Mo Foster obit

Legendary English Bassist Mo Foster Passes Away at 78

Bass legend and author Mo Foster sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning from Stage 4 liver and bile duct cancer 

He was not on the list.

Bass guitar legend and author Mo Foster sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning from Stage 4 liver and bile duct cancer. He’d been in the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead for the past three weeks having been diagnose in May around the same time that he played his final gig at Pizza Express Soho in Dean Street with guitarist Ray Russell and “Mo Foster & Friends.”

Mo Foster (born Michael Ralph Foster, 22 December 1944) is an English multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, solo artist, author, and public speaker. Through a career spanning over half a century, Foster has toured, recorded, and performed with dozens of artists, including Jeff Beck, Gil Evans, Phil Collins, Ringo Starr, Joan Armatrading, Gerry Rafferty, Brian May, Scott Walker, Frida of ABBA, Cliff Richard, George Martin, Van Morrison, Dr John, Hank Marvin, Heaven 17 and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has released several albums under his own name, authored a humorous book on the history of “British Rock Guitar”, written numerous articles for music publications, continued to compose production music, and established himself as a public speaker. Foster is an assessor for JAMES, an industry organisation that gives accreditation to music colleges throughout the UK. In 2014, Foster was a recipient of a BASCA Gold Badge Award to honour his lifelong contribution to the British songwriting and composing community.

“There wasn’t a gap of two days between either Mo or I calling each other. Once he was with Frieda of ABBA in Sweden, I was in Italy with Greg Walsh we spent evenings on the phone from music to surreal humour. Fifty years has gone by from playing with Jimmy Helms in Spennymoor to now waiting by a bedside of a man brave in death.

“I held his hand, kissed him, said my goodbyes and he fell into a deep sleep. Six hours later he had slipped away hopefully to join the famous others who have left us. From now on Thunder will be laughter and rain will be tears of joy. I know I will see him, the back of his head walking somewhere but I won’t shout out, it won’t be real.

“I feel confronted by a sea of exclusion, where to jump. The person that made trousers flap and out the groove right in the middle and facilitated strong melody lines as his own songs and what we wrote together prove. There will be posts of what musical heights Mo achieved and he was a master but also a master at making the most awful things funny.

“Most of all, he was the closet two only children have been brothers. I feel that a part of me has disappeared like a land slide, a voice I will remember I hope until it’s my turn. My Brother in arms, Fuzzy Bear, Mo-Jo. Two thirds of my life I have loved you and that will never change. On Earth you have educated people to the nature of musicians. And never suffered fools gladly. Your values and integrity were emblazoned on anything you wrote and played and composed. You said a death was like a library burning. Although this was symbolic, I can feel the heat from here. An empty chair, a lead waiting to be attached to the Bass and amp that will remain silent. But you will remain long past the song has ended.”

Mo Foster 1944 – 2023. A life well lived. There will never be another Mo – Goodbye for now. – R.R. 3 July 2023.

Please note there will be no funeral service but an unattended cremation as Mo wished. This will probably be followed by a memorial gig and celebration of his life in London at a future date TBC.

Selected discography

Foster has played on hundreds of commercially released recordings and soundtracks. The lists below represent only a small fraction of his recorded performances.

 

Albums

Artist    Album            Label            Year

Affinity Affinity            Vertigo            1970

Mike d'Abo            Down at Rachel's Place    A&M            1972

Olivia Newton-John     Music Makes My Day            Pye            1973

Roger Glover and Guests            The Butterfly Ball            EMI            1974

Jimmy Helms            Gonna Make You An Offer!   Cube            1975

Fancy            Something To Remember            Arista            1975

Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice     Evita            MCA            1976

Véronique Sanson            Vancouver       WEA            1976

Mike Smith & Mike d'Abo            Smith & d'Abo            CBS            1976

Cerrone            Supernature     WEA            1977

Ray Russell            Ready Or Not Angel Air       1977

Andy Bown            Good Advice EMI            1978

The Walker Brothers            Nite Flights  GTO            1978

Chris Rainbow            Looking Over My Shoulder            Polydor            1978

