Carl Gardner, American singer (The Coasters) died he was , 83.

Carl Edward Gardner was an American singer, best known as the foremost member and founder of The Coasters. Known for the 1958 song "Yakety Yak", which spent a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 died he was , 83..

(April 29, 1928 – June 12, 2011)

Life and career

Gardner was born in Tyler, Texas, to Rebecca and Robert Gardner.^[1] As a singer, his first major career success came with The Robins, a rhythm and blues group which had a big hit in the early 1950s, "Smokey Joe's Café".^[1]
After leaving that group, Gardner formed the Coasters with Bobby Nunn in 1955, at the behest of the songwriting/producing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Coasters went on to produce several enduring classics of 1950s rock and roll music including "Yakety Yak", "Charlie Brown", and "Poison Ivy".^[1]
Together with the other members of the Coasters – Cornell Gunter, Billy Guy and Will "Dub" Jones – Gardner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.^[2]
Gardner's son, Carl Jr., officially joined The Coasters in late 2005, after Gardner semi-retired, although Carl Jr. had been touring with them since at least 1998.
Carl Gardner, Sr. died on June 12, 2011, after suffering with congestive heart failure and vascular dementia (according to the Coasters website).^[3] His son Carl, Jr., having taken over as lead singer, carries on with the group.

 

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John Hospers, American philosopher, first Libertarian Party presidential candidate (1972) died he was , 93.

John Hospers was an American philosopher died he was , 93.  In 1972 he was the first presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, and the only minor party candidate to receive an electoral vote in the 1972 U.S. Presidential election.


(June 9, 1918 – June 12, 2011)

Education and career

Born in Pella, Iowa, Hospers graduated from Central College. Hospers earned advanced degrees from the University of Iowa and Columbia University. He conducted research, wrote, and taught in areas of philosophy, including aesthetics and ethics. He taught philosophy at Brooklyn College and at the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Philosophy, where for many years he was chairman of the philosophy department.^[3]
Hospers was professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Southern California.
In 2002, an hour-long video about Hospers' life, work, and philosophy was released by the Liberty Fund of Indianapolis, as part of its Classics of Liberty series.^[4]

Works

Hospers' books include: Meaning and Truth in the Arts (1946), Introductory Readings in Aesthetics (1969), Artistic Expression (1971), Law and the Market (1985), Introduction to Philosophical Analysis (now in the 4th edition, 1996), Human Conduct (now in its 3rd edition, 1995), Understanding the Arts (1982), and Libertarianism – A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow (1971). He was editor of three anthologies, and contributed to books edited by others. He authored about 150 articles in various scholarly and popular journals.
Hospers was editor of The Personalist (1968–1982) and The Monist (1982–1992), and was a senior editor at Liberty magazine.^[5]

Friendship with Ayn Rand

During the period he taught philosophy at Brooklyn College, Hospers was much interested in Objectivism. He appeared on radio shows with Ayn Rand, and devoted considerable attention to her ideas in his ethics textbook Human Conduct.^[6]
According to Rand's biographer, Barbara Branden, Hospers met Rand when she addressed the student body at Brooklyn College. They became friends, and had lengthy philosophical conversations. Rand's discussions with Hospers contributed to her decision to write nonfiction. Hospers read Atlas Shrugged, which he considered an aesthetic triumph. Hospers also became convinced of the validity of Rand's moral and political views, but disagreed with her about issues of epistemology, the subject of their extensive correspondence.^[7] Rand broke with Hospers after he criticized her talk on "Art as Sense of Life," before the American Society of Aesthetics at Harvard.^[8]

Politics

In the 1972 U.S. Presidential election, John Hospers and Tonie Nathan were the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, respectively, of the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party was poorly organized, and Hospers and Nathan managed to get on the ballot in only two states^[9] (Washington and Colorado), receiving 8715 popular votes.^[10] They received one electoral vote from faithless elector Roger MacBride, a Republican from Virginia, resulting in Nathan becoming the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a United States presidential election.^[9]

[edit] Electoral history

United States presidential election, 1972

• Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (R) (inc.)—47,168,710 (60.7%) and 520 electoral votes (49 states carried)
• George McGovern/Sargent Shriver (D)—29,173,222 (37.5%) and 17 electoral votes (1 state and D.C. carried)
• John Hospers/Theodora Nathan (Libertarian)—8,715 (0.0%) and 1 electoral vote
• John G. Schmitz/Thomas J. Anderson (American Independent)—1,100,868 (1.4%)
• Linda Jenness/Andrew Pulley (Socialist Workers)—83,380 (0.1%)
• Benjamin Spock/Julius Hobson (People's)—78,759 (0.1%)
• Others—135,414 (0.2%)

