Rob Base obit

Rob Base, “It Takes Two” Rapper, Dies at 59

"Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world," read a statement shared to his Instagram. 

He was not on the list.

Rob Base, the rapper best known for his hit track “It Takes Two” with DJ E-Z Rock, has died. He was 59.

Base died Friday surrounded by his family, after a private battle with cancer.

“Today, we share the heartbreaking news that hip hop legend Rob Base passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer,” a post on his official Instagram account reads. “Rob’s music, energy and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for the music, the memories and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.”

Born May 18, 1967, Base began his career in hip-hop alongside DJ E-Z Rock (whose real name is Rodney Bryce). They released their single “It Takes Two” in 1988, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Its accompanying album, also titled It Takes Two, landed at No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and went platinum.

Their follow-up to the single, “Get on the Dance Floor,” also spawned success; it peaked at the top spot on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, and landed at No. 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Base released his debut solo album, The Incredible Base, in 1989. The album landed on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at No. 20. He and DJ E-Z Rock, who died in 2014, rejoined forces on their 1994 record Break of Dawn.

The rapper was recently part of the I Love the ’90’s Tour, which tapped a slate of performers from the era, including Vanilla Ice, All 4 One, Color Me Badd, Tone Loc and more.

Grizz Chapman obit

Grizz Chapman Dies: ’30 Rock’ Actor Was 52

 

He was not on the list.

Grizzwald ‘Grizz’ Chapman, the fan-favorite 30 Rock star who played Grizz on the NBC sitcom for its seven-season run, has died. He was 52.

The actor’s agent Renee Glicker confirmed to Deadline that Chapman died on Friday. Other details, including a cause of death, were not immediately made available.

“We are very sad for his family and friends and for all who knew him and worked with him,” said Glicker. “For all seven feet, 380 lbs of him, he was a very sweet man who loved his family very much. He enjoyed working on 30 Rock every minute. His poor health curtailed his career unfortunately.”

Chapman previously struggled with kidney disease and was a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation.

Born April 16, 1974 in Brooklyn, Chapman was known for towering at seven feet tall. He was working as a bouncer at a strip club when he met Tracy Morgan, who cast Chapman and Kevin Brown as his self-referential character Tracy Jordan’s two confidants Grizz and Dot Com in 30 Rock, which ran from 2006 to 2013.

In addition to creating his own YouTube variety series Grizz Chronicles, Chapman appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods, The Blacklist and The Good Fight.

In his commentary for the episode "Tracy Does Conan", Tracy Morgan revealed that they met when Chapman was working as a bouncer at a strip club. Chapman and fellow 30 Rock actor Kevin Brown were featured in season six on an episode of Hidden Potential, a home remodelling show on HGTV.

Chapman lived in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Woodbridge, Virginia. On December 2, 2024, his home was destroyed when a crash sent a tractor-trailer slamming into it. Chapman was not home but many of his belongings were damaged.

Actor

Use Me: The Life of Guy Whitcam

Alex

Post-production

 

Denielle M. Gray, Tim Victor, and Lynette Elouise in Diving in Stilettos First (2021)

Diving in Stilettos First

Short

Mover

2021

 

We the Internet TV (2015)

We the Internet TV

7.6

TV Series

InmateKmaha ChithiTT Gibbs

2018

3 episodes

 

Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald in The Good Fight (2017)

The Good Fight

8.3

TV Series

Bouncer

2018

1 episode

 

George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jack O'Connell in Money Monster (2016)

Money Monster

6.5

Network Security Guard

2016

 

Angela Cohen and Kelsey O'Brien in It's All About Me (2016)

It's All About Me

Short

Scott the Sommelier

2016

 

Alistair's Wednesday (2015)

Alistair's Wednesday

Short

Henry Finn Oliver

2015

 

Mismanagement

TV Series

Mack

2015

1 episode

 

Common Sense Police (2013)

Common Sense Police

8.8

TV Series

Booby Von Dark

2014–2015

5 episodes

 

#Lucky Number (2015)

#Lucky Number

5.0

Bouncer at Decadence

2015

 

The Blacklist (2013)

The Blacklist

7.9

TV Series

Jenkins

2015

1 episode

 

Common Sense Police

Video

Booby Von Dark

2014

 

John and Geoff are Married

TV Mini Series

2014

 

Adam Sandler in The Cobbler (2014)

The Cobbler

5.8

Tino

2014

 

Are You Joking? (2014)

Are You Joking?

5.2

Big Pete

2014

 

Step 9

TV Series

Lupe

2014

1 episode

 

That Fucking Elevator

Short

Murray

2014

 

Hypebeasts (2013)

Hypebeasts

6.6

Short

Jim

2013

 

Home (2013)

Home

7.4

Big G

2013

 

Bobby Moynihan, Chris Gethard, and Neil Casey in The Side Car (2012)

The Side Car

TV Series

Guy at the barBruce

2013

1 episode

 

Life of the Party (2013)

Life of the Party

Fake Cee Lo

2013

 

Tom Selleck, Bridget Moynahan, Donnie Wahlberg, and Will Estes in Blue Bloods (2010)

Blue Bloods

7.7

TV Series

Tiny Giondo

2013

1 episode

 

Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, and Jack McBrayer in 30 Rock (2006)

30 Rock

8.3

TV Series

Grizz

2006–2013

80 episodes

 

UCB Comedy Originals (2007)

UCB Comedy Originals

5.5

TV Series

2012

1 episode

 

30 Rock: Livin' XL with Grizz & Dotcom

TV Series

Grizz

2010

4 episodes

 

