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re: Endless Sleep - The Obituary Thread
Posted on 7/31/26 at 11:31 am to bleeng
Posted on 7/31/26 at 11:31 am to bleeng
Plas Johnson, Saxophonist Behind ‘Pink Panther Theme,’ Dead at 94
The prolific musician played on recordings for artists like Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys, and more
LINK
By Emily Zemler
July 22, 2026
American jazz saxophonist Plas Johnson, known for recording with artists like Frank Sinatra and B.B. King, died last week at 94. Johnson’s death was reported in his Louisiana hometown newspaper, the Donaldsonville Chief, and dated July 15. No cause of death was given.
Johnson, who hailed from Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was most famous for his contribution to the “The Pink Panther Theme,” which he recorded in 1963 alongside composer Henry Mancini as part of the soundtrack for Blake Edwards’ comedy film The Pink Panther. The song won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score at the 37th Academy Awards.
“We only did two takes, I think,” Johnson once said of the song, according to the Donaldsonville Chief. “When we finished, everyone applauded, even the string players.”
Throughout his career, Johnson performed on numerous songs, including recordings for the Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Otis, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, and Nat King Cole. Born on July 21, 1931 in Donaldsonville, Johnson began his musical career singing with his family. His father later bought him a saxophone and he made his recording debut in 1950 alongside his brother Ray for DeLuxe Records. He also toured with singer and pianist Charles Brown.
Johnson moved to Los Angeles in 1954 after his Army service, where he became a prolific session musician. He was a regular in Mancini’s orchestra in the 1950s and 1960s, and began playing in Merv Griffin’s studio band on the Merv Griffin Show in 1970. He was well regarded for his saxphone solos, which often elevated a piece.
“My solos always seemed to bring the record up another notch,” Johnson said. “I could do that in eight bars, I could do that in twelve bars, and I was used to maybe do fills behind the vocalist after that.”
In the 1970s and 1980s, Johnson appeared on recordings by Bette Midler, Carole King, Aaron Neville, Linda Ronstadt, Boz Scaggs, and Rod Stewart. Although he was ostensibly a jazz musican, he often veered into other genres, including rock and pop. More recently, he worked with Joni Mitchell on her 2002 LP, Travelogue.
As a solo artist, Johnson released several albums and compilations. In 1959 he released This Must Be the Plas! via Capital Records and in 1975 he shared The Blues on Concord Jazz, both well received by critics and fans.
Johnson’s work was documented in 2008 film The Wrecking Crew, a documentary about session musicians working in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s directed by Denny Tedesco. As the film depicts, he left an indelible mark on the music landscape, which was often only celebrated behind the scenes. Johnson will be remembered both for his famous contributions, but also for the many he made that have largely gone unrecognized.
The prolific musician played on recordings for artists like Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys, and more
LINK
By Emily Zemler
July 22, 2026
American jazz saxophonist Plas Johnson, known for recording with artists like Frank Sinatra and B.B. King, died last week at 94. Johnson’s death was reported in his Louisiana hometown newspaper, the Donaldsonville Chief, and dated July 15. No cause of death was given.
Johnson, who hailed from Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was most famous for his contribution to the “The Pink Panther Theme,” which he recorded in 1963 alongside composer Henry Mancini as part of the soundtrack for Blake Edwards’ comedy film The Pink Panther. The song won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score at the 37th Academy Awards.
“We only did two takes, I think,” Johnson once said of the song, according to the Donaldsonville Chief. “When we finished, everyone applauded, even the string players.”
Throughout his career, Johnson performed on numerous songs, including recordings for the Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Otis, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, and Nat King Cole. Born on July 21, 1931 in Donaldsonville, Johnson began his musical career singing with his family. His father later bought him a saxophone and he made his recording debut in 1950 alongside his brother Ray for DeLuxe Records. He also toured with singer and pianist Charles Brown.
Johnson moved to Los Angeles in 1954 after his Army service, where he became a prolific session musician. He was a regular in Mancini’s orchestra in the 1950s and 1960s, and began playing in Merv Griffin’s studio band on the Merv Griffin Show in 1970. He was well regarded for his saxphone solos, which often elevated a piece.
“My solos always seemed to bring the record up another notch,” Johnson said. “I could do that in eight bars, I could do that in twelve bars, and I was used to maybe do fills behind the vocalist after that.”
In the 1970s and 1980s, Johnson appeared on recordings by Bette Midler, Carole King, Aaron Neville, Linda Ronstadt, Boz Scaggs, and Rod Stewart. Although he was ostensibly a jazz musican, he often veered into other genres, including rock and pop. More recently, he worked with Joni Mitchell on her 2002 LP, Travelogue.
As a solo artist, Johnson released several albums and compilations. In 1959 he released This Must Be the Plas! via Capital Records and in 1975 he shared The Blues on Concord Jazz, both well received by critics and fans.
