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.
Jackson Kaujeua Namibian musician, composer and gospel singer,has died of kidney disease he was , 56. Kaujeua was a Namibianmusician, composer and gospelsinger, and a veteran of the Namibian struggle for independence. He sang in various Namibian languages and English.
In 1973 he started studying music at the Dorkay Art & Music College for talented Non-Whites in South Africa. However, he was soon expelled from the country for anti-apartheid activism, and went into exile in 1974.[2] After a short time in Botswana, the SWAPO-resistance movement (with which he was associated with until his death)[4][5] helped him to move to the UK, where he soon became the lead singer of the group Black Diamond. International success followed with songs such as "Winds of Change".[3]
Having lived as a teacher in an Angolan refugee camp for a short time in 1979, he returned to Namibia only after independence in 1990, where he celebrated great successes with his music, especially with !Gnubu !Nubus (Damara: 'short and round').[3] As of the late 1990s, he was still one of the best-known Namibian musicians.[6]
Kaujeua died on 27 May 2010, after suffering from a kidney disorder for the last six months.[2] He had lived poor and died poor. He was formally unemployed for most of his life, living off his performances and royalties. Calls for some sort of employment or empowerment for his role as "musical ambassador for the liberation struggle" were not heard by the authorities.[3]
Judy Lynn Kelly , who performed as Judy Lynn and was born Judy Lynn Voiten, was an American country music singer and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Idaho 1955.[1]
(April 16, 1936 – May 26, 2010)
Lynn was born in Boise, Idaho. As a teenager she joined a nationwide tour of Grand Ole Opry. She was all of 19 at the time getting written up in a national hillbilly publication. She was part of a singing duo back then in school, performing at various functions such as at civic clubs or rodeos. She won several trips in competitions with singers from other schools from around the country. She was also cheerleader for three consecutive years.
She got a bit of a break when some folks from the Grand Ole Opry were doing a tour up in the northwest. The cast included Ernest Tubb, Ferlin Husky, Red Foley, Jean Shepard and T. Texas Tyler. But Jean Shepard got ill during the trip and the show manager, John Kelly had to find a replacement. He had heard Judy sing with a Webb Pierce and Slim Whitman on a show in Boise and called her and asked if she could take Ms. Shepard's place. She said yes and her parents signed their consent to a contract for that part of the tour. As a result of that fill-in, she did appearances with Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Lonzo and Oscar and other stars of the Opry.
Then, she toured five full months in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota with T. Texas Tyler. Then, in mid-1953, she signed a 21 day contract with KXJB-TV out of Fargo, North Dakota. Right after that, she headed over to Minot, where she was starring on her own radio show over KLPM from 1:00pm to 1:30pm six days a week.
In 1952, Judy was named "Queen of the Big Snake River Jamboree" where she was part of a show with a famous cowboy singer, Gene Autry. And she was all of 16 at the time that happened, which got her a lot of notoriety in the northwest back then. For an encore, she got to perform with Rex Allen at the same rodeo the next year.
In April 1954, she won the title of "America's Champion Girl Yodeler". And if that wasn't enough, she was chosen "Miss Idaho" in 1955 and went on to Atlantic City to compete for the Miss America crown.
performers. She was hired to fill in for Jean Shepard, who had become ill during the tour.
Lynn retired from the music business in 1980 to become a Christian minister.
Paul Dedrick Gray of (Slipknot) has died he was 38. Gray was an American musician, best known as the bassist of the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Slipknot.
(April 8, 1972 – May 24, 2010)
Gray was born in Los Angeles, California. Later his family relocated to Des Moines, Iowa. In his youth, Gray performed in bands such as Anal Blast, Vexx, Body Pit, and Inveigh Catharsi.
