80

Updated December 29, 2011: There is a controversy.  Many people are skeptical.  Experts say Chimpanzees live to early 70's max.  Living 80 years is unheard of.  So, the chimp cannot be authenticated.  And there are people who vouch for Cheetah's identity.

Cheeta (c1931 - December 24, 2011) (sometimes billed as Cheetah, Cheta and Chita) was a chimpanzee character appearing in numerous Hollywood Tarzan movies of the 1930s–1960s as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Tarzan. Cheeta's role in these films is to provide comic relief, convey messages between Tarzan and his allies, and occasionally lead Tarzan's other animal friends to the ape-man's rescue. Cheeta Chap has usually been characterized as male, but sometimes as female, and has been portrayed by chimpanzees of both sexes.

Cheeta Cause of Death
Cheeta died in Palm Harbor, Florida, of kidney failure.
Cheeta was 80 years old at the time of his death.

Cheetah The Chimp, Drunk

Hubert Sumlin (November 16, 1931 – December 4, 2011) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist and singer. He was best known for his celebrated work, from 1955, as guitarist in Howlin' Wolf's band. His singular playing was characterized by "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions". Sumlin was listed as number 43 in the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Hubert Sumlin cause of death
Hubert Sumlin died on December 4, 2011, in a hospital in Wayne, New Jersey, of heart failure
Hubert Sumlin was 80 years old at the time of his death.

Hubert Sumlin & David Johansen - Killing Floor (Hubert Sumlin on guitar)

Bill McKinney (September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an American character actor whose most famous role was the sadistic mountain man in the movie Deliverance. McKinney was also recognizable for his performances in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Union cavalry commander Captain "Redlegs" Terrill in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

He appeared in First Blood (1982), Against All Odds (1984), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), Back to the Future Part III (1990), and The Green Mile (1999). As well as films, McKinney has appeared in the classic TV movie The Execution of Private Slovik (1974), while guest-starring on some of the top TV shows, including The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Starsky and Hutch, The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote and Columbo.

Bill McKinney Cause of Death
Bill McKinney was died of esophagus cancer.  He smoked for 25 years when he was younger.
Bill McKinney was 80 years old at the time of his death.

Bill McKinney's Facebook Page

Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and composer of Armenian extraction.

He first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and later led several groups. Motian played an important role in freeing the drummer from strict time-keeping duties.

Biography
Motian became a professional musician in 1954, and briefly played with pianist Thelonious Monk. He became well known as the drummer in pianist Bill Evans's trio (1959–64), initially alongside bassist Scott LaFaro and later Chuck Israels.

Subsequently he played with pianists Paul Bley (1963-4) and Keith Jarrett (1967–76). Other musicians with whom Motian performed and/or recorded in the early period of his career included Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh,Lee Konitz, Joe Castro, Arlo Guthrie (Motian performed briefly with Guthrie in 1968-69, and performed with the singer at Woodstock), Carla Bley, Charlie Haden, and Don Cherry. Motian subsequently worked with musicians such as Marilyn Crispell, Bill Frisell, Leni Stern, Joe Lovano, Alan Pasqua, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Bill McHenry, Stephane Oliva, Frank Kimbrough, and many more.

Stephen Paul Motian cause of death
Paul Motian died on November 22, 2011 of myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder.  Paul Motian was 80 years old at the time of his death

Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden & Paul Motian - Germany 1972

Tom Wilson Sr. (August 1, 1931 – September 16, 2011) was an American cartoonist. Wilson was the creator of the comic strip Ziggy, and drew it from 1971 to 1987. Afterwards, the strip was continued by his son, Loveland, Ohio resident Tom Wilson, Jr.

Wilson's career began in 1950, doing advertisement layout for Uniontown Newspapers, Inc. In 1955, he joined American Greetings (AG) as a designer, becoming Creative Director in 1957 and vice-president of creative development in 1978. While at AG, he developed the Soft Touch greeting card line. He also served as president of Those Characters From Cleveland, AG's character licensing subsidiary.

Wilson was a survivor of lung cancer.

Tom Wilson cause of death
Tom Wilson died of pneumonia in his sleep at night
Tom Wilson was 80 years at the time of his death.

