| 2013 Necrology |
| What is a necrology? A necrology is a listing of people who have died during a specific time period. Find A Grave necrologies let you browse the names and faces of the 75 most famous people who have died during a selected year, all the way back to 1900. They are listed in order of their Find A Grave 'fame ranking', as voted by Find A Grave contributors. To view a necrology, simply select a year from the pop up list below. You can optionally select a category to restrict the list even further (just actors, just politicians, etc.). To visit the memorial page for any of the names listed on a necrology, click on their name or photo. |
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 George Jones (1931 - 2013)
Country Music Singer and Songwriter. He is probably best remembered for his hit single "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and for his tumultuous marriage to famed country singer Tammy Wynette. Additionally, his musical career would be marked by frequent bouts of alcoholism and cocaine use and his wild li... |
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 Annette Funicello (1942 - 2013)
American Actress and Singer. Funicello and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 4 and nine years later, in 1955, was discovered by Walt Disney himself while dancing the lead in a production of "Swan Lake" at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank. He invited her to audition for his new television ... |
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 Jean Stapleton (1923 - 2013)
Actress. She will be fondly remembered for playing Edith Baines Bunker, wife of Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor) in the groundbreaking TV series "All in the Family" (1971 to 1980). Born Jeanne Murray, her father was a billboard salesman, her mother was an opera singer, she had a fondness f... |
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 Jonathan Winters (1925 - 2013)
Actor, Comedian. Born Jonathan Harshman Winters III, he joined the Marines during his senior year of high school and upon his discharge attended the Dayton Art Institute, got his start in show business by winning a talent contest in 1950 which led to hosting a children's television show, then a game... |
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 Margaret Thatcher (1925 - 2013)
British Prime Minister. Great Britain's first female Prime Minister, she served three consecutive terms in office and was one of the dominant political figures of the 20th century. Born Margaret Hilda Roberts, the daughter of a grocer, she went to Oxford University and became a research chemist. In ... |
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 Esther Williams (1921 - 2013)
Entertainer, Hall of Fame Swimmer. Billed as the "Million Dollar Mermaid", she adorned the silver screen in several MGM box-office hits, among them "Neptune's Daughter" (1949), "Dangerous When Wet" (1953) and "Jupiter's Darling" (1955). Born Esther Jane Williams, her father was a sign painter, her m... |
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 James Gandolfini (1961 - 2013)
Actor. He is best remembered for the role of 'Tony Soprano' in the successful HBO cable television series "The Sopranos", which he starred in from 1999 to 2007. After graduating from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he majored in communications, he aspired to become the proprie... |
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 Abigail Van Buren (1918 - 2013)
American Advice Columnist and Radio Show Host. Born Pauline Friedman Phillips, she wrote the long-running 'Dear Abby' advice column under the name of Abigail Van Buren that was followed by millions of newspaper readers throughout the world. Her first column appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle o... |
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 Patti Page (1927 - 2013)
Entertainer. Best remembered for the hits "Tennessee Waltz" (1950), "How Much is that Doggie in the Window" (1952), "Let Me Go, Lover!" (1954), "Allegheny Moon" (1956) and "Old Cape Cod" (1957), her total record sales topped the one hundred million dollar mark. Born Clara Ann Fowler, into a family ... |
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 Stan Musial (1920 - 2013)
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. For twenty-two seasons (1941 to 1944 and 1946 to 1963), he played at the outfielder and first-baseman positions with the St. Louis Cardinals. One of the most prolific players in baseball history, he captured a remarkable seven batting titles, while earning ... |
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 Jeanne Cooper (1928 - 2013)
Actress. Best known for her role as 'Katherine Chancellor' on "The Young and the Restless," a role she played from 1974 until her death. Cooper received ten Daytime Emmy nominations, nine for Outstanding Lead Actress and one for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and two Primetime Emmy nominations; she... |
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 Ed Koch (1924 - 2013)
US Congressman, Mayor of New York City. A member of the Democratic Party, he served New York's 17th and 18th Congressional Districts in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 until 1977. Later, he served as the Mayor of New York City from 1978 until 1989. Born to Russian-Jewish immigra... |
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 Roger Ebert (1942 - 2013)
Film Critic, Screenwriter. Ebert, who joined the Sun-Times part time in 1966 while pursuing graduate study at the University of Chicago, went on to become one of the most influential film critics in the nation. In 1969, he took a leave of absence from the newspaper to write the screenplay for 'Beyo... |
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 Patty Andrews (1918 - 2013)
