Originally from Canada, Corey Haim was living in Los Angeles, California.

matt wrote this on 03/10/10 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | 1 comment so far | TAGS: A&E, child actor, corey feldman, corey haim, dead, drug, drugs, L.A., license to drive, los angeles, lost boys, overdose, the two coreys

Boner
1968-2010

Some sad news just received here at Songspeak Corporate Headquarters. Andrew Koenig, better known as Richard Stabone, and even better known as Boner, on the hit 80’s sitcom Growing Pains, was found dead of an apparent suicide in a Vancouver park after going missing on February 14th.  If Andrew taught us anything in life, it’s that you can get away with having a character named “Boner” on a family television show.

And if there’s only one thing we learned from this story, it’s that his dad is Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on the original Star Trek.

jamie wrote this on 02/26/10 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: 60s tv, 80s tv, andrew koenig, boner, february 14th, found dead, growing pains, missing, richard stabone, star trek, suicide, valentine's day, vancouver, walter koenig

Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Ken Ober, whose MTV game show “Remote Control” was among the network’s first forays into non-music programming, has died at age 52, his agent said Monday. Ober hosted five seasons of “Remote Control,” a pop-culture quiz show that featured contestants strapped into easy chairs to answer questions from categories such as “Dead or Canadian?” The show first aired in 1987 and helped launch the careers of comedians Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn, who was the program’s announcer. Ober later moved behind the camera as a producer of the Comedy Central program “Mind of Mencia” and the CBS comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine.”

He was apparently complaining of flu-like symptoms, headaches, and chest pain when he was last heard from days earlier, and some reports suggest that he died of a heart attack.

Ken Ober, I watched your show a lot in the late 80s. I thought it was so so cool how you proved that MTV was more than just music videos.

Here’s a great clip of Remote Control featuring Colin Quinn singing some CCR:

Also, I don’t know if youze guys remember this, but he was the guy on the couch in the Blues Traveler video for Hook, back when John Popper was fat. Towards the end of the video, every time he uses his remote control to try and change the channel, it keeps switching back to Blues Traveler. That sounds like a living nightmare.

matt wrote this on 11/17/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: adam sandler, blues traveler, colin quinn, denis leary, died, game show, heart attack, hook, john popper, ken ober, ken oberding, mind of mencia, mtv, remote control, the new adventures of old christine

Set to Working For The Weekend by Loverboy, this amazingly choreographed performance by Mr. Patrick Swayze and the great Chris Farley always brings a smile to our faces here at Songspeak.

matt wrote this on 09/15/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: baby in a corner, chippendale, chippendales, chris farley, dancing, dirty dancing, ghost, jerry orbach, loverboy, patrick swayze, roadhouse, saturday night live, snl, working for the weekend

R.I.P. Les. We know you’re riding that big whammy bar in the sky.

songspeak wrote this on 08/14/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | 1 comment so far | TAGS: celebrity death, electric guitar, les paul, pneumonia, rock n' roll, whammy bar

From RogertEbert.com

The list of films Hughes directed, produced or wrote includes such enduring hits as “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Uncle Buck,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Curly Sue,” “Mr. Mom,” “Home Alone,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Weird Science,” “She’s Having a Baby,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Beethoven,” “101 Dalmatians” and “Baby’s Day Out.”

… Hughes was a star-maker for a generation. Among the actors he introduced or popularized were Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Macaulay Culkin and John Candy, who worked in eight Hughes films. Some of those actors, freed from their confinement under Hughes, later became famous as the Brat Pack.

The music he used in these films became staples of 80s music. The best evidence of this, of course, is a song by Simple Minds called Don’t You (Forget About Me) which is almost always associated with The Breakfast Club. You may have heard it recently.

In fact, here’s a video tribute to John Hughes films (WITH audio/music) from from LA  Filmcutter…

Through The Eyes Of John Hughes from LA Filmcutter on Vimeo.

