R.I.P. Celebrities(Non Wrestlers or Sports related) 2023

[jimsteel]

Jim Wangers, the ad guy who had John DeLorean’s ear and helped make the 1960s Pontiac’s decade, passed away peacefully. He was 96 years old.

Wangers auspiciously joined Campbell-Ewald as a copywriter right when the brand was transitioning from an austere member of the “Low-Priced Three” to “The Hot One.” He tried convincing his superiors that NASCAR‘s Speed Week was a fine opportunity to hype the new 180-horse Power Pack for the small-block V8, but Wangers was told that “Chevrolet is not into racing.” He went to Daytona on his own dime and documented the success of the independent Chevy racers, but reaction from superiors continued to be underwhelming, with his bosses feeling Speed Week was some outlaw racing thing, something not unusual in an era where the car scene continued to be seen as full of undesirables.

[jimsteel]

"Bling Empire" star Anna Shay has died at age 62, POPSUGAR confirms. "It saddens our hearts to announce that Anna Shay, a loving mother, grandmother, charismatic star, and our brightest ray of sunshine, has passed away at the early age of 62 from a stroke,"

Shay's family said in a statement on June 5. "Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten." People was the first to report the news.

Shay famously starred on Netflix's "Bling Empire" from 2021 to 2022. The heiress was the daughter of Ai-San and Edward Shay. Shay's father was a billionaire who made a fortune when he founded Pacific Architects and Engineers, an American defense and government services contractor worth more than $2 billion, in 1955, per Newsweek. Following her father's death, Anna and her brother Allen received his shares in the company, and in 2006, they sold it to Lockheed Martin for $1.2 billion in an all-cash deal. Shay's net worth rose to $600 million at the time.

[jimsteel]

Astrud Gilberto, “The Girl From Ipanema” Singer, Dies at 83

The Brazilian singer debuted with Getz/Gilberto’s landmark version of the bossa nova track before a troubled solo career

Astrud Gilberto, the singer of Stan Getz and João Gilberto’s classic 1963 version of “The Girl From Ipanema,” died yesterday (June 5), The Independent reports, citing her son Marcelo. No cause of death was given. Astrud Gilberto was 83 years old.

Gilberto was an untrained singer when she volunteered, on a whim, to step into the booth after her husband, João Gilberto, and the American saxophonist Stan Getz recorded Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes’ “Garota de Ipanema.” The English translation was a sensation, a bossa nova landmark turned pop standard that captured the international imagination.

Astrud and João Gilberto divorced in 1964 after he had an affair on tour, for which the Brazilian press blamed Astrud. In 1965, she earned three Grammy nods (and another the following year for her solo debut, The Astrud Gilberto Album), including a win for Record of the Year, but industry maneuvers and alleged intervention by Getz ensured she received scant remuneration. Gilberto went on to record more than a dozen solo albums for Verve and other labels, switching between pop and jazz standards, Brazilian classics, original co-writes, and, as a studious polyglot, singing her music in Japanese for her sizeable East Asian fanbase. She also collaborated with artists including Chet Baker, Quincy Jones, and, in an unlikely 1996 duet, George Michael. As her global legend grew, however, the Brazilian press continued to demonize Gilberto, and she never performed in the country after 1965.

In 2002, Gilberto was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame, where she announced an indefinite break from her music career.

[TTX]

Always did enjoy that song. RIP.

[jimsteel]

Andrew Bellucci, Pizza Visionary With a Troubled Past, Dies at 59

His obsession with recreating the original New York pizza helped revive a classic and inspire a generation of chefs. But his ambitions led to conflicts and, once, prison.

[jimsteel]

George Winston, the celebrated solo pianist who sold over 15 million records during his career, has died at the age of 73

[jimsteel]

Pat Cooper, comedian and Sinatra opener, dead at 93

Comedian Pat Cooper hosted roasts at the Friars Club and was a regular on 'The Howard Stern Show

[jimsteel]

Commander Tom Jolls passed away at 85

[TDalton]

Tom Jolls (weather), Irv Weinstein (anchor) and Rick Azar (sports) were the top Buffalo TV news team forever, long before I moved to the area. Tom is the last of the three to pass away.

[jimsteel]

Pat Robertson, the evangelical broadcaster known for the "700 Club" and the founder of the Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93 years old.