Johnson’s work was documented in 2008 film The Wrecking Crew, a documentary about session musicians working in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s directed by Denny Tedesco. As the film depicts, he left an indelible mark on the music landscape, which was often only celebrated behind the scenes. Johnson will be remembered both for his famous contributions, but also for the many he made that have largely gone unrecognized.
Posted on 7/31/26 at 2:36 pm to Mizz-SEC
Thanks for posting that. I knew the music, but not the name or that he was a Louisiana native.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 3:32 pm to ItzMe1972
Frank Beard, ZZ Top Drummer, Dies at 77
The long-tenured timekeeper for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blues-rock trio was a key part of one of the longest-lasting consistent band lineups in rock history.
By Andrew Unterberger
Frank Beard, drummer with rock greats ZZ Top for 56 years, died on Monday (Aug. 17). A press release from longtime band publicist Bob Merlis confirmed his passing on Tuesday, stating that Beard was “in hospice care when he passed away at his ranch in Richmond, TX with family members at his side.” He was 77.
Beard had served as stickman for the Texas blues-rock trio since 1969, when he made the jump from the more psychedelic-oriented local group American Blues to ZZ Top. At that point, the latter group consisted of Beard, singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Billy Ethridge. After Ethridge quit the band and was replaced by Dusty Hill, the band’s power-trio lineup was locked in, and would not change for the next half-century.
ZZ Top became national rock stars in the mid-’70s with the release of Tres Hombres, with Beard’s explosive-but-swinging drumming playing a huge part in the band’s sonic identity. While “La Grange,” the album’s breakout hit single and a future classic-rock radio staple, is perhaps best remembered for Gibbons’ limber guitar riffing and haw-haw-haw vocal sleaze, equally crucial was Beard’s frisky stick-tapping on the song’s intro and clipped gallop on its main groove.
The trio found continued success throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s, hitting the Billboard Hot 100’s top 40 with the horny rave-up “Tush” and the spiky Sam + Dave cover “I Thank You.” During this time, Beard struggled with substance abuse, with the band going on hiatus in the late ’70s as Beard dealt with his issues. He got clean in the early ’80s, and shortly after, ZZ Top really went into mid-’80s commercial overdrive, thanks largely to the advent of MTV — a format not often charitable to the AOR rockers of yesteryear, but one that ZZ Top embraced with particular élan, becoming music video icons as the mystical hairy dudes with the fuzzy guitars, the cool car and the hot chicks. (Ironically, Beard was the one member of the group to go clean-shaven; “Frank’s beard is on his driver’s license,” quipped Gibbons.)
ZZ Top’s 1983 album Eliminator spawned a trio of MTV smashes (“Gimme All Your Lovin,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs”) and would ultimately be certified diamond by the RIAA, becoming the group’s biggest album. While Beard’s drumming on the set was somewhat smoothed out by the group’s increasingly processed, new wave-friendlier sound, he still helped provide the singles much-needed muscle and backbone under the shiny guitars and synths. (Beard also got married for the second time shortly before the album’s release, with he and wife Debbie Meredith remaining together — with twin sons Rory and Nico born in 1985 — until his death.)
After Eliminator, the band released the similarly crossover-friendly Afterburner in 1985, with similar (if slightly less spectacular) multi-platinum results. By the time the band returned for a new album five years later, with 1990’s Recycler, the band was looking to make more of a return to their blues-rock roots, and was slightly out of step with the rock and pop of the time. ZZ Top’s days as top 40 hitmakers were done, though the trio continued to sell respectably and chart on Mainstream Rock Airplay through the ’90s.
The group released two albums in the 21st century, 2003’s Mescalero and 2012’s La Futura, and continued to tour with the same three-man lineup it had held since 1969, the longtime consistency of its lineup an extreme rarity among popular rock bands. In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2019, it was the subject of the Netflix documentary That Little Ol’ Band From Texas. Sadly, the group was finally forced into lineup changes with the death of Hill in 2021, with longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis replacing him at live performances. Now, with Beard’s death, Gibbons remains the lone living member from the group’s classic lineup.
“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas,” Gibbons says of his bandmate of 68 years in the press release. “His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished.”
The release also states that Beard’s death “necessitates the cancellation of ZZ Top tour dates that had been scheduled for [Aug. 18] in Salt Lake City and [Aug. 19] in Colorado Springs,” but that the band “will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits, one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him.”
The long-tenured timekeeper for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blues-rock trio was a key part of one of the longest-lasting consistent band lineups in rock history.
By Andrew Unterberger
Frank Beard, drummer with rock greats ZZ Top for 56 years, died on Monday (Aug. 17). A press release from longtime band publicist Bob Merlis confirmed his passing on Tuesday, stating that Beard was “in hospice care when he passed away at his ranch in Richmond, TX with family members at his side.” He was 77.
