Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 7

Sadly, I did not have the foresight to archive the 2000 series and deleted most of the files.

2003 Sounds

NOTE ABOUT BLUE ALERT SYSTEM (3/11/03): Some of you may recall a few years back when I used "name blends" -- rhyming sounds and off-rhyme clues from part of one name to determine what the next name in the sequence might be (or later in the year). An example was the death of Layne Stahley and how "Layne" led to "Lynne" then "Linda" and the car crash death of Linda Lovelace which followed. I surmised that "Lace" in "Lovelace" might lead to a "Leese" then "Lisa" tragedy. The next day, Lisa Lopes of TLC was killed in a car crash.

Rather than create a whole other section on this page for name blends, I will intead highlight certain names in the lists below in light blue that I feel may be influenced by celebrity deaths that have occurred this year.

Possible predictions (1/10/03): John Agar, John Carpenter, John Cusak, John Davidson, John Larroquette, John Grisham, John Travolta, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, John Cleese, Johnny Depp, Johnny Cash, Johnny Carson, Johnny Crawford, Elton John, Olivia Newton-John, Magic Johnson, Kathleen Beller, Neve Campbell, William Campbell, Craig T. Nelson, Willie Nelson, Tom Selleck, Howie Mandel, Danny Aiello, Mel C, Mel Gibson, Montel Williams, Denzel Washington, Lulu, Claire Goose, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Lisa Kudrow, Shaznay Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg, Lucy Lawless, Jude Law, Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen, Sheena Easton. Additional predictions: (1/12/03): Jim Belushi. (9/27/03): Robert John, John Hurt, John Carpenter, John Goodman, Pope John Paul II, John Landis, John Lithgow, Johnny Mathis, Don Johnson, Michelle Johnson.

1) Country singer Johnny PayCheck dead at 64 - February 19, 2003
2) Model, actress Suzy Parker dies at 69 -- 'The' model of the 1950s - May 5, 2003
3) June Carter Cash dies - May 15, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

4) Miami, but Not Official Havana, Mourns Singer Celia Cruz - July 17, 2003
5) John Leslie 'suicidal' over sex claims - August 2, 2003
6) Cancer claims top soprano Susan Chilcott - September 4, 2003
7) Emmy-winning actor John Ritter dead at 54 - September 12, 2003
8) Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick shot - October 17, 2003
9) Singer Elliott Smith Apparently Commits Suicide - October 22, 2003
10) Jesus actor struck by lightning - October 23, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6.

Friday, September 12, 2003 Posted: 1653 GMT (12:53 AM HKT) - (CNN) -- He was a poor sharecropper's son from Kingsland, Arkansas, who sang to himself while picking cotton in the fields -- then later sang to millions through recordings, concerts and his late-'60s TV variety show. He became a country music statesman who found a home with rap-rock producer Rick Rubin's American Recordings. He was called the "Man in Black," who once sang "I shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die," but opened his concerts with the friendly, modest greeting, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." Johnny Cash -- legend, model, icon -- died Friday. He was 71.

Cash died of complications from diabetes at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, hospital spokeswoman Nicole Bates said. He had just been released Tuesday after entering the hospital August 28 with an undisclosed stomach ailment. He returned to the hospital Thursday. Cash's wife of 35 years, June Carter Cash, died May 15.

Perhaps the most widely recognized voice in country music, Cash recorded more than 1,500 songs. His career spanned more than four decades with trademark hits like "A Boy Named Sue," "Folsom Prison Blues, "Ring of Fire" and "I Walk the Line." His success crossed well over onto the pop scene. He had 48 singles on Billboard's pop charts, rivaling both the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys. His 11 Grammys included a lifetime achievement award and the 1998 Grammy for country album of the year ("Unchained"). It's said that more than 100 other recording artists and groups have recorded "I Walk the Line."

COMMENT (9/12/03): The great legend Johnny Cash was named in the list above and highlighted as a "code blue" as well. He was the third "John" to die this year and on the same day as actor John Ritter. Not a very good year for anyone named John. The deaths of Ritter, Cash, and Paycheck, especially comedian John Ritter, was a direct influence from John Belushi's death twenty-one years ago in 1982.

Nov 21, 1:44 PM EST - Associated Press -- Jonathan Brandis, who from an early age appeared in a string of roles on television, commercials and film, including the starring role in 1991's "The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter" and two seasons on Steven Spielberg's "SeaQuest DSV," has died. He was 27. The county coroner's office is investigating the Nov. 12 death, which was reported by the Los Angeles Police Department as a possible suicide, Lt. Ed Winter of the coroner's Investigations Bureau said Thursday. The coroner performed an autopsy but the cause of death will not be announced until the results of blood and toxicology tests are returned. The investigation could take as long as four to six weeks. Police said a friend of Brandis called 911 from the actor's apartment just before midnight on Nov. 11 to report Brandis had attempted suicide. Paramedics transported Brandis to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he died the next day, police Detective Gene Parshall said. The office of Brandis' agent at Innovative Artists refused to comment.

Brandis started his career in commercials and on television, landing a recurring role on the soap "One Life to Live" at age six. After moving with his family to Los Angeles at age nine, he made guest appearances on such shows as "L.A. Law," "Who's the Boss?" and "Murder, She Wrote." Other film credits included the Rodney Dangerfield comedy "Ladybugs," and the martial arts comedy "Sidekicks" with Chuck Norris, and a small part in the 2002 film "Hart's War," starring Bruce Willis. Brandis also starred as crew member Lucas Wolenczek in the underwater sci-fi series "SeaQuest DSV," a role that garnered him a Young Artists Award in 1993 and helped turn him into a teen idol.

COMMENT (11/22/03): Poor, Johnny, we hardly knew ye (well, at least, I never did). I do recall seeing the first "Neverending Story" -- a strange film about an odd kid who rides around on weird-looking animated animals with big Dumbo ears or something along those lines. Don't think the kid was Johnny, though.

Tuesday, November 25, 2003 Posted: 1356 GMT ( 9:56 PM HKT) - LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The death of 27-year-old actor Jonathan Brandis, who starred in two seasons of Steven Spielberg's "SeaQuest DSV," was a suicide, the county coroner's office said Monday. Brandis, who died November 12, hanged himself, the coroner said. Brandis started his career in commercials and on television, landing a recurring role on the soap "One Life to Live" at age 6. He also made guest appearances on "L.A. Law," "Who's the Boss?" and "Murder, She Wrote." His film credits included the starring role in 1991's "The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter," the Rodney Dangerfield comedy "Ladybugs," and the martial arts comedy "Sidekicks" with Chuck Norris.

'Dat Bobby Brown is goin to be the death of me yet ...'

Wednesday, December 10, 2003 Posted: 2022 GMT ( 4:22 AM HKT) - ALPHARETTA, Georgia (AP) -- Police considered Tuesday whether to pursue charges against singer Bobby Brown, after officers responded to a domestic abuse call by his wife Whitney Houston at their home in this Atlanta suburb. Officers arrived at the couple's home Sunday evening and found Houston with a cut upper lip and a bruised cheek, Fulton County Police spokesman Kurtis Young said. Houston told officers that Brown hit her in the face during an argument. Young said that by the time officers arrived at the home, Brown had left for the airport to catch a flight to California. Police said they were trying to reach Brown to get his side of the story. No one had been arrested in the incident.

