R.I.P. CELEBRITY DEATHS 2020(NON WRESTLERS)

[jimsteel]

Days Gone Voice Actor Filipe Duarte Dies at 46

Filipe Duarte, the Portuguese acting talent behind Days Gone protagonist Deacon St. John, has passed away at the age of 46. According to Sicnoticias, the actor died this Friday to a heart attack. The tragic news comes roughly a year after Duarte's big role in the aforementioned PlayStation 4 game.

While the Angola-born actor lent his incredible talents to Days Gone recently, the actor is best known for his various television and movies roles, including his roles in Variacoes: Guardian Angel, A Outra Margem, Cinzento e Negro, and The Invisible Life. The latter of these four notably earned Duarte a Portuguese Golden Globe in 2015. Meanwhile, the actor's most recent work, a film dubbed Nothing Ever Happened, is currently in post-production.

[jimsteel]

Jamaican Bobsledder Sam Clayton Jr. Who Inspired Cool Runnings Dies From COVID-19 at 58

he threat of the coronavirus continues to alter the world. Sadly, the list of people who have passed away from COVID-19 now includes Sam Clayton Jr., the Jamaican bobsledder who inspired the Disney classic, Cool Runnings. It's been reported that he died on March 31st in Kingston, Jamaica at the age of 58. In addition to his Olympic career, Clayton Jr. was a sound engineer "with a global" ear. The New York Times describes him as a "musical jack-of-all-trades." He was a producer and sound engineer at Kingston’s Harry J. Studio, where he "contributed to music by Jamaican roots reggae artists like Horace Andy and Ernest Ranglin."

According to The New York Times, Clayton Jr. worked with many foreign musical artists, lived in France for a while, and spoke fluent French. He served as the sound engineer for many bands, including the British group Steel Pulse. The band’s frontman, David R. Hinds, shared in an email that Clayton Jr. died due to COVID-19, and also wrote some kind words about him, calling him a “well-rounded individual” who filled multiple roles for the musicians he worked with. He wore many hats, including tour manager, guitar and keyboard technician, studio engineer, producer, and percussionist.

[jimsteel]

Fmr. Oak Ridge Boys Member Gary McSpadden Has Died

Gospel singer and songwriter Gary McSpadden has died after a battle with pancreatic Cancer. McSpadden passed away on Wednesday, April 15th at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 77-years-old.

A baritone who performed in numerous Gospel groups throughout his career, including The Statesmen, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Imperials, The Bill Gaither Trio, and The Gaither Vocal Band, Gary McSpadden was also a solo singer and songwriter, television host, and pastor throughout his nearly 60 year career.

Born January 26th, 1943 in Magnum, Oklahoma, Gary’s family moved to Lubbock, TX where his father was a pastor, and his family was very musical with both his father and mother working as Gospel songwriters. In 1962 at the age of 18, Gary was noticed by the manager of the Southern Gospel group The Statesman, and was asked to fill in while the lead singer Jake Hess was on medical leave.

After five months with The Statesman, McSpadden joined what at the time was called The Oak Ridge Quartet at the critical moment when the group signed with Warner Bros. Records and officially became known as The Oak Ridge Boys. Gary McSpadden replaced Ron Page, and appeared on three records with the Hall of Fame group before reuniting with Jake Hess and singing with The Imperials. McSpadden was part of The Imperials when they famously sang backup for Elvis Presley.

From there, McSpadden joined The Bill Gaither Trio in 1977, and began working as a pastor before stepping down to pursue music full time as the group became the Gaither Vocal Band. Gary first began pursuing a solo career in 1979, and by 1988 began solely focusing on a career as a solo artist that resulted in 16 solo albums.

Later in his career, Gary McSpadden continued to work as a pastor, and hosted multiple live and televised music shows, and also worked as a producer for multiple bands and artists. By the early 2000’s Gary had become a fixture of the Branson, Missouri Gospel scene, and mentored numerous artists, including Lauren Mascitti, who Saving Country Music recently featured.

Gary McSpadden has been inducted a total of three times in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame from his various projects and pursuits, and is also a member of the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Most recently, he had been the pastor at the non-denominational Faith & Wisdom church in Branson.

[Bazzy]

Soccer / Football Leeds United legendary defender Norman Hunter has died aged 76 . Played for them 540 games 1962-1976 also was in England 1966 winning squad . R.I.P

[jimsteel]

Gene Deitch, ‘Tom & Jerry’ and ‘Popeye’ Animator, Dies Age 95

Award-winning American animation director and producer Gene Deitch has died at age 95. The beloved artist passed away Thursday night in Prague, where he lived with his wife and fellow animator Zdenka Najmanova. The news was shared with the Czech News Agency (CTK) by Garamond publishing house owner Petr Himel. The label published Deitch’s memoirs, For the Love of Prague, in 2018.

Born Eugene Merrill Deitch in Chicago on August 8, 1924, he moved to California with his family five years later. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, Deitch began working as a draftsman for North American Aviation. He was drafted and entered pilot training, but was discharged due to pneumonia in 1944. Deitch re-entered the commercial art world, contributing cover and interior illustrations to jazz magazine The Record Changer.

