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For almost 120 years, the song “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” has been heard on Broad Street on January 1, although it’s unlikely that most Mummers during the early years of the parade knew the author was living in their midst.
James A. Bland was one of the most prolific minstrel songwriters of his day, having reportedly written hundreds of songs in the late 19th century, although relatively few were published. The Black composer was considered a rival talent to the country’s preeminent writer of popular song at the time, Stephen Foster.
Bland is best remembered for “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,” which became the official state song of Virginia for more than 50 years. When the enormously popular “Carry Me Back” was published as sheet music in 1879, it was packaged with two other songs: “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” got third billing.
The cover of one of James Bland’s records, entitled “James Bland’s 3 Great Songs.” (Library of Congress, Music Division)
“I would consider it a B-side track,” said Rhae Lynn Barnes, an assistant professor of history at Princeton University. “You would hear it if you bought ‘Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,’ but it was not something people were fanatical about.”
Barnes is the author of the forthcoming book, “Darkology: The Hidden History of Amateur Blackface Minstrelsy and the Making of Modern America,” expected in 2025. She said that in the late 19th century every entertainer, Black or white, was involved with minstrelsy to some degree.
“There’s a saying that the drain of the minstrel show got everybody of that generation,” said Barnes. “Whether you were trying to be a stand-up comedian, a singer — no matter what, that was ultimately the only place for you.”
Bland was born in 1854 as a free Black person in Long Island, the son of one of the first college-educated Black men in the country, Allen Bland. James followed in his father’s footsteps and began studies at Howard University, but ran afoul of strict school rules forbidding participation in musical theater. It’s unclear if he dropped out or was kicked out.
Bland embraced the minstrel show, America’s most popular form of entertainment at the time, which centered on exaggerated stereotypes of Black people. Audiences typically wanted to see white actors wearing blackface makeup performing Black mannerisms, not a Black artist performing at the top of his craft, so Bland had to apply blackface to his black skin during performances.
“Oh Dem Golden Slippers” is a parody of the spiritual “Golden Slippers,” popularized by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of what would become the historically Black Fisk University. The song is about the finery one will be wearing when they “join the heavenly choir,” or, in the case of Bland, when they “ride up in the chariot in the morn.”
Barnes said “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” anticipated a future form of popular music: ragtime.
An outline of shoes on the sidewalk in gold spray paint on New Year’s Day in South Philly in 2015. (Peter Crimmins/WHYY)
“It is very upbeat. Its tempo is very much derived from minstrelsy. It has a mix of sounds that come from the cakewalk, which is another form of blackface performance,” said Barnes. “When you listen to the music, you can see that he is playing around with tempos … that makes people want to move and to march.”
Bland wrote “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” in 1878, just as America’s Reconstruction experiment to uplift newly freed Black people had ended, and many states were passing so-called Jim Crow laws to segregate and oppress Black citizens. Barnes points out that the song’s theme of fancy clothes and a promising afterlife would have resonated with Black life of the time.
“These things that become synonymous with Philadelphia pride and New Year’s, and have become the soundtrack to our lives, actually have these really deep and rich layers that we can peel back,” she said. “How are these stereotypes constructed? Why were they adopted by primarily white ethnic groups in the 20th century?”
How did a somewhat obscure song written for the minstrel stage become the signature song of the Mummers?
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After a long stint working and touring in Europe, Bland’s career was sputtering by 1901. He moved to Philadelphia to take a job with Frank Dumont at one of the last dedicated minstrel theaters in the country, Dumont’s Minstrelsy at what used to be the 11th Street Opera House.
Dumont was not only one of the foremost minstrel proprietors of the time, but was also in the business of teaching and promoting minstrel performance to amateurs. In 1899 he published a how-to book, “The Witmark Amateur Minstrel Guide and Burnt Cork Encyclopedia.” The introduction promises the book is “compiled and arranged to instruct, suggest, and prepare a minstrel entertainment, perfect in all its details — from the ‘blacking up’ of the artists to the fall of the curtain upon the concluding burlesque.”
Dumont’s nephew, Charles Dumont, likely would have seen Bland perform in his uncle’s theater, and learned from the book how to stage a minstrel show with his friends. In 1905 he put together a string band for the New Year’s Day parade, performing “Oh Dem Golden Slippers,” the first known performance of the song by Mummers.
Other staples of minstrelsy, like the cakewalk and blackface, also became part of Mummery. Only after a protracted fight did the Mummers agree to officially give up blackface in 1965, although it still has continued to appear, as recently as 2020.
It’s not known if Bland, himself, had any involvement with the early years of Mummery, but since the tradition has strong working-class Irish origins, he likely did not. Once commanding $10,000 a performance season, his life ended badly, sick and penniless. In 1911, at age 57, he died of tuberculosis and was buried in an unmarked grave in Merion Memorial Park, in Bala Cynwyd.
Years later the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) raised funds to erect a memorial tombstone for Bland. The carved stone makes no mention of “Oh Dem Golden Slippers,” but prominently displays his more popular “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.” The tombstone was funded in part by the state of Virginia.
Bland is also prominently memorialized in the Mummers Museum on Washington Avenue, for his contribution to the folk tradition.
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Americans of a certain age may remember a version of “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” used in a 1970s television ad selling Golden Grahams cereal, but in Philadelphia the song has been synonymous with Mummery for over a century.
“What starts to happen around the 1970s is the song shifts from being seen as part of mainstream popular culture to American folklore,” said Barnes. “Once something is deemed American folklore, in some ways, it’s protected. You can then teach it to children. You can put it into nursery songs. You can mass distribute it in cartoons. That’s one of the ways in which it becomes even further entrenched in our American cultural psyche.”
“Also just the truthful fact that songs are meant to stick in your head. You can’t get them out,” she said. “Once it was relegated to Philadelphia folklore and tradition, it takes on this new life and becomes a soundtrack to the city. It’s not going anywhere.”
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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
Key roads through downtown Orlando are slated for substantial facelifts over the next three months, with City Hall planning improvements to crosswalks, intersections and bike lanes. But the upgrades will come at the cost of paving over a gigantic Black Lives Matter mural painted on Rosalind Avenue.
Work expected to begin as soon as Tuesday includes the resurfacing of about half a mile of Rosalind Avenue from South Street to Robinson Street. That span includes the city-block-long mural painted on the asphalt by community leaders, clergy and youth in 2020.
The mural — which cost $22,000 — was painted near Lake Eola Park in red, black and green to represent the Pan-African flag.
A city spokesperson said new murals painted as part of the series of road projects will reflect the city’s commitment to diversity.
“While this mural is impacted, reaffirming our commitment to equity and diversity is an important effort of the city’s and we’re committed to incorporating this collective commitment to inclusion into the new mural artwork that will be installed at the intersection of Rosalind Ave and Washington St. as part of the project,” said Ashley Papagni, a city spokesperson. “Like the creation of the previous mural, our intent is to engage the community in this process.”
Drew Brownlee measures beside a letter “B” in a “Black Lives Matter” mural on Rosalind Avenue in Orlando on Friday, June 26, 2020. The 400-foot mural stretches along downtown’s prominent Rosalind Avenue in front of Lake Eola Park, between Washington Street and Robinson Street. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
City commissioner Regina Hill, whose district includes the area, said she plans to convene the groups involved in the Black Lives Matter mural to consider new artwork depicting the city’s diversity and growth post-2020. An African-American artist has been commissioned to create one of the new murals.
“Our hopes is we all get together, we’ve commissioned an African American artist to listen to the stories and hopefully put another mural there that shows us as a diverse and inclusive city,” she said. “What that looks like, we don’t know.”
The overall price tag on the various road upgrades is $959,130, with $763,000 covering the resurfacing alone, said Doug Richards, a city spokesperson. Work is expected to be done by March, but in the meantime, downtown travelers will want to plot their routes carefully.
Portions of the projects will be funded by the Community Redevelopment Agency taxing district and the city’s red-light camera program.
The plans for infrastructure upgrades come ahead of the expected release of more details in Orlando’s “Project DTO 2.0” next year, which is expected to touch on all corners of downtown and include recommendations to improve streets and sidewalks and create more parks and activities for its growing population.
Beyond the resurfacing, city officials say they’ll utilize their “quick builds” model for fast-paced infrastructure improvements in hopes of enhancing safety.
They also plan to use art to make the streets safer.