Gerry Rafferty            Night Owl      UA            1979

Chris Rainbow            White Trails    EMI            1979

Judie Tzuke            Welcome to the Cruise  Rocket            1979

Dollar            Shooting Stars  Carrere            1979

Cliff Richard & The Shadows (live)     Thank You Very Much   EMI            1979

Jeff Beck            There And Back            Epic            1980

Peter Green            Watcha Gonna Do            PVK            1980

Michael Schenker            The Michael Schenker Group            Chrysalis          1980

Dennis Waterman            So Good For You            EMI            1980

Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Sting            The Secret Policeman's Concert            Island            1981

Phil Collins, Bob Geldof etc. (live)            The Secret Policeman's Other Ball            Island            1981

RMS            Centennial Park            Angel Air       1981

Trevor Rabin            Wolf            Chrysalis          1981

Phil Collins            Hello, I Must Be Going!  Virgin            1982

Frida (Annifrid Lyngstad of ABBA)            Something's Going On            Polar            1982

Sheena Easton            Madness, Money & Music   EMI            1982

Neil Innes            Off The Record MMC            1982

Phil Collins (live)     Live at Perkins Palace            EMI            1983

Gary Moore            Victims of the Future            10            1983

Ringo Starr/Joe Walsh   Old Wave   RCA            1983

Tony Banks (Genesis)            The Fugitive            Charisma        1983

Gil Evans (live)            The British Orchestra            Mole Jazz      1983

Leo Sayer            Have You Ever Been in Love            Chrysalis          1983

Scott Walker            Climate of Hunter            Virgin            1984

Russ Ballard            Russ Ballard EMI            1984

Heaven 17            How Men Are            Virgin            1984

Dr John            Such A Night/Live in London            Spindrift           1984

Claudio Baglioni            La Vita E'Adesso            CBS            1985

Kenny Rogers            The Heart of the Matter  RCA            1985

Elkie Brooks            No More the Fool            Legend            1986

Howard Jones            One To One      WEA            1986

Virginia Astley            Hope in a Darkened Heart    WEA            1986

Tanita Tikaram            Ancient Heart    WEA            1988

Mo Foster            Bel Assis    Angel Air       1988

George Martin            Under Milk Wood            EMI            1988

London Symphony Orchestra            Wind of Change            Columbia          1991

Nanci Griffith            Late Night Grande Hotel    MCA            1991

Toshi (of X)            Made in Heaven            Ariola            1992

Gerry Rafferty            On A Wind & A Prayer  Polydor            1992

Cher     It's A Man's World            WEA            1995

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra            The Cult Files            Silva Screen  1996

Soraya On Nights Like This      Island            1996

Luka Bloom            Salty Heaven Sony            1998

Maggie Bell (live)     Live at the Rainbow 1974    Angel Air       2002

Deborah Bonham            The Old Hyde            Track            2004

Cliff Richard and Brian May            Two's Company - The Duets   EMI            2006

The Shadows            The Shadows Live at the BBC            BBC            2018

Mo Foster & Friends (live)            In Concert            Right Track   2020

 

Hit singles

Artist    Single            Label            Year

Jimmy Helms            Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse            Cube            1973

Julie Covington            Don't Cry for Me Argentina            MCA            1976

Cerrone            Supernature     WEA            1977

Dollar   "Who Were You With in the Moonlight"            Trojan            1978

Sarah Brightman            "I Lost My Heart To Starship Trooper"            Ariola            1978

Gerry Rafferty            "Night Owl"    UA            1979

Judy Tzuke            "Stay with Me till Dawn"  Rocket            1979

Dennis Waterman            "I Could Be So Good For You"            EMI            1979

Jeff Beck            "Space Boogie"            Epic            1980

Sheena Easton            "Nine to Five (Morning Train)"  EMI            1981

Frida (ABBA)            "I Know There's Something Going On"            Polar            1982

The Brat            "Chalk Dust - The Umpire Strikes Back"   Hansa            1982

