November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979
Minnie Riperton rose to fame in the 1970’s as a singer-songwriter known mostly for her 1975 single “Lovin’ You.” Riperton had a solid career as a solo artist, working with artists like Stevie Wonder and Muddy Waters and fronting a couple of differently-styled groups. She was most noted for her unique vocal quality, specifically her ability to sing quite clearly in even the highest registers. Continue reading
July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007
Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr. began his long, successful career as a radio singer. After touring with an orchestra and eventually creating his own record label, Griffin was discovered in a nightclub and began acting in films. Though he appeared in a number of movies, he decided he would rather work in television, which he did for nearly 30 years. And, of course, by “work in television,” I mean he would make monumental contributions to its landscape. Not only did he host a number of successful talk shows, but he also created a producing empire that spawned stalwart game shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune and variety series like Dance Fever. In addition to creating Jeopardy!, he also penned its iconic theme song, so music was always there for him. Continue reading
August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001
Being a bigot is easy.
Playing a bigot is hard.
Playing a bigot that is beloved by millions is the stuff of legend.
Carroll O’Connor did just that. He played abrasive, racist, misogynistic, homophobic…and somehow lovable, Archie Bunker for 13 years on Norman Lear’s landmark TV sitcom All in the Family. Prior to giving the world Archie, O’Connor was a gifted character actor who compiled an impressive roster of roles and appearances. He broke out in 1970 opposite Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas in the World War II caper Kelly’s Heroes. But it was the debut of All in the Family in 1971 that made him a star. Five years after Family (by then known as Archie Bunker’s Place) went off the air, O’Connor returned to television, reprising Rod Steiger’s role in the TV adaptation of In the Heat of the Night. The stark difference in racial tone between Bunker and Heat‘s Gillespie was not lost on the public. In the end, he won 5 Emmys, a couple of Golden Globes and two NAACP Image Awards for his work on both shows. Continue reading
July 13, 1928 – June 29, 1978
Robert Crane was a disc jockey from Connecticut who forayed his love of music and radio to Los Angeles…and, eventually, to an acting career. He dabbled with guest spots on popular shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Donna Reed Show before he was catapulted to fame as the titular colonel on CBS’s Hogan’s Heroes. As Robert Hogan, Crane earned a couple of Emmy nominations and enjoyed the show’s very successful six-year run. Sometimes, happiness is short-lived.
February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989
As Thurston Howell III on the classic CBS sitcom Gilligan’s Island, Jim Backus played to a personal strength: his ability to portray lovable upper-class snobs. Gilligan’s “millionaire” was just the most famous of his well-to-do characters, but he made a good living portraying them on radio and in television for decades. Of course, he was notable for playing another famous character, as well. He was the voice of the near-sighted cartoon character, Mr. Magoo on television and film. Continue reading
October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999
George Campbell Scott won a lot of awards over the course of his prolific career. He didn’t necessarily accept all of them, but he won them nonetheless.
A gifted actor on both stage and screen, Scott is best remembered for his iconic roles in both Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and, of course, Patton (with Westwood neighbor Karl Malden). For the latter, he was nominated – for the third time – for an Academy Award. He refused the nomination famously saying “The whole thing is a goddamn meat parade. I don’t want any part of it.” Naturally, he won anyway. His stage accomplishments were just as decorated. He was nominated for the Tony Award three times for his performances in Uncle Vanya, Inherit the Wind and Death of a Salesman. Continue reading
November 20, 1932 – June 2, 2012
Richard Dawson (born Colin Emm in England) was a television personality best known for his role in Hogan’s Heroes opposite Bob Crane, and as the host of the game show Family Feud from 1976 to 1985. Dawson appeared on a number of other TV shows including guest spots on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Odd Couple and made regular appearances on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. He was a panelist on the 1970’s version of the Match Game, which led to his being brought on to host Family Feud. Continue reading
September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984
Born Truman Streckfus Persons, Truman Capote was an author whose body of work covered a very wide spectrum of style and subject matter. He is perhaps best known for his fictionalized re-telling of a grisly Kansas murder In Cold Blood and his much lighter novella-turned-Hollywood-smash Breakfast At Tiffany’s. Capote himself was a somewhat eccentric and odd fellow whose distinctive high-pitched voice and unique fashion sense helped build up a sort of character all on its own. Capote also dealt with both drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life. Continue reading
August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012
Perhaps one of the most important Fantasy and Science Fiction writers of the 20th Century,1 Ray Bradbury thrilled and challenged readers throughout his 70 year career. His seminal dystopian work, Fahrenheit 451, is a staple in American high schools. Bradbury called on a wealth of influences ranging from Aldous Huxley to William Shakespeare to create numerous other works like Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Martian Chronicles. His works have been adapted into films, television shows and even comic books and was a mainstay in the Sci-Fi convention circuit for decades. At the age of 91, Bradbury died in his home in Los Angeles. Continue reading
November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982
Not all Hollywood stories have happy endings.
Dominique Dunne was a rising star who had appeared in a number of television shows when her life was cut short by a jealous and possessive ex-boyfriend. Dunne – the daughter of writer Dominick Dunne and sister of director/producer Griffin Dunne – appeared in the 1981 horror classic Poltergeist. This was to be her first and only feature film appearance. She was cast in and was in rehearsals for a new mini-series, V, when she was attacked and strangled on her front porch by her estranged boyfriend. Continue reading
Celebrity Graveland 