The plan cites research from Bloomberg Philanthropies, that found a 50% decrease in crash rates involving pedestrians and a 37% dip in crashes involving pedestrians at intersections that have so-called asphalt art. The study examined 24 areas across the country using data and video footage, and found drivers yield to pedestrians 27% more at intersections with asphalt art.
Murals are planned along Orange Ave. at Pine Street, Central Boulevard, Washington Street, and Church Street, as well as at Rosalind Avenue and Washington St.
“It’s just exciting because its going to transform our downtown into a more artsy downtown, along with a great safety mechanism,” Hill said. “I think it’s going to be great.”
Eight intersections will also get “artistic” curb extensions and crosswalks. Curb extensions or “bulb-outs” extend sidewalks further into crosswalks to shorten the distance pedestrians have to walk to get across a street, and to make them more visible to drivers.
Those will be created at Orange Ave. near Central Boulevard and at Robinson Street and Concord Street; along Rosalind Avenue at Jackson Street, Church Street and Washington Street; on Magnolia Avenue at Amelia Street and Concord Street.
Rosalind Avenue’s green bike lane will be further separated from traffic, with bend-ins at crosswalks, stretching from Church Street to Concord Street. The bend-ins are planned for Rosalind Avenue at Church and Washington streets, as well as at Magnolia and Concord Street.
rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
Washington, December 30: NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has recorded two black-and-white videos of a Martian day, from dawn to dusk. The rover captured its own shadow shifting across the surface of Mars using its black-and-white Hazard-Avoidance Cameras, or Hazcams and recorded the videos on November 8, the 4,002nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission, NASA said.
Instructions to record the videos were part of the last set of commands beamed up to Curiosity just before the start of Mars solar conjunction, a period when the Sun is between Earth and Mars — from November 11 to 25. The rover, which landed on Mars in 2012, used the Hazcams, because its other activities were intentionally scaled back just prior to conjunction. NASA Releases ‘Space Security Best Practices Guide’ To Bolster Mission’s Cybersecurity
Hazcams recorded 12 hours of snapshots for the first time, hoping to capture clouds or dust devils that could reveal more about the Red Planet’s weather, NASA said. When the images came down to Earth after conjunction, the scientists put together the pair of 25-frame videos to capture the passage of time. Extending from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. local time, the videos show Curiosity’s silhouette shifting as the day moves from morning to afternoon to evening.
The first video, featuring images from the front Hazcam, looks southeast along Gediz Vallis, a valley found on Mount Sharp. Curiosity has been ascending the base of the 5-kilometre-tall mountain, which sits in Gale Crater, since 2014. As the sky brightens during sunrise, the shadow of the rover’s 2-metre robotic arm moves to the left, and Curiosity’s front wheels emerge from the darkness on either side of the frame. Also becoming visible at left is a circular calibration target mounted on the shoulder of the robotic arm.
In the middle of the day, the front Hazcam’s auto exposure algorithm settles on exposure times of around one-third of a second. By nightfall, that exposure time grows to more than a minute, causing the typical sensor noise known as “hot pixels” that appears as white snow across the final image. The second video shows the view of the rear Hazcam as it looks northwest down the slopes of Mount Sharp to the floor of Gale Crater. NASA Laser Message Beams Video of a Cat From Space Back to Earth Nearly 31 Million Kilometres Away (Watch Video)
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Records Videos of Martian Day
Hey look – I’m a sundial!
Ok, not exactly, but I did get a sol to enjoy my surroundings. During solar conjunction, I used my hazard cameras to study the Martian weather and dust.
As this Earth year comes to an end, I hope you’ll take the time to soak in what’s around you. pic.twitter.com/eCQAcVtT1L
The rover’s right rear wheel is visible, along with the shadow of Curiosity’s power system. A small black artefact that appears at the left midway through the video, during the 17th frame, resulted from a cosmic ray hitting the camera sensor. Likewise, the bright flashing and other noise at the end of the video are the result of heat from the spacecraft’s power system affecting the Hazcam’s image sensor. These images have been re-projected to correct the wide-angle lenses of the Hazcams. The speckled appearance of the images, especially prominent in the rear-camera video, is due to 11 years of Martian dust settling on the lenses.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2023 04:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
(Black PR Wire) The American Society of Magical Negroes will have its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival ahead of its March theatrical release.
Kobi Libii’s feature directorial debut, The American Society of Magical Neg…
Washington: NASA‘s Curiosity Mars rover has recorded two black-and-white videos of a Martian day, from dawn to dusk.
The rover captured its own shadow shifting across the surface of Mars using its black-and-white Hazard-Avoidance Cameras, or Hazcams and recorded the videos on November 8, the 4,002nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission, NASA said.
Instructions to record the videos were part of the last set of commands beamed up to Curiosity just before the start of Mars solar conjunction, a period when the Sun is between Earth and Mars — from November 11 to 25.
The rover, which landed on Mars in 2012, used the Hazcams, because its other activities were intentionally scaled back just prior to conjunction.
Hazcams recorded 12 hours of snapshots for the first time, hoping to capture clouds or dust devils that could reveal more about the Red Planet’s weather, NASA said.
When the images came down to Earth after conjunction, the scientists put together the pair of 25-frame videos to capture the passage of time.
Extending from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. local time, the videos show Curiosity’s silhouette shifting as the day moves from morning to afternoon to evening.
The first video, featuring images from the front Hazcam, looks southeast along Gediz Vallis, a valley found on Mount Sharp. Curiosity has been ascending the base of the 5-kilometre-tall mountain, which sits in Gale Crater, since 2014.
As the sky brightens during sunrise, the shadow of the rover’s 2-metre robotic arm moves to the left, and Curiosity’s front wheels emerge from the darkness on either side of the frame.
Also becoming visible at left is a circular calibration target mounted on the shoulder of the robotic arm.
In the middle of the day, the front Hazcam’s auto exposure algorithm settles on exposure times of around one-third of a second. By nightfall, that exposure time grows to more than a minute, causing the typical sensor noise known as “hot pixels” that appears as white snow across the final image.
The second video shows the view of the rear Hazcam as it looks northwest down the slopes of Mount Sharp to the floor of Gale Crater.
The rover’s right rear wheel is visible, along with the shadow of Curiosity’s power system. A small black artefact that appears at the left midway through the video, during the 17th frame, resulted from a cosmic ray hitting the camera sensor.
Likewise, the bright flashing and other noise at the end of the video are the result of heat from the spacecraft’s power system affecting the Hazcam’s image sensor.
These images have been re-projected to correct the wide-angle lenses of the Hazcams. The speckled appearance of the images, especially prominent in the rear-camera video, is due to 11 years of Martian dust settling on the lenses.
RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment
A look back at 2023, through the issues and milestones noted in The Herald’s editorials:
What Boeing workers built beyond the 747 (Feb. 2): As Boeing workers in Everett rolled the last of more than 1,500 747s off the production line at the Everett plant, employees, community members and others reflected on a plane that had changed passenger and cargo aviation and a workforce that had changed its community over more than 50 years.
From the editorial: “Even through commercial aviation’s boom-and-bust cycles, the 747 and its sister aircraft influenced growth and change in Everett and the county. In population alone, the city grew from about 40,000 residents in the mid-’60s to more than 50,000 through the ’70s and some 112,000 today. …
“Everett was one of three locations considered by Boeing for the 747’s nest. Needing access to rail, highways and a long runway, Boeing looked at Walnut Creek, Calif.; near McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma and Everett’s Paine Field.
“Joe Sutter, employee No. 1 for the 747 project, convinced his superiors to stick with Washington state, and Everett won out.
“’I don’t think anybody can imagine where aviation would be without the 747,”’ Sutter told The Herald in 2006.”
Creator’s racist rants earn ‘Dilbert’ a pink slip (Feb. 28): Comments labeling Black Americans as a “hate group” and advising white people to “get the hell away from Black people,” on a YouTube show sparked backlash against Scott Adams, the creator and artist behind the comic strip “Dilbert,” which for decades had poked fun at office politics.
Numerous newspapers, including The Herald, and the comic’s distributor dropped “Dilbert” in reaction.
From the editorial: “Even if those opinions are not expressed within the panels of the comic itself — and Adams may have been toying around the edges of those sentiments in his strip in recent years — the author’s statements are reason enough not to further promote him or his work. …
“Some readers may fault The Herald and other newspapers for not respecting Adams’ First Amendment right to free speech or canceling him and his strip for something that was not included in the ‘Dilbert’ strip. The opposite is true; The Herald is using its First Amendment right to publish that which it believes is of value and of use to our readers and to exclude that which isn’t.”
