Patty Duke
 

Oscar-winning actress Patty Duke, who hit the trifecta of stardom with her turns on TV, in the movies, and on Broadway, is dead. She was 69.

The Queens-born daughter of a troubled cashier and alcoholic cab driver, Duke overcame a dark childhood to become one of the Hollywood's most respected actresses and president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988.

Duke rocketed to fame in the 1960's as the star of "The Patty Duke Show," which ran for 104 episodes over three seasons, and in which she played her rambunctious self as well as her more demure "identical cousin."

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982, Duke devoted her later years to championing mental health programs and raising her three sons, two of whom — Sean Astin and Mackenzie Astin — followed in their mother's footsteps and became actors as well.

Duke made her Broadway debut at age 12 playing Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker." Three years later, at age 16, Duke won the best supporting actress Academy Award reprising her role as the young Helen in the celebrated 1962 screen adaptation of the play.

Then in 1979, Duke won an Emmy playing Keller's teacher — the role originally played on Broadway by Anne Bancroft — in a TV version of the same play.

After "The Patty Duke Show" was cancelled, Duke starred in the camp classic "Valley of the Dolls." She won a second Emmy in 1976 for her turn in the TV mini-series "Captains and the Kings." And she also appeared in TV shows like Police Story, Hawaii 5-O and Night Gallery.

Later, Duke became an advocate for the mentally ill, working with the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...7326?cid=sm_fb

Theguardian.com
'Queen of the curve' Zaha Hadid dies aged 65 from heart attack
by Mark Brown.

Dame Zaha Hadid, the world-renowned architect, whose designs include the London Olympic aquatic centre, has died aged 65. The British designer, who was born in Iraq, had a heart attack on Thursday while in hospital in Miami, where she was being treated for bronchitis.

Hadid’s buildings have been commissioned around the world and she was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) gold medal.


From the swooping space-age shopping mall to the Z-shaped school with a running track through it, here are the buildings that Zaha Hadid will be remembered for

A lengthy statement released by her company said: “It is with great sadness that Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid DBE died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning.

“She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital. Zaha Hadid was widely regarded to be the greatest female architect in the world today.”

Speaking from Mexico, Richard Rogers, whose buildings include the Pompidou Centre and the Millennium Dome, told the Guardian that the news of Hadid’s death was “really, really terrible”.

“She was a great architect, a wonderful woman and wonderful person,” Lord Rogers said. “Among architects emerging in the last few decades, no one had any more impact than she did. She fought her way through as a woman. She was the first woman to win the Pritzker prize.

“I got involved with her first in Cardiff when the government threw her off the project in the most disgraceful way. She has had to fight every inch of the way. It is a great loss.”

Jane Duncan, RIBA’s president, said: “Dame Zaha Hadid was an inspirational woman, and the kind of architect one can only dream of being. Visionary and highly experimental, her legacy, despite her young age, is formidable.

“She leaves behind a body of work from buildings to furniture, footwear and cars, that delight and astound people all around the world. The world of architecture has lost a star today.”

The architect Daniel Libeskind said he was devastated by her death. “Her spirit will live on in her work and studio. Our hearts go out,” he said.

From the Olympic Aquatics Centre to a new Serpentine gallery, from Beijing to Baku, Zaha Hadid's buildings are everywhere. But she divides opinion: she's a genius, say some, but to critics she has lost touch with her original ideals. By Rowan Moore

Stirling prize winner Amanda Levete said: “She was an inspiration. Her global impact was profound and her legacy will be felt for many years to come because she shifted the culture of architecture and the way that we experience buildings. When my son was very young, Zaha showed him how to write his name in Arabic. It was the moment I realised the genesis of her remarkable architectural language.

“She was an extraordinary role model for women. She was fearless and a trailblazer – her work was brave and radical. Despite sometimes feeling misunderstood, she was widely celebrated and rightly so.”

Architect Graham Morrison said: “She was so distinct that there isn’t anybody like her. She didn’t fit in and I don’t mean that meanly. She was in a world of her own and she was extraordinary.”

