The Rest In Peace and Remembrance Thread

[unchoopfan]

John Cigna, Pittsburgh radio veteran, dead at 75
Signa was a signature voice for three decades at KDKA

Signa spent more than 30 years at KDKA (1020), 18 of them in morning drive. As the station says, "His loyal listeners will remember the charity [motorcycle] rides, the spaghetti breakfasts in Market Square and the goofball TV spots." Brooklyn native Signa worked in West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana before landing at Group W's KDKA around 1970. He did a nighttime talkshow for a decade, then took over mornings in 1983. In 2001, he retired, and now a decade later, passed away. KDKA says Signa died Friday afternoon.

[unchoopfan]

'Grease,' 'Taxi' star Jeff Conaway dies at 60

Jeff Conaway, who starred in "Taxi" and played Danny Zuko's buddy Kenickie in 1978's "Grease," has died at a Los Angeles area hospital, TMZ has reported. He was 60.

A representative for Conaway told TODAY.com that he could not confirm or deny the news, however, TMZ reported that Conaway's family had confirmed the death.

The actor had been in a medically induced coma since he was found unconscious in his apartment on May 11. Doctors had said there was no hope for his recovery and his family decided to take him off life support on Thursday, according to E! News.

[amayo]

Musician, poet Gil Scott-Heron dies


Poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron died Friday at age 62 in New York, NPR reported, citing his book publisher.

He is best known for his spoken-word piece "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," but he also recorded the seminal "We Almost Lost Detroit." He is considered a progenitor of hip-hop and inspired a generation of rappers with his no-nonsense street poetry.

Scott's first record was 1970's "Small Talk at 125th and Lenox," and he continued to release albums until 1982. He didn't return to the studio until 1994, for "Spirits." On that record, "Scott-Heron cautions the hip-hop generation that arose in his absence to use its newfound power responsibly," NPR said.

A cause of death was not immediately reported.

Scott-Heron had struggled with substance abuse and was jailed in the 2000s for cocaine possession. His 2010 album, "I'm New Here," was released to praise from critics.

[jag]

Clarice Taylor of 'The Cosby Show' dies at 93

NEW YORK — Clarice Taylor, the actress and comedian best known for playing grandmothers on "The Cosby Show" and "Sesame Street," has died at the age of 93.

Taylor died of congestive heart failure in her home in Englewood, N.J., on Monday, said her son, William Taylor.

During a career that spanned five decades, Taylor performed on radio and TV, in film and on stage, including in the original Broadway cast of the musical "The Wiz."

Her films included the 1971 Clint Eastwood thriller "Play Misty for Me" and, besides "The Cosby Show," she had another recurring TV role on "Sesame Street," where she was grandmother to the character David.

Both Taylor and Earle Hyman, who played her husband on "The Cosby Show," received Emmy nominations in 1986 for their roles as Anna and Russell Huxtable, parents of Bill Cosby's character and grandparents of the Huxtable youngsters.

While touring with "The Wiz," she roomed with Phylicia Rashad, who played Cosby's wife on the "The Cosby Show." She told The Associated Press in a 1987 interview that she decided to audition to play Rashad's mother.

"I spent three hours making up my face and putting on my tight clothes," Taylor said. "I didn't want to look too old to be her mother."

She didn't get the part.

Later, however, she was asked to audition for the part of Cosby's mother. "I put on a gray wig, a bandana over that, flat-heeled shoes and a long dress with no shape to it," she told the AP. "Bill saw through my act. I read five lines and he said, 'If you're going to go through all of this - you've got the part.'"

In 1987, she played the pioneering black female comedian Jackie "Moms" Mabley in an original off-Broadway play, "Moms," with future "Law & Order" regular S. Epatha Merkerson also in the cast. Taylor later toured as Mabley in a one-woman show.

[genlock]

Doctor Death has died

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan pathologist convicted and jailed for participating in assisted suicides of terminally ill people, died early Friday, his lawyer told local media.



Kevorkian, 83, died at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., where he had been hospitalized for about two weeks with kidney and heart problems.

