/ Stars that died in 2023

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Jet Harris, British musician (The Shadows), died from throat cancer he was , 71.

Jet Harris, MBE (born Terence Harris);  was an English musician. He was the bass guitarist of The Shadows until April 1962, and had subsequent success as a soloist and as a duo with the drummer Tony Meehan died from throat cancer he was , 71..

(6 July 1939 – 18 March 2011)

Early life and career with the Shadows

Harris, the only child[1] of Bill and Winifred Harris,[2] was born Terence Harris at Honeypot Lane, Kingsbury, North London, England.[3] His prowess as a sprinter at Dudden Hill secondary modern school earned him the nickname Jet.[4] Although he learned to play clarinet as a teenager, he made his own four-string double bass to play in a jazz group and later graduated to a professionally made double bass. In 1958, while playing jazz with drummer Tony Crombie and his group the Rockets, Crombie got a Framus bass guitar for Harris, making him one of the first British exponents of the instrument.[4]
He played in several groups including the Vipers Skiffle Group and the Most Brothers before, in 1959, joining Cliff Richard's backing group the Drifters,[5] who later changed their name to The Shadows at Harris's suggestion. In 1959, after the neck of his Framus was terminally damaged in a dressing room accident, he was presented by the importers with a Fender Precision Bass, one of the first to come to Britain from the United States.[citation needed]
Harris also contributed vocally, adding backup harmonies and occasional lead vocals. He had a trademark scream used in the Shadows' "Feeling Fine" and Cliff Richard's "Do You Wanna Dance?"
In Mike Read's book The Story of the Shadows Harris lays the blame for the start of his depression and related alcohol addiction with Carol Costa, whom he married in 1959.[1] She, the first of Harris’s four wives, had an affair with Cliff Richard, and remains the only woman known definitively to have slept with Richard.[6]
In 1962, he left the Shadows following disagreements (documented in The Story of The Shadows, written by the group with Mike Read).[7] He had been forced to resign after Bruce Welch made an off-hand remark about his wife's ongoing affair with Richard. He had never been given time off from the Shadows during 1959-62 to facilitate a reconciliation with his wife and/or deal with his depression and alcoholism.

With Tony Meehan

He signed with Decca and released solo instrumental and vocal work with some success. Then, as part of a duo with former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan, he topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in early 1963 with "Diamonds".[8] Harris and Meehan followed this with two further hit singles, "Scarlett O'Hara" (also written by Jerry Lordan) a UK #2, and "Applejack" (composed by Les Vandyke) reaching UK #4 also in 1963.[8] Harris's singles were relatively unusual in that they made prominent use of the bass as a lead instrument which was an idea he got from Big Jim Sullivan, and the best of them—"Diamonds," "The Man With the Golden Arm", and "Man From Nowhere"—had a menacing, shuddering bass reminiscent of the best James Bond soundtracks.[3] Harris was partly responsible for helping both Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones break into the music business. Page's first major session was as a rhythm guitarist on "Diamonds", in late 1962. After "Diamonds" became a hit, Harris and Meehan hired Jones to play bass in their touring band.[9] There were several court appearances involving drunkenness and violent behaviour [4]before the partnership with Meehan came to an abrupt end in September 1963 when a car crash (in which his girl-friend, singer Billie Davis,[10] was also injured), meant that this success did not last long.[3][11] Harris attempted a solo comeback in 1966 and was briefly in the line-up of the Jeff Beck Group in 1967, but somewhat fell out of the music industry.[3] He then worked variously as a labourer, bricklayer, porter in a hospital, bus conductor, and as a seller of cockles on the beach in Jersey.

 Later career

Harris was declared bankrupt in 1988.[2] The BBC reported that it took Harris 30 years of heavy drinking before he finally admitted to being an alcoholic and sought help. For many years Harris made a point in his stage shows of saying how long it had been since he quit drinking, winning applause from audiences who knew how it had wrecked his career in the 60s. But fans noted that from 2007 Harris stopped saying he no longer drank. Harris still played occasionally, with backing band the Diamonds or as a guest with the Rapiers, and teamed up with Tony Meehan for a support performance in Cliff Richard's 1989 'The Event' concerts.
In 1998, he was awarded a Fender Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in popularising the bass guitar in Britain. He appeared annually in Bruce Welch's 'Shadowmania' and tours each year with the Rapiers (a Shadows tribute band) who are recording artists in their own right. He recorded continuously from the late 1980s with a variety of collaborators including Tangent, Alan Jones (also an ex-Shadows bassist who retired due to a serious car accident), Bobby Graham and the Local Heroes. His previous problems with stage nerves had seemingly disappeared, and 2006 saw Harris's first single release in over forty years, "San Antonio".[citation needed]
In 2007 Harris was invited by legendary UK singer Marty Wilde to be special guest on his 50th Anniversary tour. This culminated in an evening at the London Palladium with other guests including Wilde's daughters Kim and Roxanne, Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, members of the original Wildcats - Big Jim Sullivan, Licorice Locking and Brian Bennett, who also joined Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of the Shadows on stage with Wilde and his band the Wildcats (Neville Marten and Eddie Allen on guitar, Roger Newell bass, John Dutton keyboards and Bryan Fitzpatrick, drums). The show's finale featured the closest thing to a Shadows reunion possible with Marvin, Welch, Harris and Brian Bennett (who in 1962 had replaced the late Tony Meehan) all appearing on stage with the show's company.
The evening was filmed and a DVD released, with Harris playing three songs - "Diamonds", "Theme From Something Really Important" and "Scarlett O'Hara" - backed by the Wildcats.
So successful was this tour that Wilde repeated the invitation to join him on his 2010 Born To Rock And Roll tour, which finished in Basingstoke on November 20. Harris has said that this was his most enjoyable working experience in years.
In a December 2008 interview for the Daily Mail, Harris spoke about not having been invited to join the Shadows for their 50th anniversary, at the Royal Variety Performance.[12]
His fan club arranged a 70th birthday party for him on 5 July 2009, at the Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare.[13] He resided in Bembridge, Isle of Wight,[14] while receiving treatment for throat cancer.

MBE

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[15]
In 2010, Harris was presented with a special award from the US Fender guitar company for his services to their company in effectively launching their bass guitar in the UK in 1960.

Personal life and death

Harris had 4 sons.[2] He was a heavy smoker[2] and died on 18 March 2011, two years after being diagnosed with throat cancer, at the home of his partner Janet Hemingway, in Winchester.[16][17][18][19]

Personnels of pre-Shadows groups

1952 - School band
  • Peter Newman (saxophone) + John Welsh (clarinet) + Jet Harris (bass) + Ray Edmunds (drums)
1956 - The Delinquents (jazz trio)
  • ? (vocals) + ? (guitar) + Jet Harris (bass) + ? (drums)
1956-57 - Wee Willee Harris & Tony Crombie's Rockets
  • ? (vocals) + ? (guitar) + Jet Harris (bass) + Tony Crombie (drums)
1958 - The Vipers (aka The Vipers Skiffle Group)
  • 7" single (Liverpool Blues/Summertime Blues on Parlophone)
  • Wally Whyton (vocals) + Johnny Booker (guitar) + Freddie Floyd (guitar) + Jet Harris (bass) + Tony Meehan (drums)
  • 1958 - The Vipers - live concert
  • Wally Whyton (vocals) + Johnny Booker (guitar) + Hank Marvin (guitar) + Jet Harris (bass) + Johnny Pilgrim (wb)

Discography

Singles

  • "Besame Mucho" (solo) - May 1962 (Decca F11466) UK #22
  • "Main Title Theme (from The Man With the Golden Arm)" (solo) - August 1962 (Decca F11488) UK #12
  • "Diamonds" b/w "Footstomp" (with Tony Meehan) - January 1963 (Decca F11563) UK #1
  • "Scarlett O'Hara" b/w "(Doing the) Hully Gully" (with Tony Meehan) - April 1963 (Decca F11644) UK #2
  • "Applejack" (with Tony Meehan) - September 1963 (Decca F11710) UK #4
  • "Theme For a Fallen Idol" / "Guitar Man"
  • "Big Bad Bass" / "Rifka"
  • "Diamonds" / "Big Bad Bass From Texas"
  • "My Lady" / "You Don't Live Twice" - 1967 (Fontana TF 849) (arranged by Tony Meehan)
  • "San Antonio" (solo) - 2006
  • "Jet Harris / Wild One (Real Wild Child) - Decca[8]

