This morning while I was making my bed and watching Good Morning America, I heard that Debbie Reynolds died. I was blown away. Just one day after she lost her daughter, Carrie Fisher, apparently she suffered a stroke while making funeral arrangements. The mystery of death.
The panel went on to discuss a newsweek.com article about why we mourn celebrity deaths, so I looked it up. It was written April 22, 2016 and explained quite a bit of why we mourn rock stars, celebrities and other famous people who die.
According to the article, nostalgia is a kind of pain, an acute longing for the familiar. That explains why when Prince, David Bowie and George Michael passed away, we tend to download or stream their music and recall what we were doing when we first heard those particular songs.
Apparently George Michael’s music downloads have increased by 1600% since his death.
The article goes on to say that “we’re not very well served by our culture because it tends to keep the genuine tragedy of death at bay.”
Instead of mourning at funerals, we hold celebrations. This is a time to mourn and that’s being denied. It offered some advice.
Wisdom based traditions advise practicing mourning. Socrates said that philosophy is “learning to die.” Buddhists meditate before skeletons. Christians keep Good Friday. And it’s good advice.
http://www.newsweek.com/why-do-we-mourn-celebrity-deaths-451393
Bright Lights: Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher is a documentary about the extraordinary bond that they formed over six decades in the glare of showbiz’s spotlight. The documentary screened in October at the New York Film Festival also screened in Cannes.
May 2: Afeni Shakur Davis, 69: Tupac Shakur’s mother, died in Marin County, Calif. of possible cardia arrest, though a confirmed cause of death has not been reported. 
May 19: Morley Safter, 84: CBS News legend, who work on 60 Minutes embodied the show’s 50 years on air, died of pneumonia, according to CBS. Safer exposed a military atrocity in Vietnam that played an early role in changing American’s view of the war. He once claimed
June 3: Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay), 74: called himself “The Greatest”, three-time WBC world heavyweight boxing champion who could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Fans on every continent adored him and at one point, he was probably the most recognizable man on the planet. Ali died of septic shock after spending five days at an Arizona hospital for what seemed to be respiratory problems but eventually worsened. His wife and children were called to his bedside to say goodbye. More details came as Ali’s family revealed plans for his funeral in his hometown of Louisville, KY. Ali suffered for more than three decades from Parkinson’s disease and had survived several death scares in recent years.
June 6: Theresa Saldana, 61: she played the wife of Joey La Motta (Joe Pesci) in Raging Bull and she played the wife of The Commish. But her most lasting legacy will be her victims’ advocacy work she undertook when she survived an almost fatal stalking incident in 1982. A Brooklyn native, Saldana had appeared in a number of films in the late 70s and early 80s. In March, 1982 she was stabbed several times outside her West Hollywood home by a mentally disturbed stalker. She barely survived. This was two years after the assassination of John Lennon and seven years before the murder of Rebecca Schaeffer. But she resumed her acting career and provided a face and a voice to the new issue of celebrity stalking.
June 19: Anton Yelchin, 27: he played Pavel Chekov in the reboot of the Star Trek movies and was one of most gifted and talented young actors of today. He was killed in a freak car accident outside his home, police said, by a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was part of a voluntary safety recall for its roll-away risk after drivers were injured when they mistakenly thought they had shifted their car into park. In this instance, the Jeep rolled backward and pinned him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence.
July 3: Arturo, 31: American-born Argentine polar bear was said to suffer from depression after his partner, Pelusa, died of cancer in 2012. He came to the world’s attention two years ago when thousands of people signed a petition asking for him to be transferred to a colder climate in Canada. A blood circulation imbalance caused a general decline in his health.
July 19: Garry Marshall, 81: director, producer, writer and actor; the man who created some the 70s most iconic sitcoms including Happy Days, The Odd Couple, Laverne and Shirley died in Burbank, Calif. of complications from pneumonia following a stroke. He went from being a TV writer to creating sitcoms that touched the funny bones of the 70s generation and directing films that were watched again and again. He is survived by his wife Barbara, whom he married in 1963; his son Scott, a film director; and daughters Lori, an actress and casting director, and Kathleen, and actress; six grandchildren; and his sisters Penny Marshall, an actress and film director and Ronny Hallin, a TV producer.