The lawyer, Mayer Morganroth, said it appears Kevorkian suffered a pulmonary thrombosis when a blood clot from his leg broke free and lodged in his heart, according to the Detroit Free Press.

"It was peaceful. He didn't feel a thing," Morganroth told the newspaper.

Morganroth told the Free Press that the hospital staff, doctors and nurses said Kevorkian's passing was "a tremendous loss and I agree with them. He did so much."

No plans for memorial
Morganroth told the paper that he doubts anyone will assume Kevorkian's role in assisted suicide: "Who else would take those kind of risks?"

Morganroth said there are no plans for any memorial.

[genlock]

Yemen's President for life is voted out of office

Vote ratio: 7.62 to 1



SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed on Friday after an attack on the presidential palace, Suhail, a TV station run by the country's opposition, reported.

The presidential palace was hit by shells earlier on Friday during fighting between Saleh's forces and a powerful tribal federation.


He got better


SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is alive and will soon make a nationwide address, a Yemeni government official said on Friday in response to conflicting reports of the president's death.

[Scott Reppert]

James Arness Of "Gunsmoke" Fame Dead At 88

James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died Friday. He was 88.

The actor died in his sleep at his home in Brentwood, Calif., according to his business manager, Ginny Fazer.

Arness' official website posted a letter from Arness on Friday that he wrote with the intention that it be posted posthumously: "I had a wonderful life and was blessed with ... (so) many loving people and great friends," he wrote.

"I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years."

As U.S. Marshal Dillon in the 1955-75 CBS Western series, Arness created an indelible portrait of a quiet, heroic man with an unbending dedication to justice and the town he protected.

The wealth and fame Arness gained from "Gunsmoke" could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses.

Arness, a quiet, intensely private man who preferred the outdoor life to Hollywood's party scene, rarely gave interviews and refused to discuss the tragedies.

"He's big, impressive and virile," co-star Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) once said of Arness, adding, "I've worked with him for 16 years, but I don't really know him."

The actor was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in "Gunsmoke" and recommended Arness instead. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it.

"Go ahead and take it, Jim," Wayne urged him. "You're too big for pictures. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don't want a big lug like you towering over us. Make your mark in television."

"Gunsmoke" went on to become the longest-running dramatic series in network history until NBC's "Law & Order" tied in 2010. Arness' 20-year prime-time run as the marshal was tied only in recent times, by Kelsey Grammer's 20 years as Frasier Crane from 1984 to 2004 on "Cheers" and then on "Frasier."

The years showed on the weathered-looking Arness, but he — and his TV character — wore them well.

"The camera really loved his face, and with good reason," novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 "Gunsmoke" appreciation in The New York Times. "It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility."

Born James Aurness in Minneapolis (he dropped the "u'' for show business reasons), he and brother Peter enjoyed a "real Huckleberry Finn existence," Arness once recalled.

Peter, who changed his last name to Graves, went on to star in the TV series "Mission Impossible."

A self-described drifter, Arness left home at age 18, hopping freight trains and Caribbean-bound freighters. He entered Beloit College in Wisconsin, but was drafted into the Army in his 1942-43 freshman year. Wounded in the leg during the 1944 invasion at Anzio, Italy, Arness was hospitalized for a year and left with a slight limp. He returned to Minneapolis to work as a radio announcer and in small theater roles.

He moved to Hollywood in 1946 at a friend's suggestion. After a slow start in which he took jobs as a carpenter and salesman, a role in MGM's "Battleground" (1949) was a career turning point. Parts in more than 20 films followed, including "The Thing," ''Hellgate" and "Hondo" with Wayne. Then came "Gunsmoke," which proved a durable hit and a multimillion-dollar boon for Arness, who owned part of the series.

His longtime co-stars were Blake as saloon keeper Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams and Dennis Weaver as the deputy, Chester Goode.

When Weaver died in February 2006, Arness called it "a big loss for me personally" and said Weaver "provided comic relief but was also a real person doing things that were very important to the show."

