[TheZookie007]

I remember in Top Gun (1986) one of the scenes which was done at the Officers Club bar used one of their songs, " You've lost that loving feeling ", as Maverick ( Tom Cruise ) was wooing Charlotte Blackwood, call sign Charlie ( Kelly McGillis ) with his best friend Goose ( Anthony Edwards ) as his accomplice.

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" wasn't done by the Everly Brothers, but by The Righteous Brothers. As it turns out, the song was covered by the most successful duo in rock history: Darryl Hall & John Oates.

Here's the scene in question. I hope that Top Gun: Maverick (the long-awaited Top Gun sequel) is as good as the original, but I am not holding my breath.

[TheZookie007]

And speaking of super-successful rock bands:

BBC: "Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones, dies at 80"

[rtpoe]

ROD GILBERT (1941-2021)

"Mr. Ranger", #7, right wing, New York Rangers



Some of the comments on that video:

I was a bartender on the east side. He came in with a small group of people. I recognized him immediately of course. He came up to the bar and order for his group. I took the order and said " not for nothing, and I promise I won't say a word, but aren't you Rod Gilbert"? He didn't miss a beat and said in his french accent " No no no I am Jack Nicholson". We both broke out in loud laughter. Everyone in the bar turned and looked at us. I told him how much he meant to my father and I. That I wore number 7 my whole childhood no matter the sport. He asked me for a pen and something to write on and wrote the nicest note to my father. When he and his friends were getting ready to leave he pulled me aside and we talked again for a moment. Then he shook my hand and said what a pleasure it was to meet me. His pleasure to meet me? His Hall of Fame Hockey career was equally matched by his Hall of Fame Philanthropy. The definition of a great guy. When he walked out I opened my hand, two fresh one hundred dollar bills were folded up in my palm. Rod you are so loved by so many. And will be missed immensely. - Frank Grin

I met him a few times at Rangers practices in Rye, when I was a kid. 40+ years later I was in the lobby of MSG with my son. He approached us, and asked my son if it was his first Ranger game. After some friendly chit chat he left. A year or two later I took my son to his second Ranger game. While waiting in the lobby he saw us, and came over and said to my son, "I know this is not your first Ranger game because I met you a couple years ago in this exact spot! " Coolest thing was he remembered my son's name! Class act he was. - "The Goods"

[TheZookie007]

ROD GILBERT (1941-2021)

"Mr. Ranger", #7, right wing, New York Rangers



Some of the comments on that video:

I was a bartender on the east side. He came in with a small group of people. I recognized him immediately of course. He came up to the bar and order for his group. I took the order and said " not for nothing, and I promise I won't say a word, but aren't you Rod Gilbert"? He didn't miss a beat and said in his french accent " No no no I am Jack Nicholson". We both broke out in loud laughter. Everyone in the bar turned and looked at us. I told him how much he meant to my father and I. That I wore number 7 my whole childhood no matter the sport. He asked me for a pen and something to write on and wrote the nicest note to my father. When he and his friends were getting ready to leave he pulled me aside and we talked again for a moment. Then he shook my hand and said what a pleasure it was to meet me. His pleasure to meet me? His Hall of Fame Hockey career was equally matched by his Hall of Fame Philanthropy. The definition of a great guy. When he walked out I opened my hand, two fresh one hundred dollar bills were folded up in my palm. Rod you are so loved by so many. And will be missed immensely. - Frank Grin

I met him a few times at Rangers practices in Rye, when I was a kid. 40+ years later I was in the lobby of MSG with my son. He approached us, and asked my son if it was his first Ranger game. After some friendly chit chat he left. A year or two later I took my son to his second Ranger game. While waiting in the lobby he saw us, and came over and said to my son, "I know this is not your first Ranger game because I met you a couple years ago in this exact spot! " Coolest thing was he remembered my son's name! Class act he was. - "The Goods"

Damn. What a class act he was.

