(This is the fourth installment on the problem I'm having getting a hotel room in Jacksonville for this year's Super Bowl. For the others scroll down below.)
There's more news in this unfolding nightmare. After I had the great conversation with Best Western's Paul Alben, I checked my cell phone voicemail, only to find a nasty message from my friend's friend who was supposed to have the room at the Best Western Executive Inn.
I had specifically instructed his accountant not to run my credit card until I called him. What I really did was use one of my debt cards that didn't have money on it, until I found out I actually had a room.
Well, on Wednesday I called to express concern that I didn't have the proper hotel confirmation. Well, his accountant seemed to understand my fear. But the guy who runs this brokerage firm in New York didn't. He basically started yelling at me that "He was only doing this as a favor," and "He wasn't making money on the deal anyway."
I tried to make light of the conversation by simply laughing or basically calming him down, but in my mind I was more nervous that ever. So, I kept calling Best Western until I received call backs starting Thursday.
Anyway, it turns out that they decided to run my card, without my permission. So, of course it came up declined. Now get this, the hotel rep I talked to when I called to report the cell phone message told me that some other firm seemed to have control of the rooms. There are 61 of them.
So if I placed $700 on that card's account, I may not have had the room anyway! The very fine print of the credit card authorization reads "All orders on on a try to fill basis." Plus, the document refers to tickets and not hotel rooms. Geez. A ticket broker trying to move hotel rooms.
Whew!
I hope Best Western comes through.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Jacksonville Super Bowl XXXIX Hotel Room Fiasco - Pt 3
Hey. Best Western's Will Jansen did call me. He said that they were concerned about what was going on down there, and would check to see if the room was indeed there for me. Then I just now got a call from Mr. Paul Alben who represents Best Western's customer relations department. He's also going to check into the hotel matter. He agrees that third-parties should always give you a hotel confirmation number.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Jacksonville Super Bowl XXXIX Hotel Room Fiasco - Pt 2
OK. I called the office of Best Western CEO David Kong and was helped by his wonderful secretary. I also called a guy named Dan Williams who's VP of North American Hotel development.
Well, somehow, I got passed to a Best Western Customer service person who told me that Best Western had no control over what the individual hotels did. I told her I don't believe that. Any CEO who discovered that a hotel with his or her logo on it may be up to shady practices would certainly step in.
So, I called Mr. Kong's secretary back, and now I'm calling Will Jansen.
If you came into this in the middle, look at the first post on this about four posts down.
Going to the Super Bowl? Have hotel problems? Share them here.
Well, somehow, I got passed to a Best Western Customer service person who told me that Best Western had no control over what the individual hotels did. I told her I don't believe that. Any CEO who discovered that a hotel with his or her logo on it may be up to shady practices would certainly step in.
So, I called Mr. Kong's secretary back, and now I'm calling Will Jansen.
If you came into this in the middle, look at the first post on this about four posts down.
Going to the Super Bowl? Have hotel problems? Share them here.
Dan Siegel Busted For Pot Possession - Could Get Him Elected Mayor of Oakland, CA
If you click on the title, you will learn that Oakland School Board member and prominent Oakland community participant, and nice guy Dan Siegel was held by the Oakland Police after they found some weed in his bag at the Oakland Airport.
Dan handles it all well. He said, "Hey, I use it to relieve stress." I recall that Dan's running for Mayor of Oakland. I think this could get him elected. I'm serious. How many people reading this use pot for the same reasons? OK. Put all those hands down. Me? I'll take a trip to the gym or a good glass of Merlot. But, I think Dan's a candidate to consider.
If Mayor Jerry Brown slipped the pot in Dan's bag, the strategy backfired! LOL. Dan and Jerry are not the best of friends.
Dan handles it all well. He said, "Hey, I use it to relieve stress." I recall that Dan's running for Mayor of Oakland. I think this could get him elected. I'm serious. How many people reading this use pot for the same reasons? OK. Put all those hands down. Me? I'll take a trip to the gym or a good glass of Merlot. But, I think Dan's a candidate to consider.
If Mayor Jerry Brown slipped the pot in Dan's bag, the strategy backfired! LOL. Dan and Jerry are not the best of friends.
Oakland Athletics Lost $23 Million
In preparing the Sports Business Simulations Oakland Baseball Simworld for students to use this year, I always recalibrate the simulation to reflect the organization's fiscal pattern at the end of the previous season.
In this case, after balancing the sim, I learned something you're not going to see in the press -- yet. The A's are over $20 million in the hole, and that's a big reason why "The Big Three" pitching rotation was broken up. It's also why the owners are selling the team. In the Oakland Baseball Simworld, the A's franchise value is $172 million. That's what I believe the team's currently worth.