The cancellation of "Gunsmoke" didn't keep Arness away from TV for long: He returned a few months later, in January 1976, in the TV movie "The Macahans," which led to the 1978-79 ABC series "How the West Was Won."

Arness took on a contemporary role as a police officer in the series "McClain's Law," which aired on NBC from 1981-82.

Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once.

Arness met future wife Virginia Chapman while both were studying at Southern California's Pasadena Playhouse. They wed in 1948 and had two children, Jenny and Rolf. Chapman's son from her first marriage, Craig, was adopted by Arness.

The marriage foundered and in 1963 Arness sought a divorce and custody of the three children, which he was granted. He tried to guard them from the spotlight.

"The kids don't really have any part of my television life," he once remarked. "Fortunately, there aren't many times when show business intrudes on our family existence."

The emotionally troubled Virginia Arness attempted suicide twice, in 1959 and in 1960. In 1975, Jenny Arness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose. Two years later, an overdose that police deemed accidental killed her mother.

Arness married Janet Surtees in 1978. Besides his wife, Arness is survived by two sons and six grandchildren. A private memorial service will be held.

[unchoopfan]

Andrew Gold, 70s singer-songwriter, dead at 59

Singer-songwriter Andrew Gold, known for his 70's Top 10 hit "Lonely Boy," died June 3 of an apparent heart attack, according to several online media sources. He was 59.

"Lonely Boy," spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Top 40 Chart and peaked at #7 during the summer of 1977. Gold's other Top 40 hit, 1978’s "Thank You For Being A Friend," later became the theme for the hit TV series "The Golden Girls" that ran from 1985-1992. Gold continued in TV writing, also penning the theme song for "Mad About You," known as "Final Frontier."

Andrew Gold was born in Burbank. His mother Marni Nixon was the singing voice for many Hollywood actresses. She was the real singer for Natalie Wood in "West Side Story," Deborah Kerr in "The King And I" and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady." His father Ernest Gold was an Academy Award winning composer. He wrote the music for "Exodus."

Gold’s first band Bryndle featured Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff. He worked closely with Linda Ronstadt as multi-instrumentalist on five of her albums from 1974’s "Heart Like A Wheel" and onwards. Ronstadt also sang backing vocals on Gold's "Lonely Boy."

His big hit "Lonely Boy" was featured in the movies "Boogie Nights" and "The Waterboy."

Andrew Gold worked with Art Garfunkel on the "Breakaway" album. He played every instrument on Art’s solo hit "I Only Have Eyes For You." He also played guitar and drums on Eric Carmen’s "She Did It."

Andrew has sung on records or played live with three of the four Beatles, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr and has toured with the Eagles and Jackson Browne.

A big 10CC fan, after the band broke up in the 80’s Gold formed Wax with Graham Goldman. They were together for 5 years and delivered the hits "Right Between Your Eyes" and "Bridge To Your Heart."

[David Paleg]

Author of 'The Cat Who' series dies at 97 in SC
Jun 7, 1:12 PM (ET)


LANDRUM, S.C. (AP) - The author who wrote 29 books in the "The Cat Who ..." mystery series almost quit writing after the third book was published because popular tastes had changed so much.

Lilian Jackson Braun, who died last week in South Carolina, took an 18-year hiatus between "The Cat Who Turned On and Off" and "The Cat Who Saw Red," published in 1986. She resumed because her husband encouraged her to return to writing after she retired from The Detroit Free Press in 1984.

"By the time I had written the fourth one, tastes in mysteries had changed," Braun said in an obituary provided by her publisher, Penguin Group (USA). "They wanted sex and violence, not kitty-cat stories. Gore was not my style, so I just forgot about 'The Cat Who.'"

Braun, 97, died Saturday of natural causes at the Hospice House of the Carolina Foothills in Landrum. She had lived in Tryon, N.C., for the past 23 years with her husband, Earl Bettinger. She wrote 31 books, including two short story collections, and worked 30 years at The Detroit Free Press.