State AG’s lawsuit may protect medication abortion (March 2): Partly in reaction to a lawsuit brought in Texas that challenged the Food and Drug Administration’s approval in 2000 of the abortion medication mifepristone, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and AGs in other states, brought suit against the FDA as well, but did so to drop restrictions on how the drug is prescribed and administered, regulations that aren’t required for the vast majority of other prescription medications.
From the editorial: “(I)n order to prescribe and distribute mifepristone, physicians and pharmacies must undergo special certification, a procedure required only for drugs with a serious risk of adverse effects, such as opioids, certain high-risk cancer drugs and high-dose sedatives. And patients must sign a form that reads: ‘I have decided to take mifepristone to end my pregnancy.’ …
“(B)ecause mifepristone is used to treat women who have suffered a miscarriage, the requirement that a woman sign a form declaring she has ‘decided’ to end that pregnancy is an unconscionably cruel act of bureaucracy.”
The competing lawsuits were seen as likely to result in consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Update: Following a decision by a federal judge in Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that found against the FDA’s certification, and another court order regarding Washington case, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in its present term and could issue a ruling by summer. The drug remains available.
State needs a quicker route for its new ferries (March 27): Facing increased route cancellations and delays amid an aging fleet of ferries, nearly half of them more than 40 years old, and the failure of the state to reach a contract with a shipyard in the state to build new ferries, state lawmakers considered, then passed legislation that would reverse the practice of requiring the state’s ferries be built in Washington.
From the editorial: “State Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, chair of the Senate transportation committee and sponsor of the legislation under consideration backed Senate Bill 5760. ‘We need these vessels on board as quickly as possible, ideally still built in Washington.’ …
“While the intention of “Build in Washington” was laudable, it may have discouraged competition that can help keep bids reasonable. But the Senate bill’s recommendation to consider ‘best value’ — along with the economic and other sweeteners that a state builder can offer — should be key considerations for projects funded by taxpayers.”
Update: Requests for proposals for new ferries are expected to go out nationwide to shipbuilders in the first months of 2024, with initial proposals from shipyards expected later in the year, Liias told the editorial board this month.
New stadium can make AquaSox star economic player (April 3): With requirements from Major League Baseball to upgrade stadium and player facilities for teams in the minor leagues, Everett city officials were beginning early planning to consider building a new or refurbished stadium at Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium or elsewhere in the city for the Everett AquaSox.
From the editorial: “Rather than view the league requirements as a visit to the mound, Everett city officials, team supporters and others are looking at the prospects for a stadium upgrade as a way to increase the benefits of what’s already a veteran economic player for the city and county and a contributor to the region’s quality of life; and do so by the start of the 2026 season.”
Update: The Everett City Council in November signed contracts with two companies for further planning and in December approved appointment of a nine-member committee to research potential sites and advise city leaders on revenue options for the public-private project.
With law passed, make it work to address addiction (May 18): After failing to pass reforms during the regular session in response to a state Supreme Court decision that was seen as complicating efforts to deal with illegal drugs, including fentanyl, state lawmakers in a one-day session adopted a plan to recraft the approach, making possession a gross misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to 180 days in jail for a first offense. The legislation also provided for pre-trial diversion programs and $63 million in funding for treatment programs.
From the editorial: “Few pieces of legislation will satisfy everyone, but the passage of SB 5536 in its current form, allows local jurisdictions, state agencies, treatment and health care providers and community members to work closely to assure better access to treatment, a move away from the stigma that discourages treatment and toward outcomes that assure individual health and community safety.”
Update: Efforts to expand treatment and deal with addiction and its related problems, including homelessness, continue, but Washington state still leads the nation in the rate of growth in both reported and predicted deaths from drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showing a 38.5 percent increase in reported fatal overdoses between July 2022 and July 2023.
Lessons from loss of Titan echo those of Titanic (June 24): The loss of the Everett-based submersible vehicle, Titan, on a descent to the RMS Titanic, taking the lives of five people, including the company’s chief executive, raised questions about the risks OceanGate was taking in deploying Titan; the partnerships it drew on in designing and developing the craft and how it described those partnerships in promoting its voyages. Partnerships by Boeing, the University of Washington and NASA claimed by OceanGate were denied or clarified.
From the editorial: “There is recognition of the risk, too, for researchers and experts in higher education, industry and government agencies that their assistance and consultation — offered in good faith — can be used selectively, more for marketing and promotion than as intended in service of intended goals.
“The sinking of the Titanic and the deaths of more than 1,500 people demanded reflection on its lessons in engineering and hubris. Now 111 years later, the loss of the Titan and the deaths of the five aboard it calls for similar reflection.”
Honoring the memory of the last captive orca (Sept. 2): The death of Tokitae — an orca whale taken from Whidbey Island’s Penn Cove in 1970 — at a Florida aquarium, ended local efforts by the Lummi Tribe and others to bring the whale home to a Salish Sea net pen to live out the rest of its life.
From the editorial:
“By 1976, because of the captures, only 76 orcas remained in the three pods. … those numbers have again declined, leaving about 74 whales among the three pods.
“Those left in the wild have struggled to thrive in a degraded environment, hampered by the decline in stocks of chinook salmon, impacts from vessel noise and activity that hinder the whales’ communication and foraging for prey and the presence of toxic chemicals in the ecosystem from sewage and stormwater runoff and other sources that affect the health of the whales and their prey.
“The return of Tokitae’s remains should mark a commitment to restoring the health of her home waters and assuring the survival of the orca’s family and the larger community of Southern Residents in the J, K and L pods.”
Update: A public memorial service and a private ceremony to scatter the whale’s ashes were held in September. Earlier this week a newborn orca calf was spotted with J pod near Bainbridge Island.
How do we put housing within reach of everyone? (Sept. 16): A public forum sponsored by The Herald on the challenges and solutions regarding affordable housing, brought together a panel of speakers that included housing advocates, a lawmaker and a building industry representative. With nearly half of Washington state households having to pay more than 30 percent of income for rent or mortgage payments — the level deemed “affordable” for housing — those costs are not only high but a burden to paying other expenses.
From the editorial: “If housing is a right for all, that implies a responsibility for government, industry and the community to provide ample opportunities to fulfill that right. That requires assessing the existing conditions that work against affordability, adopting policy that makes the necessary changes, making the investments for construction and providing the support that welcomes new families into the neighborhood.”
Update: Issues of affordable housing and rent are expected to be addressed by state lawmakers in the session that begins Jan. 8.
Why we’re buying carbon emissions by the ton (Nov. 10): The auction of carbon emissions allowances by Washington state — part of the state’s Climate Commitment Act — to encourage a reduction in the greenhouse gasses that contribute to the climate crisis and raise funding for climate solutions, exceeded earlier predictions for their prices, but have been criticized as increasing the price of gasoline and energy in the state. But by how much is difficult to estimate.
From the editorial: “Given the lack of transparency into what goes into the price of a gallon of gas, figuring what carbon allowances add to it isn’t clear. California, which has been auctioning allowances for about a decade, brought in an average of $28.08 a ton (of carbon emissions) in 2022, compared to a recent Washington auction that earned $56 a ton. Gas prices for the two states (as of Nov. 9), according to AAA: $4.55 a gallon in Washington; $5.11 in California.
Update: Supporters of an initiative that would repeal the carbon emissions auctions have filed signatures with the Washington Secretary of State Office, potentially placing the issue before voters this fall. Gov. Jay Inslee, as part of his proposal for 2024’s supplemental budget, has proposed using a portion of the auction funding for a one-time $200 credit for electricity bills for 750,000 low- and moderate-income families.
With bullet train sidetracked, upgrade Cascades (Dec. 14): The federal government largely passed over a request for about $200 million in funding to advance planning for an ultra-high-speed rail line, dubbed Cascadia, between Vancouver, B.C., and Portland, Ore., with stops in Everett, Seattle and Olympia, that would travel at speeds of 220 to 250 mph, significantly faster than the Amtrak Cascade’s 79 mph. Others are hoping for a second look at previous plans to upgrade the existing rail line, on which passenger and freight trains run, allowing the use of Acela-like electric trains that can operate at speeds of 110 mph.
From the editorial: “A refurbished and electrified Amtrak Cascades line could — in as little as a decade — bring improved travel times with vastly reduced carbon emissions for significantly less than even the low end of Cascadia’s estimated cost.
