Category Archives: Late Greats

Richard Lewis, Stand-Up Legend, Dies @ 76

February 28, 2024 Richard Lewis, acknowledged as one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, died at 76 of a heart attack on February 27, 2024. This 1974 appearance kicked off 50 years of Richard Lewis. (Image via NBC) His death comes less than a year after he retired from stand-up due to a…
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Joyce Randolph, Last Surviving ‘Honeymooners’ Star, Dies @ 99

On Saturday, January 13, 2024, we lost Joyce Randolph, one of the last remaining connectors to '50s TV. (Images via CBS & and by Matthew Rettenmund) The original Trixie on The Honeymooners (1955-1956) — after replacing Elaine Stritch in the role on Cavalcade of Stars (1951-1952) sketches — died at 99 at her NYC home.…
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Shecky Greene, Iconic Las Vegas Stand-Up King, Dies @ 97

January 1, 2024 Shecky Greene, a Las Vegas legend for a stand-up career that left his name synonymous with laughter, died at his home on New Year's Eve. He was 97. Mugging in History of the World Part I (Image via 20th Century Fox) Greene died of natural causes, his wife told The Las Vegas Review-Journal.…
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20 Most Impactful Celebrity Deaths of 2023

January 1, 2024 Simply the best (Image via Capitol) Every year, I highlight the 20 celebrity deaths that seem to have been the most culturally impactful. Usually, it's a mix of legends who have faded away after seeming they might last forever, and younger, shocking departures. Every Other Year from 1976 on RIGHT HERE! This…
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Tom Smothers Dies @ 86 … But Mom Always Liked Dick Better

Tom Smothers, who with younger sibling Dick Smothers was one half of the culture-defining, norm-tweaking Smothers Brothers, died Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at his Santa Rosa California, home. Tom was an impish figure, but a holy terror when crossed behind the scenes. (Image via CBS) He was 86. Smothers had announced earlier in the year…
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Ryan O’Neal, ’70s Superstar, Dies @ 82

Ryan O'Neal's acting career began in 1960, with a bit part on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. With Tony Dow on 'Beaver (Image via video still) It is interesting to think of him on shows like that and Leave It to Beaver, on which he appeared in 1961, considering the mega-star he became a…
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Norman Lear, TV Icon, Dies @ 101

Via ExtraTV: It seemed he would never stop. (Image via THR) Norman Lear, the indefatigable TV legend who created classic, genre-defining, culture-driving series, died Tuesday at his L.A. home. He was 101, and had continued working until the end of his storied life. His death was confirmed to The New York Times by his family spokeswoman, Lara…
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