Brown was released after serving seven days in DeKalb County Jail in August for violating his probation for a 1996 drunken driving conviction. The singer also served 26 days in a Florida jail in 2000 for an earlier probation violation.

COMMENT (12/11/03): Well, the tabloids have been saying it for a long time, but the mainstream media has it now. Whitney had better drop this guy before he becomes the death of her ... and stay off the coke, too. Both Whitney Houston and Halle Berry are potential victims of some form of self destruction: suicide attempts for Berry, drug abuse for Houston, and abusive men in their lives only exacerbate the problem. Both women will reach another serious crisis in their lives in 2007 if they can't get things straightened out.

Vic Morrow (d. 1982) - Vick, Vickie, Mar, Ar, More, Or, Oh
Morrow was pronounced Mar-oh or More-oh, depending on the person

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Vickie Lawrence, Victoria Principal, Victoria Adams (Posh Spice), Victoria Beckham, Dick Martin, Ricky Martin, Steve Martin, Tony Martin, Wink Martindale, Richard Marx, Wynton Marsalis, Richard Widmark, Marvin Hamlisch, Mark Harmon, Marlon Brando, Andy Garcia, James Garner, Garth Brooks, Demi Moore, Mary Tyler Moore, Julianne Moore, Mandy Moore, Roger Moore, Jim Moret, Rita Moreno, Jayne Seymour, Drew Barrymore, Ozzie Osbourne, Morgan Fairchild, Morgan Freeman, Maureen Stapleton, Maureen McGovern, Lesley Gore, Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Traci Lords, Lauren BaCall, Lauren Hutton, Gloria Loring, Florence Henderson, Cloris Leachman, Sean Combs (Puff Daddy), Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Bolton, Jeff Goldblum. Additional predictions: (1/12/03): Sharon Osbourne. (5/9/03): Queen Noor. (0/0/03):

1) Bee Gees singer Maurice Gibb dies - January 12, 2003
2) Chef Bernard Loiseau commits suicide after critics' attack - February 25, 2003
3) Karen Morley, blacklisted blond star of 1930's movies, dies at 93 - April 20, 2003
4) Actor Hume Cronyn dead at 91 - June 16, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

5) Jordan saved by her airbags -- Safety features pay off - July 16, 20003
6) Writer George Plimpton dead at 76 - September 26, 2003
7) 'Singin' in the Rain' co-star O'Connor dies - September 28, 2003
8) Tiger mauls Roy Horn of 'Siegfried & Roy' - October 4, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6.

Actor and former James Bond star, Roger Moore

Thursday, May 8, 2003 Posted: 11:18 AM EDT (1518 GMT) -- NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former James Bond star Roger Moore was recovering in hospital Thursday after collapsing on a Broadway stage. The 75-year-old British actor, who had been complaining of breathing difficulties, had been singing and dancing in the second act of the show, "The Play What I Wrote" -- in which he has a cameo role as a secret celebrity guest -- at the Lyceum on Broadway. Moore, who played secret agent James Bond for more than 12 years during the 1970s and 1980s, was "comfortable and doing well," according to his assistant Gareth Owen. "Roger was taken short of breath and fell to the floor on stage," Owen told the UK's Press Association. The performance was resumed after a short break in which the curtains came down. Moore battled through the final 10 minutes of his performance before being taken away by ambulance with an oxygen mask covering his face, PA said. He was being treated at St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, where he is reported to be in stable condition. The cause of his collapse is unknown.

Moore shot to fame as the detective Simon Templar in the 1960s television series, "The Saint." The London-born actor took over the role of 007 agent James Bond from his predecessors Sean Connery and George Lazenby in the 1973 film "Live and Let Die." He went on to star in another six Bond films such as "The Man with The Golden Gun" and "The Spy Who Loved Me" until his final Bond film, "A View to a Kill" in 1985. Moore became an ambassador for the United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) in 1991, traveling the world for the international charity, campaigning and fundraising against cruelty to children. He has continued to perform on stage and in films over the years. He hosted the Night of a Thousand Stars show at London's Royal Albert Hall last Sunday. Other actors in the cast include Sean Foley, Hamish McColl and Toby Jones. This was Moore's second performance of the 2002 Olivier Award-winning play. Other celebrity guests in "The Play What I Wrote" -- a tribute to 1970s British comics Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise directed by Kenneth Branagh -- include Schindler's List star Liam Neeson, actor Nathan Lane and actress Zoe Caldwell.

COMMENT (5/9/03): Roger Moore was named in the list above and highlighted as a "code blue" as well. This was the third "More" death or mishap of the year and definitely indicates a "More" theme (from Vic Morrow) may dominate this year as it did in 1999 (from Jim Morrison). Scary.

Tornado hits Moore, Oklahoma, injuring over 100 -- Touchdown repeat of May 1999 tragedy

A large tornado bears down on Midwest townspeople

Thu May 8, 2003 9:37 PM ET -- MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - A tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Thursday, smashing through buildings, up-ending cars and injuring over 100 people, authorities said. There is one possible fatality and about 12 people were critically injured, said a spokesman for emergency services in the Oklahoma City area. The tornado also hit areas of Oklahoma City and some of its suburbs to the south and southwest. Police said they expect there to be numerous additional injuries such as broken bones, sprains and cuts. Tornadoes in states that include Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee and Illinois have already killed 42 people this week.

The tornado touched down in Moore, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Oklahoma City at about 5:17 p.m. local time (2217 GMT). It toppled suburban dwellings like houses of cards, destroyed a bank and a restaurant. It ripped through large sections of a General Motors Corp. facility, where witnesses said several people were injured. Cars in the plant parking lot were tossed about like toys and video footage from local broadcasters showed car-carrying trucks on fire.

Authorities said they were investigating reports of a bus blown off a highway. A tornado touch-down at Tinker Air Force Base spread debris across runways. "What I'm seeing is a lot of walking wounded," said Brian Stanaland, a major in the local fire department. Fire trucks and rescue vehicles could be seen racing through city streets, and several buildings, homes and apartment complexes were damaged in the tornado. "The tornado was wedge-shaped. It had all kinds of debris flying around it. You could tell it was hitting houses and stuff," said Dan Naylor, a mobile home salesman who used to work as a tornado spotter.

The storm that caused the tornado was heading to the east, authorities said. About 14,000 customers were without power, Oklahoma Gas and Electric said.

The tornado brought back painful memories of a series of tornadoes that hit the Oklahoma City area, including Moore, in May 1999 and killed 44 people. Large sections of Moore were destroyed at the time.

COMMENT (5/11/03): This confirms that the "More" curse is alive and well again in 2003. This was the second time the town of Moore was hit by a major tornado, the last and only other time being May 1999 -- the original "More" year. As a result, it suggests a suicide/drug overdose may happen very soon to a female celebrity -- possibly this month (ala Dana Plato).. It also indicates a July tragedy that will shock the world may happen.