The British culture minister, Ed Vaizey, posted on Twitter, saying he was stunned at the news and praising her “huge contribution to contemporary architecture”.
The London Aquatics Centre built for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The London aquatics centre built for the 2012 Olympic Games. Photograph: John Walton/PA

The London mayor, Boris Johnson, tweeted: “So sad to hear of death of Zaha Hadid, she was an inspiration and her legacy lives on in wonderful buildings in Stratford and around the world.”

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Hadid, born in Baghdad in 1950, became a revolutionary force in British architecture even though she struggled to win commissions in the UK for many years. The Iraqi government described her death as “an irreplaceable loss to Iraq and the global community”.

She studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut before launching her architectural career in London at the Architectural Association.

By 1979, she had established her own practice in London – Zaha Hadid Architects – and gained a reputation across the world for groundbreaking theoretical works including the Peak in Hong Kong (1983), Kurfürstendamm 70 in Berlin (1986) and the Cardiff Bay opera house in Wales (1994).

The first major build commission that earned her international recognition was the Vitra fire station in Weil Am Rhein, Germany (1993), but her scheme to build the Cardiff opera house was scrapped in the 1990s and she did not produce a major building in the UK until the Riverside museum of transport in Glasgow was completed in 2011.

Other notable projects included the Maxxi: Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome (2009), the London aquatics centre for the 2012 Olympic Games (2011), the Heydar Aliyev centre in Baku (2013) and a stadium for the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar.
Heydar Aliyev cultural centre in Baku, Azerbaijan.
One of Hadid’s notable projects, the Heydar Aliyev cultural centre in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photograph: View Pictures/Rex

Buildings such as the Rosenthal Centre of Contemporary Art in Cincinnati (2003) and the Guangzhou opera house in China (2010) were also hailed as architecture that transformed ideas of the future. Other designs include the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Kensington Gardens, west London, and the BMW factory in Leipzig, one of her first designs to be built.

She became the first female recipient of the Pritzker architecture prize in 2004 and twice won the UK’s most prestigious architecture award, the RIBA Stirling prize. Other awards included the Republic of France’s Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale.

Hadid won acclaim in Scotland for designing the popular Riverside Museum in Glasgow, known for its distinctive roof structure. Muriel Gray, chair of the board of governors at the Glasgow School of Art, tweeted a picture of the Riverside museum with the message: “Horrible shocking news that Zaha Hadid, incredible architectural trailblazer has just died. Huge loss to design.”

Hadid was recently awarded the RIBA’s 2016 royal gold medal, the first woman to be awarded the honour in her own right.

Architect Sir Peter Cook wrote in his citation at the time: “In our current culture of ticking every box, surely Zaha Hadid succeeds, since, to quote the royal gold medal criteria, she is someone who ‘has made a significant contribution to the theory or practice of architecture … for a substantial body of work rather than for work which is currently fashionable’.

“For three decades now she has ventured where few would dare … Such self confidence is easily accepted in film-makers and football managers, but causes some architects to feel uncomfortable. Maybe they’re secretly jealous of her unquestionable talent. Let’s face it, we might have awarded the medal to a worthy comfortable character. We didn’t. We awarded it to Zaha: larger than life, bold as brass and certainly on the case.”
A computer generated image of the stadium
A computer-generated image of the stadium to be built in al-Wakrah for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Speaking in February on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Hadid said: “I don’t really feel I’m part of the establishment. I’m not outside, I’m on the kind of edge, I’m dangling there. I quite like it … I’m not against the establishment per se. I just do what I do and that’s it.”

Levete, who co-designed the spaceship-like media centre at Lord’s cricket ground, described her as “a true and loyal friend … a confidante and someone I could turn to for advice”.

She said: “She was an absolute inspiration to many and her global impact was really profound.”

Kelly Hoppen, the interior designer who appeared in BBC2’s show Dragons’ Den, tweeted: “Deeply saddened by the news of Zaha Hadid’s death. She was an iconic architect who pushed the boundaries to another level xx ZahaHadid”

Angela Brady, a former president of RIBA, described Hadid as “one of our greatest architects of our time”.

She added: “She was a tough architect, which is needed as a woman at the top of her profession and at the height of her career. She will be sadly missed as an iconic leader in architecture and as a role model for women in architecture.”

