Jon Morris obit

Patriots Mourn the Passing of Hall of Fame Center Jon Morris

Seven-time league All-Star played 11 seasons with the Patriots and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2011.

 

He was not on the list.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Patriots Hall of Fame center Jon Morris. He was 84 (1942-2026).

Morris, whose Patriots career spanned 11 seasons from 1964 through 1974, was one of the franchise's earliest stars and among the most accomplished centers of his era. He appeared in 130 games for the Patriots and earned seven consecutive league All-Star selections, representing Boston in six AFL All-Star Games from 1964 through 1969 before becoming the franchise's first NFL Pro Bowl selection in 1970.

"Jon Morris was one of the great players who helped build the foundation of our franchise," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "For generations of Patriots fans, he represented the toughness, dedication and pride of those early teams. It meant so much to me to call Jon in 2011 and tell him he had been selected to our Hall of Fame, ensuring that his contributions would always be remembered. On behalf of our family and the entire Patriots organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jon's family, friends and former teammates."

A standout at Holy Cross, Morris was selected by the Boston Patriots in the fourth round of the 1964 AFL Draft and by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the NFL Draft. He chose to remain in New England, beginning a professional career that would span 15 seasons. An Associated Press first-team All-AFL selection in 1966, Morris also earned recognition on the All-Time AFL second team and the Patriots' 50th Anniversary Team.

Morris anchored the Patriots' offensive line during an era that featured fellow Patriots Hall of Famers Gino Cappelletti, Babe Parilli and Jim Nance. After concluding his playing career with Detroit (1975-77) and Chicago (1978), Morris returned to the Patriots as a radio color commentator from 1979 through 1987, later providing NFL analysis for NBC.

In 2011, Morris became the first player selected for the Patriots Hall of Fame by the organization's senior selection committee, established to recognize deserving players from the franchise's early years. Upon learning of his selection, Morris called the honor "the crowning achievement of my football life."

The Patriots extend their heartfelt sympathies to all who knew and loved him.

The Morris family will hold private services. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for any donations to be made to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism in Jon's name.

Morris attended College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating in 1964. He started at center and linebacker for three seasons of college football with the Holy Cross Crusaders, and was team captain as a senior. As a senior, he was 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) and 225 pounds (102 kg).

He was named both the Holy Cross Varsity Club Athlete of the Year and Holy Cross Lineman of the Year in the 1963 season. Morris was selected by the Associated Press (AP) at center to its second-team All-East team in 1962, and was selected first-team AP All-East center in his senior year (1963). Morris was a two-time first-team All-New England selection.

Morris was a co-captain of the North team in the Senior Bowl, playing center, and played in the College All-Star Game against the Chicago Bears in August 1964. He was named a second-team Catholic College All-American at center his senior year. He was named a second-team center on the Central Press Captains' All-American team, behind the first team's Dick Butkus.

After retiring from the NFL in 1978, Morris became a radio broadcast color commentator for the Patriots, working alongside play-by-play radio broadcaster Gil Santos. Morris worked as the color commentator on Patriots radio broadcasts from 1979 to 1987, followed by color analysis of NFL games for NBC television. In 1987, his radio broadcast partner was the legendary Curt Gowdy, winner of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Award and the namesake of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award.

 

Personal information

Born    April 5, 1942

Washington, D.C., U.S.

Died    October 15, 2026 (aged 84)

Listed height   6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Listed weight  254 lb (115 kg)

Career information

High school     Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.)

College            Holy Cross (1961–1963)

NFL draft        1964: 2nd round, 27th overall pick

AFL draft        1964: 4th round, 29th overall pick

Career history

Boston / New England Patriots (1964–1974)

Detroit Lions (1975–1977)

Chicago Bears (1978)

Awards and highlights

First-team All-AFL (1966)

4× Second-team All-AFL (1964, 1965, 1967, 1969)

6× AFL All-Star (1964–1969)

Pro Bowl (1970)

AFL All-Time Second-team

Boston Patriots All-1960s Team

New England Patriots 35th Anniversary Team

New England Patriots 50th Anniversary Team

New England Patriots Hall of Fame

First-team All-Eastern (1963)

Second-team All-Eastern (1962)

Career AFL/NFL statistics

Games played  182

Games started  167

Fumble recoveries       2

Cliff Hagan - # 366

 

Hawks Legend And Hall Of Famer Cliff Hagan Dies At 94

He was number 366 on the list.

Cliff Hagan, one of the central figures in the history of the Hawks franchise and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 94.

Hagan passed away Thursday, according to longtime Kentucky basketball figure Oscar Combs. No cause of death had been publicly announced in the initial reports.

A 6-foot-4 forward from Owensboro, Kentucky, Hagan built a career that connected several important eras of basketball. After starring at the University of Kentucky under Adolph Rupp, he helped the Wildcats win the 1951 NCAA championship and later played on Kentucky’s unbeaten 25-0 team in 1954. He was a two-time consensus First Team All-American before moving on to the professional game.

His NBA career is permanently tied to one of the most famous trades in league history. Boston had drafted Hagan, but the Celtics eventually sent him and Ed Macauley to the St. Louis Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Bill Russell. Hagan went on to spend 10 NBA seasons with the Hawks, becoming one of the franchise’s defining stars.

Hagan was selected to five NBA All-Star Games and earned two All-NBA Second Team honors. Most importantly, he was a major part of the 1958 St. Louis Hawks championship team, the only NBA title in franchise history.

He was especially effective in the postseason. Hagan averaged 20.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in NBA playoff competition, a reflection of how important he was next to fellow Hawks great Bob Pettit during the franchise’s most successful period.

After leaving the NBA, Hagan continued his professional career in the ABA with the Dallas Chaparrals, where he also served as player-coach. Across his NBA and ABA career, he appeared in 839 regular-season games and averaged 17.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

His impact stretched well beyond the professional game. Hagan later returned to Kentucky and served for years in the university’s athletic department, including a long tenure as athletics director. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and remains one of the most important players in both Kentucky and Hawks history.

