Rueben's Ramblings

The following industry personalities passed away in 2020 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

But first let’s take a moment of silence for the over 280,000 Americans who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus as well as the more than 7,000 essential workers across the world who have lost their lives to the pandemic.

We also need to pay due respects to those who were lost in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash that took the 42-year-old basketball legend’s life in addition to his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and the following other victims:

Payton Chester, 13, and Sarah Chester, 45
Alyssa Altobelli, 14, Keri Altobelli, 46 and John Altobelli, 56
Christina Mauser, 38
Ara Zobayan (the pilot), 50

The celebrities we have lost this year (in alphabetical order):

Raymond Allen (Actor, “Sanford and Son”)

Orson Bean (Veteran Actor, “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman)
David Bellisario (Producer, NCIS)
Royana Black (Actress, “Raising Miranda”)
Honor Blackman (Actress, Bond Girl Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger”)
Steve Bing (American Businessman, Philanthropist, Film Producer and Elizabeth Hurley’s Ex-Husband)
William Blinn (Screenwriter, “Brian’s Song” and “Roots”)
Mark Blum (Actor, “Desperately Seeking Susan”)
Chadwick Boseman (Actor, “Black Panther”)
Gregory Tyree Boyce (Actor, “Twilight” movie)
Wilford Brimley (Veteran Actor, “Our House” and “Cocoon”)
Lou Brock (Baseball Hall of Famer)
Timothy Brown (MASH Star and Former NFL Star)
Jeremy Bulloch (Original Boba Fett “Star Wars” Films)
Edd Byrnes (Actor, “77 Sunsent Strip”)

Herman Cain (Business Executive and Former Presidential Candidate)
John Callahan (Actor, “All My Children”)
Earl Cameron (One of the first major Black Actors in British Cinema)
Brent Carver (Broadway Star, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”)
Marge Champion (Golden Age TV Dancer, Model for Disney’s Snow White) [She was 101]
Lynn Cohen (Actress, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire”)
Daisy Coleman (Star, Netflix Documentary “Audrie & Daisy”)
Sean Connery (Veteran Actor, James Bond films, starting with “Dr. No” in 1962 through “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971)
Robert Conrad (Actor, “The Wild Wild West” and “Black Sheep Squadron”)
Nick Cordero (Broadway Star)
Leanza Cornett (Miss America 1993)
Norm Crosby (Comedian known for his frequent malapropism)
Ben Cross (Actor, “Chariots of Fire”)

Abby Dalton (Actress, “Falcon Crest”)
Charlie Daniels (Violinist and Man Behind the Hit Song ‘Devil Went Down to Georgia’)
Mac Davis (Singer, Actor and TV Variety Show Host)
Spencer Davis (1960’s singer, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’)
Olivia de Havilland (Veteran Actress, “Gone With the Wind”)
Brian Dennehy (Veteran Actor, “First Blood” and “Cocoon”)
Chi Chi DeVayne (RuPaul’s Drag Race Alum)
Tommy DeVito (A Founding Member of The Four Seasons)
Dena Dietrich (Character Actress, Face of Mother Nature in Chiffon Margarine TV Commercial campaign)
Joe Diffie (Singer and Guitarist)
David Dinkins (Former Mayor of New York City)
Kevin Dobson (Actor, “Knots Landing”)
Kirk Douglas (Veteran Actor and Screen Legend)
Shirley Douglas (Mother of Actor Keifer Sutherland)
Hugh Downs (Legendary Broadcaster)
Ja’Net DuBois (Actress, “Good Times” and Singer/Co-Writer of The Jeffersons theme song)

Edward S. Feldman (Oscar-Nominated Producer, “Witness”)
Conchata Ferrell (Actress, “Two and a Half Men” and “Mystic Pizza”)
Caroline Flack (Former Love Island host)
Rhonda Fleming (Queen of Technicolor, “Spellbound” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court)
D.C. Fontana (Writer, “Star Trek”)
Wayne Fontana (Pop Singer from the band The Mindbenders)
Robert Forster (Actor, “Jackie Brown” and “Mulholland Drive”)