[solvegas]

I remember in Top Gun (1986) one of the scenes which was done at the Officers Club bar used one of their songs, " You've lost that loving feeling ", as Maverick ( Tom Cruise ) was wooing Charlotte Blackwood, call sign Charlie ( Kelly McGillis ) with his best friend Goose ( Anthony Edwards ) as his accomplice.

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" wasn't done by the Everly Brothers, but by The Righteous Brothers. As it turns out, the song was covered by the most successful duo in rock history: Darryl Hall & John Oates.

Here's the scene in question. I hope that Top Gun: Maverick (the long-awaited Top Gun sequel) is as good as the original, but I am not holding my breath.

This is what happens when you remember stuff out of memory alone. I should have verified it with IMBD or Google. 

[TheZookie007]

It's an easy mistake to make, since both groups have "brothers" in their names.

[TheZookie007]

SNL alum and former "Weekend Update" host, Norm Macdonald, is dead. He was 61.

This came out of nowhere since apparently he had been battling cancer for the past six years but just Chadwick Boseman, he kept it quiet.

[TheZookie007]

CONAN on TBS: "Norm Macdonald Tells The Most Convoluted Joke Ever"

[TheZookie007]

35 Minutes of Why Norm Macdonald Got Fired on "Weekend Update"

[rtpoe]

REUBEN KLAMER (1922-2021)

After a dinner conversation with a toy company executive, Reuben Klamer caught the toy designing bug. He went to Milton Bradley with an idea for an "art center", which would combine a bunch of art things like crayons and finger paints. Alas, Milton Bradley was already working on one. What they needed was something to mark the company's upcoming centennial.

Klamer agreed to give it a shot, and was given access to the company's game & toy archive. There he spotted a copy of Mr. Milton Bradley's first big game, something called "The Checkered Game of Life". Klamer latched on to the idea, but took the stodgy and outdated game that attempted to teach ch1ldren How To Behave, and made it FUN.

TV host Art Linkletter was brought on to endorse the game, and TV spots pushed it heavily on Saturday morning and during family-oriented shows. The Game of Life was very nearly an instant success. It lent itself well to family game nights and, with all the different choices and the innovative spinner built into the board, it was a game that could be played many times over. Although criticized because the winner is the player with the most money at the end, and for being based more on luck than skill, Life shows no sign of slowing down.

Klamer would go on to design some 200 games and toys, as well as some TV props like Star Trek's phaser rifle. In addition to receiving a TAGIE (Toy & Game International Excellence) Lifetime Achievement Award from People of Play, Klamer was inducted into the Hasbro Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2000 and entered the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Game of Life was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2010.

As for why his creation has been such an enduring success, Klamer said: "It's met the test of time. In a test of time, it's obvious that it did it because of the game elements. The core elements of The Game of Life : decision making, dedication to the family, money-making and fun. Most of all, fun."

[Bramlet]

Just realized it yesterday:

Sean Reinert, https://www.seanreinert.com/

Died at the age of 48 – 01/24/2020

One of the greatest drummer of all time.

RIP

[Nimrod]

Actress Tawny Kitaen, who appeared in Bachelor Party and provocative 1980s rock videos, has died in California. She was 59.

Kitaen -- whose real first name was Julie -- died Friday at home in Newport Beach, according to a release from the Orange County Coroner's Office. The cause of death is not yet known.

In 1984, she co-starred in an early Tom Hanks comedy, Bachelor Party.

She then appeared in music videos for heavy metal bands Ratt and Whitesnake, including in "Back for More" and "Is This Love."

Kitaen memorably performed the splits and other moves on two Jaguar hoods in Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" and later married the lead singer, David Coverdale.

She appeared on TV shows like The New WKRP in Cincinnati, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and reality shows such as Ce le br ity Rehab with Dr. Drew and Botched.

