In 2024, we've experienced the loss of several luminaries in the world of entertainment. These beloved figures—actors, comedians, musicians, singers, and coaches—have touched our lives with their talent, passion, and dedication. They've left an indelible mark on our hearts and shaped the world of entertainment in ways that will continue to inspire and influence generations to come.
Among the incredible actors who bid farewell this year, we mourn the loss of a true chameleon who effortlessly.
Alison Stephens was an English classical mandolin player and film musician died from cervical cancer she was , 40.[1]
Originally from Bromley, Kent, Stephens was educated at James Allen's Girls' School and Haileybury and began playing the mandolin at the age of seven, inspired by a father who had played the instrument during the second world war.[2] She was the first graduate in the instrument from Trinity College of Music in London.[3] She gave her first public performance of a concerto at the Barbican Hall in 1987 and subsequently gave recitals all over the world. She played for opera and ballet companies and was a performer on the scores of films such as The Queen, The Golden Compass, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
(1 March 1970, Bickley, Kent – 10 October 2010)
Death
Stephens was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008,[4] and was treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. After undergoing a second round of treatment in 2009 with a new form of radiation therapy, tomotherapy, she made a full recovery and spent much of the last two years of her life fundraising for cancer charities. In June 2010, the cancer returned and Alison died at the Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge on October 10.
Reg King was an Englishsinger and songwriter, most famous for being the solo and lead singer with The Boys and The Action died from cancer he was , 65. He died of cancer, aged 65, in October 2010.
Ryō Ikebe was a Japaneseactor. He graduated from Rikkyō University and originally wanted to be a screenwriter, but ended up debuting as an actor at Tōhō in 1941.[1] He did not achieve popularity until starring in a series of youth films in the late 1940s. He expanded his acting range in the 1950s, while still frequently appearing in genre films, such as Tōhō tokusatsu films and yakuza films at Tōei. He was also known as an essayist.[1]
( 池部 良,Ikebe Ryō?) (11 February 1918 - 8 October 2010)
Neil Grant Richardson was an English composer and conductor died he was , 80,. As a composer, he is perhaps best known for "Approaching Menace" (the Mastermind theme tune) and "The Rivera Affair" (used for WOR-TV's The 4 O'Clock Movie). During the 1960s–1990s, he was an arranger and conductor of various BBC Radio Orchestras, working on programmes such as String Sound and The Radio Orchestra Show.[2] He was a prolific composer of library music for labels such as KPM, and his music has been used in numerous TV, film and radio productions.[2]
The son of a Worcestershire clergyman, Neil Richardson was born in Stourport-on-Severn on 5 February 1930, and grew up in the village of Hartlebury.[3] At aged eight he went to become a chorister at Westminster Abbey.[2] After leaving the Abbey school, he became a music scholar at Lancing College, Sussex and continued his musical studies at the Royal College of Music, studying clarinet, piano and composition with professor William Lloyd Webber.[2] During his National Service, he played solo clarinet with the band of the Royal Air Force at Cranwell. After completing his national service, he began a career as an arranger, writing and conducting for the BBC, particularly the then-numerous BBC Radio and concert orchestras.[2] He was instrumental in creating the BBC Northern Radio Orchestra in 1975 and was its conductor for many years.[2]
As a composer, Richardson was most famous for his library music; incidental music for use in films and television, for example his "Approaching Menace", used as the theme to Mastermind.[3] In the 1960s he often composed under the pseudonym "Oscar Brandenburg", a name he shared with Johnny Pearson and Alan Moorhouse, also well known in this area.[4] For example, he co-composed the famous test card piece "Scotch Broth".
Another of his library music compositions, "The Riviera Affair" (aka "Prestige Production," from the 1970 KPM album Impact and Action, Vol. II), is best known to New Yorkers as the opening theme music for WOR-TV's late-afternoon movieprogram, The 4 O'Clock Movie, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[5] The song was also used as part of an homage of The 4 O'Clock Movie in the opening logo sequence for the 2007 heist film, Ocean's Thirteen.[2]
He also orchestrated and conducted some of Richard Rodney Bennett's film music, such as for the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral and Enchanted April. He was also an arranger for numerous television productions including Agatha Christie's Poirot and The Charmer.[3]
Born on April 16, 1956, Lavitz grew up in New Jersey. He started taking piano lessons at the age of seven and was offered a scholarship at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan where he studied before attending the University of Miami's School of Music. While in his senior year at the UM he was asked to join the Dixie Dregs. He accepted the invitation and played his first show in January 1979. 'Dregs of the Earth', released in 1980, was the first Dregs album he could be heard on. In 1981 he won the 'Best New Talent' category of Keyboard Magazine's Annual Readers Poll.
The Dregs broke up in January 1983 and T Lavitz, Rod Morgenstein and Andy West went on tour with former Little Feat guitarist/singer Paul Barrere. 'Extended Play', a five song EP is released in 1984. The album also featured future Dregs and Steve Morse Band bass player Dave LaRue. In 1985 Lavitz joined the Bluesbusters, a blues-rock quintet also featuring Paul Barrere, guitarist/singer Catfish Hodge, bass player Freebo (Bonnie Raitt) and drummer Larry Zack. They released two albums and toured extensively. His first solo album 'Storytime' was released in 1986. The critically acclaimed 'Players' album with Jeff Berlin, Steve Smith and Scott Henderson was released in 1987.
