Legendary Motown singer and songwriter Nick Ashford has passed away after battling throat cancer in a New York Hospital, he was just 70-years-old.
Ashford and his wife Valerie Simpson, who together were known as Ashford & Simpson, wrote some of the biggest Motown songs back in the 60′s and 70′s.
The couple, who married back in 1974, were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 for writing such classic songs as ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ I’m Every Woman,’ ‘You’re All I Need to Get By,’ ‘Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’ and ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned.’
On top of writing songs for the biggest performers back then also performed their own music and produced sixteen albums together, probably their most successful single ‘Solid’ is below for your enjoyment.
As well as Simpson, Ashford is survived by their two daughters.
Ever since the awful news that Amy Winehouse passed away on Saturday afternoon at her home in London there has been tons of different stories about what may possibly have happened so it’s hard for me to whittle them all down. I’ll start with the latest from TMZ that confirms Amy died alone in bed.
Chris Goodman, one of Amy’s close friends and her rep, spoke to TMZ and said that Amy was found dead in bed by a security guard who had been looking after her. Goodman says “she was in her bedroom after saying she wanted to sleep and when he went to wake her he found she wasn’t breathing. He called the emergency services straight away. He was very shocked. At this stage no one knows how she died. She died alone in bed.”
Meanwhile there is rumors that Amy went and bought drugs from a well-known dealer in Camden the night before she died and then went on a binge doing cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. A source says “it was an ecstasy overdose. She could do cocaine until the cows come home. But this was obviously a dodgy pill.”
Now it must be noted that the drug story hasn’t been proven and her autopsy results aren’t in yet so the exact cause of Amy’s death is still unknown but according to the Daily Mail report that during a preliminary police investigation there was no drugs found in her home, instead the Daily Mail claim that Amy went on a drinking binge.
They report that Amy, who has long suffered with her addictions to alcohol and drugs, was upset after she and her on-off boyfriend, Reg Traviss, broke up so she decided to have a drinking binge with vodka.
Amy’s mother has spoken about her daughter’s death and she said that she seen her the day before she died when Amy told her she loved her. She says “they are the words I will always treasure, I’m glad I saw her when I did.” She also apparently thought what we all thought and said “it was only a matter of time.”
As celebrity reactions in on Twitter, the most touching is probably Russell Brand‘s blog. Part of what he wrote is “Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticised, at 27 years old. Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today. We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent. Or Kurt’s or Jimi’s or Janis’s, some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill.” You can read his full blog here.
This is all very sad, I’m sure details will be flooding in all week.
Lamar Odom was involved in a car accident in New York City over the weekend that seen his car crash into a motorcyclist and a 15-year-old boy. Now it’s been announced that the 15-year-old has since passed away due to injuries from the crash.
Lamar, who was in New York to attend the funeral of his cousin, was being chauffeured so he wasn’t driving at the time of the accident but after the accident he was seen to be crying.
Now the boys family have confirmed to TMZ that he has since passed away from injuries from the accident. The 15-year-old was just walking on the sidewalk when the accident happened and the motorcycle was “propelled” towards him.
He was then rushed to the nearest hospital where nurses and doctors tried to save his life but sadly they weren’t able to and he died the next day. His funeral took place yesterday.
Lamar, who is said to be devastated by it all, took to his Twitter last night to write “My thoughts and prayers are with the young boys family…”
Khloe Kardashian, who was also in New York to attend Lemar’s cousins funeral but wasn’t involved in the accident, also took to her Twitter page to write “My heart/soul goes out 2every1 in pain from any suffering. Pray 4all of the angels surrounding us constantly. May our spirits stay strong.”
This is all very sad, not to be bad but is it just me who is wondering how long it will take for the family to launch a lawsuit?
It’s a sad day in Hollywood today because news that legendary Peter Falk passed away has hit the headlines, the 83-year-old Columbo star had been suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
A rep for the Academy Award nominee said that he died peacefully at his home in Beverly Hills and that he is “survived by his wife, Shera, of 34 years and two daughters from a previous marriage.”
Back in 2009 his wife, Shera, and his daughter, Catherine Falk, were locked in a court battle over over the creation of a conservatorship for Peter and who would take control of it. In the end a judge ruled that his wife would get the conservatorship over the actor.
Peter played Columbo on 69 episodes from 1968 to 2003 ad he won four Emmys for the role that saw him become a Hollywood legend. To keep his memory going in your head here are a few photos of the legend. May he rest in peace.
DJ Megatron, a hip-hop DJ and a regular host on BET’s 106 & Park, was shot and killed on Sunday morning near his home in Staten Island. He was just 32-years-old.