Beard had served as stickman for the Texas blues-rock trio since 1969, when he made the jump from the more psychedelic-oriented local group American Blues to ZZ Top. At that point, the latter group consisted of Beard, singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Billy Ethridge. After Ethridge quit the band and was replaced by Dusty Hill, the band’s power-trio lineup was locked in, and would not change for the next half-century.
ZZ Top became national rock stars in the mid-’70s with the release of Tres Hombres, with Beard’s explosive-but-swinging drumming playing a huge part in the band’s sonic identity. While “La Grange,” the album’s breakout hit single and a future classic-rock radio staple, is perhaps best remembered for Gibbons’ limber guitar riffing and haw-haw-haw vocal sleaze, equally crucial was Beard’s frisky stick-tapping on the song’s intro and clipped gallop on its main groove.
The trio found continued success throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s, hitting the Billboard Hot 100’s top 40 with the horny rave-up “Tush” and the spiky Sam + Dave cover “I Thank You.” During this time, Beard struggled with substance abuse, with the band going on hiatus in the late ’70s as Beard dealt with his issues. He got clean in the early ’80s, and shortly after, ZZ Top really went into mid-’80s commercial overdrive, thanks largely to the advent of MTV — a format not often charitable to the AOR rockers of yesteryear, but one that ZZ Top embraced with particular élan, becoming music video icons as the mystical hairy dudes with the fuzzy guitars, the cool car and the hot chicks. (Ironically, Beard was the one member of the group to go clean-shaven; “Frank’s beard is on his driver’s license,” quipped Gibbons.)
ZZ Top’s 1983 album Eliminator spawned a trio of MTV smashes (“Gimme All Your Lovin,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs”) and would ultimately be certified diamond by the RIAA, becoming the group’s biggest album. While Beard’s drumming on the set was somewhat smoothed out by the group’s increasingly processed, new wave-friendlier sound, he still helped provide the singles much-needed muscle and backbone under the shiny guitars and synths. (Beard also got married for the second time shortly before the album’s release, with he and wife Debbie Meredith remaining together — with twin sons Rory and Nico born in 1985 — until his death.)
After Eliminator, the band released the similarly crossover-friendly Afterburner in 1985, with similar (if slightly less spectacular) multi-platinum results. By the time the band returned for a new album five years later, with 1990’s Recycler, the band was looking to make more of a return to their blues-rock roots, and was slightly out of step with the rock and pop of the time. ZZ Top’s days as top 40 hitmakers were done, though the trio continued to sell respectably and chart on Mainstream Rock Airplay through the ’90s.
The group released two albums in the 21st century, 2003’s Mescalero and 2012’s La Futura, and continued to tour with the same three-man lineup it had held since 1969, the longtime consistency of its lineup an extreme rarity among popular rock bands. In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2019, it was the subject of the Netflix documentary That Little Ol’ Band From Texas. Sadly, the group was finally forced into lineup changes with the death of Hill in 2021, with longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis replacing him at live performances. Now, with Beard’s death, Gibbons remains the lone living member from the group’s classic lineup.
“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas,” Gibbons says of his bandmate of 68 years in the press release. “His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished.”
The release also states that Beard’s death “necessitates the cancellation of ZZ Top tour dates that had been scheduled for [Aug. 18] in Salt Lake City and [Aug. 19] in Colorado Springs,” but that the band “will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits, one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him.”
Posted on 8/23/26 at 4:31 pm to Mizz-SEC
LINK
quote:
Janie Bradford, the onetime receptionist for Berry Gordy who co-wrote the R&B classic “Money (That’s What I Want),” the first big hit for the founder of Motown Records, has died. She was 87.
Bradford died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after an extended illness, her family announced.
Bradford also co-wrote “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” which Marvin Gaye took to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969, and songs for other artists including Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, the Four Tops and Martha & the Vandellas.
quote:
Born on June 2, 1939, in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford was inspired to be a writer after her idol, poet Robert Frost, visited her high school.
While living in Detroit with her sister, Clea, she became neighborhood friends with singer Jackie Wilson, who had just charted with his first solo single, the 1957 party anthem “Reet Petite.” Wilson invited her to meet Gordy, one of the song’s writers, and she gave him a collection of her poetry.
After Gordy had launched the Tamla and Motown labels in 1959, he hired Bradford as a receptionist. One day, as Gordy was working on a song, Bradford joined him at the piano to add her own verse — “Your love gives me such a thrill, but your love don’t pay my bills. Gimme some money, baby!”
The song, of course, would become “Money (That’s What I Want).” First recorded by Barrett Strong, it peaked at No. 23 on the Hot 100 and helped cement Tamla/Motown as hit-makers. It would be covered by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Flying Lizards, The Supremes, Boyz II Men and Charli XCX, among many others.
