RIP Dean Smith

A class act all the way around.
From ESPN: Dean Smith, the coaching innovator who won two national championships at North Carolina, an Olympic gold medal in 1976 and induction into basketball's Hall of Fame more than a decade before he left the bench, has died. He was 83.
The retired coach died "peacefully" at his North Carolina home Saturday night, the school said in a statement Sunday from Smith's family. He was with his wife and five children.
Smith had health issues in recent years, with the family saying in 2010 that he had a condition that was causing him to lose memory. He had kept a lower profile during that time. His wife, Linnea, accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on his behalf from President Barack Obama in November 2013.
Roy Williams, the current North Carolina coach who spent 10 years as Smith's assistant, said Smith "was the greatest there ever was on the court but far, far better off the court with people."
"I'd like to say on behalf of all our players and coaches, past and present, that Dean Smith was the perfect picture of what a college basketball coach should have been," Williams said in a statement. "We love him, and we will miss him."
In a career that spanned more than 40 years, Smith coached the likes of Michael Jordan and James Worthy and influenced the game and how it is played in ways that are unrivaled.
"Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith," Jordan said in a statement. "He was more than a coach -- he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to Linnea and their kids. We've lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family."  http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12296176/dean-smith-former-north-carolina-tar-heels-coach-dies-age-83  Smith seemed like a genuine gentleman, even thiugh he was in a cut throat business.
And his success with men on and off the the basketball court cannot be disputed.
RIP, Coach.

RIP Car Talk Guy

From NPR:
Tom Magliozzi, one of public radio's most popular personalities, died on Monday of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 77 years old.
Tom and his brother, Ray, became famous as "Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers" on the weekly NPR show Car Talk. They bantered, told jokes, laughed and sometimes even gave pretty good advice to listeners who called in with their car troubles.
If there was one thing that defined Tom Magliozzi, it was his laugh. It was loud, it was constant, it was infectious....
The Magliozzi brothers grew up in a tough neighborhood of East Cambridge, Mass., in a close-knit Italian family. Tom was 12 years older, the beloved older brother to Ray. They liked to act like they were just a couple of regular guys who happened to be mechanics, but both of them graduated from MIT.
After getting out of college, Tom Magliozzi went to work as an engineer. One day he had a kind of epiphany, he told graduates when he and Ray gave the 1999 commencement address at their alma mater.
He was on his way to work when he had a near-fatal accident with a tractor-trailer. He pulled off the road and decided to do something different with his life.
"I quit my job," he said. "I became a bum. I spent two years sitting in Harvard Square drinking coffee. I invented the concept of the do-it-yourself auto repair shop, and I met my lovely wife."....
Tom and Ray haven't done the show live for two years; Car Talk has been airing archives of old shows. Berman says Ray would like to continue doing that, as a tribute to his brother.
http://www.npr.org/2014/11/03/357428287/tom-magliozzi-popular-co-host-of-nprs-car-talk-dies-at-77
Car Talk is one of the few NPR shows I listened to and I just listened to the show this past Sunday.
They were pretty much non-political and I loved how they raised money for NPR.
RIP Tom and prayers to the family.

RIP Chuck Noll

From ESPN: Pittsburgh Steelers icon Chuck Noll, the only coach to win four Super Bowls, died at his Pittsburgh-area home Friday night. He was 82.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner said Noll died of natural causes at 9:45 p.m. ET.
Noll went 209-156-1, including the postseason, while coaching the Steelers from 1969-91. The hiring of Noll, a one-time assistant coach to Sid Gillman and Don Shula, set the Steelers on a path to greatness.
He led the team to four Super Bowl titles from 1975-80, and he became every bit as revered in Pittsburgh as stalwarts from those teams such as "Mean" Joe Greene and Franco Harris.
"Chuck Noll is the best thing to happen to the Rooneys since they got on the boat in Ireland," Art Rooney Jr., the oldest son of Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Noll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, less than two years after he retired.
Noll had battled health problems in recent years while splitting time between Sewickley, which is in suburban Pittsburgh, and Florida. The Steelers still listed him prominently in their staff directory as an administration adviser even when he was in ill health and not working for the team.  http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11080732/legendary-pitsburgh-steelers-coach-chuck-noll-dies-82
Because Noll coached in the AFC, he rarely coach against the Packers, which is a good thing.  He would have outcoached the Packer coaches when he was the coach of the Steelers.
He was an excellent coach and a great man.
RIP, Coach.

