Jeret Peterson, American free style skier, 2010 Winter Olympics silver medalist, died when he committed suicide by gunshot he was , 29.

Jeret "Speedy" was an American World Cup aerial skier from Boise, Idaho, skiing out of Bogus Basin died when he committed suicide by gunshot he was , 29.. A three-time Olympian, he won the silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Peterson was found dead in Lambs Canyon, Utah on July 25, 2011. The cause of death was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Peterson (December 12, 1981 – July 25, 2011)

Athletic career

Through the 2006 season, Peterson had won four World Cup events in aerials, and a total of nine World Cup podiums. His best season was 2005, with three World Cup wins and three seconds. With the help of these six strong placings, he took the 2005 World Cup season title in aerials. He finished in sixth place for the 2006 season.
A member of three Olympic teams, he participated in the 2002 Games in Salt Lake (placing 9th) and the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy. In the finals of the 2006 aerial competitions, Peterson was in third place after the first round, but fell to seventh place after the second jump, when he failed to solidly land the difficult "Hurricane" maneuver, which involves five spins and three somersaults.
The following day February 24, 2006, he was dispatched from the Games after a drunken altercation during a post-competition celebration. U.S. Olympic official Jim McCarthy said, "This type of conduct is irresponsible and will not be tolerated. Like every athlete, Jeret had an opportunity to represent himself, his sport, and his country in a positive manner. He chose to do otherwise, and because of his unacceptable actions, his Olympic experience is ending early."^[2]
A month after the Olympics in Italy, Peterson won the 2006 U.S. National Championships at Killington, Vermont.
He was an alumnus of Timberline High School in Boise, and was one of the six athletes featured on the Week 6 episode of The Biggest Loser: Couples 3.
After a tumultuous four years on and off the snow following the 2006 Olympics, Peterson made a career comeback and in January 2010 was named to the U.S. Olympic freestyle team for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Entering the Olympic finals in fifth place, he successfully landed his signature "Hurricane" maneuver (5 twists, 3 flips) to win the silver medal.^[3][4]

Death

On July 25, 2011, Peterson was found dead in Lambs Canyon, Utah. The cause of death was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.^[5] Three days previously, Peterson had been arrested for driving while intoxicated.^[6] He was still reeling from the suicide of a friend named Trevor Fernald, who had committed suicide in front of Peterson in 2005. Peterson also had problems with alcohol and depression and admitted he had his own thoughts of suicide--all stemming from a childhood in which he was sexually abused and at the age of 5-years-old he lost one of his older sisters to a drunk driver.^{[7] [8]}
A few days after Peterson's death, Utah law enforcement released a recording of the 911 call that Peterson made just before he committed suicide. In it Peterson told the dispatcher that he was going to kill himself and that he wanted the police to come and get his body.^[9]

Results

• 1999 U.S. Junior National Championships – Gold – Aerials
• 2000 World Junior Championships – Bronze – Aerials
• 2001 World Junior Championships – Bronze – Aerials
• 2001 Junior Freestyle Skier of the Year – by Ski Racing magazine
• 2002 Olympic Winter Games – 9th place – Aerials
• 2002 World Cup season – 22nd place – Aerials
• 2003 World Championships – 6th place – Aerials
• 2003 World Cup season – 8th place – Aerials
• 2004 World Cup season – 16th place – Aerials
• 2005 World Championships – 12th place – Aerials
• 2005 World Cup season – 1st place – Aerials
• 2006 Olympic Winter Games – 7th place – Aerials
• 2006 World Cup season – 6th place – Aerials
• 2006 U.S. National Championships – GOLD – Aerials
• 2010 Olympic Winter Games – SILVER – Aerials

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Ravichandran, Malaysian-born Indian actor, died from lung infection he was , 71.

Ravichandran was a Tamil film actor who played lead roles in Tamil movies of the 1960s and 1970s died from lung infection he was , 71.. He has also acted in supporting roles in some recent Tamil movies, and had also directed several films.