Hagan served in the U.S. military for two years after being drafted. In both of his years in the military (1954 and 1955), Hagan, stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, won Worldwide Air Force basketball championships.

Benjamin Graham obit

Pastor Benjamin Graham Great-Nephew of Billy Graham, Dies After Cancer Battle at 47-years-old

 

He was not on the list.

Pastor Benjamin Graham, Great-Nephew of Billy Graham, Dies After Cancer Battle at 47-years-old

Pastor Benjamin Graham, Great-Nephew of Billy Graham’s, who has served in Christian ministry and also helped in establishing a church in Nashville, Tennessee, has reportedly died at the age of 47-years-old following a severe battle with cancer. The great-nephew of a renowned evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, passed away to the glory of the lord on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, just 11 days to his birthday. His death was later announced by his fellow pastor Roy Fields, who paid tribute to his faith, family and commitment to sharing the gospel.

According to the good record left behind, Graham reportedly dedicated much of his life to the Christian ministry, beginning his journey into preaching the gospel when he was just a teenager. His ministry biography stated that, he committed his life to the Lord at 14-years, doing the lord work for about 33-years before his death and he began preaching less than a year later. He entered full-time ministry at 20, serving as both a pastor and an evangelist.

Throughout his ministry, the now late Army of God, Graham reportedly preached across all 50 U.S. states and more than 30 countries of the world. He also worked in Christian broadcasting, and during this time, he wrote some books and participated in initiatives addressing human trafficking, addiction and more.

Sometimes around 2013, Graham said he felt called by the Holy Spirit to move to somewhere in Nashville to start a new church. His ministry further extended into public service. He became involved in faith-based initiatives in Washington, D.C., and was appointed to serve as faith director at the U.S. Department of the Interior under President Donald Trump’s administration, and is according to reports about his death and his biography.

Following the announcement, his fellow pastor who announced it, Fields remembered Graham as a man who loved Jesus whole heartedly, his family and other people. He said Graham shared the gospel wherever he went and expressed confidence that his fellow pastor was now in the presence of the Savior he had spent his life proclaiming and telling others about.

BIOGRAPHY; Benjamin Graham, 47-years-old, leaves behind his wife, Candice, and their four sons: Jordan, Zach, Carson and Cooper. As loved ones and fellow believers mourn his passing, prayers have been requested for his family during this difficult time.

His death marks the loss of a Christian minister whose life centered on preaching, faith and service.

He had a radio show that aired in over 13 states for several years and has worked on various radio programs. Because of his years of speaking, he has learned how to memorize lines well and very quick.

He has directed several projects, including a documentary. He has also produced several films but his favorite thing is acting. Ben has said he loves the set life and enjoys working with various people and trying to improve on his craft.

Ben also served as a reserve police officer and attended his training at the academy in South Carolina. He also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Tennessee State Gaurd.

He has performed some small stunts and tactical work in several films.

 

Actor

Wedding at Keestone

John Willliams

Post-production

 

Club Monologue

MC

CompletedShort

 

Diamond Rose (2025)

Diamond Rose

7.6

Town Mayor

2025

 

Taking Ground (2025)

Taking Ground

TV Series

Steve

2025

 

Christmas at Keestone (2023)

Christmas at Keestone

5.0

John Williams

2023

 

All In (2023)

All In

5.3

Chris Mudrick

2023

 

Pardoned by Grace (2022)

Pardoned by Grace

5.7

Officer Williams

2022

 

Fearless Faith (2020)

Fearless Faith

5.5

Michael

2020

 

Casper Van Dien, Catherine Oxenberg, Tom Schanley, and Jaci Velasquez in Acquitted by Faith (2020)

Acquitted by Faith

3.1

Grieving Parent

2020

 

Andrea Logan, Steve J. Young, and Taylor Bedford in Christmas Manger (2018)

Christmas Manger

5.6

Father (uncredited)

2018

 

The Prayer Box (2018)

The Prayer Box

4.9

Principal (uncredited)

2018

 

Masey McLain in I'm Not Ashamed (2016)

I'm Not Ashamed

6.0

Pastor

2016

 

Kevin Sorbo, Jenn Gotzon, Casey Fuller, Kelsey Sanders, and Kevan Otto in Forgiven (2016)

Forgiven

4.6

Swat Member (uncredited)

2016

 

Liam Neeson in Taken 3 (2014)

Taken 3

6.0

Police Detective (uncredited)

2014

 

Producer

7 Days to Sunday

executive producer

CompletedTV Series

 

Diamond Rose (2025)

Diamond Rose

7.6

executive producer

2025

 

Christmas at Keestone (2023)

Christmas at Keestone

5.0

producer

2023

 

Pardoned by Grace (2022)

Pardoned by Grace

5.7

executive producer

2022

 

Erin Bethea, Jason Burkey, Brett Varvel, and Micah Lynn Hanson in Miracle on Christmas (2020)

Miracle on Christmas

6.1

executive producer

2020

 

Remember the Goal (2016)

Remember the Goal

6.7

associate producer

2016

 

Kevin Sorbo, Jenn Gotzon, Casey Fuller, Kelsey Sanders, and Kevan Otto in Forgiven (2016)

Forgiven

4.6

executive producer

2016

 

Shelley Long, Kevin Sorbo, Kelsey Sanders, Jason Burkey, and Ben Davies in Love Again (2014)

Love Again

5.9

assistant producer

2014

 

Writer

7 Days to Sunday

Writer

CompletedTV Series

Jorge "Roña" Castro obit

RIP. Shock in the boxing world: legendary world champion dies suddenly

59-year-old Argentine boxer Jorge "Roña" Castro has passed away 

He was not on the list.

The global professional boxing community is mourning the sudden death of one of the most celebrated champions of the 20th century.

Details: Former WBA middleweight world champion Jorge Castro of Argentina has died at the age of 59. He enjoyed immense popularity under his fighting nickname, Roña. The tragic news was reported by El Argentino, citing police reports.