An aerial view of Funko Field at Memorial Stadium in Everett, home of the Everett AquaSox High-A baseball team. (Chuck Taylor / Herald file photo)
This undated photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company’s Titan submersible. The Titan imploded during a dive to the Titanic, killing the five people aboard. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)
A trainer feeds Tokitae the killer whale, at her stadium tank at the Miami Seaquarium on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Miami, Fla. The whale died in August. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS)
From a murder trial followed across the country to the opening of the Quincy Target and the conclusion of the Quincy police chief hiring investigation, 2023 proved to be an eventful year in the region.
Bliefnick trial consumes community, nation
The new Target location in Quincy opened to the public in August. Even as teams put finishing touches on a few items, Store Director Heather Risenhoover said her team was ready to welcome the guests for a new shopping experience in Quincy.
H-W Photo/Mike Sorensen
Protesters gathered outside of Quincy City Hall Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, ahead of the City Council’s planned vote on an ordinance declaring Quincy a “Safehaven City for the Unborn.” The ordinance was defeated by a 7-5 vote.
H-W Photo/Mike Sorensen
Barry Cheyne, chairman of the Quincy Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, answers questions following the May 2, 2022, City Council meeting. Cheyne has defended the hiring process of Police Chief Adam Yates.
H-W File Photo/Drew Zimmerman
New Philadelphia Association President Phil Bradshaw smiles after signing a letter of intent Tuesday to donate 34 acres to the National Park Service. Looking on is NPS Deputy Regional Director, Facilities and Operations Mike Ward who will work toward establishing the New Philadelphia park.
… . "This is about environmental racism, and it's about … 4. Civil War memorial honoring African American soldiers defaced In November, a … on an exhibit honoring an African American regiment that fought during the … RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News
Lisa Marley Presley, Jim Brown, Raquel Welch, Matthew Perry, Andre Braugher, Norman Lear, and Bob Barker all passed away.
So did music icons Tina Turner, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, Tony Bennett, Sinéad O’Connor, and Robbie Robertson.
Joss Ackland, 95
Joss Ackland.Pascal Le Segretin/Getty
Ackland has dozens of movie and TV credits, but he’ll be remembered best for the work he did in the late 1980s and into the 1990s.
He played the villain Aryan Rudd in 1989’s “Lethal Weapon 2.” He then played the Soviet Union Ambassador in 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October,” and then in 1992 played the lovable skate-maker Hans in “The Mighty Ducks.” He returned for the sequel in 1996.
The British-born character actor’s final credit was the 2014 movie “Decline of an Empire,” which was a biopic on Catherine of Alexandria.
Alan Arkin in the 1966 movie “The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming.”United Archives/Getty
Spanning seven decades, the work of Alan Arkin will be remembered forever.
Arkin, with his Brooklyn accent, was never hard to miss. Whether he played his gruff style for laughs or drama, he was always top notch.
He made his Broadway debut as David Kolowitz in “Enter Laughing,” earning his first-ever Tony Award for best featured actor in a play in 1963.
Quickly he moved out to Hollywood and found instant success.
He nabbed his first Oscar nomination for his leading role in the Norman Jewison 1966 war satire “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.” Arkin earned additional Academy Award nominations for his roles in “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” and “Argo.”
He won his Oscar for his role as Edwin Hoover in “Little Miss Sunshine,” the 2006 critically acclaimed dramedy.
Arkin was also a six-time Primetime Emmy nominee, more recently for his supporting role as Norman Newlander on “The Kominsky Method.”
He died on June 29 at his home in Carlsbad, California. No cause was given.
Burt Bacharach, 94
Burt Bacharach.Bettmann/Getty
A six-time Grammy winner and three-time Oscar winner, Bacharach gave us some of the most memorable pop tunes of all time.
The composer and pianist was responsible for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” from the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” as well as “Best that You Can Do,” the theme from the movie “Arthur.” Both of which also became chart-topping singles.
Along with lyricist Hal David, the duo are regarded as one of the best songwriting teams of all time. There’s the hits they did with Dionne Warwick, like “Walk on By” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”
Other hits include “The Story of My Life” from Marty Robbins, and “Magic Moments” sung by Perry Como.
The legendary game show host of “The Price Is Right” was a fixture in houses during the daytime for an astounding 35 years.
With his slim figure, golden tan, and full head of white hair, Barker was not just a TV star, for many he was a part of the family as he was on their TV five days a week without fail.
It resulted in Barker winning 14 Daytime Emmys Awards for outstanding game show host over his career, and an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement in 1999.
The beloved English guitarist of The Yardbirds spent decades evolving his style as he was influenced by everything from blues to hard rock.
He’s regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Thanks to his mix of work with The Yardbirds in the 1960s and his later solo work, he was respected around the world by musicians and fans.
Beck won the Grammy for best rock instrumental performance six times and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — once for being in The Yardbirds and a second time as a solo artist.
He died on January 10 after contracting a bacterial meningitis infection.
A beloved singer, songwriter, actor, and activist, Belafonte was beloved by millions for many reasons.
Along with winning Emmy, Tony, and Grammy awards, he also fought for civil rights alongside his late friends Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sidney Poitier.
After claiming fame in 1954 as Joe in “Carmen Jones,” in which he was Oscar nominated, he then trail blazed a career both as an actor and a musician.
His 1956 album “Calypso sold millions. And as the decades followed he starred in movies like “Buck and the Preacher” (1972) and “Uptown Saturday Night” (1974).
And with his activism he did everything from marching with MLK to speaking about the apartheid in South Africa.
Richard Belzer.Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty
Since the early 1990s Richard Belzer was synonymous with the TV police procedural.
Playing the character detective John Munch, his sarcastic charm made him a fixture on shows like “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order” for years. But he was so good at his character that Belzer’s Munch also found his way on other shows on other networks, which is unheard of.
Munch appeared on 11 different TV shows, which has never happened to a fictional character in the history of television. They include: “Homicide,” “Law & Order,” “The X-Files,” “The Beat,” “Law & Order: Trial By Jury,” “Arrested Development,” “The Wire,” “30 Rock,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
Before playing Munch, Belzer was known for his stand-up comedy. He was the warm-up act in the early days of “Saturday Night Live.” And if you look close enough you’ll see Belzer playing the MC at the Miami club in “Scarface” before the dramatic shootout happens.
Belzer died on February 19 at his home in the south of France after “an illness.”
Tony Bennett, 96
Tony Bennett.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Though born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, New York, the world knew him as Tony Bennett.
The crooner was timeless as he performed hits for generations of fans.
His career launched thanks to Bob Hope. The two were touring in the 1950s and it was then that Hope told the young singer to change the stage name he was using, Joe Bari. Bennett decided to shorten his real name and a star was born.
His first hit was “Because of You.” It followed with another huge hit, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Bennett would go on to win 18 Grammys.
But there were struggles along the way.
In the ’70s, he dealt with what he described as the “darkest period of his life” while battling drug addiction and financial troubles, which he revealed in his 2011 autobiography, “All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony.”
He finally got back on top in the ’90s when he did an “Unplugged” performance for MTV. It led to a new generation of fans, and countless performers wanted to duet with him, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, Juanes, and Lady Gaga.
In 2014, Bennett and Gaga recorded a joint studio album, “Cheek to Cheek,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Bennett died on July 21 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Robert Blake, 89
Robert Blake.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Most of Blake’s life was in front of the camera. As a child actor he was one of the members of the iconic shorts series the “Little Rascals,” starring as Mickey. His character appeared in the shorts toward the end of its run in the 1940s.
He then starred as Little Beaver in the Western movie franchise “Red Ryder,” which was based on the popular comic strip.
By the 1950s he made numerous guest spots on TV shows. Then in 1967 he had his breakout (as an adult actor) when he played murderer Perry Smith in the acclaimed adaptation of the Truman Capote true crime book, “In Cold Blood.”
Blake is known best for playing the lead in the mid 1970s TV series “Baretta,” in which he played a street-smart detective with a cockatoo for a pet named Fred. Blake would earn an Emmy for the role.
The actor is also known for his infamous private life as he was the face of a high profile court case after being charged with the 2001 murder of his wife. Blake was acquitted of the charge as well as one count of soliciting murder in a 2005 trial.
This Chicago-born actor was a force whether on the small or big screen.
With this intense looks and booming voice he commanded every scene he was in and it led to him being one of the most respected actors of his generation.
The two-time Emmy winner was known best for his six years on the hit 1990s series “Homicide: Life on the Street” and more recently playing Captain Raymond Holt on the comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
On the movie side he gave memorable performances in “Glory” (1989), “Primal Fear” (1996), and most recently in “She Said” (2022) which chronicled the New York Times exposing Harvey Weinstein’s years of sexual misconduct towards women. Braugher played Times executive editor Dean Baquet.
