LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, has died.
Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.
McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given.
We at Ed Brown Products are deeply saddened to report that Ed Brown, industry icon and founder of Ed Brown Products, has passed away.
Ed passed away at his home on September 15, 2024, after an intense battle with an aggressive, un-treatable liver cancer.
Ed was born on December 13, 1946, and is survived by his wife, who he married Nov 27, 1965. Next year would have been their 60th wedding anniversary. Ed is also survived by his three children, and six grand-children.
As I recall, the first time I saw James Earl Jones in a film (not counting his uncredited voicing of Darth Vader in “Star Wars”) was in 1997, in the Michael York/Marty Feldman comedy “The Last Remake Of Beau Geste,” in which Jones played “the Shiek.” Later, on a television Saturday matinee, I saw him as a young United States Air Force Lieutenant Lothar Zogg in “Doctor Strangelove.”
Now, James Earl Jones is gone, having died in his New York home. He was 93.
James Earl Jones,the revered actor who voicedStar Wars villain Darth Vader, starred inField of Dreamsand many other films and Broadway shows and is an EGOT winner, died this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 93.
His reps at Independent Artist Group confirmed the news to Deadline.
Widely regarded as among the world’s great stage and screen actors Jones is one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), though his Academy Award was Honorary. Jones has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977 and three Tony Awards.
James Earl Jones’ range was as great as his voice was deep and magnificent. He played such different roles as Thulsa Doom in the original film adaptation of “Conan the Barbarian,” Admiral Greer in “Patriot Games” and several other adaptations of Tom Clancy’s work, as well as lending his legendary voice to a variety of features from Disney’s “The Lion King” to narrations of dozens of documentaries and other productions.
Jones’ honors and awards were as varied as the roles he played.
He was nominated for a Lead Actor Oscar for his role in The Great White Hope (1971) and was given an honorary Oscar at the 2012 ceremony. An eight-time Emmy nominee, his two wins both came in 1991: Lead Actor in a Drama series for Gabriel’s Fire and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for Heat Wave.
Jones also was a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from SAG-AFTRA in 2009 and by the National Board of Review in 1995.
Also a commanding presence on the Broadway stage, Jones earned four competitive Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Play, winning twice for his performances as Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope in 1969 and as Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Fences in 1987. He received a Special Tony Award at 2017 ceremony.
Hollywood is a bit messed up these days, but James Earl Jones was an example of what an entertainer could be: Talented, focused, and dedicated to his craft. The world of show business is now a poorer place for his passing.
If to mark the event, you want to see one of Mr. Jones’ lesser-known works that is nonetheless wonderful and touching, seek out the 1996 film “A Family Thing,” in which Robert Duvall co-stars as James Earl Jones’ brother. Yes, really. It’s a heartwarming piece about how people from different backgrounds can learn to see each other as family – a lesson we could all use as a reminder today.
Paul Harrell, a renowned gun rights activist and firearms expert with over a million YouTube subscribers, has passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer. The news was shared by fellow YouTuber Tom Grieve, who posted on X, “I just learned and was given permission to share that Paul has passed. A true lion of men, a paragon of integrity, the gun dad of the internet, and a role model for us all. May he continue inspire and call us to be better and do more. Rest in peace.”
The announcement came shortly after Harrell’s brother released a video indicating that his time was running short. Following his passing, fans and followers took to social media to honor his legacy.
“RIP Paul! This is a loss for not only his loved ones, but an entire community, that will be felt for a long time. Let’s ordain him the Patron Saint of something,” one person wrote on X.
Another wrote, “Paul Harrell passed away today. He fought hard, and he’s finally at peace. A lot of you have never seen his videos, but Paul, even as his page grew, never developed an ego or changed. He was always willing to help anyone and did so because he loved it. He was the gun dad for many who didn’t have anywhere to get advice from. Rest in peace, Paul, and may God welcome you in open arms.”
A third person expressed, “A GunTube legend passed away today. Paul Harrell will live on forever for his contributions to our nation and to the 2A community. Rest in peace Paul. You will be missed but never forgotten.”
Another person wrote, “I will always miss Paul Harrell. He had the greatest knowledge and experiences when it came to firearms and hunting, and he lived a legendary life being involved in several shootings. The man had influenced my purchases even his video made me buy a Beretta 92. RIP Paul God bless.”
In July 2023, Harrell announced his diagnosis of Stage 2 pancreatic cancer and said he would be around “for a long time.”
Bob Newhart, the beloved stand-up performer whose droll, deadpan humor showcased on two critically acclaimed CBS sitcoms vaulted him into the ranks of history’s greatest comedians, died Thursday morning. He was 94.
The Chicago legend, who won Grammy Awards for album of the year and best new artist for his 1960 breakthrough record, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, died at his Los Angeles home after a series of short illnesses, his longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, announced.
The former accountant famously went without an Emmy Award until 2013, when he finally was given one for guest-starring as Arthur Jeffries (alias Professor Proton, former host of a children’s science show) on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory…..
Mark Hampton, world-famous handgun hunter, author of the Handgun Hunting column in American Handgunner and an old friend of mine, passed away suddenly while on his latest African big game hunt. Details are limited right now, but it seems Mark passed away on day two of the hunt from natural causes, doing what he loved to do most — hunt!
I’ve known Mark for 25 years and brought him aboard to write his iconic column in Handgunner to replace J.D. Jones — tough shoes to fill! Mark’s modest demeanor and easy story-telling prose often hid the fact he was likely the world’s number one handgun hunter. Mark hunted on every continent, taking hundreds of game animals of every type with many landing in world record books. He hunted in Africa almost 30 times, and his tales of hunts around the world and the guns he used graced the pages of American Handgunner and GUNS for almost two decades. Yet, when my wife and I hunted with Mark and his wife, Karen, on their farm in Missouri, he was always a pure gentleman, caring and humble about his many talents and experiences.
