Upstate New York Family Lawyer Blog

March sure turned out to be a crappy month for rock stars, especially for English rock stars. This month, in addition to a wonderful actress, we lost members from Ten Years After, Yes, Iron Maiden, and the Spinners, together with a session musician that knew and played with everyone who was anyone. And check out how relatively young they all were when they died. Sheesh.

82. Bonnie Franklin, 69, January 6, 1944 - March 1, 2013:
Actress; American actress; pancreatic cancer

Bonnie Franklin played Ann Romano, the hot mother of the hot Barbara Cooper (Valerie Bertinelli) and the hot Julie Cooper (Mackenzie Phillips), who was always trying to avoid the lecherous advances of their apartment building superintendent, Dwayne Schneider (Pat Harrington, Jr.), in that wonderful television series that was a must to watch, "One Day At A Time", which ran from 1975 to 1984. We learned a lot about sex and drugs and rock and roll from this show. Yes we did.

Continue reading "#340 In Memoriam: March 2013 Deaths" »

74. Edward Irving "Ed" Koch, 88, December 12, 1924 - February 1, 2013:
Politician; American attorney, U.S. Representative, mayor of New York City; congestive heart failure

Love him or hate him, no one was more representative of New York City (both the good and the bad) than Ed Koch. There was definitely an Upstate-Downstate dynamic to Ed Koch. While Downstaters may have loved him, we Upstaters more often saw him as the putz with the chutzpah; a man who exuded Downstate arrogance but who nonetheless had the brass to actually pull it off.

We loved him: he dug down deep and remade New York City after the disastrous term of the prior mayor, Abe Beame, who brought the city to the brink of bankruptcy.

We hated him: he allegedly balked at running for governor in part because he felt that there were simply no decent Chinese restaurants in the wilds of the Greater Capital Region. I'm sure this was merely attributed to Koch, since even Koch wouldn't have been so unbelievably tone-deaf, being the superb politician that he was. Still, it hit a raw nerve amongst us Upstaters.

Later in life, he seemed to have lost his mind, especially in his bizarre support of George Bush's second election.

Continue reading "#309 In Memoriam: February 2013 Deaths" »

70. Clara Ann "Patti Page" Fowler, 85, November 8, 1927 - January 1, 2013:
Musician; American singer; natural causes

While her signature tune was "Tennessee Waltz", she first shot to fame with the song "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming". She had a string of hits in the 50s, such as the number one singles: "All My Love (Bolero)", "I Went To Your Wedding", and the novelty song that will make you wish you were deaf, "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window?" Her hits continued in the 60s with "Old Cape Cod", "Allegheny Moon", "A Poor Man's Roses (Or A Rich Man's Gold)", and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte".

I think my parents have every one of these recordings.

She was born into abject poverty and helped her family earn a living by picking cotton as a girl. She had a beautiful voice and became a featured singer on a local radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1946. She would come to the attention of other musicians, tour with a small band, and ultimately sing with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, thereafter landing a record contract. And the rest is history.

Continue reading "#279 In Memoriam: January 2013 Deaths" »

68. Jack Klugman, 90, April 27, 1922 - December 24, 2012:
Actor; American movie, stage, and television actor; natural causes

Obviously, as a kid of the 60s and 70s, I remember him best as Oscar Madison from "The Odd Couple", probably his most famous and most memorable role.

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, after service in World War II, he decided he wanted to become an actor. He had numerous roles on stage and on television as well. He also starred in the classic "12 Angry Men" (1957). I first saw him in several episodes of "The Twilight Zone".

In 1965, Klugman replaced Walter Matthau in the original Broadway production of "The Odd Couple", and seemed a natural when that production was later adapted to television, in 1970. The series ran for five seasons. He played the perfect foil to Tony Randall's Felix Unger. And, of course, the theme to the show is unforgettable.

In 1976, Klugman starred in the series "Quincy, M.E.", which I thought was atrocious. However, it was fun to watch to try to mimic what we considered Klugman's over-the-top, hammy acting (something we later did with any William Shatner television episode). In fact, I remember my first drinking game started with this wretched, formulaic series.

While I mostly lost track of him in the 80s, I would catch him guest-appearing from time to time on various shows.