In June 2003, Gray crashed his car into another vehicle. After police were called to the scene and searched his car, Gray was arrested for possession of cannabis, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and failure to obey a traffic signal.[1][2] He was sentenced to one year of informal probation.[3] Turmoil was caused within Slipknot's fanbase when Gray's mugshot from the incident surfaced, as at this time, with the exception of Corey Taylor and guitaristJames Root, unobstructed photographs of most members of the band's faces were exceptionally rare.[4]
At the time of his death, he was one of 3 original members of Slipknot remaining in the band, and the only one who had maintained his original role in the band due to Clown's switch from main drums to custom percussion during the early days. He was one of the two members not born in Iowa (the other is Jim Root, who was born in Las Vegas).
On May 24, 2010, The Des Moines Register reported that Gray had been found dead in a room at the Towneplace Suites hotel in Urbandale, Iowa at about 10:50 local time.[5][6][3][7][8][9][10] He is survived by his wife Brenna who was expecting their first child at the time of his death.[11] An initial autopsy determined that no foul play or trauma was involved, but could not establish the cause of death.[7][8][12] The Polk County medical examiner is currently awaiting the results of a toxicology test.[5][13]
The next day, May 25 2010, The Des Moines Register announced that, according to a 911 tape obtained by WOI-TV, bottles of pills and a hypodermic needle were found next to the body of Gray in his hotel room.[5] On the same day, the band held a formal press conference in Des Moines, Iowa. They did not take any questions from the media. The band and Gray's wife paid tribute to him.
"He was kind of the person in the band that really wanted everybody in the band to always get along and just concentrate on the band. He was a really great friend and a really great person. He's going to be sadly missed, and the world is going to be a different place without him."
Gray used to wear tape around his head for his mask. Later, he switched to a Halloween styled Pig mask which he used for the self-titled era, and it represented his indulgent personality. He was then criticized by members of Mushroomhead, another band who use masks, costumes, and pseudonyms to differentiate themselves from other bands, who said Paul stole the idea from their bassist who also wears a pig mask. During the touring cycle for Iowa, he used a black mask with dark eye and nose holes, with a small slit near his mouth, and it bore a striking resemblance to the Man in the Iron Mask. During the Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) touring cycle, his mask took on a more facial shape and contained small angled metal bars inside a larger mouth area. It was decorated with a bullet hole and small cracks.
Gray had two masks that he used for the All Hope Is Gone era. The first one was a gray leather mask, almost identical to the one used during the Vol.3 era, except the bars were then vertically lined, and it was indented with small cracks. His second mask was almost identical to his previous one, except that white paint had been smudged down the mask in a line from the eyeholes, and was adorned with more visible stitches on the face.
Gray played left-handed. He commonly used a pick on later releases, but he can be heard using the slapping technique in the songs "Do Nothing/Bitchslap" and "Confessions" on Slipknot's demo Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.. He also had a fingerstyle technique, as seen in the DVD, The Making of All Hope Is Gone.
Local legend Bill Webber, who was on Philadelphia radio and TV for six decades, passed away on Sunday, says the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.
The group said Webber, 80, had an apparent heart attack at a Philadelphia area hospital. He was chairman of the Pioneers, a group that honors TV and radio personalities in the Philadelphia area.
Webber was known to a generation of local viewers as Wee Willie Webber, when he hosted cartoon shows on channels 17 and 48.
Webber started his long career in 1954 at WFIL-TV (now 6 ABC) and moved to channel 3 in 1963.
In 1965, Webber became the face of Channel 17 for a decade, working on his kid's show and sporting events.
Webber was on radio at WIP for at least 25 years, and did other local radio shows.
Local legend Bill Webber, who was on Philadelphia radio and TV for six decades, passed away on Sunday, says the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.
The group said Webber, 80, had an apparent heart attack at a Philadelphia area hospital. He was chairman of the Pioneers, a group that honors TV and radio personalities in the Philadelphia area.
Webber was known to a generation of local viewers as Wee Willie Webber, when he hosted cartoon shows on channels 17 and 48.
Webber started his long career in 1954 at WFIL-TV (now 6 ABC) and moved to channel 3 in 1963.
