Major Causes of Death: Accidental | Cancer | Drug | Heart Attack | Heart Failure | Lung | Natural Cause | Suicide

2010

Merlin Olsen, NFL Hall of Famer, Actor on "The Little House" dies 69

Merlin Jay Olsen
Born     September 15, 1940 Logan, Utah
Died     March 10, 2010 (aged 69) Duarte, California

Merlin Olsen was a former American football player in the National Football League and an actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl  in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. As an actor he portrayed Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie. After leaving that series, he starred in his own NBC drama, Father Murphy, playing the title role of a traveling priest.

NFL Career
Olsen played professionally (from 1962 to 1976) for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. A leading defensive star of his era, he missed only two games in his 15-season NFL career. He was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was First-team All-Pro in 1964, and 1966 through 1970. He was voted Second-team All-Pro in 1965, 1973 and 1974.

Acting Career
He also enjoyed success as an actor. When Little House on the Prairie actor Victor French left to star in his own comedy Carter Country in 1977, Olsen was tapped to play Michael Landon's new sidekick Jonathan Garvey for several years. One memorable quote from Merlin during the series, "I don't know nothin' bout football!" was when Charles and Jonathan were to coach a boys football team. A couple of years later, Landon cast Olsen as the eponymous Father Murphy.

Illness and Death of Merlin Olsen
Merlin Olsen was diagnosed with mesothelioma  in 2009  and underwent three courses of chemotherapy. In January 2010 he filed a lawsuit against NBC Studios, NBC Universal, and 20th Century Fox for exposing him to asbestos.  Merlin's brother Orrin Olsen announced that he died on March 11, 2010, aged 69, following Merlin's brief battle with cancer.

Merlin Olsen on LIttle House on the Prairie

80's Teen Actor Corey Haim Dies of Overdose at 38

Corey Ian Haim (December 23, 1971 - March 10, 2010)
Born: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died: North Hollywood, California (38)

Corey Haim was a Canadian  actor, known for a 1980s Hollywood career as a teen idol. He starred or co-starred in a number of films such as Lucas, Murphy's Romance, The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream. Most notably, he collaborated numerous times with Corey Feldman, the pair being dubbed "The Two Coreys". Haim and Feldman starred in a TV 'reality' show titled The Two Coreys, which aired on the A&E Network from 2007 to 2008.

  • Corey Haim filed for bankruptcy in 1997.
  • In the 2000s, Corey Haims spent time in rehab for addiction (Valium & etc.)
  • Corey Haim was living with his mother in the apartment.
  • His partner & friend Corey Feldman once refused to have contacts with Haim until he recovered from his addiction.

Death of Corey Haim
Corey Haim was taken to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California and pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m.
Cory Haim was 38 years old at the time of his death.
Preliminary cause of death is accidental drug overdose.

Corey Haim in Lost Boys

 

Corey Haim's Filmography continues next page

Nan Martin, 'Drew Carey' Actress Nan Martin Dies at 82 - Drew Carey Gossip

Nan Martin
Born: Decatur, Illinois, U.S.
Died: Malibu, California, U.S. (82 years old)

Nan Martin (July 15, 1927 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress who starred in movies and on television.

Born in Decatur, Illinois and raised in Santa Monica, California, her first film role was The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956). Her other film roles included The Mugger (1958), Doctor Detroit (1983), All of Me (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) where she played the role of Amanda Krueger, the mother of killer Freddy Krueger. Her last film role is in 2005's Thicker than Water.

Martin starred on Mr. Sunshine. Her other well known roles were in the 1983 miniseries The Thorn Birds and on the soap opera Santa Barbara. She had a recurring role on the ABC hit TV series The Drew Carey Show as Mrs. Lauder. She made many guest appearances on various television series, some of those appearances range from Ben Casey, The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, and Star Trek: The Next Generation  as Victoria Miller in the season 1 episode "Haven", and she played Rose, the secretary of murderer Alex Brady in the Columbo television movie, Murder, Smoke and Shadows.