Sad

From the Reno Gazette Journal: On the morning of January 1st, 2014 Reno Police Service Canine Xero passed away at his handler's residence in North Reno.  Xero was recently diagnosed with an inoperable medical condition and his passing was a result of complications of that condition. Xero was partnered with Reno Police Officer Steven Mayfield in June of 2007, and was an asset to the department and community which he served.  Xero and Officer Mayfield assisted every unit of the Reno Police Department as well as all of the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Northern Nevada.  Xero was instrumental in locating large amounts of drugs, and in the arrests of those suspected of selling drugs.  Xero also spent many hours at Police Canine Demonstrations with local children who enjoyed his loving disposition.  As a dual-purpose police service canine, Xero also tracked criminals, located evidence and protected his fellow officers.  http://blogs.rgj.com/mostlydogs/2014/01/01/reno-police-dog-xero-died-today-from-medical-condition/
While police dogs are not human, they do provide a valuable service where they serve.
While the police dogs are not human, they show determination to get the bad guy,  they show more class, ethics than the thugs they are chasing.
So, RIP to Xero and have fun up there in doggy heaven.

The Power Of Three

They say celebrity deaths happen in 3's.  Usually, that takes a week or three but we had three older actors dies today.
Peter O'Toole of "Lawrence of Arabia", Tom Laughlin of the "Billy Jack" movies and Oscar award winner, Joan Fontaine for some movie called "Suspicion" way back when.
RIP to them and prayers to their families.

RIP Marcia Wallace/Mrs Krabappel

From the LVRJ: Marcia Wallace, the voice of Edna Krabappel on “The Simpsons,” has died.
“Simpsons” executive producer Al Jean said in a statement Saturday that her death is a terrible loss. He says Wallace’s “irreplaceable character,” the fourth-grade teacher who has to deal with Bart Simpson’s constant antics, would be retired from the show.
The longtime TV actress’ credits ranged from playing a wise-cracking receptionist on “The Bob Newhart Show” to appearances on Candice Bergen’s “Murphy Brown.”  http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/tv/marcia-wallace-dies-voice-simpsons-krabappel
I remember her most for her role on the Bob Newhart show as the wise cracking floor secretary, Carol. 
RIP to Marcia and prayers to her family and friend.

RIP Jack Klugman

From Fox News: Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's "The Odd Couple" and the crime-fighting coroner in "Quincy, M.E.," died Monday, a son said. He was 90.
Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side.
"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.
Adam Klugman said he was spending Christmas with his brother, David, and their families. Their father had been convalescing for some time but had apparently died suddenly and they were not sure of the exact cause.
"His sons loved him very much," David Klugman said. "We'll carry on in his spirit."
Never anyone's idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing the type of man you could imagine running into at a bar or riding on a subway with -- gruff, but down to earth, his tie stained and a little loose, a racing form under his arm, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/12/24/legendary-actor-jack-klugman-dies-at-0/#ixzz2G15AqmIO
I loved watching him in the Odd Couple and Quincy M.E.   Another great actor lost this year.

