The ALL DEAD Club

Clarence Gilyard Jr Dies: ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ ‘Matlock’ & ‘Die Hard’ Actor Was 66

Gilyard’s career spanned more than 30 years in film, television and theater. His first movie role was as Sundown in the original Top Gun (1986), and he later made a lasting impression in 1988’s Die Hard as Theo, the wise-cracking computer whiz baddie.

On television, Gilyard co-starred opposite Andy Griffith in legal drama Matlock from 1989-93, appearing in 85 episodes as private investigator Conrad McMasters. Then, from 1993-2001, he starred with Chuck Norris as Jimmy Trevette in CBS’ Walker, Texas Ranger.

Gilyard was born in 1955 in Moses Lake, WA, and attended high school in California. He earned a BA in Theatre Arts from California State University, moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in the late ’70s.

After Walker, Texas Ranger, Gilyard took a sabbatical from acting and completed an MFA in Theatre Performance at Southern Methodist University, later joining the UNLV College of Fine Arts.

In 2020, Gilyard reprised the role of Die Hard’s Theo in a super-sized commercial for Advanced Auto Parts celebrating its acquisition of the DieHard battery brand. The advert featured Bruce Willis’ legendary hero John McClane as well as cameos by De’voreaux White, who played limo driver Argyle, and Gilyard. At the time, Gilyard told Nevada Public Radio the experience had been “surreal.”

Said UNLV Dean Nancy J. Uscher of Gilyard: “His students were deeply inspired by him, as were all who knew him. He had many extraordinary talents and was extremely well-known in the university through his dedication to teaching and his professional accomplishments.

Jake Flint Dies: Country Music Singer-Songwriter Was 37

Jake Flint, a country music singer-guitarist from Oklahoma, has died at 37, his manager Brenda Cline announced on social media. No cause of death was revealed.

“With a broken heart and in deep grief I must announce that Jake Flint has tragically passed away,” Cline shared on Facebook. “I’ve tried several times today to make a post, but you can’t comment on what you can’t process. The photo below is when Jake and I excitedly signed our artist management contract. That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and partnership.”

Flint died on Saturday night, hours after his wedding. Cline said that she and Flint were “about to embark on some business together” before his loss.

Flint released his debut album I’m Not Okay in 2016. His subsequent discs were Live and Not OK at Cain’s Ballroom (2018), Jake Flint (2020) and last year’s Live and Socially Distanced at Mercury Lounge. He had local hits in Texas and Oklahoma with “Cowtown,” “Long Road Back Home” and “What’s Your Name.”

“Jake has a million friends and I’m not sure how everyone will cope with this tragic loss,” Cline added. “We need prayers- it’s all so surreal. Please please pray for his new wife Brenda, Jake’s precious mother, his sister and the rest of his family and friends. This is going to be incredibly difficult for so many. We love you Jake and in our hearts forever.”

Flint’s widow, also named Brenda, shared a video on her Facebook profile from her wedding day where the country singer could be seen happily dancing with his bride.

Quentin Oliver Lee Dies: Broadway Actor, Opera Singer Was 34

Quentin Oliver Lee, a New York stage and opera performer who most recently appeared earlier this year in the acclaimed, award-winning Off Broadway production of Heather Christian’s Oratorio for Living Things, died yesterday of colon cancer. He was 34.

“Quentin passed in the wee hours of the morning,” his wife Angie announced on Lee’s Instagram page. “It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I saw his last breaths, held his hand tight, and felt his heartbeat slowly drift away. He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves. It was peaceful, and perfect.”

Lee’s Broadway credits include the 2021 revival of Caroline, or Change, in which he understudied the roles of the Bus and the Dryer, and the 2017 production of Prince of Broadway. He toured for more than a year in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera, and was an understudy in Diane Paulus’ touring production of Porgy and Bess.

On the opera stage, Lee appeared in I Am Harvey Milk at Avery Fisher Hall and Carmen at New York Lyric Opera, among many others.

Brad William Henke Dies: ‘Orange Is The New Black’, ‘Justified’ & ‘Dexter’ Actor Was 56

Brad William Henke, a former NFL player who segued to acting and appeared in TV series including Orange Is the New Black, Justified and Lost and such films as Pacific Rim and World Trade Center, has died. He was 56. His family said Henke died in his sleep November 29, but no cause was given.