Continue reading "#274 In Memoriam: December 2012 Deaths, Part 3 of 3" »

64. Lee Dorman, 70, September 15, 1942 - December 21, 2012:
Musician; American bass guitarist; natural causes

Remembered best for his membership and musicianship in the bands Iron Butterfly (another band that missed out on Woodstock) and Captain Beyond. So, tip your hat, fill your glass, put on "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", and raise your lighter for the man. And then follow-up with "Dancing Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air)", from Captain Beyond. His bandmate, Larry Reinhardt, died earlier in the year, back in January.

Continue reading "#273 In Memoriam: December 2012 Deaths, Part 2 of 3" »

61. Ed Cassidy, 89, May 4, 1923 - December 6, 2012:
Drummer; American jazz and rock drummer; cancer

Think bald and black: he liked to sport a shaved head and dress all in black. At least, as one of the founders of the group, Spirit, that was his schtick. As such, his nickname was "Mr. Skin" - also the name of one of Spirit's hit singles. How big was Spirit, back in the day? Big enough to have Led Zeppelin open for them. The only reason Spirit weren't bigger than they were is that they happened to be stupid enough to turn down the slot before Jimi Hendrix - playing at Woodstock! Spirit's masterpiece is the psychedelic "Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus."

Continue reading "#272 In Memoriam: December 2012 Deaths, Part 1 of 3" »

57. Dennis "Stalking Cat" Avner, 54, August 27, 1958 - November 5, 2012:
Body modifier; suicide (?)

This is one of those obituaries that involves a triple-take. At first glance, you think your mind is playing tricks on you. At second glance, you think that someone is putting you on as surely, this must be some kind of sick joke. At third glance, after having read the entire obit, you're left thinking (or, in my case, SHOUTING OUT LOUD) "WTF!?" Because, this is surely one of the Signs of the Apocalypse.

Are you ready for this? This dude apparently spent "considerable resources to surgically modify his body to resemble that of a tiger." Yes, you read that right. A tiger.

What really creeps me out is that there is apparently a sub-sub-culture where this sort of thing is not only "normal" but where such people thrive. Yup: I just don't get it. Nor do I want to.

Continue reading "#271 In Memoriam: November 2012 Deaths" »

55. George Stanley McGovern, 90, July 19, 1922 - October 21, 2012:
Politician; American World War II bomber pilot, preacher, history professor, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, Democratic nominee for President in 1972, historian, and statesman; cancer

Where does one begin? I guess you could say he was a humble Methodist, and nominal Republican, from the plains of South Dakota, who made good - as a Democrat.

Apart from, perhaps, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis, McGovern was easily the least popular nominee for U.S. President put forward by the Democratic Party in modern American history. And, yet, for that era of American history, he was very likely the conscience of the new generation, sick of war and of American overreach abroad.

His achievements are great and distinguished: battle-hardened pilot of the "Dakota Queen", a B-24 Liberator during World War II, with several honors; tireless champion of South Dakota farmers; dauntless fighter of hunger in America and abroad; vehement and outspoken critic of American foreign policy in general, and its war in Southeast Asia in particular; liberal firebrand; and august statesman.

To those of us who lived in the 60s and 70s, he will never be forgotten.

Continue reading "#270 In Memoriam: October 2012 Deaths, Part 2 of 2" »

52. Alex Karras, 77, July 15, 1935 - October 10, 2012:
Actor; American football player, professional wrestler, television and movie actor, and commentator; kidney failure

You may have noticed that damned few sports stars ever make it into my memorials, and that's because I've never been a fan of sports. From my perspective, it's sheer entertainment - and not entertainment I much enjoy.

However, every now and then, someone will be able to translate the fame on the field to fame off the field. And that is the case with Alex Karras.

Karras began as a Hawkeye, at the University of Iowa. He later helped to lead his team to victory in the 1957 Rose Bowl, over Oregon State, becoming a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He was a first round draft pick of the Detroit Lions in 1958, ultimately playing for twelve seasons.

Along the way, Karras was also a professional wrestler ("Dick The Bruiser"). Then it was a (very memorable) cameo as "Mongo", in "Blazing Saddles", in 1974, and then off to Monday Night Football. He also had small roles in "Porky's" (1982) and "Victor Victoria" (1982). However, he won the most fame as George Papadapolis, in the (execrable) television series "Webster".