RIP Larry Hagman

 

From the Chicago Tribune: Larry Hagman, who played the conniving and mischievous J.R. Ewing on the TV show "Dallas," died Friday afternoon at a Dallas hospital, the Dallas Morning News reported. He was 81.
Hagman died of complications of his recent battle with cancer, members of his family said.
“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” the family said in a statement. “Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time.”
The iconic role of J.R. Ewing metamorphosed Hagman’s life. This past summer, TNT revived "Dallas," bringing back some of the original cast and introducing a new generation of the Ewing clan.
Hagman made his home in California with his wife of nearly 60 years, the former Maj Axelsson, now suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Despite obvious physical frailty, he gamely returned to Dallas to film season one of the new "Dallas" and part of season two.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-larry-hagman-jr-ewing-dies-20121123,0,5802886.story
I started watching Hagman when he played in "I Dream of Jeanie".
Here is his web site: http://www.larryhagman.com/
2012 continues to be a bad year for celebrities. 
Update from the Dallas Morning News: 

Friends were in shock Friday, especially those who saw him only days ago. But those close to him say he knew the end was coming and he was glad to have his family in town for Thanksgiving.

For Dallasites, Mr. Hagman’s recent return to film the TNT show was a pleasant reminiscence of the days when Dallas was the biggest TV program in the world, seen by an estimated 300 million people in 57 countries.

Mr. Hagman lived part of the year in a penthouse at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, now known as the J.R. Ewing Suite, and the actor became part of the fabric of the city — attending polo matches with restaurateur Norman Brinker, unwinding over cocktails with oilman Jake Hamon and his wife, Nancy, at their Bluffview home or dining with Mansion on Turtle Creek owner Caroline Rose Hunt, whose oil-rich family was the nonfiction version of the Ewings.

“Hagman in his role as J.R. was mythic, and as a human he was a hard-working ambassador for Dallas and the underdog,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said Thursday night. “I had spent a couple of evenings with him recently … and he always pitched in to help the city.”  http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20121123-actor-larry-hagman-notorious-as-dallas-villain-j.r.-ewing-dies.ece

RIP: Mr. Food

 From the Beaumont Enterprise: Art Ginsburg, the delightfully dorky television chef known as Mr. Food, died at his home in Weston, Fla., Wednesday following a struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81.
Ginsburg - who enticed viewers for decades with a can-do focus on easy weeknight cooking and the tagline "Ooh! It's so good!" - was diagnosed just over a year ago. The cancer had gone into remission following early treatments and surgery, but returned earlier this month.
Ginsburg had an unlikely formula for success in this era of reality cooking shows, flashy chefs and artisanal foods. With a pleasantly goofy, grandfatherly manner and a willingness to embrace processed foods, Ginsburg endeared himself to millions of home cooks via 90-second segments syndicated to 125 local television stations around the country.
And though he published 52 Mr. Food-related cookbooks, selling more than 8 million copies, he was little known to the nation's foodies and mostly ignored by the glossy magazines. That was the way he liked it.  http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Mr-Food-dies-at-81-4057124.php
I remember listening to him on the radio as well and yes, he was quirky but also had some good ideas.
I'm sure some of the TV chefs of today owe him a bit of gratitude.
Here is his web site: http://www.mrfood.com/#

R,I.P Phyllis Diller

One of the best funny ladies of all time, Phyllis Diller passed away today at the age of 95 in Los Angeles.
From TMZ: Comedian Phyllis Diller -- who paved the way for today's female comics -- died this morning, TMZ has learned.
Sources close to Diller tell us the comedian died in her sleep at her L.A. home, surrounded by family. She was 95.
We're told Diller had recently fallen, hurting her wrist and hip -- but her rep says the injury had nothing to do with her death.
Diller suffered a heart attack in 1999 and was later fitted with a pacemaker.
Phyllis began her career all the way back in 1952 -- and rose to fame with her TV specials alongside Bob Hope in the 1960s.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/20/phyllis-diller-dead/#ixzz247OG3DUU

Diller was one the funniest ladies out there and there has been no one, not one female comedian out there that is good as she was.  She was funny and edgy but not gross edgy, like we see today in comedians.