Rock singer Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath and 'The Osbournes' fame

Wednesday, October 15, 2003 Posted: 1407 GMT (10:07 PM HKT) - LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne said Tuesday that he was being treated for a nervous tremor he blamed for almost destroying his life and had scrapped a planned European tour in order to recover. The British-born rocker said he had been undergoing tests for the past three weeks for an involuntary shuddering that had become "markedly worse over the last two years." "I was at the point where it felt as if this problem was practically destroying my life along with my self-esteem," said Osbourne, who has found a wide audience as a foul-mouthed, shuffling patriarch in MTV's hit reality series "The Osbournes" which takes viewers into his home. "I was no longer comfortable being around people, which, as you can imagine, is not the best trait for a performer," Osbourne said. Dr. Allan Ropper, the chairman of the neurology department at Tufts University in Boston and Osbourne's physician, said tests had showed Osbourne did not have Parkinson's disease and that his tremor was "coming under control with medication." "Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the medication is dry mouth, which greatly impairs the voice. This problem usually subsides after three to four weeks, but the downside is that this will definitely affect Mr. Osbourne's ability to sing at this time," Ropper said. Osbourne's European Tour, which had been scheduled to begin in Dublin on October 22, will be rescheduled for early 2004, the statement from the performer said. The tour, which had been rescheduled once after a previous cancellation, had been set to run through December 5 in Munich.

COMMENT (10/15/03): Ozzie Osbourne was named in the list above and highlighted as a "code blue" as well. Wishin' you well, Ozzie. Black Sabbath was one of my many favourite bands in the 1970s. But you know, it's difficult for someone with a disc jockey mentality like myself to have a most favourite band, singer, or anything -- to be as good as we are (or as I was) you have to like a lot of different stuff ... yeah, and that included disco and new wave, too. The 70s and 80s rule!

Tuesday, December 9, 2003 Posted: 1359 GMT ( 9:59 PM HKT) - LONDON, England (CNN) -- Ozzy Osbourne has been seriously injured in an accident while riding an all-terrain vehicle on the grounds of his British estate, a publicist for the heavy metal legend said. Cindy Guagenti said Osbourne underwent emergency surgery after breaking his collarbone, several ribs and a vertebra in his neck Monday. On Tuesday, Osbourne was "stable and comfortable" at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, west of London, hospital medical director Dr. Dick Jack said. "When he was admitted, he had a fractured left collarbone ... with some damage to the blood vessel that lies underneath it," Jack said in a statement. "He had eight fractured ribs on the left, and in addition to that, he has a small ... entirely stable fracture of ... one of the vertebrae in his neck. This is not a major problem. "The emergency anesthetic and surgical team repaired the blood vessel and re-established the blood supply to the left hand and arm. The left collarbone was then reconstructed and he was taken to the intensive care unit where he spent the night comfortably. He's resting. "This morning he will be seen by the doctors who are taking care of him. They will reassess him and make decisions as to what his treatment should be next." Guagenti earlier said the surgery was necessary to "lift the collarbone, which is believed to be resting on a major artery interrupting blood flow to his arm." Guagenti also said earlier that doctors were attempting to stop "some bleeding into his lungs," but she said the injuries were not considered life-threatening.

The accident took place on the 55-year-old rocker's Buckinghamshire property north of London while he was taking a day off from promoting a new single he recorded with his daughter, Kelly. Osbourne and his family star in a taped Christmas special airing on MTV Thursday. The third season of their reality TV series "The Osbournes" debuts on the network in January. In an article in Sunday's Los Angeles Times, the former lead singer of Black Sabbath said his unusual behavior on "The Osbournes" was the result of a 42-pill-a-day regimen prescribed by his Beverly Hills doctor, which included anti-psychotic drugs and tranquilizers. Osbourne said he has since fired his physician. An attorney for the doctor told the Times the allegations were false. Osbourne's publicist said pills had nothing to do with his accident Monday. Osbourne made headlines in his native Britain last month when he told a newspaper he had been sexually molested as a child and suffered emotional consequences for many years afterward.

COMMEMT (12/11/03): Good thing the year is ending. I don't think Ozzie is likely to be "three times lucky" if anything more happens.

Meat Loaf Collapses on London Stage and Is Being Treated for Exhaustion; Concert Postponed

The Associated Press - LONDON Nov. 18 — Grammy-winning singer Meat Loaf, who collapsed on stage during a concert, is being treated for exhaustion brought on by a virus, hospital officials said Tuesday. A spokesman for Mercury, the singer's record company, said a second concert planned for Tuesday night at London's Wembley Arena had been postponed. Meat Loaf, 52, collapsed Monday on the first sellout date at the venue. A spokesman for North West London Hospitals said the pop star was in Northwick Park Hospital recovering "from exhaustion due to a prolonged viral infection." "Meat Loaf will be re-evaluated by doctors today and further information about his status will be made available," the spokesman said. Born Marvin Lee Aday, Meat Loaf made his name with theatrical stage productions and operatic songs, including "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" and "Bat out of Hell." He won a Grammy Award for "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." His films include "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Fight Club."

We're gonna go all the way tonite, tonite, we're gonna go all the way tonite, we're gonna go all the way tonite, tonite, we're gonna go all the way tonite ...

Like A Loaf Off the Table

THIS is the horrifying moment stricken rocker Meat Loaf collapsed on stage in front of 11,000 screaming fans. The 400-pound singer clasped a hand to his head and fell to the ground, then lay motionless as his backing singers carried on with their act for another five minutes, oblivious to the shouts from the audience. Eventually the fallen Loaf was noticed by an hysterical transvestite singer wearing an orange wig, the lights at London’s Wembley Arena were dimmed, and worried roadies helped the star off stage.

Meatloaf says, "two out of three ain't bad!"

Fri Nov 28,12:19 PM ET - LONDON (Reuters) - American rock star Meat Loaf said Friday he hoped to resume his tour soon, despite suffering anxiety attacks two weeks after collapsing on a London stage and undergoing heart surgery. The 56-year-old, famed for "Bat Out Of Hell," had a two-hour operation after doctors diagnosed his condition as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a heart defect that causes an irregular heartbeat. "The last two weeks have been very scary and unlike anything I've gone through before," the star, carrying a rugby ball in homage to England's World Cup victory, told a news conference. He was forced to cancel a concert in Manchester, northern England, but hoped to resume his tour in Dublin Tuesday. "I've been going on stage since some time in the 1960s... But I have to admit, I'm a little bit nervous. I'm having a few anxiety attacks," he said. Meat Loaf's operation was carried out to remove an extra electrical pathway in the heart which causes an irregular and accelerated heartbeat, he said. "Your heartbeat can get up to 300 beats per minute and then it explodes, so that would have been uncomfortable," he said. "I guess I cheated death."

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Mariel Hemingway, Margot Kidder, Marjoe Gortner, Marcia Clark, Margaret O'Brien, Margaret Thatcher, Mariah Carey, Marlo Thomas, Marie Osmond, Marty Balin, Markie Post, Ann-Margret, Jean Marsh, Penny Marshall, Julianne Margulies, Pamela Sue Martin, Julie Newmar, Beverly Garland, Terri Garr, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Barbi Benton, Winona Ryder, Goldie Hawn, Sheryl Crow, Kim Novack, Tonya Harding, Peggy Fleming, Wayne Newton, Barbara Corday, Doris Day, Susan Day George, Elizabeth Taylor, Leigh Taylor-Young, Jim Nabors, Tori Amos. Additional predictions: (2/22/03): Amanda Pays. (3/11/03): Marianne Faithful. (0/0/03):

1) Character actor Royce Applegate dies in H'wood house fire - January 2, 2003
2) Record producer Phil Spector arrested in slaying of actress Lana Clarkson - February 4, 2003
3) Beloved Italian actor, Alberto Sordi, dies - February 25, 2003
4) Pop star Adam Faith dies at 62 - March 8, 2003
5) Dire Straits singer Mark Knopfler hurt in crash - March 18, 2003
6) Soul's Edwin Starr Dies - April 2, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

7) Aerialist Eva Garcia dies after 20-foot circus plunge - August 9, 2003
8) British singer Matthew Jay dies at 24 - October 1, 2003
9) TV, stage actress Kellie Waymire dead at 36 - November 24, 2003
has been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6.

