Celebrity Deaths in 2019

Jessye Norman was born on 15 September 1945 in Augusta, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for Wild at Heart (1990), The Hours (2002) and Choke (2008). She died on 30 September 2019 in New York City, New York, USA.

Wayne Fitzgerald was born on 19 March 1930 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for Innerspace (1987), Total Recall (1990) and Firestarter (1984). He was married to MaryEllen Courtney and Mary Dunbar. He died on 30 September 2019 in Whidbey Island, Washington, USA.

Eric Pleskow was born on 24 April 1924 in Vienna, Austria. He was a producer, known for Beyond Rangoon (1995), The Hollywood Sign (2001) and Pledge to Bataan (1943). He was married to Barbara Black. He died on 1 October 2019 in Westport, Connecticut, USA.

One of television's premier African-American series stars, elegant actress, singer and recording artist Diahann Carroll was born Carol Diann (or Diahann) Johnson on July 17, 1935, in the Bronx, New York. The first child of John Johnson, a subway conductor, and Mabel Faulk Johnson, a nurse; music was an important part of her life as a child, singing at age six with her Harlem church choir. While taking voice and piano lessons, she contemplated an operatic career after becoming the 10-year-old recipient of a Metropolitan Opera scholarship for studies at New York's High School of Music and Art. As a teenager she sought modeling work but it was her voice, in addition to her beauty, that provided the magic and the allure.

When she was 16, she teamed up with a girlfriend from school and auditioned for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts show using the more exotic sounding name of Diahann Carroll. She alone was invited to appear and won the contest. She subsequently performed on the daily radio show for three weeks. In her late teens, she began focusing on a nightclub career and it was here that she began formulating a chic, glamorous image. Another TV talent show appearance earned her a week's engagement at the Latin Quarter.

Broadway roles for black singers were rare but at age nineteen, Diahann was cast in the Harold Arlen/Truman Capote musical "House of Flowers". Starring the indomitable Pearl Bailey, Diahann held her own quite nicely in the ingénue role. While the show itself was poorly received, the score was heralded and Diahann managed to introduce two song standards, "A Sleepin' Bee" and "I Never Has Seen Snow", both later recorded by Barbra Streisand.

In 1954 she and Ms. Bailey supported a riveting Dorothy Dandridge as femme fatale Carmen Jones (1954) in an all-black, updated movie version of the Georges Bizet opera "Carmen." Diahann later supported Ms. Dandridge again in Otto Preminger's cinematic retelling of Porgy and Bess (1959). During this time she also grew into a singing personality on TV while visiting such late-nite hosts as Jack Paar and Steve Allen and performing.

Unable to break through into the top ranks in film (she appeared in a secondary role once again in Paris Blues (1961), a Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward vehicle), Diahann returned to Broadway. She was rewarded with a Tony Award for her exceptional performance as a fashion model in the 1962 musical "No Strings," a bold, interracial love story that co-starred Richard Kiley. Richard Rodgers, whose first musical this was after the death of partner Oscar Hammerstein, wrote the part specifically for Diahann, which included her lovely rendition of the song standard "The Sweetest Sounds." By this time she had already begun to record albums ("Diahann Carroll Sings Harold Arlen" (1957), "Diahann Carroll and Andre Previn" (1960), "The Fabulous Diahann Carroll" (1962). Nightclub entertaining filled up a bulk of her time during the early-to-mid 1960s, along with TV guest appearances on Carol Burnett, Judy Garland, Andy Williams, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye's musical variety shows.

Little did Diahann know that in the late 1960s she would break a major ethnic barrier on the small screen. Though it was nearly impossible to suppress the natural glamour and sophistication of Diahann, she touchingly portrayed an ordinary nurse and widow struggling to raise a small son in the series Julia (1968). Despite other Black American actresses starring in a TV series (i.e., Hattie McDaniel in "Beulah"), Diahann became the first full-fledged African-American female "star" -- top billed, in which the show centered around her lead character. The show gradually rose in ratings and Diahann won a Golden Globe award for "Best Newcomer" and an Emmy nomination. The show lasted only two seasons, at her request.

A renewed interest in film led Diahann to the dressed-down title role of Claudine (1974), as a Harlem woman raising six children on her own. She was nominated for an Oscar in 1975, but her acting career would become more and more erratic after this period. She did return, however, to the stage with productions of "Same Time, Next Year" and "Agnes of God". While much ado was made about her return to series work as a fashionplate nemesis to Joan Collins' ultra-vixen character on the glitzy primetime soap Dynasty (1981), it became much about nothing as the juicy pairing failed to ignite. Diahann's character was also a part of the short-lived "Dynasty" spin-off The Colbys (1985).