Try the Oakland Sim and see if you can dig the A's out of this hole. Go to www.sbs-world.com and click on "SBS Free Trial" on the left. Then run the Oakland Baseball Simworld.
In this case, after balancing the sim, I learned something you're not going to see in the press -- yet. The A's are over $20 million in the hole, and that's a big reason why "The Big Three" pitching rotation was broken up. It's also why the owners are selling the team. In the Oakland Baseball Simworld, the A's franchise value is $172 million. That's what I believe the team's currently worth.
Try the Oakland Sim and see if you can dig the A's out of this hole. Go to www.sbs-world.com and click on "SBS Free Trial" on the left. Then run the Oakland Baseball Simworld.
I'm Applying to Be On "The Apprentice"
Hey folks. I'm applying to be on "The Apprentice." This week, my friends former Mayor of Oakland and now Peralta Chancellor Elihu Harris and Oakland City Attorney John Russo were good enough to come down to Lake Merritt and appear in my video. It was a great time! And Oakland never looked so good.
If you were on The Apprentice, e-mail me and share tips! Thanks!
If you were on The Apprentice, e-mail me and share tips! Thanks!
The Jacksonville Super Bowl XXXIX Hotel Room Fiasco
I’m planning to attend what will be my fourth Super Bowl, this one in Jacksonville, Florida. I’ve never been there. Regardless, it’s a city I look at with more than a bit of envy and anger simply because we lost to them, That’s right, I worked to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland, and not Jacksonville. Jacksonville won over Oakland and Miami at the NFL Owner’s Meeting in Atlanta, in November 1st-3rd 2000.
One of the reasons for their victory in 2000 was that they claimed to have 17,000 hotel rooms secured. To prove it they submitted signed contracts. Now, the NFL Super Bowl Hotel Contract is a 13-page affair that would scare the devil. And in a lot of cases, if you view some hoteliers as the devil, that’s what happened in the case of the SF Bay Area.
Well, more about that later. Let me cut to the chase. The NFL expected 10,000 rooms from Jacksonville, and got 3,500. That’s not including the cruise ships they brought in to make up the huge hotel room shortage.
Some people blame the NFL owners approval of an initiative called “Jax39” for this. The simple story is that the NFL team owners gave the Jacksonville Host Committee approval to gain more money from hotels than was allowed under the initial contract, and to pay for improvements to host the Super Bowl. In other words, they allowed them to gouge patrons.
I think the NFL set itself back to 1996, when hucksters and shady hotel people overpriced the heck out of people attending the 1996 Super Bowl in Phoenix. The NFL started issuing contracts after that, and things were more or less ok….until now. It’s a nightmare to get a room and many are going for over $400 a night.
I think I’ve got a room at the Best Western Executive Inn, and not for $400 a night, but for $170. I got it via a friend who knows a guy who runs a booking firm in New York. I generally get my room through the NFL, so this is way different. This time, Sunday Billings of NFL Special Events, who's a heck of a great person and has gotten my rooms for me all the way back to 2000, called me to explain the problem. It's a terrible deal this time.
I’ll say what I’ve said before: Jacksonville has no business hosting the Super Bowl. The region does not have enough hotels. Moreover, to build a large hotel room inventory just for the Super Bowl is stupid, as most of the hotels will go empty, and the Super Bowl’s not going to be there every year.
The Super Bowl is a measure of where a city and a region should be in order to be considered a "top-tier" economically successful urban place. The NFL has specific specifications for how many hotels and what kind, as well as the size of ballroom space. This is a great gauge for what a region needs, not just to host a Super Bowl but any large convention or event.
It's also a great way to determine if a region should be in the Super Bowl mix at all. I know that the Jacksonville people bugged the NFL for two years before they were taken seriously. And the Jacksonville boosters had a popular NFL owner in J. Wayne Weaver, who owns the Jacksonville Jaguars. That goes a long way, as the Super Bowl is a way of rewarding owners for being great team players. What I mean is, for example, San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos is known as the kind of person who will let you as a fellow NFL owner use his private plane. That's a "chit" he can "cash in" to get San Diego the bid to host the Super Bowl (Provided San Diego produces a good bid package.)
So, in honor of Wayne Weaver, the league fudged things a bit, I think.
Most cities that have over 50,000 hotel rooms within one hour of the downtown have them for one reason: there are a lot of people who live there, and so hotel rooms are needed to house people who visit the other people who live in the region. (Yeah, that's more than one reason, but whatever.) It’s not just a tourist matter, but simple population density as well. Jacksonville is not a truly large first tier urban area.