Born on April 10, 1966, in Columbus, NE, and raised in Littleton, CO, Henke played college football at the University of Arizona, where he was team captain and an All-Academic student journalist. Drafted by the New York Giants in 1989, he went on to play on the defensive line for the Denver Broncos and appeared in Super Bowl XXIV.

After injuries forced him to retire in 1994, Henke moved to Los Angeles to pursue coaching. An open call for “big guys” to do a commercial soon led to a new career. He began to score guest spots on such TV series as ER, Chicago Hope, Silk Stockings, Nash Bridges and Arli$$ and continued to work regularly until this year, racking up nearly 100 credits.

The actor landed his first major recurring role on the 2000-02 WB Network comedy Nikki, starring Nikki Cox, and was cast as a lead opposite Sam Trammell in Showtime’s road-trip dramedy Going to California, which lasted one season.

Along with more guest roles on series including CSI, Crossing Jordan and Judging Amy, Henke had small parts in a number of features during the early 2000s. He appeared in The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Must Love Dogs, The Zodiac, North Country, World Trade Center and Hollywoodland before being cast on Showtime’s Dexter as Tony Tucci, a murder suspect-turned-near-victim who recurred in four episodes.

Henke got his second series-regular role on ABC’s short-lived 2007 drama October Road.

After that, he guested on such series as Law & Order, Life on Mars and CSI: Miami before being cast on ABC’s Lost as Bram, recurring on a half-dozen episodes in in 2009-10. Henke went on to play Coover Bennett in seven Season 2 episodes of FX’s Justified and did an arc on Fox’s 2011 Shawn Ryan drama The Chicago Code.

He also appeared in the feature Choke, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and shared a Special Jury Prize for its ensemble cast. Henke also did mid-2010s arcs on FX’s The Bridge and Prime Video’s Sneaky Pete. He then scored perhaps his best-known role.

Henke was cast in Jenji Kohan’s Showtime dramedy Orange Is the New Black as Desi Piscatella, a gay corrections officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary. He appeared in more than two dozen episodes from 2016-18 and shared a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2017. The cast was nominated again the following year.

Henke also recurred as Big John in the second season of Discovery’s Manhunt in 2020 and as Tom Cullen in CBS All Access’ The Stand in 2020-21. His other most recent credits include Law & Order: SVU and the 2022 films Block Party and Run & Gun.

Henke is survived by his mother, Tammy; his sister, Annette; his wife, Sonja; stepson Aaden; stepdaughter Leasa; and grandchild Amirah, hundreds of friends, fellow actors, and students. He was proceeded in death by his father, Bill, to whom he paid tribute with his professional name.

Bob McGrath Sesame Street Veteran dies at 90 🙁 Elmo will miss you

Al Strobel Dies: ‘Twin Peaks’ One-Armed Man Was 83

Al Strobel, best known for his role as Phillip Gerard in the Twin Peaks drama series, has died at the age of 83. No cause of death was given.

Strobel’s December 2 death was announced on Facebook by producer and longtime David Lynch collaborator Sabrina Sutherland, who wrote: “I am sad to have to post that Al Strobel passed away last night. I loved him dearly.”

The series originally premiered on ABC in 1990, and ran for two seasons spanning 30 episodes. The show returned in 2014 with a film of never-seen excerpts, and the series came back in 2017.

Strobel, who lost his left arm in a car accident when he was 17, appeared in all of the eras of Twin Peaks. He lent an eerie touch as Gerard, a man who cut off his own arm to stop an evil entity from possessing him.

Strobel also appeared in the films Megaville (1990) alongside Billy Zane, and Ricochet River with Kate Hudson. Strobel retired in the early 2000s, but briefly stepped back into acting to reprise his role as Gerard in Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017.

George Newall Dies: ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ Co-Creator Was 88

George Newall, who was an advertising agency creative director in the early 1970s when he helped create what would become one of TV’s most beloved and educational children’s titles with Schoolhouse Rock!, died Nov. 30 at a hospital near his home in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. He was 88.

His death was announced to The New York Times by his wife Lisa Maxwell, who said the cause was cardiopulmonary arrest.