Throughout the late 1980s and early 90s she toured with her fourth husband, singer Vic Damone, with occasional acting appearances to fill in the gaps. Some of her finest work came with TV-movies, notably her century-old Sadie Delany in Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999) and as troubled singer Natalie Cole's mother in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000). She also portrayed silent screen diva Norma Desmond in the musical version of "Sunset Blvd." and toured America performing classic Broadway standards in the concert show "Almost Like Being in Love: The Lerner and Loewe Songbook." She then had recurring roles on Grey's Anatomy (2005) and White Collar (2009).

Diahann Carroll died on October 4, 2019, in Los Angeles, California.

Alan Zaslove was born on 9 December 1927 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Aladdin (1994), Darkwing Duck (1991) and Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers (1989). He was married to Sylvia Lee MacPherson, Helene Klein and Nancy Gordon-Zaslove. He died on 2 October 2019 in Sherman Oaks, California, USA.

Ginger Baker was born on 19 August 1939 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for The Harder They Fall (2021), Casino (1995) and Gonks Go Beat (1964). He was married to Kudzai Machokoto, Karen Loucks Rinedollar, Sarah Dixon and Elizabeth Ann Finch. He died on 6 October 2019 in Canterbury, Kent, UK.

Cassandra Waldon was born on 17 October 1962 in Havre de Grace, Maryland, USA. She died on 25 September 2019 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Lewis Dauber was born on 27 April 1949 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Island (2005), Something's Gotta Give (2003) and Jingle All the Way (1996). He was married to Paulette Levin. He died on 3 October 2019 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The nicknames, "The Prince of Pandemonium," The Master of Mayhem" and "King of Camp and Confetti," are but a few valid applications that were thrust upon zany comedian Rip Taylor, whose flamboyant blend of burlesque and self-deprecating humor entertained audiences for over four decades. He headlined the top showrooms of Las Vegas, appeared on scores of television shows, starred in various musical stage slapstick comedies and even toyed with dramatic material over the years.

He was born Charles Elmer Taylor, Jr. in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 1931 to Charles Elmer Taylor Sr. and Elizabeth Evans Taylor. He began his career by tossing out one-liners in nightclubs and had his first big break on Ed Sullivan's The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) TV show in 1964. The tacky costumes, ridiculous props, handlebar mustache, wacky wigs and manic confetti-tossing didn't take long to follow as professional trademarks, and they soon made their way into the 1970s pop culture.

Frequently appearing on television, he appeared in everything from variety shows to talk shows (Merv Griffin and David Letterman) to sitcoms like The Monkees (1965). He was the gag man who delightfully wrangled out of every groan-inducing one-liner there was, eventually finding the perfect avenue for his brand of insanity via producer Chuck Barris and his syndicated TV shows of the 1970s and 1980s. Rip became a favorite panelist judge, along with Jaye P. Morgan, on Barris' The Gong Show (1976), and later served as host of the equally tacky The $1.98 Beauty Show (1978).

A mainstay in Las Vegas, whether as ringleader of a topless chorus line or opening act to a major entertainer, Rip also slayed 'em on Broadway ("Sugar Babies") and has demonstrated a fine singing instrument in musicals including "Anything Goes," "Oliver!" (as "Fagan"), "Peter Pan" (as "Captain Hook") and in a 1999 production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (as "Pseudolus").

On a more serious side, he played Demi Moore's crusty boss in Indecent Proposal (1993) and showed up sans confetti as Kate Hudson's father in the Rob Reiner feature, Alex & Emma (2003).

For the most part, he continued merrily in such campy films as Barris' The Gong Show Movie (1980); the "Exorcist" spoof, Repossessed (1990), with Linda Blair and Leslie Nielsen; the foreign-made The Silence of the Hams (1994)and Jackass: The Movie (2002). Beginning in the early 1960s, when he first provided additional voices for The Jetsons (1962), Rip continued making voice-over work a viable means of income. His voice can be heard in such animated films as DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) and Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico (2003), and animated TV series as Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones? (2002) and The Emperor's New School (2006). He was nominated for an Emmy award for voicing "Uncle Fester" in the TV cartoon program, The Addams Family (1992).