Megatron, real name Corey McGriff, was apparently on his way to buy a cigar at 2am when he was shot and killed. The reason behind the murder is unknown but his family and friends are saying it was just a random shooting.
When police arrived on the scene they found him lying face down with his wallet and cell phone still on his body, which makes it seem like this wasn’t a robbery. He was shot once in the chest.
Keith Robinson, a brother of Megatron’s fiancee, said it was just simply “the wrong place at the wrong time” for Megatron. He leaves three children behind. R.I.P.
It’s a sad day in Hollywood today as screen legend and icon Elizabeth Taylor passed away from a congestive heart failure early this morning at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 79. Her son, Michael Howard Wilding, released a statement that said:
“My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love,” he said. “Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts.”
A rep said she was surrounded by her children, Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton, right before she died. May she rest in peace.
The world of hip-hip and rap lost another legend yesterday after it was announced that Nate Doggpassed away after having health issues for the past few years. He was just 41-years-old.
Nate Dogg, whose real name is Nathaniel D. Hale, passed away yesterday his family announced but the cause of death is unknown. He suffered two strokes in recent years – one in 2007 and then another in 2008. Snoop Dogg, who was part of the 213 group along with Nate and Daz Dillinger, took to his Twitter account to write:
“We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb. One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met
I love u buddy luv. U will always b wit me 4ever n a day u put the g n g funk u put the 1 n 213 n u put yo stamp on evrybdy u ever didit wit
I miss u cuzz I am so sad but so happy I got to grow up wit u and I will c u again n heaven cuz u know d slogan
all doggs go to heaven yo homie n baby brotha bigg snoopdogg!!
RIP NATE DOGG.”
Death is one of those things that I never know what to say and what not to say. Sad news at such a young age. R.I.P
Alice in Chains’ former bassist Mike Starr was found dead at a house in Salt Lake City yesterday, the cause of death is unknown but it’s looking likely it was from drugs. He was just 44.
Mike starred in the third season of Celebrity Rehab back in 2009 and came through sober for 6 months but that didn’t last too long and then last month he was caught with Xanax and Opana last month in Salt Lake City. Mike’s former bandmates Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney issued a statement to People saying:
“Jerry and Sean are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy – and the privacy of Mike’s family – during this difficult time. Their thoughts & prayers are with Mike’s family.”
Dr. Drew Pinsky took to his Twitter and said “Devastating to hear of Mike Starr succumbing to his illness. So very sad. Our prayers are with his family.”
Mike’s roommate has told TMZ that a few hours before his death Mike was mixing up methadone and anxiety medication, he was taking the methadone to try get sober again. His roommate said “Mike was a beautiful person who was fighting to stay sober … I am going to miss him greatly.”
Forbes have come up with their annual list of the top earning dead celebrities for the year 2010 and the 13 stars earned a combined total of $506 million. To calculate their earnings Forbes took things into account such as royalties and licensing of the persons image.
13. Aaron Spelling, $5 million
As one of the founding fathers of modern television, Aaron Spelling spent five decades producing long-running, widely syndicated shows such as Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty and 7th Heaven. Although Spelling Television’s contemporary update on Melrose Place was canceled earlier this year, his Beverly Hills 90210 revival just began its third season on the CW. Meanwhile, Spelling Entertainment owns the rights to Republic Pictures’ archives, including classic films like High Noon and It’s a Wonderful Life.
11 (tie). Steve McQueen, $6 million
Three decades after his passing, the onetime Bullitt star continues to personify cool. McQueen’s image and likeness have been licensed for a host of signature collections for high-end brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Persol sunglasses. More recently he became the face of Tommy Hilfiger’s fall “icon collection” and UBS’ global “We Will Not Rest” campaign.
11 (tie). Jimi Hendrix, $6 million
It’s been 40 years since Hendrix died, but his music is still influencing wannabe rockers. His 1967 debut Are You Experienced has been licensed to the third version of the “Rock Band” videogame, and his estate recently released a new batch of previously unheard recordings. Fender Guitars has signed on to present the 2010 Experience Hendrix tour, featuring one of the star’s former bandmates.
10. Richard Rodgers, $7 million
In 2009 the Netherlands’ Imagem Music Group bought the rights to the collaborative catalog of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein for a reported $200 million. Without those assets, Rogers still lands on our list, thanks to his earlier work with Lorenz Hart. That catalog boasts such standards as “My Funny Valentine” and “The Lady is a Tramp.”
09. George Steinbrenner, $8 million
Professional sports has never seen a more iconic franchise owner than George Steinbrenner. The New York Yankees boss carried the club back to its championship heritage, brought a new stadium to the Bronx and took the team’s famous interlocking NY logo global. Although Steinbrenner passed away during the team’s most recent season, he continues to earn as long as the Yankees continue to win.