The series of interstitial animated shorts that ran on Saturday mornings from 1973-84 (later revived in the ’90s) got their start in the early 1970s when ad exec David McCall of the McCaffrey & McCall asked Newall, the agency’s creative director, to set multiplication tables to music to assist McCall’s young son. Newall soon assembled a songwriting team that included Ben Tucker and Bob Dorough, and their output quickly inspired the agency’s art director Tom Yohe to add illustrations.

The end result was a series of short films that the agency presented to client Michael Eisner, then-director of children’s programming at ABC, and Schoolhouse Rock! was born. The shorts, presented during the network’s Saturday morning cartoon block, would include such inspired titles as “Conjunction Junction,” “I’m Just a Bill” and “Three Is a Magic Number” and win four Emmy Awards.

With its whimsical approach to educational content, Schoolhouse Rock! became a generational touchstone of the 1970s and ’80s, teaching young viewers about grammar, science, math, civics, history and economics. It also generated a number of spinoffs including Grammar Rock, America Rock and Science Rock.

Newall and Yohe co-wrote Schoolhouse Rock! The Official Guide in 1996, the same year Eisner’s Walt Disney Company acquired the franchise. Rhino Records also released a soundtrack album that year, which was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2018.

McCall died in 1999, Yohe in 2000, Tucker in 2013 and Dorough in 2018.

Newall is survived by his wife, a stepson, and three sisters.

Ronnie Turner Dies: Tina Turner’s Youngest Son, Was 62

At points, Ronnie played bass in both of his parents’ bands. He also had his own group, Manufactured Funk, with songwriter and musician Patrick Moten, according to Billboard. He had had health issues recently, which included a battle with cancer.

2022 Hollywood & Media Deaths Photo Gallery

Ronnie is the second son that Tina Turner has lost. Her oldest son Craig, whom she had at age 18 with saxophonist Raymond Hill, died by suicide in 2018. Ronnie’s father Ike Turner died in 2007.

Ronnie married wife Afida Turner that same year. The French singer posted an emotional tribute and reaction today which read in part, “I did the best to the end this time I was no[t] able to save you. Love you for this 17 years this is very very very bad and I am very mad. This is a tragedy u with your brother Craig and your father Ike Turner and Aline rest in paradise… So unfair.”

Stuart Margolin Dies: ‘The Rockford Files’ Two-Time Emmy Winner Was 82

Stuart Margolin, who won back-to-back Emmys for his recurring role as Evelyn “Angel” Martin in The Rockford Files and racked up more than 120 career screen credits, died today, his stepson Max Martini said on social media. He was 82.

In an Instagram post (see it below), Bosch: Legacy regular Martini wrote: “A profoundly gifted step-father that was always there with love and support for his family. RIP Pappy. Keep ‘em cold.” He did not provide a cause of death or other details.

Margolin won Emmys in 1979 and 1980 for the respective fifth and sixth seasons of NBC’s The Rockford Files, playing the former cellmate of Jim Rockford (James Garner). Appeared in more than three dozen episodes, including the series’ first and last, his shady-but-endearing character constantly sought Rockford’s help after getting mixed up with former criminal associates.

The Rockford Files was an initial hit, ranking No. 14 among primetime shows in a three-network universe during its initial 1974-75 season and spurring a Top 10 single with its Mike Post’s instrumental theme song. But it became more of a cult series after that, failing to make the full-season Top 30 again as it bounced around NBC’s schedule but winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 1978. It also was nominated in the category for its last two seasons.

Margolin reprised his Angel role in eight Rockford Files TV movies during the 1990s, a tribute to the show’s enduring popularity.

But it was hardly Margolin’s only credit.

Margolin appeared opposite Garner in series before and after The Rockford Files. He was a regular on the short-lived Western Nichols, playing the town bully to Garner’s violence-hating, get-rich-quick-minded titles character. The show last one season on NBC in 1971-72.

They would reteam for another NBC Western after Rockford ended. Bret Maverick was based on Maverick, the 1957-62 series starring Garner — who left in 1960 — as a wisecracking, dapper ladies man and cardsharp. Margolin co-starred as Philo Sandine, an Indian scout-slash-con man that wasn’t too far removed from his Angel character. The series lasted one season in 1981-82 and aired in reruns on NBC in 1990.