Thursday, 9 October, 2003, 08:22 GMT 09:22 UK (BBC News) - A former US Navy diver has been charged with three counts of stalking and harassing singer Sheryl Crow. Ambrose Kappos, 37, of New York, was also charged with burglary after allegedly breaking into a concert venue where Crow was due to perform. He was arrested after being accused of sneaking into New York's Hammerstein Ballroom then trying to get into Crow's limousine when she left the venue. Mr Kappos' brother said he was harmless but "infatuated" with the singer. If found guilty, Mr Kappos could face up to seven years in prison.

Crow's bodyguards at the New York venue said Mr Kappos had been following Crow for several months. Security officers at the ballroom told police they turned Kappos away after he told them he wanted to see the singer. They said he returned a few hours later and said: "I'm her twin. We're spiritually connected. I am going to meet her," according to the complaint. According to the complaint filed in Manhattan criminal court, Mr Kappos told detectives he "followed a bird to Sheryl Crow's father's house in Missouri and knocked on his door to ask for a date with her. Mr Crow refused his request". Mr Kappos is due back in court on Friday to learn if he will face trial on the charges.

COMMENT (10/9/03): Sheryl Crow was named in the list above and appears here courtesy of the "Ill" and "Oh" sounds. The dwarf in the do-nut shop had another clue for us, but a sudden gust of wind carried it off. A Sherry anyone?

Monday, December 22, 2003 Posted: 0339 GMT (11:39 AM HKT) - SANTA MONICA, California (AP) -- Hope Lange, who starred opposite Hollywood's top actors over a decades-long career and earned an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in the 1957 film "Peyton Place" has died, her husband said Sunday. She was 70. Lange died Friday at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica after suffering an infection caused by an intestinal inflammation known as ischemic colitis, said her husband, Charles Hollerith. Lange split her time between homes in Los Angeles' Westwood section and New York City, said Hollerith, a former theatrical producer and vice president of the Actors' Fund of America. Lange starred in dozens of films and television shows and captured two Emmy awards in 1969 and 1970, both for lead actress in a comedy series for her role in "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." Her big-screen credits included "The Best of Everything" in 1959 with Joan Crawford, "The Young Lions" in 1958 with Marlon Brando and "Peyton Place" with Lana Turner. More recently, she was in "Blue Velvet" (1986) and "Clear and Present Danger" (1994). Actor Don Murray, who was married to Lange for several years in the 1950s, said Lange had both good looks and acting prowess. "She was considered a great beauty who was also a serious and dedicated actor who didn't pay attention to being glamorous," Murray said. Murray said her looks even intimidated Marilyn Monroe, who wanted Lange's naturally blonde hair dyed light brown in their 1956 film "Bus Stop." "Marilyn complained about sharing the screen with another blonde," said Murray, who also starred in the film. "I guess she felt competition because Hope was a young beauty." Lange is survived by her husband; a son, actor Christopher Murray; a daughter, Patricia Murray; and two grandchildren.

Sunday, 28 December, 2003, 17:20 GMT - BBC News - Actor Sir Alan Bates has died at the age of 69. Sir Alan, famous for starring opposite Oliver Reed in the film version of Women in Love, passed away in a London clinic on Saturday night. He had been suffering from cancer of the liver. His brother and son were at his side. Sir Alan had a long career in the theatre, cinema and television. The brooding good looks that brought him early success in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger matured into a talent for a wide range of modern and classical roles. On Sunday actor and Labour MP Glenda Jackson paid tribute to the actor on BBC Radio 4. "As he grew older he became an even better actor with much greater depth and breadth. "I just thought that, apart from being a really first-rate actor, he was the most delightful person."

He was born in Derbyshire in 1934 and won a scholarship to Rada from school. He served in the RAF, and got his first acting job with a Midlands repertory company. Six months later he auditioned for the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre, and after making his debut in The Mulberry Bush in 1956, got the part of Cliff Lewis in Look Back in Anger, which also took him to Broadway. From then on he was in constant demand, appearing in the West End, Stratford-on-Avon, and at the Bristol Old Vic.

He launched his film career in The Entertainer in 1960, quickly followed by Whistle Down the Wind and The Caretaker. He went on to appear in many period productions, notably Far From the Madding Crowd, The Go-Between and Ken Russell's Women in Love. On television he scored a notable success in the title role of the BBC serial, The Mayor of Casterbridge, in 1978. Alan Bates was knighted in the New Year Honours of 2003. His wife and second son died several years ago.

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Grace Slick, Ace Frehley, Tracy Shaw, Jayne Meadows, Jane Curtain, Jane Fonda, Jay Leno, Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Raquel Welsh, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kate Nelligan, Tori Spelling, Barbara Mandrell, Liza Minnelli, Geri Halliwell, Annette Funicello, Sela Ward, Celine Dion, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Burstyn, Ellen DeGeneres, Helen Hunt, Shelly Duvall, Shelly Fabares, Shelley Long, Shelly Winters, Melissa Joan Hart, Melissa Manchester, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michelle Phillips, Gisele MacKenzie, Angelina Jolie, Anjelica Huston, Danielle Steel, Brenda Lee, Spike Lee, Sheryl Lee, Lauren Holly, Mohammad Ali, Yasmine Bleeth, John Cleese, Tommy Lee Jones, Gena Lee Nolin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jerry Lee Lewis, David Lee Roth, Holly Hunter, Julie Andrews, Leslie Nielsen, Leslie Uggams, Eileen Brennan, Dolly Parton, Molly Ringwald, Lee Majors, Lee Travino, Leeza Gibbons, Kylie Minogue. Additional predictions: (7/12/03): Kelly Clarkson. (0/0/03):

1) Anastacia fighting cancer - January 22, 2003
2) Actress-singer Nell Carter dies - January 23, 2003
3) Guitarist Ty Longley Among 97 Dead In Great White Club Fire - February 24, 2003
4) 'Mary Hartman' actor Graham P. Jarvis dead at 72 - April 20, 2003
5) Pioneer newsman David Brinkley dies at 82 - June 12, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

Saturday, September 27, 2003 Posted: 1155 GMT ( 7:55 PM HKT) - LONDON, England -- Pop star Kylie Minogue has called in police to investigate a series of threatening letters. The 35-year-old singer is reported to have become concerned after receiving 700 letters at her home and office. The letters, all from the west of England, started as ordinary fan mail but have been getting increasingly aggressive over the past year, according to The Sun newspaper. One of the singer's management team went to Fulham police station in west London last week to report the harassment and ask for advice on how to deal with it. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "An allegation of harassment was reported at Fulham police station on September 18 on behalf of a Chelsea woman. "An investigation is ongoing at Fulham CID and at this stage there have been no arrests." Former television soap star Minogue enjoys superstar status in Britain after a string of pop hits over the past decade including "Can't Get You Out Of My Head." Earlier this year she launched her own range of underwear in London. Next month she is due to release a new single and album. In April last year Kylie revealed she had been stalked by a fan for five years, and said he had even managed to find out where she went shopping. "I'm sure he means no harm," she added.