She appeared on two episodes of The Golden Girls: first as the mean-spirited and nasty Frieda Claxton, who was told to drop dead by Rose Nylund, which she did. She also portrayed Philomena, a friend of Sophia Petrillo's from Sicily, who claimed that Dorothy was really her daughter and not Sophia's.

Death of Nan Martin
Nan Martin died of complications of emphysema.
Nan Martin was 82 years old at the time of her death.

Nan Martin on Drew Carey Show as Mrs. Lauder (Boss)
(first 1 minute)

Andrew Koenig, 'Growing Pain' and 'Star Trek', found dead 41

Joshua Andrew Koenig (August 17, 1968 – February 25, 2010), also known as Josh Andrew Koenig or Andrew Koenig, was an American character actor, film director, editor and writer. His father is actor Walter Koenig known for his role Pavel Chekov in Star Trek.

Koenig played Richard "Boner" Stabone on ABC sitcom Growing Pains. He also had a minor role in "Sanctuary," an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Andrew Koenig is the son of actor Walter Koenig (who played "Chekov" in the original television version of Star Trek) and his wife, Judy Levitt.

His brother-in-law is stand-up comedian Jimmy Pardo, who is married to Koenig's sister Danielle Koenig.

Disappearance & Discovery of Body
In February 2010, Koenig was reported missing by friends and family. He was last seen near a bakery in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on February 14, and missed a scheduled flight back to the U.S. on February 16. According to his parents, Koenig left evidence that he was depressed prior to his disappearance.  On February 25, 2010, it was reported by CNN that his body was found by friends searching for him in Stanley Park in Vancouver.  Police later confirmed Koenig's body was found earlier in the day, and Koenig's father told reporters at an evening press conference that his son took his own life


Lionel Jeffries, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star, dies 83

Lionel Charles Jeffries (June 10, 1926 – February 19, 2010) was a British actor, screenwriter and film director.

He built a successful career in British films mainly in comic character roles and as he was prematurely bald he often played characters older than himself, such as the role of father to Caractacus Potts (played by Dick Van Dyke) in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), although Jeffries was actually six months younger than Van Dyke, who was born on December 13, 1925. His acting career reached a peak in the 1960s with leading roles in other films like Two-Way Stretch (1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), First Men in the Moon (1964) and Camelot (1967).

Death of Lionel Jeffries
Following a long illness, Jeffries died in a nursing home in Poole, Dorset, on 19 February 2010 at the age of 83. He was married to Eileen Mary Walsh from 1951 until his death. Their son and two daughters survive him.

Lionel Jeffries sings Posh! - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
 
Lionel Jeffries' filmography continues next page

Knack (My Sharona) lead singer Doug Fieger dies of cancer 57

Doug Fieger (August 20, 1952 - February 14, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter. He is the lead singer for The Knack, and co-wrote the 1979 hit "My Sharona", with lead guitarist, Berton Averre.

Before forming The Knack, Doug Fieger played bass and sang lead in the group Sky, which was founded by producer Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones, Traffic, Blind Faith) when Fieger was still in high school. Sky recorded two albums for RCA Records, produced by Miller with Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin).

Fieger played bass guitar in the German progressive rock band Triumvirat for a short period in 1974.

In addition to performing, Fieger also produced the Rubber City Rebels debut album for Capitol Records and another album for LA-based club staples Mystery Pop. He and Rebels drummer Brandon Matheson had been bandmates in The Sunset Bombers and had one album released on Ariola Records, before Fieger formed The Knack.

Fieger underwent brain surgery in August 2006 to have two tumors removed, and has since had chemotherapy to treat lung cancer. He is the younger brother of attorney Geoffrey Fieger.

