Dale Robertson obit

Dale Robertson has died, he was not on the list.

Cowboy actor Dale Robertson dead at 89

Actor Dale Robertson is best remembered for his portrayal of Jim Hardie in the TV series Tales of Wells Fargo.

Dale Robertson, whose horse expertise, Oklahoma roots and handsome looks helped him win cowboy roles in 1950s and '60s, has died at age 89, his wife said Thursday.

Robertson was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer just last week while being treated for pneumonia at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, Susan Robertson said. He died Tuesday.

"He always said he lived two or three lifetimes," she said. "He was in Hollywood when it was great."

Robertson's acting career began after a movie scout saw a photo of him in a Hollywood photo shop's display window. He had the portrait taken to send to his mother while he was stationed at an Army post in California, according to his official biography.

He acted in several uncredited movie roles in 1948 after he left the Army, leading to his role as the outlaw Jesse James in "Fighting Man of the Plains" in 1949.

Robertson starred in the TV Western series "Tales of Wells Fargo" from 1957 through 1962, riding a horse named Jubilee.

During the last hours of his life, as he lay in a hospital bed, his wife comforted Robertson by whispering thoughts of what awaited him in the afterlife.

"I told him that Jubilee and Chief (his favorite dog) would be waiting to greet him," his wife told CNN.

The role of a cowboy was not a stretch for Robertson, who grew up on an Oklahoma horse ranch. He and his wife raised horses in Oklahoma until moving to a San Diego suburb last summer, Susan Robertson said.

Robertson never sought formal acting training, based on advice that he should keep his own personality, according to his biography.

In the 1966 TV series "Iron Horse," Robertson played a character who won a railway in a high-stakes poker game.

He hosted, along with Ronald Reagan, episodes of "Death Valley Days" during the 1960s.

Film roles, also mostly Westerns, included "Devil's Canyon," "Sitting Bull," and "Dakota Incident."

In the 1980s, Robertson was a regular on the first season of "Dynasty," and acted in episodes of "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote," "Dynasty," "Harts of the West" and "Dallas."

His last role came in two episodes of the TV series "Harts of the West" in 1993.

The final 15 years of Robertson's life were spent in ill health, partly because of wounds suffered while serving in a tank crew in North Africa and Europe during World War II, his wife said.

His wife called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital because of pain last week, she said.

Doctors were treating him for pneumonia when tests revealed he had lung cancer that had spread to his brain, bones, liver and lymph nodes, she said.

Filmography

    The Boy with Green Hair (1948) - Cop (uncredited)

    Flamingo Road (1948) - Tunis Simms (uncredited)

    The Girl from Jones Beach (1949) - Lifeguard (uncredited)

    Fighting Man of the Plains (1950) - Jesse James

    The Cariboo Trail (1950) - Will Gray

    Two Flags West (1950) - Lem

    Call Me Mister (1951) - Capt.Johnny Comstock

    Take Care of My Little Girl (1951) - Joe Blake

    The Secret of Convict Lake (1951) - Narrator (voice, uncredited)

    Golden Girl (1951) - Tom Richmond

    Return of the Texan (1952) - Sam Crockett

    The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1952) - John Oakhurst

    Lydia Bailey (1952) - Albion Hamlin

    Lure of the Wilderness (1952) - Opening off-screen Narrator (voice, uncredited)

    O. Henry's Full House (1952) - Barney Woods (segment "The Clarion Call")

    The Silver Whip (1953) - Race Crim

    The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953) - Dan Harrow

    Devil's Canyon (1953) - Billy Reynolds

    City of Bad Men (1953) - Brett Stanton

    The Gambler From Natchez (1954) - Capt. Vance Colby

    Sitting Bull (1954) - Major Robert 'Bob' Parrish

    Top of the World (1955) - Maj. Lee Gannon

    Son of Sinbad (1955) - Sinbad

    A Day of Fury (1956) - Jagade

    Dakota Incident (1956) - John Banner

    High Terrace (1956) - Bill Lang

    A Tall trouble (1957) - Sheriff Caleb Wells

    Anna of Brooklyn (1958) - Raffaele

    Gunfight at Black Horse Canyon (1961, TV Movie) - Jim Hardie (archive footage)