COMMENT (9/27/03): The stalking craze seems to be catching on. Kylie should watch out for this guy. I have found an unnerving relationship exists between certain US celebrities and Australian celebrities. For example, when Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash, Graeme 'Shirley' Strachan, lead singer of the 1970s rock group, Skyhooks, died in a helicopter crash. With Britney in danger next year, Kylie many have to look over her shoulder as well. Also, with the seventh anniversary of Diana's death around the corner, the "Di" sound will dominate 2004 -- "Kylie" has the sound.

COMMENT (10/5/03): Whoops. Just noticed tonight that I had this piece posted in the wrong section. I have moved it here after noting that I not only have Kylie Minogue listed, but also code-blued. Guess that means Kylie better be extra careful about that stalker!

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Vince Gill, Gillian Anderson, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Billy Preston, Billie Piper, Lily Tomlin, Cybill Shepherd, William Baldwin, William Katt, Prince William, Faith Hill, Lauryn Hill, Andy Williams, Cindy Williams, JoBeth Williams, Robin Williams, Vanessa Williams, Alicia Silverstone, Alyssa Milano, Linda Hamilton, Lynda Carter, Jane Fonda, Brad Pitt, Laura Dern, Brooke Burns, Charline Thuron, Katie Couric, Elizabeth Hurley, Kathleen Turner, Tina Turner, Uma Thurman, Christy Turlington. Additional predictions: (3/11/03): Carlene Carter. (0/0/03):

1) Billy Joel in car crash - January 26, 2003
2) 'Mister Rogers' dies at age 74 - January 27, 2003
3) 'Shaw's favourite actress' Dame Wendy Hiller dies - May 16, 2003
4) Holby City star Laura Sadler dies - June 19, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Rebecca DeMornay, Rebecca Gayheart, Alex Trebeck, Ray Manzarek. Additional predictions: (0/0/03):

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Jack Klugman, Jack Nicholson, Jack Nicklaus, Jack Paar, Jack Palance, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, Jackie Chan, Jackie Cooper, Jackie Mason, Jackie Shannon, Jackson Browne, Janet Jackson, Kate Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Michael Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jesse Jackson, Natalie Cole, Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Allen, Nancy Travis, Nancy Wilson, Pamela Anderson, Loni Anderson, Jennifer Aniston, Melissa Manchester, Nelson Mandela, Barbara Mandrell, Chuck Mangione, Barry Manilow, Charles Manson, Marilyn Manson, Ray Manzarek, Anne Rice, Anne Bancroft, Ann Blyth, Anne Heche, Ann-Margret, Anne Meara, Anna Kournikova, Annie Lennox, Annie Potts, Annette Funicello, Anthony Hopkins, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joanne Worley, LeAnn Rimes, Lesley-Anne Down, Rosanna Arquette, Suzanne Pleshette, Suzanne Somers, Suzanne Vega, Vanna White, Andy Griffith, Andy Williams, Brandy, Candy Clark, Sandy Duncan, Randy Quaid, Randy Travis, Mandy Moore, Armand Assante, Evander Holyfield, Lisa Stansfield. Additional predictions: (0/0/03):

2) Funnyman Buddy Hackett dead at 78 - July 1, 2003
3) Jazz flutist Herbie Mann dead at 73 - July 2, 2003
4) Actress Marie Trintignant dies after alleged beating - August 1, 2003
5) 'Gone with the Wind' Actor Rand Brooks Dies in Calif. - September 4, 2003
6) Cream star Jack Bruce has liver transplant - October 16, 2003
7) Wild-eyed movie villain Jack Elam dies - October 22, 2003
8) Actress Yancy Butler sent to rehab after "defying" motorists to run her down - November 24, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6.

Wednesday, June 4, 2003 Posted: 6:04 AM EDT (1004 GMT) -- LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Veteran singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, recently waking up disoriented in the middle of the night, walked into a wall and broke his nose, knocking himself unconscious, the entertainer disclosed on Tuesday. The accident occurred at his home in the desert resort of Palm Springs, California, just after Manilow had returned from a two-week stay in the seaside town of Malibu, where he was producing an upcoming album for his old boss, Bette Midler. Roused from a sound sleep thinking he was still in Malibu, Manilow got up and "veered to the left instead of the right and slammed right into the wall," he said in a statement released by his management company, Stiletto Entertainment. He passed out for four hours, and though he was not seriously hurt, the 56-year-old performer said the mishap left his nose quite swollen. His sense of humor remained intact, however. "I may have to have my nose fixed, and with this nose, it's going to require major surgery," he said, referring to his famously prominent profile. The statement did not make clear exactly when the accident occurred.

Manilow said he intends to finish work on the Midler album -- a tribute to the late Rosemary Clooney -- as well as on his own two-disc live collection, "Two Nights Live." He also is going ahead with plans to begin rehearsals for an original stage musical with Bruce Sussman, "Harmony," scheduled to open in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, this fall, with a possible Broadway debut early next year. Starting out as a pianist, arranger and musical director for Midler in the early 1970s, Manilow became a solo sensation with a string of hits later that decade, including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "This One's For You," "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana."

COMMENT (6/7/03): Barry Manilow was named in the list above and appears here courtesy of the "Eeeeee," "Ann," and "Oh" sounds. The woman with the blue rose had another clue for us, but I only had it unscrambled a few hours ago. Sorry Barry.

Pamela Anderson: only another 10 years to live

Wednesday, October 22, 2003 Posted: 1022 GMT ( 6:22 PM HKT) - NEW YORK (AP) -- Actress Pamela Anderson says hepatitis C, which she was diagnosed with in 2001, will probably kill her in a decade. "I think I've got a good 10 years left in me, which is sad, too. Maybe 15, if I'm lucky," Anderson tells Us Weekly magazine in a first-person story for the November 3 issue. "It's scary, but lately I've been feeling great. For some reason, my liver keeps getting healthier." Hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. About 3.9 million Americans have the disease. Anti-viral drugs are a standard treatment, and therapy is successful about half the time. But Anderson isn't taking interferon, the injectable drug hepatitis patients often use. Her homeopathic doctor, Wendy Hewland, tells the magazine she "made a single remedy specifically for Pam" that Anderson is using as an alternative form of medicine. The 36-year-old actress, who starred in the TV shows "Baywatch" and "V.I.P.," also says she's no longer planning to marry singer Kid Rock, to whom she got engaged in April 2002. "We're not engaged anymore. Our relationship is not really something you put a label on," she says. "He wanted to buy me a house in Malibu, Calif., (in August), but the thing is, I really just need to be with my kids and work on their relationship with their father." That would be former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee (news), with whom she resolved an ugly custody battle in January. The couple married in 1995 and divorced three tumultuous years later.

