September 27th, 2008 by Bob Schwartz
Another of America’s great actors has passed away. News reports are coming out that Paul Newman has died at 83.
Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Color of Money”—and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario—has died. He was 83.
Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.
You will be missed.
“What we have here, is a failure to communicate” - Cool Hand Luke
August 10th, 2008 by Bob Schwartz
The man that many of today’s generation will recognize as “Chef” from South Park and whom I associate mainly as the “Duke of New York” from the classic 1981 movie “Escape from New York” and as the writer and performer of the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film “Shaft” has died at age 65.
Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless “Theme From Shaft” won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said. He was 65.
A family member found him unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff’s office. The cause of death was not immediately known.
Hayes’ death comes right on the heels of the death yesterday of entertainer Bernie Mac making up 2/3rd’s of the death comes in three’s prophecy so if you don’t hear from me….Just kidding. Isaac, you will be missed.
August 9th, 2008 by Bob Schwartz
Popular actor and comedian Bernie Mac died this morning at age 50 of complications from pneumonia.
“Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
She said no other details were available and asked that his family’s privacy be respected.
The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body’s organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.
As I approach my 44th birthday in just under 2 months, I am again reminded of how fragile life is no matter how old or young your are.
July 4th, 2008 by Bob Schwartz
While you may or may not be seeing numerous tributes to the 5 term Senator from North Carolina who died early this morning, Americablog reminds us about some of the lowlights from the man that President Bush once called an “institution”. Suffice it to say tolerance wasn’t one of his stronger attributes as evident by this somewhat candy coated quote from CNN.
Helms was known as “Senator No” for his staunch opposition to an array of liberal causes, including affirmative action, funding for the arts, gay rights, and a holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
While today is a day to remember a man who gave 30 years of service to his state and the nation, it should also be tempered by the faults that made him who he was.