The former boxer suddenly felt severely unwell while at a bingo hall in the city of Morón, Buenos Aires Province. Doctors were unable to save the legendary athlete. The exact circumstances and medical cause of death are currently being investigated by specialists.

Castro was regarded as an iconic figure in South American sport thanks to his unbreakable character and devastating knockout punch, which also earned him the nickname Locomotive from fans.

His legendary 1994 championship bout against American John David Jackson went down in the annals of world boxing as one of the most dramatic knockouts of all time.

It is worth noting that Jorge Castro fought 144 bouts as a professional, winning 130, including 90 by knockout. During his reign as WBA middleweight world champion, the Argentine made four successful title defenses.

Martina Arroyo obit

Obituary: Legendary Soprano Martina Arroyo Dies at 90

 

She was not on the list.

Legendary soprano Martina Arroyo has died at the age of 90.

Born on Feb. 2, 1937 in Harlem, New York City, she was the youngest of two children born to Demetrio Arroyo and Lucille Washington. She was educated at nearby P.S. 170 and Junior High School 101 in the New York City Public Schools system and learned to play the piano as a child under her mother’s guidance. She also performed at the Baptist Temple Church in Harlem where she sang in the choir and later sang in the youth choir at Greater Calvary on 133rd street.

She became interested in the performing arts after attending several performances of Broadway shows during the 1940s and went on to take ballet classes.

Arroyo went on to attend Hunter College High School, a highly selective and competitive school for gifted students attached to Hunter College and graduated in 1953. She pursued further studies at Hunter College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Romance languages and decided to study languages so that she could better sing Italian in an opera career.

During her time at the college she participated in the Hunter College Opera Workshop and in May 1955 she starred in the premiere of Jan Meyerowitz’s “Bad Boys in School.”

As a teenager, Arroyo studied with Marinka Gurewich, but did not take her voice lessons seriously because there were no opportunities for black women. Gurewich eventually threatened to drop Arroyo and that made the soprano rethink her commitment to singing making her more serious about her studies.

While she studied singing she became a teacher of high-school literature and taught for one year at P.S 45 in the Bronx. She would eventually enroll in New York University pursing a master’s in comparative literature and continued to attend opera workshops at Hunter College.

While she loved to teach, she eventually decided to leave the position and take a job as a social worker at the East End Welfare Center. She would work there for two years.

In 1957, Arroyo made her debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall and was approached by concert manager Thea Dispeker. Dispeker would become Arroyo’s representative for decades.

That same year, she auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera but was not accepted. However, she rebounded in 1958 when she won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air and the competition provided a scholarship to the Met’s Kathryn Long School, where she studied drama with dramatic soprano and opera director Rose Landver. She also studied German, English diction, and fencing.

On Sept. 17, 1958, Arroyo made her operatic debut in Carnegie Hall performing the first Coryphaeus in the American premiere of Ildebrando Pizzetti’s “Murder in the Cathedral.” That was followed by performances as the Israelitish Woman in Handel’s “Judas Maccabaeus” with the Utah Symphony, which were recorded and released the following year on Westminster Records.

In 1959, Arroyo finally made her Met debut in the role of the Celestial Voice in Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” This was the beginning of what opera historian Clyde T. McCants described as her “first Met career” in which she played comprimario roles through 1962. However, she would return to the Met after a successful European career.

At the time the Met’s General Director Rudolf Bing advised the soprano to go to Europe because she would have better performance opportunities.

In 1959, she traveled to Europe for the first time on tour and in the 1960s she attempted to divide her time as a concert soprano in the United States and appearing in opera houses in Europe. In the United States, she would appear with the New York Philharmonic and at Carnegie Hall while in Europe she performed smaller parts, or in larger roles in obscure or avant-garde operas.

In 1963, her first major breakthrough came when she was offered a contract to join the Zurich Opera. She made her debut in the title role of Verdi’s “Aida” and remained a resident artist with the company until 1965.

The role of Aida would become a staple for Arroyo and would be the role she debuted with at the Hamburg State Opera in 1963 and at both the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Vienna State Opera in 1964.

On Feb. 2, 1965, she got a phone call from Rudolf Bing asking her to step in for Birgit Nilsson for a performance of “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera. Arroyo received an enthusiastic standing ovation from an audience that was disappointed that Nilsson had called sick and that led to a steady Met career.

She went on to perform 200 times at the Met in such roles as Elisabetta in “Don Carlo,” Amelia in Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera,” Donna Anna in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s “Macbeth,” Leonora in Verdi’s “La forza del destino,” Liù in Puccini’s “Turandot,” and the title roles in “La Gioconda” and “Tosca.”

However, after 1978, Arroyo’s appearances at the Met became infrequent due to small tumors pressing on her spine, which were making stage movement difficult and limited the roles she would play in the later part of her career. The death of her mother also brought personal struggles and Rudolph Bing’s departure from the Met brought many changes at the opera house which impacted casting choices and repertoire.

Her final appearance at the Met came in 1986 as “Aida.” She later returned in 2002 to host the finals concert of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Outside of the Met, Arroyo performed at many of the greatest theaters in the world including the Royal Opera, Prague National Opera, Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Michigan Opera Theatre, Bavarian State Opera, Grand Theatre, Warsaw, the National Theatre in Belgrade, and the Staatsoper Stuttgart. She also performed with major orchestras and conductors.

In 1989, Arroyo announced her retirement from performance and her performances became less frequent. In 1991 she portrayed the title role in Puccini’s “Turandot” at the Staatstheater Kassel and performed in the world premiere of Leslie Adams’s “Blake” in 1991 with the composer specifically creating the role of Miranda for Arroyo.

Her vast repertoire included works by Verdi, Mascagni, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Giordano, Puccini, Barber, Weber, Mozart, Bolcom, Schoenberg, and Stockhausen. Her concert repertoire was also enormous performing works by Strauss, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Rossini, and Handel.