Gil Bernal (February 4, 1931  in Watts, Los Angeles - July 17, 2011)  was an American saxophonist (Tenor).  Gil Bernal played Jazz, Rhythm and Blues.

Gil Bernal's memorable saxophon solos:
Duane Eddy's "Rebel Rouser" and the Robins' "Smokey Joe's Cafe."

He worked with artists such as Spike Jones, Lionel Hampton and Ry Cooder.

Gil Bernal cause of death
Gil Bernal died of congestive heart failure.
Gil Bernal was 80 years old at the time of his death.

The Robins - Smokey Joes Cafe
Gil Bernal was not a member of of The Robins.  He was a guest player.

Manuel Galbán (1931 – July 7, 2011) was a Grammy winning Cuban guitarist, pianist and arranger, most notable for his work with Los Zafiros, Ry Cooder and the Buena Vista Social Club. The last surviving member of Los Zafiros,

In 2001 he recorded Mambo Sinuendo with Ry Cooder which won the 2003 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Manuel Galban Cause of Death
Manuel Galban passed away on July 7, 2011 of cardiac arrest at his home in Havana, Cuba. Manuel Galban was 80 years old at the time of his death.

Mary Murphy ( January 26, 1931 - May 4, 2011) was an American film actress of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She was born in Washington, D.C., before moving to Los Angeles. Shortly out of high school she was signed to appear in films for Paramount Pictures in the late 1940s.

Murphy first gained attention 1953, when she played a good-hearted girl who tries to reform Marlon Brando in The Wild One. The following year, she appeared opposite Tony Curtis in Beachhead, and the year after that as Fredric March's daughter in the thriller The Desperate Hours, which also starred Humphrey Bogart. She co-starred with actor-director Ray Milland in his Western A Man Alone. She appeared in dozens of television series including Perry Mason, I Spy and Ironside. She was long absent from the big screen before acting in 1972 with Steve McQueen in the Sam Peckinpah film Junior Bonner. She had retired from acting by the 1980s.

Mary Murphy Cause of Death
Mary Murphy died from heart disease complications on May 4, 2011; she was 80 years old.

 Johnny meets Kathie (Marlon Brando & Mary Murphy ) - The Wild One(1953)

The Highwaymen were a circa 1960 "collegiate folk" group, which originated at Wesleyan University and had a Billboard number-one hit in 1961 with "Michael" and another Top 20 hit in 1962 with "Cottonfields". "Michael" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record.

Gill Robbins spent three years with the group.

Gill Robbins is a father of Academy Award winning actor Tim Robbins.

Gill Robbins Cause of Death
Gill Robbins died on April 5, 2011 in of prostate cancer.
Gill Robbins was 80 years old at the time of his death.

Michael - The Highwaymen

Anne Francis (September 16, 1930 – January 2, 2011) was an American actress, best known for her role in the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet (1956), and as the female private detective in the television series Honey West (1965–66). She won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy award for her role in Honey West. Francis holds the distinction of starring in the first TV series with a female detective character's name in the title.

Her first leading role was in Blackboard Jungle (1955).

Anne Francis found success in television, with several appearances on The Twilight Zone, including the title character in "Jess-Belle" and as Marsha White in "The After Hours." She was a frequent guest star in 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s TV movies and programs. She appeared in two episodes of the popular TV western The Virginian.

Anne Francis was treated for lung cancer in 2007-2008. She kept her followers informed of her progress on her official website.

Death of Anne Francis
Anne Francis died on January 2, 2011, due to complications of pancreatic cancer at a retirement home in Santa Barbara, California, a city in which she was a longtime resident.  Anne Francis was 80 years old at the time of her death

Movie Legends - Anne Francis

George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930 - July 13, 2010) is a businessman and owner and former principal executive of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries have made him one of the sport's most controversial figures.

Steinbrenner is known as a hands-on executive, earning the nickname "The Boss." His tendency to meddle in daily on-field decisions, and to hire and fire (and sometimes re-hire) managers led then-Yankees skipper Dallas Green to give him the derisive nickname "Manager George."

During Steinbrenner's ownership since 1973, the longest in club history, the Yankees have earned 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles.