RIP Marvin Hamlisch

From the Wrap: Marvin Hamlisch, the composer and conductor best known for the torch song "The Way We Were," died in Los Angeles Monday. He was 68 years old.
Hamlisch collapsed after a brief illness, his family announced.
In a career that spanned over four decades, Hamlisch won virtually every major award: three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony, and three Golden Globes.
Hamlisch composed music for more than 40 motion picture, including his Oscar-winning score and song for “The Way We Were,” and his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s ragtime music for “The Sting,” for which he received a third Oscar.   http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/marvin-hamlisch-oscar-winning-composer-dies-68-50971
My favorite Marin Hamlisch song was "The Entertainer".
This has not been a good year for entertainers and celebrities
Marvin Hamlisch and "The Entertainer".

RIP Sally Ride

From Fox News: Sally Ride, who blazed trails into orbit as the first American woman in space, died Monday of pancreatic cancer. She was 61.
Ride died at her home in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla, said Terry McEntee, a spokeswoman for her company, Sally Ride Science. She was a private person and the details of her illness were kept to just a few people, she said.
Ride rode into space on the space shuttle Challenger in 1983 when she was 32. After her flight, more than 42 other American women flew in space, NASA said.
"Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model. She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars," President Barack Obama said in a statement.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former astronaut, said Ride "broke barriers with grace and professionalism -- and literally changed the face of America's space program."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/23/america-first-female-astronaut-sally-ride-dies/#ixzz21UiXsM5U

I remember when she first went up and it was such a big deal back then and there were some people out there who thought women should not go up in space because of co-mingling  with men and women.  

So, we lost NASA, for the most part this year and now we lose a hero astronaut.  Not a good year.

R.I.P. Ernest Borgnine

From Fox News: Ernest Borgnine, the beefy screen star known for blustery, often villainous roles, but who won the best-actor Oscar for playing against type as a lovesick butcher in "Marty" in 1955, died Sunday. He was 95.
His longtime spokesman, Harry Flynn, told The Associated Press that Borgnine died of renal failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with his wife and children at his side.
Borgnine, who endeared himself to a generation of Baby Boomers with the 1960s TV comedy "McHale's Navy," first attracted notice in the early 1950s in villain roles, notably as the vicious Fatso Judson, who beat Frank Sinatra to death in "From Here to Eternity."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/07/08/oscar-winning-film-star-ernest-borgnine-dies-at-5/#ixzz205AdQATE

I enjoyed him when he was in the Dirty Dozen and in an episode of Home Improvement. 
I also remember seeing him play a clown in Milwaukee's circus parade, many years ago.
 While he was known for his roles in the big and little screens, through the years he became one of Milwaukee's favorite sons for his faithful and repeated performances at the city's Great Circus Parade, known for its pageantry and colorful wagons brought from the Circus World Museum in Baraboo.
"He was a wonderful ambassador for Milwaukee," Great Circus Parade Co-Chair Bill Fox said Sunday. "He brought star status to the parade. He was the first celebrity we ever used, and he was terribly loyal to the parade."http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/ernie-32622rv-161738365.html

Borgnine was still working this year, so his career spanned 62 years.

Thanks for the memories, Ernest.

The Man With The Mustache, NFL Great, Ben Davidson Dies

From Fox News: Ben Davidson, the hulking defensive end who starred for the Oakland Raiders in the 1960s before becoming a famous television pitch man, has died. He was 72.
Davidson died Monday night. He was being treated for prostate cancer. Former Raiders coach John Madden first reported Davidson's death Tuesday on KCBS radio in San Francisco.
Davidson spent 11 years in pro football, starting with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins in the NFL before joining the Raiders in the AFL in 1964.
That's where the 6-foot-8 Davidson became famous. With his distinctive handlebar mustache, raspy voice and physical play, Davidson helped personify Al Davis' renegade Raiders on the 1960s.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/07/03/former-raiders-player-ben-davidson-dies-at-72-prostate-cancer/?test=latestnews#ixzz1zcAl4osn

He was a dirty player at times, but he with the Oakland Raiders and that is how they played.