Phyllis George (American Businesswoman, Actress and Sportscaster)
Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Supreme Court Justice and Gender Equality Advocate)
Mary Pat Gleason (Character Actress and Writer, “Guiding Light”)
Leonard Goldberg (Producer, “Charlie’s Angels,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Fantasy Island “and “Blue Bloods”)
Terry Goodkind (Author, ‘The Sword of Truth’ – the book on which the series “Legend of the Seeker” was based)
Charles Gordon (Oscar-Nominated Producer, “Field of Dreams” and “Die Hard”)
Galyn Gorg (Actress, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”)
Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac founder and guitarist)
Winston Groom (Author, ‘Forrest Gump’)
Cady Groves (Country Singer) [She was only 30]

Andre Harrell (Uptown Records Founder)
Charlie Hauck (Writer and Producer, “Maude” and “Frasier”)
Richard Herd (Veteran Actor, “The China Syndrome”)
Frederick “Toots” Hibbert (Jamaican Singer and Songwriter)
Ian Holm (Veteran Actor, “The Lord of the Rings” franchise)
Roy Horn (Legendary Illusionist)
Silvio Horta (Creator of Ugly Betty)
Jan Howard (Country Icon)
Brian Howe (Lead Singer of Bad Company)

Grant Imahara (American Electrical Engineer, Roboticist, TV Host and Actor)

Katherine Johnson (Legendary Mathematician “Hidden Figures”) [She was 101]
Rafer Johnson (Olympian, American Decathlete and Film Actor)
Jay Johnstone (Baseball Player on the Los Angeles Dodgers and TV Sports Announcer)
Terry Jones (Creator and Actor, “Monty Python”)

Hugh Keays-Byrne (Actor, Villain Toecutter in Mad Max and Villain Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road)
Lynn Kellogg-Simpers (Original Sheila in the 1968 Broadway production of “Hair”)
Tom Kennedy (Game Show Host, “Name That Tune”)
Benjamin Keough (Grandson of Elvis Presley, Son of Lisa Marie Presley)
Hal Ketchum (Country Music Artist)
Irrfan Khan (Actor, “Jurassic World”)
Stan Kirsch (Actor, “Highlander”)
Shirley Knight (Actress, “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” and “Sweet Bird of Youth”)
Larry Kramer (Playwright and Activist)

David Lander (Actor, Squiggy from “Laverne & Shirley”)
Don Larsen (Former New York Yankees Baseball Player)
John le Carre (Renowned Spy Novelist)
James Charles Lehrer (Journalist, Novelist, Screenwriter and Playwright)
John Lewis (Congressman)
Lil Mario (Rapper)
James Lipton (TV Host, “Inside the Actors Studio”)
Tommy “Tiny” Lister (Former Professional Wrestler and actor, “Friday” and “The Fifth Element”)
Little Richard (Legendary Musician and Singer)
Sam Lloyd (Character Actor, “Scrubs”)
Michael Londsdale (French Actor, “Moonraker” and “The Day of the Jackal”)
Trini Lopez (Singer, Guitarist and Actor, “The Dirty Dozen”)
Rebecca Luker (Tony-nominated actress, “Mary Poppins,” “Show Boat” and “Music Man”)
Vera Lynn (British Singer, ‘We’ll Meet Again’)

Diego Maradona (Argentine Soccer Great-Manager and World Cup Winner)
Nikki McKibbin (Third Place, American Idol Season 1)
Terrence McNally (Theater Playwright)
Alan Merrill (Legendary Songwriter)
Clark Middleton (Actor, “The Blacklist” and “Twin Peaks”)
Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers, Bassist)
Ennio Morricone (Award-Winning Italian Composer)