A spokeswoman for BMW said: “She was an icon in the world of architecture, groundbreaking in her way to create with a very distinctive style. On the 10th anniversary of our Leipzig plant’s central building which she was the architect for , Zaha said that she felt it gave testament to the plant’s vision. We are glad she felt this way, too.”

Author Kathy Lette tweeted Hadid’s “beautiful, undulating feminine designs proved that u didn’t need a phallic edifice complex 2 be a brilliant architect”.

Tamara Rojo, English National Ballet director and dancer, tweeted: “Devastated by the passing of the great Zaha Hadid” with a picture of “her stunning Opera House in Guangzhou where we performed last year”.

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Mother Angelica 92 year old doughty nun who founded EWTN in a garage with practically no funds passed away. She grew EWTN into TV, radio and other venues all through out the world reaching Catholics and Christians alike. She suffered a debilitating stroke in Dec 2015 and lost her battle on Easter Sunday. RIP .......May God bless you Mother Angelica and accept you into his kingdom.

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Merle Haggard, who over six decades composed and performed one of the greatest repertoires in country music, capturing the American condition with his stories of the poor, the lost, the working class, heartbroken and hard-living, died at his home in the San Joaquin Valley, California, after a battle with pneumonia, his spokeswoman Tresa Redburn confirmed. He was 79.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...at-79-20160406

Dang it Merle, you split on your birthday! Journey well, my friend!

Anne Jackson (1925 - 2016)
 

Tony-nominated actress Anne Jackson died April 12, according to The New York Times. She was 90.

Jackson was the widow of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often worked on and off Broadway. The pair met while acting in a production of Tennessee Williams’ "This Property Is Condemned," going on to appear in 13 Broadway shows together. They married in 1948.

Together, they won Obie awards in 1963 for an off-Broadway double bill of "The Typists" and "The Tiger." Other productions in which they worked together included "The Glass Menagerie," "Luv," and "The Diary of Anne Frank."

But Jackson also excelled on her own, earning a Tony nomination in 1956 for her performance in Paddy Chayefsky's "Middle of the Night." Other notable stage credits include Tennessee Williams' "Summer and Smoke," George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man," and Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers."

Though Jackson was known best for her stage work, she also appeared on television and in movies. She was a star of "How To Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life" and "Lovers and Other Strangers," and in "The Shining," she played a doctor in an early scene. She made appearances on television shows including "Gunsmoke," "Highway to Heaven," "ER," and "Reading Rainbow."

Born Sept. 3, 1925, in Millvale, Pennsylvania, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jackson later wrote of her turbulent childhood in her 1979 memoir, "Early Stages." She found an early talent for drama in the impressions she would do of famous actors she saw at the movies. She honed this skill as a student of the Actors Studio, where she would later teach.

Wallach preceded Jackson in death, in 2014.

http://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity...kson-1925-2016

Joanie "Chyna" Laurer, WWE star dead at 45.


Joanie Laurer, the former WWE star known as Chyna, died Wednesday night at the age of 45.

The news was confirmed by Laurer's manager and a statement posted on her official Twitter account, which read: "oday we lost a true icon, a real life superhero. She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her."

Laurer's body was found at a home in Redondo Beach, California. A cause of death is not known, though police are reportedly treating the case as a possible overdose.

Famous to a generation of wrestling fans for her run during WWE's "Attitude Era," Laurer redefined the possibilities for female performers as Chyna, a strong, silent enforcer billed as "The Ninth Wonder of the World." Thanks to her imposing physical presence, she quickly rose through wrestling's indie ranks, and by 1997 had achieved fame ­­– first as a bodyguard for Triple H, then as a member of the iconic D-Generation X stable. It was with DX that Chyna showed she could hang with the boys in more ways than one, a trend that would define her time in WWE. She was the first female to ever enter the Royal Rumble match and qualify for the King of the Ring tournament, and in 1999, was the first woman to win the Intercontinental Championship.

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Another Music Legend gone :(
 

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Prince has died aged 57 at his estate in Minnesota, just days after he was rushed to hospital from his private plane with flu.

