Paul Cotton obit

Longtime Poco singer/guitarist Paul Cotton dead at age 78

 

He was not on the list.

Former Poco singer/guitarist Paul Cotton, who was one of the influential country-rock act’s main songwriters during his long tenure with the band, has died.

According to a post on his official Facebook page, Cotton “passed away unexpectedly, peacefully” at the age 78.

Cotton joined Poco in 1970, replacing founding member Jim Messina, in time to contribute to the band’s third studio album, 1971’s From the Inside.

After founding singer/guitarist Richie Furay left Poco in 1973, Cotton co-led the group with singer/pedal-steel player Rusty Young until 1987, when Paul exited the band. Among the many songs Cotton wrote for the Poco were “Indian Summer,” “Under the Gun” and “Heart of the Night,” the latter of which reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cotton rejoined the band in 1991 and continued to play with them until 2010. He also released for solo studio albums, the most recent of which, 100% Paul Cotton, came out in 2014.

In 2015, Cotton was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame as a member of Poco and he reunited to perform with many of his former band mates at the ceremony.

Cotton’s Facebook page reports that a private and public celebration of his life and tribute concert will be held during the last week of January in Key West, Florida, where he and his wife resided for many years.

Paul’s death comes less than four months after the passing of Young, who died of a heart attack at age 75 in April.

Jay Pickett obit

Jay Pickett, ‘Port Charles’ and ‘General Hospital’ Actor, Dies at 60

 

He was not on the list.

Jay Pickett, an actor and producer known for his roles on “Port Charles” and “General Hospital,” died Friday on the set of his upcoming film, Pickett’s agent confirmed to Variety. He was 60.

The official Facebook page of “Treasure Valley” — in which Pickett starred and served as a producer and writer — announced Pickett’s death on Sunday, writing that Pickett died suddenly while preparing to film a scene on location in Idaho.

“There is no official explanation for the cause of his death but it appears to have been a heart attack,” the film’s director, Travis Mills, wrote in the post. “Everyone present tried as hard as they could to keep him alive. Our hearts are broken and we grieve for his family who are so devastated by this shocking tragedy.”

Born on Feb. 10, 1961 in Spokane, Wash., Pickett began his acting career in the late ’80s with appearances in television series like “Rags to Riches” and “China Beach.” He scored his big break in 1991 by landing the role of Dr. Chip Lakin on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” and went on to appear in 34 episodes of the series.

Pickett continued to build his career in the soap opera world, starring as Frank Scanlon on the “General Hospital” spin-off series “Port Charles” from 1997 to 2003. Pickett then starred on “General Hospital” itself, subbing in as Lorenzo Alcazar in 2006 and then returning in 2007 as Detective David Harper. Pickett also guest starred on shows like “Dexter,” “Queen Sugar,” “Desperate Housewives” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” and wrote, produced and starred in the 2012 feature “Soda Springs.”

“As so many of us know, Jay was an incredible man. He was kind, sweet, and generous,” Mills wrote. “He was one of the best actors I ever worked with and it was an honor to collaborate with him. Everyone who met him, even for the briefest moment, could feel his warmth, his wonderful spirit. It is difficult to find the words right now to say more. His closest friends have said that he was very happy making Treasure Valley and my hope is that he truly was. He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent.”

Pickett is survived by his wife, Elena, and their three children.

Filmography

Films

 

    Rush Week (1989) as Parker

    Eve of Destruction (1991) as Man in Jeep

    Rumpelstiltskin (1995) as Russell Stewart

    Bundy: An American Icon (2008) as Ross Davis

    Abandoned (2010) as Detective Franklin

    Soda Springs (2012) as Eden Jackson, as co-writer and producer

    A Matter of Faith (2014) as Stephen Whitaker

    A Soldier's Revenge (2020) as Kennedy

 

Television

 

    Days of Our Lives (1991-1992) as Chip Lakin

    A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester (1995)

    Port Charles (1997-2003) as Frank Scanlon Jr.

    General Hospital (2006, 2007-2008) as Lorenzo Alcazar (recast), David Harper

    Landslide (2005) as Stewart Hancock

    The Perfect Student (2011) as John

Thea White obit

Courage the Cowardly Dog Star Thea White Dies at 81

 

She was not on the list.