 

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Kathryn Tucker Windham American author and journalist died she was , 93,

Kathryn Tucker Windham was an American storyteller, author, photographer, and journalist. She was born in Selma, Alabama and grew up in nearby Thomasville .died she was , 93,
Windham got her first writing job at the age of 12, reviewing movies for her cousin's small town newspaper, The Thomasville Times. She earned a B.A. degree from Huntingdon College in 1939. Soon after graduating she became a reporter for the Alabama Journal. Starting in 1944 she worked for The Birmingham News. In 1946 she married Amasa Benjamin Windham with whom she had three children. In 1956 she went to work at the Selma Times-Journal where she won several Associated Press awards for her writing and photography. She died on June 12, 2011.

(June 2, 1918 – June 12, 2011)

Ghost stories

Kathryn Tucker Windham wrote a series of books of "true" ghost stories, based on local folklore, beginning with 13 Alabama ghosts and Jeffrey (1969). Other titles were Jeffrey introduces 13 more Southern ghosts (1971), 13 Georgia ghosts and Jeffrey (1973), 13 Mississippi ghosts and Jeffrey (1974), 13 Tennessee ghosts and Jeffrey (1976), and Jeffrey's latest 13: more Alabama ghosts (1982). In 2004, she wrote Jeffrey's favorite 13 ghost stories, which was a collection of featured stories from the previous books.

Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a purported ghost that took up residence in the Windham house in October 1966.^[3][5] According to a letter printed in the foreword to 13 Alabama ghosts and Jeffrey, Windham became interested in ghost stories after this ghost began to haunt her family. At first, the family heard footsteps in rooms that would later be found empty. Sometimes, objects had been moved.^[6]
A photo of Jeffrey was accidentally taken when some young people visiting the Windham home decided to play with a Ouija board in an effort to contact the ghost. When photos from that night were developed, a dark shadowy blot with a vaguely human-like shape was found to be in one image. Soon after this picture was taken, Windham contacted Margaret Gillis Figh, who was a noted collector of ghost stories, to ask about Jeffrey. Out of that meeting, the idea for 13 Alabama ghosts and Jeffrey was born.^[6]

Storytelling

Following an invitation to speak at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, she began to gain attention for storytelling. She often appeared at storytelling events, historical meetings and classrooms. Her stories about ghosts and growing up and living in the Southern United States have earned her a place on National Public Radio's All Things Considered which has brought her national attention and praise. She also did stories and commentaries on Alabama Public Radio's Alabama Life.^[7]
She was the founder of the Alabama Tale Tellin' Festival, which has been held annually in Selma from 1978.^[8] Kathryn Tucker Windham appeared on stage in a one woman play about Julia Tutwiler. The play was named They Call Me Julia and was based on Kathryn Tucker Windham's book of the same name.

Museum

The Thomasville campus of Alabama Southern Community College is home to the Kathryn Tucker Windham Museum.^[9] Her personal papers and manuscripts from 1939–1995 were donated to the special collections department of the Auburn University Libraries.^[10]

Honors and film

On December 14, 1993, she was awarded the Honoroary Degree Doctor of Literature from the University of Montevallo.
On August 18, 2003, she was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor, having been nominated by fellow Alabamian, novelist Harper Lee.^[4][11] In 2008, Windham was named ABA Citizen of the Year by the Alabama Broadcasters Association.^[12]
The 2004 documentary film, Kathryn: The Story of a Teller, directed by Norton Dill, chronicles Windham's life and varied careers.^[13]