Here is a tribute to Ben Davidson:

RIP Andy Griffth

Andy Griffith is on his way to the great fishing pond in the sky as he died today at the age of 86.
From TMZ: Andy Griffith, an icon of TV, has died ... this according to Andy's close friend, former UNC President Bill Friday. 
Griffith, who became famous for "The Andy Griffith Show," passed away at his home in Manteo, North Carolina this morning.
Friday broke the news to WITN News in North Carolina. 
In addition to starring in his show and the subsequent "Mayberry R.F.D.," Griffith was a Grammy award-winning southern gospel singer.  Of course, Griffith also starred in the long-running series, "Matlock" and often made guest appearances in other shows, including "Dawson's Creek."
There's a famous statue of Andy and Opie -- played by Ron Howard -- in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005.
http://www.tmz.com/2012/07/03/andy-griffith-dies-dead/
I thought Griffith was one of the good guys in Hollywood and he will be missed.

Pawn Stars Curse? LeRoy Neiman Dies 2 Days After Painting Shown

Is this the beginning of a Pawn stars curse?  Less than 2 days after a LeRoy Neiman print was on the show, Neiman passed away.  http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2012/06/pawn-stars-reviw-june-18-2012.html
From the L.A. Times: LeRoy Neiman, the American artist who became famous for his colorful portrayal of athletes and who was a regular artistic presence at major sporting events, including the Olympics and the Super Bowl, has died in New York at 91, according to the Associated Press. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Neiman's artistry reached millions of people through his work creating live drawings of the Olympics for television and as an artist of the Super Bowl on CBS.
A kind of Norman Rockwell of the sporting world, Neiman created accessible works of art that depicted sports and other leisure activities in a highly colorful style that blended elements of realism and Impressionism.
Neiman's art career got started through an unlikely connection -- Hugh Hefner, the Playboy mogul, who saw the young artist's work and was impressed. Neiman started creating art for the publication in the 1950s in Chicago.
After a stint in Paris, Neiman set up shop in New York, where he began exhibiting his work in galleries. He eventually gravitated toward sporting events in his paintings and prints. While he focused on the major American sports, like baseball and basketball, he also gained fame in a 1972 television broadcast for sketching chess players Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer playing against each other in Iceland.
Neiman served as an artist for five Olympic Games, starting in 1972 in Munich and ending in 1984 in Los Angeles. He would appear on television and create on-the-spot sketches of Olympic sporting events in a variety of media including watercolor, charcoal and ink.
He also created art for Super Bowl broadcasts, depicting athletes on the field for football's biggest annual game.
Outside sports, Neiman painted musicians, including Frank Sinatra, as well as cityscapes.
 http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-leroy-neiman-artist-dies-olympics-20120620,0,2950830.story
 While Corey and the seller on Monday's Pawn Stars were dealing, Corey mentioned about Neiman and how much more valuable the print would be when he died because he is 91 years old.   Guess we will see.
I enjoyed watching Neiman paint when he covered the Olympics and Howard Cosell and also watching paint on other shows.  I'm no art lover, but Neiman painted quite well.

R.I.P Richard Dawson

Hogan Heroes and Family Feud star, Richard Dawson dkied today at the age of 79.
From the New York Times: Richard Dawson, the longtime "Family Feud" game-show host and "Hogan's Heroes" actor, has died in Los Angeles. He was 79.
His son, Gary Dawson, announced his death via Facebook.
"It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my father passed away [Saturday] evening from complications due to esophageal cancer. He was surrounded by his family. He was an amazing talent, a loving husband, a great dad and a doting grandfather. He will be missed but always remembered," Gary Dawson wrote.
Richard Dawson was born in England on Nov. 20, 1932. He was perhaps best known for hosting "Family Feud for nine years in the 1970s and 1980s and then again shortly in the 1990s.
According to the Associated Press, the audience gave him a standing ovation during his final show.