Soundtrack

Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, and Jack McBrayer in 30 Rock (2006)

30 Rock

8.3

TV Series

performer: "Midnight Train to Georgia" (uncredited)

2008

1 episode

 

Self

30 Rock (2006)

A One-Time Special

4.7

TV Special

Self - Grizz

2020

 

The Chris Gethard Show: Public Access (2011)

The Chris Gethard Show: Public Access

8.6

TV Series

Self

2012–2014

4 episodes

 

Big Evening Buzz with Carrie Keagan (2012)

Big Evening Buzz with Carrie Keagan

TV Series

Self - Guest

2012

1 episode

 

The Mo'Nique Show (2009)

The Mo'Nique Show

4.4

TV Series

Self

2011

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Mimi Fischer in The Chris Gethard Show: Public Access Web Videos (2011)

The Chris Gethard Show: Public Access Web Videos

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2014

1 episode

 

Dick Parry obit

Dick Parry Dies: Sax Player On Pink Floyd Classics ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ & ‘Wish You Were Here’ Was 83

 

He was not on the list.

Dick Parry, whose saxophone solos on Pink Floyd‘s classic albums The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here helped places such songs as “Money”, “Us and Them” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” in the classic rock firmament, died May 22. He was 83.

His death was announced by David Gilmour, the singer-guitarist of Pink Floyd’s iconic line-up and a lifelong friend. No cause of death was stated.

“My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning,” Gilmour wrote on Instagram (see the post below). “Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd. His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable, a signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions and is such a big part of songs such as Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here, Us and Them and Money. He played in the last band I had that included Rick Wright for the On An Island Tour and at Live 8 with Pink Floyd.”

In his post, Gilmour shared photos of the two friends through the years, including one at a performance in Cambridge 1963.

In addition to 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon and 1975’s Wish You Were Here, Parry contributed saxophone on such albums as Let’s Make Up and Be Friendly by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (1972), Mad Dog by The Who’s John Entwistle (1975), Love Is a Five Letter Word by Jimmy Witherspoon (1975), and Jinx by Rory Gallagher (1982), among others.

He appeared on other Pink Floyd albums The Division Bell (1994) and Pulse (1995), as well as several Gilmour solo albums in the early 2000s. A recording of a 1974 Floyd concert was released in 2023 as The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974. He also played sax for The Who during the band’s tours in 1979 and 1980.

Born in Kentford, Suffolk on December 22, 1942, Parry launched his career as a professional musician in the early- to mid-1960s as part of the Cambridge-based band The Soul Committee. It was in Cambridge where he met Gilmour, who played for another local band. Gilmour would later invite Parry to Pink Floyd’s recording sessions, where Parry would create the sax solos that brought a mesmerizing, dreamy quality to “Us and Them” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and a down-and-dirty grit to “Money,” sounds that became an indelible part of the decade’s progressive FM landscape and remain so on today’s classic rock radio.

John Fabian obit

John Fabian, NASA astronaut who was first to catch a satellite, dies 

He was not on the list.

 

May 22, 2026 — Former NASA astronaut John Fabian, who in 1983 became the first person to deploy and then retrieve a free-flying satellite, has died at 87.

Fabian's death on Thursday (May 21) was reported by the Association of Space Explorers, the professional society for international astronauts and cosmonauts, which counted him among their distinguished members.

Selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1978 in the same 35-member group as the first female and minority trainees, Fabian flew twice into space. On his first mission, he launched on June 18, 1983 aboard the space shuttle Challenger as a fellow mission specialist with Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman to enter space.

Fabian's other crewmates on STS-7 included commander Bob Crippen, pilot Rick Hauck and mission specialist Norm Thagard. Prior to being assigned to the mission, Fabian, Thagard and Ride worked together on the development of the Canadarm, the shuttle's remote manipulator system contributed by the Canadian Space Agency.

"The manipulator is an intuitive thing. It really is quite easy to use, but it's also a little bit intimidating, because you've got this thing which is 50 feet long out there in the cargo bay, and if you're not careful, you could punch a hole in the wing or do something really stupid with it," said Fabian in a 2006 NASA oral history interview. "So learning how to operate it and learning what constraints need to be applied to that operation was kind of a part of the job that we set out to do."

He put his training to use on Challenger, when he used the robotic arm to let free the first shuttle pallet satellite (SPAS-1) as built by the West German aerospace firm MBB (Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm). The platform carried material science and remote sensing experiments as well as a mass spectrometer to confirm the presence of gases in the orbiter's cargo hold.

"The most fun was using the robot arm to put the German satellite, the SPAS-01, out and then fly around it, practicing formation flying, and ultimately retrieval," said Fabian. "I did the retrieval and the deployment in the morning, and Sally did the one in the afternoon, so we split that."

Before being retrieved, SPAS-01 was also used to capture the first-ever photo in full of a winged spacecraft in orbit. The Canadarm was also posed to resemble the number "7" in reference to their mission designation.

"We worked hard on that. We really worked hard on that," said Fabian. "And we didn't tell anybody about this, of course. We had this on kind of a back-of-our-hand type of procedure, what angles each joint had to be in order for it to look like that."

"I was real proud of that," Fabian said. "It gave you a really strong indication that this is a spaceship we're talking about here."

The scene, from a different viewpoint, was repeated on their mission patch.

Fabian and his STS-7 crewmates also became the first astronauts to eat jelly beans in space, courtesy of the then-President of the United States Ronald Reagan. A noted fan of the candy, Reagan gifted them each with a jar during a pre-flight visit to the White House.

Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 24, 1983, six days after it left the ground.

Close approaches

"I will tell you that I flew twice in space, and this is by far my favorite of the two flights. It's not only because it was the first. It was because of the people that I flew with," Fabian told his NASA interviewer, historian Jennifer Ross-Nazzal.

"Clearly, the vehicle is much more comfortable, much more fun, with five people in the front cockpit instead of seven in the front cockpit," he said. "On my second flight, we did a lot of the same kinds of things that we did on the first flight, letting a satellite out and going out and getting it so some of the uniqueness of the experience was gone on the second flight. But, this [STS-7] was just a joy, and I think at least 60 or 70 percent of that joy was working with this group of people."

Fabian's STS-51G crewmates included commander Dan Brandenstein, pilot John Creighton, mission specialists Shannon Lucid and Steven Nagel and payload specialists Patrick Baudry and Sultan Salman Al-Saud. Baudry, flying on behalf of CNES, was the second French citizen in space. Al-Saud was the first Arab, first Muslim and the first member of a royal family to fly into space.

Together, they lifted off aboard space shuttle Discovery on June 17, 1985.

"There were certain things, because of the seven-person crew and because of having two payload specialists and having three nationalities represented, which made it substantially different in terms of operation and tone than the first flight, but most of those were positive. Most of those differences were positive, not all, but most of them were," said Fabian.

STS-51G deployed three communications satellites into Earth orbit and temporarily released a free-flyer supporting astronomy studies (SPARTAN-1 or Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for AstroNomy-1).

"The deployment was routine, at least it appeared to be," said Fabian. "But when we came back in to retrieve it, it was out of attitude. It was supposed to be in an attitude which would be easy for us to just fly up to and grab, and it turned out that the grapple fixture, instead of being out of plane to the two vehicles so that we could just go in and get it, was on top. So we were faced with a problem of trying to figure out just exactly what to do."

Relying on the training he received in the ground simulators (which he had helped develop), Fabian used the robotic arm to reach over the top of the SPARTAN and grab it from the top, just after Brandenstein flew the shuttle on a close approach so the arm was able to reach.

Fabian landed for his second time at Edwards exactly two years after his first return from space, on June 24, 1985. Over the course of his two shuttle missions, he logged 13 days, 4 hours and 3 minutes off the planet.

Two-flight limit

John McCreary Fabian was born on Jan. 28, 1939, in Goose Creek, Texas, but considered Pullman, Washington to be his hometown. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University in 1962; a master of science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology in 1964; and a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from the University of Washington in 1974.

An Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps student while at Washington State, he was commissioned after graduating. He attended flight training at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona, and spent five years flying KC-135 refueling tankers as co-pilot, aircraft commander and instructor at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan.

Fabian flew 90 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Following additional graduate work at the University of Washington, he served four years on the faculty of the Aeronautics Department at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, where he was a tenured associate professor and was it was there when he was accepted by NASA as member of the agency's eighth group of astronauts.

In total, Fabian had 4,000 hours flying time, including 3,400 hours in jet aircraft.

After STS-51G, Fabian had been scheduled to fly on STS-61G in May 1986, and was also in training for space shuttle life science mission SLS-1. Instead, 27 days prior to the Challenger tragedy (and his 47th birthday), he left NASA to become the director of space and deputy chief of staff, plans and operations for the U.S. Air Force.

"My wife told me that my marriage had a two-flight limit, and I believed her," Fabian said. "It wasn't that I was looking for a job or wanted to go do something else. I was going to go do something because I couldn't continue to do this."

When Challenger was lost, Fabian found a position on the accident board, studying what had caused the vehicle to break apart. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of colonel in June 1987 and joined Analytic Services, a non-profit aerospace public service research institute, from which he retired as president and chief executive officer in 1998.

Fabian then became a public speaker and frequent participant in the "Astronaut Encounter" events at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

For his service to the U.S. space program, Fabian was awarded the NASA Space Flight and Exceptional Public Service medals, among other honors.

Fabian is preceded in death by his brother, Bill, who was killed while flying as a forward air controller during the Vietnam War, and three of his shuttle crewmates, Rick Hauck, Sally Ride and Steve Nagel. He is survived by his wife, Donna, two children, Michael and Amy, and three three grandchildren.

Kyle Busch obit

Kyle Busch, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, dies at 41

 

He was not on the list.

May 21 (Reuters) - Kyle Busch, a generational talent ‌whose aggressive driving style earned him the nickname "Rowdy" and won him two NASCAR Cup Series championships, has died at the age of 41, his family announced on Thursday.

News of his death came just hours after ​Busch's family released a statement saying he had been hospitalized with a severe ​illness.

The Reuters Inside Track newsletter is your essential guide to the biggest events in global sport. Sign up here.

"We are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of ⁠Kyle Busch," his family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR said in a joint statement.

"Our ​entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of ​Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation.

"He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans."

Busch was ​in his 22nd full-time season in NASCAR's top division, where he won two Cup ​Series titles (2015, 2019) and 63 races - a figure that ranks ninth on the circuit’s all-time win ‌list.

"Absolutely cannot ⁠comprehend this news," fellow driver and rival Denny Hamlin said on social media.

"We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB."

Born in Las Vegas, Busch entered the sport as a brash teenager with the nickname "Shrub" as the younger brother ​to Hall of Fame ​driver Kurt Busch.

But ⁠the alias of "Rowdy" - a nod to one of the main characters in the film "Days of Thunder" due to his aggressive style - ​is what stuck with him.