Death of Doug Fieger
Doug Fieger died of cancer.  He was 57 years old at the time of his death

The Knack (lead singer Doug Fieger) - My Sharona

Alexander McQueen, fashion designer, dies at 40

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (March 16, 1969 – February 11, 2010) was an English fashion designer known for his unconventional designs and shock tactics. McQueen worked as the head designer at Givenchy for five years before founding the Alexander McQueen and McQ labels. McQueen's dramatic designs, worn by celebrities including Rihanna, Björk and Lady Gaga, met with critical acclaim and earned him the British Fashion Designer of the Year award on four separate occasions.

Death of Alexander McQueen
McQueen's death was announced on 11 February 2010, shortly after he was found dead at his home on Green Street, London W1, where paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. McQueen's death came days before London Fashion Week, although McQueen was not scheduled to show. The Associated Press reported that the circumstances of the death indicated a possible suicide; Police have stated that the death was not suspicious, but have not confirmed that the death was a suicide.

On 3 February 2010, he wrote on his Twitter page that his mother had died the day before, adding: "RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." Four days later he wrote that he had had an "awful week" but said "friends have been great", adding: "now i have to some how pull myself together". Her funeral is due to take place on 12 February 2010.

Former 'Boston Legal' Star Justin Mentell Dies in a Car Crash 27

Justin Michael Mentell (December 16, 1982 – February 1, 2010) was an American artist and actor.

Mentell was a member of the cast of television dramedy Boston Legal as Garrett Wells. He played the role from the end of the first season through February 2006. His 2009 projects included Death Walks the Streets and the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced live-action/CGI family feature G-Force for Walt Disney Pictures, which was released in theaters July 24, 2009.

Death of Justin Mentell
On February 1, 2010, Mentell died in a car crash near Mineral Point, Wisconsin. According to the Iowa County Sheriff's Department, Mentell, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene around 9 a.m. The accident was said to have taken place around 3:30 a.m. after his 2005 Jeep left the roadway on Highway 39, went down an embankment and struck two trees. It is believed that he had fallen asleep at the wheel, though his Jeep was not discovered until later in the day by a passing farmer who alerted authorities. He was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle

J.D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye, dies 91

Jerome David "J. D." Salinger (January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980.

Death of J.D. Salinger
Salinger died of natural causes on January 27, 2010, at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire.

Poltergeist Psychic Zelda Rubinstein Dies 76

Zelda Rubinstein (May 28, 1933 – January 27, 2010) was an American actress and human rights activist, best known as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the movies Poltergeist (1982) and its sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), and Poltergeist III (1988). She also made guest appearances in the TV spin-off Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996), as a seer, Christina. Rubinstein was also known for her outspoken activism for little people and her early participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Illness and death of Zelda Rubinstein
On December 29, 2009, it was reported that, after a month-long stay at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, her close companion and her family made the decision to take Rubinstein off life support due to both kidney and lung failure. On January 2, 2010, friends reported she was not near death, and was well on her way to recovery. On January 27, 2010, Rubinstein died at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles, aged 76.

Zelda Rubinstein - (perhaps) The best scene from Poltergeist

Pernell Roberts of 'Bonanza' and 'Trapper John, MD' dies 81

Pernell Elvin Roberts (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American television actor and singer. He was best known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western series Bonanza (a role he played from 1959 to 1965), and as chief surgeon, Dr. John MacIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D. (1979-1986).

Born: Pernell Elvin Roberts Waycross, Georgia, U.S.
Died: Malibu, California, U.S.

He came to prominence playing Ben Cartwright's urbane eldest son, Adam, in the Western television series Bonanza. Despite the show’s success, he left after the sixth season in 1965 due to disagreements with the writers and a desire to return to legitimate theatre.

He was known for his activism, which included participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965, and pressuring NBC to refrain from hiring whites to portray minority characters.