Kellye Nakahara (Actress, “MASH)”
Johnny Nash (Singer, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’)
Fred “Curly” Neal (Former Harlem Globetrotter Member)
Claudette Nevins (Actress, “Sleeping With the Enemy” and “Melrose Place”)
Margaret Nolan (“Goldfinger” Model and Actress, “A Hard Day’s Night”)

David Olney (Folk singer)
K.T. Oslin (Grammy Award Winning Country Singer and Songwriter)
Ken Osmond (Actor, “Leave It to Beaver”)

Alan Parker (Director, “Fame” and “Midnight Express”)
Neil Peart (Rush, Drummer)
Regis Philbin (Legendary TV Talk Show Host)
Bonnie Pointer (From The Pointer Sisters)
Peggy Pope (Character Actress, “Bewitched” and “The Last Starfighter”)
John Prine (Folk Singer and Songwriter)
Mary Pratt (Trailblazing Baseball Player, Last Living Player on the First Roster for the Rockford Peaches)
Kelly Preston (Actress, “What A Girl Wants” and Wife of John Travolta)
Charley Pride (Country Music Superstar and First Black Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame)
David Prowse (Actor who played Darth Vader, “Star Wars”)

Sushant Singh Rajput (Bollywood star)
Elsa Raven (Veteran Character Actress, “Back to the Future” and “Titanic”)
Helen Reddy (Legendary Singer, Grammy Winner, Variety Show Lead and Emblem of Feminism)
Sumner Redstone (American Businessman)
Harold Reid (Bass Singer, Statler Brothers)
Carl Reiner (Legendary Comedian, Actor and Director)
Ann Reinking (Ton Winner and Star of Broadway’s “Chicago”)
Diana Rigg (Legendary Actress, “Avengers” and “Game of Thrones”)
Naya Rivera (Actress-Singer, “Glee”)
David Roback (Legendary Guitarist and Co-Founder of Band Mazzy Star)
Cliff Robinson (Former NBA Player)
Kenny Rogers (Famed Country Singer and Actor)
Larry Rosen (Producer, “The Partridge Family”)
Joe Ruby (Co-Creator, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You”)

Reni Santoni (Actor, “Dirty Harry” and “Seinfeld”)
John Saxon (Veteran Actor, “Enter the Dragon” and “The Appaloosa”)
Gale Sayers (Former Football Player, Chicago Bears)
Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne Member and Songwriter)
David Schramm (Actor, “Wings”)
Esther Scott (Veteran Actress, “Boyz in the Hood” and Voice Actor)
Joel Schumacher (Director, “Batman Forever”)
Ashina Sei (Asian Actress, “Silk”) [She was only 36]
John Sessions (Comedian and Actor, “Outlander”)
Lynn Shelton (Director, “Humpday” and “Your Sister’s Sister”)
Fred Silverman (Executive NBC and CBS)
Jean Kennedy Smith (Former U.S. Ambassador)
Herb Solow (Producer who sold “Star Trek” to NBC)
Phyllis Somerville (Veteran Actress, “Little Children” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Ken Spears (Co-Creator, “Scooby-Doo”)
Caroll Edwin Spinney (Cartoonist, Author, Speaker and Puppeteer, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street”)
Jerry Stiller (Legendary Comedian and Actor)

Yuko Takeuchi (Japanese Actress, “The Ring”) [She was 40]
Kurt Thomas (Olympic Gymnast)
Danny Tidwell (Dancer, “So You Think You Can Dance”)
Alex Trebek (Jeopardy Game Show Host)

Eddie Van Halen (Legendary Guitarist, Rock Group Van Halen)
Max von Sydow (Veteran Actor, “The Seventh Seal,” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)