(1941 or 1942 – 25 July 2011)

Life

Ravichandran was born P.S. Raman in Kuala Lumpur, capital of the Federated Malay States. He moved to Tiruchirappalli, India in 1951, and studied at St. Joseph's College. He was married twice: his first marriage was to Malayalam actress Sheela, and they had a son, George; he was later married to Vimala, with whom he had a daughter, Lavanya, and two sons, Balaji and Hamsavardhan. Hamsavardhan and George also took up acting as a career, with Hamsavardhan starring in the film Manthiran, directed by his father.
Ravichandran died aged 69 from multiple organ failure on 25 July 2011 at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, after suffering from a lung infection and kidney disease.^[3]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Language
1964	Kadalikka Neramillai		Tamil
	Nalvaravu		Tamil
1965	Idhaya Kamalam		Tamil
1966	Gauri Kalyanam		Tamil
	Kumarippen		Tamil
	Motor Sundaram Pillai		Tamil
	Madras to Pondicherry		Tamil
	Naam Moovar		Tamil
1967	Adhe Kangal		Tamil
	Maadi Veetu Mapillai		Tamil
	Magaraasi		Tamil
	Naan		Tamil
	Naan Yaar Theriyuma		Tamil
	Ninaivil Ninraval		Tamil
	Selva Magal		Tamil
	Sabhash Thambi		Tamil
	Thanga Thambi		Tamil
	Valibha Virundhu		Tamil
1968	Moonreluthu		Tamil
	Nimindhu Nil		Tamil
	Panakkara Pillai		Tamil
	Delhi Mapillai		Tamil
1969	Odum Nadhi		Tamil
	Sikharangal		Malayalam
	Singapore Seeman		Tamil
	Chella Penn		Tamil
	Subha Dhinam		Tamil
1970	Kadhal Jothi		Tamil
	Kaviya Thalaivi		Tamil
	Snegithi		Tamil
	Malathi		Tamil
1971	Paatondru Ketten		Tamil
	Sabhatham		Tamil
	Justice Vishwanathan		Tamil
	Meendum Vazhven		Tamil
	Utharavindri Ulle Vaa		Tamil
1972	Pugundha Veedu		Tamil
	Varaverpu		Tamil
1973	Engal Thaayi		Tamil
	Baghdad Perazhagi		Tamil
1974	Avalukku Nigar Avale		Tamil
	Doctoramma		Tamil
	Puthiya Manidhan		Tamil
	Sorgathil Thirumanam		Tamil
1975	Hotel Sorgam		Tamil
	Thai Veetu Seedhanam		Tamil
1979	Neeya		Tamil
1986	Oomai Vizhigal		Tamil
1997	Arunachalam		Tamil
2002	Pammal K Sambandam		Tamil
2003	Ramana		Tamil
2009	Kanden Kadhalai		Tamil
2011	Aadu Pulli		Tamil

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Tresa Hughes, American actress (Another World, Don Juan DeMarco, Fame) died she was , 81.

Tresa Hughes) was an American stage, film and television actress. Hughes was nominated for Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1961 for her role in The Devil's Advocate died she was , 81. Her film and television credits included Don Juan DeMarco, Fame and Another World.

(September 17, 1929 - July 24, 2011

Hughes debuted on Broadway in the 1959 production of The Miracle Worker as actress Annie Sullivan's understudy.^[1] She received a Tony Award nomination during the next season in 1961 for The Devil's Advocate by Dore Schary, but lost to Colleen Dewhurst. Hughes enjoyed a Broadway career which spanned more than thirty years.^[1] Her Broadway credits included Dear Me, The Sky is Falling in 1963, The Advocate in 1963, The Last Analysis in 1964, Spofford in 1967, The Man in the Glass Booth in 1968, Beggar on Horseback in 1970, The Prisoner of Second Avenue in 1971, Golda in 1977, Tribute in 1978, The American Clock in 1980, Lolita in 1981, Woody Allen's The Floating Light Bulb in 1981 and Cafe Crown in 1989.^[1][2]
Hughes' movie credits included roles in Fame in 1980, Bad Medicine in 1985, Grandma DeMarco in the 1995 film, Don Juan DeMarco, starring Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando, and A Fish in the Bathtub in 1999.^[2] Her televisions roles included NYPD Blue, Wonderland, Ed and several castings on Law & Order.^[1][2]
Tresa Hughes died on July 21, 2011, at the age of 81. She was survived by her daughter, Rebecca, and grandson, William.^[1] Hughes was a resident of New York City.^[3]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Gilbert Luján, American painter, died from prostate cancer he was , 70.