Singer. She shall be remembered as one third of the legendary trio The Andrews Sisters. Born Patricia Marie Andrews to a Greek immigrant family originally named Andreas, she was raised along with her sisters Maxine and La Verne in the Minneapolis suburbs; the girls formed their ensemble when Patty, ... |
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 George Shea (1909 - 2013)
Gospel Singer, composer and soloist. He was best known for his association with Evangelist Billy Graham. He was nominated 10 times for a Grammy Award. In 1966 Shea received a Grammy award for the Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording (Musical). George Beverly Shea was presented with the Lifetime... |
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 Joyce Brothers (1927 - 2013)
Psychologist, Television Personality, and Newspaper Columnist. She is best remembered for her daily advice column that appeared from 1960 to 2013 in various newspapers and is credited with inspiring TV personality and psychologist Doctor Phil McGraw and talk radio host Doctor Laura Schlessinger. She... |
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 Bonnie Franklin (1944 - 2013)
Actress. She will be best remembered for playing Ann Romano Royer in the TV series "One Day at a Time" (1975 to 1984). Born in Los Angeles, the daughter of an investment banker, she took to entertaining at an early age and trained as a tap dancer during her youth. This led to a performance on the TV... |
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 Steve Forrest (1925 - 2013)
American Actor. Born William Forrest Andrews, he was one of 13 children. At 18, he enlisted in the Army during World War II, attaining the rank of sergeant and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, he moved to Los Angeles and attended UCLA where he graduated with honors in 1950 with a ... |
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 Ray Manzarek (1939 - 2013)
Rock Musician. A keyboardist, he was a founding member of seminal 1960's rock band "The Doors". From 1962 to 1965, he studied at the Department of Cinematography at UCLA, where he met film student Jim Morrison. Later on, they met by chance on Venice Beach, California where Morrison said he had wri... |
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 Dale Robertson (1923 - 2013)
Actor. He will perhaps be best remembered for playing Jim Hardie in the TV series "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957 to 1962). Born Dayle Lymoine Robertson, he initially pursued a career as a prize fighter and later enrolled at Oklahoma Military Academy. During World War II, he saw action in the European ... |
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 Pat Summerall (1930 - 2013)
Professional Football Player, Broadcaster. After an accomplished career as a player in the National Football League, he went onto have a lengthy broadcasting career of calling nationally televised football games and other events on the CBS and Fox Networks. He will perhaps be best remembered for bei... |
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 C. Koop (1916 - 2013)
United States Surgeon General. Born Charles Everett Koop and nicknamed "Chick" (as in chicken coop), he graduated from Dartmouth College in 1937 and Cornell University's medical school in 1941. Koop was Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania. H... |
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 Ray Harryhausen (1920 - 2013)
Visual Effects Creator, Writer, and Producer. Harryhausen will best be remembered for creating a brand of stop-motion model animation for films. During World War II, he worked for Special Services Division under Colonel Frank Capra, as a loader, clapper boy, goffer and later camera assistant, while... |
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 Deanna Durbin (1921 - 2013)
Entertainer. She made her mark within the industry as both an actress and singer during the 1930s and 1940s, prior to marrying and retiring to France. Born Edna Mae Durbin, she was raised in Southern California. Singing came naturally to her as a youth and after catching the attention of a talent sc... |
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 Frank Thornton (1921 - 2013)
Actor. He will be best remembered for playing Captain Peacock, the droll floor walker in the popular, long-running British comedy TV series "Are You Being Served?" (1972 to 1985) and as Truly in the television program "The Last of the Summer Wine" (1997 to 2010). The son of a banker, he took to acti... |
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 Van Cliburn (1934 - 2013)
Pianist, Recording Artist and International Celebrity. His winning the quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958, at the height of the Cold War, made him a figure on the world stage and led to a thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations. Founded the Van Cliburn International Pian... |
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 Richie Havens (1941 - 2013)
American Folk Singer and Guitarist. Havens will best be remembered as the artist who opened the Woodstock music festival with a three hour set. At an early age, he began organizing his neighborhood friends into street corner doo-wop groups and was performing with The McCrea Gospel Singers at 16. A... |
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 Chris Kyle (1974 - 2013)
Military Figure, Author. He is best remembered for his autobiographical book "American Sniper," a New York Times bestseller that described his military career as a US Navy SEAL sniper. His father was a Sunday school teacher and church deacon who taught him how to hunt and shoot at a young age. After... |
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 Conrad Bain (1923 - 2013)
Actor. Bain, a Canadian-born actor who served in the Canadian Army during World War II, will best be remembered for his roles as as Phillip Drummond in the sitcoms 'Diff'rent Strokes' and as Dr. Arthur Harmon on 'Maude'. He started as an actor in the 1956 stage revival of 'The Iceman Cometh'. His... |
