Entertainment industry obituaries

[Rewind]

Sandrich directed 100 episodes of The Cosby Show, 1984-92; 14 episodes of It Takes Two, 1982-83; 54 episodes of Soap, 1977-80; and 119 episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970-77. He also directed multiple episodes of Ink, Thea, The Office, The Golden Girls, The Bob Newhart Show, The Bill Cosby Show, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Governor & J.J., The Ghost & Mrs Muir, Get Smart, Night Court, Insight, Rhoda, Phyllis, Here's Lucy, Style & Substance, He & She, Nanny & The Professor, Beacon Hill and It's A Living. Whew!

Jay Sandrich, Emmy-winning director of The Cosby Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, dies at 89

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/jay...ow-1235072444/

[Rewind]

Ellis, a jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger, released 11 studio albums and two live albums. He recorded 12 albums with Van Morrison, five with Maceo Parker and four with the JB Horns. He also recorded with George Benson, Ginger Baker, Sonny Stitt, Shirley Scott, Hank Crawford and many others. Ellis co-wrote several James Brown hits including Cold Sweat, Soul Pride, Licking Stick and Mother Popcorn.

Alfred 'Pee Wee' Ellis, James Brown bandleader and prolific songwriter, dies at 80

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...183037678.html

[Rewind]

Status Quo, originally known as the Scorpions, formed in 1962 in London. They've released 33 studio albums and 11 live albums and have had 57 top-40 hits in the UK – but only two of their songs charted in the US, both in 1968: Pictures Of Matchstick Men reached #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 and Ice In The Sun reached #70.

Status Quo bassist Alan Lancaster dies at 72

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...r-dies-aged-72

[Rewind]

Commander Cody reached #9 on the Hot 100 in May 1972 with a remake of Johnny Bond's 1960 hit Hot Rod Lincoln. Commander Cody also charted with remakes of Roy Hamilton's 1958 hit Don't Let Go, Tex Williams' 1947 number-one hit Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! and Will Bradley's 1940 hit Beat Me Daddy (Eight To The Bar).

George Frayne, leader of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, dies at 77

https://bestclassicbands.com/command...rayne-9-26-21/

[Rewind]

Thompson, born Eva Sue McKee, had five top-40 hits in the 1960s including Sad Movies, Norman, James Hold The Ladder Steady and Paper Tiger. In the 1970s, she had 11 country hits including nine duets with Don Gibson. The three biggest were I Think They Call It Love, Good Old Fashioned Country Love and Oh How Love Changes. From 1953 to 1963, Thompson was married to singer/songwriter/banjoist Hank Penny.

Sue Thompson dies at 96

https://www.noise11.com/news/sue-tho...ge-96-20210928

[Rewind]

Riddle worked at Los Angeles top-40 stations KRLA, KFWB, KHJ, KDAY and KROQ in the 1960s-70s. He hosted local television programs 9th Street West and Boss City and the 1965-66 syndicated series Hollywood A Go-Go and produced dozens of specials for ABC, CBS, FOX, Telemundo, Univision and other networks.

Sam Riddle, Los Angeles DJ and Star Search producer, dies at 83

https://variety.com/2021/tv/obituari...ch-1235076034/

[Rewind]

Martin released six singles and one album. Let Me Return The Favor, a duet with with Lil Kim and Organized Noize, was a #32 R&B hit and #82 pop hit in late 1998. Martin also recorded with Michael Woods, Rudo Brody, Switch, Toddla T and others. Among the more than 200 songs she co-wrote are Monica's Before You Walk Out Of My Life, SWV's You're The One, En Vogue's Don't Let Go (Love), Toni Braxton's I Love Me Some Him, CeCe Peniston's Through Those Doors and Adina Howard's It's All About You.

Andrea Martin, singer-songwriter behind En Vogue and Monica hits, dead at 49

https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny...twe-story.html

[Rewind]

Lonnie Smith – not to be confused with keyboardist/trumpeter Lonnie Liston Smith – was a member of the George Benson Quartet in 1966-67 and recorded two albums with the group before going solo. He released 25 studio albums and two live albums and also recorded with Red Holloway, Eric Allison, Richie Hart, Javon Jackson, Lou Donaldson and others. Among Smith's best-known songs are Afrodesia, Move Your Hand, Turning Point, Too Damn Hot, Spinning Wheel, Slouchin' and I Can't Stand It.

Dr. Lonnie Smith, master of the Hammond organ, dies at 79

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/28/10413...gan-dies-at-79

[Rewind]

Tommy Kirk and Tim Considine starred in 29 episodes of The Hardy Boys serials that were shown on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1956-57. Kirk went on to co-star in 12 Disney movies: Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Horsemasters, Babes In Toyland, Moon Pilot, Bon Voyage!, Escapade In Florence, Son Of Flubber, Savage Sam and The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones. His last movie appearance was as Albert Kornfield in the 2001 horror film The Education Of A Vampire.

Tommy Kirk, child star of Old Yeller and The Shaggy Dog, dies at 79

https://deadline.com/2021/09/tommy-k...79-1234846897/

[Rewind]

Twin brothers Paul & Barry Ryan – their real last name was Sapherson – had several big hits in the UK, 1965-67. Barry then began recording solo. His biggest hit, Eloise, was written by Paul and went to number one in late 1968 in several countries including Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It reached #2 in the UK and #86 in the US. Among Barry's other hits: Love Is Love, The Hunt and Can't Let You Go.

Singer Barryl Ryan dies at 72

https://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00177774.html