Jim Brown lived many lives: football icon, movie star, and social activist.
In all of them, he did it with a focus and drive that made him a legend.
Regarded as one of the greatest football players who ever lived, Brown became a Hall of Famer despite only playing in the NFL for nine seasons. But in that time he shattered records as a running back, won MVP three times, and won the NFL championship in 1964 with the Cleveland Browns.
After his shocking retirement he went onto movies, starring in over 30, with standouts being “The Dirty Dozen,” “Three The Hard Way,” “He Got Game,” and “Any Given Sunday.”
Brown was also a voice for equality throughout his life.
Most famously, in 1967, he organized a meeting with top Black athletes in Cleveland to support Muhammad Ali’s opposition of the Vietnam war. The meet included the likes of Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor, who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Thanks to his breezy music that made you feel you were laying on a white sand beach whenever hearing it, Jimmy Buffett transported fans of his music into vacation mode for decades thanks to songs like “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” and “Come Monday.”
He took that vibe and made himself a billionaire when he began his Margaritaville restaurant chain in the mid 1980s. That’s since evolved into hotels and resorts across the world.
Buffett died on September 1 due to Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare skin cancer.
Dick Butkus’ intense drive and colorful personality didn’t just make him one of the greatest defensive players ever in the NFL but also forged a path to celebrity once he retired that countless others have tried to emulate ever since.
After hanging it up as a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the early 1970s, Butkus became a celebrity endorser, broadcaster, and actor finding success in all three.
Being the face of a commercial during Super Bowl IV in 1970 for the antifreeze brand Prestone is considered the launch of the celebrity-endorsed Super Bowl ad. He followed that with starring opposite fellow retired NFL player Bubba Smith (of “Police Academy” fame) in a series of popular Miller Lite ads in the 1980s.
He starred in movies like “The Longest Yard” and “Any Given Sunday” and landed series regular roles on shows like “My Two Dads” and “Hang Time.”
Butkus was also a respected NFL commentator through the 1980s.
Cattermole was part of the English pop group S Club 7.
The group is known best for the 1999 debut single “Bring It All Back,” as well as “Reach” and “Don’t Stop Movin’.”
It was announced earlier this year that all seven original members would go back on the road again for a reunion tour in the UK. It would have been the first time they would all be on stage since 2015.
The BBC reported that Cattermole was found dead at his home on April 6, according to a statement from Cattermole’s family. The cause of death is unknown.
Michael Chiarello, 61
Michael Chiarello.Steve Jennings/WireImage/Getty
Chiarello became one of the first major celebrity chefs to come from the Food Network.
His 2003 show “Easy Entertaining” became a hit on the channel. That followed with the show “NapaStyle,” which premiered in 2004 on Food Network’s sister channel, Fine Living Network. He also was a contestant on the “The Next Iron Chef.”
Angus Cloud as Fezco on season two, episode four of “Euphoria.”Eddy Chen/HBO
Cloud instantly became a fan favorite on the HBO series “Euphoria” playing the character of drug dealer Fezco, despite the fact that he had zero acting experience before joining the show.
Discovered on the streets of New York City by a casting agent, his raw look was perfect for the show.
He had a natural ability in front of the camera, a calm and controlled way with his actions that instantly sucked you in as a viewer.
Cloud died on July 31 at his family’s home in Oakland, California. His death comes as he was struggling with the loss of his father, who was buried in Ireland a week prior.
David Crosby, 81
David Crosby.NBCU photo bank/Getty
This influential singer-songwriter is behind two of the biggest bands of the 1960s, The Byrds and Crosby, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
The Byrds’ first single, a harmony version of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” went No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart in early 1965. The band would become America’s answer to The Beatles with its pop/folk influence.
As a member of CSNY their 1970 album “Déjà Vu” hit No. 1 on the charts and went on to sell 7 million copies. The following year “4-Way Street,” a two-LP live set drawn from their subsequent U.S. tour, came out and went quadruple-platinum.
But Crosby was also one of rock’s bad boys, his heavy drug use led to a nine-month jail sentence in a Texas state prison in 1985.
Crosby’s work on The Byrds and CSNY led to 35 million albums sold over his career.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
Dillon was the motherly figure in some of the most famous movies of all time.
For Steven Spielberg’s 1977 classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” she plays the mother who can’t stop her son from being abducted by aliens and alongside Richard Dreyfuss searches for answers.
Then in 1983’s “A Christmas Story” she plays a mother trying to raise two boys in the beloved comedy.
With her gentle features and soft voice, Dillon made you feel emotions even with the silliest movie, like she did playing the mother of a family that takes in Bigfoot in the 1987 comedy “Harry and the Hendersons.”
Dillon was nominated for a Tony in 1963 for her performance of Honey in the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” She was nominated for best supporting actress twice: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and the 1981 drama “Absence of Malice.”
An acclaimed character actor, Forrest could play quiet and reserve or full of energy. He showed both sides in two Francis Ford Coppola classics: “The Conversation,” in which he played a man having a secret affair; and “Apocalypse Now,” who as the soldier “Chef” famously runs from a tiger in the jungle.
In 1980, he was nominated for best supporting actor for the Bette Midler movie “The Rose.”
His other credits include the western “The Missouri Breaks” (1976), which starred Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson; the “Chinatown” sequel “The Two Jakes” (1990), which also starred Nicholson; and Coppola’s “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”
Forrest died on June 23 at his home in Santa Monica, California. He was in hospice care for congestive heart failure, his sister Ginger Forrest Jackson told the Washington Post.
One of the “New Hollywood” mavericks who infiltrated Hollywood in the early 1970s and rejuvenated the town with radical stories and styles, Friedkin would find auteur status by the end of the decade.
With 1971’s “The French Connection” and 1973’s “The Exorcist,” Friedkin was responsible for movies that became instant classics, with the former earning him his only best director Oscar.
Though famously knocked down a peg when his doomed “Sorcerer” came out soon after 1977’s “Star Wars” and was a box office dud, the director rebounded in the 1980s with movies like “Cruising,” starring Al Pacino, and another police drama masterpiece, 1985’s “To Live and Die in L.A.”
The movies Friedkin made here like him: brash and unapologetic.
Thanks to his hardcore style Terry Funk became a legend in pro wrestling.
With perfect interviews that made him the ultimate heel to fans and his ability to pull off amazing matches in which he seemed to leave everything in the ring ever night, Funk became a moneymaker for promoters not just in the US but also in Japan where he was beloved.
When wrestling leaned more into bloody hardcore matches in the 1990s, Funk was a fixture at Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where its outlandish matches were the biggest rival to the established World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Some of his most memorable matches were with the likes of Rick Flair and Mick Foley, who Funk mentored.
Outside the ring, Funk found a nice side hustle playing henchmen in movies like 1987’s “Over the Top” with Sylvester Stallone and 1989’s “Road House” with Patrick Swayze. He also showed up on TV shows like “Swamp Thing” and “Quantum Leap.”
Funk died on August 23. No cause was given.
Michael Gambon, 82
Michael Gambon.Carl Court/AFP/Getty
An acclaimed character actor whose career spanned six decades, Michael Gambon graced both the stage and screen in memorable roles over his career.
At the start of his career he was one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre alongside fellow acting legend Laurence Olivier.
It was Olivier who gave Gambon his big screen debut with “Othello” in 1965. Gambon went on to star in a wide range of movies: Barry Levinson’s “Toys” opposite Robin Williams in 1992, the critical darling “The Insider” in 1999, Robert Altman’s “Gosford Park” in 2003, and a perfect gangster in 2004’s “Layer Cake” opposite Daniel Craig, to name just a few.
But for most he will be remembered for taking the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore following the death of Richard Harris in 2002. He played the role beginning with 2004’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
Len Goodman.Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
For 30 seasons of “Dancing with the Stars” Len Goodman was the show’s north star.
As head judge of the popular dance competition, the one-time champion ballroom dancer brought a legitimacy to the judges’ table as his critiques of the novice stars trying their best to dance alongside professionals were always tough but fair.
Along with “DWTS,” Goodman was a judge on “Strictly Come Dancing,” the UK version of the competition from 2004 to 2016.
He served as head judge on “DWTS” for more than 15 years and 30 seasons.
