Hollywood Memoir

The death of Osama bin Laden was reported by international news media on Monday, May 2, 2011, at approximately 02:30 UTC, and officially announced by U.S. President Barack Obama about an hour later. At about 1:00 A.M. local time on May 2, (19:00 UTC, May 1), United States military forces shot and killed Osama bin Laden after a 40-minute firefight in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and then seized his body. The operation was carried out by 25 members of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command forces in Pakistan working with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

After careful monitoring of a compound suspected to be bin Laden’s Pakistani residence, U.S. military forces were sent across the border of Afghanistan to launch the attack. Pakistani officials confirmed that bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by the U.S. military.

The body was recovered by the U.S. military and was in its possession. ABC News has reported that the body has been identified by DNA testing. However, Reuters reports that DNA test results will be available in the next few days and that bin Laden’s body was identified using facial recognition techniques.

(comment closed – we don’t talk about politics)

William Campbell (October 30, 1923 – April 28, 2011) was an American actor who appeared in supporting roles in major film productions and also starred in several low-budget B-movies, including two cult horror films.

Campbell has obtained cult status for his guest starring roles on Star Trek, appearing first as the mischievous super-being Trelane (in part a parody of Liberace, whom Campbell resembled), in an episode of the original series called "The Squire of Gothos". Campbell also appeared twice as the Klingon Captain Koloth. Campbell first played Koloth on the original Star Trek series in the classic episode "The Trouble With Tribbles." He reprised the Koloth role on the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, some thirty years later. Campbell appeared at several Trek conventions in the 1980s and 1990s and many Star Trek fans consider Campbell’s portrayal of the Trelane character as the first introduction of the "Q culture" to the series. (The Q are an omnipotent race made part of The Next Generation, then Deep Space 9 and Voyager series.) His last appearance was at the convention organized by Creation Entertainment at the Las Vegas Hilton in August 2006.

He died quietly on April 28, 2011, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

Yvette Vickers (August 26, 1928 – death discovered April 27, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California) was a blond-haired, blue-eyed American actress, pin-up model and singer.

In 1959, she appeared as the Playboy Playmate of the Month for the July issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Russ Meyer. She also appeared in several other men’s magazines.

Her neighbor became concerned after noticing a large pile of yellowing mail in her mailbox as well as spider webs across her front door. Her mummified body was found inside her home on April 27, 2011. It was unclear when she died, but may have been months (up to almost a year).

 Really Cheesy edit on this video – but informative clip

There is a wave of visitors to this website, trying to confirm Al Jarreau’s death.

Al Jarreau is not dead. 

Thank you very much

Al Jarreau’s Official Website

 Al Jarreau – Moonlighting

We Are the World – Al Jarreau at 2:07-2:12

Marian Mercer (November 26, 1935 – April 27, 2011) was an American actress and singer.

She drew critical notice for her performance in New Faces of 1962, and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance, and the Theatre World Award for Promises, Promises (1968).

Marian Mercer Cause of Death
Marian Mercer died from Alzheimer’s disease, in Newbury Park, California.
Marian Mercer was 75 years old at the time of her death.

IT’S A LIVING SITCOM INTRO

Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 12, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American female singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for her 1975 hit "Poetry Man."

Phoebe Snow has performed with a numerous artists including Lou Rawls, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Dave Grusin, Avenue Blue with Jeff Golub, Garland Jeffreys, Jewel, Donald Fagen, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Queen, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Jackson Browne, Dave Mason, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Cyndi Lauper, Roger Daltrey, Chaka Khan, CeCe Peniston, Take 6, Michael Bolton, Thelma Houston, Mavis Staples, Laurie Anderson, Tracy Nelson, and The Sisters of Glory (with whom she performed at the second Woodstock festival), among others.

Phoebe Snow Cause of Death
Snow suffered a brain hemorrhage on January 19, 2010 and slipped into a coma, enduring bouts of blood clots, pneumonia, and congestive heart failure. Snow died on April 26, 2011.  Phoebe Snow was 60 years old at the time of her death.

In 1997, she sang the Roseanne theme song a cappella during the closing moments of the final episode.

Phoebe Snow Poetry Man

Phoebe Snow – Roseanne Finale Ending song

Phoebe Snow’s Official Website

Elmer Lynn Hauldren (April 1, 1922 in Missouri – April 26, 2011) was a former advertising copywriter based out of Chicago who was best known for originating the television character The Empire Man, the spokesman for Empire Today. He resided in Evanston, Illinois.

Hauldren was working on the Empire Carpet account in 1977 and could not find an actor the company approved of for the role of The Empire Man in a commercial scheduled to be shot. Instead, then company owner Seymour Cohen asked Hauldren to play the role of The Empire Man himself.

Elmer Lynn Hauldren Cause of Death
Elmer Hauldren died at the age of 89.
A cause of death wasn’t given but the spokeswoman said he had been sick.

Empire Carpet Commercial 1986

 Empire Today 588.2300 animated carpet clip 

Empire Today Website

Poly Styrene was the stage name of Marianne Joan Elliott-Said (July 3, 1957 – April 25, 2011), a female British musician, song-writer and singer, most notably in the pioneering punk rock band X-Ray Spex.

Poly Styrene Cause of Death
Poly Styrene revealed that she had been treated for breast cancer, and that it had spread to her spine and lungs. She died on 25 April 2011.
Poly Styrene was 53 years old at the time of her death.

Poly Styrene’s Personal Website

Hazel Jane Dickens (June 1, 1935 – April 22, 2011) was a female American bluegrass singer, songwriter, double bassist and guitarist. She was the eighth child of an eleven-child mining family in West Virginia. Her music is characterized not only by her high, lonesome singing style, but also by her provocative pro-union, feminist songs.

Dickens was born in Mercer County, West Virginia. She met Mike Seeger, younger half-brother of Pete Seeger and founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers and became active in the Baltimore-Washington area bluegrass and folk music scene during the 1960s. During this time she also established a collaborative relationship with Mike Seeger’s wife, Alice Gerrard, and as "Hazel & Alice" recorded two albums for the Folkways label: Who’s That Knocking (And Other Bluegrass Country Music) (1965) and Won’t You Come & Sing for Me (1973). Dickens and Gerrard were bluegrass bandleaders at a time when the vast majority of bluegrass bands were led by men.

Hazel Dickens Cause of Death
Hazel Dickens died in Washington, DC, of complications from pneumonia.
Hazel Dickens was 75 years old at the time of her death

Hazel Dickens – A Few Old Memories 

TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music. The group has released several EPs including their debut Young Liars (2003), and four critically acclaimed studio albums: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004), Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), Dear Science (2008), and Nine Types of Light (2011).

On March 14, 2011, it was announced that the band’s bassist, Gerard Smith, was diagnosed with lung cancer. On April 20, 2011 the band issued a statement of the passing of Gerard Smith on their homepage:

"We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly."

All upcoming shows have been cancelled due to the loss of their band member Gerard Smith.

TV on the Radio Official Website

 TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me on Letterman