Bibliography

• Treasured Alabama recipes, Strode Publishers (1964)
• 13 Alabama ghosts and Jeffrey, Strode Publishers (1969), ISBN 978-0817303761
• Exploring Alabama, Strode Publishers (1970)
• Jeffrey introduces 13 more Southern ghosts, Strode Publishers (1971), ISBN 978-0817303815
• Treasured Tennessee recipes, Strode Publishers (1972)
• Treasured Georgia recipes, Strode Publishers (1973)
• 13 Georgia ghosts and Jeffrey, Strode Publishers (1973), ISBN 978-0817303778
• 13 Mississippi ghosts and Jeffrey, Strode Publishers (1974), ISBN 978-0817303792
• Southern cooking to remember, Strode Publishers (1974), ISBN 978-0873970983
• Alabama: one big front porch, Strode Publishers (1975), ISBN 978-0873970891
• 13 Tennessee ghosts and Jeffrey, Strode Publishers (1976), ISBN 978-0873971089
• The ghost in the Sloss furnaces, Birmingham Historical Society and AmSouth Bank (1978)
• Count those buzzards! Stamp those grey mules!: Superstitions remembered from a Southern childhood, Strode Publishers (1979), ISBN 978-0873971492
• Jeffrey's latest 13: more Alabama ghosts, Strode Publishers (1982), ISBN 978-0873972321
• Terrible legends in America, Seibido (1986) ISBN 978-4791900374
• A Serigamy of stories, University Press of Mississippi (1988), ISBN 978-0878053544
• Odd-egg editor, University Press of Mississippi (1990), ISBN 978-0585180106
• The autobiography of a bell, United Methodist Children's Home (1991)
• My name is Julia, Birmingham Public Library Press (1991) ISBN 978-0942301182
• A sampling of Selma stories, Selma Printing Service (1991)
• Twice blessed, Black Belt Press (1996) ISBN 978-1881320470
• Encounters, Black Belt Press (1997), ISBN 978-1881320944
• The bridal wreath bush, Black Belt Press (1999), ISBN 978-1880216927
• Piano lessons and other recollections, Major Tiara Press (2000)
• It's Christmas!, River City Publishers (2002), ISBN 978-1579660314
• Common threads : photographs and stories from the South CKM Press (2004) ISBN 978-0963671318
• Jeffrey's favorite 13 ghost stories, New South Books (2004), ISBN 978-1588381705
• Ernest's gift, Junebug Books (2004), ISBN 978-1588381491
• Twice Blessed, River City Publishers (2007), ISBN 978-1579660802
• Spit, Scarey Ann, and Sweat Bees: One Thing Leads to Another, NewSouth Books (2009), ISBN 978-1588382405

 

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Laura Ziskin, American film producer (Pretty Woman, Spider-Man, What About Bob?), died from breast cancer she was , 61.

Laura Ellen Ziskin was an American film producer  died from breast cancer she was , 61. In 1990, Ziskin was the sole executive producer of the hit comedy Pretty Woman. Ziskin became the first woman to produce the Academy Awards telecast alone, producing the 74th Academy Awards in 2002 and the 79th Academy Awards in 2007.

(March 3, 1950 – June 12, 2011)

Life and career

Ziskin was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, California, the daughter of Elaine Edelman, and Jay Ziskin.^[3] Jay was a psychologist and lawyer who died of prostate cancer aged 77 on June 14, 1997.^[4] Her family was Jewish.^[5] After graduating from the University of Southern California USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1973,^[3] Ziskin started out writing for game shows, then became the personal assistant of Jon Peters. Ziskin quickly became a development executive, moving into feature films with Jon Peters' production company where she worked on the 1976 remake of A Star Is Born, starring Barbra Streisand. When she was about 27, Ziskin married writer Julian Barry, relocating to Connecticut to help him raise his three children from a previous marriage. The two later had a daughter, Julia Barry.^[3][6] In 1978, she was the associate producer of The Eyes of Laura Mars. Ziskin was married to Alvin Sargent from 2010 until her death.^[3]

Fogwood Films and as an independent producer

Ziskin formed Fogwood Films with partner Sally Field in 1984, and produced Murphy's Romance. As an independent producer, Ziskin cast the relatively unknown actors Kevin Costner and Sean Young with veteran Gene Hackman and produced the hit thriller No Way Out for Orion Pictures. In 1988, Ziskin and partner Ian Sander produced two films featuring Dennis Quaid, the remake of D.O.A. and Taylor Hackford's Everybody's All-American.

Touchstone Pictures

Ziskin's success came with the hit comedy Pretty Woman in 1990, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, that Ziskin executive produced for Touchstone Pictures. The following year was a let-down for Ziskin and Touchstone alike, with What About Bob? and The Doctor both failing at the box office. A switch to Columbia resulted in Stephen Frears' Hero in 1992, a loose remake of 1941's Meet John Doe, for which Ziskin both produced and supplied the story. Ziskin directed her first short film in 1994, Oh, What a Day! 1914 and produced the Nicole Kidman tour-de-force To Die For in 1995, under the banner of Laura Ziskin Productions.