Gilbert "Magú" Luján was a well known and influential Chicano sculptor, muralist and painter died from prostate cancer he was , 70.. He founded the famous Chicano collective Los Four that consisted of artists Carlos Almaraz, Beto de la Rocha (Father of former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha), Frank Romero and himself. In 1973, Judithe Hernández became the "fifth" and only female member of Los Four.

(October 16, 1940 – July 24, 2011)

Luján was born in French Camp, California, near Stockton, to parents of Mexican and indigenous ancestry from West Texas. Six months later, his family relocated to East Los Angeles, California, where he spent his childhood and adolescence, except for some time in Guadalajara in 1944 or 1945. As a young teenager, Luján was heavily influenced by the Afro-American music scene in Los Angeles, for instance listening to Johnny Ace, Spade Cooley, and Mary Wells. He went to El Monte High School, class of 1958.^[2]
After serving in the Air Force, Luján returned home from three years in England in 1962 and began to attend college, first at East Los Angeles College, then to California State University, Long Beach, where he earned his B.A. in Ceramic Sculpture in 1969 and then to University of California, Irvine, where he earned an M.F.A. in Sculpture in 1973. By this time East L.A. had become a hotbed of socio-political and cultural activity, as the Chicano Movement became a turbulent and exciting social force in the communities the U.S. Southwest. At this time Luján began to organize art exhibits and artists' conferences to establish Chicano Art as a valid form of artistic axpression. The first of these was held at Camp Hess-Kramer, which was, according to Luján, "a Jewish camp that allowed Mexican-Americans to meet there to talk about educational disparities that we had in East L.A."^[2] In 1969, Luján curated a Chicano art show at Cal State Long Beach, and during the show's run, met with various artists associated with East LA art journal Con Safos. Luján was invited to become art director of Con Safos, and through this work, he met with three other like-minded Chicano artists and formed Los Four in the Fall of 1973 at the University of California, Irvine.^[2] In 1973, Los Four had their premiere exhibition at UC Irvine. In 1974, Los Four exhibited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's first-ever Chicano Art show, appropriately called "Los Four." This was quickly followed by several other exhibitions on the west coast. Los Four did for Chicano visual art what ASCO had done for Chicano performance art; that is, it helped establish the themes, esthetic and vocabulary of the nascent movement. "Magú", the name by which Luján is most known says of that time:
From 1976-1980, Luján taught at the La Raza Studies Department at Fresno City College becoming department chair 1980. Since then, Luján has worked full-time on his artwork, devoted to developing his aesthetic. During the years of 1999-2007, Magú held his art studio operations at the Pomona Art Colony in downtown Pomona, CA, helping to garner appreciation and support of the arts in the city and surrounding communities. During 2005, he took on a position as art professor at Pomona College, one of the seven prestigious Claremont Colleges.
In 1990 Magú was commissioned as a design principal for the Hollywood & Vine station on the Metro Rail Red Line (Hollywood/Vine (LACMTA station)) in Los Angeles, California . By 1999 Magú completed a series of wall tiles and platform sculptural benches in the form of lowrider automobiles. He chose the theme song, "Hooray for Hollywood", as the signature tune for the Hollywood & Vine Metro station. A design rudder established was 'light,' which Lujan considered another central motif in Hollywood, from the light that passed through film projectors to the sunny streets of Southern California to the creation of celebrity "Stars." The Yellow Brick Road, which was built to run from the plaza (which is currently being demolished to build a high-rise with chain restaurants and businesses) to the train platform, is a prominent motif taken from the 1939 classic movie “The Wizard of Oz,“ a movie which was an inspiration to Luján's work.
Magú's artwork became famous in its own right throughout the 1980s and 1990s as it used colorful imagery, anthropomorphic animals, depictions of outrageously proportioned lowrider cars, festooned with indigenous/urban motifs juxtaposed , graffiti, Dia De Los Muertos installation altars and all sorts of borrowings from pop-culture. Magú states:

"My art intentions, over the years, have been to use Mesoamerican heritage as well as implementing current popular Art and cultural folk sources as the content substance to make Chicanarte."^[3]

Installations and exhibitions

• Hollywood/Vine (Los Angeles Metro station)
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• Corcoran Gallery of Art
• University of California, Irvine
• Brooklyn Museum
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
• Guadalupe Center for the Arts
• Centro de la Raza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
• "Inaugural Museum Show" at the El Paso Art Museum, El Paso, Texas
• "Le Demon des Anges", a European Art Tour, with 16 Chicano Artists in Nante & Leon, France; Barcelona, Spain; and in Sweden
• "Caliente y Picante" an HBO Art Special

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Christopher Mayer, American actor (The Dukes of Hazzard, Santa Barbara, Liar Liar) died he was , 57.

Christopher "Chip" Mayer born George Charles Mayer III in Manhattan, New York City, was an American film and TV actor died he was , 57.

(February 21, 1954 – July 24, 2011),

Mayer played the role of Vance Duke in the 1982-1983 season of The Dukes of Hazzard for 17 episodes. Mayer continued his work in television and movies into the early 1990s, including a stint on the daytime serial Santa Barbara. He also played Kenneth Falk in the film Liar Liar (1997) alongside Jim Carrey.
His last TV credit was a guest appearance on the television show 18 Wheels of Justice in 2000. He had not worked in the industry in over a decade when he died.
Mayer was married to actress Teri Copley. Together they had a daughter, Ashley.
Mayer's second marriage was to Eileen Davidson, an actress on the daytime serial The Young and the Restless.
Mayer's third marriage was to actress Shauna Sullivan in 1988, and he had two more daughters, Alexandra and Angelica.
Mayer was engaged to be married to Catherine Irvine at the time of his death.
On July 23, 2011 he was found dead of natural causes at home in Sherman Oaks, California.^[1]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Dan Peek,, American singer-songwriter (America) died he was 60.

Dan Peek was a musician best known as a member of the rock band America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell died he was  60.. He was also a "pioneer in contemporary Christian music."

(November 1, 1950 – July 24, 2011)

America

Peek contributed lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, and harmonica to their recordings during his tenure in the band. As a member of America, Peek wrote or co-wrote four Top 100 singles: "Don't Cross The River" (#35), "Lonely People" (#5), "Woman Tonight" (#44), and "Today's the Day" (#23), all of which he also sang lead on. "Lonely People" and "Today's the Day" also hit number 1 on the Billboard AC charts.^[3]
During this period Peek was "a spectrum drug abuser, alcoholic, you name it". In 2004 Peek released an autobiography about this era entitled An American Band: The America Story which was very difficult for him to write because of the bad memories it brought up.^[1] His last musical collaboration was in 2011 in the album of the Spanish band "Etcetera" - Steps On The Water - where he sang "Kiss Me On The Waves", written and arranged by Guillermo Albelo.