COMMENT (10/22/03): Pamela Anderson was named in the list above. Although Pamela Anderson was listed on this page (and actually predicted on the The Madonna-Pamela Anderson Prophecy page) as being in danger of death last year, 2002, and then revealed she had Hepatitis C, this disclosure represents an escalation of the danger, limiting her life to only 10 more years (in another interview a few days ago that appeared in People News she said 5 to 10 years). Clearly the disastrous nature of her illness was understated last year after her initial disclosure of having the disease and the full impact of my prediction on the MP Prophecy page was not appreciated for that reason.

The Minstrels: "Hey, Rastas!" What you say, Clyne?"

Thursday, 12 December, 2003, 17:06 GMT (BBC News) - Dai Francis, a vocalist with former song-and-dance TV troupe The Black and White Minstrels, has died aged 73. Francis was one of three lead singers with the easy-listening musical group which was a huge TV and theatre hit during the 1960s and 1970s. Swansea-born Francis joined the George Mitchell Singers in 1954 before the Minstrels made their BBC debut in 1957. The son of a music hall performer, he was best known for his solo renditions of songs by US artist Al Jolson. A funeral was held at Eastbourne Crematorium in Sussex on Wednesday. The Minstrels, performing a repertoire of Dixieland jazz and traditional US music from the deep South, drew more than 18 million viewers at the height of their TV success. They played more than 6,500 live shows over 10 years at London's Victoria Palace Theatre and became the only artists to hold the first, second and fourth places at the same time in the UK album charts.

The TV series was axed in 1978 in response to complaints that it was racially offensive and caricatured African-Americans. Backlash Campaigners were especially upset by the "blacking up" of the artists' faces, a practice based on a long-standing theatre tradition. Former minstrel colleague Stan Stennett, 78, said the backlash against the show may have hastened Francis' demise. "The thing that brought Dai's end nearer was that they took away the thing that meant more to him than anything - the Jolson thing," Stennett told BBC News Online. "When it became that you couldn't appear 'blacked up', he lost his livelihood and his living and his will to live." Stennett, a former actor in ITV soap Crossroads, said Francis was a great performer who would be sadly missed.

COMMENT (12/18/03): "Hey Rastas!" "What you say, Clyne?" "Hey Rastas, I jus' foun' out we got featured on Something Awful.com!" "If dat don't beat all," (rolls eyes), "I caint stop my feets from dancin' fro all de good news .."

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Dom DeLuise, Don Johnson, Donna Douglas, Donna D'Errico, Donna Air, Donatella Versace, Madonna, Geena Davis, Queen Latifah, Teena Marie, Lisa Bonet, Billy Dee Williams, Amanda Peet, Rex Reed, Al Green, Bob Keeshan, Cat Deeley, Liam Neeson, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Vereen, Bruce Springsteen, Sigourney Weaver, Griffen Dunn, Kirsten Dunst. Additional predictions: (3/11/03): Sam Neill. (4/17/03): Susan Sarandon. (0/0/03):

1) T Rex band member Mickey Finn dies - January 13, 2003
2) Ex-Petty bassist Howie Epstein dies of possible overdose - February 25, 2003
3) Russian actress Marina Ladynina dies - March 11, 2003
4) Actor Leslie Cheung 'found dead' - April 1, 2003
5) Comedian Rodney Dangerfield hospitalized to undergo brain surgery - April 9, 2003
6) Singer Little Eva of 'Loco-Motion' fame dies at 59 - April 11, 2003
7) Jazz legend Nina Simone dies - April 22, 2003
8) Dixie Chicks 'get death threats' - April 24, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

9) Singer Barry White dead at 58 - July 5, 2003
10) Actor-dancer Gregory Hines dead at 57 - August 11, 2003
11) Cameron Diaz Breaks Nose - September 3, 2003
12) Singer Warren Zevon Dies - September 8, 2003
13) Hitler filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl dies aged 101 - September 9, 2003
14) Britney's clash with stalker -- 'I am scared' says Slave 4 Love star - September 14, 2003
15) Dixie Chicks plane clips building - September 19, 2003
16) Aussie icon Slim Dusty dead at 76 - September 19, 2003
17) Courtney Love overdoses - October 3, 2003
18) Art Carney Dies - November 11, 2003
19) 'Sweet Soul Music' singer Arthur Conley dies - November 17, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6.

Tuesday, 4 Mar 2003 - starswelove.com - Pop superstar Madonna has sparked further speculation over the state of her marriage, after she was spotted in Beverly Hills, California, with a black eye. On February 4, an eyewitness saw the Music singer, wife of director Guy Ritchie, getting out of her black Mercedes 600 with the bruise. Wearing a blue cap with a long brim, 44-year-old Madonna slowly exited her car and walked into a clinic like a woman in pain, says the onlooker. The bruise remained highly visible when the star was seen out in Beverly Hills again riding her bicycle 12 days later. The injury has Madonna's pals asking questions about her fiery relationship with Ritchie, father of her two-year-old son Rocco. A friend tells American tabloid the Star, "I know from talking to them that they have major fights about everything. Guy has a temper and a jealous streak. I'm sure Madonna knows how to push all his buttons. She doesn't stand back and act submissive. She gets right in his face. Maybe she got too close this time? Madonna and Guy's marriage is so volatile at times that it's unbelievable they're still together. Let's just say their fights often reach fever pitch. They do have their good times, but they seem to be fighting more and more. Their battles go on sometimes for days. When they're arguing, which can happen at any time, anywhere, you'd better get out of the way."

02 June 2003 - The Sun — Pop queen Madonna brings Beverly Hills to a standstill — by falling off her mountain bike. The material girl came a cropper while trying to ride while carrying a cup of coffee. Madonna, 44, was heading to a meeting to study Kabbalah — a mystical offshoot of Judaism — near her Californian home. The mum of two escaped injury, despite wearing a flat cap instead of a crash helmet. Drivers waited as her bodyguard helped her to her feet. An onlooker said: 'Madonna looked a little shaken but the only thing that was badly damaged was her pride. She soon got up and dusted herself down.'

COMMENT (11/23/03): I can't believe I forgot to post these as evidence that Madonna, who I listed above, also experienced several mishaps thus far this year. I was so busy focusing on how these smaller events might be portending more serious trouble later for the Material Madam on the The Madonna-Pamela Anderson Prophecy page, that I ignored the fact that her name was listed under Dominique Dunne. Better late than never.

Monday, December 15, 2003 Posted: 0344 GMT (11:44 AM HKT) - LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Jeanne Crain, the winsome beauty who starred in lightweight 1940s romances and comedies and won an Academy Award nomination as a black girl passing for white in the controversial "Pinky," has died. She was 78. Crain, who was white, died of a heart attack at her Santa Barbara home early Sunday morning, according to her son, Paul Brinkman Jr. She appeared in 64 films and many television shows during her long career, playing opposite such stars as Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas and William Holden. With her lovely features, slender figure and demure manner, she became a leading star in the wartime and postwar years. For faraway GI's she seemed the ideal girl back home. At 20th Century-Fox studio, her fan mail was second only to that of pin-up queen Betty Grable. Crain's 1943 movie debut followed the Hollywood cliche: She appeared in a swimming suit beside a pool in the all-star "The Gang's All Here." She was elevated to leading roles in her next films -- "Home in Indiana," "In the Meantime, Darling." "Winged Victory" and "State Fair," which featured Rodgers and Hammerstein's only original score for a movie. "Margie" (1946), an entertaining, nostalgic tale of a small-town girl in the 1920s who gets a crush on her French teacher, established Crain as an important Fox star. She followed with a musical, "You Were Meant for Me," opposite Dan Dailey, and "An Apartment for Peggie," a romance with William Holden. "Pinky" brought Crain's only Oscar recognition, a nomination for best actress in 1949. It was a daring film at a time when Hollywood avoided racial controversy, about a girl who passes for white in the North but faces the bitter hatred of whites after returning to her grandmother's home in the Deep South ...