Deitch’s animation career heated up quickly. In the late 1940s/early ’50s, he won the Gold Medal of the New York Art Directors Club for best commercial two times, and these works became part of the Museum of Modern Art collection in New York. He worked at iconic mid-century studio UPA before becoming creative director of Terrytoons (under 20th Century Fox), creating characters like Sidney the Elephant, Gaston Le Crayon, Clint Clobber and Terr’ble Thompson.

He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1958 for his theatrical cartoon Sidney’s Family Tree, although he was let go from Terrytoons that same year. Deitch set up his own New York studio, Gene Deitch Associates, which primarily produced commercials. With the promise of funding for his theatrical short concept Munro, Deitch relocated to Prague in communist Czechoslovakia in late 1959. He intended to stay only 10 days, but decided to settle in the city permanently after meeting his future wife, animation producer Zdenka Najmanova.

Munro won the Oscar for Animated Short Film in 1961, becoming the cartoon produced outside the U.S. to earn the honor. Deitch worked with the film’s backers Rembrandt Films through the ’60s to produce Popeye TV cartoons with King Features and a dozen Tom and Jerry shorts for MGM. Deitch co-produced and directed a series of King Features’ Krazy Kat shorts for TV with William Snyder, with whom he also created his original kids’ series The Bluffers and directed Alice of Wonderland in Paris (1966).

From 1968 until his retirement in 2008, Deitch was lead animation director for Weston Woods Studios (based in Connecticut). The ex-pat openly expressed his love for Prague, where he created some 70 animated films and seven TV series, saying that Czechoslovak authorities never interfered with his work. Although, his 1969 short The Giants (Obri) was banned in the country due to perceived criticism of the 1968 Soviet invasion.

[jimsteel]

David Bowie bass guitarist Matthew Seligman dies aged 64 after coronavirus battle

Renowned bass guitarist Matthew Seligman, who played with David Bowie at Live Aid in 1985, has died from coronavirus aged 64.

The musician is best known for his role in the new wave scene in the 1980s and was a member of The Soft Boys and The Thompson Twins, also collaborating with Thomas Dolby.

Dolby, 61, confirmed his friend's death and said a candlelight vigil to remember the star would be held on YouTube live on 19 April at 8pm, saying: 'Matthew would want us to remember the good times and have a party.'

[jimsteel]

Mike Curtis, star of Baltimore Colts' Super Bowl V victory, dies at 77

Mike Curtis, the former Baltimore Colts star who set up the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl V, died at his St. Petersburg, Florida, home on Monday. He was 77.

His family told Mike Preston of the Baltimore News. He died surrounded by his loved ones, they said. Memorial details are pending.

Curtis was born in Washington, D.C., and attended school in Rockville, Maryland. He was an academic All-American at Duke and drafted in the first round of the 1965 draft by the Colts.

The fullback-turned-linebacker was known for his intensity, becoming a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl player. The Colts, led by Johnny Unitas, won the NFL championship in 1968 and won the first Super Bowl after the NFL-AFL merger in 1971.

Curtis helped clinch the Super Bowl V victory against the Dallas Cowboys by intercepting a pass with 59 seconds remaining. Rookie Jim O'Brien hit the game-winning field goal with five seconds left for a 16-13 final score.

[jimsteel]

DEATH NOT SLOWING DOWN



Thomas William Lester, an American actor and evangelist best known as Eb Dawson on

the television series "Green Acres," has died. He was 81. Lester died of complications from Parkinson's Disease on April 20, 2020 in the Nashville, Tennessee home of his fiancée and long-term caregiver Jackie Peters.

Lester appeared in nearly every "Green Acres" episode between 1965–71 and appeared in two feature films, "Gordy" and "Benji." He was the last surviving regular cast member of Green Acres.

In 1948, Lester became a born-again Christian. During and after his role as Eb, he became more involved traveling the nation, preaching a message of Christian faith and obedience.

Lester was a conservationist and spent many enjoyable years on his farm in Jasper County, where, in 1997, he was the recipient of Mississippi's "Wildlife Farmer of the Year" award.

[TTX]

Curtis had one of my favorite moments in football (even if I only know about it from reading) when a crazy fan jumped on to the field to try and steal the ball and he just stiff armed the guy to the ground. Tough man may he RIP.

[jimsteel]

PLAYMATE ASHLEY MATTINGLY DEAD BY SUICIDE AT 33

Former Playmate Ashley Mattingly -- a domestic violence victim at the hands of Lane Garrison, who struggled with substance abuse -- is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Ashley's sister, Christy, and twin brother Billy tell us she took her own life Wednesday at her home in Austin, Texas and she left a suicide note.

We're told Ashley was found unresponsive Friday after a friend called the Austin Police Department for a wellness check after Ashley went radio silent. We're told police took the note as part of their investigation.

Ashley's family tells us she had been living in Austin for the past two years, and she was struggling with substance abuse. We're told she had demons and battled alcohol abuse, but she was trying to get her life back on track.