The Jacksonville host committee and hotel brokers are pushing people as far out and away as Orlando, which is three hours away, and comprises a whole other metro area. The NFL has always told us we have to find 17,000 hotel rooms within an hour of the stadium. The San Francisco / Oakland Bay Area has about 60,000 rooms.
That whole message of "hotel room radius" has been blown away with Jacksonville.
The NFL’s made a mess it has to clean up. I think one move is to avoid going into regions that are too small, and regardless of how much they want it or how popular the team owner is in the league.
American cities that have teams and enough hotels within an hour of the stadium (no cruise ships) should be the candidate hosts. Period. That includes Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, San Diego, Houston, Detroit, and New York, if they get a dome. The San Francisco / Oakland Bay Area is the best-undiscovered host region. (OK...1984 was a long way away.)
Oakland and the SF Bay Area would have been better hosts. And were it not for Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, we would have won.
In other words, Jerry lost it for us. And that’s something I’ll not get over for a while. He really mucked it up.
More on that, later.
One of the reasons for their victory in 2000 was that they claimed to have 17,000 hotel rooms secured. To prove it they submitted signed contracts. Now, the NFL Super Bowl Hotel Contract is a 13-page affair that would scare the devil. And in a lot of cases, if you view some hoteliers as the devil, that’s what happened in the case of the SF Bay Area.
Well, more about that later. Let me cut to the chase. The NFL expected 10,000 rooms from Jacksonville, and got 3,500. That’s not including the cruise ships they brought in to make up the huge hotel room shortage.
Some people blame the NFL owners approval of an initiative called “Jax39” for this. The simple story is that the NFL team owners gave the Jacksonville Host Committee approval to gain more money from hotels than was allowed under the initial contract, and to pay for improvements to host the Super Bowl. In other words, they allowed them to gouge patrons.
I think the NFL set itself back to 1996, when hucksters and shady hotel people overpriced the heck out of people attending the 1996 Super Bowl in Phoenix. The NFL started issuing contracts after that, and things were more or less ok….until now. It’s a nightmare to get a room and many are going for over $400 a night.
I think I’ve got a room at the Best Western Executive Inn, and not for $400 a night, but for $170. I got it via a friend who knows a guy who runs a booking firm in New York. I generally get my room through the NFL, so this is way different. This time, Sunday Billings of NFL Special Events, who's a heck of a great person and has gotten my rooms for me all the way back to 2000, called me to explain the problem. It's a terrible deal this time.
I’ll say what I’ve said before: Jacksonville has no business hosting the Super Bowl. The region does not have enough hotels. Moreover, to build a large hotel room inventory just for the Super Bowl is stupid, as most of the hotels will go empty, and the Super Bowl’s not going to be there every year.
The Super Bowl is a measure of where a city and a region should be in order to be considered a "top-tier" economically successful urban place. The NFL has specific specifications for how many hotels and what kind, as well as the size of ballroom space. This is a great gauge for what a region needs, not just to host a Super Bowl but any large convention or event.
It's also a great way to determine if a region should be in the Super Bowl mix at all. I know that the Jacksonville people bugged the NFL for two years before they were taken seriously. And the Jacksonville boosters had a popular NFL owner in J. Wayne Weaver, who owns the Jacksonville Jaguars. That goes a long way, as the Super Bowl is a way of rewarding owners for being great team players. What I mean is, for example, San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos is known as the kind of person who will let you as a fellow NFL owner use his private plane. That's a "chit" he can "cash in" to get San Diego the bid to host the Super Bowl (Provided San Diego produces a good bid package.)
So, in honor of Wayne Weaver, the league fudged things a bit, I think.
Most cities that have over 50,000 hotel rooms within one hour of the downtown have them for one reason: there are a lot of people who live there, and so hotel rooms are needed to house people who visit the other people who live in the region. (Yeah, that's more than one reason, but whatever.) It’s not just a tourist matter, but simple population density as well. Jacksonville is not a truly large first tier urban area.
The Jacksonville host committee and hotel brokers are pushing people as far out and away as Orlando, which is three hours away, and comprises a whole other metro area. The NFL has always told us we have to find 17,000 hotel rooms within an hour of the stadium. The San Francisco / Oakland Bay Area has about 60,000 rooms.
That whole message of "hotel room radius" has been blown away with Jacksonville.
The NFL’s made a mess it has to clean up. I think one move is to avoid going into regions that are too small, and regardless of how much they want it or how popular the team owner is in the league.