"The Cat Who ..." books began with "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards," published in 1966. They ended when Braun retired from writing in 2007 after the publication of "The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers." Her books about Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, were regulars on the New York Times bestseller lists and were translated into 16 languages.

Her books redefined the mystery genre, said Natalee Rosenstein, Braun's longtime editor and vice president, senior executive editor of Berkley Books, a Penguin Group imprint.

Rosenstein said in a statement that she loved the books when she first read them, but "it did take me awhile to figure out what genre it belonged to.

"She ultimately created a whole new chapter in the American mystery, and our wonderful working relationship spanned more than two decades. But most of all, it is Lilian the person I will remember - a strong, dedicated feisty woman who would always speak her mind and not be intimidated by anyone."

Braun wrote her books in longhand, then typed them herself, according to her publisher.

Braun was born June 20, 1913, in Chicopee Falls, Mass. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Louis Paul Braun; sister, Florence Jackson; and brother, Lloyd Jackson.

No memorial service will be held.

[unchoopfan]

Frankie Toler, former Allman Bros., Marshall Tucker drummer, dead at 59

David “Frankie” Toler, drummer for the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman Band and Marshall Tucker Band, died Saturday in Bradenton, Fla., after a prolonged illness following a liver transplant. Toler, a key player in the Southern rock scene, was 59.

Toler came to national attention as the drummer on Dickey Betts & Great Southern’s 1978 album “Atlanta’s Burning Down” and toured extensively with the group. He was then asked to be the drummer for the Allman Brothers Band and appeared on their 1981 album “Brothers of the Road,” which featured the Top 40 hit single “Straight from the Heart.”

"Frankie was a big part of that era of the Brothers," Gregg Allman told Relix.com after learning of Mr. Toler's passing. "We had amazing times and we stayed great friends. I'm gonna miss him."

When Gregg Allman began planning his solo album at the time, he only had one drummer in mind for his new band: Frankie Toler. Mr. Toler recorded two albums with Allman — including the 1986 gold record “I’m No Angel” — and toured as the drummer with The Gregg Allman Band through the 1980s.

[unchoopfan]

Leonard Stern, TV writer/producer, dead at 88
Wrote episodes of Get Smart, Honeymooners, Phil Silvers Show; co-creator of "Mad Libs"

Leonard Stern, veteran TV writer and producer on such classic TV series as Get Smart, The Honeymooners, the Phil Silvers Show, The Steve Allen Show and Steve Allen's Tonight Show, and co-creator of the word game Mad Libs, died of a heart ailment June 7 at a hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88.

Stern also was a writer for the 1952 Danny Thomas and Peggy Lee version of The Jazz Singer and several Abbott and Costello films, among others. In the 1970s, he produced and directed the TV series McMillan and Wife, which starred Rock Hudson.

As a partner in Price Stern Sloan (PSS), with Roger Price and Larry Sloan, he expanded the company to publish children's books, novelty formats, and humor. Proprietary brands, in addition to Mad Libs include Wee Sing, Mr. Men & Little Miss, Serendipity, Crazy Games, and Doodle Art. The company was purchased by The Putnam Berkley Group in 1993.

[the jive talkin one]

John Cigna, Pittsburgh radio veteran, dead at 75
Signa was a signature voice for three decades at KDKA

Signa spent more than 30 years at KDKA (1020), 18 of them in morning drive. As the station says, "His loyal listeners will remember the charity [motorcycle] rides, the spaghetti breakfasts in Market Square and the goofball TV spots." Brooklyn native Signa worked in West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana before landing at Group W's KDKA around 1970. He did a nighttime talkshow for a decade, then took over mornings in 1983. In 2001, he retired, and now a decade later, passed away. KDKA says Signa died Friday afternoon.

I remember Signa on WOWO in the late 60's.

[Scott Reppert]

WVU Football Coach Bill Stewart and a weasel.

I mean a marten.

Scratch that. A mink...

[unchoopfan]

Alan Rubin, SNL Band/Blues Brothers trumpeter, dead at 68
Known as "Mr. Fabulous," Rubin recorded and performed with array of artists from SInatra to The Stones

Trumpeter Alan Rubin, who gained fame as a member of the Saturday Night Live house band during the 1970s and went on to become a member of "The Blues Brothers" band, has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 68.