Posted on 8/23/26 at 5:10 pm to Kafka
Benny Lattimore passed away yesterday at the age of 86. He performed as simply Latimore. He was really big in the R&B scene in the 60’s and 70’s. His biggest hit was “Let’s Straighten It Out “, and teenage Uatu put that song to use back in the day! Here’s part of his Wiki page:
Latimore was born in Charleston, Tennessee on September 7, 1939,[1] and was influenced by country music, his Baptist church choir, and the blues.[3] His first professional experience came as a pianist for various Florida-based groups including Steve Alaimo.[1] He first recorded around 1965 for Henry Stone's Dade record label in Miami, Florida.[4] In the early 1970s, he moved to the Glades label, and had his first major hit in 1973 with a jazzy reworking of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday",[1] which reached No. 27 on the R&B chart.
His first national hit was "If You Were My Woman," a gender-modified cover of "If I Were Your Woman" (written by Pam Sawyer, Clay McMurray, and Gloria Jones and first popularized by Gladys Knight & the Pips), which reached No. 70 on the R&B chart. His biggest success came in 1974, with "Let's Straighten It Out", a No. 1 R&B hit,[1] which also reached No. 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. He followed it up with more hits, including "Keep The Home Fire Burnin'" (No. 5 R&B, 1975) and "Somethin' 'Bout 'Cha" (No. 7 R&B, 1976). His hits dissipated in the late 1970s.
"He likes what he's singing so much that he doesn't have to go for the simulated high emotion of some fancy vocal embellishment—he just puts those lyrics across, intelligent and matter-of-fact, as if you've never heard them before, which maybe you haven't."
— More More More Latimore review in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981)[5]
Latimore moved to Malaco Records in 1982,[1] releasing seven albums of modern blues music with that label. He briefly left the label in 1994 and released a song for the J-Town label, Turning Up The Mood, before returning to Malaco in 2000 with You're Welcome To Ride. Next, Latimore recorded an album with Mel Waiters' label, Brittney Records, called Latt Is Back.[6]
In October, 2007 Latimore collaborated with Henry Stone on a new record label called LatStone which released his first new album in six years called Back 'Atcha.
He continued to work as a session pianist. He appeared most recently on Joss Stone's albums, The Soul Sessions (2003) and Mind Body & Soul (2004), along with fellow Miami music veterans Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, and Willie Hale, and made an appearance in May 2014 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In 2017, Latimore was inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame.[2]
Latimore died in August 2026, at the age of 86.[7]
Latimore was born in Charleston, Tennessee on September 7, 1939,[1] and was influenced by country music, his Baptist church choir, and the blues.[3] His first professional experience came as a pianist for various Florida-based groups including Steve Alaimo.[1] He first recorded around 1965 for Henry Stone's Dade record label in Miami, Florida.[4] In the early 1970s, he moved to the Glades label, and had his first major hit in 1973 with a jazzy reworking of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday",[1] which reached No. 27 on the R&B chart.
His first national hit was "If You Were My Woman," a gender-modified cover of "If I Were Your Woman" (written by Pam Sawyer, Clay McMurray, and Gloria Jones and first popularized by Gladys Knight & the Pips), which reached No. 70 on the R&B chart. His biggest success came in 1974, with "Let's Straighten It Out", a No. 1 R&B hit,[1] which also reached No. 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. He followed it up with more hits, including "Keep The Home Fire Burnin'" (No. 5 R&B, 1975) and "Somethin' 'Bout 'Cha" (No. 7 R&B, 1976). His hits dissipated in the late 1970s.
"He likes what he's singing so much that he doesn't have to go for the simulated high emotion of some fancy vocal embellishment—he just puts those lyrics across, intelligent and matter-of-fact, as if you've never heard them before, which maybe you haven't."
— More More More Latimore review in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981)[5]
Latimore moved to Malaco Records in 1982,[1] releasing seven albums of modern blues music with that label. He briefly left the label in 1994 and released a song for the J-Town label, Turning Up The Mood, before returning to Malaco in 2000 with You're Welcome To Ride. Next, Latimore recorded an album with Mel Waiters' label, Brittney Records, called Latt Is Back.[6]
In October, 2007 Latimore collaborated with Henry Stone on a new record label called LatStone which released his first new album in six years called Back 'Atcha.
He continued to work as a session pianist. He appeared most recently on Joss Stone's albums, The Soul Sessions (2003) and Mind Body & Soul (2004), along with fellow Miami music veterans Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, and Willie Hale, and made an appearance in May 2014 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In 2017, Latimore was inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame.[2]
Latimore died in August 2026, at the age of 86.[7]
Posted on 8/23/26 at 9:30 pm to Uatu
absolute GOAT makeout song:
Posted on 8/23/26 at 9:43 pm to FearlessFreep
Oh, yes, I used that one too! My HS girlfriend broke up with me in my senior year. Her aunts still kept in touch with me and that particular track was on my old 8 track one Friday night when I picked her youngest aunt up after work. I didn’t get back home until 1:30 AM , and my parents were NOT happy with their middle son!