Tuesday, December 30, 2003 Posted: 0030 GMT ( 8:30 AM HKT) - HONG KONG, China (AP) -- Canto-pop diva and actress Anita Mui has died after a battle with cancer, according to friends. She was 40. Mui died at Hong Kong's Sanitorium Hospital at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday (1850 Monday GMT) after suffering from cervical cancer, according to her friends, including fellow singer Alan Tam, who were keeping vigil at the hospital. Known as Hong Kong's Madonna, Mui kicked off her career by winning a local singing contest in 1982. She rose to stardom with the song "Homecoming" in 1984. In 1987, she held a concert in Hong Kong known as the "Everchanging Anita" for a then record-breaking 28 nights. Mui also gained fame as an actress, winning Taiwan's Golden Horse award for best actress in 1987 for her role as a tormented ghost in the movie "Rouge." In September, she announced at a news conference that she was fighting cervical cancer after media speculation about her deteriorating health. "I am not a weak person ... I can tell you that I have never had any fears and I will win this fight," she said. More than 20 celebrities, including action film legend Jackie Chan, Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, and fellow Canto-pop singers Jackie Cheung and Nicholas Tse, appeared at her side in a show of support. Canto-pop refers to hits sung in Cantonese, the dialect of Chinese that is widely spoken in Hong Kong and in many overseas Chinese communities. Mui, who was not married, was also known for her charity work. She set up the Anita Mui Charity Foundation in the early 1990s. Her elder sister, Mui Oi-fong, died in 2000, also from cancer. Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.

COMMENT (12/31/03): Anita Mui was called "Hong Kong's Madonna." On that ominous note, I would point out that the last star to die who was called another "Madonna" was Tex-Mexican star Selena in March 1995. Two months later a psychotic stalker broke into Madonna's property with a knife, intending to slit the entertainer's throat, and was subdued by a security guard. Because Madonna is on a very short list of major, blonde, female megastars in danger in August 2004, Anita Mui's death might be regarded as a possible omen.

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Robert Redford, Robert DiNiro, Robert Plant, Robert Carradine, Robert Culp, Roberta Flack, Julia Roberts, Bob Barker, Bob Denver, Bob Dylan, Bob Hope, Bob Newhart, Bob Eubanks, Bobby Brown, Kurt Russell, Burt Reynolds, William Hurt, John Hurt, Tim Burton, LaVar Burton, Ted Turner, William Shatner, Rupert Everett, Bruce Dern, Ken Norton, Mackenzie Phillips. Additional predictions: (1/12/03): All surviving Kennedys. (9/27/03): Robert John, Robert Goulet, Robert Loggia, Robert Altman, Robert Townsend, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Tanya Roberts. (10/22/03): Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (technically Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s possible death in a plane crash was predicted several months ago on the 2004 page, just getting around to listing the name now).

1) Actor Richard Crenna dead at 76 - January 18, 2003
2) Actor Robert Rockwell, love interest in 'Our Miss Brooks,' dead at 82 - January 28, 2003
3) Tough-guy actor Robert Stack dead at 84 - May 15, 2003
have been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5.

4) Singer Robert Palmer dies at 54 - September 26, 2003
5) Bobby Hatfield of Righteous Brothers dead at 63 - November 6, 2003
has been re-located to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6.

17 Jul 03 -- People News - Julia Roberts has collapsed with chest pain while on holiday. The actress was celebrating surviving the first year of marriage to camerman Danny Moder. The couple had been on the tiny Italian island of Pantelleria, where they had been staying at Giorgio Armani's summer house. Convinced his wife was having a heart attack, Moder rang for help from the island's only heart specialist - who could not be reached. 'She was getting ready for dinner when it happened,' a source revealed. 'The pain was so intense she collapsed, clutching at her chest.'

With her wide mouth carved into a rictus of pain, the pelican-faced lovely eventually recovered after being given medicine from a nearby shop. 'Heart attack my eye,' a local resident sniffed. 'She's been out in the sun, enjoying herself with wine and spicy food. These Hollywood types get a bit of indigestion and they think it's the end of the world.' Roberts intends to get a full physical check-up as soon as she returns to America.

COMMENT (7/19/03): Julia Roberts was named in the list above and highlighted as a "code blue" as well. That pain in the chest may be trying to tell her something. Better get it checked out.

Monday, July 28, 2003 Posted: 2237 GMT ( 6:37 AM HKT) - (CNN) -- Bob Hope, the legendary comedian whose quick wit, daring personality and ski-sloped nose made him an icon of 20th-century entertainment, has died. He was 100. Hope died at 9:28 p.m. Sunday (12:28 a.m. Monday ET) at his home in Toluca Lake, north of Hollywood, his publicist, Ward Grant, told CNN. His death came less than two months after his 100th birthday, which was celebrated May 29. "Dad had an amazing send-off. All of the family was together with him and he died very peacefully last night, just about 9:30," his daughter Linda said at a press conference. "I don't think you could have asked for a more peaceful, beautiful death. And I think all the good vibes that he put out during his lifetime came back to take him up." "Making people happy, bringing joy to whatever room he came into -- I think that was his goal in life, and he shared that with his family as much as he shared that with the world," his granddaughter, Miranda Hope, told CNN Monday morning.

Hope's career covered almost every example of mass entertainment of the 20th century. He first earned fame on the vaudeville circuit, starred on the Broadway stage, moved over to movies and radio, then made generations laugh with five decades of television specials. Moreover, he was a tireless stage performer, particularly when it came to military audiences. Hope was synonymous with entertaining U.S. troops, putting on shows during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and on through the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Hope's efforts earned him the monikers of "Mr. Entertainment" and "The King of Comedy." He appeared in more than 75 films, starred in more than 475 TV programs and 1,000-plus radio programs. Most of all, he was a master of the one-liner -- and he was often his own best target. "I want to tell you, I was built like an athlete once -- big chest, hard stomach. Of course, that's all behind me now," went one of his jokes. And, referring to his frequent Oscar duties but lack of success at winning, one year he welcomed audiences to the Academy Awards -- "or, as it's called at my house, Passover." Even presidents -- many of whom he counted as friends -- weren't immune to his barbs. "I bumped into Gerald Ford the other day," went another gag. "I said, 'Pardon me.' He said, 'I don't do that anymore.' "

"Bob Hope made us laugh, and he lifted our spirits," President Bush said Monday. The president also issued a proclamation calling Hope one of the nation's "great treasures" and declared that flags at U.S. government buildings, installations and military posts around the world would be flown at half-staff on the day of Hope's interment. "By tirelessly entertaining America's troops, he demonstrated his extraordinary love of country and devotion to the men and women who have served our military," Bush said.