Arroyo was a trailblazer having been the first black woman in the global history of opera to portray Elsa in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” when it was staged at the Met. She was also appointed to the board of the National Endowment for the Arts and taught at LSU, UCLA, University of Delaware, Wilberforce University, and the International Sommerakademie-Mozarteum in Salzburg. She was also part of the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and achieved the title of Distinguished Professor before retiring as Distinguished Professor Emerita in May 2007.

She went on to found The Martina Arroyo Foundation in 2003, an organization dedicated to the development of emerging young opera singers. She also taught masterclasses, served as a jury member on numerous competitions, and served as a Trustee Emerita of the Hunter College Foundation.

She also served as a Board of Trustees of Carnegie Hall.

For her work in the arts, Arroyo was awarded an honorary doctorate by the City University of New York and inducted into the Academy of Vocal Arts’s Hall of Fame for Great American Opera Singers. She was also a recipient of a 2010 Opera Honors Award from the National Endowment for the Arts and received an induction into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. She also received the Kennedy Center Honor.

The soprano left numerous recordings including “I vespri siciliani,” “Un ballo in maschera,” “La forza del destino” and “Aida,” among many others.

 

Actress

A Bread Factory, Part One (2018)

A Bread Factory, Part One

6.8

Sandra

2018

 

A Bread Factory, Part Two (2018)

A Bread Factory, Part Two

6.7

Sandra

2018

 

Jack Klugman and Tony Randall in The Odd Couple (1970)

The Odd Couple

7.9

TV Series

Martina Arroyo

1975

1 episode

 

Soundtrack

A Bread Factory, Part One (2018)

A Bread Factory, Part One

6.8

performer: "Responsion!", "Crying Boy, Paper Man"

2018

 

Jill Clayburgh and Matthew Barry in Luna (1979)

Luna

6.3

Soundtrack ("Un ballo in maschera")

1979

 

John Cage in Les grandes répétitions (1965)

Les grandes répétitions

TV Series

performer: "Momente" Music by nm0830838

1966

1 episode

 

David Surkamp obit

Pavlov's Dog frontman David Surkamp dead at 73

David Surkamp had fronted the US melodic progressive rock band Pavlov's Dog since 1972 

He was not on the list.

Pavlov's Dog frontman David Surkamp has died, aged 73, the band have announced.

The band's current violin and mandolin player Abbie Steiling paid tribute to Surkamp on behalf of the current line-up on their Facebook page, saying, "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our creative force, lead singer, and dear friend, David Surkamp, on October 13.

"David leaves behind a legacy of endless creativity, unmistakable artistry, and a body of music that has touched lives across generations and around the world. But anyone who knew and loved him knows that his legacy reaches far beyond the songs. David had a profoundly poetic spirit and a romantic heart that found its way into every note, every lyric, and every performance. His music was deeply emotive, reaching straight into the hearts of listeners, giving voice to longing, to love, to beauty, and to the bittersweet ache of it all.

"He always allowed the musicians around him to shine in their strengths, generous with the spotlight and appreciative of what each brought to the music. No matter what life held for him, he came alive onstage. Even on his hardest days, when the lights came up and the count-off began, he was a consummate performer. If he was playing music, it was a great day.

"As we grapple with the magnitude and shock of this loss, we take comfort in the incredible community that surrounded him: his family, his wonderfully enduring friendships, and the global family brought together through Pavlov’s Dog and the music he gave to the world.

"David's heart held so much love for his wife Sara, and we hope he has found peace with the love he has missed so dearly.

"There are no words sufficient for a loss of this magnitude. We are heartbroken. We are grateful. We will carry David, his music, and the memories created with us always. Our deepest condolences are with Saylor, Evan, and the Surkamp family, as well as the Pavlov's Dog family as we walk together through this difficult time of grief."

Pavlov's Dog evolved out of High On A Small Hill, which Surkamp formed in 1971, aged 19, with bassist Rick Stockton and two other high school friends.

“I remember hearing those foghorns at the start of 21st Century Schizoid Man – that was it for me," he told Prog in 2016. "I loved Fairport Convention, too – they were probably my favourite band."

They released their debut album, Pampered Menial, in 1975, a mix of prog and melodic hard rock produced by Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman, who'd both worked with Blue Öyster Cult. Surkamp's distinctive vocals, which he once described as “a choirboy on speed” made sure the band were noticed. A second album, At The Sound Of The Bell, was released in 1976, but a year later the band disbanded.

Surkamp went on to work with former Fairport Convention musician Ian Matthews in Hi-Fi and also as a journalist, but Pavlov's Dog reformed in 1990, recording Lost in America before things stalled again.

They reformed again in 2005, this time with Sukramp's wife Sara on vocals and guitar, and were still a going concern. They released three more new studio albums, Echo And Boo in 2010, Prodigal Dreamer in 2018 and Wanderlust in 2025, along with a career-spanning box set, Pavlov's Dog Essential Recordings 1974-2018 in 2024.

Original band member Siegfried Carver died in 2009, multi-instrumentalist Doug Rayburn in 2012, bassist Rick Stockton in 2015 and keyboardist David Hamilton and Sara Surkamp passed last year.

Alan Mandell obit

Alan Mandell, Esteemed Actor and Interpreter of Samuel Beckett Plays, Dies at 98

He helped stage ‘Waiting for Godot’ (and played Lucky) inside San Quentin State Prison in 1957, then assisted Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter with their recent Broadway revival. 

He was not on the list.

Alan Mandell, the distinguished stage veteran known for his interpretations of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist plays going back to a landmark 1957 production of Waiting for Godot inside San Quentin State Prison, has died. He was 98.

Mandell died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Westwood, his son, Peter Mandell, and daughter-in-law, Sarah Mandell, told The Hollywood Reporter.

In films, the Toronto native played the aging rabbi whose counsel consists solely of lyrics from the Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” in the Coen brothers’ A Serious Man (2009), and he appeared for John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) and Shortbus (2006).

On television, he could be seen on episodes of Cannon, The Six Million Dollar Man, Baretta, Eight Is Enough, Sisters and Grey’s Anatomy.

