbrenner, who called Irabu a “fat toad,” the website said.
He played for the Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers before he retired from the Major Leagues in 2002. In the intervening years, he spent some time pitching in his native Japan and for a team in an independent league in California.
Celebrity Death Watch 