Having suffered an epileptic seizure the week prior, 88-year-old Rip died of congestive heart failure on October 6, 2019, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Once briefly married to Las Vegas showgirl Rusty Rowe, whom he divorced in the early 1960s, Rip was involved in a long-term relationship with Robert Fortney at the time of his death.

Arte Johnson was born on 20 January 1929 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), Love at First Bite (1979) and Baggy Pants & the Nitwits (1977). He was married to Gisela Johnson and Texie Waterman. He died on 3 July 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Joe Sirola has starred in numerous TV shows - everything from his own series such as "The Montefuscos," and "Wolf," to "Get Smart, " "Man from U.N.C.L.E.," and "The Magician"; and films - with Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida in "Strange Bedfellows"; with Clint Eastwood in "Hang 'Em High" and in such others as George Stevens' "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "Super Cops," and "Hail to the Chief;" and on Broadway in Molly Brown; Pal Joey and Golden Rainbow among others. The Wall Street Journal named him "King of the Voiceovers," having recorded 10,000+ commercials, and he has been called "The Green Thumb of the Upper East Side" for his amazing rooftop garden. His one-man piece, Shakespeare's Ages of Man, where Joe performs eighteen of the bard's great characters, is continually successful around the country. And, in the last few year's Joe has returned to Broadway... this time as a Tony Award-winning producer. Among his NY producing credits are Cagney: The Musical; the Tony-winning Best Musical A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder; The Trip To Bountiful; The Motherf**ker with the Hat; Love Letters (Revival); Ghetto Klown; Rogers And Hammerstein's Cinderella; Stick Fly and Time Stands Still. And that's Joe Sirola - a man of many talents and the happy ability to pursue them all successfully.

Philip Gips, the graphic designer and advertising executive who created iconic posters for such films as Rosemary's Baby, Alien, Network, Superman and Fatal Attraction, also designed posters for other movies including Downhill Racer (1969), That's Entertainment (1974), Tommy (1975), The Front (1976), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), All That Jazz (1979), Arthur (1981), Absence of Malice (1981), Sophie's Choice (1982), The Verdict (1982), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Hoosiers (1986) and No Way Out (1987).

In 2001, Premiere magazine placed three of his works for Alien, Rosemary's Baby and Downhill Racer - on its list of the "50 Best Movie Posters of All Time."

Oscar-winning Canadian make-up artist. A hairdresser from the age of eighteen, LeBlanc graduated from the New Brunswick Institute of Technology before moving to Toronto as a wig maker. He first worked in the film industry as a hair stylist in 1974. Within a decade, he had established a strong reputation for designing individual styles to complement the specific characters of his clientele. Actresses Susan Sarandon (Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Twilight (1998), Stepmom (1998)) and Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct (1992), The Quick and the Dead (1995), Casino (1995)) counted among his most frequent collaborations. He also worked on the Coen brothers films O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) and The Ladykillers (2004). Other notable credits as hair designer/stylist included Mississippi Burning (1988), The Mask of Zorro (1998) and Black Swan (2010).

Popularly, LeBlanc's best-known creations were Princess Leia's long braids (as Jabba's slave and on Endor) for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Javier Bardem's sinister bowl-cut for No Country for Old Men (2007). The latter, he explained, was fashioned after medieval Crusaders "when knights and Muslims were murdering each other, and this was a typical haircut. It was a dangerous time and we wanted to make Javier timeless and dangerous at first sight."

LeBlanc was co-recipient (with fellow make-up artist Dick Smith) of both an Academy Award and a BAFTA for his work on Amadeus (1984). In 2003, he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild. Four years later he set up Studio Paul LeBlanc in his home town of Dieppe. Latterly, he published two books of reminiscences about his tenure in the film industry, entitled "You Can Get There From Here" and "Moving On".

Karen Anita Pendleton was born in Glendale and raised in North Hollywood, California. She was the youngest of three children, her sister Yvonne and brother Kent being many years older. Her father was a movie set builder, but Karen had no exposure to show business prior to the show. She took dancing lessons with Elaine Troy from age three, but had never even entered an amateur contest, let alone done professional work. She went to the audition with two other girls from her studio. Afterwards she was asked to sing; it perhaps helped that she recognized one of the judges, Jimmie Dodd, as the fellow who the week before sang at the First Presbyterian Church, which Karen and her family attended.