In November 1957, Mandell was a member of the San Francisco Actor’s Workshop, led by Jules Irving and Herbert Blau, when he portrayed the slave Lucky in a performance of Waiting for Godot for 1,400 inmates in San Quentin. (The production would serve as the introduction to Martin Esslin’s influential 1961 book Theatre of the Absurd.)

From that, Mandell co-founded the San Quentin Drama Workshop with inmate Rick Cluchey, who would become an actor and playwright, and the pair would guide many other plays at the prison over the years.

Later, Beckett himself would direct Mandell in Waiting for Godot and Endgame (as Nagg) in Europe — they first got together in Cuba — and their relationship would last until the Irish playwright’s death in 1989.

“The text for [Beckett] was like a score, and the important thing for us was to find the rhythm of the line,” he told veteran Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty in 2015. “Once you had that, you were set.”

Mandell appeared in Beckett plays dozens of times in his career, and in L.A. he received an Ovation Award in 2012 for his turn as Estragon opposite Irishman Barry McGovern as Vladimir in Waiting for Godot at the Mark Taper Forum. For his final Beckett performance, he portrayed Hamm alongside McGovern again in Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City in 2016.

And when Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter were preparing to play Estragon and Vladimir, respectively, in their revival of Waiting for Godot at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway last year, they sought out Mandell for his expertise, meeting with him at his home.

 

“He was a brilliant manager and producer, which made him sought after for the way he could put on a production, run a theater company, run a business,” Daniel Segura, Mandell’s main assistant for the past 10 years, told THR. “As an actor, he just had a lyricism to him that was poetic. Hearing him do Beckett, I was always blown away by his musicality. He could deliver it to an audience that all of a sudden got it.”

One of eight kids, Albert Mandell was born in Toronto on Dec. 27, 1927. His parents, Bella and Louis, owned a restaurant, and the family lived above it. After performing in Oliver Twist as a youngster, he set his sights on a stage career.

“I was a dropout or ‘throw-out.’ It was one of those things,” he told the Times in 1992. “My father wanted to know what was going to happen to me. I was 17 or 18. I told him I was going to go into the theater. He looked at me and said, ‘A nice Jewish boy goes to the theater.’ It was a great remark. I didn’t know what to say.”

Mandell served as the artistic director of Theater ’49, an offshoot of the Toronto Civic Theatre, through the early 1950s, then visited his sister in San Francisco in ’54. He discovered the San Francisco Actor’s Workshop, then a teaching studio working out of a converted garage, and became its business manager.

The workshop would become a pillar of the regional theater movement, renowned for its experimentalism and as a home for Beckett, Bertolt Brecht and Harold Pinter premieres in the U.S.

When Irving and Blau were hired to run the Repertory Theatre at Lincoln Center in 1965, Mandell accompanied them to New York as the company’s manager. During his time there, he appeared on Broadway in The Country Wife and managed the 1973 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire that starred James Farentino and Rosemary Harris.

In 1976, Mandell came to L.A. to work on an NBC adaptation of Dark Victory that was produced by Irving, starred Elizabeth Montgomery and Anthony Hopkins and was directed by Robert Butler.

He also joined the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre, which would become the Los Angeles Theatre Center in 1985, as a consulting director and actor, and he developed and oversaw the poetry/literary series there.

Mandell landed his first Ovation Award for his work in Joanna Glass’ Trying at the Colony Theatre in Burbank in 2007, then won another two years later for playing the down-and-out poet Spooner in Pinter’s No Man’s Land at the Odyssey Theatre/

He portrayed the furniture trader Gregory Solomon in 2015 in Arthur Miller’s The Price at the Taper, where THR in its review found fault with his performance: “It’s too good. He literally steals the show and takes it in an unexpected direction.”

McNulty was a big fan, and he wrote that “listening to Mandell’s refined diction is like reading a handwritten letter by someone with the most marvelous penmanship.”

In 2010, Mandell revisited his San Quentin Waiting for Godot experience in the documentary The Impossible Itself.

In addition to his son and daughter-in-law, survivors include his daughter, Olivia, and her husband, Dean; his grandchildren, Elizabeth, Ethan and Spencer; and his brother, Jerry. His wife of 30 years, arts patron Elizabeth Heller, died in 1997 at age 65.

“Alan was tremendous, the most steadfast human I know, nothing ever fully got him down,” Segura said. “He just kept marching on. I think we are all in a little bit of shock because there was an immortality to him.”

 

Filmography

Film

Year   Title   Role  Notes

1988  Illegally Yours       Juror #8      

1991  The Marrying Man Murch        

1993  Midnight Witness  Shaw

2001  Hedwig and the Angry Inch      Patron at Bar         Uncredited role

2006  Shortbus     Tobias, the Mayor

2009  A Serious Man      Rabbi Marshak     

2013  Herblock: The Black & the White       Herbert Block       documentary

2015  Addicted to Fresno Arthur Lupka       

2019  Velvet Buzzsaw     Ventril Dease        

Television

Year   Title   Role  Notes

1974  Great Performances         District Police Inspector  Episode: "Enemies"

1975  The Invisible Man Senator Baldwyn  Episode: "Man of Influence"

1975  Cannon       Billings       Episode: "Fall Guy"

1976  The Six Million Dollar Man      Technician   Episode: "The Secret of Bigfoot: Part 2 "

1976  Baretta         Assistant DA Merriman   Episode: "The Left Hand of the Devil"

1976  Baretta         Richmond   Episode: "Runway Cowboy"

1977  Man from Atlantis Grant Stockwood  Episode: "The Death Scouts"

1978  79 Park Avenue     Dr. George Waldheim      TV miniseries

1978  Eight is Enough    unknown     Episode: "Cinderella's Understudy"

1980  Breaking Away     Pinball player        Episode: "Grand Illusion"

1991  Sisters         Owen Glendower  Episode: "One to Grow On"

2010  Grey's Anatomy    Henry Stamm        Episode: "Shiny Happy People"

Kash obit

Reality TV Personality Kash Shot Dead at 29, Woman Arrested

Reality TV Star Kash

Shot Dead at 29 

She was not on the list.