Gary Moore            "Empty Rooms"            10            1983

Ringo Starr/Joe Walsh   "In My Car"     RCA            1983

Elkie Brooks            "No More the Fool"            Legend            1986

Howard Jones            "No One Is to Blame" WEA            1986

Toshi (of X)            "Made in Heaven"            Ariola            1992

Cliff Richard/Brian May     "Move It"         EMI            2006

 

During his time as a session player, Foster was asked to work on many film soundtrack sessions including:

 

Film

 

For Your Eyes Only

Octopussy

Revenge of the Pink Panther

Clockwise

Heaven's Prisoners

Lost and Found

Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire

Silver Dream Racer

 

TV

 

Minder

Bergerac

Grafters

Stay Lucky

Dangerfield

The Last Salute

Peak Practice

Vince Tobin obit

Former Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin dies at age 79

 He was not on the list.

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin, who helped the franchise end a 50-plus year playoff victory drought, died Monday. He was 79.

A cause of death was not immediately known.

Tobin led the Cardinals to a playoff berth in 1998 and a 20-7 upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round. It was the Cardinals' first postseason victory since 1947, when the franchise, then based in Chicago, defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL championship.

The Cardinals lost to the Minnesota Vikings 41-21 in the divisional round in the 1998 playoffs.

Tobin was hired in 1996 to succeed Buddy Ryan as the team's head coach and went 28-43 in parts of five seasons. He was fired after Week 8 of the 2000 campaign amid a 2-5 start.

"Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved Vince Tobin, and in particular his wife Kathy and their family," Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. "As head coach of the Cardinals, his steady leadership was a constant and a big part of the success the team enjoyed during his tenure.

"His football legacy with us is highlighted by the thrilling 1998 season, return to the postseason, and upset playoff win at Dallas. He will also be remembered for his instrumental role in key decisions like drafting Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman. More than that, he was a consummate family man and always a class act who positively impacted everyone he encountered."

Plummer expressed his condolences on Twitter, writing that he will forever be grateful for "the confidence he installed in me."

Coach Tobin gave me my 1st opp 2 lead a group of men&I'll b 4ever grateful 4 the confidence he instilled n me then & blessed daily by those lessons as I pursue life,❤️purpose&happiness. RIP coach Tobin! I get knocked down, but I get up again, nothings ever going to keep me down. https://t.co/Kaj8i6KiwC

— Jake Plummer (@snakestakes) July 3, 2023

Tobin was the defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears from 1986 to '92. He took over under Mike Ditka when Ryan left to become the head coach of the Eagles.

He was also a defensive coordinator in the CFL and USFL and with the Indianapolis Colts (1994-95) and Detroit Lions (2001).

Tobin was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 along with his brother Bill. Vince Tobin was a two-year starter for the Tigers and later became an assistant coach from 1965 to '76.

 

Career history

As a coach:

Missouri (1965)

Graduate assistant

Missouri (1971–1976)

Defensive coordinator

BC Lions (1977–1982)

Defensive coordinator

Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (1983–1985)

Defensive coordinator

Chicago Bears (1986–1992)

Defensive coordinator

Indianapolis Colts (1994–1995)

Defensive coordinator

Arizona Cardinals (1996–2000)

Head coach

Detroit Lions (2001)

Defensive coordinator

Green Bay Packers (2004)

Special assistant

Head coaching record

Regular season:            28–43 (.394)

Postseason:            1–1 (.500)

Career: 29–44 (.397)

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez obit

Robert De Niro’s Grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, Who Acted in ‘A Star Is Born,’ Dies at 19

 

He was not on the list.

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, a grandson of Robert De Niro who also acted in “A Star Is Born,” has died. He was 19.

Robert De Niro said in a statement to Variety, “I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”

Drena De Niro, Rodriguez’s mother and daughter of Robert De Niro and his first wife Diahnne Abbott, announced her son’s death in a post on Instagram Sunday. She wrote, “My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you . I’m so sorry my baby. I’m so sorry. Rest in peace and eternal paradise my darling boy.”

Drena added in a statement to Variety, “It is with immeasurable shock and sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son Leo. We thank you for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we are given privacy at this time to process this inconsolable grief.”