American cities that have teams and enough hotels within an hour of the stadium (no cruise ships) should be the candidate hosts. Period. That includes Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, San Diego, Houston, Detroit, and New York, if they get a dome. The San Francisco / Oakland Bay Area is the best-undiscovered host region. (OK...1984 was a long way away.)
Oakland and the SF Bay Area would have been better hosts. And were it not for Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, we would have won.
In other words, Jerry lost it for us. And that’s something I’ll not get over for a while. He really mucked it up.
More on that, later.
The Matter of Randy Moss and the Media
Look. The only people who really care about what Randy Moss did when he scored a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers (in Sunday’s NFL Wild Card Playoff Game) are the media. I don’t care, but I’m freaking tired of hearing about it. In fact, the only reason why we are paying attention to this is that the sports media people will not let it go.
Now, if the Green Bay Packers fans mooned Randy Moss, the media would not spend as much time on it. And you know what, when the 2005 NFL season rolls around, and the Vikings travel to Green Bay, I’ll bet they do it, and in the stands and before him while he’s one the sidelines, not as the team buss comes driving up.
Watch. Just watch.
Now, if the Green Bay Packers fans mooned Randy Moss, the media would not spend as much time on it. And you know what, when the 2005 NFL season rolls around, and the Vikings travel to Green Bay, I’ll bet they do it, and in the stands and before him while he’s one the sidelines, not as the team buss comes driving up.
Watch. Just watch.
A Great Weekend Dinner To Be Invited To
Last Saturday, I was invited to an impromptu dinner party thrown by my new friend Deborah and her husband Sean. Deb and I have been talking a lot about her coming to SBS as our CFO, so I felt “obligated” to make the trek down to Milbrea from Oakland…or let the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) take me.
I went even though I was supposed to go to the movies with Laura, but I thought she’d go down there with me. Nope. Wrong. So, I was alone. Sadly. I like her, but I think she wants to be more of a friend than anything. Whereas I would prefer a little more certain and serious tie.
Anyway, what was so nice about the party is that I felt instantly accepted by Deb’s husband and friends. It’s worth stating that since there are not a lot of African Americans in the Bay Area (10 percent) one wonders if they’re really going to be genuinely accepted in what (more often than not) are all-white audiences. I mean some make efforts to connect with you, but sometimes it’s clumsy.
But on Saturday, January 8th there was none of that at all. I stayed from 7 to 3 AM. And we talked about everything under the sun of popular culture. And, yes, for those who know me, I was not shy about eating. (I’m not fat, but I can pack away a lot of food.)
What made the night’s conversation flow, aside from the people, was the music being piped into the house from various speakers. The music was a mix of stuff from the 80s, 90s, and today. It was also the selection of music that people in late 20s and early 40s would like and talk about, especially after the wine flowed.
In fact, what occurred to me was that the people of America are increasingly mated by the cultural glue of music. I think that the larger selection of music from seemingly every decade and its quality and clarity have served to mesh generations in an unprecedented way. Moreover, music technology and the growth of communications systems are bringing people together and breaking down imaginary racial barriers every day.
While I think this is an amazing development, I have one question: Why isn’t anyone writing about it? What? I am. Yeah, but I don’t want to be the only voice. Ok, bloggers, I need help. Get to writin’
Oh, to show you how tech has progressed, I’m writing this from The Alley, having finished dinner here and enjoying an Irish Coffee as I write, with Rod Dibble playing the piano over there across the room…and, because I wanted to. Now, when
I get back home, I’ll upload this into my blog.
In fact, if The Alley had a wireless transmitter…
I went even though I was supposed to go to the movies with Laura, but I thought she’d go down there with me. Nope. Wrong. So, I was alone. Sadly. I like her, but I think she wants to be more of a friend than anything. Whereas I would prefer a little more certain and serious tie.
Anyway, what was so nice about the party is that I felt instantly accepted by Deb’s husband and friends. It’s worth stating that since there are not a lot of African Americans in the Bay Area (10 percent) one wonders if they’re really going to be genuinely accepted in what (more often than not) are all-white audiences. I mean some make efforts to connect with you, but sometimes it’s clumsy.
But on Saturday, January 8th there was none of that at all. I stayed from 7 to 3 AM. And we talked about everything under the sun of popular culture. And, yes, for those who know me, I was not shy about eating. (I’m not fat, but I can pack away a lot of food.)
What made the night’s conversation flow, aside from the people, was the music being piped into the house from various speakers. The music was a mix of stuff from the 80s, 90s, and today. It was also the selection of music that people in late 20s and early 40s would like and talk about, especially after the wine flowed.
