R.I.P CELEBRITY DEATHS(NON WRESTLING) 2017

[jimsteel]

Jimmy Breslin, long the gruff and rumpled king of streetwise New York newspaper columnists, a Pulitzer Prize winner whose muscular, unadorned prose pummeled the venal, deflated the pompous and gave voice to ordinary city-dwellers for decades, died March 19 at his home in Manhattan. He was 88.

The cause was complications from pneumonia, stepdaughter Emily Eldridge said.

For an “unlettered bum,” as Mr. Breslin called himself, he left an estimable legacy of published work, including 16 books, seven of them novels, plus two anthologies of his columns.

What set him apart as a writer was the inimitable style of his journalism across the last great decades of ink-on-paper news, in the 1960s for the old New York Herald Tribune and later for the Daily News and the city pages of Long Island-based Newsday, where his final regular column appeared in 2004.

[jimsteel]

An actor from the original "Star Wars" died after choking on his lunch.

Gordon “Drewe” Henley, 75, had a long acting career, but was well-known for his role as X-Wing Squadron Red Leader Garven Dreis in “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” according to the Daily Mail. Parts of the film that featured Henley were also used in the most recent film in the franchise, “Rogue One.”

“Episode IV” was the last film Henley, who was previously married to English actress Felicity Kendal, appeared in. He was diagnosed with manic depression after filming completed and he then retired from acting.

In 2013, Henley was diagnosed with vascular dementia and may have had drug-related Parkinsonism due to long-term use of antipsychotic medication. He was admitted to the Franklyn Hospital's mental health unit six times between September 2015 and his death.

[jimsteel]

Former Chase Manhattan Chief Executive David Rockefeller has died at the age of 101.
Rockefeller died in his sleep at home in Pocantico Hills, New York, on Monday morning as a result of congestive heart failure, according to a family spokesperson Fraser P. Seitel.

The businessman, who had an estimated fortune of $3 billion, retired as head of Chase Manhattan in 1981 after a 35-year career.

For every second in David Rockefeller’s long life, he’s been one of the wealthiest human beings on the planet. Like the devil in the song by the Rolling Stones, he has always been a man of wealth and taste. Growing up in a nine story house full of Renaissance treasures doesn’t make a normal child. If he were ever elected President of the United States of America, it would be a demotion.

David Rockefeller is the only surviving grandson of America’s first billionaire, John Davison Rockefeller.

Because of his tremendous fortune and influence, David Rockefeller was at the forefront of the minds of every conspiracy theorist. He’s even got a character on hit cartoon show, The Simpsons, that for all the world seems to be modeled after him (Mr. Burns).

[jimsteel]

Chuck Barris, the goofball host of The Gong Show who also was the manic mastermind behind two other spontaneous game-show classics, The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game, has died. He was 87.

Barris, who in his book, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: An Unauthorized Biography, claimed to have been an assassin for the CIA — his implausible story became a fantastical 2002 movie directed by first-timer George Clooney and written by Charlie Kaufman — died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Palisades, N.Y., his family announced through publicist Paul Shefrin.

The Philadelphia native also penned the 1962 pop song "Palisades Park," a tribute to the old amusement park in New Jersey that was a hit for Freddy Cannon and figured high on Barris' list of career achievements.

With his innovative shows, Barris changed the face of reality TV but was derided but critics who nicknamed him "The King of Schlock," "The Baron of Bad Taste" and "The Ayatollah of Trasherola."

On The Gong Show, which aired on NBC and in syndication in daytime and primetime from 1976-80, amateurs took to the stage to demonstrate their so-called talent in front of three celebrity judges. Quite often, they made fools of themselves.

Barris' original idea had been to create a show that featured fine performers, but in his search for talent, he frequently encountered awful acts. "I came back and said, 'Let's change the show, have all bad acts and one or two good ones, and people can make a judgment,' " he said in a 2010 interview with The Archive of American Television.

When original host John Barbour didn't work out after about a year, NBC execs insisted that the cuddly, curly-haired Barris come on as his replacement, so he donned a tuxedo and a floppy hat and introduced the acts.

[jimsteel]

Ronnie Moran - the former Liverpool captain and coach who on Wednesday passed away at the age of 83 - personified the club in his words and deeds as much as any of the legendary figures he so loyally served.

[TTX]

Ahh good old Chuck Barris, for a while, he made so many good game shows, later ones weren't as good, but still he made his mark. RIP.

[jimsteel]

Vince Jones -- who stars on History Channel's "Big Rig Bounty Hunters" -- died at his home in Delaware, OH on Wednesday ... TMZ has learned.

Vince's mother, Cathy Smith, tells us ... Vince's wife woke up at 4 AM and heard him making strange noises, and he was barely breathing. She says the wife performed CPR and his 14-year-old son tried to help as well ... but they couldn't revive him.

The family believes it was a heart attack.

We're told Vince was diagnosed with sleep apnea last year and wasn't wearing his mask Tuesday night ... which they believe deprived him of oxygen and triggered the heart attack.
Vince's daughter just got married last Saturday, and we're told he was fine at the wedding.

Vince leaves behind his wife and 4 children. He was 46.

[jimsteel]

They are dropping like flies



Former pitcher, manager, and executive Dallas Green has passed away at the age of 82.

​​Green was a journeyman pitcher for four teams in the '60s, but got his first managerial job with the Phillies in 1979, and won the World Series just one year later in 1980. He quickly became notorious for his gruff, abrasive manner. One player compared him to the Gestapo, and Green himself is famous for saying "I'm a screamer, a yeller, and a cusser. I never hold back."

​Green's baseball career took a quick turn when, following the 1981 season, he was poached by the Cubs as executive VP and general manager. In 1984, he won Executive of the Year for building a Cubs squad that narrowly missed the team's first World Series berth in 40 years.

Most Red Sox fans probably don't know this, but one of the best trades Green made was trading Bill Buckner to the Red Sox for Dennis Eckersely in 1984. This means Green was basically responsible for Buckner not getting low enough and causing the Red Sox to suffer one of the most heartbreaking losses in franchise history. Savage.

[jimsteel]

Sib Hashian -- the original drummer for the rock group Boston -- died after collapsing onstage Wednesday night ... TMZ has learned.

Sib's son, Adam, tells us the drummer was on the Legends of Rock Cruise and was midset when he suddenly collapsed. A witness says CPR was performed and a defibrillator was used but to no avail.

The L.O.R. Cruise began on March 18 in Florida and had stops in several places including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. We're told the cruise will continue and other musicians are performing tributes to Sib on the boat Thursday.

The drummer -- who donned an EPIC afro in the early days of his stellar career -- was famously part of Boston's self-titled album, which featured the mega-hit "More Than a Feeling."

Sib also had an entrepreneurial side, owning a record shop and string of tanning salons in Boston.

He was 67.

[TTX]

Grim Reaper has been working overtime. RIP.