Paramedics were called out to the music icon's Paisley Park estate at 9.43am and Carver County Sheriff's Department confirmed that there had been a fatality.

A forensics team and a medical examiner are at the scene.

Prince - full name Prince Rogers Nelson.

Prince...
 

Taken too young:candle:

bbc.co.uk
Victoria Wood dies aged 62 after cancer battle - BBC News
Media captionVictoria Wood inspired a new generation of female comics in a hugely successful career on television and on stage.

Comedian, singer and writer Victoria Wood has died after "a short but brave" battle with cancer aged 62.

Her publicist said the star "died peacefully at her north London home with family" on Wednesday.

Wood's long-time comedy partner Julie Walters said she was "too heart sore to comment - the loss of her is incalculable".

Wood found fame in the 1980s and was best known for her BBC sketch Acorn Antiques and comedy Dinnerladies.

She won five Baftas including two for her one-off ITV drama Housewife, 49.
Julie Walters and Victoria Wood Image copyright PA
Image caption Julie Walters collaborated with Victoria Wood throughout her career

Wood got her first break on the TV talent show New Faces in 1974, while still a student at Birmingham University.

She established herself as a comedy star with her hit show Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV and went on to create the popular BBC comedies Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies, featuring her long-time collaborator Julie Walters.

The pair became friends in the 1970s and first worked together on TV in 1981 on the comedy sketch show Wood and Walters.

Acorn Antiques also spawned a musical, which Wood wrote and was directed by Trevor Nunn in 2005.
'Inspiration to women'

Entertainer Michael Ball, who was a friend of Wood's and worked with her on the musical That Day We Sang, told the BBC she was a "trailblazer" for other female comedians.

The Radio 2 DJ said: "She gave inspiration to other women because she wasn't having to be sexy and rude, although she was all of those things. She was just brilliant.

"She made it seem to other women, you can do this. You just need to look at the various social media feeds to see the people she's influenced."
Media captionMichael Ball: Victoria Wood was "the most loyal and lovely friend you could ever wish for"

Ball said Wood, who he had "idolised" before working with, was "very private" and had not wanted people to know how ill she was.

"To then work with her and become friends and to become so close was a privilege," he added.

Fellow comedians have also been paying tribute, including Jennifer Saunders, who tweeted: "Can't believe Vic has gone. She was truly an inspiration and had so much left to to give and we won't see it. She was so funny."

Sir Lenny Henry said: "I am devastated - this is very, very sad news. Victoria will be sorely missed. Always funny, she worked incredibly hard. A killer stand-up and a fantastic songwriter. My condolences to all her family."
'Comedy icon'

Catherine Tate said: "The news is devastating. It's so shocking and sad. We have lost an incredible talent who was a huge influence and inspiration to so many - a true game changer."

Jenny Eclair tweeted: "All of us women in comedy owe a huge debt of gratitude to Victoria - she paved the way."

John Cleese tweeted: "Shocked by news of Victoria Wood. I worked with her last year and was reminded of just what a superlative performer she was. Only 62!"

Jack Dee tweeted: "I feel privileged to have known and worked with the great Victoria Wood. Unique and truly brilliant."

Ricky Gervais said: "RIP the brilliant Victoria Wood. So innovative, funny and down to earth. This has not been a good year."

Sarah Millican also tweeted her sadness: "So incredibly sad to hear that Victoria Wood has died. A true comedy icon."
Dinnerladies cast Maxine Peake as Twinkle, Anne Reid as Jean, Victoria Wood as Bren, Thelma Barlow as Dolly and Shobna Gulati as Anita
Image caption The Dinnerladies cast included Maxine Peake as Twinkle, Anne Reid as Jean, Victoria Wood as Bren, Thelma Barlow as Dolly and Shobna Gulati as Anita - Julie Walters played Bren's mother
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Analysis

BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba

Victoria Wood will be remembered for her talent and her outstanding versatility.

Her keen observational style meant she was able to create memorable characters, routines and songs in the world of comedy and beyond - she applied the same skills to her Bafta-winning drama Housewife, 49.

Audiences related to her wit and warmth, and particularly her ability to find the humour in the most ordinary situations.