Margolin began his career in the early 1960s, doing guest shots on such popular series as The Fugitive, Ben Casey and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Margolin continued to appear on TV throughout that decade in memorable and enduring shows including Ironside, The Virginian, The Monkees, Bewitched, The F.B.I. and The Partridge Family. He also became a familiar face on the randy anthology comedy Love, American Style, appearing in more than two dozen episodes from 1966-73.

Margolin landed another 1980s series-regular role in the NBC sitcom Mr. Smith, playing the boss of a character who was charged with keeping track of the title character — a talking orangutan who is America’s latest secret weapon. The high-concept but low-rated show lasted a handful of episodes in fall 1983.

After that, Margolin settled into mostly character-actor mode, guesting on such series as Hill Street Blues, Crazy Like a Fox and The Tracey Ullman Show. He did land one more regular role, on the Canadian dramedy Mom, P.I., playing a cynical private investigator who hires a widowed waitress (Rosemary Dunsmore) as an assistant. It aired two seasons from 1990-92.

Margolin continued to work in TV for the next three decades, with guest credits on popular shows including Touched by an Angel, 30 Rock and NCIS, along with a recurring role on Beggars and Choosers.

He would get one last series-regular gig with Stone Undercover (aka Tom Stone), a syndicated cop drama that aired 26 episodes on CBC in Canada from 2001-02. Margolin played Jack Welsh, an old friend of the title star (Chris William Martin), who was — of course — something of a con man and helped the undercover Stone trap crooked businessmen.

Margolin also did some film work, mostly during the 2000s and 2010s. Among his final credits was a role in 2018 the revived Fox sci-fi drama The X Files.

Ellen DeGeneres DJ dies by suicide age 40

Dino Danelli Dies: Young Rascals Drummer, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Was 78

Danelli grew up in Jersey City, N.J., and started his career as a jazz drummer, playing with Lionel Hampton and spending time in New Orleans. He met future bandmates Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere in 1963, the latter briefly joining Danelli in a Las Vegas casino house band.

By 1965, they were back in New York City and formed the Young Rascals, adding Gene Cornish on guitar to join with Cavaliere on keys and Brigati on percussion and vocals. The group had a hit out of the box with “I Aint’ Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” going on to have eight Top 20 singles, including No. 1 hits “Good Lovin,’” “Groovin’” and “People Got to Be Free.”

The Young Rascals became the Rascals after three albums, then began exploring conceptual themes on their albums, as was the fashion of the times. They split acrimoniously in the ’70s, then reunited in several incarnations.

They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the original members performing “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin’,” “How Can I Be Sure” and “People Got To Be Free” at their induction in a moving moment.

The Rascals reunited again in Dec. 2012 for a public performance titled “The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream,” a multimedia extravaganza that featured the history of the group told through archival footage, narration, and dramatic film segments. The successful event saw the Rascals take it on the road and begin touring together again in 2013.

Beyond the Rascals, Danelli joined with Cornish to form the band Bulldog in the ’70s, producing two albums before disbanding. Danelli also played with Leslie West, Fotomaker, and then with Steven Van Zandt as a member of Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.

In addition to music, Danelli designed album covers for The Rascals and Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.

Kim Simmonds Dies: Savoy Brown Founder, Influential UK Blues Musician Was 75

Simmonds died Tuesday, the band announced on Facebook on Thursday. The group had been together for more than 55 years.

Simmonds had been battling stage 4 signet cell colon cancer, a very rare form that accounts for no more than 1% of cases.

Savoy Brown was in the late ’60s British Invasion blues rock surge. Mixing originals with American blues standards, the band was a rotating cast of musicians, with Simmonds at its core.

Simmonds, originally from Wales, eventually became a solo artist supported by a backup band of the moment. He moved to the US 30 years ago and settled in upstate New York.

Savoy Brown was founded in 1967 in London. Simmonds remained an active musician until this year, finally posting on the band’s website that he had to cancel dates for the rest of the year because of his cancer battle. He mentioned at the time that the band had a new album planned.

The group’s albums of note included Hellbound Train, Street Corner Talking and Going to the Delta. The band’s song “Hellbound Train” has over 10 million plays on Spotify. “I’m Tired – Where Am I” and “Tell Mama” both have over two million plays.