Rodriguez and Drena De Niro played mother-son duo Paulette Stone and Leo Stone in Bradley Cooper’s 2018 film “A Star Is Born.” They also appeared together in the 2005 film “The Collection” and the 2018 film “Cabaret Maxime.”

The Hollywood community has already responded to Rodriguez’s death, leaving comments on Drena’s Instagram post about her son. Actor Debi Mazar wrote, “I have no words …I’m in shock. I’m so sorry… @drenadeniro @carlosmare, I love you both so much.”

Victoria Gotti shared a heartfelt message remembering Rodriguez, “Such a handsome prince. From the day I first laid eyes on you —you were 3 years old turning 4… You were such a playful handsome amicable and amazing young boy who grew into an amazing young man! A young life cut far too short. Love you baby boy!!! Dearest Drena you were a GREAT ‘hands-on’ mom. It made you even more beautiful physically and emotionally!!! Leo SO appreciated the LOVE you gave him and held you so dearly in his heart. As I know you always did the same with him.”

Naomi Campbell also shared her condolences, writing, “Drena heartbroken for you, such a duo, I can’t imagine how you must feel, may the lord cover you and hold you in his arms, at this very sad time and loss …I love you, always here for you.”

Don Reinhoudt obit

Powerlifting & Strongman Legend Don Reinhoudt Passes Away At 78

One of the pioneers of Strongman and Powerlifting has passed away at 78-years-old.

 

He was not on the list.

Strongman and powerlifting are now well-established sports, but it took them some time to reach this point. Just a few decades ago, these sports were in the development phase, with some incredible athletes pushing them onto the main scene. One of those was Don Reinhoudt who lured many fans into both sports with his incredible feats of strength. Tragically, Don has passed away at the age of 78-years-old.

It is revealed by the New York state police that Don Reinhoudt passed away after a one-vehicle crash in Chautauqua County. The incident seemed to have happened after Don hit a tree with his car, while his passing was confirmed in the Brooks Memorial Hospital

Many powerlifting and Strongman athletes, like Ray Williams and Laurence “Big Loz” Shahlaei, have shared the news on Instagram, confirming that the unfortunate news is real.

“I was lucky enough to talk to Don a couple of times, and he was incredibly kind and a real gentleman with so many stories to share” wrote Big Loz.

“ I chased his records for most of my early lifting career. It is men like Don that made powerlifting the amazing sport it has grown into today,” wrote Ray Williams. 

A post shared by Laurence Shahlaei (@biglozwsm)

Don Reinhoudt was born on March 5th, 1945, in Brocton, New York. He went on to have very successful teen years, becoming an All-League basketball player, an All-Western New York football player and an All-Western shot putter. In addition, Don was also a college football player, a part of the varsity track team, and also competed in Olympic Weightlifting. So, it is clear that Don was a man of many talents.

Powerlifting

Don Reinhoudt excelled the most in two sports, the first being powerlifting. He began powerlifting in 1969 and after some training, he made his debut at the 1972 AAU Men’s World Powerlifting Championships. He finished in third place, just behind his two idols, John Kuc and Jim Williams.

After that, Don Reinhoudt took part in eight more competitions and won all of them. Most notably, he won four consecutive IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships from 1973-1976.

Don Reinhoudt set dozens of National and World records during his time in powerlifting, some of which stood for multiple decades.

Don Reinhoudt’s Raw Competition PRs

Squat: 410 kilograms (903.9 pounds) – (1974 IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships)

Bench press: 275 kilograms (606.2 pounds) – (1975 AAU Senior Nationals)

Deadlift: 390 kilograms (860 pounds) – (1976 AAU Senior Nationals)

Total: 1,042.5 kilograms (2,298.3 pounds) – (1974 IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships)

A post shared by Ray "Ray Ray" Williams (@optimusprime_334)

After finishing his career in powerlifting, Don Reinhoudt’s incredible strength was recognized by Strongman organizers. So, he was invited to compete in the first-ever edition of the World’s Strongest Man competition in 1977. Having lost over 100 pounds of bodyweight just one year before, Don declined, but revealed that he would compete in 1978.

