Hollywood Memoir

Joseph William Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011), better known by the stage name Pinetop Perkins, was an American Blues musician, specializing in piano music. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock and roll performers in American history, and received numerous honors during his lifetime including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Along with David "Honeyboy" Edwards, he was one of the last two original Mississippi Delta blues musicians, and also to have a personal knowledge of and friendship with Robert Johnson.

At age 97, he won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for Joined at the Hip, an album he recorded with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. Perkins thus became the oldest-ever Grammy winner, edging out comedian George Burns who had won in the spoken word category 16 years earlier.

Pinetop Perkins Cause of Death

Pinetop Perkins died on 21 March 2011 at his home in Austin, Texas.
Pinetop Perkins was 97 years old at the time of his death.

Pinetop Perkins, Harvelle’s Santa Monica

 Pinetop Perkins – Official Website

 

Loleatta Holloway (November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011) was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.

Whitney Houston sampled Holloway’s 1976 track "We’re Getting Stronger" on her 2009 hit single "Million Dollar Bill".

Loleatta Holloway Cause of Death

Loleatta Holloway died on March 21, 2011 after slipping into a coma.
Loleatta Holloway was 64 years old at the time of her death.

Love Sensation by Loleatta Holloway (1980)

Loleatta Holloway’s official Myspace

* She was Grace Kelly’s sister-in-law

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Countess of Polignac, Baroness of Massy (Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne Grimaldi; December 28, 1920 – March 18, 2011) was a non-dynastic member of the princely family of Monaco and the elder sister of the late Prince Rainier III and aunt of Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Her parents were Prince Pierre, Duke of Valentinois and Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois.

Her brother, Prince Rainier III, was married to American actress Grace Kelly.

Princess Antoinette Cause of Death

On 18 March 2011 Princess Antoinette died in hospital, aged 90.

 Princess Antoinette with her parents, brother and maternal grandfather.

Ferlin Eugene Husky (December 3, 1925 – March 17, 2011) was an American singer who became well-known as a country-pop chart-topper under various names, including Terry Preston and Simon Crum. In the 1950s and 60s, Husky had several hits, including "Gone" and "Wings of a Dove", each reaching number one on the country charts. In 2010, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Husky has suffered from heart problems for many years and has been hospitalized several times since the late 1970s, most recently for heart surgery in 2005 and blood clots in his legs in 2007. He was admitted to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri on April 19, 2009, with congestive heart failure and pneumonia. On July 15, 2009 his spokesman said he was recuperating at home after being released from a Nashville hospital.

Death of Ferlin Husky
On March 17, 2011, Management released a statement saying that Husky died from congestive heart failure.
Ferlin Husky was 85 years old at the time of his death.

Ferlin Husky – Wings of a Dove

Michael Gough (November 23, 1916 – March 17, 2011) was a British character actor who appeared in over 100 films. He is perhaps best known to international audiences by his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four movies of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise, beginning with Batman (1989).

He won Broadway’s 1979 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for Bedroom Farce. He was also nominated in the same category in 1988 for Breaking the Code.

He won a BAFTA TV Award in 1957 and was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in 1972 for his work in The Go-Between.

He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play in 1979 for Bedroom Farce and again in 1988 for Breaking the Code.

Death of Michael Gough
Michael Gough died on Thursday, March 17th, 2011 at the age of 94. He is survived by his 4th wife, Henrietta.

The Making of Batman Returns (1992) – ALFRED

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician.

Death of Nate Dogg
Nate Dogg died on March 15, 2011 in Long Beach, California. In 2007, Nate Dogg had a massive stroke, and another stroke in 2008, however it is unknown if that contributed to his death.
Nate Dogg was 41 years old at the time of his death

Nate Dogg – I Got Love

Joe Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was a jazz drummer best known for his twelve and a half-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet. He was frequently noted for playing in the unusual time signatures employed by that group in such pieces as "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk".

During his career, Morello appeared on over 120 albums, 60 of which were with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. He authored several drum books, including Master Studies, published by Modern Drummer Publications, and made an instructional video for Hot Licks titled The Natural Approach to Technique. Morello was the recipient of many awards, including Playboy magazine’s best drummer award for seven years in a row, and Downbeat magazine’s best drummer award five years in a row. He was elected to the Modern Drummer magazine Hall of Fame in 1988, the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1993, and was the recipient of Hudson Music’s first TIP Lifetime Achievement award in June, 2010

Death of Joe Morello
Joe Morello died on 12 March 2011 at his home in New Jersey.  Cause of death is not reported at the moment. Joe Morello was 82 years old at the time of his death.

Joe Morello – 1961 Drum Solo

Joe Morello’s Official Website

Lindsay Lohan’s Legal Trouble, 2011

One item is not news worthy.  But the entire series of event is hard to ignore.