Lyle Waggoner (Actor, “Wonder Woman”)
Jerry Jeff Walker (Singer and Songwriter, ‘Mr. Bojangels’)
Nikita Pearl Waligwa (star of Disney’s “Queen of Katwe”) [She was only 15]
Dawn Wells (Actress, “Gilligan’s Island”)
Leslie West (Singer and Guitarist from rock group Mountain known for ‘Mississippi Queen’)
Stuart Whitman (Veteran Actor, “The Longest Day” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still”)
Fred Willard (Legendary Comedian and Actor)
Logan Williams (Canadian Actor) [He was only 16]
Bruce Williamson (Singer, The Temptations)
Mel Winkler (Actor, Voice Actor, Stage Performer and Dancer)
Bill Withers (Singer-Songwriter and Musician, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’)
Betty Wright (Grammy-Winning Soul Singer)
Elizabeth Wurtzel (Author, ‘Prozac Nation’)

Chuck Yeager (First Pilot to Break the Sound Barrier)

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: TV Ratings

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The following industry personalities (listed in alphabetical order) passed away in 2019 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans:

Julie Adams (Actress, Creature From the Black Lagoon)
Danny Aiello (Actor, Do the Right Thing and Moonstruck)
Fatima Ali (Renowned Chef)
Jed Allan (Actor, Beverly Hills 90210)
Carmen Argenziano (Actor, Stargate franchise)
Rene Auberjonois (Actor, Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Claudine Auger (Actress, Domino in James Bond movie Thunderball)

Ginger Baker (Drummer for Rock Trio Cream)
Kaye Ballard (Legendary Actress, Singer and Comedian)
Kevin Barnett (Comedian)
Frank Biondi, Jr. (Former Viacom and Universal Studios Head)
Cameron Boyce (Actor, Descendants franchise) [He was only 20]
Chuy Bravo (Talk Show Sidekick, Chelsea Lately)

Carmine Caridi (Actor, Murder She Wrote and Starsky and Hutch)
Diahann Carroll (Actress, Singer and Tony Award winner)
Seymour Cassel (Veteran Character Actor)
Carol Channing (Tony-winning Broadway Star)
Beth Chapman (Bounty Hunter)
Martin Charnin (Creator and Director, Annie the Broadway Musical)
John Clarke (Actor, Days of Our Lives)
Larry Cohen (Director and Screenwriter)
Jessi Combs (Experimental Car Driver and TV Host)
Earl Thomas Conley (Country Singer)
Tim Conway (Legendary Comedian and Actor)
Chris Cotton (Comedian)
Elijah Cummings (U.S. Representative)

Dick Dale (King of the Surf Guitar)
Paul Darrow (Actor, Blake’s 7)
Doris Day (Lengedary Actress and Singer)
Gabriel Diniz (Latin Pop Star)
Stanley Donen (Legendary Hollywood Director)
Dr. John (New Orleans Music Legend)
Daryl Dragon (of Captain and Tennille, Former Husband of Toni Tennille)

Aron Eisenberg (Actor, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Georgia Engel (Comedianne and Actress, The Mary Tyler Moore Show)
Robert Evans (Legendary Movie Producer)

Albert Finney (British Actor)
Peter Fonda (Actor, Easy Rider)
David Foster (Producer, The Getaway and The Thing)
Robert Forster (Actor)
Marie Fredriksson (Singer, Pop Duo Roxette)

Godfrey Gao (Taiwanese-Canadian Model and Actor, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) [He was only 35]
Rob Garrison (Actor, Tommy in The Karate Kid)
Leonard Goldberg (Veteran Film and TV Executive, Blue Bloods and Charlie’s Angels Creator)
Edith Gonzalez (Telenovela Star)
Laurel Griggs (Broadway Actress, ONCE, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) [She was only 13]
Grumpy Cat (Internet Sensation)

Sid Haig (Horror Genre Actor)
Goo Hara (K-Pop Star) [She was only 28]
Valerie Harper (Actress, Rhoda)
Kylie Rae Harris (Country Singer)
Rutger Hauer (Actor, Blade Runner)
David Hedison (Actor, Another World)
Rachel Held Evans (Popular Christian Author)
Katherine Helmond (Actress, Who’s the Boss)
Nipsey Hussle (Rapper)