EPs

  • Jet Harris - Decca DFE 8502

Albums

  • Inside Jet Harris - Ellie Jay Records/ Castle Records (1977)
  • Diamonds and Other Gems - Deram 820634-2 (1989)
  • The Anniversary Album - Q Records (1992)
  • Twelve Great Guitar Gems - Zing Records (1994)
  • Live Over England - Zing Records (1996)
  • Beyond The Shadow of a Doubt - Zing Records (1993)
  • Two of a Kind (with Alan Jones) - Zing Records (1997)
  • Tributes and Rarities - Zing Records (1995)
  • One of Our Shadows is Missing (with The Local Heroes) (1998)
  • The Phoenix Rises - Mustang Music (2001)
  • Diamonds are Trumps - Solent Records (2002)
  • The Journey - Crazy Lighthouse Records (2007)

Bibliography

Books
  • Driftin' with Cliff Richard, by J. Harris, R. Ellis and C. Richard
  • The Shadows by Themselves by Royston Ellis with The Shadows. Consul Books. 1961. No ISBN.
  • The Story of the Shadows by Mike Read. 1983. Elm Tree books. ISBN 0-241-10861-6.
  • That Sound (From "Move It" on, the story of the magic sound of The Shadows), by R.Pistolesi, M.Addey & M.Mazzini. Publ: Vanni Lisanti. June 2000. No ISBN.
  • The Complete Rock Family Rock Trees, by Pete Frame. Omnibus. ISBN 0711968799.
  • Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (19th Edn), David Roberts. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  • The Complete Book of the British Charts Singles and Albums, by Neil Warwick, Jon Kutner & Tony Brown, 3rd Edn. ISBN 978-1844490585.
  • Jet Harris — Survivor, by Dave Nicolson, ISBN 978-0-9562679-0-0, 31 October 2009.
Sheet Music books
  • The Jet Harris Guitar Book Francis Day & Hunter Ltd. No ISBN. (16 pages)



To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Charlie Metro, American baseball player and manager (Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics), died from mesothelioma he was , 91.

Charlie Metro (born Charles Moreskonich);was an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics, as well as a manager for the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals died from mesothelioma he was , 91.. He adopted the name "Metro" from his father, Metro Moreskonich, a Ukrainian immigrant. At age 18, he attended a tryout camp for the St. Louis Browns, and he bounced around in the minor leagues. In 1940, he joined the Texarkana Liners, then an independent baseball team but which became affiliated with the Detroit Tigers. Due to his light hitting ability, he was never able to become a full-time starter, although he did make the Tigers club out of spring training in 1943. He was released by the Tigers in 1944, partly because of his attempts to organize a players union.

(April 28, 1919 – March 18, 2011)


The Philadelphia Athletics picked him up, and, under Connie Mack, Metro won 'a shot' at starting center fielder; but his inability to hit consistently cost him this job. At the end of 1944 he joined the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, where he played under another manager, Casey Stengel. In 1947, he was hired as a manager within the New York Yankees organization, and soon he moved up the ranks to AAA. Eventually, he got his first big-league managing job with the Chicago Cubs in their "College of Coaches." He was fired after the 1962 season; then he joined the crosstown Chicago White Sox as a scout, but soon returned to managing in the PCL.
In 1968, Metro joined the front office of the expansion Kansas City Royals, where he had an active hand in the expansion draft. He took over as manager when Joe Gordon resigned after only one season at the helm.[2] But there his stint as manager was shorter than his Cubs tenure, lasting only 54 games (19 wins-35 losses). He was replaced by Bob Lemon. Metro went back to scouting for the Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then followed coaching stints with the Oakland Athletics, and in 1984 he returned to the Dodgers as a scout. After being dismissed by Los Angeles, Metro retired to his Denver ranch. He died in Buckingham, Virginia on March 18, 2011 from mesothelioma.


To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Kirk Wipper, Canadian founder of the Canadian Canoe Museum died he was , 87.

Kirk Albert Walter Wipper, C.M. was a Canadian academic and founder of the Canadian Canoe Museum, which is presently located in Peterborough, Ontario died he was , 87. He has been called a "pioneer in the development of outdoor education in Canada."

 

(December 6, 1923 – March 18, 2011) 

Biography

Wipper was born December 6, 1923, in Grahamdale, Manitoba.

