#RIP #OTD in 1953 jazz guitarist, composer (“Minor Swing”, “Daphne”, “Belleville”, “Djangology”, “Swing ’42”, “Nuages”) Django Reinhardt died from a brain hemorrhage in Samois-sur-Seine, France, aged 43. Cimetiere de Samois-sur-Seine.
#RIP #OTD in 1955 author (A Death in the Family, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men), journalist, poet, screenwriter (The African Queen, The Night of the Hunter), film critic, James Agee died from a heart attack in New York City, aged 45. Agee Family Farm Cemetery Hillsdale, New York
On this day in 1984, entertainer, actor, writer, and performance artist Andy Kaufman supposedly died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, at the age of 35. Born Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman on January 17, 1949 in New York City. While often called a comedian, Kaufman described himself instead as a “song and dance man”. He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood, once saying in a rare introspective interview, “I am not a comic, I have never told a joke. … The comedian’s promise is that he will go out there and make you laugh with him… My only promise is that I will try to entertain you as best I can.”
After working in small comedy clubs in the early 1970s, Kaufman came to the attention of a wider audience in 1975, when he was invited to perform portions of his act on the first season of Saturday Night Live. His Foreign Man character was the basis of his performance as Latka Gravas on the hit television show Taxi from 1978 until 1983. During this time, he continued to tour comedy clubs and theaters in a series of unique performance art/comedy shows, sometimes appearing as himself and sometimes as obnoxiously rude lounge singer Tony Clifton. He was also a frequent guest on sketch comedy and late-night talk shows, particularly Late Night with David Letterman. In 1982, Kaufman brought his professional wrestling villain act to Letterman’s show by way of a staged encounter with Jerry “The King” Lawler of the Continental Wrestling Association (although the fact that the altercation was planned in advance was not publicly disclosed for over a decade).
The Final Footprint
Kaufman often spoke of faking his own death as a grand hoax, with rumors persisting, often fueled by sporadic appearances of Kaufman’s character Tony Clifton at comedy clubs after his death. In 2013, responding to rumors following the appearance of an actress who claimed to be Kaufman’s daughter and that he was still alive, Los Angeles County Coroner’s office re-released Kaufman’s death certificate to confirm he was indeed deceased and buried at Beth David Cemetery. Other notable final footprints at Beth David include; Sidney Lumet, Doc Pomus, and Abe Vigoda.
On this day in 1990, entertainer, singer, dancer, actor, member of the Rat Pack, Sammy Davis, Jr. died in Beverly Hills from throat cancer at the age of 64. Born Samuel George Davis, Jr. on 8 December 1925 in Harlem. Davis converted to Judaism in 1955. In 1959, he became a member of the famous “Rat Pack”, led by his friend Frank Sinatra, which included Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. Davis dated actress Kim Novak before his first marriage. He married three times: Loray White (1958-1959 divorce), May Britt (1960-1968 divorce) and Altovise Gore (1970-1990 his death). Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his television performances. He was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987, and in 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Final Footprint – Davis is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. His grave is marked by a flat bronze individual marker with the inscription “THE ENTERTAINER” HE DID IT ALL and YOUR LOVING WIFE ALTOVISE AND FATHER OF TRACEY, MARK, JEFF, MANNY. A nearby white marble statue has the name DAVIS engraved at the bottom. Other notable Final Footprints at Forest Lawn Glendale include; L. Frank Baum, Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Jean Harlow, Sam Cooke, Walt Disney, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Michael Jackson, Carole Lombard, Tom Mix, Casey Stengel, Jimmy Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, and Spencer Tracy.
| Ronnie James Dio | |
|---|---|
 performing in Chicago in 2009 |
|
On this day in 2010, singer, songwriter and musician Ronnie James Dio died in Los Angeles of stomach cancer at the age of 67. Born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He fronted and/or founded numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven & Hell. He is credited with popularizing the “metal horns” hand gesture in metal culture and was known for his medieval-themed lyrics. Dio possessed a powerful versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads.
Explanations vary for how Padavona adopted the stage name “Dio”. One story is that Dio was a reference to mafia member Johnny Dio. Another has it that Padavona’s grandmother said he had a gift from God and should be called “Dio” (“God” in Italian).
Dio’s first wife was Loretta Berardi (born 1941). After divorcing Berardi, he married Wendy Gaxiola (born 1945) who also served as his manager.
The Final Footprint
A tribute monument of Dio in Kavarna, Bulgaria
Have you planned yours yet?
Follow TFF on twitter @RIPTFF