Busch got his start with Hendrick Motorsports ​as a ⁠heralded rookie, joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, establishing a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavors, and spent the final stages of his career with ⁠Childress, ​arriving in 2023 and taking the reins of the ​No. 8 Chevrolet.

Busch is survived by his parents and his wife, Samantha, and children Brexton and Lennix.

He most notably driving the No. 18 (for the NASCAR Cup Series), No. 51 (primarily for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), and No. 54 (for the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and occasionally the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports between 2008 and 2023; Busch last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports. Busch was the younger brother of 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.

Born and raised into a racing family in Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch began helping work on race cars as a child before moving into competitive driving in go-karts and short-track racing during his adolescence. By his early teens, he was already winning local championships; Busch’s rapid rise through stock car racing caught the attention of major teams. He made his national NASCAR debut in 2001 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, competing for Roush Racing. In 2003, he joined Hendrick Motorsports as a development driver and later advancing to NASCAR's major touring series. Busch remained with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2007 season before joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, where he competed through 2022 and achieved the most successful stretch of his career. In 2023, he moved to Richard Childress Racing, continuing his career with the organization until his death in 2026.

Known for his dominance across NASCAR's top three divisions series, Busch is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and talented drivers in motorsports history. At the time of his death, he ranked ninth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list and first in overall wins between the top three NASCAR divisions. Amongst his various accolades, Busch was the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winning titles in 2015 and 2019, and was named as one of the NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers class in 2023. He was also the recipient of several awards, including two NASCAR Rookie of the Year awards and two ESPY Awards for best driver. Outside of stock car racing, Busch briefly held the WWE 24/7 Championship. His aggressive driving style and demeanor led to Busch earning several nicknames over the course of his career. In addition to his driving career, Busch owned and operated Kyle Busch Motorsports, a race team that competed in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series from 2011 to 2013 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series from 2010 to 2023.

On May 24, 2011, Busch was cited for reckless driving and speeding near Troutman, North Carolina, after driving 128 mph (206 km/h) in a 45 mph (72 km/h) zone while test-driving a Lexus LFA. He later apologized, admitting he had gotten "carried away." On August 23, 2011, he pleaded guilty to speeding and received a US$1,000 fine, a 45-day license suspension, 30 hours of community service, and one year of unsupervised probation.

On April 29, 2014, Busch was cited for driving 60 mph (97 km/h) in a 45 mph (72 km/h) zone on NC 73 in Denver, North Carolina. He said he believed the speed limit was 55 mph (89 km/h).

On February 6, 2023, news reports revealed that Busch had been arrested in Cancún, Mexico, in January for handgun possession. According to the prosecutor, Busch was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined US$1,100, though details about how the sentence would be served were not disclosed. Busch later issued a statement apologizing for his lack of awareness of Mexican laws and said he considered the matter resolved.

Rowdy Energy was an energy drink company based in Del Mar, California, founded in 2019 by NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and beverage entrepreneur Jeff Church.

 

Achievements 

2015, 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Champion

2018, 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion

2009 Nationwide Series Champion

2008 Southern 500 Winner

2015, 2016 Brickyard 400 Winner

2018 Coca-Cola 600 Winner

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race Winner

2012, 2021 Busch Clash Winner

2026 Daytona 500 pole winner

2009, 2013, 2016 Daytona Duel Winner

2009, 2017 Snowball Derby Winner

2011 Slinger Nationals Winner

All-Time Wins Leader in the top three NASCAR series overall (234)

All-Time Wins Leader in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (102)

All-Time Wins Leader in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69)

1st driver in the NASCAR Cup Series to win on every track competed (as of May 27, 2018)

1st driver to complete a Triple Threat in one weekend (twice)

Streak of 19 consecutive seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series with at least one win (series record)

Awards           

2004 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year

2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year

2016 ESPY Awards Best Driver

2019 ESPY Awards Best Driver

Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)

NASCAR Cup Series career

762 races run over 24 years

2025 position   21st

Best finish       1st (2015, 2019)

First race         2004 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 (Las Vegas)

Last race          2026 Go Bowling at The Glen (Watkins Glen)[a]

First win          2005 Sony HD 500 (California)

Last win          2023 Enjoy Illinois 300 (Gateway)

Wins    Top tens           Poles

63        395      35

NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series career

367 races run over 21 years

2024 position   88th

Best finish       1st (2009)

First race         2003 Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Charlotte)

Last race          2024 BetMGM 300 (Charlotte)

First win          2004 Funai 250 (Richmond)

Last win          2021 Credit Karma Money 250 (Atlanta)

Wins    Top tens           Poles

102      267      70

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career

184 races run over 29 years

2025 position   76th

Best finish       14th (2008, 2010)

First race         2001 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP)

Last race          2026 Ecosave 200 (Dover)

First win          2005 Quaker Steak and Lube 200 (Charlotte)

Last win          2026 Ecosave 200 (Dover)

Wins    Top tens           Poles

69        148      24

ARCA Menards Series career

9 races run over 3 years

Best finish       22nd (2003)

First race         2002 EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 150 (Charlotte)

Last race          2004 Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 (Daytona)

First win          2003 PFG Lester 150 (Nashville)

Last win          2004 Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 (Daytona)

Wins    Top tens           Poles

3          3          3

ARCA Menards Series East career

1 race run over 1 year

Best finish       44th (2009)

First race         2009 Long John Silver's 200 (Iowa)

First win          2009 Long John Silver's 200 (Iowa)

Wins    Top tens           Poles

1          1          1

Judith Chalmers obit

Judith Chalmers, host of ITV's Wish You Were Here...? has died aged 90

 

She was not on the list.