Today, the Cartoon Network fandom is taking time to mourn the loss of a beautiful soul. Thea White, the actress who voiced Muriel on Courage the Cowardly Dog, has passed away. She had just turned 81 back in June.

The information was posted to Facebook by John Zitzner who shared a video of White shortly before her death. The clip, which was taken on July 25, came ahead of White's death on July 30 at 11:05 am. No cause of death has been shared, but Zitzner did note in their post that White had just had a surgery on July 28.

As you can see here, White is awfully cheerful in this video as she says hello to family. "Thanks to Susan Bookshar for recording this last Sunday, July 25 some 5 days after her first surgery. Wishing her family good times as some of us were in Chautauqua for a few days, contemplating she would join us later in the week. Her last breath was Friday July 30 at 11:05 am. 2 days after her second surgery," Zitzner.

For those who are unfamiliar with White, the actress is known for her work on Courage the Cowardly Dog. The actress, who was born in June 1940, grew up loving theater in New Jersey. She took that passion to the next level by studying at an acting academy, and she did various performances on Broadway. After taking a brief leave to celebrate her marriage, White returned to acting when she was offered the role of Muriel. She voiced the lady from 1999 to 2002 when the show ended. And most recently, White returned to the role in 2021 for Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Our thoughts are with White's loved ones during this difficult time. May she rest in peace.

Richard Reicheg obit

Actor Richard Reicheg Has Died

He was not on the list.

Richard Reicheg was an American television, stage, and film actor, musician and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. His career spanned a period of over sixty years.

Reicheg wrote the song “For The Sake Of The Children” that is featured in the Robert Altman film Nashville and for which he received a Grammy nomination in 1975.

His songs have been recorded and performed by many top artists, including The Persuasions, Maria Muldaur, Gary Wright, and Jay and the Americans. His song "Everybody's a Masterpiece" was recorded by Three Dog Night. Reicheg's "Looking for an Echo" was recorded by Kenny Vance, The Persuasions (on their album Chirpin'), and by others. The song was also the musical theme of the Martin Davidson film of the same name. Film historian Jan Stewart has called Reicheg's song "For the Sake of the Children" an "ode to marital fidelity [that is] a delicious postmodern balancing act of send up and the real McCoy.

Reicheg was born and raised in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in the shadow of Ebbets Field. After graduating from Erasmus Hall High School, he served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany from 1956 to 1958. Upon discharge, he attended Brooklyn College, received a B.A. and M.A. degree in speech and theater, and acted in college productions. There he learned to play guitar and joined the burgeoning folk music scene in Greenwich Village. In various folk groups and as a solo performer, he toured extensively, playing coffee houses, cabarets and clubs in the U.S. and Canada, including The Bitter End, Gerde's Folk City, The Blue Angel and The Troubadour. He was a featured performer at the 1964 New York World's Fair, and part of The American Hootenany Festival that toured colleges throughout the US. During those years he recorded for Laurie, 20th Century Fox (as Lenny and Dick) and Decca records (as Sunrise Highway).

Prior to his death, Reicheg lived in Los Angeles, California with his wife Julie Payne. He died on July 30, 2021, at the age of 84.

 

Filmography

Film

Title      Role            Director           Year

Charlie Wilson's War            Navy Buddy  Mike Nichols

Tripper News Anchor David Arquette          

Monkey Trouble            Mr. Big's Henchman            Franco Amurri 

Oh, God! Book II            Karl            Gil Cates  

First Family            Agent Fowler Buck Henry  

Dirty Business            Albert (Lead)  John McCauley       

Delta Fox            Howard          Ferd Sebastian         

Leprechaun III            Lucky            Brian Trenchard-Smith   

Americathon            Hebrab Terrorist            Neil Israel   

Television

Title      Credit            Year(s)