In its heyday, Savoy Brown played Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, the Fillmore West, and London’s Royal Albert Hall, according to its website. Kiss, ZZ Top and The Doobie Brothers opened for the band’s national tours at times. He was inducted into the Hollywood Rockwalk in 1998.

Rick Anderson Dies: The Tubes’ Co-Founding Bassist Was 75

Anderson played on all of the band’s albums from its 1975 debut to 1996 and continued to tour with them until 2022. His bass can be heard on the group’s lone pop hit, “She’s a Beauty” — which hit the Top 10 in 1983 — along with such classic rock tracks as “Talk to Ya Later,” “White Punks on Dope,” “What Do You Want from Life?” and “Don’t Touch Me There.”

Formed in 1972 in San Francisco, the band was known for its wild, theatrical live shows, which in its early days included props and elaborate stage sets and choreography by future High School Musical director Kenny Ortega. Their lavish and sometimes lascivious early shows are legendary.

Fronted by singer Fee Waybill, the Tubes opened for Led Zeppelin in the Bay Area in 1973 and was signed to Jerry Moss and Herb Albert’s A&M Records the next year. Its 1975 debut album includes the FM hit “White Punks on Dope” — which hit the Top 30 in the UK — along with fan favorites “What Do You Want from Life?” and “Mondo Bondage.” It peaked at No. 113 on the Billboard 200.

Terry Hall Dies: Frontman For Seminal British Ska Band The Specials Was 63

[i]Hall and the Specials reached their widest appeal with the haunting, socially conscious “Ghost Town,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. singles charts in 1981. The song was a commentary on economic strife in Margaret Thatcher’s England and the social unrest of the era, including riots that year in Britain. It was named “Single of the Year” by all three of the major UK music magazines.

The Specials were formed in the late ’70s by songwriter/keyboardist Dammers, vocalist Tim Strickland, guitarist/vocalist Lynval Golding, drummer Silverton Hutchinson and bassist Horace Panter (a.k.a. Sir Horace Gentleman). Strickland was replaced by Hall shortly after the band’s formation. They were at the vanguard of the the 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s in Britain, which fused Jamaican ska rhythms and melodies with faster tempos and a harder edge influenced by punk rock.

The band released two albums with Hall as frontman, starting with the 1979 all-time classic The Specials, which featured hard-to-forget uptempo tunes such as “A Message to You, Rudy,” “Nite Klub,” “Concrete Jungle,” “Monkey Man,” “(Dawning of A) New Era” and “Too Much Too Young.”

The 1980 followup More Specials featured songs like “Enjoy Yourself,” “Do Nothing”, “Stereotype” and “Rat Race.” It included collaborations with with Go-Go’s members Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, and Jane Wiedlin; Rhoda Dakar from the Bodysnatchers; and Lee Thompson from Madness.

Hall also co-wrote the Go-Gos 1981 debut single “Our Lips Are Sealed” with Wiedlin.

After “Ghost Town” was released, Hall, Golding and Staple left The Specials to start Fun Boy Three. The band’s haunting hit single, “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum),” was released in 1981 and was followed-up in 1982 with “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It),” a duet with Bananarama. Fun Boy Three then provided guest vocals for Bananarama’s single, “Really Saying Something.” The band’s eponymous debut studio album reached No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart. In February 1983, Fun Boy Three released their second studio album, Waiting, which contained two Top Ten hits: “The Tunnel of Love” and their version of the aforementioned “Our Lips Are Sealed.”

Hall went on to stints with the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka and Vegas before releasing two solo studio albums. He collaborated with the likes of Dave Stewart, the Lightning Seeds, Sinéad O’Connor, Stephen Duffy, Dub Pistols, Gorillaz, Damon Albarn, D12, Tricky, Junkie XL, Leila Arab, Lily Allen, Shakespears Sister, Salad and Nouvelle Vague.

In 2008, six members of the band — minus Dammers, who owned the rights to the band’s name — performed a surprise set on the Main Stage at Bestival. They continued touring, including a gig with the Rolling Stones, performing as recently as this year.