"Please sit down. I have to do at least 30 minutes of fun and laughter and you make me want to cry," Dawson said at the time. "I've had the most incredible luck in my career. I never dreamed I would have a job in which so many people could touch me and I could touch them."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/06/family-feud-host-richard-dawson-dead-atm-79.htl

RIP Robin Gibbs

Another music great died.  First, this past week, was Donna Summer and today, Robin Gibb joins that great disco ball in the sky.
From Rolling Stone: Robin Gibb, one-third of the Bee Gees, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, his spokesperson has confirmed via a statement. Gibb was 62 years old.
"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," reads the statement. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."
Two years ago, Gibb battled colon and liver cancer, but despite making what he called a "spectacular recovery," a secondary tumor recently developed, complicated by a case of pneumonia. The singer was hospitalized in mid-April and fell into a coma at one point, although the singer was later said to have regained consciousness and communicated with family members. 
Gibb was born in the Isle of Man in 1949, along with twin brother Maurice. (Mauricwase died in 2003 of complications from a twisted intestine; eerily, Robin had surgery for the same medical issue in 2010.) Along with their older brother Barry, the brothers began harmonizing as a trio in Australia, where the family moved in 1958. Although the Bee Gees had some success in Australia – they hosted a weekly variety show there – they didn't truly arrive until they returned to England and signed with manager Robert Stigwood. Robin's quivering, vulnerable voice was featured prominently on several of the group's earliest and most Beatles-eque hits, including "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "I Started a Joke," "Massachusetts," and "I've Gotta Get a Message to You."
Although he looked and sounded like the meekest Bee Gee, Robin grew into the family rebel. By 1969, he and Barry were feuding over whose song should be singles, and Robin, then 20, was declared a "ward of the state" by their father when his drinking and partying seemed to take over his life. "It happened so fast that we lost communication between us," Gibb later recalled. "It was just madness, really."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/robin-gibb-bee-gees-co-founder-dead-at-62-20120520#ixzz1vSJnsPXI

 It seems like celebrity deaths do come in 3's.  Last week, we had Donal "Duck" Dunn and then Donna Summer and now Gibbs.
RIP Robin, thanks for the memories and the disco era (well, maybe not the disco era). 

R.I.P Donald "Duck" Dunn

Donald "Duck" Dunn from the Blues Brothers and other bands died today.
From the Reno Gazette Journal: Bass player and songwriter Donald “Duck” Dunn, a member of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, has died in Tokyo. He was 70.
Dunn was in Tokyo for a series of shows. News of his death was posted on the Facebook site of his friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour. Cropper said Dunn died in his sleep.
Miho Harasawa, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note, the last venue Dunn played, confirmed he died alone early Sunday. She had no further details.
Dunn, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941, performed on recordings with Eric Clapton, Neil Young and many others, and specialized in blues, gospel and soul. He played himself in the 1980 hit movie “The Blues Brothers.”
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007 for his work with Booker T. and the MGs.
 http://www.rgj.com/viewart/20120513/ENT/305130062/Bass-player-Donald-Duck-Dunn-dies-Tokyo

He was a great bass player even though he never got the huge recognition that the headliners got.

Thank You NASCAR For Tribute To Carroll Shelby

Tonight, NASCAR had a moment of silence for Carroll Shelby, one of life's most interesting men, who passed away on Friday.
Shelby had a huge impact in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway area.  He had garages set up out there and he has sponsored many NASCAR events, including the NASCAR Sprint race up until this past race.
From ESPN: Nothing to worry about. Carroll Shelby cannot die.
If he could, he would have been dead for 50 or 60 or 70 years by now. He's had heart problems since age 7. He had a transplant in 1990, maybe five years before our little excursion here.
Whomp! The Viper takes a set, and we pull some G's, but Shelby still hasn't looked away from me and he's still pouring profanity, telling his stories.
Back in the pits, I, in my 40s, feel certain that Carroll Hall Shelby, at that point in his 70s, will easily outlive me.

---

Well, I'll be damned.
Carroll Shelby died Thursday, May 10, 2012.
He was 89. He lived 82 of those years with heart trouble, the last 22 with a transplant. He had lived wide open, full of piss and vinegar all the way.
I'll be damned. Toughest SOB of a genius I've ever known
http://espn.go.com/racing/blog/_/name/hinton_ed/id/7920679/nascar-carroll-shelby-really-gone.