As one of the founders of the band Smash Mouth, Harwell’s voice was a fixture through the late ’90s and early 2000s when the band was at its height thanks to popular songs like “Walkin on the Sun” and “All-Star.”
The frontman’s booming voice has continued to draw in fans a generation later thanks in large part to “All-Star.” The song was included in the hit 2001 animated movie “Shrek” and since has become synonymous with the title thanks to internet memes.
The veteran character actor was best known for this Emmy-winning performance on the TV series “This is Us” in which he played William Hill, the biological father of Randall Pearson (played by Sterling K. Brown).
Previous to that Jones was known for his work on the stage, including the 2014 Broadway production of “Of Mice and Men.”
His TV and movie credits included, “Mr. Robot,” “Luke Cage,” “He Got Game,” “Half Nelson,” and “Dolemite Is My Name.”
Jones died on August 19 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue, according to People.
Bob Knight, 83
Bob Knight.Rich Clarkson/NCAA/Getty
Known on the basketball court for his fiery competitiveness, Bob Knight at one time was the most well known coach in college sports and it led to him becoming a pop culture figure thanks to appearances in commercials, TV shows, and movies.
Knight won three national championships at Indiana, including an undefeated season in 1975-1976.
Knight also won a gold medal at the Olympics for coaching team USA in 1984 with a team that included Michael Jordan.
The success led to him showing up in cameos in movies like 1994’s “Blue Chips” starring Shaquille O’Neal, and the 2003 Adam Sandler movie “Anger Management.” He also showed up in numerous commercials. There was even a reality TV show ESPN did around him called “Knight School” in the early 2000s.
Known as “The General,” his reputation as a highly volatile coach who would throw chairs and yell at referees and players during games got the best of him when video caught him allegedly choking an Indiana player during practice leading him to leaving the program in 2000.
He finished his career at Texas Tech, retiring halfway through the 2007-2008 season.
Knight is currently fifth all-tim in wins for men’s Division I college basketball with 902.
Lear was responsible for revolutionizing television in the 1970s.
Behind shows like “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” “Good Times,” and “The Jeffersons,” Lear’s storytelling brought the complicated world around us onto our TV screens every night.
It would lead to Emmy wins and acclaim in Hollywood for the rest of his life, but his work transcended television as it pushed what could (and should) be told on screen. Whether it be Vietnam or racism.
Pretty much everything you enjoy on the small screen today has an element that can be traced back to Norman Lear.
Lear died on December 5 of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles.
Coco Lee, 48
Coco Lee.Visual China Group/Getty
Born in Hong Kong, Lee rose to fame as a pop star in the 1990s and 2000s. Then she found international acclaim when she voiced the lead character Mulan in Disney’s Mandarin release of 1998’s “Mulan” and for singing the Mandarin version of the song “Reflection” from the movie.
In 2001, Lee took the stage at the Oscars to sing a song from the soundtrack of the hit movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Lee died on July 5. According to the singer’s sisters, she was struggling with depression for the last few years and died while in a coma after she attempted suicide.
Lee Sun-Kyun, 48
Lee Sun-kyun.Gisela Schober/Getty Images
The South Korean actor found acclaim recently in the US thanks to his performance as the wealthy patriarch Park Dong-ik in the 2019 Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.”
Lee became a household name after playing a music producer in the 2007 series “Coffee Prince.” This year he starred in the movie musical “Killing Romance,” which became a cult hit in South Korea.
The actor was found dead inside a car on December 27, according to multiple reports.
Yonhap News Agency, citing the police, said Lee was initially thought to be unconscious when he was found in a car at a park in Seoul. The police also told the agency that he appeared to have left a note at home.
Investigators had been looking into allegations that the actor had been using illegal substances and marijuana at a bar in Seoul.
Michael Lerner, 81
Michael Lerner.Todd Williamson/Getty
The veteran character actor was known for his booming voice and tough-as-nails roles through the decades.
Highlights include playing a studio executive in the 1991 Coen brothers movie “Barton Fink,” which earned him an Oscar nomination, playing legendary gambler Arnold Rothstein in 1988’s “Eight Men Out,” and a ruthless gangster opposite Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor the following year in “Harlem Nights.”
One of the main voices of the folk pop scene in the 1960s and 1970s, Lightfoot’s music topped by his baritone voice made him one of the most gift songwriters of his era.
The Canada-born artist turned out one hit after another: “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown,” “Carefree Highway,” and “Rainy Day People.”
It led to him being beloved by the likes of Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson and his songs scoring gold and platinum status.
Lisa Loring played the original Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family.”MGM Television/Bobby Bank/Getty Images
Loring was the first actor to portray Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family,” the youngest member of the fictional Addams family in the sitcom, which ran for two seasons between 1964 and 1966.
She went on to be the blueprint of the character who would be played generations later by the likes of Christina Ricci and most recently Jenna Ortega on the Netflix series “Wednesday.”
Following the Wednesday role, Loring starred opposite Phyllis Diller in the sitcom “The Pruitts of Southampton.” She also starred in “As the World Turns,” playing Cricket Montgomery.
Her other credits include “The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.,” “Fantasy Island” and “Barnaby Jones.”
The Irish singer and songwriter was the lead singer of the Celtic punk band The Pogues.
The band released seven studio albums and scored a big hit in the late 1980 with the song “Fairytale of New York,” which McGowan cowrote and featured singer Kristy MacColl.
MacGowan was kicked out of the band in the early 1990s due to his heavy drinking, but came back in the early 2000s leading to The Pogues doing sold out tours for years.
Margolis found fame playing despicable villains in some of the most known movies and TV shows.
Early in his career he found fame playing Alberto “The Shadow” in Brian De Palma’s 1983 classic “Scarface.” Fans of the movie will remember him as the henchman that Tony Montana (Al Pacino) kills at the end of the movie as Montana refused to let Alberto set off a car bomb because children were in the car.
Then later in his career he found greater acclaim as the bell-ringing elderly drug kingpin Hector Salamanca in “Breaking Bad.” He also reprised the role for “Better Call Saul.” That role would lead to him getting an Emmy nomination in 2012.
The Jewish-born Margolis was also known for playing the cranky landlord in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” opposite Jim Carrey and starring in numerous Darren Aronofsky movies (“Pi,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Fountain,” “The Wrestler,” “Black Swan,” and “Noah”).
Margolis died on August 4. No cause was given.
David McCallum, 90
David McCallum.Bettmann/Getty
This Scottish actor is known best for playing the heartthrob secret agent Illya Kuryakin on the hit 1960s TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” but David McCallum’s career is a vast one.
Before “U.N.C.L.E.” found him global fame, he was embedded in the arts. His parents were both musicians and as a kid McCallum attended the Royal Music Academy to play to oboe. Once he realized he wasn’t any good at it he moved to the theater and caught the acting bug.
McCallum’s first major dose of fame was when he was part of the A-list ensemble cast of the 1963 movie “The Great Escape.” Being amongst the stars was a little too much for McCallum’s then-wife actress Jill Ireland who fell in love with McCallum’s costar Charles Bronson. McCallum and Ireland divorced in 1967. She and Bronson married in 1968.
But by then McCallum had become a sex symbol thanks to “U.N.C.L.E.,” which would go on to earn him two Emmy nominations. And he even went back to music. He recorded four orchestral albums through the 1960s. And his piece “The Edge” would go on to become legendary in the hip-hop genre as Dr. Dre sampled it for his 2000 single “The Next Episode.”
The actor would become a fixture on TV for the rest of his career starring in numerous series. he found a resurgence beginning in 2003 when he was cast as medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on the TV series “NCIS.”
Though McCarthy published his first novel in 1965, he would languish in obscurity for decades until adaptations of his novels “All the Pretty Horses” (1992) and “No Country for Old Men” (2005) were adapted into movies in 2000 and 2008, respectively, bringing his work to a wider audience and winning Oscars for the Coen brothers along the way.
He’s also known for gritty classics like the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Road,” which chronicles a father and son’s post-apocalyptic road trip (made into a movie in 2009), and “Blood Meridian,” a historical novel set in the American West.
The famously reclusive author died June 13 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, of natural causes at 89, his publisher confirmed.
The Memphis rapper and former member of Three 6 Mafia was a beloved female figure in the “Dirty South” era of rap in the 1990s.
After recording albums with Three 6 Mafia until the early 2000s, she went solo.
Her 1998 album “Enquiring Minds” featured the hit single, “Where Dem Dollas At.”
Boo also showed up on songs with Eminem, Gucci Mane, Run the Jewels, OutKast, Lil Wayne, Blood Orange, Latto, and others.