In 2019, the band released a new studio album entitled Encore. It went straight to the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the highest-charting album they ever released.[/b]

Sonya Eddy from general hospital dies at 55

Ronnie Hillman Dies: Denver Broncos Running Back Was 31

Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, who played for the Peyton Manning-led team when it won Super Bowl 50, died Wednesday after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of kidney cancer in August. He was 31.

His death was announced by his family in a post on his Instagram page.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother & father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.,” the family statement reads. “Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his family and close friends. We as the family, appreciate the prayers and kind words that have already been expressed. We ask that you would give us time to process our feelings as we prepare to lay our precious RJ to rest.”

Hillman was diagnosed last summer with renal medullary carcinoma, a rare form of kidney cancer that predominantly affects African Americans with the sickle cell trait.

The former San Diego State star player had been transferred to hospice care earlier this week.

After San Diego State, Hillman was drafted by the Broncos in 2012, and in his initial 2013 season the team played in Super Bowl XLVIII, losing 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks.

Hillman’s 2015 season was his most successful, rushing for 863 yards and seven touchdowns. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016.

After being released by the Broncos in 2016, Hillman, a native of Compton, California, played for the Minnesota Vikings, the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys. His final year of pro football was 2017.

In a statement, the Broncos said, “We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman. A key contributor during the winningest four-year period in franchise history, Ronnie was part of two Super Bowl teams and led the Broncos in rushing during our Super Bowl 50 championship season. Soft-spoken with a warm smile and quiet intensity, Ronnie was drafted by the Broncos in 2012 and grew into a dynamic player and well-respected teammate. Ronnie will be fondly remembered by our organization, which extends its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Hillman family during this difficult time.”

Franco Harris Dies: Hall Of Famer Who Caught “The Immaculate Reception” & Won 4 Super Bowls Was 72

Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame running back who made “the Immaculate Reception” — voted the NFL’s greatest play of all time — and won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, died early Wednesday. He was 72. His son told the Associated Press that Harris died overnight but did not give other details.

Fifty years ago this week, Harris was a rookie when he caught “The Immaculate Reception” in a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. Pittsburgh was trailing 7-6 with time running out when quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s desperation pass deflected off either Steelers receiver Frenchy Fuqua and/or Raiders defender Jack Tatum. Harris caught the ball inches from the ground and scampered more than 40 yards down the sideline for a touchdown as time wound down.

Game officials were initially not sure who deflected the pass. Had it gone off a Steeler, rules would have made it an incomplete pass. But the referees huddled, then ruled it a touchdown. Pittsburgh kicked the extra point for a 13-7 lead with five seconds remaining to advance to the first AFC Championship game in franchise history.

A nationwide panel of 68 media members voted the wild play at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, which would lead to rule changes for the league, as the greatest in NFL history. Steelers would lose the following week to the Miami Dolphins, who were en route to the league’s only perfect season.

But Harris was just getting started. He, Bradshaw and their teammates went on to win four Super Bowls during the 1970s — with Harris being named MVP of the 1975 title game — and are considered among the best teams the NFL ever produced. Ten of them are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Bradshaw, “Mean” Joe Greene, Lynn Swann and Jack Lambert. He was inducted in 1990.

Harris made nine consecutive Pro Bowls from 1972-80, was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1972 and was named to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team. He finished his 13-year career with 12,120 rushing yards, 91 rushing touchdowns — then a record — and nine receiving TDs for 100 total. His zealous fan base was dubbed “Franco’s Italian Army,” and many would wear military helmets to home games at Three Rivers Stadium.

Born on March 7, 1950 in Fort Dix, NJ, Harris was a high school football standout and played his college ball at Penn State. The Steelers drafted him at No. 13 overall in 1972, and he would play a dozen seasons with the team. He finished his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks in 1984. He became a successful businessman after hanging up the cleats.

Diane McBain Dies: Elvis Presley’s ‘Spinout’ Co-Star, ‘Surfside 6’ Actor Was 81

Diane McBain, whose quick rise to fame as a young Warner Bros. contract player in the early 1960s soon had her starring in the ABC series Surfside 6 and co-starring opposite Elvis Presley in 1966’s Spinout, died of liver cancer today at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was 81.

Her death was announced by her friend Michael Gregg Michaud. McBain and Michaud co-authored her 2014 memoir Famous Enough.