Rubin died Wednesday, June 8, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He attended the Juilliard School of Music, dropping out at age 20 to tour with Robert Goulet. In the 1970s, he became of member of the Paul Shaffer-led Saturday Night Live Band, with whom he played at the Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games. As a member of The Blues Brothers, he portrayed "Mr. Fabulous," a horn player turned maitre d', in the 1980 film, the 1998 sequel and was a member of the touring band.

Rubin performed live and recorded as a session player with an array of artists, such as Frank Sinatra, Frank Zappa, Duke Ellington, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Eumir Deodato, Sting, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Frankie Valli, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Miles Davis, Yoko Ono, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles and Dr. John.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve Popovich, legendary record industry executive, dead at 68
Cleveland Intl. Records founder signed & developed artists such as MeatLoaf, Boston, Cheap Trick, and Wild Cherry

By: Christopher Morris/Variety.com

Veteran record industry executive Steve Popovich, whose label Cleveland International fought and won long-running battles with CBS Records over profits from his top act Meat Loaf, died June 8 in Murfreesboro, TN. He was 68.

After getting his start as a regional promo man in Cleveland in the early '60s, Popovich rapidly ascended through the promotion ranks at Columbia Records, whose top acts of the '60s and early '70s he helped break on radio. He rose to become vp of promotion at Columbia, then took the same post at sister label Epic.

In 1974, Popovich segued to talent scouting as vp of A&R at Epic. Acts he signed and developed included Boston, Cheap Trick, Wild Cherry, and the Jacksons, whom Popovich snapped up after they exited Motown.

Popovich left Epic to inaugurate Cleveland International Records in 1977. One of his first acts was Meat Loaf, a hefty former member of the "Rocky Horror Show" cast. The singer's '77 opus "Bat Out of Hell" became a smash, ultimately selling an estimated 43 million copies worldwide.

Meat Loaf's success led to a protracted David-and-Goliath wrangle between distributor CBS and Popovich, who sued the company in 1995 for unpaid royalties and won a $7 million out-of-court judgment. After CBS failed to put Cleveland International's logo on reissues of the album, Popovich sued again, winning another $5 million.

After serving as senior vp at PolyGram Nashville from 1986-95, Popovich re-started Cleveland International as an independently-distributed label. His bread and butter was polka music, and the label's acts Brave Combo and Frankie Yankovic picked up Grammy Awards for their CI albums.

[David Paleg]

Spider-Man' Producer Laura Ziskin Dies at 61
Published: June 12, 2011 @ 9:06 pm
By Brent Lang

"Spider-Man" producer Laura Ziskin died Sunday evening. She was 61 and had been battling breast cancer for seven years.

Ziskin died at home, and continued to undertake major productions in Hollywood all through her illness.

She was best known for her work on the "Spider-Man" franchise, which brought in over $1.5 billion worldwide, making her one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood.

Ziskin also produced the Academy Awards telecast two times, becoming the first woman to produce the awards show solo in 2002 and earning multiple Emmy awards in the process.

She also produced such critically acclaimed films as "Fight Club" and "To Die For."

Though she struggled with cancer since receiving a Stage 3 diagnosis in 2004, Ziskin remained indefatigable, overseeing one of Sony's highest-grossing franchises and the broadcast of the industry's top awards shows.

She also became active in the movement to combat the disease, drawing on her contacts in the entertainment industry to help found Stand Up To Cancer in 2008.

In an interview with Katie Couric, Ziskin explained her activism: "I felt there was a kind of lack of will, an acceptance that, 'Oh, cancer is this impossible, unsolvable problem.' And I thought, 'Well, okay, so what? It’s a problem. It’s a big, big problem. And I believe with focus, we can really solve it.'"

On behalf of Stand Up To Cancer, Ziskin executive produced a televised event, simulcast on all three major networks on September 5, 2008 to raise awareness and funds to support cancer research. The one-hour special featured over 100 celebrities including Josh Brolin, Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier, Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep, and Charlize Theron. A similar special again aired in September 2010.