• June 29, 2011: After 35 days Lindsay Lohan is released from house arrest.
• June 23, 2011: Lindsay Lohan back in court after reportedly failing alcohol test. This violates her probation from 2007 DUI conviction.  Jail time is possible.
• May 27, 2011: Due to prison overcrowd, Lindsay Lohan started to serve about 35 days in her house (house arrest).  She will then perform 480 hours community service as a janitor at the L.A. County morgue
• May 11, 2011: Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 120 days in jail for stealing a gold necklace.   She may serve sentence in home, beginning June 17.
• April 25, 2011: Lindsay Lohan appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and received standing ovation.  Stated she’s ‘Not a kid anymore’
• April 22, 2011: Lindsay Lohan gets 120 days’ jail on probation violation, faces misdemeanor instead of felony theft charge. Judge ordered Lohan back in court on May 11 for a pretrial hearing. Her trial date was set for June 3
• March 29, 2011: Riverside County District Attorney dropped assault charge filed for Betty Ford Center scuffle (Dec 12, 2010)
• March 10, 2011: Lindsay Lohan rejected a plea agreement offered by prosecutors that included a guaranteed return to jail.  Preliminary hearing set to April 22.
• February 23, 2011: At a hearing, Lindsay Lohan was told she has until March 10 to decide if she will take a plea deal.  The judge said if she accepted the plea agreement, he would sentence her to jail.
• February 9, 2011: Lindsay Lohan was charged with felony grand theft of a $2,500 necklace.  Lindsay Lohan pled not guilty, her probation was revoked, and she was freed on bond
• February 1, 2011: Los Angeles Police Department had a warrant to search Lindsay Lohan’s apartment for the missing necklace. 
• January 22, 2011: Lindsay Lohan allegedly walked out with a $2,500 necklace. (FYI: Lindsay Lohan was on probation at this time).
• January 3, 2011: Lindsay Lohan left Betty Ford after completing a three month stay.

Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011) was an American musical theatre and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He is best known for his score for the classic 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In St. Louis, in which Judy Garland sang three Martin songs, "The Boy Next Door", The Trolley Song, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The last of these has become a Christmas season standard in the United States and around the English-speaking world and is widely considered one of the greatest Christmas songs of all-time. Martin became a close friend of Garland and was her accompanist at many of her concert performances in the 1950s including her legendary stint at the Palace Theater.

Death of Hugh Martin
Hugh Martin died of natural causes.
Hugh Martin was 96 years old at the time of his death

JUDY GARLAND: ‘THE TROLLEY SONG’.

 Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland

Charlie Sheen VS. Chuck Lorre (Warner Brothers) Timeline

One item doesn’t make news, but the series of event is newsworthy. 

• May 13, 2011: Ashton Kutcher replaces Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.Charlie Sheen predicts the show will bomb.
• April 3, 2011: Charlie Sheen ended his second show with standing ovation in Chicago. (But, show’s still not very good.  Tickets are not selling.)
• April 2, 2011: Charlie Sheen was (almost) booed off stage from Detroit Show.  Sheen has 19 more cities to tour (22 more shows).
• March 29, 2011: As Charlie Sheen gets ready for his live show in East Coast,  several upscale NYC hotels refuse to take Charlie Sheen in.
• March 27, 2011: Tickets for Charlie Sheen’s live show are being sold at below face value.  Ticket brokers bought tickets in quantity, but people are not buying them.
• March 22, 2011: Charlie Sheen made surprise appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live
• March 21, 2011: There was a rumor that president of CBS wanted Charlie Sheen back (and let bygones be bygones).
• March 11, 2011: Charlie Sheen announces his live show "My Violent Torpedo of Truth / Defeat Is Not an Option Show." – 20-city, 23-date tour scheduled.
• March 10, 2011: Charlie Sheen’s house was raided by Los Angeles police, to search for weapons.
• March 10, 2011: Charlie Sheen filed a $100 Million lawsuit against Warner Brothers.
• March 7, 2011: CBS and Warner Bros. fired Sheen from Two and a Half Men.
• March 2, 2011: Charlie Sheen set a new Guinness World Record for Twitter as the "Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers" 
• February 28, 2011: Charlie Sheen publicly demanded a 50% raise for the show Two and a Half Men.  Sheen demanded $3 million per episode.  Warner Bros. officially banned Sheen from entering the Warner Bros.’s production lot.  
• February 24, 2011: Charlie Sheen made derogatory comments about his boss Chuck Lorre on a radio show. The network canceled the shooting of Two and a Half Men.
• January 28, 2011: Charlie Sheen began undergoing a substance rehabilitation program in his home and CBS announced that Two and a Half Men would go on hiatus
• January 27, 2011: Charlie Sheen was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by paramedics. Sheen’s representative said the actor was suffering from "severe abdominal pains