TV presenter Judith Chalmers, best known for hosting ITV's travel show Wish You Were Here...?, has died aged 90.

Her family said in a statement on Friday that she died peacefully at home on Thursday evening, surrounded by her family, after living with Alzheimer's in her final years.

They said her health had been declining for some time and that she had become seriously ill in recent weeks, giving the family time to be together with her.

Judith's family told ITV News: "After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless advertures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer's for some years.

"We will miss her greatly but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories."

Born in Gatley, Cheshire, she began working for the BBC at just 13, going on to present BBC Radio programmes Family Favourites and Woman's Hour in the 1960s.

She later hosted ITV's daytime magazine show Good Afternoon before going on to present Wish You Were Here...?, an ITV series of 30-minute shows about travel and holidays, in 1974.

In the 1960s, Chalmers presented two major BBC radio programmes: Family Favourites and Woman's Hour. She also appeared as the original Susan in The Clitheroe Kid, and was a foil for Ken Dodd in his radio show. Chalmers presented ballroom dancing competition programme Come Dancing for the BBC from 1961 to 1965.

During the 1970s, Chalmers regularly presented ITV's daytime magazine programme Good Afternoon and its successors, which included Afternoon Plus and A Plus. She started presenting ITV's holiday programme Wish You Were Here? in 1974 and continued in this role until 2003.

In the 1980s Chalmers was a regular host of the Miss World contest on ITV, also presenting the associated UK beauty pageants such as Miss United Kingdom and the British Beauty Championships. Chalmers presented BBC Radio 2's mid-morning show from 1990 to 1992, taking over from Ken Bruce, who took over the show again following Chalmers's departure from the station in 1992.

In 2001, Chalmers appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. She took part in an episode of the BBC Two series Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, with her son Mark, in 2013.

Her television appearances in later years have been limited to short spots on chat show programmes such as Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and Graham Norton's chat shows. In 2017, Chalmers took part in Channel 5's Celebrity Taste of Italy.

Howard Fendrich obit

Fendrich, award-winning AP sports writer, tennis expert, dies

 He was not on the list.

Howard Fendrich, a national sports writer for The Associated Press whose persistent reporting and detail-rich prose brought readers inside dozens of taut Grand Slam tennis finals, record-breaking Olympic moments and harrowing trips down Alpine ski slopes, has died. He was 55.

Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, his wife Rosanna Maietta said. He was diagnosed with cancer in February shortly after returning from Milan, where he covered his 11th Olympics.

Tennis great Roger Federer, who estimated he'd had more than 100 interactions with Fendrich over the decades, called the journalist "one of those constant and reassuring presences in the tennis world for many years."

"He started covering tennis in 2002, right around the time I was starting to have my breakthrough in the sport, and over time he truly became part of the fabric of tennis," Federer said. "Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person."

Fendrich is survived by his wife; his mother, Renée; his brother, Alex; and two sons, Stefano and Jordan, each of whom are pursuing careers in sports journalism - just like their dad.

"Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise and enthusiasm to his work," said AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace. "His stories were a joy to read, combining lively writing with insightful reporting. He was also a generous and beloved colleague whose warmth and passion touched so many across the AP."

A veteran of AP across three decades A graduate of Haverford College near Philadelphia, Fendrich worked at AP for 33 years, starting as an unpaid intern in Rome.

There, he became fluent in his beloved city's language, mostly by watching Italian karaoke videos, and that helped him get a foot in the door to the news agency's European sports coverage, focusing on soccer. That, in turn, landed him on the radar of the AP sports editor at the time, Terry R. Taylor, who helped him get back to the United States.

In the United States, Fendrich started as an editor on the AP sports desk at the New York headquarters, where he also wrote a sports media column. He moved to the Washington area in 2005 and became a steady presence on sports beats in the region where he had grown up.

But his true passion was tennis. He chronicled the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and others. He covered some 70 Grand Slam tournaments over nearly a quarter century on the beat. It was at those events where his brilliance shone brightest.

Fendrich's writing honors included two Grimsley Awards for best overall body of work among AP sports writers and a handful of deadline-writing citations. One was for a piece from Andre Agassi's last match, which came at the 2006 U.S. Open:

"Crouched alone in the silence of the locker room, a pro tennis player no more, a red-eyed Andre Agassi twisted his torso in an attempt to conquer the seemingly mundane task of pulling a white shirt over his head. Never more than at that moment did Agassi seem so vulnerable, looking far older than his 36 years."

The passage highlighted Fendrich at his best - watching, rewatching, taking notes, going beyond the courts and painstakingly sifting through details of events that millions of people witnessed to tell them something the guy sitting right next to him might not have noticed.

Fendrich captured Federer's heartfelt meeting with Bjorn Borg in the hallway after a history-making win at Wimbledon. He detailed the gritty realities of playing on red clay at Roland Garros, then having to wash it out of shorts and socks when the match was over.

At his last big assignment in Milan, he followed speedskater Jutta Leerdam's famous fiancé, fighter Jake Paul, down the hallway leading to the parking lot - all just to unearth a detail, just to get a quote. He got them, then Paul proclaimed: "OK, we're done." Bodyguards moved in and, as Fendrich said at a dinner later: "I decided, 'Yes, I guess we are.'"

An unerring instinct for how to get the news He had a knack for knowing where to go, who to ask and, just as importantly, what to ask and how.