July 30: Gloria DeHaven, 91: singer and actress, a studio player at MGM, appeared in a number of top films with leading stars: Thousands Cheer (Gene Kelly); Two Girls & a Sailor (June Allyson & Van Johnson); Step Lively (Frank Sinatra); Summer Holiday (Mickey Rooney) and many more. She was a stalwart of show business for more than six decades. She suffered a stroke about 3 months ago, her daughter, Faith Fincher-Finkelstein told The Hollywood Reporter. She died while in hospice care in Las Vegas, Nevada.
August 6: Joani Blank, 79: American entrepreneur (Good Vibrations), Butterfly vibrator inventor, author and feminist sex educator. Joani Blank made the world safe for pleasure-seeking women. She founded San Francisco’s hometown non-sleezy sex-toy store and designed vibrators for women.
August 14: Marion Christopher Barry, 36: the former DC Mayor’s only son and construction company owner died from what may have been from a drug overdose.
August 18: Mathali, 20: Queen of Ranthambore and perhaps the most photographed tigress on earth. On June 27, 2003 she challenged and killed a crocodile in her territory. The fierce battle between the two lasted for hours.
Jan. 11: David Margulies, 78: played the NYC mayor in the Ghostbusters films. He died in NYC after a long illness. The veteran actor also starred as Tony Soprano’s sleazy lawyer, Neil Mink, on The Sopranos and appeared in more than a dozen Broadway shows.
January 13: Ferguson, approx. 19: Ferguson was a macaque monkey that had been purchased from an exotic pet dealer in Las Vegas, Nev. In December, 1998, PAWS cofounder, the late Pat Derby, received a phone call from the woman who had purchased the monkey. When she discovered that it was illegal to have a pet monkey in California, she discreetly left him at the mouth of the entrance to PAWS. Ferguson did well at PAWS thanks to a mature resident baboon named Harriet. The two were inseparable, with Harriet loving and caring for Ferguson like he was her own baby. Ferguson died from complications of advanced Cushing’s syndrome. He was surrounded by the love of many, including longtime caregivers, as well as PAWS’ cofounder Ed Stewart and veterinarian Dr. Gai.
Jan. 14: Alan Rickman, 69: Hans Gruber in Die Hard (he was offered this part two days after arriving in Los Angeles at age 41); the outrageous Sheriff of Nottingham in 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; but to many, Alan Rickman was Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie franchise. Rickman had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. Daniel Radcliffe wrote that Rickman was “one of the greatest actors I will ever work with…” He directed and starred (as King Louis XIV) in A Little Chaos, a movie about two talented landscape artists who become romantically entangled while building a garden in King Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles. Many of those offering condolences drew parallels between the deaths of Rickman and David Bowie: from the same disease at the same age and in the same week. Here’s the link to his obit from theguardian.com: 
Jan. 18: Glen Frey, 67: One of the founding members of the 1970s mega-group The Eagles, who enjoyed much success as a solo artist, died from complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, pneumonia and intestinal issues. In November he had surgery for intestinal problems and in the last few days, his condition took a turn for the worse. Frey sang many of the Eagles biggest hits, including “Tequila Sunrise,” “Already Gone” and “Take It Easy.” The Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and won 6 Grammys. Frey also had a successful solo career in the 1980s. He is survived by his wife Cindy and their 3 children.
Feb. 3: Maurice White, 74: vocalist and co-founder Maurice White, who co-wrote such hits as “Shining Star,” “Sing a Song” and “September” died in his sleep in Los Angeles. White had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 1992 and his health had been deteriorating in recent month. Because of this, he hadn’t been touring with the group since 1994. He remained active with the business side of the group, however. Here’s a link to the Rolling Stone obit: 
Feb. 13: Antonin Scalia, 79: U.S. Supreme Court Justice and the leading conservative voice on the high court was found dead at a resort in West Texas. The cause of death was not released. A spokeswoman for the US Marshals Service, which sent personnel to the scene, said there was nothing to indicate the death was the result of anything other than natural causes. Richard A Posner wrote, he was “the most influential justice of the last quarter-century.” He was known to be a champion of originalism, which in Scalia’s hands, led to outcomes that pleased political conservatives, but not always. His approach was helpful to criminal defendants in cases involving sentences and the cross-examination of witnesses. Scalia also disdained the use of legislative history, i.e. statements from members of Congress about the meaning and purpose of laws, in the the judicial interpretation of statutes. He railed against vague laws that did not give potential defendants fair warnings of what conduct was criminal. He was sharply critical of Supreme Court opinions that did not provide lower courts and litigants with clear guidance. Judge Scalia was nominated by President Reagan in 1986 and confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 98 to 0. (Photo caption: 
Feb. 28: George Kennedy, 91: Oscar-winning actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar figures in films like Cool Hand Luke, Airport and the Naked Gun films died from heart disease.
