SOME SPECIAL HEROES OF THE DAY!
This past weekend, several great celebrities passed away.
One was an in-your-face talker who also made some people quite wealthy. Another was a founder of a beloved classic rock band. We also laid to rest a civil rights pioneer and we also mourned the loss of a Hollywood legend.
On Saturday, we lost the great Regis Philbin. The beloved TV talk and game show host had an astonishing career despite not being a household name until the 1980s. It was his daytime talk show Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee that showed the world his unique talent of just simply not having a dull moment. He entertained millions more as the host of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? On his show this morning, Howard Stern admitted that Regis was one of those people who was always happy. The two lived in the same complex in New York City and often bumped into each other. Kathie Lee Gifford also shared her memories of her former co-host and friend on the NBC Nightly News this evening.
Ironically, Regis' death only comes weeks after the death of Hugh Downs, the versatile newsman who once held the Guinness record for most hours on television. A few years ago, it was Regis who broke that record.
Also this weekend, we paid respects to Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green. The guitar legend died at age 73. He was also FM's original lead singer, and composed one of the band's first breakout hits, 1969's "Oh Well". He also wrote "Black Magic Woman", a song that was later a hit for Santana. However, he left the band in 1970 and dealt with mental health and drug issues over the years. However, he overcame many of his problems and continued to tour and record until his death. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #58 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Personally, I might be in a minority in all this, but to me, FM got overrated when Green left and it was all overplayed soft rock from there on. I know, there's women out there whose spirit animal is Stevie Nicks (and the two of us share a birthday). But if I hear "Dreams" one more time....
Right now, the world is saying their goodbyes to the great Georgia Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis, who died last week at age 80 from cancer. At 23, he was the youngest speaker at Rev. Martin Luther King's March on Washington in 1963. While crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, Lewis was beaten by police officers, marking the event "Bloody Sunday". The event marked a pivotal period in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1986, Lewis was elected Congressman serving Goergia's 5th District.
On Sunday, Lewis crossed the Pettus Bridge one last time in a casket carried by a horse-drawn carriage. Instead of being beaten by police, they were there to guard his casket.
While the country witnessed that event, the world lost one of the last stars from Hollywood's Golden Age. Olivia De Havilland died on Sunday in Paris at age 104. Her biggest role came in the 1939 smash "Gone With the Wind". In her career, she won two Best Actress Oscars for "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress". Her career spanned from the 1930s all the way up to 2009 when she narrated a documentary called "I Remember Better When I Paint", about Alzheimer's patients.
Although Regis, Peter, John and Olivia were not all on the same page, they left their mark on the world in a positive way. Regis made us laugh. Peter made some good tunes, John made the world better for all races and Olivia was a decent actress. They might be gone, but their impact will live on forever.
They will live on as heroes in one way, shape or form.
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Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
CHUCK69.COM IS ALWAYS ON!
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