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 Claude King (1923 - 2013)
Country Singer and Songwriter. King, who purchased his first guitar at age 12, is best known for recording "Wolverton Mountain" (co-written with Merle Kilgore) in 1962. He signed with Columbia Records in 1961 and scored immediately with a country top 10 hit with "Big River, Big Man" and followed th... |
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 Colonial Affair (1990 - 2013)
Thoroughbred Race Horse. The bay stallion was champion of the 1993 Belmont Stakes. Additionally, his victory gave Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone the distinction of becoming the first female to ride a winning horse in any leg of the Triple Crown. The thrill of victory in the winners circle for Krone... |
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 Tom Connors (1936 - 2013)
Country Singer. Born Thomas Charles Connors, he was a Canadian country folk singer, noted for writing and singing songs about his country. At age 14, he bought his first guitar and got his first job as a singer at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, Ontario. Nicked named Stompin' Tom, he rose to promi... |
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 Deacon Jones (1938 - 2013)
Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. Born David D. Jones, he was a 14th-round draft pick in 1961 out of Mississippi Valley State by the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent his first 11 seasons, teaming up with Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy to form "The Fearsome Foursome", one of the ... |
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 Ken Venturi (1931 - 2013)
Professional Golfer and Broadcaster. He won 14 events on the PGA Tour, but his biggest accomplishment on the golf course came when he won the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Despite scorching heat, he shot 66-70 on the final day of the tournament, marking the only... |
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 Allan Arbus (1918 - 2013)
Actor. He is best remembered for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on the television series M*A*S*H. Born Allan Franklin Arbus to Jewish parents in New York City, New York, his father was a stockbroker. He developed an interest in acting when he won a part in a play at DeWitt Clinton High... |
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 Huell Howser (1945 - 2013)
Television Personality. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, he worked on a US Senator's staff and served in the US Marine Corps. He is best known for hosting the PBS televison series "California's Gold". His television career began at WSM-TV in Nashville where he began a series of hu... |
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 Alan O'Day (1940 - 2013)
Singer, Songwriter, Musician. He will be best remembered for his penning and recording of the 1977 chart-topping hit "Undercover Angel". His father was a journalist his mother was a schoolteacher, Alan had an interest in music at an early age and took to the xylophone as an introduction to instrumen... |
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 Virgil Trucks (1917 - 2013)
Major League Baseball Player. He earned a place in the record books as he hurled two no-hit games during 1952. For seventeen seasons (1941 to 1943 and 1945 to 1958), he was a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees. Born Virgil... |
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 Richard Street (1942 - 2013)
Singer. He was best known for his work as a member of The Temptations. He began his association as a performer with the local Detroit doo-wop ensemble The Distants and it was during this time period when he became friends with future Temptation Otis Williams. Street, (the cousin of Temptations' Melv... |
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 John Kerr (1931 - 2013)
American Actor. Kerr, whose parents were stage and film actors, Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker, developed an early interest in following their footsteps. He went to Phillips Exeter Academy in New England and after graduating from Harvard, he worked summer stock at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, M... |
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 Barney Bush (2000 - 2013)
Presidential Pet. Belonging to former President and First Lady George W. and Laura Bush, the black Scottish terrier was a fixture in the White House for eight years. He was noted for having his own section on the official White House website, guarding the South Lawn entrance as if he were a Secret S... |
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 Lori March (1923 - 2013)
Actress. She will perhaps be best remembered for playing Valerie Hill Ames Northcoate in the long-running TV serial "Secret Storm" (1964 to 1974). Born Lori Von Eltz, her mother Peggy Prior was a screenwriter during the 1920s, her stepfather Joseph Moncure March penned numerous scripts during the 19... |
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 Robert Nichols (1924 - 2013)
Actor. Nichols began his career as an entertainer in the Army during World War II. After his discharge, he attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and while working as a song-and-dance man at the Players Theater, director Howard Hawks cast Nichols in a small part in the comedy 'I Was a Male ... |
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 Virginia Gibson (1928 - 2013)
Entertainer. Fondly remembered for playing Liza in the motion picture musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954). Born Virginia Gorski, she initiated her career in the entertainment industry as a performer in the Muny Opera in her native St. Louis' Forest Park. Well-versed at singing, dancing ... |
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 Vernon McGarity (1921 - 2013)
