Eli Herschel Wallach was an American film, and stage actor whose career spanned more than 6 decades, since the 1940’s. His famous movies were, The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Misfits (1961), and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966). He portrayed the fiction character Don Altobello in the movie The Godfather Part III (1990). He was one of America’s most prolific screen actors. His most recent movies were in The Ghost Writer (2010), and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). He died on June 24, 2014. He was 98 years old. R.I.P. Eli Wallach.
Biographies
Casey Kasem (1932-2014)
Kemal Amin “Casey” Kasem was an American Disc Jockey, radio personality, and voice actor. He was best known of the radio programs such as, American Top 40, American Top 20, and American Top 10 from 1970 to 2009. He was the voice of Norville “Shaggy” Rogers in the Scooby Doo cartoon franchise from 1969 to 1997, and later from 2002 to 2009. He was the several voices of the Transformers characters in the 1980’s cartoon series. He died on June 15, 2014. He was 82 years old. R.I.P. Casey Kasem.
Ruby Dee (1922-2014)
Ruby Dee Wallace was an American Actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist. Her best known performances were in the movies, “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961), and “American Gangster” (2007), which she was nominated an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was married to actor Oscar Davis until his death in 2005. She died on June 11, 2014 of natural causes. She was 91 years old. R.I.P. Ruby Dee.
Martha Hyer (1924-2014)
Martha Hyer was an American film actress. Her best remembrance was as Frank Sinatra’s love interest in the movie “Some Came Running” (1958), which was just her only nomination for Best Supporting Actress of The Academy Award. She has never won an Academy Award. She guest starred in a 1950 episode of “The Lone Ranger”, entitled “The Man Who Came Back”. She starred in more than 30 films. Her last film was in “Days of the Wolves”, and her last appearance was as Peggy Hamilton in a McCloud episode called “A Cowboy in Paradise” in 1974. She died in May 31, 2014. She was 89 years old. R.I.P. Martha Hyer.
Mona Freeman (1926-2014)
Monica Elizabeth Freeman (Mona Freeman), was an American film actress, and a former child star. In 1944 she became a popular teen movie star. As an adult she appeared in mostly B-movies. She starred in a film noir called Angel Face (1952). Her appearances in movie films ended in the 1950’s, but she kept her acting job in television. She was married to Pat Nerney (1945-1952), and to H. Jack Ellis (1961-1992), which she was widowed. She died on May 23, 2014. She was 87 years old. R.I.P. Mona Freeman.
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Maya Angelou was an American author, and poet. She wrote and published seven autobiographies, 3 book essays, and several poetry books. She published her first autobiographical book about her life, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” in 1969, which brought her international recognition, and acclaim. She recited her poem “On The Pulse of Morning” in 1993 at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, making it the first poet to make an inaugural recitation, since Robert Frost at Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. She died in the morning of May 28, 2014. She was 86 years old. R.I.P. Maya Angelou.
Ann B. Davis (1926-2014)
Ann Bradford Davis was an American television actress. She achieved success as Charmaine “Schultzy” Schultz in The Bob Cummings Show (1955-59), which she won 2 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a comedy series. Her best known role was as the housekeeper Alice Nelson in The Brady Bunch comedy show series. She died in June 1, 2014, from a subdural hematoma after a fall in her bathroom. She was 88 years old.
Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
James Douglas “Jim” Morrison was an American singer-songwriter, and poet. He is best remembered as the lead singer of The Doors. In a young age he was infatuated with works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Rimbaud, and Jack Kerouac, which often incorporated their works into his lyrics. Jim was known for improvising spoken word poetry, while his band played live. He was also known as the self-proclaimed “King of Orgasmic Rock”. He is also ranked no.47 on the Rolling Stone’s list of “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. He is one of the most iconic, and influential frontmen in rock music history. He is alleged to have died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27 in Paris, France. No autopsy was performed, which his cause of death is still undisputed.
Beyonce
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child. It was the best-selling girl-group’s of all-time. She became a solo singer artist, and released her debut album, “Dangerously in Love” in 2003. She has 4 more successful albums which include B’Day (2006), I Am…Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), and Beyoncé (2013). She starred in movies such as Dreamgirls (2006), The Pink Panther (2006), Obsessed (2009), and Cadillac Records (2008). She is married to rapper Jay-Z, which they have one child together. She is included 2 times in Time magazine’s list of the most influential people in the world in 2013, and 2014. The Recording Industry Association of America recognized her as the top certified artist in America of the 2000’s decade.
Gordon Willis (1931-2014)
Gordon Hugh Willis, Jr., was an American cinematographer. His best known works were Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather series, and Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, and Manhattan. Cinematographer William Faulkner called Willis’ work: “a milestone in visual storytelling”. His other works include All The President’s Men, The Landlord, The Paper Chase, and Pennies From Heaven. He won 19 academy awards, including 3 awards for best picture. He died of cancer on May 18, 2014 in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. He was 82 years old. He changed the way movies looked and the way people looked at movies.
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