“It is with great sadness that I report actress Diane McBain lost her battle with liver cancer and passed away on December 21, 2022,” Michaud wrote on social media.

Discovered by a talent scout while working as model, McBain signed a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers Studios on her 18th birthday in 1959, according to Michaud. That same year she made her TV debut in an episode of ABC’s Maverick starring James Garner.

The following year she appeared in Vincent Sherman’s film Ice Palace starring Richard Burton, and was cast as yacht-owning socialite Daphne Dutton on ABC’s Surfside 6, a two-season crime series set in Miami Beach and starring Troy Donahue, Van Williams and Lee Patterson.

In 1961 she starred as the title character in the film Claudelle Inglish, which she would often recall as her favorite role – a rare good-girl-gone-bad outing for the young actress.

McBain would re-team with Donahue in the 1961 film Parrish, and with Williams in a 1967 episode of Batman (she played the pink-haired Pinky Pinkston opposite Williams, who was guest-starring as The Green Hornet). In all, McBain appeared in four Batman episodes – the two with Williams, and in 1966 two as a hat shop girl working with guest villain Mad Hatter (David Wayne).

Other TV credits include appearances in such ’60s series as Sugarfoot, Lawman, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Burke’s Law, The Wild Wild West and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., among others. Film credits from the era include The Caretakers and Mary, Mary and, in what would be her most recognizable movie role, as Spinout‘s Diana St. Clair, an author who will stop at nothing in her attempts to profile famous race car driver and singer Mike McCoy (Presley).

“Women have asked me many times what it was like to kiss Elvis,” McBain said in an interview last year with Boomer Magazine, “and I tell them it was just as wonderful as you would imagine! He was charming and a lovely person to work with. He didn’t come on to me, which I appreciated because so many did throughout my career.”

The 1970s would see appearances on Mod Squad, Police Story, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie’s Angels, Eight is Enough, Matt Houston and Dallas. She’d also have stints on soaps General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, and roles in the films Five the Hard Way (1969), I Sailed to Tahiti With an All Girl Crew (1969), The Broken Hearts Club (2000) and Besotted (2001).

Her final credit was a 2001 episode of the TV series Strong Medicine, after which she retired from acting.

McBain spoke candidly about a violent attack in which she was beaten and raped by two men in West Hollywood on Christmas Day, 1982. She would subsequently become an advocate for rape victims and launch a second career as a rape victim counselor. She would later say the attack would have a lasting impact on her memory and ability to concentrate. In a 1990 interview, she said, “I’m still startled out of proportion.”

She recounted the incident, along with the highs and lows of a Hollywood career, in the frank Famous Enough. In addition to that memoir, she wrote two novels: The Laughing Bear (2020) and The Color of Hope (2021).

McBain is survived by her son Evan Burke, and goddaughter Mary Haber.

Im enjoying the series. Its no where near as good as the comic, but its all right. I really hope they bring Michonne into the show. One of my favorite characters of the comic. Ill probably keep watching either way.

^^STAY ON TOPIC, STUPID ADBOT SCUM!!^^

Ronan Vibert Dies: Actor In ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ And ‘The Snowman’ Was 58

Ronan Vibert, a veteran film and television actor who worked with some of the top directors and talent during his long career, died last night at age of 58 after a short illness, according to his management.

Vibert grew up in South Wales before gaining a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and lived most of his life in London. In recent years, he had relocated to Florida.

His many films include The Snowman with Michael Fassbender, Saving Mr Banks with Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, Dracula Untold with Luke Evans, Shadow of the Vampire with John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe, The Cat’s Meow, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, Tomb Raider 2 with Angelina Jolie, Tristan and Isolde with James Franco, and the Oscar-winning The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski.

Notable TV credits include Rome for HBO, ITV’s Poirot, two series of The Borgias for Showtime, the Emmy award winning Hatfields and McCoys with Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, Lord Wellington in the BBC’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Penny Dreadful, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, NCIS LA, and Phillip K Dick’s Electric Dreams and Carnival Row on Amazon Prime.

Survivors include wife Jess Grand Vibert. There will be a private service for family only in the coming days, and a Celebration of Life is being planned to take place in London in 2023.