Rolling Obituary Thread 2024

nfl hall of famer and former cowboy larry allen, 52. probably the best offensive lineman of his era, and a true weight room legend

Sam Butcher, the "artist" who created the Precious Moments series of Christian kitsch figurines, 85.

Sam Butcher, the soft-spoken artist whose doe-eyed, pastel-hued porcelain Precious Moments figurines ignited a global collecting frenzy and made him a wealthy man, and whose Christian faith spurred him to build his own version of the Sistine Chapel in Carthage, Mo., died on May 20 at his home there. He was 85.

His death was confirmed by his son Jon.

Mr. Butcher was the Michelangelo of Missouri, and his adorable snub-nosed Precious Moments characters were “the Beanie Babies of porcelain,” as The Wall Street Journal once put it. Their zealous collectors, who numbered in the hundreds of thousands, built rooms for their Precious Moments figurines, convened in regional clubs and made pilgrimages to Carthage, where they slept in the Precious Moments motel or the R.V. park, marveled at the Precious Moments Fountain of the Angels, dined in the Precious Moments food courts and wandered the 30-acre grounds. (Carthage also hosted Precious Moments weddings.)

For a time, the Precious Moments Care-a-Van — an 18-wheeler kitted out like a museum, filled with figurines and dioramas that told Mr. Butcher’s life story — toured the country. There were hundreds and hundreds of Precious Moments licensees, which made hats, keychains, watches, greeting cards, books and a children’s Bible. At the company’s peak, in 1996 and 1997, Precious Moments’ global retail sales reached over $500 million each year, a stunning amount for a man who was once so poor that he struggled to buy groceries for his seven children.

xpost oh no :(

William Russell, British actor best known as Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who from the very beginning to The Chase, and his most recent cameo in 2022 setting a world record for character duration. Would have made a century in 6 months time.

Brother Marquis from 2 Live Crew

Jeanette Charles, 96, impersonator of Queen Elizabeth II on TV and the big screen including The Naked Gun.

... people you thought were dead. Outlived Liz at least.

I wonder if Jeannette Charles is the only lookalike to have published an autobiography? Maybe some Elvis impersonators have (impersonator not exactly the same thing as a lookalike, though)

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3f748b_e57ae88fe3344a188767f8382139615c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_320,h_495,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/sts_jeannette_charles_book.png

the guy who played Gorbachev in The Naked Gun and Rocky IV had to branch out into playing non-Gorbachev parts post-1991, having exclusively played Gorbachev up until that point. It looks like Charles didn't have any credited roles playing anyone except the Queen, aside from an episode of Mind Your Language where she plays a woman who looks like the Queen

I wonder if Jeannette Charles is the only lookalike to have published an autobiography?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Was_Monty%27s_Double

William Russell was superb in the early Doctor Who. RIP to a well liked legend.

Aw, RIP Ian Chesterton.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/janis-paige-dead-silk-stockings-pajama-game-1235914085/

Stage/screen/TV actress Janis Paige, 101.

Harold Snoad, UK sitcom producer and director. Most famous for his Croft & Perry work, Bosom Manor and Keeping Up Appearances.

That's a name I have seen on screen a lot. Like Ken Morse.

Yeah, Ken Morse is *everywhere*.

Nicholas Ball, very versatile and experienced British actor who got his leading day in the sun with Hazel (but was in loads of comedy things including the Young Ones as well). Also the guy Pamela Stephenson left for Billy Connolly.

*Hazell*

Ranch Sironi, bassist for stoner rock band Nebula. He was a replacement for the band's original bassist, who died 9 months ago.

Sadly not a surprise, but being reported that the body of broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley has been found in Greece.

The body was found next to a fence, about 30 metres from the beach, and would have been visible from the beach.

there was a huge 5 day search effort and sounds like he died in plain sight

Jesus. Never saw a single thing the guy was in but that's very sad.

He was on television quite a bit here in Australia and made some programs here. Seemed like a very personable guy, how sad.

Youtuber Ben Potter AKA Comicstorian

https://www.nme.com/news/film/youtuber-ben-potter-dies-aged-40-3764420

Françoise Hardy

;_;

aww shit :(

I read somewhere that she was the most photographed woman in history... until Madonna came along

:(

I don't listen to my old CDs that much, but hers get played now and then

R.I.P., quelle légende. Love her so much.

the Queen of Gallic Cool

https://best-fit.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Francoise_Hardy.jpg

https://www.formidablemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/006_francoise_hardy_formidablemag-4.jpg

Jazz producer Jean-Philippe Allard.

Jerry West “The Logo”

Howard Fineman

(xpost) Old enough to have watched him when I was too young to appreciate him (probably saw him a couple of times on TV in the early '70s).

Tony LoBianco

http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/beefcake/tonylobianco/tonylobianco3.jpg

http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/beefcake/tonylobianco/tonylobianco3.jpg

sigh

terrific in the bonkers-mad God Told Me To

oh man - so great in Honeymoon Killers! RIP

Mark James, 83---wrote or co-wrote "Always On My Mind," Suspicious Minds," "Hooked On A Feeling." Songs with legs, as this reminds:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/mark-james-dead-elvis-suspicious-minds-hooked-on-a-feeling-1235921647/

RIP, great songwriter!

'Always On My Mind' is an absolute gem of regret

Sidney Felsen, beloved co-founder of Gemini G.E.L., dies at 99

The Melrose Avenue artists’ workshop and lithography publisher, which opened its doors in 1966, took off fast, attracting the likes of Josef Albers, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra, Roy Lichtenstein and others, who produced pieces of modern printmaking history there over the years.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-06-10/sidney-felsen-dead-gemini-gel

Kevin Campbell, 54.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/15/kevin-campbell-former-arsenal-and-everton-striker-dies-aged-54

Also Matija Sarkic, Millwall and Montenegro goalkeeper, 26

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/15/matija-sarkic-millwall-and-montenegro-goalkeeper-dies-aged-26

fuck sake

Angela Bofill, 70.