Not my original post for today, but with the last 24 hours of events that have passed, I've got to write my own little final thoughts on three extremely huge icons in my life. Four actually if you go back to last week. The three icons passing remind me of when I heard the news of Elvis Presley and most important to me John Lennon. I'm at that age now, that when movie stars or entertainers pass, it shouldn't be surprising, but it will always be a heartbreaking for me. I've had some of these people as posters up in my room as a child and it's just surreal that they are gone.
David Carridine passed away June 3rd 2009. I first remember him through my sister. She was a huge Kung Fu fan when the show first came on back from 1972-1975. At the time, I was hell, only about six years old, but knew that she loved it, so it had to be good. She had taken Karate lessons at the time and I remember getting my own set of pink karate pajamas. He had a huge film and Television career and will be remembered for his appearance more in Kill Bill, but I remember seeing him way back in the 70's.
December 8th 1936-June 3rd 2009
Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's right hand man, died on June 23rd, 2009. We had known for a while about his failing health, but still it's not sitting right that he has passed either. I first started watching. the Tonight show at probably the age of four or five. Not knowing exactly what the jokes were, and fighting to stay awake on the east coast till 11:30PM, but it was important at the time. My folks were staying awake to see the show so it was important to me. When I got older and realized what was going on with the Tonight Show, I remember seeing so, so many stars that I grew up with and being announced by Ed McMahon that history was being made. The Tonight Show because of Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon will forever live on, much longer and more importantly than David Letterman ever will, because of the wisdom and years that they brought to TV.
March 6, 1923-June 23rd, 2009
On Thursday morning, we were at Jenny Craig when we heard of the news that
Farrah Fawcet passed away. I was in the truck while FireHoth was weighing in, and couldn't believe my ears. I had known of her struggle with Cancer, and like so many others, hoped and prayed that she would be able to over come her long time battle with this ugly disease. She was probably one of my favorite actress from the 70's, and all because of Charlies Angels. I loved this show and watching her, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, and as campy as what the show was, the strongest of what the three of them brought to late night television. Strong, sexy women, who could look great, hot, have beautiful hair, and could kick your ass when needed. Farrah never got the recognition that she deserved until I thought when the movie, "The Burning Bed", came out. I loved this movie, and it was great to see her play the character. I was telling FireHoth on Thursday about the show and the movie, and just how I loved seeing her when I was younger. It might have been known that this, her passing would be soon, but still even at the age of 62, it shouldn't have happened.
February 2nd, 1947-June 25th 2009
Then at almost 4:00PM Thursday afternoon, while I was watching the Secret Life of An American Teenager, working out on the treadmill, I got a notification on my FaceBook page, that
Michael Jackson has just gotten rushed to the hospital. WTF. I was finished with my work out, put on Fox News and seen that he had gone into cardiac arrest and was at UCLA hospital. WHAT???? I rushed downstairs, put Headline News on, and by the time I had gotten to the living room, he had slipped into a coma. By the time I called FireHoth up from the basement, he passed away. No matter what you thought about him, his eccentricity, the molestation charges, the animals at Neverland, he was a huge performer. His death hits me on three fronts: one, the cardiac arrest. My father died of a major heart attack and even after 20+ years, I'm still not over it. Second, he was a father. I know that he loved his children and wanted to do everything for them, that he didn't get when he was a child, and three, he just wanted to be liked. Even at an early age, he never thought that he was good enough, or liked enough. No matter how many millions of records, albums and songs that he sold, he never thought that he was good enough for anyone and that's just sad. This was a death that was so unexpected and surprising that it's going to hit a lot of people hard for a while. I was talking with some friends on FB about going to our local mall back in 82 and standing in line (maybe 20 deep) to get the Thriller album. I might, like many, might not have approved of his private life, but knew that he was a prolific performer and was the King of Pop. I was only three when I saw him on the Ed Sullivan show back in 1969, and remember the energy that him and the Jacksons put out. I remember the Saturday morning Jackson cartoon, the numerous television shows, hell, even the Wiz. This death will resonate in the world for a while to come and I hope and pray that he is finally at peace with himself and that he can see how much he was loved, liked and appreciated.
August 29th 1958-June 23rd 2009