For days during the steamy Washington summer in 2011, he sat on a folding chair on a sidewalk, perched a laptop on his lap and wrote, all while waiting for principals to emerge from tense negotiations during the protracted NFL labor lockout. Though he wasn't what would be known today as an "NFL insider," Fendrich worked the room, the phones - and the sidewalk - and helped AP stay as competitive as anyone in delivering developments and detailing the eventual end of the standoff.

"There was that doggedness," said Mary Byrne, the AP's deputy sports editor at the time of the lockout. "He was annoyed by it, and by all the time he spent out there waiting for people to come out and say nothing. But that situation wasn't going to get the best of him, and he wasn't going to get beat on the story."

When Washington quarterback Alex Smith broke his leg in the most gruesome of fashions in 2018, Fendrich immediately got on the phone with the one person who could understand: retired star quarterback Joe Theismann.

Sometimes, however, the phone would ring for him and, even if he was in the middle of a World Series game, Fendrich would pick up. If he started speaking Italian, it was undoubtedly Rosanna, his wife. Or sometimes the kids called and had a school question - or a story from that day's soccer game. For them, he had endless patience and time.

Then: Straight back to work, and he didn't miss a thing.

"Nothing got past him," said Stephen Wilson, AP's former European sports editor, who worked with Fendrich for more than 20 years. "Every story - even a three-paragraph brief - had to be iron-clad."

It wasn't just the written word where Fendrich was a master. He had a snappy, razor-sharp sense of humor. No colleague could turn him down when he raised his eyebrows, motioned his head toward the door and asked them to join him in his "office" -- usually a quiet courtyard or hallway outside a press room - to hash out coverage plans for the day or compare notes about people and things seen around the courts.

Chris Lehourites, an editor at AP who guided tennis coverage in Europe for decades, spent many a long day fretting over punctuation, syntax and word choice with Fendrich, whom he called a "perfectionist when it came to his job."

"Howard was also a friend," Lehourites said, "whose dry humor, along with his bags of Blow Pop lollipops, made long days go by quick."

Peter Helm obit

Peter Helm, Actor in ‘Inside Daisy Clover’ and ‘The Andromeda Strain,’ Dies at 84

He appeared on Broadway with Jane Fonda and Joey Heatherton and was busy on TV in the 1960s, with turns in ‘Wagon Train,’ ‘The Donna Reed Show,’ ‘The Fugitive’ and more.

 He was not on the list.

Peter Helm, the actor from Toronto who appeared on such 1960 shows as Naked City, Wagon Train and Ironside and in films including The Longest Day, Inside Daisy Clover and The Andromeda Strain, has died. He was 84.

Helm died Thursday in his sleep at his home in West Hills, his friend David Timmerman told The Hollywood Reporter.

Survivors include his sister, actress Anne Helm (Follow That Dream, The Magic Sword, The Iron Maiden), and a daughter, actress Tiffany Helm (Friday the 13th: A New Beginning).

The colorful Helm appeared alongside Jane Fonda, Dean Jones and Joey Heatherton on Broadway in 1960 in the Josh Logan-directed There Was a Little Girl, a drama about rape, then acted onstage with Myrna Loy in a 1962 production of James Kirkwood’s There Must Be a Pony that aimed for Broadway but missed.

He and Heatherton would enjoy a great friendship while traveling the world together over the years, and she told THR that he was “a great actor and a great person, top of the world.” The pair also worked with George Carlin at the start of his career, and the comedian once called Helm one of the funniest men he had ever met.

On the big screen, Helm portrayed an ill-fated G.I. in the Darryl F. Zanuck-produced The Longest Day (1962) and the social climber Milton Hopwood opposite Natalie Wood in Robert Mulligan’s Inside Daisy Clover (1965), then sent the sci-fi plot in motion as one of the two Air Force officers who spot a U.S. satellite going down in Robert Wise’s The Andromeda Strain (1971).

Peter John Helm Jr. was born on Dec. 22, 1941. After the death of his banker father, John, his mother, Isabel, brought his older sister to New York in 1952 to support her ballet ambitions, and he and his half-brother, David, came along.

Helm made his onscreen debut on a 1959 episode of the NBC sitcom Too Young to Go Steady, then showed up as fresh-faced types on such series as Dr. Kildare, The Donna Reed Show, Tales of Wells Fargo, Naked City, Rawhide, The Fugitive, Combat!, Mr. Novak, The Farmer’s Daughter, Perry Mason and Bonanza through the mid-1960s.

His final onscreen credit came on a 1971 episode of The Smith Family.

In 1991, Helm founded Vancouver-based GeoMediapro, working as a director and producer, and he taught at the Vancouver Film School and was a Teamster for more than 20 years. Away from show business, he was an enthusiastic aviation photographer and the founder of a Ferrari club in L.A. who liked to drive fast.

His first wife was actress Brooke Bundy (two Nightmare on Elm Street films); they were married from 1962 until their 1966 divorce. His survivors include another daughter, Brandee, and seven grandchildren. His son, Dustin, died of complications from a motorcycle accident in 2014.