    Law of the Lawless (1964)[19] - Judge Clem Rogers

    Blood on the Arrow (1964) - Wade Cooper

    The Man from Button Willow (1965) - Justin Eagle (voice)

    Coast of Skeletons (1965) - A. J. Magnus

    The One Eyed Soldiers (1966) - Richard Owen

    East Connection (1970)

    Aru heishi no kake (1970) - Major Clark J. Allen

    The Kansas City Massacre (1975, TV Movie) - Melvin Purvis

 

C. Everett Koop - #45

C Everett Koop has died. He was number 45 on the list.

C. Everett Koop, who transformed the post of surgeon general, dies

With his long silver beard and white braided uniform, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop

became one of the most recognizable figures of the Reagan era — and one of the most unexpectedly enduring.

His nomination in 1981 met a wall of opposition from women's groups and liberal politicians, who said President Ronald Reagan selected Koop, a pediatric surgeon and evangelical Christian from Philadelphia, only because of his conservative views, especially his staunch opposition to abortion.

Soon, though, he was a hero to AIDS activists, who chanted "Koop, Koop" at his appearances but booed other officials. And when he left his post in 1989, he left behind a landscape where AIDS was a top research and educational priority, smoking was considered a public health hazard and access to abortion remained largely intact.

Koop, who turned his once-obscure post into a bully pulpit for seven years during the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and who surprised both ends of the political spectrum by setting aside his conservative personal views on issues such as homosexuality and abortion to keep his focus sharply medical, died Monday at his home in Hanover, N.H. He was 96.

An assistant at Koop's Dartmouth College institute, Susan Wills, confirmed his death but didn't disclose its cause.

Although the surgeon general has no real authority to set government policy, Koop described himself as "the health conscience of the country" and said modestly just before leaving his post that "my only influence was through moral suasion."

Koop shocked his conservative supporters when he endorsed condoms and sex education to stop the spread of AIDS. He carried out a crusade to end smoking in the United States — his goal had been to do so by 2000. A former pipe smoker, he said cigarettes were as addictive as heroin and cocaine.

Even after leaving office, he continued to promote public health causes, from preventing childhood accidents to better training for doctors.

"I will use the written word, the spoken word and whatever I can in the electronic media to deliver health messages to this country as long as people will listen," he promised.

In 1986, he issued a frank report on AIDS, urging the use of condoms for "safe sex" and advocating sex education as early as third grade.

He also maneuvered around uncooperative Reagan administration officials in 1988 to send an educational AIDS pamphlet to more than 100 million U.S. households, the largest public health mailing ever.

Koop personally opposed homosexuality and believed sex should be saved for marriage. But he insisted that Americans, especially young people, must not die because they were deprived of explicit information about how HIV was transmitted.

Koop further angered conservatives by refusing to issue a report requested by the Reagan White House, saying he could not find enough scientific evidence to determine whether abortion has harmful psychological effects on women.

At a congressional hearing in 2007, Koop spoke about political pressure on the surgeon general post. He said Reagan was pressed to fire him every day, but Reagan would not interfere.

Koop was born in New York's borough of Brooklyn, the only son of a Manhattan banker and the nephew of a doctor. He said by age 5 he knew he wanted to be a surgeon.

Koop received his medical degree at Cornell Medical College, choosing pediatric surgery because so few surgeons practiced it.

Koop was by far the best-known surgeon general, and decades after he left the job he was still a recognized personality.

"I was walking down the street with him one time" about five years ago, recalled Dr. George Wohlreich, director of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, a medical society with which Koop had longstanding ties. "People were yelling out, 'There goes Dr. Koop!' You'd have thought he was a rock star."

Dan Toler obit

“Dangerous” Dan Toler: 1948-2013

He was not on the list.

A native of Connersville, Indiana, Toler became popular in the late 1970s as a member of Dickey Betts & Great Southern. He was featured on the albums Dickey Betts & Great Southern and Atlanta's Burning Down. He went on to become a member of The Allman Brothers Band with Betts from 1979–1982 appearing on Enlightened Rogues (1979), Reach for the Sky (1980) and Brothers of the Road (1981).

