Free Republic

Fontella Bass, the St. Louis-born gospel and R&B singer famous for her 1965 hit “Rescue Me,” died Wednesday night. She was 72 and had suffered a heart attack on Dec. 2, her family said this morning. Ms. Bass was taught by her mother, gospel singer Martha Bass. Ms. Bass graduated from Soldan High School and started her professional career at 17 at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Mo. She got a contract with Chess Records and sang duets with Bobby McClure, including “Don't Mess Up a Good Thing.” She sang and co-wrote “Rescue Me,” which sold more than...

In his popular TV series Rescue Me, Denis Leary portrays the tall, tough and troubled firefighter Tommy Gavin. In actuality, Leary is also tall and tough but a real softie when it comes to the men who work out of the nation’s firehouses. Leary, previously known as a stand-up comedian, is the co-creator of the FX show and is involved in every aspect. It’s earned him an Emmy nomination for writing and a Golden Globe nomination for acting. “All the stories are from real life,” he said. When we spoke, they were booting up for a third season, which starts...