Posted on 8/24/26 at 7:00 am to Uatu
You drilled her aunt?
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:40 am to hogcard1964
Well, her mom was the oldest and her aunt was only 27! I was 17 then, and had quite the summer until I went to college that fall. Aunt Gloria is long gone now, and I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations is long gone too!
Posted on 8/24/26 at 1:49 pm to Uatu
Shelley Fabares, Star of ‘The Donna Reed Show’ and ‘Coach,’ Dead at 82
The Emmy-nominated actress appeared opposite Elvis Presley in the films Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake
By Emily Zemler
Rolling Stone
August 24, 2026
American actress Shelley Fabares, known for her work with Elvis Presley and for starring in the popular TV series The Donna Reid Show and Coach, died at 82. Her death was confirmed by her family, who said in a statement to People that she died in Los Angeles on Aug. 22 “surrounded by those who loved her.” A cause of death was not given.
“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” her family said. “She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”
They added, “To those closest to her, her greatest legacy was personal: the love she gave so freely, the friendships she treasured, and the family bonds she held dear.… We will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, wit, courage, and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply — not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.”
Born Michele Ann Marie Fabares on Jan. 19, 1944, Fabares grew up in the Los Angeles area. Her mother got her into modeling at age three, and she made her TV debut at 10 years old in 1954 in an episode of Letter to Loretta. In 1958, she joined The Donna Reed Show as Mary Stone, the teenage daughter of Donna Reed’s Donna and Carl Betz’s Dr. Alex. Fabares connected strongly with Reed, once saying, “She was a role model before I knew what a role model was.”
“I think the years on The Donna Reed Show, the years from 14 to 19, were so incredibly important,” Fabares reflected to the Los Angeles Times in 1993. “Donna Reed was simply an extraordinary woman, a woman of great strength, kindness, integrity, and compassion. I am not trying to make her sound like a saint, but she had the most profound influence on me. I carry her with me today.”
Fabares’ popularity on The Donna Reed Show, on which she occasionally sang, led to a recording contract for the actress. She released her debut album, Shelley!, in 1962. That same year her single “Johnny Angel,” created for The Donna Reed Show, reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100. “I was stunned about that, to put it mildly,” she said later. “After all, I never could sing.”
After leaving The Donna Reed Show in 1963, Fabares starred in romantic drama film Ride the Wild Surf and opposite Presley in 1965’s Girl Happy. She reunited with Presley in 1966’s Spinout and 1967’s Clambake. The following year she played Hank Williams Jr.’s love interest in A Time to Sing. The actress also appeared in numerous television shows throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, including sitcom One Day at a Time, on which she played Francine Webster.
“I ended up doing three pictures with Elvis, and that was wonderful,” she said in a 2024 interview. “We always knew doing the pictures that they weren’t good, but we had a wonderful time doing them. Getting to do three with him was amazing fun.”
During the 1980s, Fabares appeared in popular shows like Mork & Mindy, The Love Boat, Newhart, and Murder, She Wrote. In 1989, she was cast as Christine Armstrong Fox on the ABC sitcom Coach opposite Craig T. Nelson, a defining role in her career. The show became a hit and aired until 1997. Fabares was twice nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Fabares described Coach as being a life-changing opportunity. The role came after she had gone several years without being cast in anything. “I did expect, like other actors say all the time, ‘Oh, I thought I would never work again,’” she said. “That I kept on working was just an astonishing fact to me. I felt so lucky.”
More recently, Fabares voiced Martha Kent on Superman: The Animated Series. From 2003 to 2018, she was a member of the SAG Awards Committee and helped to oversee and produce the annual SAG Awards (now known as the Actor Awards). Fabares was also involved with fundraising for Alzheimer’s research, which she did in honor of her mother.
“I travel around the country, make speeches, do fundraising, testify before Congress — things that I never thought I would ever do,” she told The Roanoke Times. “It is so far out of the realm of what I thought I would be doing with my life.… My experience with the Alzheimer’s Association has been one of the most rewarding of my life.”
Nelson, Fabares’ Coach co-star, was one of the first to share a tribute to the actress. “Shelley was a great and grand lady … just a rock. I will miss her,” Nelson said in a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly. “She was a foundational part of my life during the run of Coach.” He described her as “just an extraordinary woman,” adding, “She always had a smile. She was welcoming in the midst of chaos and always someone I could go to for advice and counsel, not only myself but others as well. I’ll remember you with love, Shelley Fabares.”