Actor

"The Smith Family" Janet Blair, Henry Fonda, Darleen Carr, Ron Howard, Michael-James Wixted

The Smith Family

6.7

TV Series

Dennis Clary

1971

1 episode

 

James Olson and Robert Soto in The Andromeda Strain (1971)

The Andromeda Strain

7.2

Sgt. Crane (Piedmont team)

1971

 

"Make Room for Granddaddy" Sid Melton, Roosevelt Grier, Angela Cartwright, Marjorie Lord, Danny Thomas, Michael Hughes

Make Room for Granddaddy

5.9

TV Series

Richard

1970

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)

Ironside

6.9

TV Series

Alfred Dunne (as Peter J. Helm)

1967

1 episode

 

Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1965)

Please Don't Eat the Daisies

7.0

TV Series

Sheldon Carp

1966

1 episode

 

The Legend of Jesse James (1965)

The Legend of Jesse James

7.1

TV Series

Zeb Hicks

1966

1 episode

 

Private Hargrove

TV Movie

1965

 

Natalie Wood in Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Inside Daisy Clover

6.1

Milton Hopwood

1965

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

Gwylem

1965

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Bob Hyatt

1965

1 episode

 

William Demarest, Don Grady, Barry Livingston, Stanley Livingston, and Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons (1960)

My Three Sons

7.1

TV Series

Norman Quigley

1965

1 episode

 

The Donna Reed Show (1958)

The Donna Reed Show

7.4

TV Series

DannyWalter Gordon

1960–1965

2 episodes

 

James Franciscus in Mr. Novak (1963)

Mr. Novak

7.4

TV Series

President - United Nations AssemblyVerneDouglas Morgan Jr.

1964–1965

3 episodes

 

Zina Bethune and Shirl Conway in The Nurses (1962)

The Nurses

7.4

TV Series

Peter Ross

1964

1 episode

 

Inger Stevens and William Windom in The Farmer's Daughter (1963)

The Farmer's Daughter

7.5

TV Series

Jeffrey

1964

1 episode

 

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963)

Kraft Suspense Theatre

7.7

TV Series

Willis MaudryPrivate Cutler

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

Combat! (1962)

Combat!

8.4

TV Series

Laslo

1964

1 episode

 

Channing (1963)

Channing

7.0

TV Series

Paul Hamlin

1964

1 episode

 

Ripcord (1961)

Ripcord

7.4

TV Series

Denny Collins

1963

1 episode

 

David Janssen in The Fugitive (1963)

The Fugitive

8.1

TV Series

Johnny Peters - Reporter

1963

1 episode

 

Rawhide (1959)

Rawhide

7.9

TV Series

Grover

1963

1 episode

 

Stoney Burke (1962)

Stoney Burke

7.8

TV Series

Todd Purvis

1963

1 episode

 

John McIntire in Wagon Train (1957)

Wagon Train

7.6

TV Series

Leland BarberEthan ClayTom O'Neal

1962–1963

3 episodes

 

Angela Lansbury and Tuesday Weld in The Eleventh Hour (1962)

The Eleventh Hour

7.7

TV Series

Orin Prentice

1963

1 episode

 

Naked City (1958)

Naked City

8.2

TV Series

Ken Elson

1962

1 episode

 

Going My Way (1962)

Going My Way

7.6

TV Series

Frank Murphy

1962

1 episode

 

Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Sean Connery, Sal Mineo, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Red Buttons, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, Paul Anka, Arletty, Mel Ferrer, Steve Forrest, Gert Fröbe, Fabian, Jean-Louis Barrault, Bourvil, Ray Danton, Irina Demick, Leo Genn, Henry Grace, John Gregson, Paul Hartmann, Werner Hinz, Curd Jürgens, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Christian Marquand, Kenneth More, Edmond O'Brien, Ron Randell, Madeleine Renaud, Robert Ryan, Tommy Sands, Richard Todd, Tom Tryon, Peter van Eyck, and Stuart Whitman in The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day

7.7

Young GI

1962

 

Fred Astaire in Alcoa Premiere (1961)

Alcoa Premiere

7.1

TV Series

TomJimmy McKittrick

1962

2 episodes

 

Checkmate (1960)

Checkmate

7.4

TV Series

Ted Haley

1962

1 episode

 

Dale Robertson in Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)

Tales of Wells Fargo

7.9

TV Series

Jason Moore

1962

1 episode

 

The New Breed (1961)

The New Breed

7.5

TV Series

Lennie Rath

1962

1 episode

 

87th Precinct (1961)

87th Precinct

8.0

TV Series

Andy Cornell

1961

1 episode

 

Dr. Kildare (1961)

Dr. Kildare

7.0

TV Series

Tommy Rainey

1961

1 episode

 

Robert Young in Window on Main Street (1961)

Window on Main Street

7.2

TV Series

Roy

1961

1 episode

 

Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson, and Dorothy Malone in The Last Sunset (1961)

The Last Sunset

6.7

Man at Saloon (uncredited)

1961

 

Our American Heritage (1959)

Our American Heritage

5.2

TV Series

Ben

1960

1 episode

 

Harry Morgan and Cara Williams in Pete and Gladys (1960)

Pete and Gladys

7.3

TV Series

Delivery Boy

1960

1 episode

 

Holiday for Lovers (1959)

Holiday for Lovers

5.6

Tragic Young Man (uncredited)

1959

 

Too Young to Go Steady

TV Series

1959

1 episode

 

Director

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs (2009)

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs

Short

Director

2009

 

Cinematographer

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs (2009)

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs

Short

Cinematographer

2009

 

Producer

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs (2009)

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs

Short

producer

2009

 

Self

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs (2009)

Ferrari GTOs at Willow Springs

Short

Self

2009

 

Michael Keating obit

Blake's 7 and EastEnders legend dies at age 79

 

He was not on the list.

Former Blake's 7 and EastEenders star Michael Keating has died at the age of 79.