Toler and his brother David (Frankie) Toler were members of the Gregg Allman Band in the 1980s. They performed on the albums I'm No Angel (1987) and Just Before The Bullets Fly (1988), as well as a reformed version of Great Southern in the 2000s. Prior to rejoining Great Southern, Toler had not spoken to Betts in over 10 years. Dan experimented with jazz fusion multi-instrumentalist Mark Pettey in Sarasota in the early 1990s, recording a short demo, and performing live shows in the Tampa Bay area. Mark and Dan continued to collaborate on jazz influenced projects together.

Toler, John Townsend, Toler's brother David (Frankie) Toler, Bruce Waibel and Mark Pettey created the Townsend Toler Band in the early 1990s, starting with a demo cut in Telstar Studios in Sarasota. This was followed by tours of the eastern United States, including shows in New York City and up and down the east coast. He later joined The Renegades of Southern Rock, whose members included George McCorkle (formerly of The Marshall Tucker Band), John Townsend (Sanford-Townsend Band), John McKnight, Jack Hall (Wet Willie), and Taylor Caldwell.

In 2007 Toler performed on Jason Black's Mind Over Matter album. Two years later, Toler once again teamed up with John Townsend to form the Toler/Townsend Band. Their self-titled album was released in 2009 on the European Blues Boulevard/music avenue label. The Toler/Townsend Band CD was later released in the United States by Garage Door Records.

In 2011, Toler formed The Toler–Tucci Band, which was scheduled to release their debut album, Doc's Hideaway, in August 2012. Verceal Whitaker of The Platters was the featured vocalist on that project.

Kevin Peek obit

Kevin Peek Of Sky Dies At Age 66

 

He was not on the list.

Kevin Peek, the Australian guitarist who achieved international success as a member of Sky, has died in Perth at the age of 66.

Peek’s death is somewhat of a mystery. According to various social media posts by his friends he succumbed to cancer.

Classical guitarist John Williams was the founder of Sky and recruited Peek for the first line-up. The first album in 1979 featured Williams, Herbie Flowers, Francis Monkman, Tristan Try and Kevin Peek. The self-titled debut album for Sky went platinum in Australia and the UK via an unusual classical meets rock flavoured hit with ‘Cannonball’.

The second album, ‘Sky 2’ was another success. The classical piece ‘Toccata’, arranged by Peek, reached no. 5 on the UK singles chart in 1980.

Peek had been a long-time member of Cliff Richard’s band and worked with Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Manfred Mann and Lulu.

In 1991, Kevin left the band to work as a producer in Perth but his financial situation had a turn for the worse and Peek was declared bankrupt twice. He served a three-year jail sentence.

In 2010, Kevin Peek was once again in front of the court linked to a ‘Ponzi’ investment scheme and was facing fraud charges at the time of his death.

George Ives obit

He was not on the list.

George Ives passed away on Friday, February 22, 2013 at the age of 87 at his Brentwood home. He was a 50-year veteran of movies and the theater. The deep, melodious voice, excellent old-style diction, and the sheer screen and stage presence were his trademarks. Born in New York City in 1926, he made his stage debut in Walter Kerr's Stardust which closed before reaching Broadway. His Broadway debut came in 1947 in Alice in Arms. He appeared in numerous road productions including Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter starring Eddie Bracken, Janie, Silver Whistle and Charley's Aunt in between his work on Broadway in Present Laughter; You Never Can Tell; The Seven Year Itch; Season In The Sun; Mr Barry's Etchings; and Happy Town.

