Wayne Cochran released four albums and 16 singles, 1959-72, but he's best known for writing Last Kiss, which became a hit for both J. Frank Wilson and Pearl Jam.
Wayne Cochran, who went from soul rocker to soul-saving minister, dies at 78
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...186039993.html
Tommy Keene, new-wave and power-pop singer/songwriter, dies at 59
http://variety.com/2017/music/news/t...59-1202622473/
He appeared in Splash, Nebraska, Parenthood, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and many other movies and tv shows.
Rance Howard, actor and father of Ron and Clint Howard, dies at 89
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...-at-89-1061376
Jim Nabors, TV's homespun Gomer Pyle and singer, dies at 87
The Associated Press, Nov 30 2017 1:35 PM ET
Jim Nabors, the shy Alabaman whose down-home comedy made him a TV star as Gomer Pyle and whose surprisingly operatic voice kept him a favorite in Las Vegas and other showplaces, died early this morning. He was 87. Nabors, who underwent a liver transplant in 1994 after contracting hepatitis B, died peacefully at his home in Hawaii after his health had declined for the past year.
Nabors became an instant success when he joined The Andy Griffith Show in the early 1960s. The character of Gomer Pyle, the unworldly, lovable gas pumper who would exclaim "Gollllll-ly!" proved so popular that in 1964 CBS starred him in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. In the spinoff, which lasted five seasons, Gomer left his hometown of Mayberry to become a Marine recruit. His innocence confounded his sergeant, the irascible Frank Sutton.
Audiences saw another side of Nabors in appearances in TV variety programs — his booming baritone. The contrast between his homespun humor ("The tornado was so bad a hen laid the same egg twice") and his full-throated operatic arias was stunning. For two seasons beginning in 1969, CBS presented The Jim Nabors Hour, on which he joshed with guest stars, did sketches with Sutton and fellow Gomer veteran Ronnie Schell, and sang country and opera.
After the end of his variety show, Nabors continued earning high salaries in Las Vegas showrooms and in concert theaters across the country. He recorded more than two dozen albums and sang with the Dallas and St. Louis symphony orchestras. During the 1970s he moved to Hawaii, buying a 500-acre macadamia ranch. He still did occasional TV work and in the late 1970s he appeared for 10 months annually at Hilton hotels in Hawaii. In the early 1980s, his longtime friendship with Burt Reynolds led to roles in Stroker Ace, Cannonball II and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...-dies-51490348
Delta blues legend Robert 'Bilbo' Walker dead at 80
https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2...-bilbo-walker/
Mitch Margo sleeps.
Mitch Margo, an original member of the Tokens, dies at 70
New York Times, Dec 1 2017
Mitch Margo, an original member of the Tokens, the singing group best known for their hit The Lion Sleeps Tonight, died November 24 at his home in Studio City, California. He was 70. His family announced his death in a statement but did not specify the cause. Margo was only 13 in 1960 when he and his brother, Phil, joined the Linc-Tones, who soon renamed themselves the Tokens. The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the group’s biggest hit, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1961-62. Margo played piano in those early years and over the years established himself as a multi-instrumentalist, also playing guitar, bass, drums and percussion.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/o...argo-dead.html
Mundell Lowe dies at 95; jazz guitar great played with Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Every Brothers and others
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituar...202-story.html
He sold more than 110,000,000 recorded worldwide and had 18 platinum albums.
Johnny Hallyday, rock'n'roll singer known as the 'French Elvis,' dies at 74
http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/m...ies-74-n826886
Conrad Brooks, who appeared in 91 movies, 1953-2016, including Ed Wood, Jail Bait, Bikini Planet, Bikini Drive-In, Glen Or Glenda, The Mad Magician and Plan 9 From Outer Space, died December 6, 2017. He was 86.
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/mov...conrad-brooks/
He appeared in Fargo, Dances With Wolves, The Longest Yard and many other movies and tv shows.
Blackfeet actor Steve Reevis dies at 56
http://www.ktvh.com/2017/12/blackfee...ing-dies-at-56
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