Fox 2000

By the time that last film was in release, Ziskin had been appointed president of Fox 2000, one of several off-shoots 20th Century Fox developed to speed up their production and distribution. Since the formation of Fox 2000, Ziskin rounded up an impressive number of directors and writers. Among those released were Edward Zwick's Gulf War drama Courage Under Fire and the romantic comedy One Fine Day and Pat O'Connor's Inventing the Abbotts and the big-budget disaster film Volcano. Ziskin and Tom Rothman helped develop the script for The English Patient before studio head Bill Mechanic returned the rights to director Anthony Minghella, who then got it produced and distributed through Miramax.^[7]
Ziskin executive produced As Good as It Gets in 1997. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and three acting nods, and its stars, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, took home the leading role Oscars in the acting categories.

Columbia Pictures

After nearly five years on the job, Ziskin resigned from Fox 2000 in November 1999 and within a month had a production deal at Columbia Pictures. After being tapped to serve as the first solo female producer of an Academy Awards telecast in 2002, Ziskin returned to the big screen with the highly anticipated feature version of Spider-Man. The film was released on May 3, 2002 to good reviews from critics, went on to break box office records, and became the highest grossing film of 2002. The success of the film led to two sequels, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. In 2002, Ziskin was also awarded the Crystal Award by Women in Film for her efforts at expanding the role of women in the entertainment industry.^[8]

Breast cancer activism

In February 2004, Ziskin was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, a disease doctors had repeatedly missed previously because of the diffuse type of cancer she had.^[9]
On May 28, 2008, Ziskin, along with Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Noreen Fraser Foundation and Ellen Ziffren, announced the creation of Stand Up To Cancer. SU2C is an initiative intended to enable cutting-edge research targeting all types of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, brain cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, etc.
Ziskin died of breast cancer at her home in Santa Monica, California on June 12, 2011, aged 61.^[2][10]

Selected filmography as producer and executive producer

• The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
• Spider-Man 3 (2007)
• The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)
• Stealth (2005)
• Spider-Man 2 (2004)
• Spider-Man (2002)
• The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) (TV)
• As Good as It Gets (1997)
• To Die For (1995)
• Hero (1992)
• The Doctor (1991)
• What About Bob? (1991)
• Pretty Woman (1990)
• Everybody's All-American (1988)
• The Rescue (1988)
• D.O.A. (1988)
• No Way Out (1987)
• Murphy's Romance (1985)

 

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Paul Alter, American television director (Family Feud) died he was , 89.

Paul Alter was a former American television director, specializing in game shows for Mark Goodson Productions died he was , 89. Alter was best known as the original director of Family Feud from the show's origin in in the mid-1970s until the early 90's.

(March 11, 1922 – June 11, 2011)

Early life and career

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Alter studied piano with Teddy Wilson, from the Benny Goodman Quartet.^[2] Alter became a talented musician. Later on, Alter would put his talent to use composing the 1969 theme for To Tell the Truth.

Television work

His first job as a game show director was on the original CBS version of Beat the Clock in 1950. He then began a long association with Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, where he worked on many of their shows including What's My Line?, I've Got A Secret and To Tell The Truth. Alter directed the original version of Family Feud which ran on ABC from 1976 to 1985. When Family Feud was revived in 1988, Alter directed on that version as well until October 1990, when Alter left the show to direct the revival of To Tell the Truth. Another show for which he directed both versions was The Price Is Right. He first worked on the original incarnation in New York starring Bill Cullen that ran from 1956 to 1965. In 1986 he became director of the current version of the show, replacing original director Marc Breslow. Alter was relieved of his position as director of The Price Is Right in 2000 by Pearson Television due to an unfavorable deposition against host Bob Barker.^[3] Bart Eskander replaced Alter as director of The Price Is Right, though Alter briefly regained his position as part of a special agreement with Pearson.
He retired following his departure from The Price Is Right. On E! True Hollywood Story episode on Family Feud, Alter's gave some insight on popular game show hosts saying: "Dawson became more of the boss. That happens to any M.C. who becomes popular, he can call the shots".^[4]

"Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" lawsuit

In 1980, Alter submitted to the Walt Disney Company a story treatment about a kid who, due to a genetic accident, grew to an enormous size, which he based on his granddaughter's knocking over toys. By 1991, it became the movie Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Alter sued Disney that year, claiming several similarities between that movie and his treatment. His case went to trial in 1993, which resulted in the jury awarding him $300,000. ^[5]

Death

Alter died on June 11, 2011.

 

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Giorgio Celli, Italian entomologist and politician (The Greens–European Free Alliance) died hew as , 75.