Karen's initial appeal lay in her slightly raspy singing voice and wide-open eyes. She was a good dancer, but that part of her talent wasn't emphasized until the later seasons. For duets, Karen was matched with either Johnny Crawford, who was also a good singer, or with Cubby when no male solo was needed. Johnny was let go midway through the first season, so for the next two and a half years she and Cubby were singing partners.

Karen was very popular in the first season, receiving enough fan mail that she was given her own mini-series entitled Karen in Kartoonland. She narrated and starred in this four-part feature that explained how animation worked. In 1956 she was tapped to appear in the Disney movie Westward Ho, the Wagons, along with Cubby, Tommy, and Doreen. Karen had slightly more screen time than the others, but just as few lines.

Karen's friends on the set tended to be the girls her own age; she didn't really interact much with the older girls. In the third season, though she was friends with Linda Hughes, she undoubtedly lost some singing parts to her. The Mouseketeer production numbers gradually shifted focus to the teenage kids, leaving Karen with less screen time. She was given the job of introducing the Annette serial episodes, and shared the Mousekartoon introductions with Cubby. When the Rainbow Road to Oz was proposed, she was cast as Polychrome, and had a short song solo and some dancing parts in the Disneyland episode promoting that film project.

When the show ended, so did Karen's career. She and Cubby had been offered a contract extension, contingent upon both re-signing, but Karen's father decided against it. She never really liked acting, only dancing and singing, and she found going to auditions an ordeal. Public school was hard for her; she was sensitive and shy, and became a target for teasing about her Mouseketeer days. She continued to work on her dancing with Elaine Troy, and helped give lessons to newcomers at the latter's North Hollywood studio. In 1959, and again in 1960, she went on the Mouseketeer tours of Australia organized by Jimmie Dodd. At odd intervals she would appear in the fan magazines, invited to a birthday bash for Cheryl, or a magazine-sponsored Mouseketeer reunion party.

Though Karen and Cubby were never romantically involved, she did go out for a while with Johnny Crawford, and in 1969 appeared on The Dating Game, where she picked Bobby Burgess as her date after recognizing his voice. After high school, Karen went to college for a while, then quit and started working at May department store as a sales clerk. She had some embarrassing encounters with folks she knew from the show, including Cheryl Holdridge, then the wealthy wife of Lance Reventlow, and with Annette's mother. She later went to work for Prudential, again as a clerk. Karen married Mike DeLaurer, a lawyer and a Marine veteran of Vietnam, in 1970. They had a daughter in 1973, but later divorced.

In 1983 Karen was in an automobile accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. An event that destroyed a dancer may have been the genesis of a new Karen. She'd always lacked confidence; now, perhaps born of frustration and anger, she forced herself to complete college, earning first a B.A., then a Master of Science degree, in Psychology, while continuing to raise her daughter. She took a full-time job at a shelter for battered women, and testified at government hearings on problems facing the handicapped. In the late 1990s she served on the Board for the California Association of the Physically Handicapped (now known as Californians for Disability Rights), and was director of the Center for Independent Living in her city. In 2004 she appeared on the Disney Treasures DVD interview conducted by Leonard Maltin with several other Mouseketeers, and in 2005 took part in the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Mickey Mouse Club. She was also awarded a "Mousecar" (Oscar) during August 2015 for the MMC's 60th Anniversary, though she did not attend the ceremonies. Karen passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2019, leaving behind her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Ryan Nicholson was born in 1971 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He was a director and writer, known for The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Andromeda (2000) and Dreamcatcher (2003). He was married to Megan Nicholson. He died on 8 October 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Juliette Kaplan was born on 2 October 1939 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Last of the Summer Wine (1973), Don't Let Go (2013) and A Voice Crying in the Wilderness (1958). She was married to Harold Hoser. She died on 10 October 2019 in Kent, England, UK.

Robert Forster was born Robert Wallace Foster, Jr. in Rochester, New York, to Grace Dorothy (Montanarella) and Robert Wallace Foster, Sr., who worked as an elephant trainer and baking supply company executive. He was of English, Irish, and Italian descent. Forster first became interested in acting while attending Rochester's Madison High School, where he performed as a song-and-dance man in musical revues. After graduating in 1959, Forster attended Heidelberg College, Alfred University and the University of Rochester on football scholarships and continued to perform in student theatrical revues.