Canadian Canoe Museum

Wipper formed the Kanawa International Collection of Canoes, Kayaks and Rowing Craft.[1] His collection, which consisted of more than six hundred individual watercraft, including kayaks and canoes, became the basis for what would become the Canadian Canoe Museum.[1] In 1957, Wipper was gifted a dugout canoe, which is believed to have been crafted in 1890.[1] Wipper soon began collecting other watercraft, which grew to approximately one hundred fifty pieces by the late 1960s.[1] Wipper constructed a facility to house his collection at Camp Kandalore, a summer camp he owned in the vicinity of Dorset, Ontario.[1] However, his growing collection outgrew this building, necessitating a search for a new facility.[1] Wipper was contacted by a group of individuals, including several affiliated with the Trent University, who were interested in moving his collection to a permanent exhibition space in Peterborough, Ontario.[1] Wipper agreed to the proposal and a board of directors was formed for the project in 1989.[1] In 1994, Wipper donated his entire collection to the new Canadian Canoe Museum in Petersborough.[1] He remained active in the museum as a volunteer and consultant.[1]

Academic career

Wipper became a faculty member of the University of Toronto's School of Physical and Health Education in 1950.[1] He worked as an assistant professor at the University of Toronto until his retirement in 1987.[1] Wipper then served as the director of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award of Canada and the President of the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada following his retirement from academia.[1] Wipper also founded Camp Kandalore in Ontario and co-founded the Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association[2]

Honors

In 2002, Wipper was named to the Order of Canada.[2] He was also a recipient of the Ontario Bicentennial Medal and the Government of Canada Centenary Medal.[1]
Kirk Wipper died from a choking accident related to Parkinson's disease while eating dinner with friends and family in Petersborough on March 18, 2011, at the age of 87.[1][2] He was survived by his wife, Ann.[1]

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Moisis Michail Bourlas, Greek Resistance veteran died he was , 92.

Moisis Michail Bourlas was a Greek Jewish member of the World War II resistance died he was , 92.

(May 9, 1918 – March 17, 2011) 

Biography

He was born Moisis Bourlas on May 9, 1918 in Cairo. His parents were both Greek Jews, his father from the city of Volos and his mother from the island of Khios. Moisis was the fourth child of a large family. His parents were forced to return to Greece due to financial problems. The Bourlas family first established in Naoussa and then in Thessaloniki. Since his childhood Moisis assisted his father who was employed in a bakery.
After finishing high school, he became an apprentice turner (lathe operator). In 1935, Bourlas became a member of OKNE, the Organization of Communist Youths of Greece. When World War II erupted, Bourlas was serving in the Engineers' Arms of the Greek Military in the Greek part of Thrace. As an army bridge constructor, he was transferred to the Albanian front to combat the Italian invasion of 1940-1941, where he fought in the front line. In February 1943, right after the Nazi occupation forces had imposed their "racial measures" that eventually led to the Holocaust, Bourlas joined the rebel forces of ELAS (Greek National Liberation Army) under the alias "Byron", and fought in the 30th Regiment on the mountain of Paiko near Kilkis.
In the summer of 1945, after the Varkiza agreement that preluded the Greek Civil War, Bourlas was arrested for his political convictions and exiled in the Greek islands of Icaria, Makronisos and Ai Stratis. Thanks to a Greek-Israeli agreement in 1951, Bourlas was released from his exile and immigrated to Israel. He worked there as a turner, while he was actively involved in the Communist Party of Israel and the workers' movement. He stayed in Israel until 1967, when the anti-communism of the Israeli society developed after the Six-Day War forced him and his Russian Jewish wife to flee the country. After a short stay in Bulgaria, Bourlas and his wife went to the Soviet Union, where they established in a town near the Ural mountains. During his stay in the Soviet Union, Bourlas adopted the middle name "Michail".
Bourlas continued to work as a turner until 1982, when he became a pensioner and started his efforts to return to Greece. He established in the city of Sukhumi in the Georgian SSR, where he became a Greek language teacher to the young Greek students of the area. He returned to Greece in August 1990, without any resources or financial aid, where he started a new struggle to survive and regain his Greek citizenship that he had lost when he emigrated to Israel. Bourlas eventually succeeded to regain his citizenship in 1999. In 2000, he published his autobiography "Greek, Jew and Left" (Greek: Έλληνας, Εβραίος και Αριστερός) under the name of Moisis Michail Bourlas.
During the last years of his life, Moisis Michail Bourlas lived in the Saoul Modiano Home for the Elderly in Thessaloniki. He continued to be actively involved in the Greek left and the city's affairs. In 2002 and again in 2006, he ran as a candidate for the city council of Thessaloniki, in the ticket of "Thessaloniki for Citizens and Ecology" led by Tasos Kourakis. He passed away on March 17, 2011. His remains are buried in the Jewish cemetery of Stavroupoli, Thessaloniki.