In fact, what occurred to me was that the people of America are increasingly mated by the cultural glue of music. I think that the larger selection of music from seemingly every decade and its quality and clarity have served to mesh generations in an unprecedented way. Moreover, music technology and the growth of communications systems are bringing people together and breaking down imaginary racial barriers every day.
While I think this is an amazing development, I have one question: Why isn’t anyone writing about it? What? I am. Yeah, but I don’t want to be the only voice. Ok, bloggers, I need help. Get to writin’
Oh, to show you how tech has progressed, I’m writing this from The Alley, having finished dinner here and enjoying an Irish Coffee as I write, with Rod Dibble playing the piano over there across the room…and, because I wanted to. Now, when
I get back home, I’ll upload this into my blog.
In fact, if The Alley had a wireless transmitter…
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
How To Talk About Race in America
I write this because I am rather tired of hearing the occasional comments "I don't see race," "Race card," "Playing the race card", and "Race doesn't matter."
About 95 percent of the time I hear these comments, it's from someone white or Asian or Latino, but mostly white by far. Only twice in my life have I heard anyone black say a variation of those words. I can personally pinpoint the origin of the term "Race card:" the OJ trial in 1994.
It was during that "court media event" that I remember that term used. It was offered by a right-wing pundit in a debate and as attempt to diminish the imporatance of race as a factor in the police investigation. The trial itself aside, I didn't like the term then, and I don't like it now.
Today, the single reason why blacks and whites in particular can't talk effectively about race is the use of the terms I described above. As the culture becomes (happily) more integrated by the minute, we have to develop a more effective way of communcating. Thus, here's my primer I call "How to Talk About Race in America."
It's really a simple set of rules to be applied by both white or Asian or Latino persons and blacks when talking about race with each other:
1) First, allow the person to complete their sentence.
2) Avoid talking while the other person is talking, as that is the foundation for the development of an argument.
3) Don't use any term like "Race card."
4) Talk in general terms about race and at all costs don't talk about what you do that's racist or not racist at the start of the conversation. In other words...
5) Start by talking about race in America generally, if only to determine how each of you thinks. So, ask this question: do we have race problems? And follow it up with "What are race problems in your view?"
6) Don't justify yourself by explaining how many black (if you're white or Asian or Latino) or white or Asian or Latino (if you're black) friends you have.
7) If you're white or Asian or Latino, don't say "I don't see race" and then say "I have black friends" because you just admitted you see race.
8) Think of a joke to tell to keep things light, and no, not a racial joke.
There you have it. If you apply my primer, you and America will have gone a long way toward improving our collective culture!
About 95 percent of the time I hear these comments, it's from someone white or Asian or Latino, but mostly white by far. Only twice in my life have I heard anyone black say a variation of those words. I can personally pinpoint the origin of the term "Race card:" the OJ trial in 1994.
It was during that "court media event" that I remember that term used. It was offered by a right-wing pundit in a debate and as attempt to diminish the imporatance of race as a factor in the police investigation. The trial itself aside, I didn't like the term then, and I don't like it now.
Today, the single reason why blacks and whites in particular can't talk effectively about race is the use of the terms I described above. As the culture becomes (happily) more integrated by the minute, we have to develop a more effective way of communcating. Thus, here's my primer I call "How to Talk About Race in America."
It's really a simple set of rules to be applied by both white or Asian or Latino persons and blacks when talking about race with each other:
1) First, allow the person to complete their sentence.
2) Avoid talking while the other person is talking, as that is the foundation for the development of an argument.
3) Don't use any term like "Race card."
4) Talk in general terms about race and at all costs don't talk about what you do that's racist or not racist at the start of the conversation. In other words...
5) Start by talking about race in America generally, if only to determine how each of you thinks. So, ask this question: do we have race problems? And follow it up with "What are race problems in your view?"
6) Don't justify yourself by explaining how many black (if you're white or Asian or Latino) or white or Asian or Latino (if you're black) friends you have.
7) If you're white or Asian or Latino, don't say "I don't see race" and then say "I have black friends" because you just admitted you see race.
8) Think of a joke to tell to keep things light, and no, not a racial joke.
There you have it. If you apply my primer, you and America will have gone a long way toward improving our collective culture!
41, 42, and 43
Confused? Those numbers refer to the last three siting presidents. It also points to today's news of the ex-presidents heading a new funding initiative to the Tsunami-ravagged areas of Asia. (See CNN)
Even though I'm a Democrat, putting President Bush I and President Clinton together to head this effort was an excellent move both personally and politically by George W. Bush. The reason, for me, is that it shows that we can remove party lines and bring the best people to solve a problem.