The English actor was beloved by sci-fi fans due to his role as Villa Restal in the cult BBC series and the news of his passing was shared by Cult Edge - who publish Blake's 7 books - and numerous fan accounts on social media.

The official Cult Edge X account posted: "So terribly sad to hear reports that we’ve lost Michael Keating. What a loss, and what a wonderful man. He’ll be hugely missed. Thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP Michael, and thank you xx"

Keith Barnfather - Film Producer at Reeltime Pictures - posted on Facebook: "MICHAEL KEATING 1947 - 2026

"More sad news. The passing of the absolutely lovely MICHAEL KEATING.

"VILA was probably my favourite character in BLAKE'S 7 and it was a total blast to meet Michael properly to film his MYTH MAKERS at Winspit Quarry in Dorset.

"Such a fun, generous, kind spirit. My deepest condolences to his family and every Blake's 7 fan out there."

In Blake's 7, Michael portrayed Villa Restal - a skilled thief and conjurer - in the space opera which was developed and written by Terry Nation, the man responsible for creating the Daleks and their leader Davros for Doctor Who.

Villa was the only character to appear in every episode of the four series which ran between 1978 and 1981.

Fans and Blake's 7 enthusiasts took to social media to pay tribute to Keating,

Jason Gilchrist (@jgilchrist13) posted on X: "Farewell to actor Michael Keating.

BLAKES 7 universe has lost another freedom fighter and star.

As Vila Restal #MichaelKeating brought wonderful lightness warmth fear drama humour to character.

Vila was integral to Blake's 7.

"I raise a glass of Adrenaline Soma to you. #Blakes7"

Paul Carmichael (@PaulCarmichaelV) - the writer producer/director of Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey podcast - posted on X: "So sorry to hear that Michael Keating has died. A fine actor with a wonderful career, including a recurring role in #EastEnders, but to me he will always be the wonderful Vila in #Blakes7. RIP."

The official X account for Space Fall: A Blake's 7 Podcast posted: "We're both very sad to hear of the passing of Michael Keating.

"Blake's 7 wouldn't have been what it was without him.

"Some of the most memorable moments were all down to him, and by all accounts he was a wonderful chap. He'll be missed."

As well as his memorable role on Blake's 7, Michael was best known for playing Reverend George Stevens in BBC One soap EastEnders from 2005 to 2017.

Reverend Stevens was a recurring character and appeared for Walford christenings, marriages and funerals as well as having interactions with regular church goer Dot Branning, who was played by the late June Brown.

Other notable acting roles included parts in Yes Minister, The Bill and Midsomer Murders, whilst he also reunited with Blake's 7 co-star Gareth Thomas in an episode of the BBC medical drama Casualty.

Filmography

Film

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1970    Julius Caesar   Plebeian #2    

2009    Micro Men      Derek Holley   TV movie

Television

[3][2]

 

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1969    Special Branch            Det. Constable Pearce

1971    Merry-Go-Round        Saxon Prisoner            Episode: "The Raven and the Cross 1", TV Documentary

1972    Doomwatch     Stephen Grigg Episode: "Enquiry"

Omnibus          Dante   Episode: "Max Beerbohm Remembers", TV documentary

1973    The Dragon's Opponent          First mate        Episode: "The Drawn Sword", historical miniseries

1977    Doctor Who    Goudry            Serial: The Sun Makers

1978–1981      Blake's 7          Vila Restal       52 episodes

1980    The Dawson Watch     TBA    2 episodes: "The Future" & "Holidays", sci-fi comedy

1981    Yes Minister    Constable Ross           Episode: "The Death List"

1983    Paul Squire, Esq          TBA    Episode: "1.6", sketch and variety show

1986    Rainbow          Detective Inspector Frost        Episode: "Detectives"

1988    King & Castle Inspector Bell  Episode: "Floppy Discs", crime drama

1989    The Play on One         Daniel / Charlie           2 episodes: "Clowns" & "These Foolish Things"

Capital City     Estate agent     Episode: "Thanksgiving"

1990    The Two of Us Police sergeant            Episode: "Dangers in the Night"

London's Burning       A. C. O. Howard         Episode "3.7", role uncredited

1991    Kinsey Murray            Episode: "The Authentic Voice... Little Miss Goosestep"

1993    Between the Lines      Police Federation Rep.           Episode: "Some Must Watch"

1994    True Crimes    Reenactment    Episode: "The Deepest Secret", TV documentary

The Bill           Geoff Tilson    Episode: "Menace"

1995, 2000      Casualty          Graham Wingate / Pat Sadler  2 episodes: "Bringing It All Back Home" & "States of Shock"

2005–2013, 2015–2017          EastEnders      Reverend George Stevens       54 episodes

2009    Midsomer Murders     Derek Painter  Episode: "The Dogleg Murders"

Radio and CD audio dramas

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1998–1999      Blake's 7          Vila Restal       2 stories: "The Sevenfold Crown" & "The Syndeton Experiment"

1999–2000      Soldiers of Love         Mydas Mydasson        5 episodes, sci-fi comedy

2004, 2006      Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures          Major Koth / Inspector Chardalot       2 serials: The Twilight Kingdom & Year of the Pig

2010    Graceless         Earl Kreekpolt Series 1

2010    Blake's 7: A Rebellion Reborn            Vila Restal       Episode: "When Vila Met Gan"

2012–2016      Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles   Vila Restal/Narrator    14 episodes

2013–2020      Blake's 7: The Classic Adventures      Vila Restal       34 episodes

2014    Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Calvert Serial: The Evil One

2021–2022      The Worlds of Blake's 7          Vila Restal       3 episodes