Mark also wrote several books on handgun hunting and hundreds of articles in publications across the industry. His legacy of knowledge, consideration, thoughtful help and sincere desire to help new hunters learn the ropes will be missed by all who knew him.
Our hearts go out to his wife, Karen and to the family members.
It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93. pic.twitter.com/Qk4NySCFZQ
The last surviving World War II triple ace pilot died at age 102 this week, more than 75 years after serving in the U.S. Air Force and flying missions over Europe, the Washington Post reported.
Brigadier General Clarence E. Anderson, better known as “Bud,” died peacefully in his sleep on May 17, his family said in a statement on his website.
“We were blessed to have him as our father,” the statement read. “Dad lived an amazing life and was loved by many.”
Anderson is survived by his two children, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His wife, Eleanor, died in 2015.
Anderson, who was born in California and learned to fly at 19, served two combat tours during World War II, according to his website. He escorted heavy bombers over Europe from November 1943 to January 1945, flying 116 combat missions and destroying over a dozen enemy aircraft in aerial combat as part of the 357th Fighter Group, nicknamed the “Yoxford Boys.” He was the highest scoring ace in his squadron, according to his website.
Bud Anderson.CEBUDANDERSON.COM.
Anderson’s other military service included serving as the commander of a squadron in post-war Korea and as the commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing during combat in Southeast Asia.
During his military service, Anderson earned 25 medals, including two Legion of Merits, 16 Air Medals and “many campaign and service ribbons,” according to his website. He has also been recognized as a fighter ace, or a pilot who has destroyed five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat, three times over.
When not overseas, Anderson was a fighter test pilot and served multiple roles, including as the deputy director of flight test operations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In total, Anderson logged over 7,500 flying hours in more than 130 types of aircraft.
World War II fighter pilot Bud Anderson stands alongside a P-51C Mustang, Princess Elizabeth, at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, in Cambridgeshire.CHRIS RADBURN/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Anderson retired from the Air Force in 1972, and joined the McDonnell Aircraft Company and spent 12 years serving as the manager of a test facility at Edwards Air Force Base in in California. He retired fully in 1984, published an autobiography in 1990, and quit flying at 90 years old but continued to lecture on the topic and consult on computer flying games, according to his website.
Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008 and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2013, according to his website. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015. In December 2022, he was given an honorary promotion to Brigadier General at the Aerospace Museum of California.
Herzog helped the Cardinals to a World Series in 1982
Baseball Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog, who won a World Series as manager with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982, has died, the team announced Tuesday. He was 92.
Herzog played eight years in the majors before heading into the dugout. He was a manager for the Texas Rangers and California Angels for part of the 1973 and 1974 seasons, respectively, before finding some success with the Kansas City Royals and later the Cardinals.
Manager Whitey Herzog, #24 of the St. Louis Cardinals, looks on from the dugout prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1989. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
“The entire Cardinals family is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer and World Series champion manager Whitey Herzog at the age of 92,” the Cardinals said in a statement posted to X.
RIP Tommy Smothers
Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86.
The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle.
Gaston Glock
Gaston Glock, the reclusive engineer and tycoon who developed one of the world’s best-selling handguns, died on Wednesday aged 94, Austrian news agency APA said.
The Austrian won loyal followings among police and military across the world with the weapons that bore his name. Forbes estimated his and his family’s fortune at $1.1 billion in 2021.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has died at the age of 96, according to a statement by The Carter Center.
On Sunday, President Jimmy Carter’s wife died peacefully after being admitted into Hospice care on Friday. She is survived by her four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
A biography of Carter given to the White House Historical Association describes Carter as having a “quiet, friendly manner,” which made her “an effective campaigner” for the 39th president.
As the First Lady of Georgia, she created what she called “a more caring society,” according to a biography by The Carter Center, a nonprofit she and Jimmy Carter co-founded in 1982.
“An activist first lady with her own bold agenda, she created a distinct East Wing office from which she set about helping disadvantaged people. Her efforts challenged age discrimination for older adults, encouraged opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, and advanced women’s equality,” the Center states. “Above all, she devoted herself to improving treatment and services for those coping with mental health conditions, a cause she adopted when her husband was governor and that remained her priority for the rest of her life.”
The former president praised his wife’s achievements for devoting herself to several social causes including programs that supported health care resources, human rights, social justice and the needs of elderly people.
In May 2023, it was announced she was diagnosed with dementia.
“She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones,” the Carter Center said in a statement.
Suzanne Somers, the actress who lit up the small screen on “Three’s Company” and one of TV’s most iconic fitness pitchwomen, has died, according to a statement provided to CNN from her longtime publicist R. Couri Hay. She was 76.
“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” Hay wrote in a statement shared on behalf of the actress’ family.
The statement said Somers “was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family.”
“Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly,” the statement added.
Emergency crews reportedly rushed to the former linebacker’s home in Malibu around 12.51pm, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Butkus was found unresponsive by a friend who went to check on him, reported TMZ.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Butkus’ family confirmed the Chicago Bears icon had died “peacefully” overnight, going on to thank his fans and loved ones for their support.
“The Butkus family confirms that football and entertainment legend Dick Butkus died peacefully in his sleep overnight at home in Malibu, California,” they wrote via the Bears account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The Butkus family is gathering with Dick’s wife, Helen.