Death of George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner died of heart attack.
George Steinbrenner was 80 years old at the time of his death

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

Jean Simmon Filmography

* Sports Day (1944)
* Give us the Moon (1944)
* Mr. Emmanuel (1944)
* Kiss the Bride Goodbye (1945)
* Meet Sexton Blake (1945)
* The Way to the Stars (1945)
* Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)
* Great Expectations (1946)
* The Woman in the Hall (1947)
* Uncle Silas (1947)
* Black Narcissus (1947)
* Hungry Hill (1947)
* Hamlet (1948)
* The Blue Lagoon (1949)
* Adam and Evelyne (1949)
* So Long at the Fair (1950)
* Cage of Gold (1950)
* Trio (1950)
* The Clouded Yellow (1951)
* Angel Face (1952)
* Androcles and the Lion (1952)
* Young Bess (1953)
* Affair with a Stranger (1953)
* The Robe (1953)
* The Actress (1953)
* She Couldn't Say No (1954) (AKA Beautiful but Dangerous )
* Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
* The Egyptian (1954)
* A Bullet Is Waiting (1954)
* Désirée (1954)
* Footsteps in the Fog (1955)
* Guys and Dolls (1955)
* Hilda Crane (1956)
* This Could Be the Night (1957)
* Until They Sail (1957)
* The Big Country (1958)



* Home Before Dark (1958)
* This Earth Is Mine (1959)
* Elmer Gantry (1960)
* Spartacus (1960)
* The Grass Is Greener (1960)
* All the Way Home (1963)
* Life at the Top (1965)
* Mister Buddwing (1966)
* Divorce American Style (1967)
* Rough Night in Jericho (film) (1967)
* Heidi (1968)
* The Happy Ending (1969)
* Say Hello to Yesterday (1971)
* Mr. Sycamore (1975)
* The Dain Curse (TV) (1978)
* Dominique (1978)
* Beggarman, Thief (TV) (1979)
* A Small Killing ((TV, 1981)
* The Thorn Birds (TV, 1983)
* December Flower (TV, 1984)
* Midas Valley (TV, 1985)
* Yellow Pages (1985)
* North and South (1985)
* North and South Book II (1986)
* Perry Mason: The Case of the Long Lost Love (1987)
* The Dawning (1988)
* Great Expectations (1989)
* Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991)
* Dark Shadows (1991) Elizabeth Collins Stoddard / Naomi Collins
* They Do It with Mirrors (1991)
* How to Make an American Quilt (1995)
* Daisies in December (TV) (1995)
* Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) (voice)
* Jean Simmons: Rose of England (2004) (documentary)
* Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro) (2004) (voice)
* Through the Moebius Strip (2005)
* Shadows in the Sun (2008)

Koko Taylor born Cora Walton, September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009) was an American blues musician, popularly known as the "Queen of the Blues." She was known primarily for her rough and powerful vocals and traditional blues stylings.

Death of Koko Taylor
Taylor died on June 3, 2009, after complications from a surgery on May 19, 2009. Her final performance was at the Blues Music Awards, on May 7, 2009.

I'm a Woman - KoKo Taylor

Breaking News

Ernie Ashworth (December 15, 1928 - March 2, 2009) was an American country music singer and longtime star of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ernie Ashworth recently undergone heart bypass surgery. But we don't know the official cause of death.

Patrick Joseph McGoohan (March 19, 1928 - January 13, 2009) was a two-time Emmy winning American born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage career, who rose to fame in the British film and TV industry by starring in the 1960s television series Danger Man (renamed Secret Agent when exported to the US), cult classic The Prisoner and Mel Gibson's Oscar winning epic Braveheart as Edward Longshanks. McGoohan wrote several episodes of The Prisoner himself, occasionally using the pseudonyms Joseph Serf and Paddy Fitz.

Patrick McGoohan won two Emmies, both for Outstanding Guest Actor - Drama Series - both for Columbo (1975, 1990)

Death of Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan died Tuesday in Los Angeles at the age of 80.
Cause of death is unknown.

Personal Life
At the time of his death, McGoohan was mostly retired, living in Los Angeles, California with his wife of 57 years, Joan Drummond McGoohan. Along with his three daughters, he had five grandchildren (Sarah, Erin, Simon, Nina, and Paddy). On June 11, 2008, he became a great-grandfather to Jack Patrick Lockhart

The Prisoner intro Patrick Mcgoohan 60s