The year 1978 rolled around and so did the second edition of the WSM. So, Don took part in the competition and was leading the pack until the final event – the tug of war. Unluckily, he lost balance and ended up losing to Bruce Wilhelm, who also won the competition in 1977.

Don Reinhoudt remained determined and came back in 1979 to compete at the WSM once again. This time he ended up taking the title, becoming only the second man in history to hold the most prestigious calling in Strongman.

Even after wrapping up his official career in Strongman and Powerlifting, Don Reinhoudt continued impressing people with feats of strength like picking up people with his teeth, hammering nails in wooden boards with his bare hands, and more. So, with everything that Don has accomplished in his career, he will be an inspiration for generations to come.

Fitness Volt is expressing our condolences to the family and friends of Don Reinhoudt. May he rest in peace.

Vicki Anderson obit

Vicki Anderson Has Died; Cause Of Death

 

She was not on the list.

News of the American artist’s passing was confirmed by her goddaughter Margie Randle, who wrote a tribute on Facebook:

A large part of my heart is missing my Godmother Vicki Anderson Byrd my bestie my sidekick. It’s going to be hard walking past your bedroom and you are not there the selfish part of me wanted you not to go but God was ready for his Angel to come home what a beautiful reunion with your husband Bobby Byrd and James Brown ������ you Mommieo

Vicki Anderson was born in Houston, Texas, earning local praise before gaining her big break. Joining James Brown’s revue she became the lead female vocalist for three years, earning her stripes alongside Mr Dynamite himself.

Meeting – and marrying – band mate Bobby Byrd, she played a pivotal role in soul’s evolution into funk. Recording some fantastic solo cuts, her 1970 song ‘Message From A Soul Sister’ remains one of the era’s finest.

Anderson toured the UK with the James Brown Funky People Revue in the late 1980s and again with husband Bobby Byrd, the founder of The Famous Flames, in the mid-1990s.

As tastes shifted Vicki Anderson’s music career took a backseat, becoming a mother to Carleen Anderson – herself a formidable recording artist.

The British rare groove scene restored her reputation, and Norman Jay’s memoir contains a moving story about a sold out London show in 1986 – her first for some considerable time, with the audience ready to sing each word to even her rarest songs.

The show kickstarted a second chapter for Vicki Anderson, who toured the world and won recognition for her art.

Antwun Echols obit

Davenport boxer Antwun Echols dies at 51

 He was not on the list.

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Antwun Echols, a boxer who twice lost to Bernard Hopkins in title fights, has died in Iowa. He was 51.

Echols, known as "Kid Dynamite" because of his powerful punch, died Sunday in Davenport of complications from diabetes, according to his daughter, Antwunette Echols.

Echols was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on Dec. 4, 1971, and later moved to Iowa, where he got his boxing training.

He fought Hopkins twice for the International Boxing Federation middleweight title, with Hopkins winning by unanimous decision in 1999 and by technical knockout a year later. In 2003, Echols lost by unanimous decision to Anthony Mundine for the vacant WBA super middleweight title.

He finished with a 32-22-4 record, though many of those losses were at the end of his career. The Quad-City Times said Echols was 22-1-1 when he first faced Hopkins.

Davenport Boxing Club operator Patrick Pena said Echols had been planning to open his own gym.

Lawrence Turman obit

Lawrence Turman, Oscar-Nominated Producer of 'The Graduate,' Dead at 96

He also produced the films 'The Great White Hope,' 'The Best Man' and 'American History X' 

He was not on the list.

Lawrence Turman, the Oscar-nominated producer of The Graduate, died on Saturday at the age of 96.

He died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif., his family announced, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Turman's Hollywood career spanned 50 years and included work on more than 30 films, including The Great White Hope, Pretty Poison and American History X. He also served as the chair of USC’s Peter Stark Producing program from 1991 until he retired in 2021, according to Variety.

A graduate of UCLA, Turman began his career as an agent before moving into producing, including working on Judy Garland's last film, 1963's I Could Go On Singing.

