Roll him around, Charlie'll be alright Charlie Murphy, 57 http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...rother-eddie-murphy-dead-57-article-1.3048000 From Chappelle:
Steelers chairman Dan Rooney dies at 84 Steelers owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Rooney dies at 84 Steelers owner Dan Rooney dies Pittsburgh Steelers Owner Dan Rooney dies at age 84; Twitter ... Former US ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney dies Dan Rooney: For the Good of His Team, and the Game
Another prog-fusion hero. Alan Holdsworth, 70. Virtuoso guitarist known for his unique tone and raging long runs. Holdsworth was top of this genre with such groups as U.K., whose bassist John Wetton recently passed. Here is an Alan Holdsworth vid from early Tough year for prog people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Holdsworth
Aaron Hernandez kills himself in prison Aaron Hernandez commits suicide in prison Former Patriots star Aaron Hernandez found dead in jail cell Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez found dead in cell Ex-New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez commits suicide
Wow. One heckuva case study: guy gets formal, very public, acquittal for two murders but realizes it does him no good as he's serving life without parole for another. The high just wasn't good enough.
Jonathan Demme, 'Silence of the Lambs' Director, Dies at 73 - Variety http://variety.com/2017/film/news/jonathan-demme-dead-silence-of-the-lambs-1202399122/ Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme died Wednesday in New York of cancer complications, his publicist told Variety. He was 73 years old. Demme is best known for directing “The Silence of the Lambs,” the 1991 horror-thriller that was a box office smash, a critical triumph, and introduced moviegoers to Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter, a charismatic serial with a yen for Chianti, fava beans, and cannibalism. The story of a novice FBI analyst (Jodie Foster) on the trail of a murderer became only the third film in history to win Academy Awards in all the top five categories ( picture, actor, actress, director, and adapted screenplay), joining the ranks of “It Happened One Night” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Though he had his greatest success terrifying audiences, most of Demme’s work was looser and quirkier. In particular, he showed a great humanism and an empathy for outsiders in the likes of “Melvin and Howard,” the story of a service station owner who claimed to have been a beneficiary of Howard Hughes, and “Something Wild,” a screwball comedy about a banker whose life is turned upside down by a kooky woman. He also scored with “Married to the Mob” and oversaw “Stop Making Sense,” a documentary about the Talking Heads that is considered to be a seminal concert film. Demme came to the attention of Hollywood with the 1980 film “Melvin and Howard.” Jason Robards co-starred as a bearded, bedraggled Hughes encountered by struggling Melvin Dumont, who helps Howard out — only to be left $156 million in a Hughes will of dubious authenticity. The film worked because it was not about Hughes but about Dumont, played by Paul Le Mat (one of Demme’s favorite actors). It drew three Oscar nominations, winning for best supporting actress (Mary Steenburgen) and original screenplay (Bo Goldman), while Robards also drew a nomination. Following “The Silence of the Lambs,” Demme used his clout to make “Philadelphia,” one of the first major studio films to tackle the AIDS crisis and a movie that won Tom Hanks his first Oscar for playing a gay lawyer. Demme’s commercial prowess waned in the late 1990s and early aughts. “Beloved,” a 1998 adaptation of Toni Morrison’s award-winning book, received some critical support, but was a massive bomb and failed to attract much Oscar attention. Then there was an ill-advised 2002 “Charade” remake “The Truth About Charlie,” which starred Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton and proved a disservice to the classic Stanley Donen original. His most recent narrative feature was 2015’s “Ricki and the Flash,” starring Meryl Streep as an aging rocker who must return home to Indiana due to a family crisis. The film disappointed at the box office and reviews were muted.
Dunno why they'd say it *introduced* moviegoers to the character. It wasn't the first Thomas Harris film and the character of Lecter figured prominently before this film. Anyway. Jonathan Demme made a lot of absolutely fantastic movies. Sometimes it seemed like you couldn't turn the TV on without finding one on some channel, and every one I ever saw was good.
At the conclusion of this event honoring him on his 70th birthday; collapsed on stage during "Love Light."
Saw him three or four times at a local dive here in town, the last about 25 years ago. Greatest group of talent (Hampton, bassist Oteil Burbridge, guitarist Jimmy Herring, mandolinist Matt Mundy, drummer Jeff Sipe (I think) and a keyboardist whose name I don't recall, but I don't think it was Oteil's brother Kofi) ever to walk into that place. He will be missed.
Christopher Boykin died from heart issues. I have to admit I watched quite a few episodes of Rob & Big several years ago when it was on. It was dumb, but there was a time where it was on and somehow not too dumb for what it was. Christopher Boykin was known as Big Black. He was 45.