Frankie Banali, the outrageous drummer for '80s rock outfit Quiet Riot, died Thursday following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68. Top of the pops (Image via Pasha) Banali had been diagnosed with the disease in April of last year, with a GoFundMe page tracking his progress. According to his grieving family, Banali: “...…
Read more
The Real End of WWII, Anthony Michael Hall Loses It & More
Links to the past, with relevance today: Blanche was smart not to sell that time!!! (Image via YouTube) DEADLINE: The house used on The Golden Girls (1985-1992) was on the market for $3 million — and sold for $4 million! Next time someone wants to shoot using your house, let 'em. Blood-red, white and blue…
Read more
Linda Manz, ‘Days of Heaven’ & ‘Out of the Blue’ Star, Dies @ 58
Linda Manz, who as an androgynous teen captivated many with her performances in the films Days of Heaven (1978) and Out of the Blue (1980), died Friday, August 14, at 58. Linda Manz, brilliant in Out of the Blue (Image via Les Productions Karim) The cause, according to extended family posting on social media, was…
Read more
Olivia de Havilland’s Niece (Joan Fontaine’s Daughter) Remembers Her as a ‘Dear Mentor’
Deborah Dozier Potter, whose mother was Joan Fontaine (1917-2013) and whose aunt was Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020), has written a touching remembrance of her late aunt. In it, she reveals she was far closer to Olivia than to her own mom. Potter acknowledges the famous sisters' infamous feud, writing: “Olivia and my mother were, indeed,…
Read more
Blondie & Manilow Sell Catalogues, Go-Go’s Fact Check & More!
Links to the past, with relevance today: Debbie's rollin' in dough, ya'll! (GIF via GIPHY) ROLLING STONE: Blondie's co-founders — Debbie Harry and Chris Stein — as well as Barry Manilow have sold their entire catalogues to Hipgnosis, which will license it up the wazoo. Clearly, these older artists are considering the limiting qualities of…
Read more
Tom Moulton’s Best Unreleased Mixes: Madonna, Donna & More
Producer Tom Moulton is the legend whose remixing in the Disco Era led to virtually every pop single receiving the full remix treatment, revolutionizing dance music and the music industry itself by providing new creative — and revenue — opportunities for artists. Now, the 79-year-old remixed has released a $20 album of what he considers…
Read more
Andrew Lloyd Webber Euthanizes ‘Cats,’ Elton John Celebrates Sobriety & More!
Links to the past, with relevance today: Universally loathed (Image via Universal) THE TIMES: Andrew Lloyd Webber has been happy with some of the film adaptations of his greatest theatrical hits — Cats (2019) was not one of 'em: “The problem with the film was that [director] Tom Hooper decided, as he had with Les Mis,…
Read more
‘Cocoon’ Actor Wilford Brimley Dies @ 85
Wilford Brimley, the curmudgeonly character actor most famous for Cocoon (1985) and as the no-nonsense face of Quaker Oats and Liberty medical, died Saturday in St. George, Utah. In Absence of Malice and (inset) The Natural (Images via Columbia & TriStar) He was 85. TMZ confirmed that Brimley, who had lived with diabetes (in TV…
Read more
Remembering Frances Farmer, Muppet Mania & More!
Links to the past, with relevance today: Pork on the hoof! (GIF via GIPHY) NYT: The Muppets are back! https://youtu.be/NljzIRETftY YOUTUBE: Are you a Judy Garland fan? Seth Sikes definitely is — and he's covering a Judy tune in a 2020 way to promote Fire Island. This parody/tribute is based on a song from 1946's…
Read more
‘Midnight Express,’ ‘Fame,’ ‘Evita’ Director Alan Parker Dies @ 76
Following a lengthy illness, British director Alan Parker, one of the medium's most audacious genre-hoppers, died Friday, July 31, at 76. His death was confirmed by ExtraTV. Born in London on February 14, 1944, Parker distinguished himself in the '60s in the field of advertising, where he stood out as a creator with a distinctively…
Read more
Recent Comments