R.I.P. Celebrities(Non Wrestlers) 2022

[jimsteel]

Veteran mandolin player, singer, and bandleader George Winn passed away on early Sunday evening, January 23, 2022, at the age of 88.

He was born in Kenbridge, Lunenburg County, Virginia, in 1933, and thanks to encouraging parents and the help of friend Uncle Ed Silverman, who founded the Virginia Folk Music Association, Winn made his debut on local radio in 1947.

Later Winn won the association’s mandolin competition so often that he was actively discouraged from entering again.

Winn took pride in playing bluegrass music in the authentic Bill Monroe tradition, and formed the band George Winn & the Bluegrass Partners in 1952. They played regularly at the Bluegrass Lounge on the southside of Richmond in the late 1960s, by which time they had established themselves as a busy and wide-reaching touring band.

For a while he received national exposure as a regular performer on the Old Dominion Barn Dance, a syndicated country music radio show broadcast every Saturday night on WRVA, Richmond, Virginia. Although the radio show has long since ceased, Winn performed on Old Dominion Barn Dance shows at The Beacon Theatre on Main Street, Hopewell, well into this century.

[jimsteel]

Ralph Mellanby, hockey broadcast icon, dead at 87

The man who injected life into Hockey Night In Canada, giving such names as Dick Irvin Jr., Howie Meeker, Brian McFarlane, Dave Hodge and Don Cherry their platform and winning a host of awards including five Emmys for Olympic Games coverage, including 1980’s Miracle On Ice, died Saturday at age 87.

Ironically, his passing comes on one of HNIC’s most ambitious annual broadcasts, the celebratory Hockey Day In Canada.

[jimsteel]

Howard Hesseman, the actor best known for playing DJ Dr. Johnny Fever in “WKRP in Cincinnati,” has died, his manager of 35 years, Robbie Kass of Kass Management, confirms. He was 81.

Hesseman starred in all 90 episodes of “WKRP in Cincinnati,” from 1978 to 1982, and returned to star in nine episodes of the series revival, “The New WKRP in Cincinnati,” in the 90s. His character’s real name was John Caravella, and he was very big in the anti-disco movement.

As “Dr. Johnny Fever,” Hesseman notched two nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, in 1980 and 1981.

Following “WKRP in Cincinnati,” Hesseman landed two more beloved television roles. He starred as teacher Charlie Moore on the ABC series “Head of the Class” from 1986 to 1990, and as Sam Royer, the man who married Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on “One Day at a Time” from 1982 to 1984.

On film, Hesseman would go on to be known as Captain Pete Lassard, in “Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.”

Over the course of his career, Hesseman had small guest appearances in several beloved shows, including “That 70s Show,” “ER” and “Boston Legal,” among several others. His last credited TV role came in 2017, where he appeared in two episodes of the ABC comedy “Fresh Off The Boat.”

[TTX]

RIP Howard.

[jimsteel]

Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst Dead at 30 from Suicide, Jumped from NYC Apartment

Kryst took home the top honors at the Miss USA pageant back in 2019 as Miss North Carolina. She was an attorney, and after winning the title, she also worked as a correspondent for Extra.

She used her Miss USA platform to speak out about social and criminal justice reform.

[jimsteel]

Jeff Innis, a former pitcher in MLB passed away at the age of 59 due to complications from cancer.

Innis played five seasons in the minor leagues from 1983 to 1987. He made his MLB debut on May 16, 1987, at the age of 24, pitching two innings, striking out three, and being the losing pitcher in a 5–4 defeat to the San Francisco Giants. He also made the only start of his major league career on May 26 that year, receiving a no decision after surrendering two earned runs over four innings against the Giants. He subsequently posted a 3.16 earned-run average (ERA) and 28 strikeouts over 25+2⁄3 innings pitched in his first MLB season.

Innis pitched in only 12 games in 1988 before being sent down to the minor leagues. However, he posted a career-best 1.89 ERA in the majors that year and was credited with his first major league win on June 4 against the Chicago Cubs. He started the 1989 season with the Tidewater Tides and remained there until June, when Terry Leach was traded to the Kansas City Royals. Innis finished the year with a 3.18 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 39+2⁄3 innings. He was limited to three games pitched in April the following year before being sent back to Tidewater. He was eventually promoted back to the major league roster in June and collected his first major league save on June 29 against the Cincinnati Reds. During the 1991 season, he compiled a 0–2 win–loss record along with a 2.66 ERA and a career-high 47 strikeouts in 84+2⁄3 innings. He finished ninth in the National League (NL) in games pitched (69) and became the first major league pitcher to appear in 60 games without recording a win or a save. This ironically factored against him during salary arbitration at the end of the season. Innis had a 6–9 record, a 2.86 ERA and 39 strikeouts in a career-high 88 innings pitched in 1992. He set a franchise record of 76 games pitched and finished fifth in the league in games pitched and sixth in hit by pitch.

Innis played his final major league game on October 2, 1993, at the age of 31. In a seven-season career, he posted a 10–20 win–loss record with a 3.05 ERA in 288 games pitched. At the time of his death, Innis's 288 games pitched for the franchise was twelfth all-time.

[jimsteel]

Country Music Hall of Famer Hargus "Pig" Robbins has passed away at the age of 84.

Robbins was known for crafting memorable intros for Charlie Rich's 1974 song "Behind Closed Doors" and Crystal Gayle's 1977 song "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue."

Robbins recorded as a featured instrumental artist in the 1960s. From 1977 to 1979, Elektra Records released three of his albums. Those albums were the Grammy-winning "Country Instrumentalist of the Year," "Pig in a Poke," and "Unbreakable Hearts."

[jimsteel]

Fashion Designer Peter Hidalgo Dies at 53

Hidalgo had his own company at one point, and later dressed Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and other celebrities.


At the time of his death, Hidalgo was in a homeless shelter, where he had been temporarily living with the hope of qualifying for subsidized housing, according to his friend and former employer Miguel Adrover.

Asif Zaidi, who worked with Hildago several years ago, said his decision to live in the shelter was a sign of his kindness in that he would not want to impose upon his friends.

A co-winner of the 2010 Fashion Group International’s “Rising Star” award for women’s wear, Hidalgo was primarily working with a couple of private clients including Nicki Minaj in recent years. He had given up his studio.

[Bazzy]

TV Leonard Fenton aged 95 most famously played Doctor Legg in London BBC soap opera "Eastenders" R.I.P

[jimsteel]

Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and former player, Mike Nykoluk has passed away at age 87

Nykoluk was a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. Nykoluk played 32 games in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1956–57. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1955 to 1972, was spent in the minor leagues. He later served as the Maple Leafs head coach for four seasons, from 1981 to 1984. He is the younger brother of longtime Canadian Football League player Danny Nykoluk. He began his professional career with the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1956–57. That season with Rochester, he was called up to play in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 32 games he played for Toronto would be his only stint in the NHL. He only mustered 4 points in those 32 games. He was sent back down to the Americans and went on to have an extensive playing career for the Hershey Bears of the AHL, playing for 14 seasons before retiring. He was then offered a job with the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant to head coach Fred Shero. Nykoluk helped the Flyers win the Stanley Cup in 1974, 1975. He later became an assistant to head coach Fred Shero with the New York Rangers and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons ending in 1984.