On top of that, it seems to confirm a suspicion I've always has that Clinton and the younger Bush are more alike than people would think. I first formed this idea after watching the ceremony for the Clinton Library on CSPAN. CSPAN is great for presenting scenes of politicians talking together after a ceremony. Such was true in this case. The three Presidents seemed to be sharing a lot of information. I think the matter of the middle east and terrorism, combined with their Southern populist roots, have forged a bound between Bush II and Clinton that should be studied in more depth.
I believe that in their personalities are the keys to what Americans want in the people they elect to be President. In short, they connect with people on a personal level.
I think this effort will be very successful. Moreover, it marks -- in my view -- a turning point in Bush II's growth as an American President and a World leader.
I also think he and Clinton are sharing "presidential secrets." I just don't know what they are.
Even though I'm a Democrat, putting President Bush I and President Clinton together to head this effort was an excellent move both personally and politically by George W. Bush. The reason, for me, is that it shows that we can remove party lines and bring the best people to solve a problem.
On top of that, it seems to confirm a suspicion I've always has that Clinton and the younger Bush are more alike than people would think. I first formed this idea after watching the ceremony for the Clinton Library on CSPAN. CSPAN is great for presenting scenes of politicians talking together after a ceremony. Such was true in this case. The three Presidents seemed to be sharing a lot of information. I think the matter of the middle east and terrorism, combined with their Southern populist roots, have forged a bound between Bush II and Clinton that should be studied in more depth.
I believe that in their personalities are the keys to what Americans want in the people they elect to be President. In short, they connect with people on a personal level.
I think this effort will be very successful. Moreover, it marks -- in my view -- a turning point in Bush II's growth as an American President and a World leader.
I also think he and Clinton are sharing "presidential secrets." I just don't know what they are.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Stars to Whom We Said Goodbye in 2004
This article is by Emily Feimster for Netscape. I think the passing of the celebrities listed mark "signposts" for generational change. For example, I grew up with Bob Keeshan, who was known as Captain Kangeroo in the morning. Now, I can't think of a modern equivalent. Kids have such a wide range of choices on TV, and certainly more than was presented to me in the 60s. Plus, as a kid, shows like his help you form an understanding of the culture.
Then, there was Isabel Stanford of the Jeffersons. I think I saw every one of those shows. But they also gave the first American pop-culture real view of a modern, successful black couple.
Well, here's Emily's post, below.
With the end of 2004 in sight, we must bid farewell to some of our most beloved celebrities who passed on during the year. Though some deaths came too soon, many of these legendary entertainers were lucky enough to enjoy a long, full life.
The death of "Superman" actor, Christopher Reeve, 52, came as quite a shock to fans who had watched his progress since being paralyzed in an equestrian accident in 1995. The tireless advocate for spinal cord research went into cardiac arrest at his home after developing a serious systemic infection during treatment for a pressure wound. The computer-animated movie, "Yankee Irving," being made by Reeve at the time of his death, will be completed, producer Morris Berger has vowed, and released in 2006.
Movie star, governor, president - there wasn't much that Ronald Reagan did not do in his lifetime. The 93-year-old had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the last 10 years which caused him to live his post-presidency in quiet isolation. In June, he died of pneumonia, surrounded by his children and wife Nancy. Thousands lined the streets to pay tribute to "The Great Communicator" as his body was transported for a memorial service in Washington D.C.
One of the greatest actors of all time, Marlon Brando, 80, died in July from pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that involves scarring of the lungs. Over the course of his long career, including legendary performances in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "The Godfather," the intensely private actor was just as famous for his off-screen antics involving his eccentric behavior and sometimes outlandish salary demands.
However, it was the 82-year-old comedian Rodney Dangerfield who didn't get the respect he deserved until he died of heart disease in October.
Hollywood was dealt the loss of another legendary actor, Janet Leigh, 77, whose infamous shower slaying in Hitchcock's film "Psycho," sealed her place in movie history. She died of vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels. The one-time wife of Tony Curtis is survived by her actress daughters Kelly and Jamie Lee Curtis.
American music lost an icon in June with the passing of Ray Charles, who immortalized such songs as "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." His life continues on with the recent biopic, "Ray," in which actor Jamie Foxx delivers a performance that's expected to receive an Oscar nomination.
Another great music man, Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone, died of prostate cancer at the age of 55.
We said goodbye to legendary women including Isabel Sanford, 86, who most notably moved into a deluxe apartment in the sky as Louise Jefferson on the TV series, "The Jeffersons," "King Kong's" Fay Wray who died in August at age 96, and chef Julia Child, who became an early star on PBS and popularized French cooking in America. She died of kidney failure in July at the age of 91.