 Giorgio Celli was an Italian entomologist, ecologist, professor, writer, and politician  died hew as , 75..

(16 July 1935 – 11 June 2011)

Early life

Celli was born in Verona. After receiving his degree in biological sciences in 1959, Celli taught at the University of Bologna. His research focused on pesticides in the context of bees and agroecosystems.

Writing and acting

Celli wrote novels, plays, and poetry. In 1975 he won the Pirandello Prize for his play Le tentazioni del professor Faust. His works were performed at Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto.
As an actor, Celli appeared in films such as Pupi Avati's La mazurka del barone, della santa e del fico fiorone.^[2] On television, he hosted the documentary programme Nel regno degli animali.

Politics

Celli was a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004, representing The Greens–European Free Alliance. At the same time he was a councillor for the city of Bologna, with the Federation of the Greens party.

Death

On 10 May 2011 he was admitted for surgery at Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi in Bologna. He died in Bologna on 11 June 2011.

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Jyotirmoy Dey, Indian journalist, died after he was shot he was , 56.

Jyotirmoy Dey also known as Jyotendra Dey, Commander J, and J Dey, was an Indian journalist, crime and investigations editor for MiD DAY (a tabloid newspaper published in several cities in India) and an expert on the Mumbai underworld  died after he was shot he was , 56..
He was shot dead by motorcycle-borne sharpshooters on 11 June 2011.

(1955 – 11 June 2011),

Career

Dey started his career with Hindustan Lever. A wildlife enthusiast, he first started writing on forest encroachment and the man-animal conflict in Borivali National Park. A story about government departments taking away land in the reserved national park created a furore in the state legislature.
He started his journalistic career as a freelancer with Afternoon Despatch and Courier writing about crime in the wildlife areas. He also dabbled in photojournalism. He then started free lancing for Mid Day before joining them full time. He joined Indian Express in 1996 and soon switched to covering crime stories, especially on Mumbai underworld. In 2005, he joined Hindustan Times. He later re-joined MiD Day as crime and investigations editor.
Dey had authored two books on underworld activities, Zero Dial: The Dangerous World of Informers and Khallas. He has done many reports on underworld dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.

Personal life

He is survived by Shubha Sharma, also a journalist and mother Bina Dey.

Death

J Dey was going back home from Ghatkopar after meeting his mother Bina Dey on his motorcycle on 11 June 2011 around 3PM, he was shot dead by four unidentified motorcycle-borne gunmen in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai,^[1] Mumbai. He was taken to Powai Hospital but they did not have the facilities so he was rushed to Hiranandani hospital later. He was reported dead on arrival, with nine exit wounds on his body, at the Hiranandani hospital.
The police believe the murder was a professional job, and may be related to his reporting on the oil mafia.^[2] The oil mafia, which pilfers oil being transported and also dilutes it before sale, has been under pressure since the killing of Yashwant Sonawane in January 2011.^[3] He had also recently reported that Chhota Rajan was the mastermind behind a murder attempt on don Dawood's brother, Iqbal Kaskar, in Mumbai.
The murder was widely denounced by the press and the local government. ^[4]

Police investigation

The investigation of the Dey's murdered was handed over to the Crime Branch Department of Mumbai Police. Media persons from across different sections demanded that the investigations should be handed over to the CBI. Several media persons met the state's chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, to put forth their demand of handing over the case to the CBI. The chief minister remained adamant that the integrity of Mumbai Police should not be underestimated and the police should be given time to crack the case.
On 27 June 2011, after sixteen days of investigations, the Crime Branch declared they have cracked the case. Police officials caught seven people from different locations of India. Of which three were detained from Chembur, in Mumbai; one in Solapur; and remaining two from Rameshwaram, in Tamil Nadu.^[5] All the suspects reside in different parts of Mumbai except Satish Kalia, who settled down in Trivandrum after the birth of his daughter and cases against him were cleared. After the shootout they fled to evade arrest. All the seven suspects Rohit Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalia, Arun Dake, Anil Waghmode, Bablu, Sachin Gaikwad, Mangesh and Chotu are history-sheeters. The suspects were allegedly from Chhota Rajan gang. Additional Police Commissioner (Crime) Himanshu Roy, who was supervising the case said in a press conference that Chhota Rajan approached Satish Kalia who in turn organised the team to carry the shootout. Satish Kalia was the man who shot J Dey, said the police. The commissioner also added the shootout was carried out on the behest of Chhota Rajan, and the shooters were allegedly kept in dark about the profession of Jyotirmoy Dey.^[6]

 

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