08. Albert Einstein, $10 million
Associated with all things intelligent, Einstein’s name continues to be used to peddle Baby Einstein products, a majority Disney-owned venture designed to make infants smarter. Other lucrative tie-ins include Italy’s Banca Profilo’s “Face Value” campaign, Chrysler’s Ram brand truck ads and a collection of A.J. Morgan “geek chic” glasses. The scientist’s estate has also expanded into videogames with a Nintendo DS brain game that retails for about $50.
07. Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), $11 million
With his instantly recognizable rhyming scheme, Dr. Seuss is the best-selling children’s author in history. Horton, the Grinch and his other iconic characters are now reaching audiences through iPhone apps and an attraction at Orlando’s Universal Studios theme park. According to Nielsen, Seuss’ titles are on pace to sell 3 million copies this year.
06. Stieg Larsson, $15 million
Larsson died before The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was published, so he didn’t live to see the incredible success of his series of three books, known as The Millennium Trilogy. (A fourth book has reportedly been found.) More than 40 million copies of the books have been sold in 44 languages, and Sony is producing American films based on the books. They will star Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist.
05. John Lennon, $17 million
It’s been nearly 30 years since The Beatles’ John Lennon was killed in New York City. In what would have been his 70th year, EMI has launched the “Gimme Some Truth” campaign, re-releasing much of Lennon’s catalog, resulting in several Top 10 chart appearances. His estate still earns from the “Beatles Rock Band” videogame and licensing deals with the likes of Cisco and Mont Blanc.
04. Charles Schulz, $33 million
The Peanuts brand changed ownership again this year, with Iconix purchasing the cartoon and its characters for $175 million to form Peanuts Worldwide, LLC. With the acquisition, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates will maintain a 20% stake in the new company. The late Schulz continues to earn from his comic strip, which appears in 2,200 newspapers across 75 countries.
03. J.R.R. Tolkien, $50 million
The last Lord of the Rings movie hit theaters eight years ago, but Tolkien is still a hot topic in Hollywood. A two-movie adaptation of his book The Hobbit is currently in preproduction in New Zealand. All that Hollywood attention has helped move his books. According to Nielsen, Tolkien sold just shy of 500,000 copies in the last year.
02. Elvis Presley, $60 million
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s income ballooned to $60 million, up $5 million from last year, thanks to Graceland admissions and the Elvis Presley Cirque du Soleil spectacular launched in Las Vegas earlier this year. His portfolio of more than 200 licensing and merchandise deals got a nice boost from the late star’s 75th birthday celebration. Among the commemorative events: Graceland exhibits, touring tribute concerts and an Elvis-themed cruise to the Bahamas.
01. Michael Jackson, $275 million
The King of Pop passed away last summer, but he’s made more money over the past year than any musician, dead or alive. Jackson not only took the No.1 spot on our 10th annual ranking of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, with gross earnings of $275 million, he out-earned the other 12 deceased stars on the list combined. His $275 million total was greater than the earnings of the two most profitable living acts, U2 and AC/DC, combined. Jackson’s posthumous earnings have been bolstered by shrewd negotiations by his estate, including a merchandising deal and the rights to his name and likeness for the Sony film This Is It, which grossed over a quarter of a billion dollars.
Funny how not one of these celebrities is a woman, I guess Hollywood has and always will be sexist when it comes to wages.
George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, died earlier this morning after taking a massive heart attack. He was 80-years-old.
Steinbrenner took a heart attack at his home in Tampa, FL, and was then rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. His family released a statement…
“It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing. He passed away this morning in Tampa, Fla., at age 80. Funeral arrangements will be private. There will be an additional public service with details to be announced at a later date.”
During his 37-year ownership of the Yankees, the team won 7 World Series titles and 11 pennants. His serious management gave him the nickname “The Boss”.
He is survived by his four children, Hank, Hal, Jennifer, Jessica and his wife of 54 years Elizabeth Joan Zieg.
source: NY Yankees Legend George Steinbrenner Dies [TMZ]
The recent untimely death of Gary Coleman has made CelebBuzz come up with a list of 10 child stars who also died way before their time. I hope Lindsay Lohan is paying attention.
10. Gary Coleman
Gary’s recent death came after he struck his head during a fall. After his successful turn in ‘Diff’rent Strokes,’ Gary’s career was overshadowed by his legal and financial troubles. He was 42.
9. Brad Renfro
While he had a promising career after he appeared in ‘The Client’ when he was barely 13-years-old, his drug addiction overshadowed his talents. In 2008, Brad was found dead in his LA apartment after an apparent heroin overdose.