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Right, Tennessee, he joined the US Army in November 1942. On December 16, 1944 he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, near Krinkelt, Belgium as a technical sergeant in Company L of the 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. For hi... |
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 Colin Davis (1927 - 2013)
Conductor. A prolific artist who always tried to get to the bottom of a score and was particularly renowned for presenting the works of Mozart, Schubert, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Brahms, Berlioz, and Elgar, he shall perhaps be best remembered for his tenure as maestro of the London Symphony Orchestra (... |
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 Jewel Akens (1933 - 2013)
Singer. He will be best remembered for his 1965 hit "The Birds And The Bees". After moving with his family to Los Angeles at the age of nine, he began performing as a vocalist at his local church. At the age of eighteen, he joined his first ensemble The The Four Dots whom recorded a number of single... |
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 Frank Bank (1942 - 2013)
Actor. He will be fondly remembered for playing Clarence 'Lumpy' Rutherford in the TV series "Leave It To Beaver" (1958 to 1963). Born and raised in Los Angeles, he got his start in the industry at the age of ten, when he was cast in the part of Will Rogers as a child in the picture "The Story of Wi... |
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 Damon Harris (1950 - 2013)
Singer. He was best known for his work with the music group The Temptations. Born Otis Robert Harris, Jr., he grew up listening to healthy doses of Motown's greats among them Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye and his favorite of them all, The Temptations. He initiated his singing career ... |
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 Michael Winner (1935 - 2013)
Motion Picture Director, Screenwriter, Producer. He will perhaps be best remembered for the successful cult film "Death Wish" (1974) which starred Charles Bronson. Born in London to Jewish parentage, his mother was from Poland, his father originated from Russia, Michael initially studied Law at Camb... |
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 Paul Bearer (1954 - 2013)
Professional Wrestling/Entertainment Manager. Born William Alvin Moody, he will most likely be remembered by his ring names 'Paul Bearer' and 'Percival Pringle III', as a professional wrestling manager for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF—later WWE). As ... |
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 Joe Weider (1919 - 2013)
Body-builder, Health and Fitness Entrepreneur. He was the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) along with brother Ben Weider and creator of the Mr. Olympia, the Ms. Olympia and the Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests. He was the publisher of several bodybuilding and fi... |
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 Jeff Hanneman (1964 - 2013)
Musician, Guitarist. Hanneman co-founded the thrash metal band Slayer in 1981, after auditioning for lead guitarist in a band. He approached Kerry King, who was trying out for the same band, when the two began playing songs together and decided to form their own band. Although they released their f... |
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 Earl Weaver (1930 - 2013)
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Manager. For seventeen season (1968 to 1982 and 1985 to 1986), he served as manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Easily remembered as one of baseball's most colorful figures, he was known for his fiery temperament towards umpires. He guided Baltimore to four American ... |
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 Alvin Lee (1944 - 2013)
Rock Musician. A founding member of the British ensemble "Ten Years After", was widely regarded as being one of the greatest guitarists to emerge during the late 1960s. His initial instrument was the clarinet after discovering he enjoyed listening to his father's collection of Benny Goodman albums a... |
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 Rick Huxley (1942 - 2013)
Rock Musician. Founding member and bass player with the 1960s British band The Dave Clark Five. After mastering the guitar, Huxley launched his career at the age of sixteen, when he answered an ad for a guitarist in an ensemble which was led by drummer Dave Clark. During the next four years and afte... |
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 Richard Trickle (1941 - 2013)
Professional Race Car Driver. Richard "Dick" Trickle was an American race car driver, racing for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, before entering NASCAR in 1987. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC. It is estimated that he entered more than 2,200 ra... |
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 Malachi Throne (1928 - 2013)
Actor. He will perhaps be best remembered for playing Noah Bain in the TV series "It Takes A Thief" (1968 to 1969). He played a wide range of memorable characters in numerous classic television programs during the course of his career, among them Commodore Mendez in a two-part episode of "Star Trek"... |
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 Marion Rushing (1936 - 2013)
Professional Football Player. For eight seasons (1959 and 1962 to 1962), he played at the linebacker position in the National and American Football Leagues with the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Houston Oilers. After attending Pinckneyville High School in Illinois, he played colle... |
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 Jack Shea (1928 - 2013)
Television Director, Executive. Born John Francis Shea, Jr., his father was a traveling salesman his mother a bookkeeper, he received a parochial high school education and later attained a degree in History from Fordham University. He broke into the entertainment industry in 1951 initially as a stag... |
