Obituary News

Jackie Rebora L.A. Nightclub Owner, Hotel Executive and Restaurateur

Source: Michael Ricci
January 15, 2009

Jackie Rebora, a longtime Los Angeles nightclub owner, hotel executive and restaurateur, died of complications from pneumonia and heart failure Jan. 5 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was 77 and lived in Beverly Hills.

Jackie Rebora operated nightclubs in Los Angeles and Hollywood in the late 1950s and early 1960s before switching to hotel event management in the late '60s. She was banquet coordinator at the Sportsmens Lodge in Studio City before moving on in the early ...

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Ricardo Montalban 'Fantasy Island' Actor Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
January 14, 2009

Ricardo Montalban, the suave leading man who was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make it big in Hollywood and who was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on TV's Fantasy Island, has died. He was 88.

Montalban died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home of complications related to old age, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.

Within the entertainment industry, Montalban was widely respected for his efforts to create opportunities for Latinos, although he and others ...

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Richard Sudhalter: A Brief Remembrance

Source: Night Lights Classic Jazz
January 12, 2009

Jazz historian Richard Sudhalter passed away last year at the age of 69, having spent the last several years of his life fighting significant health challenges. This Monday evening there will be a memorial concert in his honor at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in New York City, with an all-star lineup of musicians and spoken tributes from jazz writers Dan Morgenstern, Terry Teachout, and others. Sudhalter left behind three important biographies and studies: Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contributions ...

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Don Randall Co-Founder of Fender Guitars Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2009

Randall was one the founders of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. and named most of the classic products designed by Leo Fender.

Donald D. Randall, the dynamic sales and marketing force behind legendary electric guitar designer Leo Fender's phenomenal success during his company's first two decades, has died. He was 91.

Randall, one of the founders of what is now the Scottsdale, Ariz.-headquartered Fender Musical Instruments Corp., died of age-related causes Dec. 23 at his home in Santa Ana, said his ...

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Jon Hager Survivng Twin Hee Haw Regular Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2009

Jon Hager, who with his brother Jim performed in the musical comedy duo the Hager Twins on the television series Hee Haw, was found dead in his apartment here on Friday morning. He was 67.

He apparently died in his sleep, said Sam Lovullo, who produced Hee Haw and was a friend of Mr. Hager. He had been in poor health and was depressed since Jim, his identical twin, died in May, Mr. Lovullo said.

The twins were in the ...

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Claude Jeter Gospel Singer with Wide Influence Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2009

The Rev. Claude Jeter, the founder of the gospel group the Swan Silvertones whose delicate yet potent falsetto had a wide influence on both pop and religious singers in the 1950s and 60s, died on Tuesday in the Bronx. He was 94.

A versatile stylist, Mr. Jeter once sang bass with the Dixie Hummingbirds. But he is best known for his falsetto in the Swan Silvertones, which he formed in 1938. Often acting as a foil for the groups rougher, ...

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Cheryl Holdridge Popular Mouseketeer Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
January 9, 2009

Cheryl Holdridge, the beautiful blond actress who first gained fame as a Mouseketeer on TV's The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, has died. She was 64.

Holdridge died Tuesday at her home in Santa Monica after a two-year battle with lung cancer, said Doreen Tracey, another former Mouseketeer.

Holdridge was 11 years old in the spring of 1956 when she auditioned and was hired for The Mickey Mouse Club, which had debuted on Oct. 3, 1955, with 24 talented ...

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Olga San Juan Actress Sang and Danced with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire Passes

Source: Michael Ricci
January 9, 2009

She was known as the 'Puerto Rican Pepperpot.' Olga San Juan, the actress dubbed the “Puerto Rican Pepperpot" for singing and dancing roles alongside stars that included Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, has died. She was 81.

San Juan died late Saturday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank of kidney failure stemming from a long-term illness, said her son-in-law Barry Adelman, executive producer of the Golden Globe Awards.

San Juan was born March 16, 1927, and ...

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