In 1965, Webber became the face of Channel 17 for a decade, working on his kid's show and sporting events.
Webber was on radio at WIP for at least 25 years, and did other local radio shows.
Singer-actress-comedian Carla Zilbersmith has died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis she was 47. Zilbersmith did her best not to let being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the progressive neurodegenerative disease, dampen her high-spirited sense of humor.
"For those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease a couple of weeks ago.... I hate baseball," the San Francisco Chronicle reported the red-haired performer telling an audience at Berkeley's Hillside Club in January 2008. "I'd really much rather have been diagnosed with a basketball disease. Maybe Wilt Chamberlain disease. That's the one where you have sex 20,000 times and then you die."
Zilbersmith, who maintained her sense of humor throughout the progression of her disease and inspired others with how she faced death,died Monday at her home in Berkeley, said her son, Maclen Zilber. She was 47.
"Leave Them Laughing," a documentary about Zilbersmith by Academy Award-winning director John Zaritsky, had its world premiere May 6 at the Hot Docs international documentary festival in Toronto, where the "musical comedy about dying" won the Special Jury Prize for Canadian documentary.
"I've never had so many laughs with any individual as with Carla," Zaritsky told The Times, "but at the same time, she was truly an inspiration for all of us."
As a performer, Zilbersmith received notice for her one-woman show "Wedding Singer Blues," which had its Los Angeles premiere at Upstairs at the Coronet in 2006.
In his review in The Times, David C. Nichols called the show "a festive satirical package" and described Zilbersmith as "a strong-voiced find with a knack for spot-on characterizations that recall Lily Tomlin, dialects, funny story lines and archetypes flying back and forth faster than a rogue garter."
Zilbersmith began having problems with her legs and fell down a number of times in 2007 before being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease that December.
She retired in spring 2008 after 14 years as artistic director and coordinator of the drama department at College of Marin.
"She was an incredibly inspiring creative force on the campus and had a very, very strong following of students," said W. Allen Taylor, who took over Zilbersmith's position when she retired.
The last show Zilbersmith directed at the college was "War and Peacemeal: the Musical,"a loose adaptation of Aristophanes' antiwar play "Peace."
Zilbersmith compared the themes of the play with her battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.
Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer. he was , 67. Dio was an Americanheavy metalvocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser Hear 'n Aid. He was widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal,[1] renowned for his consistently powerful voice and for popularizing the "devil's horns" hand gesture in metal culture. Prior to his death, he was collaborating on a project with former Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice, under the moniker Heaven & Hell, whose first studio album, The Devil You Know, was released on April 28, 2009.[2] Dio died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010.[3][4]
He initially played the trumpet and French horn[6] and even recorded several singles with various rockabilly bands when he was a boy. When he was in high school, he joined a band called The Vegas Kings, in which he played the bass guitar. He eventually became the lead singer of this band, which changed its name to Ronnie & The Rumblers and finally to Ronnie And The Red Caps. Their first 7-inch single was released in 1958 on Reb Records under the name Ronnie & The Redcaps. Its A-side, 'Lover' still had Billy DeWolfe on vocals but Dio's voice can be heard clearly in the back. The B-side, 'Conquest' is an instrumental in the style of the Ventures, featuring Dio on trumpet.
Dio graduated from the Cortland City School in 1960, and was inducted to the Cortland City School Hall of Fame in 2004.[7] He was also honored on November 15, 1988 by his hometown naming a street after him, Dio Way.[8]
During a performance at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien, NY (near Buffalo, NY) on September 19, 2007, Dio revealed that he had attended the University at Buffalo, majoring in pharmacy.[9] University at Buffalo officials confirmed that he did attend from 1960 to 1961 but did not graduate. He formed one of his early bands during his freshman year.[10]
He was offered a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music but did not pursue it due to his interest in rock music.[11] Despite being known for his powerful singing voice, Dio claims never to have taken any vocal training.[5] He attributes his singing ability to the correct breathing techniques he learned when playing the French horn as a child.