8. Carl Switzer
Better known as Alfalfa in the “Our Gang” franchise, Carl’s financial troubles got out of hand once he left Hollywood. In 1959, Carl was fatally shot in the groin after he attempted to rough up someone who owed him money. He was 31.
7. Corey Haim
Beloved teen idol Corey battled a massive drug addiction after his career fizzled in the ’90s. Corey passed away in March of this year due to pneumonia complications. He was 38.
6. Dana Plato
Dana’s death often serves as a touchstone for the tragic death’s of other child star who fell from grace. Like Gary, the “Diff’rent Strokes’ star saw her career fizzle after the hit show and she even resorted to doing pornography. In 1999 she committed suicide. She was 34.
5. Brigette Andersen
Like many other child stars on this list, he adorable star of “Savannah Smiles” faced problems with drug and alcohol. After her career completely fizzled, Brigette became more and more addicted to heroin and other drugs. In 1997 she accidentally overdosed. She was 21.
4. Anissa Jones
Pig-tailed Buffy from “Family Affair” saw her career skyrocket thanks to the show but had trouble finding work after the show was canceled. In 1976 she died in a friend’s home, apparently from an accidental overdose. She was 18.
3. Bobby Driscoll
Cutie-pie Bobby was the original Disney star, and he even won a special Oscar for juvenile acting in 1949. After his Disney career, Bobby became immersed in the New York art scene and was a fixture at Andy Warhol’s Factory. In 1968 he was found dead due to a heart failure in an abandoned tenement in the East Village. He was 31.
2. Judy Garland
Screen legend Judy started acting very early in her life but she shot to superstar status when she starred in “The Wizard of Oz” when she was just 16-years-old. Like most child stars, Judy struggled from a massive drug and alcohol addiction and she attempted suicide on many occasions. In 1969 she died from an apparent accidental overdose in her apartment. She was 47.
1. Michael Jackson
The King of Pop got his start as the adorable front-man for The Jackson 5. Eventually Michael achieved international success with his solo career, establishing him as musical legend. Unfortunately, his career was undermined by accusations of pedophilia and financial and legal troubles. In 2009 he died from an apparent prescription drug overdose. He was 50.
This list is missing Judith Barsi, Jonathan Brandis and River Phoenix but I can see why they chose the 10 stars that they did.
source: 10 Child Stars Who Died Too Soon [Celeb Buzz]
Corey Haim has been found dead in his mothers apartment in Burbank, CA, at 3:00am early Wednesday morning after an apparent drug overdose.
The 80s teen idol, who was just 38, collapsed in front of his mother after he got out of bed at 1:30am she then called 911 and he was rushed to St. Joseph’s hospital in Burbank. He was was pronounced dead at 3:30am.
Police were down called the hospital just before 4am to investigate the death of Haim who has struggled with prescription drug addiction for a few years.
TMZ report that the LAPD found four prescription bottles in the apartment, he had been sick with flu-like symptoms but the medication were nothing to do with his illness. No illicit drugs were found in the apartment.
I hate waking up to news like this, it is very sad that Corey Haim has passed.
source: Corey Haim Collapsed, Prescriptions Found [TMZ]
British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead in his London apartment early yesterday morning according to news reports, he was just 40-years-old.
According to reports the police were called by London Paramedics to his apartment at around 10:20 a.m. after the body was discovered, according to some sources he was found hanging.
A statement was released saying “Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand has been found dead at his home, at this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee’s family. Lee’s family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.”
Just last week his mother, Joyce McQueen, passed away to which he went on his Twitter page (which is now deleted) to say “I’m letting my followers know the my mother passed away yesterday if it she had not me nor would you RIPmumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. but life must go on.”
To make this even more sad, Alexander McQueen was due to show off his new collection during Paris Fashion Week next month. A true legend in the fashion industry, he will live on forever through his clothes.
Brittany Murphy‘s tragic death has caused the company behind her latest movie, Deadline, to scramble because they want to avoid any trouble to do with the cover showing her lying in a bathtub dead.
First Look Studios, the company behind the movie, are trying to avoid the same type of controversy that happened in 2008 when Heath Ledger passed away. A scene in The Dark Knight showed him hiding in a body bag, this pissed off a lot of people, so the company want to try their hardest to avoid any anger from Murphy fans.
As you can see in the image above they have remade the cover, which is already showing in some video stores, because Murphy was found dead on her bathroom floor.
You can tell they rushed the new cover because it looks horrific in my opinion.
source: Brittany Murphy’s DVD Removed from Stores [Worst Previews]