Betty White's Off Their Rockers            Series Regular

Alias     Co-Star     

Days of Our Lives            Recurring        

High Incident            Guest Star     

The West Side Waltz MOW)            Co-Star     

Dream On            Guest Star

Empty Nest (3)            Guest Star     

Beverly Hills 90210  Guest Star     

The Golden Girls     Guest Star     

Beverly Hills Buntz    Guest Star     

Dallas   Guest Star     

Sledge Hammer!            Guest Star     

What a Country!            Guest Star     

Remington Steele (2)            Guest Star     

The A-Team            Guest Star     

Hardcastle & McCormick            Guest Star     

Faerie Tale Theatre Guest Star     

Quincy, M.E.            Guest Star     

The White Shadow            Guest Star     

Married to the Mob (pilot)            Recurring        

Brooklyn Bridge            Recurring        

Hill Street Blues    Guest Star     

Long Days of Summer (MOW)            Guest Star     

Superior Court            Guest Star     

General Hospital            Recurring        

The Desperate Miles (MOW)            Lead   

Two Guys from MUCK (pilot)            Recurring        

Monster Manor (pilot)            Recurring        

Police Story (2)            Guest Star     

Newhart            Guest Star     

C.H.I.P.S.            Guest Star     

Rhoda  Guest Star     

The Odd Couple Guest Star     

Young and the Restless            Recurring        

Kojak (2)            Guest Star     

Theater

Title      Role            Theater            Year

Twilight of the Golds   Walter            Booth Theater, Broadway (Standby)        

California Suite            Marvin/Mort    Drury Lane, Chicago 

A Bedfull of Foreigners            Karak            Drury Lane, Union Plaza, Las Vegas

Chapter Two            Leo            Cherry County Playhouse, Michigan         

Murder at the Howard Johnson's            Mitch            Cherry County Playhouse        

A Thousand Clowns            Chuckles            Arlington Park, Chicago           

Barefoot in the Park            Telephone Man            Arlington Park (Joseph Jefferson Award)           

The Odd Couple            Speed/Roy      Major Cities Tour      

Room Service            Binion            Loretto Hilton, St. Louis   

Little Murders            Alfred            Manitoba Theatre Center, Winnipeg         

Gangster Planet            Dad            Met Theater, Los Angeles           

At the Mat            Albert            Figtree Theater, Los Angeles           

Prisoner of Venice  Swede            Zephyr Theatre, Los Angeles           

Sophie and Willa            Leonard          Tiffany Theater, Los Angeles

Jack Couffer obit

Jack Couffer, Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer on ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull,’ Dies at 96

He worked on many films featuring wildlife, including 'Out of Africa,' 'The Legend of Lobo,' 'Living Free' and 'Never Cry Wolf.'

 He was not on the list.

Jack Couffer, the cinematographer, director, producer and wildlife aficionado who received an Oscar nomination for shooting the 1973 adventure tale Jonathan Livingston Seagull, has died. He was 96.

Couffer died July 30 at a hospice care facility in Costa Mesa, California, his son, Michael Couffer, announced.

Couffer also directed such features as Ring of Bright Water (1969), a movie about a dog that he co-wrote; The Legend of Lobo (1962), revolving around a wolf; and Living Free (1972), the sequel to the 1966 lion tale Born Free.

He served as the second-unit director on the Oscar best picture winner Out of Africa (1985), the Tanya Roberts-starring Sheena (1984) and the Kenya-set, William Goldman-written The Ghost and the Darkness (1998), and he produced the Carroll Ballard-directed Never Cry Wolf (1983).

Cinematographer

Secrets of the Deep

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1998

 

The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.4

TV Series

Cinematographer

1957–1978

11 episodes

 

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures

6.9

Cinematographer

1975

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

5.8

director of photography

1973

 

Stanford Lomakema in The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle (1967)

The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle

8.4

Cinematographer

1967

 

A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood (1965)

A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood

7.0

Short

Cinematographer (photographer)

1965

 

The Legend of Lobo (1962)

The Legend of Lobo

6.7

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1962

 

Nikki, Wild Dog of the North (1961)

Nikki, Wild Dog of the North

6.7

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1961

 

Islands of the Sea (1960)

Islands of the Sea

7.6

Short

Cinematographer (as Jack C. Couffer, photographed by)

1960

 

The Savage Eye (1959)

The Savage Eye

6.9

Cinematographer (photographer)

1959

 

Edge of Fury (1958)

Edge of Fury

6.1

Cinematographer (photography by)

1958

 

Secrets of Life (1956)

Secrets of Life

7.3

Cinematographer (as Jack C. Couffer, photographed by)

1956

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

I Dreamed of Africa (2000)

I Dreamed of Africa

5.5

second unit director (uncredited)

2000

 

Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

The Ghost and the Darkness

6.8

second unit director

1996

 

Cheetah (1989)

Cheetah

5.9

second unit director (as John Cotter)

1989

 

Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (1985)

Out of Africa

7.1

second unit director

1985

 

