Michael Hutchence

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on July 9, 2013 by Cade

hutchence1January 22, 1960 – November 22, 1997

There were very few bands in the late 1980’s and early ’90’s that were bigger than INXS.  The Australian group owed a decent portion of its success to its dynamic, sexy and troubled lyricist/lead singer, Michael Hutchence.  Hutchence met keyboardist Andrew Farriss while in high school and joined Farriss’ band, Doctor Dolphin. Doctor Dolphin eventually became The Vegetables which eventually became INXS. INXS went on to sell millions of records across the world.  Their biggest success, 1987’s Kick, was certified 6x Platinum in the United States. Hutchence mostly handled the success well…save a bit of depression from time to time. His personal life attracted rigorous tabloid attention, particularly in his native Australia. Continue reading →

1 Comment »

William Thomas

Posted in Inglewood Park Cemetery with tags , , , on July 3, 2013 by Cade

buckwheat1

March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980

For some reason, it is incredibly difficult to find a picture of William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. from after 1943.  One look at the kid in the picture above and you get a good feeling for why that’s the case. Thomas played the iconic role of “Buckwheat” in more than 80 of the classic Our Gang shorts of the 1930’s and ’40’s – and then sort of disappeared. In fact, the only picture I could find of Thomas’ post-Buckwheat days was this:

ourgang

Thomas (right) with Joe Cobb and Spanky

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Rudy Vallée

Posted in St. Hyacinth Cemetery with tags , , on July 3, 2013 by Cade

vallee1

July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986

Hubert Prior “Rudy” Vallée was a singer, radio host, actor and bandleader perhaps most widely regarded as the first “crooner.”  Like many of his successors, his soft, smooth voice was one that would have been completely useless in the days before the invention of the microphone.  But, as it were, when you come along during the height of radio, you don’t need to be that loud.  Of course, not all live venues at the time had microphones, so Rudy would tend to improvise and sing through a megaphone – something that became a bit of a trademark. Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Benny Goodman

Posted in Long Ridge Union Cemetery with tags , on July 2, 2013 by Cade

goodman1

May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986

The undeniable “King of Swing,” Benny Goodman was one of the most important and successful musicians and bandleaders of the Big Band jazz era. Throughout the 1920’s and early ’30’s, Goodman played clarinet in bands and as a session musician alongside titanic contemporaries like Bix Beiderbecke, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. Taking the arrangements of a successful but stalled-out African-American bandleader/arranger named Fletcher Henderson, Goodman was able to bring a broad popularity to what would become Swing music. Continue reading →

1 Comment »

Gypsy Rose Lee

Posted in Inglewood Park Cemetery with tags , , on July 2, 2013 by Cade

Gypsy Rose Lee

January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970

As strippers go, they don’t come much more famous than Gypsy Rose Lee.

Ok…perhaps “burlesque artist” is more appropriate, what with all the negative connotations associated with the term “stripper” these days. Either way, Gypsy (born Ellen Hovick – officially in 1911; unofficially in 1914) turned her talents for the classic striptease and her wit to her advantage and became one of the most popular entertainers of her era starring in film and television long after the music ended at the old burlesque hall. And, she didn’t stop there. Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Sonny Bono

Posted in Desert Memorial Park with tags on June 21, 2013 by Cade

bono1

February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998

Salvatore “Sonny” Bono was good at a lot of things.  He was a pretty good singer. He was a much better songwriter, entertainer and producer, though.  This was evidenced by the massive popularity of his 1960’s and ’70’s pop duo, Sonny and Cher. While Cher may have gotten most of the attention and had an arguably better career, it was Sonny who goofily smiled and quietly wrote all of their huge hits. He was a good actor and funnyman. Sonny and Cher had their own TV shows – mostly of the variety genre – and he enjoyed post-S&C success on television and in films like Airplane II and Hairspray. He was even a decent politician. In 1988, he was elected as mayor of Palm Springs, California. Continue reading →

1 Comment »

Gene Autry

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , on June 20, 2013 by Cade

autry1

September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998

  • The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
  • He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
  • He must always tell the truth.
  • He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
  • He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
  • He must help people in distress.
  • He must be a good worker.
  • He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
  • He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
  • The Cowboy is a patriot.

Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code. Replace the words “The Cowboy” with “Gene Autry” and you begin to get the picture of what kind of man he was.  If that’s not enough, his headstone clarifies it with the following list:

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Spencer Tracy

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on June 17, 2013 by Cade

tracy1

April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967

Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (real name) was a fixture in the so-called “Golden Age” of Hollywood. The Milwaukee-born actor was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor nine times. He won twice. His onscreen partnership with Katharine Hepburn as well as their “private” decades-long affair made for, perhaps, the biggest Hollywood romance of the 20th century. The pair made 9 movies together and shared a 26 year relationship despite Tracy still being married to his estranged wife, Louise.  Ah, but it’s Hollywood. Who cares?  What’s important is that Spencer Tracy is routinely mentioned in conversations about the greatest actors of all time. Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Peggy Lee

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , , on June 17, 2013 by Cade

lee6

May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002

Peggy Lee (born Norma Deloris Egstrom) was a popular vocalist, actress and songwriter known for her hit recordings “Fever” and “Why Don’t You Do Right” (made famous by Jessica Rabbit) among others.  She was also a prolific lyricist and songwriter having written dozens of songs for many top composers and musicians.  Lee spent several years as the singer in Benny Goodman‘s orchestra.  She also wrote songs for – and voiced four characters in – the Disney classic animated film Lady and the Tramp and is said to be the inspiration for the Muppet, Miss Piggy. Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Stan Laurel

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on June 14, 2013 by Cade

laurel1

June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965

On October 2, 1910 an English ocean liner named Cairnrona arrived in Quebec after a 10-day journey from Southampton. History and the way of the world at the time would indicate that this was no special ship or voyage.  That is, except for the fact that the vessel carried a troupe of comedians headed for America which included Charlie Chaplin and a 20 year-old man named Stanley Jefferson.  Jefferson would eventually change his name to Laurel and America was about to laugh…a lot.  But as impressive of a pairing as Chaplin and Laurel were on that same ship, it was Stan’s later partnership with another comedian that would make him a legend.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »