Shecky Greene, the legendary Las Vegas headliner and stand-up comedian who entertained audiences for years while battling demons that included stage fright, alcoholism, prescription-drug abuse and gambling, died Sunday. He was 97.
Greene died on New Year’s Eve of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas, his wife of 41 years, Marie Musso Greene, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
He also was known for his dozens of appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he served as an occasional guest host.
Greene’s garrulous act in the 1950s and ‘60s helped transform the hotel lounge into another place for patrons to be entertained, turning Vegas into a 24-hour party town. His specialty was improvisation, and he could take virtually any situation and make it funny.
The stocky Chicago native sang, did impressions, told stories and often went off on wild tangents, and his brand of comedy was quite...
Greene died on New Year’s Eve of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas, his wife of 41 years, Marie Musso Greene, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
He also was known for his dozens of appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he served as an occasional guest host.
Greene’s garrulous act in the 1950s and ‘60s helped transform the hotel lounge into another place for patrons to be entertained, turning Vegas into a 24-hour party town. His specialty was improvisation, and he could take virtually any situation and make it funny.
The stocky Chicago native sang, did impressions, told stories and often went off on wild tangents, and his brand of comedy was quite...
- 12/31/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Milt Larsen, co-founder of the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, actor, TV writer and producer, died May 28 in his sleep at his home in Hollywood, his family told TMZ. He was 92.
Larsen, along with his brother Bill Larsen and Bill’s wife Irene, founded Magic Castle, a private club for magicians, in Hollywood in 1963. The Larsen brothers grew up in a family of magicians. Their father, William Larsen Sr., was a performing magician and Los Angeles defense attorney. Their mother, Geraldine, was an early TV pioneer children’s entertainer known as The Magic Lady.
The Larsen brothers and Irene transformed the Lane mansion below Yamashiro in Hollywood, into the Magic Castle, also home to the Academy of Magical Arts.
In addition to his talent as a magician, Milt Larsen was a successful writer, working on Ralph Edwards’ TV game show Truth or Consequences starring Bob Barker, for 18 years. He also authored several books,...
Larsen, along with his brother Bill Larsen and Bill’s wife Irene, founded Magic Castle, a private club for magicians, in Hollywood in 1963. The Larsen brothers grew up in a family of magicians. Their father, William Larsen Sr., was a performing magician and Los Angeles defense attorney. Their mother, Geraldine, was an early TV pioneer children’s entertainer known as The Magic Lady.
The Larsen brothers and Irene transformed the Lane mansion below Yamashiro in Hollywood, into the Magic Castle, also home to the Academy of Magical Arts.
In addition to his talent as a magician, Milt Larsen was a successful writer, working on Ralph Edwards’ TV game show Truth or Consequences starring Bob Barker, for 18 years. He also authored several books,...
- 5/29/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Celebrities, they’re just like us. Lauren Graham found fame with Gilmore Girls and became known for her quirky characters. However, Graham isn’t immune to being star-struck despite her fame and success as an actor.
Graham recently revealed that she was so star-struck with Bernadette Peters that she wandered into the Broadway star’s fitting while working on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
Lauren Graham on meeting Bernadette Peters
Peters is a star, and it’s understandable that even fellow celebrities worship her talent. Gilmore Girls star Graham recently sat down with Sam Pancake to talk about her years in show business. When Pancake asked if they pre-recorded all the numbers they did on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Graham replied in the affirmative.
She, however, clarified that the only person who didn’t do so was Peters, saying the Emmy nominee sang all her songs live and in one take.
Graham recently revealed that she was so star-struck with Bernadette Peters that she wandered into the Broadway star’s fitting while working on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
Lauren Graham on meeting Bernadette Peters
Peters is a star, and it’s understandable that even fellow celebrities worship her talent. Gilmore Girls star Graham recently sat down with Sam Pancake to talk about her years in show business. When Pancake asked if they pre-recorded all the numbers they did on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Graham replied in the affirmative.
She, however, clarified that the only person who didn’t do so was Peters, saying the Emmy nominee sang all her songs live and in one take.
- 2/27/2023
- by Produced by Digital Editors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
A look back and a final farewell to the notable entertainment celebrities who died in 2013. Cosmo Allegretti (b. 1927) (actor) Allegretti was an actor and puppeteer on Captain Kangaroo, working his way up from set painter. He made and voiced puppets, including Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose, and also played Dancing Bear in a full costume. Patty Andrews (b. 1918) (singer) As part of the famed and influential Andrews Sisters singing group, Patty Andrews contributed as a mezzo-soprano to the trio’s close harmony popularity during the swing era and beyond. Patty and her sisters began their fame with hits in … Continue reading →
The post Remembrances 2013 appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post Remembrances 2013 appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 12/9/2013
- by Jeff Pfeiffer
- ChannelGuideMag
Mumford & Sons, Gotye & Kimbra, Kelly Clarkson, Zac Brown Band and Fun. were just a few of the big winners at the 55th annual Grammy Awards telecast, hosted by LL Cool J and broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Read on for the recap...
For the Complete List of Winners Click Here.
The Winners
Album of the Year went to Babel by Mumford & Sons; Record of the Year went to Gotye & Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know; Fun. won Best New Artist, and their We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) was named Song of the Year; Kelly Clarkson's Stronger was named Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Album was awarded to Zac Brown Band's Uncaged.
Other big accolades handed out during Sunday night's telecast went to Carrie Underwood (Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away); Frank Ocean was the Best Urban Contemporary Album Winner for Channel Orange; The Black Keys earned Best Rock...
For the Complete List of Winners Click Here.
The Winners
Album of the Year went to Babel by Mumford & Sons; Record of the Year went to Gotye & Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know; Fun. won Best New Artist, and their We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) was named Song of the Year; Kelly Clarkson's Stronger was named Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Album was awarded to Zac Brown Band's Uncaged.
Other big accolades handed out during Sunday night's telecast went to Carrie Underwood (Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away); Frank Ocean was the Best Urban Contemporary Album Winner for Channel Orange; The Black Keys earned Best Rock...
- 2/11/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Reg Presley, the frontman for The Troggs who snarled his way to rock fame on the iconic song "Wild Thing," died Monday following a battle with lung cancer. He was 71. According to the BBC, Presley -- born Reginald Maurice Ball in Andover, Hampshire, England -- died surrounded by family members at his home in Hampshire. Also read: Patty Andrews, Last of the Andrews Sisters, Dies at 94 Though The Troggs (short for "Troglodytes," the group's original name) didn't write "Wild Thing" -- the song was penned by New York City songwriter Chip...
- 2/5/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Last surviving member of the wartime swing trio the Andrews Sisters, whose hits included Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Patty Andrews, who has died aged 94, was the lead singer and soloist with the Andrews Sisters. The swinging American trio, comprising Patty and her older siblings, Laverne and Maxene, achieved their greatest success in the 1940s, contributing to the war effort with catchy songs including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) and, with Bing Crosby, Don't Fence Me In.
The Andrews Sisters performed at military bases and raised money for war bonds; their hits were sung by the troops and by women working in factories. Patty, Laverne and Maxene accompanied the most popular singers and big bands of the day; enjoyed success not just on radio but also in musical comedy films; and spawned a host of other sister acts – not all of whom were real siblings.
Patty Andrews, who has died aged 94, was the lead singer and soloist with the Andrews Sisters. The swinging American trio, comprising Patty and her older siblings, Laverne and Maxene, achieved their greatest success in the 1940s, contributing to the war effort with catchy songs including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) and, with Bing Crosby, Don't Fence Me In.
The Andrews Sisters performed at military bases and raised money for war bonds; their hits were sung by the troops and by women working in factories. Patty, Laverne and Maxene accompanied the most popular singers and big bands of the day; enjoyed success not just on radio but also in musical comedy films; and spawned a host of other sister acts – not all of whom were real siblings.
- 2/1/2013
- by Michael Freedland
- The Guardian - Film News
What are Us Weekly's preferred partners buzzing about this Thursday? The end of 30 Rock! Check out more stories in today's roundup. The series finale of 30 Rock airs tonight! Take a look back at the 12 most bizarre scenes. (The Daily Beast) Karl Lagerfeld is not a fan of First Lady Michelle Obama's bangs. "It's not good," the designer says. (Fashionista) Andrews Sisters lead singer Patty Andrews dies. She was 94. (Zap2It) Get excited for Super Bowl 2013! Take a look back at the finest onscreen football coaches. (Popsugar) American [...]...
- 1/31/2013
- Us Weekly
Patty Andrews was lead singer and youngest member of 1940s swing trio whose hits included Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree
Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the singing trio the Andrews Sisters, has died in California at 94, her spokesman has said.
Andrews died at her home in the Northridge area of Los Angeles, said Alan Eichler on Wednesday.
She was the youngest of the singing threesome, who were renowned for their tight harmonies in hits including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree. The Andrews Sisters sold more than 75m records and became household names in the 1940s when they entertained second world war troops in Africa, the Us and Europe.
The sisters specialised in swing and played with some of the best-known big bands of the era, including those led by Glen Miller, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.
The sisters also appeared in 16 films,...
Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the singing trio the Andrews Sisters, has died in California at 94, her spokesman has said.
Andrews died at her home in the Northridge area of Los Angeles, said Alan Eichler on Wednesday.
She was the youngest of the singing threesome, who were renowned for their tight harmonies in hits including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree. The Andrews Sisters sold more than 75m records and became household names in the 1940s when they entertained second world war troops in Africa, the Us and Europe.
The sisters specialised in swing and played with some of the best-known big bands of the era, including those led by Glen Miller, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.
The sisters also appeared in 16 films,...
- 1/31/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Los Angeles — Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the singing Andrews Sisters trio whose hits such as the rollicking "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" and the poignant "I Can Dream, Can't I?" captured the home-front spirit of World War II, died Wednesday. She was 94.
Andrews died of natural causes at her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, said family spokesman Alan Eichler in a statement.
Patty was the Andrews in the middle, the lead singer and chief clown, whose raucous jitterbugging delighted American servicemen abroad and audiences at home.
She could also deliver sentimental ballads like "I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time" with a sincerity that caused hardened GIs far from home to weep.
"When I was a kid, I only had two records and one of them was the Andrews Sisters. They were remarkable. Their sound, so pure," said Bette Midler, who...
Andrews died of natural causes at her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, said family spokesman Alan Eichler in a statement.
Patty was the Andrews in the middle, the lead singer and chief clown, whose raucous jitterbugging delighted American servicemen abroad and audiences at home.
She could also deliver sentimental ballads like "I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time" with a sincerity that caused hardened GIs far from home to weep.
"When I was a kid, I only had two records and one of them was the Andrews Sisters. They were remarkable. Their sound, so pure," said Bette Midler, who...
- 1/31/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Patty Andrews Returns: Bette Midler revives the ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B’ [See previous post: "Patty Andrews: The Andrews Sisters' Last Surviving Member Has Died."] In 1974, a year after Bette Midler repopularized "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B," Maxene and Patty Andrews reunited for the World War II Broadway musical Over Here. (Laverne Andrews had died in 1967.) With a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and book by Will Holt, Over Here, a mix of rose-colored nostalgia and social criticism, ran for a year. (Photo: The older Patty Andrews.) Three years earlier, Patty Andrews had starred off-Broadway in the Sherman brothers’ Victory Canteen, a sort of prequel to Over Here. The show, also featuring Sherry Alberoni, Lorene Yarnell, and Anson Williams, ran for seven months. Rift between Maxene and Patty Andrews Following that last major hit, the two surviving Andrews sisters, both San Fernando Valley residents, went their own way. According to reports, in the two decades...
- 1/31/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Patty Andrews: Last Surviving member of The Andrews Sisters dead at 94 Patty Andrews, the lead vocalist and last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters musical trio, died of "natural causes" earlier today at her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley. Andrews, who was also the youngest sister, was 94. (Photo: The Andrews Sisters: Laverne Andrews, Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews.) Born in Minnesota into a Greek-Norwegian family, the Andrews Sisters began their show business career in the early ’30s, while both Maxene and Patty were still teenagers. Their first big hit came out in 1938: the English version of the Yiddish song "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" (aka "Bei mir bist du schön"), with lyrics — "To me, you’re grand" — by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin. (The song made into the movies that same year, but Warner Bros. star Priscilla Lane is the one singing it in Love,...
- 1/31/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The last surviving member of the original girl group has passed away.
Patty Andrews (above, center), the lead singer of 1930s and '40s singing trio The Andrews Sisters, has passed away at the age of 94, reports the AP.
Patty was the youngest of the trio, flanked by older sisters Laverne (right) and Maxene (left). The three of them are the best-selling female vocal group in pop history, selling between 75 and 100 million records, according to estimates.
Our favorites by the Andrews Sisters include "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen." But their influence stretched beyond fans. The Andrews Sisters inspired artists from Mel Torme and the McGuire Sisters to Barry Manilow and Bette Midler.
Patty is preceded in death by her sisters Laverne in 1967 and Maxene in 1995, and her husband of 60 years, Wally Weschler, in 2010. She is the second legendary women's trio vocalist we've lost in the...
Patty Andrews (above, center), the lead singer of 1930s and '40s singing trio The Andrews Sisters, has passed away at the age of 94, reports the AP.
Patty was the youngest of the trio, flanked by older sisters Laverne (right) and Maxene (left). The three of them are the best-selling female vocal group in pop history, selling between 75 and 100 million records, according to estimates.
Our favorites by the Andrews Sisters include "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen." But their influence stretched beyond fans. The Andrews Sisters inspired artists from Mel Torme and the McGuire Sisters to Barry Manilow and Bette Midler.
Patty is preceded in death by her sisters Laverne in 1967 and Maxene in 1995, and her husband of 60 years, Wally Weschler, in 2010. She is the second legendary women's trio vocalist we've lost in the...
- 1/31/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the singing group the Andrews Sisters, has died at 94. According to CNN, Andrews died Wednesday (January 30) at her home in Northridge, California.
[Left: Patty Andrews in the 1940s / Right: With sisters Maxene and Laverne] Andrews and sisters Laverne and Maxene began their singing career in the 1920s, becoming one of the biggest selling girl groups in history. They are best known for their popular World War II-era song 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy', as well as 'Rum and Coca Cola' and 'Apple (more)...
[Left: Patty Andrews in the 1940s / Right: With sisters Maxene and Laverne] Andrews and sisters Laverne and Maxene began their singing career in the 1920s, becoming one of the biggest selling girl groups in history. They are best known for their popular World War II-era song 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy', as well as 'Rum and Coca Cola' and 'Apple (more)...
- 1/31/2013
- by By Zeba Blay
- Digital Spy
Patty Andrews, last surviving member of the Andrews sisters, has died. She was 94 and died today at her home in Northridge, CA. The phenomenally popular singing trio that entertained U.S. troops during World War II even announced the war’s end in 1945 to 5,000 G.I.’s while they were performing at a show in Italy. Laverne (top), Patty (center), and Maxene (bottom) also appeared in movies and on TV. A signature song “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B” was featured in the 1941 Abbott & Costello film Buck Privates. They appeared in more than a dozen features, including another Abbott & Costello film In the Navy, and the 1947 Bob Hope-Bing Crosby-Dorothy Lamour vehicle Road to Rio. With Crosby they also performed the hit “Don’t Fence Me In” and several other tunes. They also sang with the big bands of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Crosby,...
- 1/31/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the singing Andrews Sisters, died Wednesday at 94. She was the lead singer for the trio, whose hits -- including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "I Can Dream, Can't I?" -- helped cheer American Gis abroad and those on the home front during World War II. Andrews died of natural causes at her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, family spokesman Alan Eichler told the Associated Press. The Andrews Sisters -- which she formed with her sisters Laverne and Maxene -- recorded more than...
- 1/31/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
It's the end of an era. Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of World War II-era vocal group the Andrews Sisters (and the center sister in the photo above), died today of natural causes at her Northridge, Calif. home, her manager tells the Los Angeles Times. She was 94. The Minnesota-born trio was known for bubbly hits like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" (introduced by the ladies in the 1941 Abbott & Costello comedy Buck Privates) and covers of "Nice Work if You Can Get It" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen," which became their first No. 1 record in 1938. Most notably, the Andrews Sisters were fixtures on the Uso tour scene, and it was Patty and her sisters, Maxene...
- 1/31/2013
- E! Online
Patty Andrews, the last remaining member of The Andrews Sisters, has died. She was 94. The Andrews Sisters were active for over 40 years, from 1925 to 1967 and, as of last count, had sold over 75 million records, making them the best-selling female vocal group of all time. Composed of three actual sisters—contralto Laverne, soprano Maxene, and mezzo-soprano Patty—the group recorded a number of swing and boogie-woogie hits, including their 1941 smash, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” During World War II, the sisters went from base to base in America, Africa, and Italy and sung for countless members ...
- 1/30/2013
- avclub.com
Eartha Kitt, who used her seductive purr and sultry style to charm audiences as an actress, singer and cabaret star, died Thursday of colon cancer. She was 81.
The cancer was detected about two years ago and treated, but it recurred after a period of remission. Kitt recently had been treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
"She came back strongly; she had been performing until two months ago," said Andrew Freedman, a longtime friend and publicist. "We had dates booked through 2009."
Among Kitt's hits was the Christmas tune "Santa Baby," lending poignancy to her Christmas Day death. The song went gold this year, and she received the gold record before she died, Freedman said.
Slinky and catlike, Kitt described herself as a "sex kitten": She followed Julie Newmar in the role of Catwoman on the TV series "Batman" during the 1960s.
But the seductress also could be a political provocateur.
The cancer was detected about two years ago and treated, but it recurred after a period of remission. Kitt recently had been treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
"She came back strongly; she had been performing until two months ago," said Andrew Freedman, a longtime friend and publicist. "We had dates booked through 2009."
Among Kitt's hits was the Christmas tune "Santa Baby," lending poignancy to her Christmas Day death. The song went gold this year, and she received the gold record before she died, Freedman said.
Slinky and catlike, Kitt described herself as a "sex kitten": She followed Julie Newmar in the role of Catwoman on the TV series "Batman" during the 1960s.
But the seductress also could be a political provocateur.
- 12/25/2008
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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