Reality TV star Kash was shot and killed in California ... just hours after sharing videos from a night out with friends ... and a woman was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting.

The influencer -- whose real name was Mackayla Paige -- was gunned down in downtown Oakland early Sunday morning, according to local reports.

Police say officers responded to calls of gunfire around 1:30 AM and found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Cops have arrested a woman from nearby Richmond in connection with the shooting, though they haven't released her identity or revealed what sparked the deadly confrontation.

Making the tragedy even more heartbreaking ... Kash posted videos to her Instagram Stories Saturday night, showing herself enjoying an evening out just hours before she was killed.

Kash appeared on several reality shows, including "Real West Coast Baddies," "RoomH8z" and "Young & Reckless."

Her cousin, Nicky Clayton, told KTVU she was in disbelief over the killing, saying Kash had big dreams of becoming famous and starting her own business.

A makeshift memorial honors Kash at the shooting scene ... and her death remains under investigation.

Kash was 29.

RIP

Brian Jones obit

Merseybeat legend dies aged 85 as tributes paid

Brian Jones was a member of The Undertakers, who rose to stardom in Liverpool's thriving mid-century music scene

 

He was not on the list.

A Merseybeat musician who rubbed shoulders with The Beatles in the swinging sixties has died. Brian “Saxophone” Jones, 85, from Wallasey, was a member of The Undertakers and a prominent figure in Liverpool's flourishing mid-century music scene.

Announcing his death on Facebook, a spokesman for the Cavern Club said: "We are very sad to hear about the passing of a true, Liverpool, Merseybeat legend, Brian 'Saxophone' Jones.

"As a member of The Undertakers, Brian played The Cavern so many times and was a prominent character on the local scene. He continued playing with bands and doing great session work right to the very end. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends and thank you for the music. RIP Brian."

A Beatles Museum spokesman said: "Very sad news. Liverpool legend Brian Saxophone Jones of The Undertakers has passed. Condolences to his family and friends from everyone at the Liverpool Legends Hall Of Fame & The Liverpool Beatles Museum."

The Undertakers were formed in 1961 when two of the top local groups in Wallasey - the Vegas Five and Dee and the Dynamites - merged into one. Their range of music was boosted thanks to Brian, as few other Merseybeat bands claimed a skilled saxophonist as a member.

Like The Beatles, they played at Hamburg’s Star-Club during 1962. However, they rejected a management offer from Beatles manager Brian Epstein, and signed a recording contract with Pye Records and Tony Hatch as their record producer.

Their hit singles included "Everybody Loves a Lover", "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes", What About Us" (Leiber/Stoller), "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Just a Little Bit".

While the band's official line-up changed multiple times, Brian remained a steadfast presence with his signature sax. Their best-known line up included lead singer/bassist Jackie Lomax, guitarist Chris Huston, saxophonist Brian Jones, and drummer Bugs Pemberton.

Jackie, 69, and Bugs Pemberton, 68, both died in 2013. Geoff Nugent, 71, died in 2014, and Brian took over the running of the band.

His death means that Chris Huston, 83, is the last surviving member of The Undertakers' most famous line-up.

Tributes were paid to the Merseybeat mainstay on the Cavern Club and the "Liverpool and Merseyside area rock bands 1960s and 1970s" fan page.

Frank Tudor said: "So sad to hear about the passing of Brian Jones. One of the best saxophonists you could ever listen to. Sincere condolences to his family."

Neil Lancaster said: "Such sad news. A wonderful musician. More importantly, a fantastic gentleman. I had the privilege of performing many times with him. Rest in peace, Brian."

Keith Hubbard said: "R.I.P. Brian Jones. A visitor to my studio on a number of occasions, a fantastic musician and genuine man. A massive loss to the Mersey Music Scene.

Glen Travis said: "So sad to hear this. Great nights watching Brian and YKICKAMOOCOW at Bonkers and the Glass Barrel .. more recently at Stanley's Cask...lovely man, my thoughts to his family."

Richard Gray obit

Legendary level designer Richard 'Levelord' Gray has died

 Gray got his start with Duke Nukem 3D, before moving to co-found Ritual Entertainment.

He was not on the list.

Richard Gray, better known to gamers of a certain age as Levelord, has died. Gray's death was reported on social media by Apogee Entertainment, who paid tribute to his "legendary work on Duke Nukem 3D" and the lasting legacy he left behind.

Gray worked as a level and map designer on numerous shooters in the late 1990s and early 2000, beginning with Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. Shortly after that game launched, he left 3D Realms and co-founded Hipnotic Interactive, later renamed to Ritual Entertainment, where he worked on games including Quake: Scourge of Armagon, Sin, Star Trek: Elite Force 2, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, 25 to Life, and others.

He also earned a very specific fame for his "You're not supposed to be here" Easter egg in Duke Nukem 3D, which was only accessible via cheating.

Gray came to the game business at a (relatively, for the industry) advanced age. In a 2016 interview with Duke64Nukem.com he said he was 35 when he made his first Doom level, calling himself "a late bloomer with games," while Apogee founder Scott Miller said Gray was "in his 40s" when the studio hired him out of the Doom mod scene to work on Duke Nukem 3D.

"I hired him to work on Duke 3D in 1994, after seeing some of his really impressive Doom levels—he was pretty active in the mod scene," Miller shared with PC Gamer. "He then moved to Dallas, and worked from our offices. He got along well with everyone and impressed everyone with his dedication and talent. Richard loved to push the engine to its limits and he came up with a lot of fun level design tricks, using portals for example, that our other level designers learned from.

"Richard was also so helpful to anyone who approached him for help getting into the industry or becoming a better designer. He had a terrific sense of humor, too. For example, in Duke 3D he made this hung jury room. A real legend."