The Dregs reunited in 1988 to record two songs as a demonstration CD for the Ensoniq company. A short tour followed with Dave LaRue replacing Andy West. Later that year T Lavitz joined the reformed Mother's Finest on tour. Tours with Bill Bruford and the Billy Cobham Trio followed.
In 1991 T Lavitz was invited to join Widespread Panic after playing keyboards on their first album for the revived Capricorn Records label. Lavitz toured with Widespread Panic from April of 1991 through the end of that year, but left the band as the Dixie Dregs reunited and re-signed with Capricorn Records in 1992. The re-formed Dixie Dregs shared a bill with Widespread Panic at two events in February 1992 with Lavitz performing with both bands; these were his final two appearances as the keyboardist for Widespread Panic. The Dixie Dregs recorded 'Bring 'Em Back Alive' during a tour in February. Violinist Allen Sloan, who had become an anesthesiologist, was unable to continue touring and was replaced by former Mahavishnu Orchestra violinist Jerry Goodman. That year T Lavitz won the 'Jazz Keyboardist of the Year' category of Keyboard Magazine's Annual Readers Poll. 'Full Circle', the first Dregs studio album in 12 years, was released in 1994. Another solo album 'Gossip' was recorded before T joined Jefferson Starship in 1996. Jazz Is Dead was formed at the end of 1997 with T Lavitz, Jimmy Herring, Alphonso Johnson and Billy Cobham interpreting the Grateful Dead's music in a jazzy, instrumental vein. "Blue Light Rain" was recorded during the first tour in 1998. Billy Cobham was replaced by Rod Morgenstein and Jeff Sipe by the time the second album 'Laughing Water' was released.
The Dixie Dregs did a short tour in late August 1999. The band was joined by original members Andy West and Allen Sloan. Lavitz continued touring with Jazz Is Dead and also whenever possible with the Dixie Dregs.
In the first part of the new millennium T Lavitz took part in several projects. 'Endangered Species', with Jimmy Herring, Richie Hayward and Kenny Gradney was released in 2001, 'Cosmic Farm', with Rob Wasserman, Craig Erickson and Jeff Sipe, was released in 2005 and 'Boston T Party', with Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin and Dave Fiuczynski, was released in 2006. In the summer of 2006 he began teaching at the Summer Performance Program at the Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA.
Lavitz died on October 7, 2010.[1]
Antonie Kamerling was still a law student when in 1990 he was cast in the then new Dutch soap operaGood Times, Bad Times. His character, Peter Kelder, quickly became one of the most popular on the program. In 1993 he got the lead in De Kleine Blonde Dood, directed by Jean van de Velde. At the time, his casting was quite controversial, as soap actors were considered to be inferior to 'professional' actors. Kamerling eventually got nominated for a Gouden Kalf for best actor, the most important Dutch film award. In 1997, he starred in another film by Van de Velde, All Stars. For the film, about an amateur football team, he sang the theme song, "Toen Ik Je Zag" (literal translation: "When I Saw You"), written by the popular Dutch singer Guus Meeuwis. The song was released as a single under his character's name, Hero, and soon was a number one hit on the Dutch charts. From that moment on, he tried to get a music career, but could never repeat the success of his first single.
After that point, Kamerling played in a couple more films, the most successful being I Love You Too (2001), and in television series like All Stars – De Serie and ONM. Later in his career, he played in a couple of musicals, including starring roles in the musical versions of Turkish Delight and Sunset Boulevard.
Personal life
Antonie Kamerling was married to actress Isa Hoes. They met on the set of the Dutch prime time soap opera Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden (literally "Good Times, Bad Times"). They had two children together, son Merlijn and daughter Vlinder. His sister, Liesbeth is also an actress.
Kamerling was praised for his charity work with development organization “Edukans”, helping their efforts to provide basic education to underpriviledged children in developing countries.[citation needed]
Kamerling suffered from depression and committed suicide on October 6, 2010.[2] He was 44 years old.
Naniwa debuted professionally in 1993 in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, immediately making an impact as one of the most popularfaces within the company. His first major attempt at becoming a top performer saw him compete in the 1995 Super J Cup. Naniwa managed to get to the quarterfinals, but he was later eliminated by Jushin Liger, who later went on to win the Super J Cup.[1] In the late 1990s, Naniwa competed in the United States for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he wrestled Gran Hamada in January 1998 at the ECW House Party event.[2] After this, Naniwa took a brief hiatus for a few years but made his return in 2006, again under his Gran Naniwa ring name, competing in a match for New Japan Pro Wrestling's now defunct WRESTLE LAND "brand".
Death
Naniwa died on October 6, 2010 due to a heart attack at the age of 33, although many wrestling news outlets mistakenly stated that Naniwa was 34.