Continue reading "#269 In Memoriam: October 2012 Deaths, Part 1 of 2" »

49. Michael Clarke Duncan, 54, December 10, 1957 - September 3, 2012:
Actor; American movie, television, and voice actor; heart attack

I was shocked by his death, but, in retrospect, I guess I shouldn't have been. Judging by his size, he was just a heart attack waiting to happen.

The man was nothing less than a human wall. And he made his mark in this world in his stunning role as John Coffey, in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's "The Green Mile" (1999) (one of my favorite movies).

As you might imagine, his career in Hollywood began by playing bouncers in various movies. His first big role was as Bear, in the otherwise crappy movie, "Armaggedon". And then came "The Green Mile", for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (losing out to Michael Caine as Dr. Wilbur Larch in "The Cider House Rules").

Later, Duncan would go on to star in such other features as "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), "Planet Of The Apes" (2001), "The Scorpion King" (2002), "Daredevil" (2003), "The Island" (2005), "Sin City" (2005), and "Talladega Nights" (2006), among others.

Continue reading "#268 In Memoriam: September 2012 Deaths" »

45. Scott McKenzie, 73, January 10, 1939 - August 18, 2012:
Singer; American singer and songwriter; complications of Guillain-Barré syndrome

While we all know that the sixties died some time ago, the ghosts of the sixties lingered on. Well, another of those ghosts has moved on for good. I'm both old enough and well-travelled enough to actually remember adults walking through the streets of San Francisco with flowers in their hair. All thanks, in part, to this man. This is the guy who sang the anthem for flower-children everywhere: "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)". Back in the late 60s, you heard this song everywhere and all the time.

His other claims to fame are in helping to launch Anne Murray's career, and in co-writing the Beach Boys' smash 1988 hit, "Kokomo".

Continue reading "#267 In Memoriam: August 2012 Deaths, Part 2 of 2" »

41. Marvin Hamlisch, 68, June 2, 1944 - August 6, 2012:
Composer and conductor; American musician; respiratory arrest

How do I know Marvin Hamlisch? Well, like most people my age, I didn't know who the guy was until heard some of his works. I could probably never pick this guy out in a crowd. Hell, I'd probably think someone was pranking me if the guy came right up to me and introduced himself. Just zero visual acknowledgment.

However, that unfamiliarity washes away upon hearing such songs as "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows", "The Entertainer", and "Nobody Does It Better", the theme song from the movie "The Spy Who Loved Me". Upon seeing the film "The Sting" and hearing its wonderful ragtime soundtrack, Marvin Hamlisch was on my radar. Thanks to him, I mastered playing "The Entertainer" on alto saxophone as a kid.

Continue reading "#266 In Memoriam: August 2012 Deaths, Part 1 of 2" »

37. Larry Hoppen, 61, January 12, 1951 - July 24, 2012:
Musician; American musician; cause of death unknown

Co-founder, vocalist, and guitarist of Orleans, who is best known for singing lead on their two huge hits "Still The One" and "Dance With Me".

Continue reading "#251 In Memoriam: July 2012 Deaths, Part 3 of 3" »

32. Richard Zanuck, 77, December 13, 1934 - July 13, 2012:
Producer; American film producer; heart attack

If you are like me, and watched a ton of movies in your youth, the likelihood is that many of those movies were produced by this man. Some of these movies were blockbusters like "The Sound Of Music" (1965), "Jaws" (1975), "Jaws 2" (1978), "The Verdict" (1982), "Cocoon" (1985), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), "Mulholland Falls" (1996), "Deep Impact" (1998), "Road To Perdition" (2002), "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" (2005), and "Alice In Wonderland" (2010).

He also produced a Clint Eastwood film that was a critical and commercial failure - but which remains as a favorite guilty pleasure: "The Eiger Sanction" (1975).

Continue reading "#249 In Memoriam: July 2012 Deaths, Part 2 of 3" »

Because it is so hard to keep up with memorials to specific people, it's easier to track the passing of notable individuals on a monthly basis. So, from now on, this feature will be a monthly one and not an individual one. Deal with it.

30. Andy Griffith, 86, June 1, 1926 - July 3, 2012:
Actor; American actor, comedian, producer, and singer; heart attack

See blog post #206, for July 19, 2012.

Continue reading "#247 In Memoriam: July 2012 Deaths, Part 1 of 3" »