Contemporary Christian music

Peek left the band shortly after the February 1977 release of the Harbor album. Years of life on the road had taken a toll on him.^[4] He renewed his Christian faith and had begun to seek a different artistic direction than Beckley or Bunnell. He went on to sign with Pat Boone's Lamb & Lion Records^[4] and found modest success as a pioneering artist in the emerging Christian pop music genre, outside of rejoining Beckley and Bunnell on stage on one spontaneous occasion several years after.^{[citation needed]}
Peek's debut solo album, All Things Are Possible was released in 1979. Chris Christian co-wrote, produced, and contributed backing vocals on All Things Are Possible and reached the Billboard charts, making the Top 10 in the A/C Billboard chart and number 1 in the Christian charts. Another song on the album was "Love Was Just Another Word", which was recorded in LA and written by Chris Christian and Steve Kipner. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell contributed the background vocals. This was the last time the three original members of "America" recorded together.^{[citation needed]} Peek followed "All Things Are Possible" with "Doer of the Word". "Doer of the Word" was a number 1 Christian hit and Gerry Beckley sang background vocals on the record, but Beckley did the recording at Chris Christian's studio in Dallas and Dan was not present.
Peek's first solo album and single became popular hits on contemporary Christian music (CCM) radio stations and charts. The single "All Things Are Possible" not only hit number 1 on the CCM singles chart, it also crossed over to the Billboard singles and adult contemporary charts, becoming one of the earliest CCM's crossover hits. At the 22nd Grammy Awards, the album was nominated,^[2] losing in the Contemporary Gospel category to The Imperials album Heed the Call.
Peek waited five years before releasing a second solo album, 1984's Doer of the Word. While several of his songs would make the CCM charts, none crossed over to the Pop or Adult Contemporary charts. The title track, "Doer of the Word", was an upbeat, very "America-like" song^{[citation needed]} that was backed by Beckley. It hit number 2 on the CCM charts. 1986 saw the release of his Electrovoice album, again to the CCM market, which included a remake of "Lonely People", featuring a very similar lead vocal treatment and overall arrangement that was done on the original America version years prior. He changed some of the song's lyrics to reflect his Christian faith,^{[citation needed]} for example the lines "And ride that highway in the sky" and "You never know until you try" became "And give your heart to Jesus Christ."
Peek spent much of the 1990s in semi-retirement, occasionally recording music at his home in Bodden Town, Grand Cayman Island.^[4] He released several solo projects and collaborated with Ken Marvin and Brian Gentry as "Peace" on three albums. In the years before his death, Peek released music via his website.

Personal life

Peek was born in Panama City, Florida.^[1] Beginning in 1963, Peek was educated at London Central Elementary High School at Bushey Hall in North London. In 1973 he married Catherine Maberry,^[3] with whom he would write a number of songs, including "Lonely People".^[5] He published an autobiography entitled An American Band, based on America's most successful period, and his own spiritual journey.^[4]
Peek died in his sleep on July 24, 2011 at age 60 at his home in Farmington, Missouri.^[1]

Discography

Table Key:
CCM – Contemporary Christian Music Chart
BB – Billboard Pop Singles Chart
AC – Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart
CB – Cash Box Singles Chart

Year	Title Album -------------------------- Single	CCM	BB [6]	AC [6]	CB [7]	Comments
1979	All Things Are Possible (album)	-	-	-	-	Produced by Chris Christian
1979	"All Things Are Possible"	1	78	6	95	13 weeks at number 1. Nominated for a “Grammy” award.
1980	"Ready for Love"	-	-	-	-	7 Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart
1981	"Divine Lady"	23	-	-	-	-
1979	On This Christmas Night	-	-	-	-	Produced by Chris Christian
1979	"The Star"	-	-	-	-	"On Christmas Night" Christmas song
1984	Doer of the Word (album)	-	-	-	-	-Produced by Chris Christian
1984	"Doer of the Word"	2	-	-	-	Backing vocal by Gerry Beckley
1985	"Power and Glory"	-	-	-	-	-
1986	Electro Voice (album)	-	-	-	-	-
1986	"Lonely People"	2	-	-	-	Remake of Peek’s 1975 hit with America
1986	"Electro Voice"	7	-	-	-	-
1987	Cross Over (album)	-	-	-	-	-
1987	"Cross Over"	13	-	-	-	-
1988	Best of Dan Peek	-	-	-	-	-
1989	Living Water	-	-	-	-	With Marvin and Gentry
1994	Stronger Than You Know	-	-	-	-	Peace with Marvin and Gentry
1997	Peace	-	-	-	-	Peace with Marvin and Gentry
1998	"Summer Rain"	-	-	-	-	Peace with Marvin and Gentry
1999	Bodden Town	-	-	-	-	-
2000	Under the Mercy	-	-	-	-	Peace with Marvin and Gentry
2000	"On Wings of Eagles"	-	-	-	-	-
2000	Caribbean Christmas	-	-	-	-	Instrumental
2001	Driftin'	-	-	-	-	-
2002	Guitar Man	-	-	-	-	-
2006	Guitar Man II	-	-	-	-	Digital Internet release
2007	All American Boy	-	-	-	-	Digital Internet release
2011	Kiss Me On The Waves (Collaboration in the album "Steps On The Water" of the Spanish band "Etcetera")	-	-	-	-	Digital Internet release

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here