R.I.P. Mr. John Hughes.

songspeak wrote this on 08/07/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | 1 comment so far | TAGS: 101 Dalmatians, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Baby's Day Out, Beethoven, Curly Sue, don't you (forget about me), emilio estevez, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, John Candy, john hughes, Judd Nelson, LA Filmcutter, Macaulay Culkin, Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, Mr. Mom, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Pretty in Pink, roger ebert, She's Having a Baby, simple minds, Sixteen Candles, some kind of wonderful, The Breakfast Club, Uncle Buck, Weird Science

Farewell, Gidget. You introduced the chalupa and the gordita to me, and promoted that 90’s Godzilla movie that I wound up seeing. I will never forget you.

I’ll be pouring a little baja blast Mountain Dew on the curb in your memory.

Via AdFreak.

matt wrote this on 07/22/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: baja blast, chalupa, chihuahua, commercials, dead, died, gidget, godzilla, gordita, mountain dew, taco bell, taco bell dog, yo quiero

R.I.P. Billy. You will truly be missed.

jamie wrote this on 06/29/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: 00s tv commercials, beats up prostitute, billy mays, billy mays dead, icon, jet black beard, michael jackson, orange glo, oxi clean, pop culture icon, scratch remover, simoniz fix it, vince schlomi

songspeak wrote this on 06/26/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | 2 comments | TAGS: cardiac arrest, dead, died, heart attack, king of pop, los angeles, michael jackson, sudden death, thriller

You were hot before my time, and I still don’t quite understand feathered hair, but R.I.P. Farrah.

jamie wrote this on 06/25/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: 70s tv, actresses, cancer, charlie's angels, farrah fawcett, farrah fawcett death, feathered hair, incoherent rambling, poster girl

Ed McMahon

Ed McGansta part I:

Ed McGansta part II:

songspeak wrote this on 06/23/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: ed mcmahon, freecreditreport.com, johnny carson, nbc, sidekick, tonight show

Since leaving Wilco, Bennett kept recording. His most recent release, Whatever Happened I Apologize is available as a free download from Rock Proper.

Jay Bennett’s recent health problems were pretty sad, especially since he apparently couldn’t afford health insurance, and didn’t have the means to pay for his much needed surgery. His financial burdens allegedly prompted his recent lawsuit against Wilco, for not receiving royalties for his appearance in I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

Edited excerpt from Jay Bennett’s myspace blog dated April 24th:

I’ve been close to bedridden since I last “saw” y’all. After burying my proverbial head in the proverbial sand since last summer, I finally decided it was time I “face the music,” and find out what was causing the severe pain and immobility in my right leg. I have had a torn A.C.L. in that knee for many years (caused by a “daring,” well, uh, really just ill-planned, and poorly executed, stage jump at Seventh Street Entry in Minneapolis, with Titanic Love Affair), and suspected that time had most likely further worn down, or even torn loose some more cartilage, most likely causing premature arthritis. So, after much prompting from friends and loved ones (“Jay that limp is NOT getting any better”), bright and early one Monday morning I decided to simply open up the Yellow Pages, and find the first Orthopedic Medicine Clinic with an immediate opening and find out what a large part of me did not want to find out. I braced myself for a diagnosis of additional minor knee surgery to remove some “floating” cartilage, and told myself that maybe all I needed was a cortisone shot or two, or something like that…but, something deep down inside was telling me this could well be something bigger and badder (or else why would I have “run” from it for so long). I DID NOT brace myself for THE diagnosis of the need for a complete hip replacement (ball and socket, if you will). I just about fainted when I saw the X-Rays of that hip….holy &%$#*, what a mess I had made. The doctor sized me up at 5′9″ (well actually, now a bit shorter than that on one side) and concluded that most likely I was not a basketball player, yet recognized the damage as that typically caused by repetitive high impact sports activity. Well, I knew in a heartbeat that could mean only one thing…. and, yes, you guessed it—-a decade plus of multiple nightly stage jumps and various other rock and roll theatrics had finally taken a toll that I could no longer merely “deal with,” or ignore, even if I were to change my evil ways (baby). As I dizzily drove home (a drive I can barely remember), I alternately rode waves of the power derived from finally having the knowledge I had both craved and avoided, and of the fear of an uncertain future.