March 6: Nancy Reagan, 94: former first lady and actress, fierce protector of her husband, spokeswoman of the “just say no” anti-drug campaign, died of heart failure.
Marcy 17: Larry Drake, 66: best known for playing Benny on L.A. Law, Larry was found dead in his Hollywood home, according to his manager Steven Siebert. In 1988 and 1989, Drake won consecutive outstanding supporting actor Emmys for playing mentally-impaired office worker Benny Stulwicz in L.A. Law. He was also featured in Darkman (1990) and Bean (1997) and had minor roles in episodes of 7th Heaven and Boston Legal.
March 29: Patty Duke, 69: Star of The Patty Duke Show; Academy Award winner at age 16, when she played Helen Keller in 1962’s The Miracle Worker; President of SAG (1985-1988); played a showbiz hopeful in the 1967 melodrama Valley of the Dolls; won 3 Emmys; played Annie Sullivan in the remake of The Miracle Worker with actress Melissa Gilbert as Keller. She had a difficult childhood with abusive parents and by the time she was 8-years-old, she was under the control of husband-and-wife talent managers who had her working soap operas and advertising displays. Even then they plied her with alcohol and prescription drugs, which accentuated the effects of her undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Duke wrote about her condition and the diagnosis in her 1988 memoir Call Me Anna and of the subsequent treatment that helped stabilize her life. The book became a 1990 TV film in which she starred and it propelled her to become an activist for mental health causes and helped de-stigmatize bipolar disorder.
April 20: Chyna (Joan Laurer), 45: former pro wrestler, turned reality TV star, Chyna, who studied Spanish literature and volunteered with the Peace Corps was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California, home. No signs of foul play were found. When her friends were not able to reach her for several days, one went to her home and found her not breathing and called the police. Chyna had publicly battled substance abuse for years. She was born in Rochester, NY in 1969 and graduated from the Univ. of Tampa with a degree in Spanish Literature and was a trainee with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica. She had once contemplated a career in law enforcement. Tho not a fan of the sport, she joined a wrestling school led by Killer Kowalski. “I’d been rejected at everything,” Chyna told The Boston Herald in 1999 describing unsatisfying efforts as a bartender, a saleswoman and a singer. WWE hired her – she could bench-press 350 pounds and at 5’10” tall, weighing 180 lbs, she occasionally took on male competitors. She won the Women’s Championship in 2001 by beating Ivory. She is survived by her mother, sister and brother. NY Times bio: 
April 21: Prince, 57: died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl. Prince won Grammys in 1984, 1986, 2004 and 2007. He won an Oscar in 1984 for Best Music, Original Song Score for Purple Rain. He released his first music in 1978 and went on to sell more than 100 million additional albums. He was a prolific writer, writing his first song when he was seven years old. He not only wrote songs, but he sang, arranged, played multiple instruments and recorded more than 30 albums. He was a musical prodigy, writing, arranging, producing and playing almost all of his own hit records. He wrote more than two dozen rock classics in a five-year flurry with his first band, The Revolution, by his side. Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette, 1999, Raspberry Beret, When Doves Cry, Kiss … and at the same time he wrote Manic Monday for The Bangles and Nothing Compares 2U made famous by Sinead O’Connor. Throughout his long career he had a reputation for being an eccentric (as most geniuses do). In 1993 he changed his name to a symbol and soon became known as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” It was done to protest against Warner Bros. He wanted to own the master tapes of his songs and be allowed to release more material, more often. When relations deteriorated even more, he appeared with the word “Slave” written on his face. He released five more songs, mediocre, as his contract bid him, before leaving Warner Bros., and signed with Arista Records. By the 2000s, he reverted back to his original name. Many experts said that his incredible vocal range hid the fact that he was one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, which said he “rewrote the rulebook.” On April 15, 2016 his private plane made an emergency landing in Illinois and he was taken to the hospital. He was treated and released within a few hours. By the following Thursday he would be found unresponsive in the elevator on his estate.
Small Screen Silver Surfer 