Rueben's Ramblings

The following industry personalities (listed in alphabetical order) passed away in 2018 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans:

Marty Allen (Legendary Comedian)
Harry Anderson (Actor, “Night Court”)
Michael Anderson (Director, “Logan’s Run”)
Susan Anspach (Actress, “Five Easy Pieces” and “Play It Again”)
Avicii [aka Tim Bergling] (Artist, DJ and Producer) [He was only 28]

Marty Balin (Co-Founder, Jefferson Airplane)
Ken Berry (Actor, “F-Troop” and “Mayberry R.F.D.”)
Arthur Black (Canadian Humorist, Author and CBC Radio Personality)
Steven Bochco (Co-Creator, “NYPD Blue” and “Hill Street Blues”)
Anthony Bourdain (TV Personality, Celebrity Chef and Writer)
DuShon Monique Brown (Actress, “Chicago Fire) [She was only 49]
Barbara Bush (Former First Lady)
George H.W. Bush (Former President)

Joseph Campanella (Actor, “Mannix” and “One Day at a Time”)
Reg E. Cathey (Actor, “House of Cards,” “The Wire” and “Oz”)
Roy Clark (Legendary Country Guitarist and “Hee Haw” Star)
“Fast” Eddie Clarke (Guitarist, Rock Band Motorhead)
Anne V. Coates (Oscar-Winning Film Editor, “Lawrence of Arabia”)
Olivia Cole (Veteran Actress, “Roots” and the Mini-Series “Backstairs at the White House”)

Bill Daly (Actor, “I Dream of Jeannie”)
Paul De Meo (Screenwriter “The Rocketeer” and Producer “The Flash” 90’s TV Series)
Steve Ditko (Co-Creator, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange)
Peter Donat (Actor, “The X-Files”)
Bob Dorough (Composer, “Schoolhouse Rock!”)

Harlan Ellison (Sci-Fi Writer, “Star Trek” and “Babylon 5”)
R. Lee Ermey (Actor, Golden Globe Nominee, “Full Metal Jacket”)

Nanette Fabray (Actress-Singer, “The Band Wagon)
Milos Forman (Oscar-Winning Director, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”)
Naomi Parker Fraley (The Real Rose the Riveter)
Aretha Franklin (the Queen of Soul)
Joel Freeman (Veteran Producer, “Shaft” and “Love at First Bite”)

John Gavin (Actor, “Psycho” and “Spartacus”)
Lewis Gilbert (Director, “Alfie,” You Only Live Twice,” “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker”)
William Goldman (Oscar-Winning Writer, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”)

Barbara Harris (Actress, the original “Freaky Friday”)
Stephen Hawking (Theoretical Physicist and Author)
Stephen Hillenburg (Creator, “SpongeBob SquarePants”)
Tab Hunter (Actor, “Damn Yankees” and “Battle Cry”)

Joe Jackson (Patriarch of Jackson Family)
Keith Jackson (Legendary College Football Sportscaster)
Johann Johannsson (Composer, “Theory of Everything”)
Georgann Johnson (Actress, “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman,” “All My Children” and “As the World Turns”)
Mickey Jones (Character Actor)
Paul Junger Witt (Producer, “The Golden Girls,” “Benson” and “Soap”)

James Karen (Veteran Actor, “Poltergeist” and “The Return of the Living Dead”)
Carl Kasell (Legendary NPR Newsman)
Margot Kidder (Actress, “Superman”)

Christopher Lawford (JFK Nephew and Actor, “General Hospital” and “All My Children”)
Ursula K. Le Guin (Renowned Author, “Earthsea”)
Robin Leach (Host, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”)
Stan Lee (Legendary Writer, Editor and Publisher, Marvel Comics Characters)
Andy Lewis (Oscar-nominated co-writer “Klute”)
Sondra Locke (Oscar nominee-Actress “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”)
Deanna Lund (Actress, “Land of the Giants”)

Katherine MacGregor (Actress, “Little House on the Prairie”)
John Mahoney (Actor, “Frasier”)
Dorothy Malone (Veteran Actress, “Basic Instinct” and “Peyton Place”)
Robert Mandan (Actor, “Soap”)
Penny Marshall (Director – Actress, “Laverne and Shirley”)
Jan Maxwell (Gifted Comic Actress and 5-Time Tony Nominee)
John McCain (Arizona Senator and One-Time Presidential Nominee)
Peggy McCay (Veteran Actress, “Days of Our Lives”)
Benjamin Melniker (MGM Executive and Producer of nearly all Batman films) [He was 104]
Donald Moffat (Actor, “The Right Stuff” and “Clear And Present Danger”)
John Morris (Veteran Composer, “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein”)
Patricia Morison (Actress, “Song of Bernadette” and “Dressed To Kill”) [She was 103 years old]

Tim O’Connor (Actor, “Peyton Place”)
Dolores O’Riordan (Singer-Songwriter, Lead Singer of “The Cranberries”)
David Ogden Stiers (Actor, “MASH”)

Charlotte Rae (veteran actress, “Facts of Life”)
Burt Reynolds (Actor, “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Deliverance”)
Donnelly Rhodes (Veteran Actor, “Soap” and “Battlestar Galactica”)

Mark Salling (Actor-Singer, “Glee”)
Mitzi Shore (Owner, “The Comedy Store”)
Neil Simon (Playwright, “The Odd Couple” and “Barefoot in the Park”)
Nancy Sinatra, Sr. (the late Frank Sinatra’s first wife and mother of his three children)
Russ Solomon (Founder of Tower Records)
Kate Spade (Fashion Designer)
Elizabeth Sung (Character Actress, “The Young and the Restless” “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Sopranos”)
D’Wayne Swear (Retired Naval Investigator who inspired NCIS: New Orleans character Dwayne Pride)

Emma Tennant (Top British TV Executive)
Verne Troyer (Actor, “Austin Powers” franchise)

Jerry Van Dyke (Veteran Actor “Coach” and Brother of Dick Van Dyke)
Will Vinton (Award-Winning Animator and Pioneer of Claymation)

Clint Walker (Actor, 1950’s western classic “Cheyenne”)
Nancy Wilson (Grammy-Winning Singer, Actress)
Scott Wilson (Veteran Actor, “The Walking Dead”)
Tom Wolfe (Journalist and Author, “The Right Stuff”)

Craig Zadan (Prolific Stage, TV and Film Producer)

NOTE: This list, in no way, covers all the industry talent who passed away this year. Again, condolences are extended to one and all.

Out of respect, please take a moment of silence.

TOMORROW: Ratings