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In Loving Memory: A Tribute to Those We Have Lost This Week

We here at Fan Fest News would like to pay tribute to those in the entertainment world that we have lost this past week. Some may be well-known, some may be unknown but all have left their mark. Let’s take a minute to celebrate the lives they lived and honor the memories and legacies that they leave behind.

MOVIES:

Daliah Lavi, an Israeli actress who starred in a number of 1960s movies in the U.S., passed away on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. She was 74.

She was born Daliah Lewinbuk on Oct. 12, 1942, in what was then known as British Palestine.

She studied ballet in Stockholm, where she starred in her 1955 debut film. She went on to star in French, German, Spanish, British, U.S., and Italian films – she spoke several languages.

Lavi was discovered by record producer Jimmy Bowien and began a successful singing career in Germany. Lavi appeared alongside Kirk Douglas in the 1962 movie Two Weeks in Another Town. She also played roles in 1965’s Lord Jim with Peter O’Toole, with Dean Martin in the 1966 film The Silencers, and with Woody Allen in 1967’s James Bond spoof Casino Royale.

She is survived by her husband Charles E. Gans, their 3 sons Rouben, Alexander and Stephen, and daughter Kathy.

 

TELEVISION:

Robert Wilson, A Dallas area public television executive, passed away on Friday, May 5, 2017 after battling Alzheimer’s. He was 76.

Father to Owen and Luke Wilson, Robert Wilson took command of Dallas’ public television affiliate, KERA. He was in charge of technical improvements but he had the most impact in the programming field.

He hired journalist Jim Lehrer which led to Newsroom. The show was a precursor to PBS’s NewHour with Jim Lehrer. Wilson was the first to broadcast Monty Python’s Flying Circus in the U.S.

He and his wife Laura moved to Dallas from New England. She is a photographer and the couple had three sons, Andrew, Owen, and Luke who all became actors.

Robert Wilson is survived by his wife, Laura, their sons Andrew, Owen, and Luke and several grandchildren.

 

MUSIC:

Kevin Garcia, Bassist for the indie rock group Grandaddy, passed away Tuesday, May 2, 2017, of a stroke in Modesto, California. He was 41.

Garcia was born on June 22, 1975. He began playing with Grandaddy as a teenager. The band was officially formed in 1992 and released 4 albums. They broke up in 2006. They reunited in 2012 and made a number of appearances. Their last album was just released this past March.

He is survived by his wife, Sondra, 2 children, Jayden and Gavin, his parents, 2 brothers and grandmother.

 

 

photo credit: Vernon Webb

Bruce Hampton, Musician who co-founded Atlanta-based Hampton Grease Band in the late ’60s, passed away Tuesday, May 2, 2017, after collapsing onstage during a concert on Monday night.

Hampton was born Gustav Berglund III on April 30, 1947, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Hampton Grease Band released the album Music To Eat which was produced by Columbia Records.

Hampton, who was a guitarist, was known for playing a smaller version of the instrument called the ‘chazoid.’ He also went on to form several other bands including the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Codetalkers, Quack Alliance, and Fiji Mariners.

In addition to music, he was the voice of a potted plant named Warren in a reboot episode of the animated series Space Ghost Coast to Coast. He also appeared in Sling Blade playing Warren, a songwriting band manager. He and Billy Bob Thronton were friends. Thornton was also in attendance at Monday night’s concert.

 

Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Mario Maglieri, owner of Hollywood’s famous Whiskey A Go Go nightclub and Rainbow Bar & Grill, passed away, May 4, 2014. He was 93.

He was born on February 7, 1924, in Italy. He came to America at the age of 4. In his adult years he began managing restaurants and clubs in Chicago and then moved to Los Angeles in the ’60s to become the manager of Whiskey A Go Go. He eventually became the owner which led to the opening of the Rainbow Bar & Grill in 1972.

Located on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, his clubs served both as a performance venue and a place to eat and drink for generations of musicians. Bands like The Doors, Van Halen, and Guns and Roses all played at the Whiskey A Go Go early in their careers.

Hundreds of musicians frequented the Rainbow Bar & Grill including Motorhead, Led Zeppelin and Cyprus Hill. The restaurant’s upstairs became a private drinking club known as the Hollywood Vampires. Members included Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, Ringo Starr and John Lennon. Cheech and Chong recorded a track there as well.

Maglieri is survived by his wife, Scarlett, son, Mikeal, and 3 grandchildren.

 

THEATER:

Miriam Colon, Puerto Rican stage and screen actress, passed away on Friday, May 3, 2017, in Albuquerque,New Mexico from a lung infection. She was 80.

Best knows as Tony Montana’s mother in Scarface in 1983.

Colon was born on August 20, 1936 in Puerto Rico. she grew up in San Juan. She moved to New York in 1953 where she enrolled in the famous Actors Studio. She also co-founded the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater.

She often appeared in television westerns like Bonanza and Gunsmoke. She also had a role in Marlon Brando’s One-eyed Jacks in 1961. She received a lifetime acheivement Obie Award for her off-Broadway work in 1993 and awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2014.

She continued to work throughout her life and most recently, made an appearance in Better Call Saul in 2015.

She is survived by husband of 40+ years, Fred Valle.

 

“If there ever comes a day where we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forver.” ~ Winnie the Pooh

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