On this day in 1982, heavy metal guitarist Randy Rhoads died in a plane accident in Leesburg, Florida, at the age of 25. Born Randall William Rhoads on December 6, 1956 in Santa Monica, California. Rhoads played with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. Despite his short career, Rhoads, who was a major influence on neoclassical metal, is cited as an influence by many guitarists.
The Final Footprint
Rhoads’ funeral was held at the First Lutheran Church in Burbank, California. Pall-bearers at the funeral included Osbourne and Rhoads’ former Quiet Riot bandmate Kevin DuBrow. On his coffin was a photo of the guitarist as well as a photo of himself on stage with Osbourne in San Francisco. Rhoads is entombed in a private mausoleum at Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino, California.
On this day in 1997, artist Willem de Kooning died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 92 in East Hampton, New York. Born April 24, 1904 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He moved to the United States in 1926, and became an American citizen in 1962. On December 9, 1943, he married painter Elaine Fried.
In the years after World War II, de Kooning painted in a style that came to be referred to as Abstract expressionism or “action painting”, and was part of a group of artists that came to be known as the New York School.
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De Kooning met Fried, at the American Artists School in New York. She was 14 years his junior. Thus was to begin a lifelong partnership affected by alcoholism, lack of money, love affairs, quarrels and separations.
Elaine had admired Willem’s artwork before meeting him, in 1938 her teacher introduced her to De Kooning at a Manhattan cafeteria when she was 20 and him 34. After meeting, he began to instruct her in drawing and painting. They painted in Willem’s loft at 143 West 21st Street, and he was known for his harsh criticism of her work. He even destroyed many of her drawings. When they married, she moved into his loft and they continued sharing studio spaces. They had an open marriage; they both were casual about sex and about each other’s affairs. Elaine had affairs with men who helped further Willem’s career
Elaine and Willem both struggled with alcoholism, which eventually led to their separation in 1957. While separated, Elaine remained in New York, struggling with poverty, and Willem moved to Long Island and dealt with depression. Despite bouts with alcoholism, they both continued painting. Although separated for nearly twenty years, they never divorced, and ultimately reunited in 1976.
The Final Footprint
De Kooning was cremated.
On this day in 2007, actor and comedian, Larry Bud Melman, died at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, New York at the age of 85. Born Calvert Grant DeForest on 23 July 1921 in Brooklyn. Perhaps best known for his appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman. He was the cousin of actor DeForest Kelley of Star Trek fame. His appearances on Letterman were so funny. I used to watch Letterman back in the day when I could stay awake past 2300 hours.
The Final Footprint – DeForest was cremated and his cremated remains were inurned in Pinelawn Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
On this day in 2008, science fiction writer, science writer and futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host Arthur C. Clarke died in Colombo, Sri Lanka from respiratory failure at the age of 90. Born Arthur Charles Clarke on 16 December 1917 in Minehead, Somerset, England, UK.
He is famous for being co-writer of the screenplay for the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, in my opinion, one of the most influential films of all time. Clarke was a science writer, and an avid populariser of space travel. In 1961 he was awarded the Kalinga Prize, an award which is given by UNESCO for popularising science. These along with his science fiction writings eventually earned him the moniker “Prophet of the Space Age”. His other science fiction writings earned him a number of Hugo and Nebula awards. For many years Clarke, Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov were known as the “Big Three” of science fiction.
In 1934, while still a teenager, he joined the British Interplanetary Society. In 1945, he proposed a satellite communication system. He was the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1946–47 and again in 1951–53.
Clarke emigrated from England to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) in 1956, largely to pursue his interest in scuba diving. That year he discovered the underwater ruins of the ancient Koneswaram temple in Trincomalee. Clarke augmented his fame later on in the 1980s, from being the host of several television shows such as Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World. He lived in Sri Lanka until his death. He was knighted in 1998 and was awarded Sri Lanka’s highest civil honour, Sri Lankabhimanya, in 2005.
On a trip to Florida in 1953 Clarke met and quickly married Marilyn Mayfield, a 22-year-old American divorcee with a young son. They separated permanently after six months, although the divorce was not finalised until 1964. “The marriage was incompatible from the beginning”, said Clarke. Clarke never remarried, but was close to a Sri Lankan man, Leslie Ekanayake (13 July 1947 – 4 July 1977), whom Clarke called his “only perfect friend of a lifetime”, in the dedication to his novel The Fountains of Paradise.
The Final Footprint
Clarke was interred alongside Ekanayake in Colombo’s central cemetery in a traditional Sri Lankan fashion on 22 March. His younger brother, Fred Clarke, and his Sri Lankan adoptive family were among the thousands in attendance.
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