He worked in postwar radio and television, including many anthology shows like Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Theatre Guild on the Air, Studio One, The Philco Television Playhouse, and Kraft Television Theatre. He also did guest spots on Sargent Bilko and The Celeste Holm Show. He made his screen debut in 1952 in Niagra, starring Marilyn Monroe. On the West Coast, his other film appearances included Hot Rods to Hell with Dana Andrews, and the Paul Newman military comedy The Secret War of Harry Frigg. In between theater roles, he continued working on television into the 1960s,

After moving to Hollywood he landed his first regular series when in 1961, he was cast in a sitcom called The Hathaways, with Jack Weston and Peggy Cass. Ives' 6-foot-2-inch height, dignified appearance, and resonant voice often got him cast as authority figures, and he did numerous other series such as The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Get Smart, Perry Mason, Peter Gunn, O'Hara US Treasury, Happy Days, and Bewitched. In 1965, Ives got his best regular TV role, co-starring as Doc in the series MR. ROBERTS, based on the John Ford/Mervyn LeRoy navy drama. Working in the shadow of William Powell, who had played the part in the movie, he made the role of the ship's doctor work for him on his terms. Ives remained active in theater all the while he was working on TV and movie projects, and in the early '70s, he was asked by Actors' Equity Association to take on an executive position with the organization on the West Coast. He eventually became Western Regional Director of the union's operations there, a position which precluded him from doing much other work. Ives finally retired from the union in the '90s and started working as an actor again. During his second on-camera career, George starred in a Honda commercial directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. This project led to the Coen Brothers asking him to do a special introduction to their film Blood Simple for its DVD release. Since then, he has been a regular participant in their work, including his memorable role as the plaintiff's attorney in Intolerable Cruelty.

A native of New York City, Ives played Douglas Aldrich in the television series The Jim Backus Show, also known as Hot off the Wire. He starred in an episode of The King of Queens, an episode of The Andy Griffith Show entitled TV or Not TV, as well as an episode of The Office entitled Phyllis' Wedding

Until shortly before his death, Ives served for several decades as President of the charitable organization Theatre Authority West, a non-profit organization that administers and regulates the free appearances of performers and provides assistance to members of the entertainment industry. Throughout his life he dedicated himself completely to the betterment of all in the theatrical community. George Ives leaves behind his beloved wife, Elizabeth; three children: Cathleen, Marguerite and Monty; nine grandchildren as well as six great-grandchildren. In lieu of a memorial service, at his request, donations can be made to the Actor's Fund in his name.

Wolfgang Sawallisch obit

Maestro Sawallisch, who led Philadelphia Orchestra for a decade, dies at 89 

He was not on the list.

Wolfgang Sawallisch, music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1993 to 2003, died in his home in Grassau, Germany, Friday. He was 89 years old.

An oft-told story, from the winter of 1994, puts Wolfgang Sawallisch at the helm of the Philadelphia Orchestra during a ferocious snowstorm. Much of the audience and many of the musicians could not make it to the Academy of Music on Broad Street for the performance of an opera by Wagner.

Sawallisch decided the show must go on. Without an orchestra, the conductor sat at a piano and accompanied the singers himself, translating the orchestra score to the keyboard on the fly.

"It's an absolutely a new experience," Sawallisch warned the audience beforehand, and added with a chuckle, "Let's see what happens."

It was note-perfect.

Sawallisch was usually not so devil-may-care. Born in 1923, and trained on a heavy diet of Mozart, Schumann and Wagner, he had a reputation as a staunch champion of the classical canon.

The orchestra's concertmaster, David Kim, says he may be the last of the great traditionalists.

"He was like your favorite uncle or grandfather. He was a man of routine," said Kim. "Every intermission he would be in his dressing room and put his feet up on his coffee table, and have a Coke. He had his favorite hotel rooms in Tokyo and Berlin. He was a man of routine."

With the baton, he was the boss

Rarely seen without tie and matching vest, Sawallisch conducted himself and his orchestra in a formal manner. He preferred to be addressed as "maestro" where other conductors often wave off the title. He was an accomplished pianist and enjoyed joining his musicians to play chamber music.

"When he was on the podium with the baton, he was the boss," said Kim, "But when he played the piano ... he became more vulnerable, and kind of one of the guys."

Sawallisch was 70 years old when he was tapped to be music director in 1993. (By comparison, the orchestra's new music director, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, is 37.) He arrived with an established, conservative reputation, having spent 20 years leading the Bavarian State Opera.