Glenn Scarpelli, who starred with Fabares on One Day at a Time, wrote on Instagram, “My heart is filled with the most wonderful lifelong memories with Shell. She was truly beautiful inside and out. We remained in touch since the day I met her. The last time we spoke was last Christmas week. I knew she had been struggling a bit with her health but I always thought I’d physically see her again. The last thing we said before hanging up was ‘I love you’ and ‘I love you too.’”
The Emmy-nominated actress appeared opposite Elvis Presley in the films Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake
By Emily Zemler
Rolling Stone
August 24, 2026
American actress Shelley Fabares, known for her work with Elvis Presley and for starring in the popular TV series The Donna Reid Show and Coach, died at 82. Her death was confirmed by her family, who said in a statement to People that she died in Los Angeles on Aug. 22 “surrounded by those who loved her.” A cause of death was not given.
“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” her family said. “She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”
They added, “To those closest to her, her greatest legacy was personal: the love she gave so freely, the friendships she treasured, and the family bonds she held dear.… We will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, wit, courage, and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply — not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.”
Born Michele Ann Marie Fabares on Jan. 19, 1944, Fabares grew up in the Los Angeles area. Her mother got her into modeling at age three, and she made her TV debut at 10 years old in 1954 in an episode of Letter to Loretta. In 1958, she joined The Donna Reed Show as Mary Stone, the teenage daughter of Donna Reed’s Donna and Carl Betz’s Dr. Alex. Fabares connected strongly with Reed, once saying, “She was a role model before I knew what a role model was.”
“I think the years on The Donna Reed Show, the years from 14 to 19, were so incredibly important,” Fabares reflected to the Los Angeles Times in 1993. “Donna Reed was simply an extraordinary woman, a woman of great strength, kindness, integrity, and compassion. I am not trying to make her sound like a saint, but she had the most profound influence on me. I carry her with me today.”
Fabares’ popularity on The Donna Reed Show, on which she occasionally sang, led to a recording contract for the actress. She released her debut album, Shelley!, in 1962. That same year her single “Johnny Angel,” created for The Donna Reed Show, reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100. “I was stunned about that, to put it mildly,” she said later. “After all, I never could sing.”
After leaving The Donna Reed Show in 1963, Fabares starred in romantic drama film Ride the Wild Surf and opposite Presley in 1965’s Girl Happy. She reunited with Presley in 1966’s Spinout and 1967’s Clambake. The following year she played Hank Williams Jr.’s love interest in A Time to Sing. The actress also appeared in numerous television shows throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, including sitcom One Day at a Time, on which she played Francine Webster.
“I ended up doing three pictures with Elvis, and that was wonderful,” she said in a 2024 interview. “We always knew doing the pictures that they weren’t good, but we had a wonderful time doing them. Getting to do three with him was amazing fun.”
During the 1980s, Fabares appeared in popular shows like Mork & Mindy, The Love Boat, Newhart, and Murder, She Wrote. In 1989, she was cast as Christine Armstrong Fox on the ABC sitcom Coach opposite Craig T. Nelson, a defining role in her career. The show became a hit and aired until 1997. Fabares was twice nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Fabares described Coach as being a life-changing opportunity. The role came after she had gone several years without being cast in anything. “I did expect, like other actors say all the time, ‘Oh, I thought I would never work again,’” she said. “That I kept on working was just an astonishing fact to me. I felt so lucky.”
More recently, Fabares voiced Martha Kent on Superman: The Animated Series. From 2003 to 2018, she was a member of the SAG Awards Committee and helped to oversee and produce the annual SAG Awards (now known as the Actor Awards). Fabares was also involved with fundraising for Alzheimer’s research, which she did in honor of her mother.
“I travel around the country, make speeches, do fundraising, testify before Congress — things that I never thought I would ever do,” she told The Roanoke Times. “It is so far out of the realm of what I thought I would be doing with my life.… My experience with the Alzheimer’s Association has been one of the most rewarding of my life.”
Nelson, Fabares’ Coach co-star, was one of the first to share a tribute to the actress. “Shelley was a great and grand lady … just a rock. I will miss her,” Nelson said in a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly. “She was a foundational part of my life during the run of Coach.” He described her as “just an extraordinary woman,” adding, “She always had a smile. She was welcoming in the midst of chaos and always someone I could go to for advice and counsel, not only myself but others as well. I’ll remember you with love, Shelley Fabares.”
Glenn Scarpelli, who starred with Fabares on One Day at a Time, wrote on Instagram, “My heart is filled with the most wonderful lifelong memories with Shell. She was truly beautiful inside and out. We remained in touch since the day I met her. The last time we spoke was last Christmas week. I knew she had been struggling a bit with her health but I always thought I’d physically see her again. The last thing we said before hanging up was ‘I love you’ and ‘I love you too.’”