This year didn't come without its share of mystery deaths as well. Rapper ODB, whose death in a Manhattan recording studio Nov. 13 - at age 35 -- sent shock waves through the hip-hop community, died accidentally of the combined effects of cocaine and a prescription painkiller, ruled the medical examiner. The Super Freaky Rick James, 56, who had dealt with drug addictions in the past, died of a heart attack in August. The actor best known as Murphy Brown's house painter, Robert Pastorelli, died at age 49 of drug-related causes in the same house of his girlfriend's mysterious shooting death five years prior. Spalding Gray's death was ruled a suicide by drowning. The 62-year-old actor/writer had disappeared on January 10, and likely died the same day, though his body wasn't found for nearly two months.
Fans of "The First Wives Club" were shocked when finding out that its author, Olivia Goldsmith, 54, had died of a heart attack during cosmetic surgery. Another writer, Arthur Hailey, best known for "Airport," died of a stroke at age 84 in November.
In 2004 we saw the loss of Tony Randall, 84, who became a first-time father when he was 77. The actor was best known as Felix on the TV series "The Odd Couple."
The 76-year-old Alan King, who had been a staple of the comedy scene since the 50s, died in May of lung cancer. He was the host of the legendary New York Friars Club's celebrity roasts.
Jack Paar, who is often credited with inventing the present-day late-night talk show when he took over as host of "The Tonight Show" in 1957 - died at age 85 in January. Critics often maintained that no talk-show host ever commanded the intelligence, sophistication and edge that Paar brought to an interview. He quit the show in 1962 and was succeeded by Johnny Carson.
Legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith, whose long career included some of the most famous themes of the last 50 years, died in his sleep at age 75 after a long battle with cancer. He had been nominated for 17 Academy Awards, winning his sole Oscar for "The Omen." Also, musician Jan Berry, 62, of "Jan & Dean" died in March of complications from a seizure.
In October, former ABC newsman Pierre Salinger, 79, died of a heart attack in France. He had also been press secretary to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson and briefly served as a U.S. senator from California.
America lost a great soap star, Anna Lee, at the age of 90. She starred as Lila Quartermaine on "General Hospital" and "Port Charles." Earlier in her career, she had been paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident and acted in a wheelchair for more than two decades. She died of pneumonia in May - just a week before she was to have received a daytime Emmy award for "lifetime achievement."
We also said farewell to: Bob Keeshan, 76, (A.K.A Captain Kangaroo); "The Real World" co-creator Mary-Ellis Bunim, 57; "Sounder's" Paul Winfield, 62; "Diary of a Mad Housewife's" Carrie Snodgress, 57; MTV's first VJ, J. J. Jackson, 62; "Masterpiece Theatre's" Alistair Cooke, 95; '40's and '50's dancer/actress Ann Miller, 81; "Dallas" actor Howard Keel, 85; filmmaker Russ Meyer, 82; cosmetic queen Estee Lauder, 96; legendary character actor Sir Peter Ustinov, 82; Tony winner John Randolph, 88; "The Jackie Gleason Show" choreographer June Taylor, 86; "Hawaii Five-O" actor, Zulu, 66; singer/actor Carl Anderson, 58; "Walker, Texas Ranger's" Noble Willingham, 73; filmmaker Brian Gibson, 59.
And Mercedes McCambridge, the actress known for voicing the demon in "The Exorcist" and winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "All the King's Men," died in March at age 85.
Then, there was Isabel Stanford of the Jeffersons. I think I saw every one of those shows. But they also gave the first American pop-culture real view of a modern, successful black couple.
Well, here's Emily's post, below.
With the end of 2004 in sight, we must bid farewell to some of our most beloved celebrities who passed on during the year. Though some deaths came too soon, many of these legendary entertainers were lucky enough to enjoy a long, full life.
The death of "Superman" actor, Christopher Reeve, 52, came as quite a shock to fans who had watched his progress since being paralyzed in an equestrian accident in 1995. The tireless advocate for spinal cord research went into cardiac arrest at his home after developing a serious systemic infection during treatment for a pressure wound. The computer-animated movie, "Yankee Irving," being made by Reeve at the time of his death, will be completed, producer Morris Berger has vowed, and released in 2006.
Movie star, governor, president - there wasn't much that Ronald Reagan did not do in his lifetime. The 93-year-old had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the last 10 years which caused him to live his post-presidency in quiet isolation. In June, he died of pneumonia, surrounded by his children and wife Nancy. Thousands lined the streets to pay tribute to "The Great Communicator" as his body was transported for a memorial service in Washington D.C.