Tanya Roberts in Sheena (1984)

Sheena

4.9

second unit director

1984

 

Gary Collins and Diana Muldaur in Born Free (1974)

Born Free

6.9

TV Series

second unit director

1974

13 episodes

 

Big Red (1962)

Big Red

6.3

second unit director (uncredited)

1962

 

Grand Canyon (1958)

Grand Canyon

7.0

Short

second unit director (uncredited)

1958

 

Director

Adventures of the Wilderness Family 3 (1979)

Adventures of the Wilderness Family 3

6.4

Director (as John Cotter)

1979

 

Susan Anspach and Simon Ward in The Last Giraffe (1979)

The Last Giraffe

6.0

TV Movie

Director

1979

 

The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.4

TV Series

Director

1964–1978

9 episodes

 

Gary Collins and Diana Muldaur in Born Free (1974)

Born Free

6.9

TV Series

Director

1974

1 episode

 

Nicholas Clay in The Darwin Adventure (1972)

The Darwin Adventure

7.3

Director

1972

 

Nigel Davenport and Susan Hampshire in Living Free (1972)

Living Free

6.0

Director

1972

 

Ring of Bright Water (1969)

Ring of Bright Water

7.1

Director

1969

 

Stanford Lomakema in The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle (1967)

The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle

8.4

Director

1967

 

A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood (1965)

A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood

7.0

Short

Director

1965

 

Nikki, Wild Dog of the North (1961)

Nikki, Wild Dog of the North

6.7

Director

1961

Carl Levin obit

Tributes Flood in for Carl Levin After Former Senator Dies at 87: 'Champion for Michigan'

 

He was not on the list.

Tributes have poured in for former Senator Carl Levin following his death on Thursday at the age of 87. The Democrat was the longest-serving U.S. senator in the history of Michigan.

Levin's passing was announced on Thursday evening by family spokesperson Jim Townsend, director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University law school. Many of those who knew him quickly took to social media to mourn him and praise the senator's work and personality.

He served 36 years in the Senate from 1979 until his retirement in 2015. He was also a longtime member of the Armed Services Committee, serving as the ranking member when Democrats were in the minority and as chair when they were the majority party.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Levin "was a champion for Michigan."

"He devoted his life to public service, and it's up to us to follow his example. My thoughts are with his loved ones tonight," Whitmer said.

In her statement honoring Levin, Whitmer pointed to his work on nuclear weapons and missile treaties and his opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The Michigan Democratic Party called Levin a "living legend, always putting the needs of Michiganders ahead of his own."

"Known worldwide as a defender of peace and a champion for good, he represented the best of Michigan," the party said.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued a statement on Levin's passing, saying a "light has gone out today in Michigan that can never be replaced."

"I have no words to express what Senator Carl Levin and his lifetime of dedication to our city, state and country meant to me and so many of us who seek to serve and lead during these

Former Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) tweeted: "Carl Levin was a wonderful Senator and an even better man. Loaded with intelligence and integrity, he led the most complicated efforts to get public policy right, with an emphasis on the public good. I was so grateful for his mentoring and friendship. My sympathy to his family."

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who represents California's 15th congressional district, shared an anecdote about Levin and his brother, U.S. Representative Sander "Sandy" Levin. Carl and Sander Levin served together in Congress for more than 30 years.

"As a congressional intern, I worked at a gym near the Capitol," Swalwell wrote. "Every morning, I checked out a racquetball court to Carl and his brother, Rep. Sandy Levin. I was a 20-year-old nobody, but Carl was always so kind & greeted me by name each morning."

CNN's Jake Tapper also shared a memory of Levin and his brother, saying: "Years ago I would run into Sen Carl Levin and his brother Rep Sander Levin at a gym on Capitol Hill. They would play squash against each other. It was really nice and sweet to see. May his memory be a blessing."

Michigan State Senator Sean McCann called Levin the "conscience of the Senate."

"[H]e was my inspiration for public service. Michigan has lost a giant," McCann said.

Representative Elisa Slotkin, a Democrat representing Michigan's 8th congressional district, said Levin was an example for others to follow.

"Carl Levin led an amazing life, and set the gold standard for hard-working, decent Midwestern leadership. May his memory be a blessing. And may we all seek to live up to his example," Slotkin tweeted.

Newsweek has asked the Levin Center at Wayne University for comment.