James Ingram (Grammy-winning R&B Singer)

Larry “Flash” Jenkins (Actor, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)
Arte Johnson (Actor-Comedian, Laugh-In)
Eddie Jones (Actor, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman)
Freddie Jones (British Actor)
Juice Wrld (Rapper) [He was only 21]

Ken Kercheval (Actor, Dallas)
Gabe Khouth (Actor, Sneezy on Once Upon a Time)
Bob Kingsley (National Radio Hall of Fame Broadcaster)
Judith Krantz (International Best-Selling Author)

Karl Lagerfeld (Legendary Fashion Designer)
Michel Legrand (Oscar-Winning Composer)
Ron Leibman (Actor, Norma Rae and Angels in America)
Peter Lindberg (Famed Fashion Photographer)
Peggy Lipton (Former Model and Actress, Mod Squad)
Carol Lynley (Actress, The Poseidon Adventure)

Bill Macy (Actor, Maude)
Peter Mayhew (Actor, Chewbacca in Star Wars franchise)
Philip McKeon (Actor, Alice and real-life brother of Nancy McKeon)
Dick Miller (Actor, Terminator and Gremlins)
Eddie Money (Singer)
Shelley Morrison (Actress, Will and Grace)
Toni Morrision (Nobel Prize winning Author)
Harry Morton (Founder of L.A.’s Pink Taco) [He was only 38 years old]

Art Neville (Singer-Songwriter, The Neville Brothers)
Denise Nickerson (Actress, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory)
Stephanie Niznik (Actress, Everwood)

Beverley Owen (Actress, The Munsters)

Karen Pendleton (Original Mouseketeer)
Ross Perot (Businessman and Former Politician)
Luke Perry (Actor, Beverly Hills 90210 and Riverdale)
Joe Pilato (Actor, The Day of the Dead)
Michael J. Pollard (Actor, Oscar-Nominated Bonnie and Clyde)
Linda Porter (Actress-Scene Stealer, Superstore)
Andre Previn (Oscar-winning Composer and Conductor)
Harold Prince (Broadway Producer and Director)

Leon Redbone (Singer-Songwriter and Actor)
Cokie Roberts (Pioneer Journalist and Political Commentator)
Carl Ruiz (Food Network Star and Chef)

Alvin Sargent (Oscar-winning Screenwriter)
Lisa Sheridan (Actress, Invasion and The 4400)
Stefanie Sherk (Canadian Model, Actress and wife of actor Demian Bichir)
Tyler Skaggs (Los Angeles Angels Pitcher)
Kim Shattuck (Lead Singer and Bassist for The Muffs)
John Singleton (Oscar-nominated Director)
Caroll Spinney (Puppeteer, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, Sesame Street)
Kristoff St. John (Actor, The Young and the Restless)
Joan Stanley (Actress, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken)
Sulli (Korean Pop Star) [She was only 25]

Brian Tarantina (Actor, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Rip Taylor (“Zany” Comedian)
Russi Taylor (Voice of Minnie Mouse)
Peter Tork (Singer-Songwriter, Member of The Monkees)
Rip Torn (Actor, The Larry Sanders Show and Men in Black)

Gloria Vanderbilt (Heiress, Socialite, Fashion Icon and Mother of Anderson Cooper)
Jan-Michael Vincent (Actor, Airwolf)

John Wesley (Actor, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
Suzanne Whang (House Hunters Host)
Richard Williams (Animator, Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Allee Willis (Songwriter, “September” and “I’ll Be There for You”)
William Wintersole (Actor, The Young and the Restless)
John Witherspoon (Actor, Friday franchise)
Gene Wolfe (Sci-Fi Author)
Max Wright (Actor, ALF)

Franco Zeffirelli (Italian Film Director)

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

Read Full Post »