The president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association during Sawallisch's tenure as music director, Joe Kluger, said the world changed during Sawallisch's 10 years with the orchestra, and Sawallisch changed along with it.

"I think it was 1997 when we decided to do a concert streaming on the Internet," said Kluger. "Today that sounds like no big deal. But I'm telling you, in 1997 nobody else had done it."

Rising to the occasion in the depths of sorrow

In 2001, five days after the 9/11 attacks, the orchestra participated in a free concert at the Mann Center, performing patriotic songs and classical movements. The event, televised by WHYY, was meant to be a gesture to the city and the world.

Sawallisch was stuck in Germany, because all the flights were canceled, remembered Kluger.

"He said, I will do whatever it takes to be there. He really understood how important music would be in such a tragedy, to help people deal with the crisis," Kluger said. "He did arrive, and led one of the most emotional performances I've ever experienced in my life."

The orchestra is currently in the middle of concert series honoring another of its legendary directors, Leopold Stokowski. On Sunday, it performed a brief tribute to Sawallisch before its matinee concert.

Del Tenney obit

Delbert Duane Tenney

July 27, 1930 – February 21, 2013

 

 He was not on the list.

Noted Cult-Classic Filmmaker, Delbert Tenney, 82, has died. Stamford, CT (February 25, 2013) - Del Tenney passed away quietly at his home in Jupiter, FL, Thursday morning, February 21st. Del Tenney was born in Mason City, Iowa, and moved to California with his parents when he was 12. Attending Los Angeles City and State College, he developed an interest in the theater, became an actor and made a living at it for most of his young adult life. He acted on Broadway and did extra work in films Stalag 17 (1953), The Wild One (1953) before moving to New York. Following successful stints doing summer stock, he moved behind the camera as assistant director on some low-budget pictures. He then co-wrote and co-directed (without credit) his production of Violent Midnight (1963), a Stamford, CT made suspense thriller. Mr. Tenney next made B-movie horror history bringing to the screen cult classics like The Horror of Party Beach (1964) and The Curse of the Living Corpse (1964). Along with his wife, Margot Hartman Tenney, Del created the acclaimed Hartman Theater in Stamford, CT. Del and Margot produced and acted in shows everywhere from the Sharon Playhouse, Sharon, CT to the Newport Theater, RI, and Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, as well as, the Helen Hayes Theater in Nyack, NY. Their philanthropic and artistic support of a multitude of theaters was widely known, including The Musical Theater Works in New York City and The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival in Jupiter, FL. Del was an instrument rated pilot for many years. He was also involved in real estate. He built spec homes in Lakeville, CT; Marathon, FL; and condominiums in Middletown, RI. He ran Hanover Realty with his son, Matthew and was the president and co-executive director of The First Stamford Corporation. More recently, Mr. Tenney formed Del Mar Productions with his wife, Margot, and Kermit Christman. They produced The Clean and Narrow (1999), a Palm Springs International Film Festival selection, and premiered on HBO; Do You Wanna Know a Secret? (2001) (filmed in Jupiter, FL), a Palm Beach International Film Festival Selection, which was purchased by Blockbuster Entertainment; and Descendant (2003) for Showtime, starring Katherine Heigl. Del Tenney resided in Jupiter, FL and Greenwich, CT. He is survived by his lovely wife, award-winning actress and patron, Margot Hartman Tenney, as well as children Matthew Tenney, Karen Tenney, and Jesse Tenney; along with seven grandchildren: Asara, Gwen, Claire, Curtis, Kaya, Ariana and Valerie. There will be a viewing at 5 pm – 8 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, Greenwich, CT.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1953      Stalag 17                              Uncredited

1953      The Wild One                     Uncredited

1962      Satan in High Heels          Paul      

1963      Violent Midnight              Bar Patron           Uncredited

1964      The Curse of the Living Corpse    The Living Corpse             Uncredited

1964      The Horror of Party Beach            Gas Station Attendant    Uncredited

2000      Clean and Narrow            Mayor Reynolds               

2001      Do You Wanna Know a Secret?   Pastor Clifford Adams     (final film role)