Posted on 8/24/26 at 2:06 pm to Uatu
Craig T. Nelson Remembers Late Coach Costar Shelley Fabares: ‘She Was a Foundational Part of My Life’
Nelson and Fabares played love interests (and later, husband and wife) on the nine seasons of ‘Coach’
By Victoria Edel
August 24, 2026
Craig T. Nelson is remembering his Coach co-star Shelley Fabares.
Fabares died on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the age of 82, PEOPLE confirmed. The actress started her career as a child, appearing in The Donna Reed Show and singing the hit song “Johnny Angel.” She also starred in three movies with Elvis Presley and in later seasons of the sitcom One Day at a Time.
Then she was cast alongside Nelson, 82, in Coach, an ABC sitcom that premiered in 1989. On the show, Nelson played the titular coach, Hayden Fox, who leads a college football team. Fabares played his love interest (and later wife), TV news anchor Christine Armstrong.
After her family, including her husband M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell, announced her death on Aug. 23, Nelson told Entertainment Weekly in a statement, “Shelley was a great and grand lady… just a rock. I will miss her. She was a foundational part of my life during the run of Coach.”
He called Fabares “just an extraordinary woman.” He continued, “She always had a smile. She was welcoming in the midst of chaos and always someone I could go to for advice and counsel, not only myself but others as well. I’ll remember you with love, Shelley Fabares.”
When Coach premiered in 1989, it initially struggled in the ratings, but when ABC executives decided to pair the show with Roseanne, it found success.
Fabares told the Los Angeles Times in 1993, “I did always feel from the very beginning if they could find the right spot for us, this was a show that would last.” Over the years, it continued to find viewers, no matter where ABC put it in the schedule.
Fabares was nominated for two Emmys for her work on Coach, which ran for nine seasons and 200 episodes. Her aunt, Nanette Fabray, was also a working actress and appeared as the mother of Fabares’ Christine in multiple episodes of Coach. She had also played the mother of Fabares’ character on One Day at a Time years earlier.
On a 2024 episode of the That’s Classic podcast, Fabares said that working on Coach was “a fabulous experience.” She noted, “I hadn’t been working for a while, not because I didn’t want to but I just didn’t get hired for anything.”
She remembered thinking, “If somebody were to ask me what kind of show would I like to do — nobody was asking me for anything — but if they asked me, I would have actually expressed basically what Coach was, the kind of show, the character I would be playing, what the stories would be about . . . the way I would want to do a show, never dreaming that I would get that part.” Being part of the show was “thrilling,” she said.
She called Nelson “a brilliant actor” and noted that the late Jerry Van Dyke, who died in 2018 at the age of 86, made her “laugh and laugh” during rehearsals. Van Dyke, the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, played defensive coordinator and assistant coach Luther Van Dam, and Fabares said Luther was based on Jerry.
Nelson and Fabares played love interests (and later, husband and wife) on the nine seasons of ‘Coach’
By Victoria Edel
August 24, 2026
Craig T. Nelson is remembering his Coach co-star Shelley Fabares.
Fabares died on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the age of 82, PEOPLE confirmed. The actress started her career as a child, appearing in The Donna Reed Show and singing the hit song “Johnny Angel.” She also starred in three movies with Elvis Presley and in later seasons of the sitcom One Day at a Time.
Then she was cast alongside Nelson, 82, in Coach, an ABC sitcom that premiered in 1989. On the show, Nelson played the titular coach, Hayden Fox, who leads a college football team. Fabares played his love interest (and later wife), TV news anchor Christine Armstrong.
After her family, including her husband M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell, announced her death on Aug. 23, Nelson told Entertainment Weekly in a statement, “Shelley was a great and grand lady… just a rock. I will miss her. She was a foundational part of my life during the run of Coach.”
He called Fabares “just an extraordinary woman.” He continued, “She always had a smile. She was welcoming in the midst of chaos and always someone I could go to for advice and counsel, not only myself but others as well. I’ll remember you with love, Shelley Fabares.”
When Coach premiered in 1989, it initially struggled in the ratings, but when ABC executives decided to pair the show with Roseanne, it found success.
Fabares told the Los Angeles Times in 1993, “I did always feel from the very beginning if they could find the right spot for us, this was a show that would last.” Over the years, it continued to find viewers, no matter where ABC put it in the schedule.
Fabares was nominated for two Emmys for her work on Coach, which ran for nine seasons and 200 episodes. Her aunt, Nanette Fabray, was also a working actress and appeared as the mother of Fabares’ Christine in multiple episodes of Coach. She had also played the mother of Fabares’ character on One Day at a Time years earlier.
On a 2024 episode of the That’s Classic podcast, Fabares said that working on Coach was “a fabulous experience.” She noted, “I hadn’t been working for a while, not because I didn’t want to but I just didn’t get hired for anything.”
She remembered thinking, “If somebody were to ask me what kind of show would I like to do — nobody was asking me for anything — but if they asked me, I would have actually expressed basically what Coach was, the kind of show, the character I would be playing, what the stories would be about . . . the way I would want to do a show, never dreaming that I would get that part.” Being part of the show was “thrilling,” she said.
