At year’s end, one of the saddest duties is looking back at all the talented, inspirational and influential people who left us during the calendar year 2007:
2007 Celebrity Death No.1: Yvonne De Carlo (January 8)
During her career, Yvonne De Carlo played such diverse roles as the wife of Moses in “The Ten Commandments” and the ghoulishly attractive Lily Munster on the 1960’s sitcom “The Munsters.”
Source: Associated Press, “‘Munsters’ Star Yvonne De Carlo Dies,” Bob Thomas
2007 Celebrity Death No.2: Ron Carey (January 16)
On the 1970’s sitcom “Barney Miller,” actor Ron Carey played Carl Levitt, the pesky police officer who always managed to find a way to get into the detectives room.
Source: The New York Times,”Ron Carey, Comic Actor, Dies at 71,” Dennis Hevesi
2007 Celebrity Death No.3: Art Buchwald (January 17)
For years, Art Buchwald tangled with politicians in print, but his greatest battle may have been against Paramount Pictures. The columnist said that “Coming to America,” the successful 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy, was based on a script treatment that he wrote. After 7 years of legal arguments, Buchwald and the studio finally settled in 1995.
Source: CNN.com, “Columnist Art Buchwald dead at 81”
2007 Celebrity Death No. 4: Scott “Bam Bam” Bigelow (January 19)
Before he retired from the sport, Scott Charles Bigelow, also known as “Bam Bam,” wrestled with Hulk Hogan and fought against Andre the Giant.
Source: St. Petersburg Times, “He was a celebrity with a name all wrestling fans knew,” Michael Kruse
2007 Celebrity Death No.5: Tige Andrews (January 27)
During the 1960’s, actor Tige Andrews played Captain Adam Greer, who was put in charge of three young recruits: Linc, Julie and Pete. To avoid going to jail, this “Mod Squad” agreed to work undercover and help solve crimes for the police department.
Source: Associated Press, “‘Mod Squad’ actor Tige Andrews, 86, dies”
2007 Celebrity Death No. 6: Sidney Sheldon (January 30)
Few 20th Century authors were as prolific as Sidney Sheldon, a writer who proved to be equally adept at writing best-selling novels (“The Naked Face”) as well as Broadway plays (“Redhead”). Sheldon reached most of us, though, through television with his creation of “The Patty Duke Show” and “I Dream of Jeannie.
Source: SidneySheldon.com
2007 Celebrity Death No.7: Roscoe Lee Browne (April 11)
Known for his distinctive voice, character actor Roscoe Lee Browne achieved fame on television, most notably when he joined the cast of “Soap” after actor Robert Guillaume left the series to star in the spin-off “Benson
Source: Associated Press, “Emmy-winning actor Roscoe Lee Browne dies”
2007 Celebrity Death No.8: Bobby “Boris” Pickett (April 25)
Considered a “one-hit wonder”, Bobby Pickett achieved fame when he recorded “Monster Mash,” a novelty tune that has since become a Halloween standard. The song hit the Billboard charts three separate times during Pickett’s career.
Source: Associated Press, “‘Monster Mash’ Singer Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett Dies at 69”
2007 Celebrity Death No.9: Tommy Newsom (April 28)
Working with Doc Severinsen, the low-key Tommy Newsom was a staple on “The Tonight Show” during Johnny Carson’s reign. Newsom filled in when Severinsen was on vacation and was a comic foil for a Steve Martin-look-alike during one memorable show in the 1970’s.
Source: UPI, “‘Tonight Show’ Jazzman Tommy Newsom dies”
2007 Celebrity Death No.10: Tom Poston (April 30)
Poston, a talented comic actor who created memorable supporting characters on such sitcoms as “Mork and Mindy” and “Newhart,” married actress Suzanne Pleshette late in life.
Source: Associated Press, “Emmy-Winning ‘Newhart’ Comic Actor Tom Poston Dies at 85
2007 Celebrity Death No.11: Wally Schirra (May 3)
Chosen as one of the first seven American astronauts, Schirra flew into space during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. After the Apollo 1 disaster, Schirra commanded Apollo 7, the mission which tested out the new and improved Apollo spacecraft.
Schirra also developed a bad cold during the mission and took Actifed while in space. Later on, Schirra became a television spokesman for the product, commenting on how difficult it was sneezing in a space helmet.