Boo was found dead at her home in Memphis on January 1. No official cause of death was given.
Richard Moll, 80
Richard Moll.Gary Null/NBC/Getty
With his 6’8″ frame, Richard Moll was hard to miss on anything he starred in. But his most memorable role was playing the wacky bailiff Aristotle Nostradamus “Bull” Shannon on the 1980s hit TV series “Night Court.”
His talents led to him getting constant work through his career.
He landed guest parts after “Night Court” on a wide range of shows: “Babylon 5,” “Anger Management,” “Cold Case,” “Smallville,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and “7th Heaven.”
And in the 1990s he got work on animated shows. He voiced Harvey Dent/Two-Face on “The Adventures of Batman & Robin” and Scorpion on “Spider-Man: The Animated Series.”
Moll also showed up in movies like “Scary Movie 2” the live-action feature of “The Flintstones,” and “Jingle All the Way.”
Moll died on October 26, no cause was given.
Sinéad O’Connor, 56
Sinéad O’Connor.Michel Linssen/Referns/Getty
The Irish singer found worldwide acclaim thanks to her 1990 rendition of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U” and become the number one single in the world that year.
Over her career she released 10 albums, but over that time she also found attention due to controversies.
In 1990, she said she would not perform her concert if a venue played the US national anthem beforehand. It led to Frank Sinatra saying he would “kick her in the ass.”
A year later, after receiving four Grammy nominations, she withdrew her name for consideration.
Then in 1992, while performing on “Saturday Night Live,” she took out a photo of Pope John Paul II and tore it up saying, “Fight the real enemy.” She said the act was in protest of child abuse in the Catholic Church.
The act would lead to an onslaught of criticism, however, years later O’Connor had zero regrets.
“I’m not sorry I did it. It was brilliant,” O’Connor told The New York Times in 2021. “But it was very traumatizing.”
O’Connor’s son, Shane, died by suicide on 2022. She was hospitalized days later following a series of Tweets saying that she planned to take her own life.
In the 1960s and 1970s Ryan O’Neal soared to stardom thanks to his incredible talents and heartthrob looks.
Finding fame in the late 1960s starring on the soap opera “Payton Place,” O’Neal would find stardom on the big screen once the 1970s hit. With “Love Story” in 1970 starring opposite Ali MacGraw, O’Neal would garner an Oscar nomination as the movie would go on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
He followed that with 1973’s “Paper Moon.” The acclaimed Peter Bogdanovich movie in which O’Neal and his daughter Tatum play con artists led to Tatum becoming the youngest actor ever to win an Oscar.
Then in 1975 O’Neal teamed with auteur Stanley Kubrick for the epic “Barry Lyndon.” A box office bust at the time of its release, the movie has since become one of Kubrick’s masterpieces.
O’Neal worked steadily through his life in movies and TV, included stints on “Bones” and “Desperate Housewives,” but his was also known for showing up in the tabloids.
His 30 year relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett always kept him in the news, also his rocky relationship with his kids, including Tatum.
With his comedic talents and matinee idol looks, Matthew Perry was destined for stardom.
As a young teen, he had his hopes on being a tennis star. Living in Ottawa with his mother, he soared up the tennis ranks at one point being nationally ranked in Canada when he was 13. But by 15, when he moved to Los Angeles to live with his dad, he shifted his attention to acting.
In the 1980s he landed guest spots on big sitcoms like “Charles in Charge” and “Silver Spoons.” That followed with roles on “Growing Pains” and “Boys Will Be Boys.”
Then in 1994 his life changed forever.
Being cast as Chandler Bing, the sarcastic member in a group of friends living in New York City, the NBC sitcom “Friends” over its 10 year run on the air became one of the biggest shows on television.
Fame was a double-edged sword for Perry. Though it led to him being the star of movies like “Fools Rush In,” “The Whole Nine Yards,” and “17 Again,” plus getting a $1 million per episode payday on “Friends” by the end of its run, he battled with alcoholism and drug addiction for years.
The beloved daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley was in the spotlight her entire life.
She was 9 years old when her father died, but by then the world already knew her as the King’s daughter from pictures of her with her dad. His massive plane was also named after her.
As she grew into an adult, her fame grew too. She married Michael Jackson, making them the biggest couple in the world for a brief time. They divorced in 1996.
She followed in her father’s footsteps and made music. Presley released three albums, including singles where she performed duets with her late father.
She married musician Danny Keough when she was 20. They had two children together: actor Riley Keough, who was born in 1989, and Benjamin Keough, who was born in 1992. Benjamin died by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020.
Presley made her last public appearance on January 10 at the 80th Golden Globes where a biopic on her father, Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” was nominated for three awards. Austin Butler’s performance as Elvis Presley won best performance by an actor in a drama.
Presley died on January 12 after experiencing cardiac arrest at her Calabasas home.
Lance Reddick, 60
Lance Reddick.Jeff Vespa/WireImage/Getty
Reddick was a respected character actor thanks to his well known performance as Cedric Daniels, the tough but fair lieutenant in the beloved HBO series “The Wire.”
Most recently he played Charon, the concierge of The Continental in the “John Wick” franchise.
Reddick’s ice-cold looks and super serious performances made him perfect for dramatic TV shows like “Fringe” and “Bosch” as well as action movies like “Angel Has Fallen” and “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
In the 1980s and 1990s no other performer was more beloved by children than Paul Reubens — better known as Pee-wee Herman.
With his grey suit and red bow tie — along with his weird voice and even weirder antics — Reubens crafted an alter ego for himself birthed first on stage but thanks to movies and TV became a household name.
A big reason for that is starring in the Tim Burton 1985 hit movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and then the TV show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which ran on Saturday mornings from 1986 to 1990.
While taking a break from the character he was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida in 1991. Instantly Reubens became a punchline on the late night shows and the Pee-wee character was forgotten.
Reubens went on to land non-Pee-wee work in movies like 1999’s “Mystery Men” and 2001’s “Blow,” and gradually as time past Pee-wee became appreciated again. Reubens reprised the character on Broadway for 2010’s “The Pee-wee Herman Show” and the 2016 Netflix movie “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.”
Reubens died on July 30 after having battled cancer privately for years.
With his group The Band, guitarist Robbie Robertson helped create one of the most renowned groups of the 1970s.
He was responsible for contributing to The Band’s most known songs like, “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “The Shape I’m In” and “It Makes No Difference.”
The Band broke up in 1976, which was chronicled in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed documentary “The Last Waltz.”
Off of that, Robertson and Scorsese forged a collaboration until the musician’s death. Robertson did the score or was music supervisor on several of the filmmaker’s movies: “Raging Bull,” “The King of Comedy,” “The Color of Money,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Departed,” “Shutter Island,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Silence,” “The Irishman” and Scorsese’s upcoming release “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Richard Roundtree became the face of the trailblazing blaxploitation movie genre when he starred as John Shaft in the 1971 Gordon Parks films “Shaft.”
Playing a stylish private detective who didn’t take any crap from the mob or the cops, Roundtree’s performance became a hero for Black America during a turbulent time in the country still dealing with racial equality following the Civil Rights movement of the late 1960s.
Roundtree, though going on to star in numerous movies and TV shows over decades, would always be synonymous with Shaft, which to this day is still one of the most powerful Black characters ever put on the big screen.
Roundtree died on October 24. He died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer.
Andy Rourke, 59
Andy Rourke.Monica Schipper/FilmMagic/Getty
As the bassist for the groundbreaking British rock band The Smiths, Andy Rourke is a legend.
His work can be heard in The Smiths hit songs like “This Charming Man” and “There is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
After the band broke up in 1987, Rourke worked on former bandmate Morrissey’s solo tracks like “Piccadilly Palare,” “Interesting Drug,” and “November Spawned a Monster.”
Rourke died on May 19 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, according to Variety.
Julian Sands, 65
Julian Sands.Brian To/FilmMagic/Getty
An acclaimed actor, Sands’ work spanned the stage and screen over a 40 year career.
After finding attention on the stage in England in the early 1980s, he got his big break when he landed the lead male role opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the 1985 Oscar-winning James Ivory movie “A Room with a View.”
That launched him into Hollywood where he landed roles in the 1989 horror fantasy “Warlock” and its sequel. He also starred in the 1990 horror comedy “Arachnophobia,” David Cronenberg’s adaptation of the William Burroughs novel “Naked Lunch” in 1991, and the 1995 movie “Leaving Las Vegas,” which earned Nicolas Cage an Oscar.