Other developers also paid tribute to Gray on social media:

Frederik Schreiber, Slipgate Ironworkers CEO: "Richard was, without a doubt, one of the kindest people I’ve ever met in the games industry. Incredibly humble, remarkably intelligent, endlessly creative, and always a pleasure to be around. Despite everything he had accomplished and the enormous influence his work had on my generation of game developers, he never carried himself as anything other than a genuinely good human being."

Andrew Hulshult, composer: "Richard Gray was one of those industry vets I always looked forward to hanging out with when I had the chance. He was VERY smart and I always felt like I learned something just from hanging out with him. I'm thankful Rob and Christine Atkins introduced me to him. R.I.P. friend."

Cliff Bleszinski, Gears of War creator: "RIP Richard 'Levelord' Gray. You broke the mold, fella. Guy paved the way for so many level/environment designers."

Siegler said Gray had struggled with cancer "on and off for a while now." but the cause of death was not announced. He was 68.

Gary Waddell obit

 

Gary Waddell death

He was not on the list.

AFI award winner with multiple nominations over decades and much loved Australian character actor, Gary Waddell, passed away on Monday October 12 after a long illness. The King is actually dead.

Waddell was born in Carlton, Victoria, Australia on 7 August 1952. He appeared in the 1975 drama film Pure Shit, receiving an AFI Award for his portrayal of Lou, a drug addict. The film was initially banned, but was subsequently released with an "R" rating, provided the title was changed from Pure Shit to Pure S.

He also appeared alongside Bruce Spence in 1976 cult film Oz: A Rock’n’Roll Road Movie, playing the part of the cowardly biker (The Lion). The film was an Australian reimagining of classic tale The Wizard of Oz, marketed towards a mid-1970s youth audience.

The following year, Waddell had a role in The FJ Holden (1977) with Sigrid Thornton. Further film credits from this era include 1978 film In Search of Anna, with Chris Haywood and Bill Hunter, and 1980 prison drama Stir (1980), opposite Bryan Brown and Max Phipps.

Waddell later had a role in 2000 crime film Chopper, where he played Kevin Darcy opposite Eric Bana in his award-winning portrayal of Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. His subsequent film credits include Dirty Deeds (2002) with Bryan Brown, Gettin' Square (2003) alongside Sam Worthington and David Wenham. and 2002 political drama Black and White with Colin Friels, Charles Dance and Robert Carlyle.

In 2002, Waddell was nominated for an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama, for his role as Steve McClure in an episode of Bad Cop, Bad Cop. He was later nominated for the 2012 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for portraying the neighbour from hell in Rolf de Heer’s 2012 comedy drama film The King is Dead! The following year, he featured in the film Charlie's Country, as Gaz.

In 2014, Waddell appeared opposite Bryan Brown and Sam Neill in the eight-part drama series Old School.

He later had a role in 2022 psychological crime thriller The Stranger opposite Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris.

Waddell's partner was Lou Morris, with whom he had a daughter. The couple moved to Bangalow from Sydney in 2013, after their daughter completed her university studies and moved out of home.

Actor

The Survival of Kindness (2022)

The Survival of Kindness

6.2

SickMan

2022

 

Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris in The Stranger (2022)

The Stranger

6.6

WA Head

2022

 

Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock in Upright (2019)

Upright

8.4

TV Series

Weary

2020

1 episode

 

Richard Roxburgh in Rake (2010)

Rake

8.5

TV Series

HarleyEpis

2010–2016

3 episodes

 

The Tail Job (2016)

The Tail Job

6.0

The Wharfie

2016

 

Butcherbird (2014)

Butcherbird

Short

Handsome

2014

 

Lessons from the Grave (2013)

Lessons from the Grave

8.2

TV Mini Series

Barry Brown

2014

1 episode

 

Old School (2014)

Old School

7.7

TV Mini Series

Ken

2014

1 episode

 

Odessa Young in Blood Pulls a Gun (2014)

Blood Pulls a Gun

6.9

Short

Jethro Hyam

2014

 

Charlie's Country (2013)

Charlie's Country

7.3

Gaz

2013

 

The King Is Dead! (2012)

The King Is Dead!

5.8

King

2012

 

Colin Friels, Diana Glenn, Malcolm Kennard, Robert Rabiah, David Wenham, Richard Cawthorne, Steve Mouzakis, and Sean McIntyre in Killing Time (2010)

Killing Time

7.2

TV Mini Series

Anthony Farrell

2011

1 episode

 

Shane Bourne, Nadine Garner, Noni Hazlehurst, and Aaron Pedersen in City Homicide (2006)

City Homicide

7.6

TV Series

Bruno Lilley

2011

1 episode

 

Kissing Point (2010)

Kissing Point

Short

Frank Booth

2010

 

A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne (2009)

A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne

6.1

TV Movie

Mick Bruvette

2009

 

Home and Away (1988)

Home and Away

5.2

TV Series

Terry Mitchell

2007–2009

4 episodes

 

Night Train (2008)

Night Train

6.9

Short

2008

 

Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal (2008)

Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal

7.6

TV Movie

Union Leader

2008

 

Scorched (2008)

Scorched

5.2

TV Movie

Nick (as Gary Waddel)

2008

 

Almost (2007)

Almost

8.6

Charlie

2007

 

Chandon Pictures (2007)

Chandon Pictures

7.1

TV Series

Dean (as Gary Wadell)

2007

2 episodes

 

Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback (2007)

Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback

6.5

TV Movie

Vince

2007

 

Two Twisted (2005)

Two Twisted

7.2

TV Mini Series

Jimmy Kitchen

2006

1 episode

 

Guy Pearce in The Proposition (2005)

The Proposition

7.3

Officer Davenport

2005

 

Jack Campbell, John Howard, Judith McGrath, Tammy Macintosh, John Waters, Andrew Supanz, and Mirrah Foulkes in All Saints (1998)

All Saints

7.1

TV Series

Trevor SleepMacca

2001–2005

2 episodes

 

Man-Thing (2005)

Man-Thing

4.1

Cajun Pilot

2005

 

Trapped

6.5

Short

Smith

2005

 

Jason Clarke, Anita Hegh, Asher Keddie, Kate Kendall, Peter Phelps, Robert Rabiah, Jacinta Stapleton, Ian Stenlake, Gary Sweet, and Roxane Wilson in Stingers (1998)

Stingers

7.2

TV Series

Frank MornainGerry Gallagher

1998–2004

2 episodes

 

Lennie Cahill Shoots Through (2003)

Lennie Cahill Shoots Through

7.6

Terry

2003

 

Gettin' Square (2003)

Gettin' Square

6.6

Dennis Obst

2003

 

Bad Cop, Bad Cop (2002)

Bad Cop, Bad Cop

7.3

TV Series

Steve McClure

2002–2003

2 episodes

 

Dirty Deeds (2002)

Dirty Deeds

6.2

Freddie

2002

 

Black and White (2002)

Black and White

6.7

Constable Jones

2002

 

Water Rats (1996)

Water Rats

6.9

TV Series

Billy PopeRuss LambertTom Haxby

1996–2001

4 episodes

 

SeaChange (1998)

SeaChange

8.0

TV Series

Foreman

2000

2 episodes

 

Eric Bana in Chopper (2000)

Chopper

7.1

Kevin Darcy

2000

 

Lisa McCune and John Wood in Blue Heelers (1994)

Blue Heelers

7.1

TV Series

Mike Thompson

1998

1 episode

 

Maslin Beach (1997)

Maslin Beach

4.7

Ben

1997

 

Heaven's Burning (1997)

Heaven's Burning

5.7

Motel Manager

1997

 

Dr. Ice (1996)

Dr. Ice

7.0

Video

Newscaster

1996

 

Michael Craig and Denise Roberts in G.P. (1989)

G.P.

7.3

TV Series

WayneRocco

1992–1994

2 episodes

 

Gary Sweet in Cody (1994)

Cody

7.7

TV Series

Mack

1994

1 episode

 

Heartland (1994)

Heartland

7.5

TV Mini Series

Lennie

1994

2 episodes

 

Shotgun Wedding (1993)

Shotgun Wedding

5.6

Nighclub Spruiker

1993

 

Seven Deadly Sins (1993)

Seven Deadly Sins

7.8

TV Mini Series

1993

1 episode

 

Don't Touch Wood

TV Special

Doug

1992

 

E Street (1989)

E Street

6.7

TV Series

Bill O'Reilly

1992

1 episode

 

Karen Allen and Bryan Brown in Sweet Talker (1991)

Sweet Talker

6.0

Bluey

1991

 

Penny Cook, Lorrae Desmond, Grant Dodwell, Shane Porteous, Syd Heylen, Anne Tenney, Brian Wenzel, and Shane Withington in A Country Practice (1981)

A Country Practice

6.8

TV Series

Tom Sykes

1990

1 episode

 

John Meillon and Cate Brennan in Tripe (1989)

Tripe

7.3

Short

Sonny Jim

1989

 

Grievous Bodily Harm (1988)

Grievous Bodily Harm

5.2

Eddie Weaks

1988

 

Breaking Loose: Summer City II (1988)

Breaking Loose: Summer City II

4.3

Copper

1988

 

The True Believers (1988)

The True Believers

7.1

TV Mini Series

1988

2 episodes

 

Cloris Leachman, Nancy McKeon, Kim Fields, Mackenzie Astin, Mindy Cohn, and Lisa Whelchel in The Facts of Life Down Under (1987)

The Facts of Life Down Under

6.1

TV Movie

Hugo

1987

 

The Blue Lightning (1986)

The Blue Lightning

5.2

TV Movie

Hennessey

1986

 

Scales of Justice (1983)

Scales of Justice

8.2

TV Mini Series

Jimmy

1983

1 episode

 

Colin Friels and Noni Hazlehurst in Monkey Grip (1982)

Monkey Grip

6.1

Actor 3

1982

 

The Highest Honor (1982)

The Highest Honor

6.4

TV Movie

Cpl. R.B. Fletcher

1982

 

Heatwave (1982)

Heatwave

6.4

Florist Messenger

1982

 

Spring & Fall (1980)

Spring & Fall

4.8

TV Series

Jacko

1980

1 episode

 

Stir (1980)

Stir

6.8

Dave

1980

 

Lorraine Bayly, Paul Cronin, Susan Hannaford, Andrew McFarlane, Richard Morgan, and Steven Tandy in The Sullivans (1976)

The Sullivans

6.9

TV Series

Spook SkerrittSpook

1978

17 episodes

 

In Search of Anna (1978)

In Search of Anna

6.8

Maxie

1978

 

Cop Shop (1977)

Cop Shop

7.1

TV Series

Harry Dunne

1978

1 episode

 

Blue Fire Lady (1977)

Blue Fire Lady

6.1

Charlie

1977

 

John Diedrich, Lucky Grills, and Gerda Nicolson in Bluey (1976)

Bluey

7.6

TV Series

Terry BaxterDavidson

1977

2 episodes

 

The F.J. Holden (1977)

The F.J. Holden

5.4

Deadlegs

1977

 

Twentieth Century Oz (1976)

Twentieth Century Oz

5.7

BikerGuitarist

1976

 

Pure S (1975)

Pure S

5.8

Lou

1975

 

Soundtrack

Guy Pearce in The Proposition (2005)

The Proposition

7.3

performer: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (uncredited)

2005

 

Thanks

Stir: Tales from the Inside (2005)

Stir: Tales from the Inside

Video

thanks

2005

 

Self

Is Garlic a True Test of Character? Creating the King Is Dead! (2012)

Is Garlic a True Test of Character? Creating the King Is Dead!

Video

Self

2012

 

Stir: Tales from the Inside (2005)

Stir: Tales from the Inside

Video

Self

2005

 

Archive Footage

Gettin' Square: Deleted Scenes (2004)

Gettin' Square: Deleted Scenes

Video

Dennis Obst (archive footage)

2004