After earning a BA in Psychology from Rochester in 1963, Forster took an apprenticeship at an East Rochester theater where he performed in such plays as "West Side Story". He moved to New York City in 1965, where his first big break came when he landed the lead in the two-character play "Mrs. Dally Has a Lover", opposite Arlene Francis. However, after the play ran its course work was hard to find in the theater. Forster returned to Rochester, where he worked as a substitute teacher and construction worker until an agent from 20th Century-Fox offered him a five-picture deal. His movie debut was a small part in the drama Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. Forster went on to appear in small and minor roles alongside some top Hollywood actors in films like The Stalking Moon (1968) and Medium Cool (1969), and a large part in Justine (1969). Although he continued to act in feature films, he took the part of a hard-boiled detective in the short-lived TV series Banyon (1971).

Forster also appeared in notable parts in The Black Hole (1979), Avalanche (1978) and as the lead in the cult horror flick Alligator (1980), and played the part of a factory worker-turned-vigilante in the thriller Vigilante (1982). Forster also took the lead as a taxi driver in Walking the Edge (1985) by director Norbert Meisel. A series of action flicks followed, the most notable being The Delta Force (1986), starring Chuck Norris. By the late 1980s Forster's acting career had begun to slide, and he was getting less and less work; if there was any, he would be cast in small parts playing villains. Forster then began to work as a motivational speaker and an acting coach in Hollywood film schools.

However, in the mid-1990s, his career was resurrected by writer-director Quentin Tarantino, a big fan of Forster's early work, who offered him an audition for a part in his latest movie. After a seven-hour audition, Tarantino cast Forster as the tough but sympathetic bail bondsman Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997), which netted him an Academy Award nomination and a measure of recognition, both nationwide and within his own profession, landing him more high-profile roles in such films as All the Rage (1999), Gus Van Sant's Psycho (1998)--a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film--and Supernova (2000). Forster continued to act in many big-budget Hollywood productions for the next two decades.

Forster died on October 11, 2019, in Los Angeles, California, aged 78. His last film, El Camino (2019), was released on the day of his death. He is survived by four children (Bobby, Elizabeth, Kate and Maeghen), four grandchildren (Tess, Liam, Jack and Olivia), and his long-time partner, Denise Grayson. Denise has been Robert's long-time partner and they had been together for 16 years till Robert passed away at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family.

Lew Klein was born on 1 July 1927. He was a director and producer, known for Parade of Stars (1951), American Bandstand (1952) and This Is Your Life (1950). He was married to Janet Klein. He died on 12 June 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Stephen Moore was born on 11 December 1937 in Brixton, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Boat That Rocked (2009), The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981) and A Bridge Too Far (1977). He was married to Noelyn George, Beth Morris, Celestine Randall and Barbara Mognaz. He died on 4 October 2019.

Choi Seol Ri is a South Korean child actress born in Yangsan in the south-east of South Korea. She began appearing in South Korean TV dramas and movies in 2005 when she was 11 years old. Then, in September 2009, using the name "Sulli", she debuted as a singer/dancer in the 5-member K-Pop group F(x) -- pronounced "FX" by the Koreans. On October 14, 2019 she was found dead in her home by the Korean police and believed it was caused by suicide.

Composer, writer, songwriter and author, educated at the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree. He joined ASCAP in 1962, and his chief musical collaborator was Norman Blagman. He produced three satirical record albums for Mad Magazine (see "other works"), and his song compositions include "Girl of My Best Friend," "It'll Never Be Over For Me," and "Did You Ever Love Someone?"

Patrick Ward was born on 4 January 1950 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor and cinematographer, known for Crown Court (1972), Number 96 (1974) and Bad Cop, Bad Cop (2002). He died on 14 October 2019 in Australia.

Scotty Bowers was born on 1 July 1923 in Ottawa, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2017), Sammy LaBella: The Real Skip E. Lowe and Frank and Ava (2020). He was married to Lois Bowers. He died on 13 October 2019 in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Julie Gibson was born on 6 September 1913 in Grant County, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for Bowery Buckaroos (1947), The Contender (1944) and Chick Carter, Detective (1946). She was married to Charles Barton, Dean Dillman Jr. and Jimmie Grier. She died on 2 October 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Bob Kingsley was born on 19 March 1939 in the USA. He was an actor, known for A Political Cartoon (1974), Marcus & The Mystery of The Pudding Pans (2019) and 11th Annual ACM Honors (2017). He was married to Nan . He died on 17 October 2019 in Weatherford, Texas, USA.