She called Nelson “a brilliant actor” and noted that the late Jerry Van Dyke, who died in 2018 at the age of 86, made her “laugh and laugh” during rehearsals. Van Dyke, the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, played defensive coordinator and assistant coach Luther Van Dam, and Fabares said Luther was based on Jerry.
Posted on 8/26/26 at 11:14 am to Mizz-SEC
Tim Curry passed away at the age of 80.
He was mostly known for his acting career but had a great voice and was an amazing singer.
He was mostly known for his acting career but had a great voice and was an amazing singer.
Posted on 8/26/26 at 11:19 am to MountainTiger
Wow, I was going to post this.
RIP Tim
RIP Tim
Posted on 9/8/26 at 1:22 pm to hogcard1964
On August 3, 2026, guitarist John Douglas, known mainly for his 40-year tenure in Trashcan Sinatras, passed away at the age of 62 after a short, sudden illness. The timing is especially tragic given that The Trashcan Sinatras had just released Ever the Optimist, only their seventh full-length studio album and their first in a decade, mere days earlier on July 31.
In some ways, this is quite similar to David Bowie passing away just days after Blackstar was released in January 2016, although no further information is publicly available as to the nature of Douglas’ illness. It’s also tragic as he had already beaten cancer years earlier and so we all thought he’d be around a lot longer. To say that this is a shock is a great understatement.
The Trashcans Sinatras’ dynamic was unusual in that all five members (unchanged since 1987) contributed to the songwriting, with Douglas contributing to much of it. Although most of the time, lead singer Francis Reader (also Douglas’ brother-in-law after his marriage to his now widow, Scottish singer and Francis’ sister Eddi Reader) sang lead on these, even on many songs Douglas co-wrote, he occasionally stepped into the spotlight to take the lead on some of their most beloved compositions.
Trashcan Sinatras started in Irvine, Scotland in 1986, and Douglas and fellow guitarist Paul Livingston joined up a year later. The band quickly signed with the indie label Go! Discs and developed a shimmering, harmony-heavy sound. Their first three albums all got strong reviews and made the UK charts, and they never broke up or stopped putting out music. Douglas also collaborated with his wife Eddi Reader and played in her band, and he released a self-titled solo album in 2023. Just last week, Trashcan Sinatras released their new album Ever The Optimist.
In some ways, this is quite similar to David Bowie passing away just days after Blackstar was released in January 2016, although no further information is publicly available as to the nature of Douglas’ illness. It’s also tragic as he had already beaten cancer years earlier and so we all thought he’d be around a lot longer. To say that this is a shock is a great understatement.
The Trashcans Sinatras’ dynamic was unusual in that all five members (unchanged since 1987) contributed to the songwriting, with Douglas contributing to much of it. Although most of the time, lead singer Francis Reader (also Douglas’ brother-in-law after his marriage to his now widow, Scottish singer and Francis’ sister Eddi Reader) sang lead on these, even on many songs Douglas co-wrote, he occasionally stepped into the spotlight to take the lead on some of their most beloved compositions.
Trashcan Sinatras started in Irvine, Scotland in 1986, and Douglas and fellow guitarist Paul Livingston joined up a year later. The band quickly signed with the indie label Go! Discs and developed a shimmering, harmony-heavy sound. Their first three albums all got strong reviews and made the UK charts, and they never broke up or stopped putting out music. Douglas also collaborated with his wife Eddi Reader and played in her band, and he released a self-titled solo album in 2023. Just last week, Trashcan Sinatras released their new album Ever The Optimist.
This post was edited on 9/8/26 at 5:17 pm
Posted on 9/13/26 at 6:14 pm to bleeng
Im sure it will go unnoticed to this board... but RIP to Cheetah Chrome.. Rocket from the Tombs and Dead Boys..
Punk Rock Royalty!
Punk Rock Royalty!
Posted on 9/13/26 at 6:25 pm to TFTC
quote:Too bad Baloo stopped posting, he would have been devastated
Im sure it will go unnoticed to this board... but RIP to Cheetah Chrome.. Rocket from the Tombs and Dead Boys..
Punk Rock Royalty!
and oh btw Andy Williams died
Posted on 9/13/26 at 6:29 pm to Kafka
quote:
Andy Williams
Posted on 9/18/26 at 7:23 pm to TFTC
Duncan Sheik RIP
On September 16, 2026, Sheik was reported by his family on his Instagram channel to be hospitalized in "critical but stable condition". He died a day later from heart failure leading to cardiac arrest at age 56.
On September 16, 2026, Sheik was reported by his family on his Instagram channel to be hospitalized in "critical but stable condition". He died a day later from heart failure leading to cardiac arrest at age 56.
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