After coming across a New York Times review of Charlie Webb's book The Graduate, he put together financing and casting, recruited Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to make music for the movie, and tapped the young, up-and-coming director Mike Nichols. The film, released in 1967 and starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, won seven Academy Awards including best picture and best director for Nichols.

“He was proud of telling the story how every studio in town turned the project down, twice,” Turman's family recounted to Variety.

In 1974, Turman forged what would be a 20-year partnership with producer David Foster and went on to make The Drowning Pool, Caveman, Heroes, The Thing, Running Scared, the 1994 reboot of The Getaway and The River Wild. The pair went their separate ways in 1991 when Turman left to oversee the Peter Stark Producing program.

During his tenure at USC, Turman continued to produce into the 2000s, and also directed and produced Marriage of a Young Stockbroker and Second Thoughts, starring Lucie Arnaz.

He published a book in 2005 about his career in Hollywood titled So You Want to Be a Producer.

“I initiate every single film project upon which I work; most of them would not have seen the light of day had I not decided to make them,” he wrote in the book, per THR. “I’m the starter and also the finisher.”

Turman is survived by three sons, John, Andrew and Peter; four grandchildren, Audrey Suzanne, Carter Isaac, Georgia Simone and Olivia Veranique; and two nieces, Katherine and Suzanna.

 

Film

Year     Film            Credit            Notes            Ref.

1961    The Young Doctors                        

1963    I Could Go On Singing                         

Stolen Hours            Executive producer                 

1964    The Best Man                                

1967    The Flim-Flam Man                        

The Graduate                          

1968    Pretty Poison            Executive producer                 

1970    The Great White Hope                           

1971    The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker                            

1974    The Nickel Ride            Executive producer                 

1975    The Drowning Pool                        

1977    First Love                           

Heroes                        

1979    Walk Proud                          

1981            Caveman                                

1982    The Thing                           

[4]

1983    Second Thoughts                                 

1984    Mass Appeal                        

1985    The Mean Season                          

1986    Short Circuit                         

Running Scared                                   

1988    Short Circuit 2                                  

Full Moon in Blue Water                              

1989            Gleaming the Cube                             

1994    The Getaway                                  

The River Wild                        

1997    Booty Call            Executive producer                 

1998            American History X            Executive producer                 

2001            Kingdom Come            Executive producer                 

What's the Worst That Could Happen?                                   

2011    The Thing            Executive producer            Final film as a producer         

Miscellaneous crew

Year     Film            Role

1963    I Could Go On Singing            Presenter

1964    The Best Man

1980    Tribute

As director

Year     Film

1971    The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker

1983    Second Thoughts

 

Television

Year     Title            Credit            Notes

1969    The Flim-Flam Man            Executive producer            Television pilot

1973    She Lives!            Executive producer            Television film

1974    Get Christie Love!            Executive producer            Television film

The Morning After            Executive producer            Television film

Unwed Father            Executive producer            Television film

1982            Between Two Brothers            Executive producer            Television film

The Gift of Life            Executive producer            Television film

1986    News at Eleven            Executive producer            Television film

1996    Pretty Poison            Executive producer            Television film

1998    The Long Way Home            Executive producer            Television film

2000    Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story            Executive producer            Television film

 

Miscellaneous crew

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1974            Savages            Creative consultant            Television film

Robert Lieberman obit

Robert Lieberman, Director of ‘Fire in the Sky’ and ‘D3: The Mighty Ducks,’ Dies at 75

He received more than two dozen Clio Awards and the inaugural DGA Award for commercials and helmed episodes of 'Thirtysomething,' 'The X-Files' and 'Dexter.'

 

He was not on the list.

Robert Lieberman, who directed films including Fire in the Sky and D3: The Mighty Ducks, episodes of The X-Files, Dexter and Criminal Minds and thousands of commercials, has died. He was 75.

Lieberman died July 1 in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer, his son, Nick Lieberman, who co-directed Searchlight Pictures’ Theater Camp, which hit the big screen this weekend, announced.

Lieberman helmed TV spots for such companies as McDonald’s, Hallmark and Oreo and worked with talent ranging from President Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson. He received more than two dozen Clio Awards and, in 1979, the inaugural DGA Award for commercial.