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Monday, May 9, 2011

Banny deBrum, Marshallese diplomat, Ambassador to the United States (1996–2008, 2009–2011) and Canada (1999–2011) died he was , 54

Banny deBrum  was the ambassador of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the United States until his death in March 2011 died he was , 54.

(1956 – March 17, 2011)

He assumed his role as Ambassador in 1996 (with a hiatus in 2008-2009). Banny de Brum graduated from Regis University (Denver, Colorado) in 1981 with a B.A. in Sociology. He was later assigned to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Embassy in Washington in 1987 as Deputy Chief of Mission. In 1995, he became Chargé d'Affaires when Ambassador Wilfred Kendall resigned to seek a seat in the RMI parliament.
He has also served as Acting Permanent Representative in the absence of the RMI Ambassador to the United Nations.
Since 1994, he has served as the Chairman of the Washington Pacific Committee. This committee, composed of representatives of all Pacific Embassies including the three Freely Associated States (Micronesia, Palau and the RMI), promotes regional, political and cultural interests in the capital.
Banny de Brum also served as High Steward and Chairman of the Board of Advisors for EUCLID (Euclid University) between 2009 and 2011.
He died in Honololu, Hawaii, in March of 2011.[2]

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Michael Gough, British actor (Sleepy Hollow, Batman), died after a short illness he was , 94.

Michael Gough  was an English character actor who appeared in over 150 films died after a short illness he was , 94.. He is perhaps best known to international audiences for his roles in the Hammer Horror films from 1958, and for his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four movies of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise, beginning with Batman (1989).

 

(23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011)

Early life and career

Michael Gough was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya (now Malaysia), the son of British parents Frances Atkins (née Bailie) and Francis Berkeley Gough.[3][4][5] Gough was educated in Rye Hill school, Tunbridge Wells, and Durham School, he moved onto Wye Agricultural College which he left to go to the Old Vic.[6][7] During World War II Gough was a conscientious objector, like his friend Frith Banbury, although he was obliged to serve in the Non-Combatant Corps[8] and was a member of No. 6 Company, NCC, in Liverpool.[9] Gough made his film debut in 1948 in Blanche Fury, and since appeared extensively on British television. In 1955, he portrayed one of the two murderers who kill the Duke of Clarence (John Gielgud) as well as the two little princes in Laurence Olivier's Richard III.
Gough became known for appearances in horror films including Dracula (1958), Horrors of the Black Museum (1959), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), The Corpse (Velvet House, 1970) and Norman J. Warren's stockbroker-satanism debut Satan's Slave (1976).
Gough guest-starred on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, as the villain in the serial The Celestial Toymaker (1966) and also as Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity (1983). He also played the automation-obsessed, wheelchair-using Dr. Armstrong in "The Cybernauts", one of the best remembered episodes of The Avengers (1965). In the Ian Curteis television play Suez 1956 (1979) he played Prime Minister Anthony Eden. He also appeared in The Citadel (1983) as Sir Jenner Halliday, and in 1985's Out of Africa as Lord Delamere.

Later roles

His later roles included Alfred Pennyworth for director Tim Burton, including Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). He also reprised his role as Alfred in the 1994 BBC radio adaptation of Batman: Knightfall and in Joel Schumacher Batman films, Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). Gough was one of two actors to have appeared in the four Batman films; the other actor was Pat Hingle (as Commissioner Gordon). Gough worked for Burton again in 1999's Sleepy Hollow and 2005's Corpse Bride. He also briefly reprised his Alfred role in six 2001 television commercials for the OnStar automobile tracking system, informing Batman of the system's installation in the Batmobile. As a favor to Burton, Gough came out of retirement once more to appear in Burton's Alice in Wonderland.[10]

Awards and nominations

He won Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for Bedroom Farce. He was also nominated in the same category in 1988 for Breaking the Code.
He won a BAFTA TV Award in 1957 and was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in 1972 for his work in The Go-Between.
He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play in 1979 for Bedroom Farce and again in 1988 for Breaking the Code.

Personal life

Gough was married four times—one of his ex-wives is Anne Elizabeth Leon (born 1925). They married in 1950, their daughter Emma Frances was born in 1953 and they divorced in 1964.[5] Another ex-wife is Doctor Who actor Anneke Wills, who played the Doctor's companion Polly. Wills had encountered him at various times during her life—firstly during a theatre trip with her mother in 1952—but they first met formally, on the set of Candidate for Murder and the attraction was instant. Gough adopted Wills's daughter Polly, and in 1965 their son Jasper was born.