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 Phil Ramone (1941 - 2013)
Music Producer, Composer, Songwriter. Ramone, who at age 3 began studying the piano and violin and attended the Juilliard School in New York as a teenager, spent years working as a songwriter, engineer and acoustics expert in New York before going on to work with some of the greatest artists in the... |
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 Bryan Forbes (1926 - 2013)
Motion Picture Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Actor. He will perhaps be best remembered for his collaborations with Richard Attenborough. Born John Theobald Clarke, it was a dream of his to become an actor for which began during his youth and at the age of seventeen, he enrolled at the Royal Acad... |
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 Richard Griffiths (1947 - 2013)
Actor. He will be best remembered for playing Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter's saga and for the role of Uncle Monty in "Withnail and I". He began his career as an actor from an early age playing roles very different from each and during his career that spanned more than four decades, he starred in... |
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Mindy McCready (1975 - 2013)
Country Music Singer. She is probably best remembered for her single "Guys Do It All the Time," which became her only Number 1 hit on the US Country charts in 1996. Born Malinda Gayle McCready, she began singing in her local church when she was 3 years old. She graduated from high school at the age ... |
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 Bobby Smith (1936 - 2013)
Singer. He was a founding member and lead vocalist with the music ensemble "The Spinners". Sometimes spelled Bobbie, the Detroit native's association with music can be traced back to the mid 1950s, when along with some high school buddies (Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson and George ... |
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 Clive Burr (1957 - 2013)
Rock Musician. He was the original drummer for the band Iron Maiden (1979-1982) and played on the band's first three albums: Iron Maiden, Killers, and Number of the Beast. He was co-writer of the songs "Gangland", and another song, "Total Eclipse". He left the band in December 1982 due to personal... |
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 Jack Pardee (1936 - 2013)
Professional Football Player and Coach, College Football Coach. For fifteen seasons (1957 to 1964 and 1966 to 1972), he played at the linebacker position in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. Born John Perry Pardee, he was raised in Texas where he attende... |
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 Bobby Rogers (1940 - 2013)
Singer. Founding member of the music ensemble The Miracles. Ironically, Rogers was born on the same day and in the same Detroit hospital as Smokey Robinson. His association with Robinson can be traced back to his high school days in Detroit, as a member of the early Miracles incarnation named The M... |
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 Jerry Buss (1933 - 2013)
Hall of Fame Sports Team Owner. From 1979 until his death, he was the proprietor of the Los Angeles Lakers. Born in the midst of the "Great Depression", he toiled at many jobs among them ditch digger and railroad worker. Influenced by his high school chemistry teacher, Buss would strive to earn a sc... |
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 Vladimir Yengibaryan (1932 - 2013)
Olympic Athlete. A native of Armenia, he was a boxer and gold medalist during the 1956 Summer Olympics at Melbourne, Australia. Fighting in the Light Welterweight Division, he won the Gold in the final match against Italian boxer Franco Nenci. After this victory, he was honored of the highest sports... |
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 Jack Greene (1930 - 2013)
Country Music Singer. He is best remembered for his 1966 hit "There Goes My Everything," which dominated the Country music charts for nearly two months in 1967, earning him the Country Music Association awards "Male Vocalist of the Year," "Single of the Year," "Album of the Year," and "Song of the Y... |
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 Chrissy Amphlett (1959 - 2013)
Singer. Lead singer of the band Australian band Divinyls. They released six albums and had a worldwide hit with the song "I Touch Myself". After the band broke up, she concentrated on a solo career. Other projects included film and theater acting and a biography. She was a 2006 inductee to the Aria ... |
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 Ricardo Ledesma (1933 - 2013)
Opera Singer. A tenor best known for heavier roles, he sang on many of the world's leading stages. Born Jesus Quinones Ledesma, he was raised in the San Juan suburbs and manifested his talent early; after graduating from high school at 16 he journeyed to Italy where he spent several years studying w... |
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 Reg Presley (1941 - 2013)
Rock Musician. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the British rock band The Troggs. Born Reginald Maurice Ball, he made his initial mark in music with an early incarnation of The Troggs called The Troglodytes. After coming under the guidance of manager Larry Page they found success with their... |
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 Linden Chiles (1933 - 2013)
Actor. Born Truman Linden Chiles, he was studying Drama at UCLA when he caught the attention of director Ted Post whom cast him in his first television credit, a 1960 episode of the series "Rawhide". This was followed by his motion picture debut with a small part in the Tony Richardson picture "Sanc... |
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