Much of his work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with Stuart Gross.

In addition to Fire in the Sky (1993), starring D.B. Sweeney and Robert Patrick, and the hockey sequel D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), starring Emilio Estevez, Lieberman helmed Table for Five (1983), starring Jon Voight and Richard Crenna, and All I Want for Christmas (1991), starring Lauren Bacall and Thora Birch.

At the University at Buffalo, Lieberman essentially founded the school’s film program and became the first UB student to graduate with a degree in film.

He worked as a video assistant with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, and after coming to Los Angeles, the first telefilm he directed revolved around pro football: 1980’s Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier, starring Robert Urich as the war hero and Pittsburgh Steelers running back.

Lieberman also helmed a first-season episode of thirtysomething in 1987 and went on to direct 19 pilots, 16 of which went to series, including Gabriel’s Fire, Strong Medicine and The Dead Zone.

Lieberman was married to actress Marilu Henner from 1990-2001, and they had two children, Nick and Joseph. (Henner’s first husband, actor Frederic Forest, died in June.)

Survivors also include his third wife, Victoria, whom he married in 2010; two children, Erin and Lorne, from his first marriage; his son-in-law, producer Trent Othick; his stepdaughter, Kristen Konvitz, a UTA agent; and his sister, Fern.

In September, Lieberman returned to Buffalo to screen Fire in the Sky at a local theater. On the occasion, The Buffalo News asked him what he would tell aspiring filmmakers.

“My advice to people who are trying to get in the business is you’ve got to be absolutely fearless and relentless,” he said. “If you want it, you’ve got to want it with everything in your being, and then you have to pursue it with everything of your being.

“I wanted to be in this business, and now looking back over my whole career, I love that I spent my life in this business. I got to go to work and have fun: Do what I wanted to do, create what I wanted to create; wake up in the morning with blank canvases and go out and paint, and with somebody else’s money. It’s craziness, and I got to do it for over 50 years.”

Filmography

Director

 

Film:

 

    Fighting Back (1980)

    Will: G. Gordon Liddy (1982)

    Table for Five (1983)

    To Save a Child (1991)

    All I Want for Christmas (1991)

    Fire in the Sky (1993)

    D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)

    NetForce (1999)

    Red Skies (2002)

    Second String (2002)

    The Dead Zone (2002)

    Final Days of Planet Earth (2006)

    The Stranger (2010)

    The Tortured (2010)

    Breakaway (2011)

 

Television:

 

    ABC Afterschool Specials (1978)

    thirtysomething (1987)

    Dream Street (1989)

    The Young Riders (1989)

    Gabriel's Fire (1990)

    The X-Files (1993)

    Harts of the West (1993)

    Under Suspicion (1994)

    Medicine Ball (1995)

    Maloney (1996)

    Titanic (1996)

    Once and Again (1999)

    The X-Files (1999)

    Strong Medicine (2000)

    The Dead Zone (2002)

    Jake 2.0 (2003)

    Earthsea (2004)

    Killer Instinct (2005)

    A.M.P.E.D. (2007)

    Dexter (2006)

    Shark (2006)

    Brothers & Sisters (2007)

    Eureka (2007)

    Republic of Doyle (2009)

    Lost Girl (2010–2011)

    Haven (2010–2014)

    Nikita (2011)

    Eve of Destruction (2013)

    The Expanse (TV series) (2016)

    Private Eyes (TV series) (2016)

    Rogue (2016–2017)

 

Producer

 

Film:

 

    To Save a Child (1991)

    Abandoned and Deceived (1995)

    Rag and Bone (1997)

    A.M.P.E.D. (2007)

 

Television:

 

    Dream Street (1989)

    Gabriel's Fire (1990)

    Harts of the West (1993)

    Marilu (1994)

    Under Suspicion (1994)

    Medicine Ball (1995)

    Moloney (1996)

    Strong Medicine (2000)

    The Dead Zone (2002)

    Jake 2.0 (2003)

    The Casino (2004)

 

Writer

 

    The Casino (2004)

    Killer Instinct (2005)