Death

Michael Gough died on 17 March 2011 in London[citation needed] at the age of 94 after a short illness. He was survived by his fourth wife, Henrietta, daughter Emma and sons Simon (who is married to actress Sharon Gurney, the daughter of the late Upstairs Downstairs actress Rachel Gurney) and Jasper.[11] Michael Keaton, his co-star in the first two Batman films, said that Gough was sweet and charming and wrote, "To Mick – my butler, my confidant, my friend, my Alfred. I love you. God bless. Michael (Mr Wayne) Keaton."[12]

Filmography

Year↓ Title↓ Role↓ Notes
1948 Anna Karenina Nicholai
1948 Blanche Fury Laurence Fury
1948 Saraband for Dead Lovers Prince Charles
1949 The Small Back Room Capt. Dick Stuart
1951 Blackmailed Maurice Edwards
1951 The Man in the White Suit Michael Corland
1953 Twice Upon a Time Mr. Lloyd
1953 The Sword and the Rose Duke of Buckingham
1953 Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue Duke of Montrose
1955 Richard III Dighton, the first murderer
1956 Reach for the Sky Flying Instructor Pearson
1957 Ill Met by Moonlight Andoni Zoidakis
1958 Dracula Arthur Holmwood
1958 The Horse's Mouth Abel
1959 Model for Murder Kingsley Beauchamp
1959 Horrors of the Black Museum Edmond Bancroft
1961 What a Carve Up! Fisk, the butler
1961 Konga Dr. Charles Decker
1962 The Phantom of the Opera Ambrose D'Arcy
1963 Black Zoo Michael Conrad
1965 Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Eric Landor Segment four: "Disembodied Hand"
1965 The Skull Auctioneer
1966 Alice in Wonderland March Hare
1966 Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker Celestial Toymaker
1967 Berserk! Albert Dorando
1968 Curse of the Crimson Altar Elder
1969 Women in Love Tom Brangwen
1969 A Walk with Love and Death Mad Monk
1970 Julius Caesar Metellus Cimber
1970 Trog Sam Murdock
1970 The Go-Between Mr. Maudsley
1970 The Corpse Walter Eastwood Also known as Velvet House and Crucible of Horror
1972 Henry VIII and His Six Wives Norfolk
1972 Savage Messiah M. Gaudier
1973 Horror Hospital Dr. Christian Storm
1973 The Legend of Hell House Emeric Belasco Uncredited
1976 Satan's Slave Uncle Alexander Yorke
1978 The Boys from Brazil Mr. Harrington
1981 Venom David Ball
1982 Smiley's People Mikhel
1983 Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity Councillor Hedin
1983 The Dresser Frank Carrington
1984 Oxford Blues Doctor Ambrose
1984 Top Secret! Dr. Paul Flammond
1984 A Christmas Carol Mr. Poole
1985 Out of Africa Baron Delamere
1986 Caravaggio Cardinal Del Monte
1987 Inspector Morse: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn Philip Ogleby
1987 The Fourth Protocol Sir Bernard Hemmings
1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow Schoonbacher
1989 Strapless Douglas Brodie
1989 Batman Alfred Pennyworth
1989 Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome Alfred Pennyworth Voice
1991 Let Him Have It Lord Goddard
1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Russia 1910 Leo Tolstoy
1992 Batman Returns Alfred Pennyworth
1993 The Age of Innocence Henry van der Luyden
1993 The Hour of the Pig Magistrate Boniface
1993 Wittgenstein Bertrand Russell
1995 Batman Forever Alfred Pennyworth
1997 Batman & Robin Alfred Pennyworth
1998 St. Ives Comte de Saint-Yves
1999 The Cherry Orchard Feers
1999 Sleepy Hollow Notary Hardenbrook
2005 Corpse Bride Elder Gutknecht Voice
2010 Alice in Wonderland Uilleam Voice; Final role

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Ferlin Husky, American country music singer, died from heart failure he was , 85.