Ziskin rose from the trenches of the entertainment industry to become one of a handful of women who were an integral part of the power elite. She counted among her close friends moguls Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Sherry Lansing, the former CEO of Paramount Pictures.

After graduating from the University of Southern California's School for Cinematic Arts, Ziskin worked as a game show writer and personal assistant to producer Jon Peters. From there, she moved on to become a development executive, eventually forming Fogwood Films with partner Sally Field.

At Fogwood, Ziskin produced the Oscar nominated "Murphy's Romance" as a vehicle for Field and the Cold War thriller "No Way Out," which provided a crucial early role to a young Kevin Costner.

Ziskin would go on to work as a producer at Touchstone Pictures and as president of Fox 2000, where she oversaw hits such as "Pretty Woman" and "Courage Under Fire," as well as occasional misses such as the William Hurt medical drama "The Doctor."

[unchoopfan]

Carl Gardner, Coasters lead singer/co-founder, dead at 83

Carl Gardner, original lead singer and co-founder of the R&B group The Coasters, died Sunday, June 13 in a Port St. Lucie, Florida hospice following a long illness. He was 83.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Coasters had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Between 1956 and 1964, The Coasters scored 10 Top 40 and 18 Hot 100 singles on Billboard, including Top 10 singles "Young Blood"(#8, 5/57), "Searchin'" (#3, 5/57), "Yakety Yak" (#1, 5/58), "Charlie Brown" (#2, 2/59), "Along Came Jones" (#9, 5/59), and "Poison Ivy" (#7, 8/59).

A Tyler, Texas native, Gardner formed The Coasters with Bobby Nunn in 1955, after leaving The Robins, at the behest of the songwriting/producing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Gardner performed with the incarnations of the group until his retirement in 2005, when his son, Carl Jr., officially joined the group. Leon Hughes, tenor singer, is the lone surviving member of the original Coasters.

[just saying]

per TMZ Legendary saxophonist Clarence Clemons died today of complications from a stroke he suffered back on June 12. He was 69.

http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/18/clarence- ... reet-band/ / more ---

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/0 ... _dies.html

[Dave Allen]

Jungleland may be the GREATEST fucking song ever written..and The Big Man MADE that fucking song.

[jag]

'Jackass' star Ryan Dunn dies in fiery Pa. crash

PHILADELPHIA — "Jackass" cast member Ryan Dunn died early Monday of injuries sustained in a fiery car crash, and speed may have been a factor, police said.

Dunn and a passenger in his 2007 Porsche died after the car left the roadway and burst into flames, West Goshen Township police said. The crash occurred near the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester.

The 34-year-old Dunn appeared on MTV shows "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" and the three "Jackass" big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, "Homewrecker," and hosted "Proving Ground" on the G4 cable network.

According to a biography posted on his website, Dunn was born in Ohio and moved at age 15 to Pennsylvania, where he met Bam Margera on his first day of high school.

Dunn, Margera, Christopher Raab (known as Raab Himself) and Brandon DiCamillo, under the moniker CKY for "Camp Kill Yourself," started making videos that featured them skateboarding and performing stunts.

Dunn was working as a welder and at a gas station when Johnny Knoxville, a friend of Margera's through the skateboarding circuit, asked the crew to allow their videos to be part of the series "Jackass," which became a hit on MTV and ran from 2000 to 2002.

A phone message left for Dunn's manager wasn't immediately returned.

The passenger who died in the crash had not yet been identified, police said.

[lastone]

Riley Jack Travis

Riley "Jack" Travis of Barboursville, (Jack Blankenship) passed away this afternoon at St. Mary's Hospital after a long illness. He was 94.

Jack learned guitar in the 'thumb pickin' style of Chet Atkins and was known by many as "The Kentucky Guitar Picker". He had played with many of the greats and toured with Merl Travis for many years.
Last year he was featured in a Cabell Huntington Hospital commercial.

Arrangements are incomplete.