Death of Pernel Roberts
Roberts died of cancer at his home in Malibu, California on January 24, 2010, aged 81

Pernell Roberts

James Mitchell from 'All My Children' dies 89

James Mitchell (February 29, 1920 – January 22, 2010) was an American actor and dancer. Although he is best-known to television audiences as Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera All My Children (1979 – 2009), theatre and dance historians remember him as one of Agnes de Mille's leading dancers. Mitchell's skill at combining dance and acting was considered something of a novelty; in 1959, the critic Olga Maynard singled him out as "an important example of the new dancer-actor-singer in American ballet", pointing to his interpretive abilities and "masculine" technique

Personal life
Mitchell's longtime partner was the Oscar award-winning costume designer Albert Wolsky

Death of James Mitchell
James Mitchell died on January 22, 2010, in Los Angeles, a matter of weeks before what would have been his 90th birthday. His death came after suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated by pneumonia.

Jean Simmons, Actress, Hollywood Legend, dies 80

Best Musical/Comedy Actress, Guys and Dolls (1956)Outstanding Supporting Actress - Series/Special, The Thorn Birds (1983)

Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE (January 31, 1929 – January 22, 2010) was an English actress who appeared predominantly in motion pictures, beginning with British-made films during and after World War II, followed mainly by Hollywood films from 1950.

In 1953, she starred alongside Spencer Tracy in The Actress, a film that was one of her personal favourites. Among the many films she appeared in during this period were The Robe (1953), The Egyptian (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), The Big Country (1958), Elmer Gantry (1960), (directed by her second husband, Richard Brooks), Spartacus (1960), and The Happy Ending (1969), again directed by Brooks and for which she received her second Oscar nomination.

She had two daughters, Tracy Granger (born 1956) and Kate Brooks, one by each marriage – their names bear witness to Simmons' friendship with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

Breast Cancer
Jean Simmons was a breast cancer survivor (treated some years ago)

Death of Jean Simmons
Jean Simmons died of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California.
Jean Simmons was 80 years old at the time of her death

Marlon Brando & Jean Simmons - Guys and Dolls - I'll Know

Jean Simmons' filmography continues on next page

Carl Smith, Country Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry, dies 82

Carl Smith (March 15, 1927 – January 16, 2010) was an American country music singer. Known as "Mister Country," Smith was the husband of June Carter (later June Carter Cash) and Goldie Hill, the drinking companion of Johnny Cash, and the father of Carlene Carter. He was one of country's most successful male artists during the 1950s, with 30 Top 10 hits. His success continued well into the 1970s, when he had a charting single every year except one. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In 1952, Smith married June Carter (who later became the wife of Johnny Cash), the daughter of Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family. In 1955 the couple had a daughter, Rebecca Smith, who later became known as Carlene Carter, a country singer in her own right.

During the rest of the 1950s, Smith made regular appearances on Billboard's country charts, racking up many hits, including 30 in the Top 10. His biggest hits include "Loose Talk", "Wicked Lies", "Hey Joe!" and "You Are the One". He only had five number one hits in his career; "Loose Talk" was his last, in 1955.

In 1957, Smith and June Carter divorced. That same year, he married country music singer Goldie Hill, best known for the number one hit "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes".

Death of Carl Smith
Carl smith died of natural causes
Carl smith was 82 years old at the time of his death

 Carl Smith - Loose Talk

Teddy Pendergrass, Soul Singer, dies 59

Teddy Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 — January 13, 2010) was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Also known by the nicknames Teddy P, TP, or Teddy Bear, Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before embarking on a successful solo career at the end of the decade.

Death of Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass died at Bryn Mawr Hospital at age 59, from complications following surgery for colon cancer.

Pendergrass was Paralyzed from the waist down since 1982
On March 18, 1982, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident. The brakes failed on his 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, causing the car to hit a guard rail, cross into the opposite traffic lane, and hit two trees. Pendergrass and his passenger, Tenika Watson, a transsexual nightclub performer with whom Pendergrass was casually acquainted, were trapped in the wreckage for 45 minutes. While Watson walked away from the accident with minor injuries, Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the waist down

Teddy Pandergrass - close the door (live)

Teddy Pandergrass discography continues next page

Syndicate content