Who Died Today: Mako Iwamatsu
Mako Iwamatsu
DOB: December 10, 1933
Passed Away: July 21, 2006
Japanese born, grew up in the US, Mako developed a passion for acting while he was enrolled in the US Army. From there he studied acting and ended up doing a lot of roles in theater, TV and movies. He ended up getting nominated for an Oscar for a role he did in The Sand Pebbles. He worked steadily in film and TV since then.
“Storytellers are a threat. They threaten all champions of control, they frighten usurpers of the right-to-freedom of the human spirit — in state, in church or mosque, in party congress, in the university or wherever.”
—Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah
My Way (Remastered) [The Frank Sinatra Collection]
Frank SinatraObit of the Day (Historical): Frank Sinatra (1998)
On May 14, 1998, Frank Sinatra, who was named by BBC Radio as the “Greatest Voice of the Twentieth Century,” died at the age of 82. “Ol’ Blue Eyes” was one of the greatest performers in history earning three separate stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording, film, and television.
The 13-time Grammy Award-winner, Mr. Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12, 1915. As a teenager he dropped out of school to become a singer after seeing a performance by Bing Crosby. He would get his big break in 1940 when Tommy Dorsey hired him as the lead singer for his big band.
Sinatra hit his peak after leaving Dorsey’s band charting 17 top-10 hits between 1943 and 1946.
His career began to falter in the 1950s but he earned renewed respect with his Academy Award-winning performance in From Here to Eternity as Private Angela Maggio. He would earn another Oscar nod in 1955 for his performance in The Man with the Golden Arm.
Back on top again in the 1960s and known as much for his association with “The Rat Pack” (Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop), Sinatra would receive critical praise to accompany his decades of popularity
In 1966 he would win Grammys for Album of the Year (September of My Years) and Best Male Vocal Performance (“It Was a Very Good Year”) as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award. The next year he would win three more for Record of the Year (“Strangers in the Night”), Best Male Vocal Performance (Strangers in the Night), and Album of the Year (The Man and His Music).
Sinatra had taken a strong interest in politics campaigning for John F. Kennedy in 1960. JFK’s campaign song, “High Hopes” was even sung by Mr. Sinatra. Their relationship ended after President Kennedy would not visit while Frank was hosting Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana.
In 1985, Sinatra was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. Twelve years later he was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.
A couple of other random facts:
* Mr. Sinatra was married fourth times. His third marriage took place in 1966 when he married Mia Farrow - she was 21 and he was 51. His final marriage was to Barbara Blakely Marx, who was the widow of Zeppo Marx of the Marx Brothers.
* There is an asteroid named for him: 7934 Sinatra
* The character on Johnny Fontane in The Godfather was modeled on Sinatra.
* Of Sinatra’s 13 Grammys nine of them were won after he turned 50. He won his last in 1996 at the age of 81 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance on Duets II.
* Sinatra had three children: Nancy, Frank, Jr., and Tina. Frank and Nancy became the first father and daughter to each have a number one single. In 1966 Nancy hit #1 with “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” and a few months later Frank topped the charts with “Strangers in the Night.” The next year they recorded the only father-daughter duet to reach number one, “Somethin’ Stupid.”*.
* His was honored with a U.S. postage stamp in 1998, released to mark the 10th anniversary of his death. The post office in Hoboken, NJ is named for him.
* His last words after his wife kept encouraging him to fight for his life were “Im losing.”
* He is buried in Desert Memorial Park next to his parents. He was their only child.
Sources: Sinatra.com, Biography.com, Wikipedia, his original NY TImes obituary, and Google books
(“My Way” and Nothing But the Best are copyright of Frank Sinatra Enterprises, 2008)
* The 1991 version of “Unforgettable” with Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole may be the second but because of its unusual format - Mr. Cole was dead - it may be a special case
Michael "Flathead" Blanchard Obituary: Denver Post
legacy.comWould have loved to meet him. — Tanya
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael “Flathead” Blanchard
A Celebration of the life of Michael “Flathead” Blanchard will be held on April 14th, 3 pm 8160 Rosemary St, Commerce City.
Weary of reading obituaries noting someone’s courageous battle with death, Mike wanted it known that he died as a result of being stubborn, refusing to follow doctors’ orders and raising hell for more than six decades. He enjoyed booze, guns, cars and younger women until the day he died.
Mike was born July 1944 in Colorado to Clyde and Ethel Blanchard. A community activist, he is noted for saving the Dr. Justina Ford house from demolition and defending those who could not defend themselves. He was a Republican delegate, life member of the NRA, founder and President of the Dead Cats MC. He loved music.
Mike was preceded in death by Clyde and Ethel Blanchard, survived by his beloved sons Mike and Chopper, former wife Jane Transue, brother Stephen Blanchard (Susan), Uncle Don and Aunt Cynthia Blanchard(his favorite); Uncle Dill and Aunt Dot, cousins and nephews, Baba Yaga can kiss his butt. So many of his childhood friends that weren’t killed in Vietnam went on to become criminals, prostitutes and/or Democrats. He asks that you stop by and re-tell the stories he can no longer tell. As the Celebration will contain Adult material we respectfully ask that no children under 18 attend. Published in the Denver Post on April 12,2012
“Last week, Mark Sloan succumbed to injuries sustained in the plane crash that took the life of fellow surgeon Alexandra Caroline Grey. By the time he died, he was no longer just a hot naked guy in a towel. He’d become more than McSteamy. Mark had grown to become a mentor, a true best friend, a father, and the love of Lexie Grey’s life. After six seasons, the end of Mark Sloan was a great loss for me as a writer and for the show. And for the fans. I like to believe that Mark is with Lexie somewhere. That those two characters are spending eternity together, getting to have the relationship they were never able to have when they were alive. Because, as Lexie’s dying words told us, she and Mark were “meant to be.” Mark Everett Sloan died on September 27, 2012. He is survived by his daughter Sofia; his baby mamas, Callie and Arizona; his fellow doctors at Seattle Grace; and every woman who ever imagined what it might be like to have a little McSteamy between her sheets. He will be missed by all.”
—Shonda Rhimes