Ferlin Eugene Husky  was an early American country music singer who was equally adept at the genres of traditional honky honk, ballads, spoken recitations, and rockabilly pop tunes died from heart failure he was , 85.. He had two dozen Top 20 hits in the Billboard country charts between 1953–1975; his versatility and matinee-idol looks propelling a seven-decade entertainment career.[1]
In the 1950s and 60s, Husky's hits included "Gone" and "Wings of a Dove", each reaching No. 1 on the country charts. He also created a comic outspoken hayseed character, Simon Crum; and recorded under the stage name Terry Preston from 1948–1953.[2]
In 2010, Husky was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

(December 3, 1925 – March 17, 2011)

Biography

Husky was born in Cantwell, a community of east Desloge, Missouri. His mother named him Furland, but his name was misspelled on his birth certificate. Husky grew up on a farm near Flat River and attended school in Irondale. He learned guitar from an uncle. After dropping out of high school, Husky moved to St. Louis, where he worked as a truck driver and steel mill

worker while performing in honky tonks at night.[3]
During World War II, Husky served as a United States Merchant Marine for five years, entertaining troops on transport ships. His Crum character evolved from stories he told at the time about a Missouri neighbor named Simon Crump.[4] His website states that his ship participated in the D-Day invasion of Cherbourg.
After the war, Husky continued to develop the Crum chracter while working as a disc jockey in Missouri and then Bakersfield, California in the late 1940s. He began using the moniker Terry Preston at the suggestion of Smiley Burnette, who claimed Ferlin Husky would never work on a marquee.[5] As a honky tonk singer, Husky signed with Capitol Records in 1953 under the guidance of Cliffie Stone, also the manager for Tennessee Ernie Ford. With Capitol Records, he returned to using his given name. A few singles failed before "A Dear John Letter" with Jean Shepard became a No. 1 hit. The followup was called "Forgive Me John".
In 1955, Husky had a solo hit with "I Feel Better All Over (More Than Anywheres Else)"/"Little Tom". As Simon Crum, he signed a separate contract with Capitol Records and began releasing records, the biggest of which was 1959's "Country Music is Here to Stay" (No. 2 for three weeks).
In the late 1950s, Husky had a long string of hits, including the No. 1 "Gone" in 1957 (he first recorded "Gone" as Terry Preston in 1952, but the earlier version lacked the strings and backup singers of the newly-emerging Nashville sound). "Gone" was a crossover success, also reaching No. 4 on the pop music chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[6] The song's popularity led to a stint as a summer replacement host in 1957 on CBS-TV's Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.[7]
He then began an acting career, appearing on Kraft Television Theatre, and portraying himself in the 1957 film Mr. Rock & Roll (his website states he had bit parts in 18 films, including with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mamie Van Doren). Bob Ferguson's "Wings of a Dove" became his biggest hit in 1960, topping the country charts for ten weeks and attaining No. 12 on the pop chart. Husky was also known for his ability to mimic other popular country singers, including Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kitty Wells.
Although he did not have more chart-toppers, he charted three dozen hits between 1961 and 1972, with the biggest being "Once" (1967) and "Just for You" (1968). In late 1972, after over 20 years with Capitol, Husky signed with ABC Records, where he scored several Top 40 hits into 1975, with the biggest being the Top 20 "Rosie Cries a Lot" (1973). Husky briefly retired in 1977 following heart surgery but resumed touring. He remained a popular concert draw, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere. He was married four times and for the last 6 years of his life lived with his long time love, Leona Williams (former wife of Merle Haggard).
Husky suffered from cardiopathy for many years and was hospitalized several times since the late 1970s, including for heart surgery in 2005 and blood clots in his legs in 2007. He was admitted to St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Missouri on April 19, 2009 with congestive heart failure and pneumonia. On July 15, 2009 his spokesman said he was recuperating at home after being released from a Nashville hospital. As recently as 2009, he lived in Vienna, Missouri.
On February 23, 2010, the Country Music Association announced his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was heralded for his vocal and comic prowess—and "all around showmanship"—that left a legacy as "one of the best entertainers country music has ever produced".
On January 16, 2011, Husky was honored at West St. Francois County High School in Leadwood, Missouri where local singers and the high school choir sang some of his hits. Husky also donated several items of memorabilia, including his Country Music Hall of Fame award, to the city of Leadwood. They will be permanently stored at the high school.
On March 8, 2011 Husky was hospitalized again after several days of not feeling well. By the weekend he had improved and was preparing to move out of the coronary care unit, but on March 17, Husky died at his daughter's home in Westmoreland, Tennessee of congestive heart failure.[8]

Honors

Husky was one of the first country singers to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for recording) at 6675 Hollywood Blvd.
The street that runs through the city park in Leadwood, Missouri is named for him.[9]