Most of all they recognised she was one of the most gifted entertainment figures of her generation. Comedian, writer, singer, actor. She could do it all.
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Wood appeared on BBC One's That's Life! in 1976, which brought her into millions of homes on a frequent basis.

The show's presenter and Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen was also among those who paid tribute.

"I think she is one of our greatest comic writers and performers, but she could also deal with serious issues as well, and she's a huge loss," Dame Esther said.

"She did a one-woman show for Childline where I felt hugely privileged to interview her and she told the story of her life with such wit. She just held us all enchanted for a whole evening."

Harry Potter author JK Rowling retweeted a link to a video of Wood performing one of her comedy songs, Reincarnation Song, saying: "Watch and weep. 62 is far too young. RIP Victoria Wood."
Victoria Wood and her children Henry and Grace Image copyright PA
Image caption Victoria Wood took her children Henry and Grace to Buckingham Palace when she received her CBE in 2008

BBC director general Tony Hall said: "Victoria Wood was a woman with a stunning array of talents - a comedian, singer, songwriter, actress and director. People identified with her warmth and great charm.

"She brought people from all walks of life together and made them laugh and cry. She will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with her friends and family."

British Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute, saying: "Victoria Wood was a national treasure loved by millions. My thoughts are with her family."

Wood also broke records with her stand-up tours, where her live comedy was interspersed with original comedy songs performed at the piano, and won her British Comedy Awards in 1990 and 2001.

She performed a record-breaking 15 nights at the Royal Albert Hall in 1993 as part of a six-month tour of the country - something her brother Chris was very proud of.

"The best thing for me was when she played the Albert Hall," he told the BBC. "I was very used to seeing her do her stand up in smaller halls and theatres but for her to be able to come on stage on her own and entertain, control and use an audience of 15,000 was absolutely superb.

"She had a great struggle early on and had to work hard for years to break through. It was her single-minded drive to succeed in the business that pulled her through."
Paul Hollywood, Victoria Wood, Mary Berry
Image caption Victoria won The Great Comic Relief Bake Off in 2015 with her Two Soups cake based on her famous sketch

Wood did a lot of charity work and visited Ethiopia in 1990 and Zimbabwe in 1998 for Comic Relief.

She also won the Great Comic Relief Bake Off in 2015.

The star also made documentaries including Victoria's Empire about the British Empire and Victoria Wood's Big Fat Documentary about the diet industry.

She was awarded an OBE in 1997 and awarded a CBE in 2008.

Wood married magician Geoffrey Durham, known as the Great Soprendo, in 1980 - and divorced in 2002.

She is survived by her two children, Grace and Henry.
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The Purple One has passed . . . I had to pull over in my car to cry. The world has been robbed of a good, wonderful person, as well as a supremely talented musician. The world is a poorer place. I will miss you and your work so much . . ."This is what it sounds like when doves cry . . ."

It's a sad day here in Minnesota today...

~
 

what is also sad about his death is that he recently couldn't finish a concert due to bad health ~ there is more to his death. Maybe a doctor's lack of judgement ? something is wrong somewhere . RIP PRINCE

RIP Prince
 

This is a real shock.
I loved Prince, and his music.
His numerous styles of music.
His passion for his art.
He was the most amazing artist I saw live.
Thank you Prince for sharing your gift with us.

Victoria Wood
 

What a very sad loss.
Loved her shows, loved her comic rhymes on the piano.
She was just brilliant.
Dinner ladies, absolute killer writing.
Will miss her, a national treasure.

I think I am beginning to know what it was like when movie stars and contemporaries of my parents started to die and they would feel sad about it.

When it was stars or singers, I would always think to myself, "You didn't even know them, what's the deal?".

I think that is the arrogance of youth.

Now, each time someone passes that I can mark a memory or moment in time, it makes me feel so nostalgic.

I have become my parents!

Prince's passing reminds me of so many great, fun, times in the 80's. I can remember 1999 on my cassette, popping it in my VW bug and singing it at the top of my lungs.

I am so sad!

The New Yorker cover, next week


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For Prince
 

May it rain purple in haven for him forever in peace. :-(