Over his career Sands had recurring roles on TV series including “24,” “Medici,” “Smallville,” “Dexter,” “Gotham” and “Elementary.”
Sands, who was an avid hiker, was reported missing on January 13 after setting out to hike in southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains. His remains were found on June 25 in wilderness near Mount Baldy. An investigation confirmed on June 27 that it was Sands.
No cause of death was given.
Suzanne Shepherd, 89
Suzanne Shepherd.Patrick McMullan/Getty
Known best as playing the super concerned mother to Lorraine Bracco’s Karen character in Martin Scorsese’s classic “Goodfellas,” Suzanne Shepherd had a slew of memorable roles over her career.
She played the principal with the rather large mole on her face in the 1989 John Candy comedy “Uncle Buck,” she also had memorable roles in 1988’s “Mystic Pizza” and 2000’s “Requiem for a Dream.”
Shepherd also appeared in 20 episodes on “The Sopranos” playing the mother of Edie Falco’s character, Carmela Soprano.
Shepherd died on November 17 after suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Iron Sheik, 81
The Iron Sheik.Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty
If there were no Iron Sheik there would be no Hulk Hogan.
Professional wrestling became a global sensation thanks to not just the popularity of Hulk Hogan but because his nemesis was so despised. That was The Iron Sheik.
With his “down with America” talk Sheik (whose real name is Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri) became one of the World Wrestling Federation’s biggest bad guys, or heels, in the 1980s. He even had the world title.
That all set the stage for the showdown between Sheik and Hogan in Madison Square Garden in 1984. Hogan won the belt and pro wrestling was never the same again.
Sheik would later team with fellow heel Nikolai Volkoff to make a formidable tag team.
Long after his wrestling days were done, Sheik found fame once more thanks to Twitter. With his foul-mouthed tweets about everything from politics to pop culture, he became a sensation and was introduced by a generation that never saw him wrestle.
In the 1990s Tom Sizemore graced us with gritty and often twisted performances that made him unforgettable.
From his bit parts early in his career like “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Point Break,” “Passenger 57” and “True Romance,” to the peak of his career giving memorable roles in “Natural Born Killers,” “Heat,” ‘Saving Private Ryan,” and “Black Hawk Down,” Sizemore could be charming in one scene then unleash his madness in the next, and that talent made him a major fixture in the biggest movies of the decade.
Sadly, there was a dark troubling side to the actor that crippled his career. Due to drug addiction, by the 2000s he was no longer getting the kind of roles deserving of his talents. Tabloids and reality TV shows chronicled his struggles that ranged from jail time for domestic violence on his former girlfriend “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss to multiple arrests for drug possession.
Sizemore died on March 3 following a brain aneurysm on February 18.
Tom Smothers, 86
Tom Smothers.Giulio Marcocchi/Getty
One half of the famed comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, Tom’s work with his brother Dick launched the counterculture voice on television in the late 1960s.
Their TV show, “The Smothers Brother Comedy Hour,” premiered on CBS in 1967 and became a surprise hit as it leaned into pop culture references, booking young rock acts, and doing comedy bits that touched on the Vietnam war and politics.
It quickly became the voice of young people who were against the war and what was going on in the White House.
And Tom, the older brother, became a major voice in the counterculture scene thanks to his liberal views. He even played acoustic guitar on John Lennon’s famous 1969 anti-war song “Give Peace a Chance.”
An iconic actress and infomercial queen, Suzanne Somers is best known for playing Chrissy Snow in the hit 1970s TV series “Three’s Company” opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt, then in the 1990s being the face of the popular exercise machine the Thighmaster.
However, she also was ahead of her time attempting to use her stardom and the popularity of the TV show she was on to leverage equal pay, and it led to a dramatic shift in her career.
Nearing the fifth season of “Three’s Company,” Somers bargained with the show’s network, ABC, for a restructured contract where she wanted more pay and a percentage of the show’s profit, all of which would be on par with what Ritte was getting for the show.
A deal was made Somers was iced out from the show, getting limited screen time and shooting her scenes by herself and never seeing her cast. Her contract was not renewed for season six.
Somers never landed a TV or movie role as big as Chrissy Snow after that, but over the decades she kept celebrity status thanks to infomercials and authoring books.
Spears was a drummer who worked with the likes of Ariana Grande and Usher.
In 2004, he was Grammy nominated for his work on Usher’s album “Confessions.”
His list of touring and producing credits include: Lil Wayne, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Chaka Khan, Adam Lambert, Mary Mary, The Backstreet Boys, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears.
Jerry Springer celebrating the 25th season of his show, “Jerry Springer.”NBC/Getty
Jerry Springer will go down as one of the most controversial talk show hosts of all time.
Thanks to his show, “Jerry Springer,” he was a fixture on daytime TV in the late 1990s as his show featured people who didn’t like each other — sometimes it was domestic reasons, sometimes it was friends at odds — leading to physical altercations right on stage.
Starting out his career in politics, he was the mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978, by the 1990s he moved to entertainment as the show “Jerry Springer” launched in 1991 (it ran for 27 seasons). By the time the decade was over the show was a sensation and was even beating “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the ratings thanks to it taboo topics, outlandish guests, and the audience’s love for Springer, as they would often chant during the show: “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”
The Irish actor was known best for playing larger-than-life characters.
Stevenson played one of the Knights of the Round Table in Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 movie “King Arthur.” A few years after that he landed the lead role playing Frank Castle in the Marvel movie “Punisher: War Zone.”
He also showed up in the “Thor” and “Divergent” franchises.
Most recently, he played the villain Governor Scott Buxton in the global box office sensation “RRR,” and will next be seen playing a Jedi who turns bad in the upcoming “Star Wars” series on Disney+, “Ahsoka.”
Regarded as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, for decades Tina Turner was a force in the music world thanks to her powerful singing and endless energy when she performed.
From her start with ex-husband Ike Turner in the 1950s, to her historic comeback in the 1980s that made her one of the biggest performers in the world, to her starring in movies (“Tommy,” “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”) and a hit movie made about her (“What’s Love Got to So with it”), Turner was truly a legend in the entertainment world.
Turner is one of the best-selling artists of all time with 12 Grammys, she is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is the first black artist and first female to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Her hits will be beloved forever: “Private Dancer,” “Better Be Good to Me,” “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do with it,” and, yes, she even did a James Bond song with “GoldenEye.”
With her striking looks and playing strong-willed characters on the big screen, Raquel Welch was more than just a sex symbol, she was a force to be reckoned with.
It all started with a role in which she said only a few lines. Starring in the 1966 sci-fi movie “One Million Years B.C.,” she instantly became a star as the poster of her in a furry bikini from the movie became a huge best-seller.
That led to other roles through the decades like “Bedazzled,” “Bandolero!” and “100 Rifles.”
She won the 1973 Best Actress Golden Globe for her role in “The Three Musketeers.”
Her career would span over 50 years on the big screen and small, as well as becoming a fashion trend-setter through the decades.
Williams is one half of TV comedy royalty as she played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the popular late 1970s sitcom “Laverne & Shirley.”
Williams also starred in some memorable movies. She was Ron Howard’s love interest in George Lucas’ classic 1973 movie “American Graffiti.” And she played Gene Hackman’s obsession in Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed 1974 drama “The Conversation.”
But Williams will always be known best for her comedic chops, which opposite Marshall, who died in 2018, became an iconic duo in television history.
With his good looks and those unmistakable bushy eyebrows, Williams (no relation to Cindy Williams) was a fixture in movies and TV since his breakout role in 1979 as George Berger in the big screen adaptation of the hit musical “Hair.”
That followed with roles in the Sergio Leone classic “Once Upon a Time in America,” Sidney Lumet’s “Prince of the City,” and a blink-and-you-missed-it role in “Empire Strikes Back.”
Since then he’s known best for playing Dr. Andrew Brown in the early 2000s The WB series “Everwood.”
Regardless if it was on the big or small screen, Williams always brought the highest skill to a role, which is what made him dependable for years and years.
Burt Young spent most of his early career getting small roles in acclaimed movies like 1974’s “Chinatown” and “The Gambler,” but then his life changed when he got cast as the down-and-out yet lovable brother-in-law in 1976’s “Rocky.”
Playing the best friend of Rocky Balboa, Young earned a best supporting actor Oscar nomination and starred in all the sequels often being the franchise’s comic relief.
Young also starred in 1984’s “Once Upon a Time in America” and 1986’s “Back to School.”
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