One of the greatest actors of all time, Marlon Brando, 80, died in July from pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that involves scarring of the lungs. Over the course of his long career, including legendary performances in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "The Godfather," the intensely private actor was just as famous for his off-screen antics involving his eccentric behavior and sometimes outlandish salary demands.
However, it was the 82-year-old comedian Rodney Dangerfield who didn't get the respect he deserved until he died of heart disease in October.
Hollywood was dealt the loss of another legendary actor, Janet Leigh, 77, whose infamous shower slaying in Hitchcock's film "Psycho," sealed her place in movie history. She died of vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels. The one-time wife of Tony Curtis is survived by her actress daughters Kelly and Jamie Lee Curtis.
American music lost an icon in June with the passing of Ray Charles, who immortalized such songs as "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." His life continues on with the recent biopic, "Ray," in which actor Jamie Foxx delivers a performance that's expected to receive an Oscar nomination.
Another great music man, Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone, died of prostate cancer at the age of 55.
We said goodbye to legendary women including Isabel Sanford, 86, who most notably moved into a deluxe apartment in the sky as Louise Jefferson on the TV series, "The Jeffersons," "King Kong's" Fay Wray who died in August at age 96, and chef Julia Child, who became an early star on PBS and popularized French cooking in America. She died of kidney failure in July at the age of 91.
This year didn't come without its share of mystery deaths as well. Rapper ODB, whose death in a Manhattan recording studio Nov. 13 - at age 35 -- sent shock waves through the hip-hop community, died accidentally of the combined effects of cocaine and a prescription painkiller, ruled the medical examiner. The Super Freaky Rick James, 56, who had dealt with drug addictions in the past, died of a heart attack in August. The actor best known as Murphy Brown's house painter, Robert Pastorelli, died at age 49 of drug-related causes in the same house of his girlfriend's mysterious shooting death five years prior. Spalding Gray's death was ruled a suicide by drowning. The 62-year-old actor/writer had disappeared on January 10, and likely died the same day, though his body wasn't found for nearly two months.
Fans of "The First Wives Club" were shocked when finding out that its author, Olivia Goldsmith, 54, had died of a heart attack during cosmetic surgery. Another writer, Arthur Hailey, best known for "Airport," died of a stroke at age 84 in November.
In 2004 we saw the loss of Tony Randall, 84, who became a first-time father when he was 77. The actor was best known as Felix on the TV series "The Odd Couple."
The 76-year-old Alan King, who had been a staple of the comedy scene since the 50s, died in May of lung cancer. He was the host of the legendary New York Friars Club's celebrity roasts.
Jack Paar, who is often credited with inventing the present-day late-night talk show when he took over as host of "The Tonight Show" in 1957 - died at age 85 in January. Critics often maintained that no talk-show host ever commanded the intelligence, sophistication and edge that Paar brought to an interview. He quit the show in 1962 and was succeeded by Johnny Carson.
Legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith, whose long career included some of the most famous themes of the last 50 years, died in his sleep at age 75 after a long battle with cancer. He had been nominated for 17 Academy Awards, winning his sole Oscar for "The Omen." Also, musician Jan Berry, 62, of "Jan & Dean" died in March of complications from a seizure.
In October, former ABC newsman Pierre Salinger, 79, died of a heart attack in France. He had also been press secretary to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson and briefly served as a U.S. senator from California.
America lost a great soap star, Anna Lee, at the age of 90. She starred as Lila Quartermaine on "General Hospital" and "Port Charles." Earlier in her career, she had been paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident and acted in a wheelchair for more than two decades. She died of pneumonia in May - just a week before she was to have received a daytime Emmy award for "lifetime achievement."
We also said farewell to: Bob Keeshan, 76, (A.K.A Captain Kangaroo); "The Real World" co-creator Mary-Ellis Bunim, 57; "Sounder's" Paul Winfield, 62; "Diary of a Mad Housewife's" Carrie Snodgress, 57; MTV's first VJ, J. J. Jackson, 62; "Masterpiece Theatre's" Alistair Cooke, 95; '40's and '50's dancer/actress Ann Miller, 81; "Dallas" actor Howard Keel, 85; filmmaker Russ Meyer, 82; cosmetic queen Estee Lauder, 96; legendary character actor Sir Peter Ustinov, 82; Tony winner John Randolph, 88; "The Jackie Gleason Show" choreographer June Taylor, 86; "Hawaii Five-O" actor, Zulu, 66; singer/actor Carl Anderson, 58; "Walker, Texas Ranger's" Noble Willingham, 73; filmmaker Brian Gibson, 59.
And Mercedes McCambridge, the actress known for voicing the demon in "The Exorcist" and winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "All the King's Men," died in March at age 85.
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