Well, it turns out that these types of injuries don’t really heal themselves, as I naively told myself might just magically happen, if I rested that leg, used a cane for a while, and lost a bit of weight. So, major surgery it was to be…the only glitch, I am among our nations under-insured (my previous injury to that leg was listed as a pre-existing condition, and any injury that could be linked to the same root cause, I was told would not be covered). Some time passed as I contemplated my next “move,”—-how to come up with the money to pay for the surgery “out of pocket,” and as I brainstormed, my hip finally decided to lock up, and the pain got worse. So I began the arduous, or more accurately, extremely time consuming and endlessly frustrating, process of finding a surgeon and hospital that would perhaps “cut me a deal,” be willing to bargain/barter a bit, or at least allow me to make installment payments. As it turns out, this is possible, but also difficult to arrange, if you can not come up with a sizable down payment as a show good faith, etc. I have been saving as much money as possible ever since I made this new commitment to my health, my future, and my quality of life, and have sold off some vintage recording gear, whose monetary collectors value now far outweighs it’s functional value.

I still don’t know exactly when my surgery will be, but I have learned a good deal about the procedure, and that has helped to make me MUCH less fearful. The double dose of anxiety caused by the pain, and the quite natural fear of the invasive surgery itself, really had me in its grip for a while, but now it only comes in waves. Once I am able to get a down payment of sorts together and actually have the surgery performed, I have been told that I then have only about six to eight weeks of physical therapy before I should be operating at approximately 80% capacity—-these types of joint replacements have come light years in the past five years or so. The way I look at it, I’m functioning WAY below 80% right now, so what do I have to lose? Except a limp, some pain, some anxiety, and some weight. In many ways, I’m really looking forward to it, and wish I could go in tomorrow.

Full text after the jump…(...)
Read the rest of Multi-instrumentalist for Wilco, Jay Bennett, dies at SONGSPEAK (1,501 words)

songspeak wrote this on 05/26/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: a.c.l., dead, died in his sleep, health insurance, hip replacement, i am trying to break your heart, jay bennett, jay walter bennett, rock proper, stage diving, surgery, whatever happened i apologize, wilco, yankee hotel foxtrot

Quien es mas macho?

Ricardo Montalban, best know for his roles as Mister Roarke on Fantasy Island and the title character of the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, died yesterday at age 88. No word on whether William Shatner was involved.

It’s a shame to lose such a suave latino, but now he can join his little Tattoo on that Fantasy Island in the sky.

jamie wrote this on 01/15/09 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | 2 comments | TAGS: 70s tv, 80s movies, 80s tv, fantasy island, Hervé Villechaize, Mister Roarke, ricardo montalban, star trek, star trek II, suave latino, tattoo, the wrath of khan, william shatner

In the 1950s and 1960s, Peters Jr. played the bald-headed, hoop-earring wearing, grime-fighting Mr. Clean to advertise the household cleaner with the trademark jingle, “Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute, Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and everything that’s in it. Mr. Clean Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean.”

In his television career, Peters Jr. appeared in shows like “Perry Mason“, “The Twilight Zone“, and “Gunsmoke“.

The animated version of the Mr. Clean image is still used today.

songspeak wrote this on 10/02/08 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: 50s tv, 50s tv commercials, 60s tv, 60s tv commercials, bald, gunsmoke, house peters jr., mr. clean, perry mason, procter and gamble, twilight zone

Though dominated by Roger Waters and later, David Gilmour, Wright had a heavy influence on the band’s sound and wrote songs as well. Some of his more recognized compositions, like “Us And Them” from Dark Side of the Moon as well as his early keyboard and synthesizer work introduced the rich synth sound to other bands in the 60s and 70s.

From the New York Times

A Pink Floyd spokesman says founding member Richard Wright has died. He was 65. Wright died Monday, September 15, 2008 after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. His family did not want to give more details about his death… He wrote “The Great Gig In The Sky” and “Us And Them” from Pink Floyd’s 1973 “The Dark Side Of The Moon.” He left the group in the early 1980s to form his own band but rejoined Pink Floyd for their 1987 album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

matt wrote this on 09/15/08 for SONGSPEAK which is a pretty awesome blog. | post permalink | no comments yet, be the first! | TAGS: 60s music, 70s music, 80s music, a momentary lapse of reason, dark side of the moon, david gilmour, dead, death, died, nick mason, pink floyd, regent street polytechnic, richard wright, roger waters, sigma 6, synth, sythesizer, the final cut, the great gig in the sky, the university of westminster, the wall