Source: Associated Content, “Wally Schirra: The Gold Standard for Astronauts
2007 Celebrity Death No.12: Tom Snyder (July 29)
Setting the bar high for other talk show hosts, Tom Snyder, as host of “Tomorrow,” interviewed such notable figures as John Lennon, Charles Manson and Plasmatics lead singer Wendy O. Williams, who blew up a TV in the studio during one interview. Comedian Dan Aykroyd even spoofed Snyder’s interview style on “Saturday Night Live” during the late 1970’s.
Source: Associated Press, “Talk show host Tom Snyder dies at 71”
2007 Celebrity Death No.13: Jane Wyman (September 10)
The first wife of former President Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman earned an Oscar for her performance as a deaf woman in 1948’s “Johnny Belinda.” Later in life, she earned new fans for her work on television’s “Falcon Crest.
Source: New York Times, “Jane Wyman, 90, Star of Film and TV, is Dead
2007 Celebrity Death No.14: Paul Norris (November 5)
Among comic book fans, Paul Norris was known as the co-creator of “Aquaman,” the aquatic superhero who could communicate with undersea life.
Source: Southern California Cartoonists Society
2007 Celebrity Death No.15: George Osmond (November 6)
The father of nine children, George Osmond taught sons Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay to sing as a barbershop quartet; this eventually led to the formation of the Osmond Brothers. At the age of 6, Donny Osmond joined his brothers, became a teenage heartthrob in the 1970’s and co-starred in the popular “Donny and Marie” variety show.
Ironically, in such a musical family, George Osmond’s oldest sons, Virl and Tom, developed hearing disorders early in life.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “George Osmond, 90; patriarch of family of singers including Donny and Marie.
2007 Celebrity Death No.16: Norman Mailer (November 10)
Credited with co-founding “The Village Voice,” Norman Mailer ranks high on the list of 20th Century authors. Among his many awards and achievements are two Pulitzer Prizes for “The Executioner’s Song” and “The Armies of the Night.”
Source: CNN.com, “Literary lion Norman Mailer dies,” Todd Leopold
2007 Celebrity Death No.17: Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel (November 30)
Arguably the ultimate daredevil of the 20th Century, Evel Knievel first gained national attention when he jumped his motorcycle over the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on December 31, 1967. Unfortunately, he missed the landing and ended up in the hospital for 29 days. Fans were impressed with Knievel’s laundry list of broken bones and injuries as well as his innovative stunts, including the widely-publicized attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho.
Source: EvelKnievel.com
2007 Celebrity Death No.18: Ike Turner (December 12)
Music fans have a love/hate relationship with Ike Turner, a rock-and-roll pioneer who, along with his wife, Tina Turner, recorded such hits as “Proud Mary.” The biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” based on Tina Turner’s autobiography “I, Tina,” portrayed Ike Turner in an extremely negative light.
Source: EW.com, “Ike Turner dies at 76,” Mike Bruno
2007 Celebrity Death No.19: Dan Fogelberg (December 16)
For anyone who came of age in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, the music of Dan Fogelberg spoke to us on a deep, emotional level. His notable songs include “Leader of the Band,” a gentle tribute to his father, bandleader Lawrence Fogelberg. “Same Auld Lang Syne,” a Christmas-themed song, talks about giving up true love in order to chase a dream.
Source: Associated Press, “Dan Fogelberg, Lyric Rocker, Dies at 56”
2007 Celebrity Death No.20: Jack Zander (December 17)
Best known as the original animator of Jerry in the “Tom and Jerry” theatrical cartoons, Jack Zander really made his mark in television, applying his animation talents to creating memorable commercials for such products as Alka-Seltzer and Green Giant Vegetables.
Source: New York Times, “Jack Zander, Animator of Early TV Commercials, Dies at 99,” Margalit Fox
2007 Celebrity Death No.21: Frank Capra, Jr. (December 19)
With a Bachelor’s degree in geology, Frank Capra, Jr., son of acclaimed director Frank Capra, didn’t plan on a career in movies and television, but his DNA won out over his education. He was associate producer on three “Planet of the Apes” sequels and “Billy Jack Goes to Washington.” According to the New York Times, it was rare for Capra to watch his famous father at work, but he was allowed to visit the set of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a film ravaged by the critics in the 1940’s that eventually became a holiday classic in the 1980’s.
Source: New York Times, “Frank Capra, Jr., Movie and TV Producer, Dies at 73,” Margalit Fox
