This was his only #1 hit in the U.S.
Category: Passages
Just heard that Bart Skelton passed away back on the 25th, age 62.
Someone on twitter asked:
“What’s taking place on the other side that’s making God call back all the gun fighters?”
Shootist Jim Taylor confirmed a text I received that John Linebaugh suffered a heart attack this afternoon and has passed way.
He was a friend. He will be missed.
Lance Reddick, Known for the ‘John Wick’ Films and ‘The Wire’ has Died Aged 60
Reddick enjoyed a lengthy, varied career on the screen, and had been in the midst of promoting the new ‘John Wick’ film.
Reddick enjoyed a lengthy, varied career on the screen, and had been in the midst of promoting the new ‘John Wick’ film.
Lance Reddick as Irvin Irving on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch.’ Photo: Aaron Epstein. Copyright: Amazon Studios
Lance Reddick, an actor who brought poise, gravitas and depth to even the smallest role, has died.
Best known for movies including the ‘John Wick’ series and TV shows including ‘The Wire’, ‘Fringe,’ and ‘Bosch,’ Reddick was 60.
Who was Lance Reddick?
Born in 1962 in Baltimore, Reddick’s initial passion was for music; he attended the Peabody Preparatory Institute and completed a summer program on music theory and composition at the Walden School as a teenager. Yet acting calling to him: after earning his Bachelor of Music degree from Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, he relocated to Boston, Massachusetts in the 1980s to start attending the Yale School of Drama in 1991.
Okay, so who’s gonna be number three?
Robert Blake, actor acquitted in wife’s killing, dies at 89
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died Thursday at age 89.
A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles.
Blake, star of the 1970s TV show, “Baretta,” had once hoped for a comeback, but he never recovered from the long ordeal which began with the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside a Studio City restaurant on May 4, 2001. The story of their strange marriage, the child it produced and its violent end was a Hollywood tragedy played out in court.
Once hailed as among the finest actors of his generation, Blake became better known as the center of a real-life murder trial, a story more bizarre than any in which he acted. Many remembered him not as the rugged, dark-haired star of “Baretta,” but as a spectral, white-haired murder defendant.
Chaim Topol, Tevye in Film and Stage Versions of Fiddler on the Roof, Dies at 87.
Chaim Topol, who became professionally known solely by his last name in a career that included starring in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ on stage and screen and co-starring in the James Bond movie ‘For Your Eyes Only’ and the sci-fi film ‘Flash Gordon,’ died Thursday in Tel Aviv after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
No!
The Hollywood star passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning after a brief illness, her manager said.
Born Jo Raquel Tejada in 1940, Welch grew up in California, where she won teen beauty pageants and later became a local weather forecaster.
Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida, who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies, died in Rome on Monday, her agent said. She was 95.
Walter Cunningham, last surviving Apollo 7 astronaut, dies at 90.
Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from NASA’s famed Apollo 7 mission, died early Tuesday in Houston at age 90, officials said.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson confirmed Cunningham’s death in a statement. He described the late astronaut as having paved the way for future U.S. space travel as one of three members on Apollo 7, the first successful crewed space flight of NASA’s Apollo program.
“Walter Cunningham was a fighter pilot, physicist and an entrepreneur — but above all, he was an explorer,” Nelson said. “NASA will always remember his contributions to our nation’s space program and sends our condolences to the Cunningham family.”
Cunningham, along with Donn Eisele and Walter “Wally” Schirra, was aboard the 11-day Apollo 7 mission that launched on Oct. 11, 1968.
Watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher is dead at 76.
Comedian Gallagher, famous for smashing watermelons onstage with a hammer, passed away Friday morning at age 76. The prop comic’s longtime manager confirmed his passing in a statement to TMZ.
According to the report, the comedian died of massive organ failure while at a hospice in Palm Springs, California. Gallagher had reportedly been sick for quite some time, having suffered multiple heart attacks over the years, starting in 2011, when he collapsed onstage in Minnesota. He also suffered a cardiac episode the following year, right before he was supposed to perform in Texas.
Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. was born on July 24, 1946, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He also lived in Ohio and Florida before enrolling at the University of South Florida, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering — and then, apparently, never looked back.
The funnyman broke into the mainstream after a stint on the Johnny Carson show in 1975, followed by a string of comedy specials for the Showtime network. He quickly became one of the most recognizable comics in the US.
Gallagher’s signature stunt was the “Sledge-O-Matic,” in which the performer used a giant mallet to pulverize vegetables, fruit and other objects to comedic effect. Initially starting as a spoof of the Ronco Veg-O-Matic commercials, it quickly became the entertainer’s most legendary bit and a major subject of parody.
Jerry Lee Lewis, rock and roll legend, dies at 87
Rock ‘n’ roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis died at his Mississippi home Friday, representative Zach Farnum said in a news release. He was 87.
TMZ reported Wednesday that Lewis had died, but then retracted the report and blamed a bad tip.
Nicknamed “The Killer,” the electric showman was one of the first stars inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was known for his boogie-woogie style with 1957 hits “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire.”
The rock pioneer was born in Ferriday, Louisiana, on Sept. 29, 1935. In his biography, he recalled learning to tickle the ivories at age 9, with his father mortgaging the family farm to buy him his first piano shortly thereafter. His first public performance came at the age of 14, at the opening of a car dealership.
He attended Bible school in Texas, where he was reportedly expelled for a bad attitude and misconduct, including playing rock ‘n’ roll versions of hymns.
Loretta Lynn, coal miner’s daughter and country music queen, dies, age 90.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Loretta Lynn, the Kentucky coal miner’s daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music, has died. She was 90.
In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Lynn’s family said she died Tuesday at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” the family said in a statement. They asked for privacy as they grieve and said a memorial will be announced later.
Lynn already had four children before launching her career in the early 1960s, and her songs reflected her pride in her rural Kentucky background.
As a songwriter, she crafted a persona of a defiantly tough woman, a contrast to the stereotypical image of most female country singers. The Country Music Hall of Famer wrote fearlessly about sex and love, cheating husbands, divorce and birth control and sometimes got in trouble with radio programmers for material from which even rock performers once shied away.
Another Shootist goes to his reward
In Memoriam: Ed Head
The long time Gunsite instructor and Shooting Illustrated columnist passed away after a brief illness
Ed Head, Shooting Illustrated field editor, retired United State Border Patrol senior firearms instructor and former operations manager, rangemaster and instructor at Gunsite Academy, died last week. He passed away surrounded by close friends and family.
Head served in the United States Air Force as a member of the branch’s military police from 1972 to 1976, specializing in nuclear weapons security and was captain of a weapons and tactics competition team. After leaving the service he joined the Border Patrol in August 1977 and assigned to a San Diego, CA, duty station. There he oversaw operations of a patrol group comprised of 19 supervisors and 160 agents at the Imperial Beach station.
He went on to complete the Firearms Instructor Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where he received a distinguished Master rating and returned to California to assume firearm qualification and training duties for the Imperial Beach and Chula Vista Border Patrol stations. Later he became sector firearms instructor for the entire San Diego Border Patrol Sector—with 2,500 agents—and founded the San Diego Law Enforcement Combat Shooters Association, winning the club’s first championship. He retired from the Border Patrol in 2001.
In 1988 Head attended his first Gunsite Academy classes. There he earned an Expert rating in several courses and went on to receive the Instructor rating from the facility in 1992. From 2005 to 2010 he served as the facility’s operations manager and began teaching from the day he arrived. The last students he eagerly shared his depth of knowledge and experience with graduated in May, when his cancer forced him to withdraw from the active instructor roster.
“In addition to being an outstanding writer, Ed Head was a truly great man,” said Ed Friedman, editor in chief of Shooting Illustrated. “He served our country with distinction, both in an official capacity and by training untold thousands of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and our Constitution. His experience as the Operations Manager at Gunsite Academy made Ed an easy choice to write our ‘Skills Check’ column, which he did for more than a decade and helped make it one of the most popular departments in the magazine. My friend Ed will be sorely missed by everyone at Shooting Illustrated and in NRA Publications.”
