Free Republic

Anita Bryant, a Grammy nominated singer, TV personality and orange juice pitchwoman whose show business career was submerged in the public eye by her anti-gay crusades of the late 1970s, died December 16 at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma. She was 84. Her death was announced in an obituary in The Oklahoman. A cause of death was not revealed. Born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, Bryant grew up in a devoutly Christian family, with her love of music and singing leading to her own TV show at the age of 12, according to the obituary. At 18 she...

Chuck Norris said his mother, Wilma Norris Knight, has died at age 103. In a Facebook post on Friday, Norris announced his mom’s death, describing her as “a woman of unwavering faith, a beacon of light in our lives, and her love reflected God’s grace.” She died Wednesday. SNIP “From my earliest memories, she taught me the importance of kindness and compassion. I am so thankful for the countless lessons she shared, the prayers she lifted for us, and the way she embodied the love of Christ every day,” Norris wrote. “We love you, Mom. Until we meet again.”

Earl Holliman, an actor with scores of credits spanning a half-century that ranged 1950s films Forbidden Planet and Giant to Police Woman and popular ’70s and ’80s TV dramas and starred the first episode of The Twilight Zone, died Monday in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 96. His niece, Theresa Mullins Harris, announced the news on social media, writing in part: “His dream at 5 years old of becoming a movie star came true, more than he ever could have imagined.” Holliman got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame won a Supporting Actor Golden Globe...

Freddie Mercury passed away at the age of 45 at his home in London’s Kensington on the evening of November 24, 1991. Freddie Mercury’s cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.... In March of this year, I reported that Freddie Mercury’s Kensington home in London was for sale for excess of £30 million.The house was designed in the Neo-Georgian style in 1907 by architect Ernest Marshall for married artists Cecil Rea and Constance Halford... When he passed away in 1991, Freddie left Garden Lodge to his friend and confidante, Mary Austin. Mary said of the house that “This...

Actress Teri Garr has died at age 79, Variety reported on Tuesday. Garr passed away in Los Angeles after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. The late star was best known for her roles in the films “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie,” the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination. Garr was born on December 11, 1944 in Lakewood, Ohio. She moved to Los Angeles and then later to New York to pursue acting. She started out as a go-go dancer and made appearances in six Elvis Presley musicals in the 1960s. Her first on-screen speaking role was in 1968’s...

Teri Garr, 'Young Frankenstein' actress, dead at 79 'Tootsie' actress Teri Garr died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis Teri Garr, known for her work in "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday. She was 79. Garr's publicist confirmed to The Associated Press that the comedian died of multiple sclerosis.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of "South Pacific" and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93. Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, her long-time managers Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press. “As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she...

John Amos, the star of “Good Times,” “Roots” and more, died on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes, his representative confirmed to Variety on Tuesday. He was 84. “It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” said his son Kelly Christopher Amos in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as...

Major League Baseball legend Pete Rose has died at the age of 83, the medical examiner in Clark County, Nevada, confirmed.

UPDATE: 9/13, 2:20 p.m. ET - Alf child star Benji Gregory's cause of death has been revealed. The local medical examiner confirmed to TMZ on Friday, September 13, that Gregory died from heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). The actor was found dead in his car. Original story: Former child star Benji Gregory has died at age 46. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's office confirmed on Wednesday, July 10, that Gregory died on June 13, in Arizona, according to Deadline. His cause of death has not yet been determined. TMZ was first to break...

The honorary Oscar recipient and two-time Tony winner overcame a stutter to stand out in such films as 'The Great White Hope,' 'The Lion King,' 'Field of Dreams' and 'The Sandlot.'James Earl Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died Monday. He was 93. Jones, who burst into national prominence in 1970 with his powerful Oscar-nominated performance as America’s first Black heavyweight champion in The Great White Hope, died at his home in Dutchess County, New York,...

Phil Donahue, the legendary TV talk show host, has died. He was 88. Donahue passed away Sunday night following a long illness, his family confirmed to “Today” Monday morning. The late star died at home surrounded by his loved ones, including his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie. The family’s statement requested that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers.

Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” has died. He was 98. He died Thursday of kidney failure at his home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, publicist Harlan Boll said. Marshall helped define the form of the smooth, professional, but never-too-serious modern game show host on more than 5,000 episodes of the series that ran on NBC from 1966 to 1981.

The great Lou Dobbs has passed away.He was 78 years old.President Trump made the announcement on Truth Social.“The Great Lou Dobbs has just passed away — A friend, and truly incredible Journalist, Reporter, and Talent. He understood the World, and what was “happening,” better than others. Lou was unique in so many ways, and loved our Country. Our warmest condolences to his wonderful wife, Debi, and family. He will be greatly missed!” Trump said on Truth Social.

"The Shining" star Shelley Duvall has died at the age of 75, according to The Associated Press. Duvall shot to international fame when she starred as Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's iconic 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel. Shelley Duvall in 'The Shining'

Beloved actor Donald Sutherland has died, his son Kiefer Sutherland announced on Thursday. The Hollywood icon, who was known for his roles of President Snow in the “Hunger Games” film franchise and Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H,” among many others, had been battling with a long illness at the time of his death, Deadline reports. He was 88 years old at the time of his passing.

Dabney Coleman, the popular comic actor from 9 to 5, Tootsie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman whose many redeeming qualities including a knack for portraying characters who had none, has died. He was 92. Coleman died Thursday at home in Santa Monica, his daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, told The Hollywood Reporter. “My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity,” she said. “As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence...

News of the passing of notorious football legend and actor O.J. Simpson has dominated headlines across the United States. However, it appears that at least one outlet still had one name on its mind when it came to writing his obituary, that of former President Donald Trump. The LA Times posted an obituary for the former San Francisco 49ers running back Thursday after Simpson’s family announced his death. However, the Times incorrectly named Trump as the man who left Lovelock Correctional Facility after incarceration in 2017, according to an archived version of their report.

Eric Carmen, who became an icon of power pop as the frontman of the Raspberries before achieving even bigger hits as a solo artist in the 1970s and ’80s, has died at age 74. The news came in a message from his wife, Amy Carmen, on the singer’s website. “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” she wrote. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be...

Matthew Perry has died at the age of 54, TMZ has reported. The beloved “Friends” star was reportedly discovered dead in the jacuzzi of a home in Los Angeles’ ritzy Pacific Palisades neighborhood just after 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that first-responders rushed to the address with the call first reported as a cardiac arrest. They added that no drugs found at the scene and no foul play is suspected. In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Department stated: “We responded to the 1800 block of Blue Sail Rd for a death investigation on a male...