Dio's musical career began in 1957 when several Cortland, New York musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings, which soon changed their name to Ronnie and the Rumblers. This band's lineup had Padavona on the bass guitar, along with singer Billy DeWolfe, guitarist Nick Pantas, drummer Tom Rogers, and saxophone player Jack Musci.
In 1958, the band again changed their name, along with a few changes of personnel. The band was now known as Ronnie and the Redcaps. At this point, Padavona began singing, replacing DeWolfe. Musci also left the band, and a new guitarist, Dick Botoff, joined. The Redcaps lineup released two singles: "Lover" b/w "Conquest" (with DeWolfe on vocals on the A-side) on the Reb label, and on Seneca (S 178-102, USA), "An Angel Is Missing" with "What'd I Say" on the B side (both songs featuring Padavona on vocals).
In 1961, they changed their name to Ronnie Dio and The Prophets. The Prophets lineup lasted for quite a long time and produced several singles and one album. Some sources state that some of the single releases were made by Ronnie James Dio solo, but others, such as Dio himself, state that all of the singles were made as a band.
Padavona took up the name "Dio" after mafia member Johnny Dio,[12] and first used it professionally in 1961, when he added it to the band's second release on Seneca. Soon after that the band changed their name to Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. The group released several singles during the following years, until 1967.
Ronnie Dio and the Prophets disbanded in 1967, but he and Prophets guitarist Nick Pantas started a new band called the Electric Elves. They shortened their name to Elf in 1969, and went on to become an opening act for Deep Purple.
Dio's vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and when Blackmore left the band, he recruited Dio and other members of Elf to form Rainbow. Rainbow released its first album in 1975. Dio recorded three more albums with Rainbow, but he left the band due to creative differences: Blackmore had wanted to take the band in a more commercial direction.
In 1979, after leaving Rainbow, Dio joined Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne. They released the successful Heaven and Hell album, which revitalized the band's career. They went on to make The Mob Rules, less successful than its predecessor, but still a hit, and the first official Black Sabbath live album, Live Evil.
Along with Gene Simmons of KISS, Dio helped popularize the "devil's horns" gesture.[13][14] Dio says that his grandmother used to make the hand gesture to ward off the evil eye, which is very common among superstitious Southern Italians. The "horns," or "Corna," themselves are used both to scare away and give someone the "Malocchio" (the Evil Eye). He also stated that, as Ozzy often made the peace sign during shows, he did not want to be seen as copying Osbourne, so used the sign instead.
Ronnie James Dio is not the first to use the "horns sign". The band Coven used it on all their record albums and on stage as well going back to 1968. Parliament-Funkadelic also used the "horns sign" regularly, as seen in many promo shots, album art work and concerts in the 1970s.[citation needed] Dio is, however, credited as being the one who popularized it amongs rock fans.
In 1992, Dio briefly returned to Black Sabbath to record Dehumanizer. The album was a minor hit, reaching the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, and #44 on the Billboard 200.
In 1980, Dio sang the tracks "To Live for the King" and "Mask of the Great Deceiver" on Kerry Livgren's solo album Seeds of Change. Dio, who was between stints as singer for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and Black Sabbath, later proved somewhat controversial among Livgren's Christian fans, as Black Sabbath and Dio were then perceived as "satanic" by many Christians. Dio said in an interview that he did not consider the album to be a "Christian" album and had performed on it as a favor to Livgren.
In 1982, the mixing of the live album Live Evil led to Dio and drummer Vinny Appice quitting the band to form the band Dio.
Tenacious D has written a tribute song entitled "Dio" that appears on their self-titled album, Tenacious D, that calls for the singer to "pass the torch" on to them. Reportedly, Dio approved of it, and had Tenacious D appear in his video "Push". He also appeared in the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, playing himself. However, on VH1, some have interpreted small clips of an interview with him as expressing resentment at the idea that he needs to "pass the torch" and seemed uncertain that Tenacious D is worthy of such an honor. When viewed in full, this interview is clearly done in good humor.[original research?]