“Ed was a stalwart at Gunsite for decades,” Ken Campbell, Gunsite Academy CEO said. “He trained countless good people and many are still alive as a result. We have lost another great one in the training industry.”
Head is survived by his wife of 36 years, Jean. A memorial service will be held at the Canyon Bible Church, 2900 West Gunsite Road, in Paulden, AZ. Details were not finalized at press time, but will soon be available on Gunsite Academy’s website.
Last Leader of Soviet ‘Evil Empire’ Mikhail Gorbachev Dies at 91
Reverend Taylor once said once said that one should only say good things about others.
Okay.
Good, he’s dead.
Len Dawson, Hall of Fame quarterback who led Chiefs to Super Bowl win, dead at 87.
Len Dawson, the legendary quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory, has died, his family said Wednesday. He was 87.
Dawson’s family released a statement to KMBC-TV, where the retired NFL star worked as a broadcaster.
“With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson. He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers,” his family said in a statement.
Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams, Last Living World War II Medal of Honor Winner, Dead At 98.
Sad news: Hershel “Woody” Williams, the last living Medal of Honor winner from World War II, has died at age 98.
Williams was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on Oct. 5, 1945, from President Harry S. Truman for his “valiant devotion to duty,” the Woody Williams Foundation said.
“Today at 3:15am, Hershel Woodrow Williams, affectionately known by many as Woody went home to be with the Lord. Woody peacefully joined his beloved wife Ruby while surrounded by his family at the VA Medical Center which bears his name,” the Woody Williams Foundation wrote.
Williams, who was born in Quiet Dell, West Virginia, served for 20 years in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves and then worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for over 30 years as a veterans service representative.
The U.S. Navy commissioned a warship called the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams in his honor in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020.
I had previously honored Williams for my 2019 Veterans Day profile.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as demolition sergeant serving with the 21st Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 23 February 1945.
Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands, Cpl. Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machinegun fire from the unyielding positions.
Covered only by 4 riflemen, he fought desperately for 4 hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flamethrowers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out 1 position after another.
On 1 occasion, he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flamethrower through the air vent, killing the occupants and silencing the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon.
His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided vitally in enabling his company to reach its objective.
Cpl. Williams’ aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Sometime in the next decade or two, the last living World War II veteran will die, and that epoch-changing conflagration will pass out of living memory.
R.I.P Randy Weaver: Ruby Ridge is not forgotten
Randy Weaver has passed away. Three decades ago, he was entrapped by an ATF agent. Federal agents subsequently killed his son and wife. The Justice Department denied that anyone’s rights were violated but still paid a multi-million dollar settlement for the Weaver family’s wrongful death lawsuit.
I counted Bob among my friends
Robert “Bob” Mills passed away unexpectedly December 12, 2021 at his home in Sequim, Washington. He was a stoic man who could be intimidating at first meeting but made friends everywhere he went. Bob had many interests — hunting, bicycling, ham radio, cooking, wine, and Irish whisky, but most of all he was a world-class story-teller.
Bob was born on January 22, 1946 in Barstow, California, and grew up in Rockford, Washington. He attended Eastern Washington College where he met his future wife Audrey Saldin, and after graduation in December 1968 he was commissioned as an officer in the US Army. Bob and Audrey eloped in January 1969.
He spent 1971 – 1972 in service during the Vietnam war. After returning home Bob’s career started working for the Department of Justice and those opportunities took the family first to McNeil Island, Washington, then a decade in California before returning to Seattle, where he would work until he retired in 2001. After he retired, Bob and Audrey built a home on the hill in Sequim where Audrey could get her water views, overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
While in Sequim, Bob worked for a local bike shop, conducted training for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and was active with Clallam County emergency operations as a ham radio operator working from the Sequim Fire Department. He was named Volunteer of Year 2011 by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents Dale and Betty Mills, and his wife Audrey. He is survived by his daughter Margaret Keppeler (husband Paul), his son Richard (wife Leah), and grandsons Reece and Sawyer. All will miss him deeply.
Bob will be interred in the Rockford Memorial Cemetery next to his wife and parents.”