In August alone we lost three public figures. All famous for completely different reasons.
On August 25th Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy died after a year-long struggle with brain cancer at the age of 77. The younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Ted followed in their footsteps when he entered the Senate in 1962. In 1980 he ran for President, but lost the Democratic Primary to Jimmy Carter.
Over the course of his run in the Senate Kennedy fought hard for health insurance, civil rights, children’s health insurance, education and many more worthy causes. He will be remembered for his determination and sympathy.
The very next day we lost best-selling author and crime reporter Dominick Dunne when he died at age 83 after a battle with bladder cancer.
An American writer and investigative journalist Dunne made a name for himself reporting on celebrities and the judicial system.
Dunne started writing for Vanity fair in 1982 when his daughter, Dominique Dunne (who starred in the film Poltergeist) was murdered and he wrote the article “Justice: A Father’s Account of the Trial of his Daughter’s Killer.” He went on to host the TV series Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice.
Then on August 28th Adam Goldstein, AKA DJ AM, was found dead at age 36 in his NY apartment. It has been reported as a drug overdose, it is not known if it was accidental or not. He was sober for nine years.
Goldstein was an American club DJ who often collaborated with Travis Barker of Blink-182. On September 19, 2008, Goldstein and Travis Barker were seriously injured in a Learjet crash that killed four others. Some say that was the cause of his relapse into drugs. He will be remembered by many for his willingness to help others in their quest for sobriety.
We all remember September 11, 2001 as if it were yesterday. Where we were, what we were doing, how we found out. It is a memory, no matter how horrifying it was, it is one that will haunt us forever. That was a day Americans finally realized that we are not untouchable and there are evil people in this world whose sole purpose is to destroy us.
As we all watched the Towers collapse, the Pentagon wall crumble and a big crater in the ground where a plane crashed our hearts broke. They broke for all those innocent people who were killed that day, that’s right they didn’t just die they were killed, viciously and intentionally. They still break every time a birthday or anniversary passes and every year we realize this day was not a nightmare.
So today we remember all those that lost their lives that day eight years ago. We remember the people who simply went to work that morning, the ones who sat on a plane and all those who gave their lives trying to help others. We will never forget.
I want to remember my friend Deanna, who was pregnant with her first child Matthew. I will never forget.
To the disgusting, evil men who took her life and the lives of almost 3,000 people that day, may you rot in hell. America will never forget.
John Hughes has died at 59 of a heart attack. He reportedly suffered the heart attack while taking a morning walk in NYC.
He will be remembered for writing and directing popular ’80s films as “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Through those movies he helped launch the careers of many of the famous 1980’s Rat Pack, especially Molly Ringwald.
Vibe Magazine, that focused on hip hop and R&B music was founded in the 90’s by Quincy Jones and quickly began to enjoy significant success. Early this afternoon Daily Finance broke the news of it’s immediate closure.
It was said that the magazine on the eve of it’s sixteenth anniversary was scheduled to work on a Michael Jackson Tribute. Sadly, it doesn’t seem that will happen now.
He was found unresponsive this morning by his wife at his home in Tampa, FL. Mays was known to have a larger-than-life personality and he will be missed.
It was confirmed by the L.A. Coroner and by now every news station around the world, Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50. The singer was rushed to the hospital after going into cardiac arrest. There were claims that he was unconscious when the ambulance arrived and some say he had already passed away by that time.
His fans have camped out in front of his home where police have been called and UCLA Hospital has blocked the entrance to the emergency room. News stations, such as CNN, have been playing clips of his best hits including the best selling album of all-time Thriller.
Today with the death of both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson networks are scramming to rearrange their prime time lineups and make room for special coverage on their passing. I will post more as news comes in. As a fan of Michael Jackson I am shocked and sad. He was the best entertainer of my generation. You will be hearing more from me on his passing.
Actress Farrah Fawcett has died at age 62. The iconic star of Charlie’s Angels battled anal cancer for 3 years after being diagnosed in 2006. There were reports this week of bedside vigils when she was hospitalized again.
Fawcett’s longtime partner Ryan O’Neal was by her side when she passed away. He hoped to marry her before she passed away. They share a son Redmond.
The TV Legend best known for his hosting duties on Star Search and as Johnny Carson’s sidekick for all those years on The Tonight Show died shortly after midnight at age 86.
A cause of death was not given. His publicist Howard Bragman said Ed had a “multitude of health problems the last few months.”
McMahon will be fondly remembered for all his years on television and as a longtime co-hosting Jerry Lewis’ annual Labor Day telethon benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He will be missed.
It was 30 years ago this month that 6 year old Etan Patz went missing from his SoHo neighborhood in Manhattan, NY. It was May 25, 1979 to be exact. He would go on to become a very important part in the national missing children’s movement.
Etan was the first missing child to be pictured of the back of a milk carton. A campaign started in the 80’s as a new way to help find missing children. Unfortunately for Etan, 30 years later he is still missing.
Etan’s parents, Stan and Julie Patz, filed a civil suit in 2001 against the man they came to believe killed their son, Jose Antonio Ramos.
When federal prosecutor Stuart Gabrois interviewd the inmate, Ramos told Gabrois that he’d taken a little boy to an apartment he had on the lower East Side on the same day that Etan went missing. “He was 90 percent sure it was the same he’d seen in the news that was missing,” Gabrois said.
Ramos is serving 10-20 years in a federal prison convicted of child molestation in Pennsylvania. In 2005 Etan’s family won a $2 million civil suit against Ramos, who a judge ruled killed the boy. But no criminal charges have been filed.
After a fall on a Montreal ski slope actress, Natasha Richardson, has died of a brain injury. It was a freak accident and at first she appeared to be fine, smiling and joking. However, an hour later she complained of headaches and an ambulance was called.
The 45 year old actress died on Wednesday and is survived by her husband, actor Liam Neeson, their two sons, Michael and Daniel, her mother, actress Vanessa Redgrave and her sister, actress Joely Richardson. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
There are conflicting reports as to her exact condition, but what is known is that Natasha Richardson is suffering from a serious head injury.
The New York Post quotes her friends claiming that she is brain dead. TMZ reports that she is suffering from brain swelling. Either way, the wife of actor Liam Neeson and daughter of Vanessa Redgrave was flown from a hospital in Montreal to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
Reports said the actress sustained a serious head injury after an accident on a Quebec ski slope. Mr. Neeson left the set of the film ‘Chloe’ to be by his wife’s side. The couple have two sons who have been spotted with other family memebers visiting their mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s 16 year old son, Jett, died on Friday, while on a family vacation in the Bahamas. They say he had a seizure in the bath tub and hit his head. My heart goes out to the family during this difficult time. It doesn’t matter why this happened or how so I will not speculate, it only matters that a life was lost suddenly.