Man, I remember her well.  I'm kind of shocked she's gone so soon.  One show that's not mentioned in that list that I enjoyed her in was as co-host of "America's Funniest People".  :-(

I too was surprised, but I thought she was much older. It was a shock to learn that she was only 59, I thought she was closer to 70 by now. I recall seeing all her "major" bits and last recall her in Hercules the Legendary Journeys. Again, I was surprised to find that she was just 34 when it started.

That was about the last time (1996) she looked close to natural. Shortly after leaving the show she was in a series of legal problems. These included drug arrests and charges of domestic abused to which her second husband (who later divorced her) was able to get a restraining order against her. She ended up having several cosmetic surgeries, with at least six on her bust line alone, which she confirmed in the 4th season of Botched, just four years prior to her death. The attached image is from that time.

Although fake, her largest of her career, a "too big D cup", coincided with her time on Hercules when she had both large implants and was nursing her recent firstborn. She was naturally a modest B.

Her death was listed as a "residential death" by the reviewing doctor. Some sources have speculated drugs, however the confirmed cause of death is still not "official" and police are still investigating, which is intriguing, now 4 months later. She had recently lost her father and his funeral was a set for a few days after her death and she was scheduled to be in court for another drug/**94** case which had been delayed due to COVID. It was a surprise to see how she ended up in such a short span of time.

The biggest surprise was just how young she was and how sudden the death.

[TheZookie007]

"Sarah Dash, member of Labelle, dies aged 76"
The New Jersey-born singer had a US No 1 hit with the R&B trio, "Lady Marmalade", and later worked with the Rolling Stones


Sarah Dash, member of R&B trio Labelle who had a US No 1 hit with "Lady Marmalade", has died aged 76.

No cause of death has been given, though she had reportedly told family she was feeling unwell in recent days.

Patti Labelle, who co-founded the group with Dash, Nona Hendryx and Cindy Birdsong, said she was “heartbroken” and called Dash “an awesomely talented, beautiful and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. I could always count on her to have my back.” Dash and Labelle had performed together last weekend, with Dash posting footage to her Instagram account.

Reed Gusciora, mayor of Dash’s native Trenton, New Jersey, called her “a superstar in her own right”.

Dash was born in Trenton in 1945, the daughter of a pastor and nurse, and moved to Philadelphia as a young woman. She joined a vocal group whose lineup settled around Dash, Labelle, Hendryx and Birdsong, naming themselves the Bluebelles, later Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. Their 1962 debut single, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", shot into the US Top 20. It was followed by acclaimed tracks such as "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)" and doo-wop covers of standards including "You’ll Never Walk Alone", Danny Boy" and "Over the Rainbow".

Birdsong left in 1967 and joined the Supremes, with the remaining trio naming themselves Labelle. With Dash celebrated for her emotive, versatile voice that spanned soprano prettiness and robustly soulful singing, the group branched out, backing Laura Nyro, and covering the Who and touring with them.

Major mainstream success evaded them until 1974 album Nightbirds, when its lead single "Lady Marmalade", a raunchy tale of a New Orleans sex worker lighting up a client’s dull life, topped the US charts. Later, in the UK, cover versions by All Saints (1998), and by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa, and Pink for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack (2001), both reached No 1.

Labelle released two further albums before going on a long hiatus, fully reforming in 2008 for the album Back to Now. In the interim, Dash released four solo albums, and worked as a session singer for Nile Rodgers, the O’Jays and others. She joined Keith Richards’ backing band the X-pensive Winos, and recorded vocals for the Rolling Stones’ album Steel Wheels.

Later in life she recorded gospel music, worked as a motivational speaker, and did charity work. Earlier this year, she was hired as an advocate for the Covid vaccine in New Jersey.

[TheZookie007]

"Tom Ford Announces Death of Husband, Richard Buckley, at 72"

[TheZookie007]

"Willie Garson,Sex and the City and White Collar Actor, Dies at 57"