COMMENT (7/28/03): Bob Hope was named in the list above. Despite his advanced age, I can say in all sincerity that this was the first and only year Bob Hope's name appeared on the list of those who might die or suffer serious mishap. I never mentioned him in 1999, 2000, 2001, or 2002. You can check the 1999 section at top and the 2001 and 2002 archives to see I am right -- 2000 was deleted, but I know he was not named that year either. Also, I know I had no plans to list Bob Hope next year in 2004.

Monday, October 20, 2003 Posted: 2241 GMT ( 6:41 AM HKT) - LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Robert De Niro has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his spokesman said Monday. De Niro's cancer was "detected at an early stage" due to regular check-ups, and doctors "project a full recovery," said spokesman Stan Rosenfield in a statement. The statement did not disclose what sort of treatment De Niro was undergoing for his cancer. De Niro, 60, one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, has appeared in more than 60 movies in a career stretching back 40 years. He has been nominated for six Oscars, winning as best actor in 1980 for "Raging Bull" and as best supporting actor in 1974 for "The Godfather, Part II."

COMMENT (10/21/03): Robert De Niro was named in the list above and highlighted as a "code blue" as well. The frequency of celebrities with names listed on this page ending up dead or in some sort of dire situation is really starting to get unbelievable.

Martin Luther King (d. 1968) - Martin, Mar, Ar (list under Morrow), Tin, In, Luther, Lew, Thur, Ur (list under Robert), King, Ing

Possible predictions (1/10/03): Martin Landau, Martin Mull, Martin Short, Martina Hingis, Marty Allen, Ricky Martin, Steve Martin, Tony Martin, Dick Martin, Pamela Sue Martin, Wink Martindale, Louise Nurding, George Lucas, Luther Vandross, Thurgood Marshall, Lori Singer, Kim Basinger, Annette Bening, Tori Spelling. Additional predictions: (0/0/03):

Thu April 17, 2003 10:11 PM ET -- LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, who has battled weight and health problems for years, has suffered a stroke just days before his 52nd birthday, his record label said on Thursday. Vandross, a five-time Grammy winner who launched a successful comeback two years ago, was undergoing medical treatment after being stricken on Wednesday, J Records said in a statement."Vandross is under medical care, and his family and friends are hopeful for a speedy recovery," Carmen Romano, the entertainer's business manager, said in the statement. His whereabouts were not disclosed, and officials at New York-based J Records were not immediately available for comment.Famed for his silky, soulful crooning as well as for his songwriting and production prowess, Vandross turns 52 on Sunday. Since launching his solo career in 1981 after a successful stint as a back-up vocalist for the likes of David Bowie and Bette Midler, he has sold more than 20 million records worldwide. "There are vocalists, and then there's Luther," Motown singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson told Rolling Stone magazine in 1990. "Luther's in a class by himself."

Beginning with his 1981 album, "Never Too Much," the first of a chain of million-sellers, an unabashed Vandross bared his soul in sophisticated ballads that bridged the divide between classic soul and contemporary slickness.He also produced for such stars as Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, and Whitney Houston. Unlike other male singers, Vandross eschewed a macho posture, but did not come across as too wimpish, either. He established ...

COMMENT (4/19/03): Etc, etc, etc, yada, yada, yada ... Whoever wrote this very lengthy Reuters article about Luther Vandross, of which the above is only a small excerpt, must have figured that ol' Luther wasn't going to pull through. Reads like a giant obituary accompanied by a huge photo of Vandross besides. Luther Vandross is recovering and out of danger according to the most recent reports.

Summary

UPDATE (1/6/04): So, this is how things appeared on the main Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps page as the year 2003 came to a close.

Sounds extracted from the name Dominique Dunne (1982) produced the largest number of deaths and mishaps.

2003 was not perhaps the most clinically tested or focused of the Deaths and Mishaps years done thus far. However, implementation of a "blue alert" system, an immediate reaction to sounds in the names of the recently deceased, appears to have been a partial success in anticipating who next is at risk. It confirmed what I suspected: 1) that Johnny Cash would be one of the major losses of the year and 2) what I dreaded might be true: that Ozzie Osbourne was indeed in graver danger of losing his life than his wife Sharon, the one he and the media began the year worrying about. Neither of these suspicions were ever voiced, but with the "blue alert" one can quickly review the list of celebrities and focus on those who are more likely to be in trouble. The code blue system also identified Roger Moore as being in danger, although he survived.

There was a 66% chance that one female actress who was fairly new or trying to restart her career would be shot by a stalker or someone promising to further her career. The year began with the bizarre shooting murder of actress Lana Clarkson by music producer Phil Spector. Conversely, there was only a 14% chance that one new actress, especially one aged 22, would be murdered by her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. Nevertheless, this scenario played out three times in 2003 with the shooting murder of actress Lyric Benson, age 22, by a jealous boyfriend; the beating death of French actress Marie Trintignant by her ex-boyfriend; and the shooting death of Egyptian singer/actress Zikra by her husband.

Neither Lyric Benson nor Zikra were suggested by the name sounds for 2003; however, Lana Clarkson, Phil Spector, and Marie Trintignant were. Even so, the clues were useless since Clarkson was a B-movie has-been looking for a new start and Trintignant was famous largely only to French audiences. Benson and Zikra were even more unknown. Naming any of these in advance was highly improbable due to their relative obscurity. Even in my prediction I stated that we would not likely know the identity of the women involved, if anything did happen, until afterwards.

Likewise, I did not know the identity of the comedian who I predicted would die suddenly this year and shock his fans like John Belushi did in 1982. I wondered if his name would be "John" and it was ... John Ritter. But I never suspected John Ritter would be the "John" in question.

One observation: there was a disturbing number of young people and "youthful" middle-aged celebrities who died prematurely this year from one cause or another... or almost did. I have never seen a year quite this bad. Normally having too many "young" celebrities on the lists seems unrealistic ... but not this year.

Sadly, 2003 was a year of distractions. Between following the War in Iraq, worries about Planet X, the creation of a new page I had been promising to do since 2000 ("Revelation"), and many other concerns, I actually could not devote the kind of detective work to these pages that I would have liked. Sometimes I bearly had the time to simply post the latest celebrity death or mishap that matched prominent name sounds. Sometimes there were not even comments by me or there were black-humoured comments.

Hey, death is a morbid topic and if you think I wasn't whistling past the graveyard trying to deal with my own sense of loss and an impending sense of doom after seeing the likes of Maurice Gibb, Robert Palmer, Warren Zevon, and John Ritter passing away in their early or mid 50s, then you don't know me. It wasn't easy being 49 and seeing this stuff happening.

Meanwhile, I am going to continue to make wisecracks about funny-looking file photos the media chooses to use in obituaries, extremely bizarre reports, and people who do really stupid things to themselves.

This system-within-a-system still needs a lot of improvement. This year, 2004, the lists of potential candidates are going to be much shorter and very carefully considered. And not as many name sounds will appear either -- only the most important and relevent ones.

Thus, we begin the seventh anniversary of a most tragic year: 1997, the year Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris.

Any celebrity events that occur in the meantime, until I have the new page set up, will be dealt with retroactively (if necessary).

Warning: If you enter this page from a 'back door' you will have absolutely no idea what is going on.

Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 7

2003 ~ How Things Looked by Year's End

Sounds

2003 Sounds

Summary