In 2005, Dio was revealed to be the voice behind Dr. X in Operation: Mindcrime II, the sequel to Queensrÿche's seminal concept album Operation: Mindcrime. His part was shown in a prerecorded video on the subsequent tour, and Ronnie appeared onstage to sing the part live on at least one occasion (both shown on the Mindcrime at the Moore DVD).
During September 2005, Dio toured Siberia and Russia's far east, kicking off in Khabarovsk.[15]
In October 2006, it was confirmed that Dio would be joining Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice to tour under the moniker Heaven & Hell, which was the title of the first Dio era Black Sabbath album. They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler are still in the Black Sabbath band with Ozzy Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band. Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward was to be involved in this project, but he later withdrew. In 2008 the band completed a 98-date world tour.
The band released one album under the Heaven & Hell name, The Devil You Know, to critical and commercial acclaim.
They had planned to release a follow-up in 2010.
In 2006, Dio appeared in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny playing himself. He plays a small role at the beginning of the movie, where Lil' JB, played by Troy Gentile, is angry because his father, played by Meat Loaf, won't let him play rock because he thinks it's the devil's music. Lil' JB then prays to a poster of Dio to help him out. Dio comes to life and urges him in song to "leave his oppressive neighborhood" and head to Hollywood.
Dio married his first wife, Loretta Berardi (born 1941), sometime in the 1960s. They adopted one son, Dan Padavona (born July 1968), who works as a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Binghamton, New York.[16]
After divorcing Berardi, he married Wendy Galaxiola (born 1947), who also served as his manager. In the 1980s she managed the Los Angeles rock bands Rough Cutt and Hellion. She is the chair of the privately sponsored organization, Children of the Night, dedicated to rescuing America's children from prostitution. Dio remained married to Galaxiola until his death.
On November 25, 2009, Wendy announced that Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer:[17]
"Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic. After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans. Long live rock and roll, long live Ronnie James Dio. Thanks to all the friends and fans from all over the world that have sent well wishes. This has really helped to keep his spirit up."
On March 14, 2010, Wendy posted an online update on his condition:
"It has been Ronnie's 7th chemo, another cat scan and another endoscopy, and the results are good – the main tumour has shrunk considerably, and our visits to Houston (cancer clinic in Texas) are now every three weeks instead of every two weeks."
On May 4, 2010, Heaven and Hell announced they were cancelling all summer dates as a result of Dio's ill health.[18]
Dio died at 7:45 am (CDT) on May 16, 2010, according to official sources.[19][20][21]
"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."
Dio's career spanned six decades, from 1957 to 2010. During this period, and particularly in the 21st century, he received a number of distinctions and awards. He was inducted to the Cortland City Hall of Fame in 2004, and also has a street named after him called Dio Way in Cortland, NY. Classic Rock MagazineRevolver Golden Gods Awards in April 2010 for his work on The Devil You Know, making him the oldest recipient of this award (67). He accepted the award in person at what was to be his final public appearance, less than one month before his death.[24]awarded Dio with the "Metal Guru Award" at their yearly "Roll Of Honour" awards ceremony in 2006. On January 17, 2007, Dio was inducted into Guitar Center's Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood, CA. Dio was named "Best Metal Singer" at the
A public memorial service has been scheduled for 2 p.m. May 30 at The Hall Of Liberty, located at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles. It is free for fans to attend.[25]
Having lived as a teacher in an Angolan refugee camp for a short time in 1979, he returned to Namibia only after independence in 1990, where he celebrated great successes with his music, especially with !Gnubu !Nubus (Damara: 'short and round').[3] As of the late 1990s, he was still one of the best-known Namibian musicians.[6]