Discography

Albums

Year Album US Country Label
1956 Songs of the Home and Heart
Capitol
1957 Boulevard of Broken Dreams
1958 Sittin' on a Rainbow
1959 Born to Lose
Ferlin Husky
King
1960 Easy Livin'
Ferlin's Favorites
Capitol
"Gone"
1961 Walkin' and a Hummin'
Memories of Home
1962 Some of My Favorites
1963 The Unpredictable Simon Crum
The Heart and Soul of Ferlin Husky
The Hits of Ferlin Husky
1964 By Request 20
1965 True True Lovin'
1966 Ferlin Husky Sings the Songs of Music City, U.S.A. 20
I Could Sing All Night 18
1967 What Am I Gonna Do Now? 22
Christmas All Year Long
1968 Just for You (and the Hush Puppies) 19
Where No One Stands Alone
White Fences and Evergreen Trees 44
1969 The Best of Ferlin Husky 42
That's Why I Love You So Much 24
1970 Your Love Is Heavenly Sunshine 25
Green Green Grass of Home
Your Sweet Love Lifted Me 31
1971 One More Time 35
1972 Just Plain Lonely 39
1973 True True Lovin'
ABC
Sweet Honky Tonk
1974 Freckles and Polliwag Days 44
Champagne Ladies and Blue Ribbon Babies 43
1975 Foster and Rice Songbook

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Album
US Country US CAN Country
1953 "A Dear John Letter" (w/ Jean Shepard) 1 4
singles only
"Forgive Me John" (w/ Jean Shepard) 4 24
1955 "I Feel Better All Over (More Than Anywhere's Else)" 6

"Little Tom" 7

"Cuzz Yore So Sweet" (as Simon Crum) 5

The Unpredictable Simon Crum
"I'll Baby Sit with You" (w/ His Hush Puppies) 14

single only
1957 "Gone" 1 4
"Gone"
"A Fallen Star" 8 47
"Prize Possession" 12

1958 "I Will" 23

"Country Music Is Here to Stay" (as Simon Crum) 2

The Unpredictable Simon Crum
1959 "My Reason for Living" 14

"Gone"
"Draggin' the River" 11

singles only
"Black Sheep" 21

1960 "Wings of a Dove" 1 12
1961 "Willow Tree" 23

1962 "The Waltz You Saved for Me" 13 94
Some of My Favorites
"Somebody Save Me" 16

singles only
"Stand Up" 28

"It Was You" 21

1964 "Timber I'm Falling" 13

By Request
1965 "True True Lovin'" 46

True True Lovin'
"Money Greases the Wheels" 48

Ferlin Husky Sings the Songs of Music City, U.S.A.
1966 "I Could Sing All Night" 27

I Could Sing All Night
"I Hear Little Rock Calling" 17

1967 "Once" 4

"What Am I Gonna Do Now" 37

What Am I Gonna Do Now?
"You Pushed Me Too Far" 14

Just for You
1968 "Just for You" 4

"I Promised You the World" 26
13 single only
"White Fences and Evergreen Trees" 25
18 White Fences and Evergreen Trees
1969 "Flat River, MO" 33

"That's Why I Love You So Much" 16
11 That's Why I Love You So Much
"Every Step of the Way" 21
23 Your Love Is Heavenly Sunshine
1970 "Heavenly Sunshine" 11
6
"Your Sweet Love Lifted Me" 45

One More Time
1971 "Sweet Misery" 14
23
"One More Time" 28
31
"Open Up the Book (And Take a Look)" 45

single only
1972 "Just Plain Lonely" 39

Just Plain Lonely
"How Could You Be Anything But Love" 53

single only
1973 "True True Lovin'" (re-recording) 35
29 True True Lovin'
"Between Me and Blue" 46
75 Sweet Honky Tonk
"Baby's Blue" 75

"Rosie Cries a Lot" 17
33
1974 "Freckles and Polliwog Days" 26
36 Freckles and Polliwog Days
"A Room for a Boy...Never Used" 60

1975 "Champagne Ladies and Blue Ribbon Babies" 34

Champagne Ladies and Blue Ribbon Babies
"Burning" 37

"An Old Memory (Got in My Eye)" 90

Foster and Rice Songbook
"She's Not Yours Anymore" 74


To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Dickey Betts died he was 80

Early Career Forrest Richard Betts was also known as Dickey Betts Betts collaborated with  Duane Allman , introducing melodic twin guitar ha...