Here's the AP obituary list for today. There are four names here I know without any prompting. Majel Barrett, Star Trek actress and widow of Gene Roddenberry. Paul Weyrich, conservative activist. Sam Bottoms, actor. Dave Smith, former All-Star relief pitcher.
The last two guys were both 53. Damn. Guess which birthday I'm celebrating ten days from now.
And two guys getting solo obits. W. Mark Felt, a.k.a. Deep Throat, dead at 95, and Mike "Mad Dog" Bell, dead at 37.
Mike Bell is the guy on the left, pictured with his little brothers Chris and Mark. Chris made the movie Bigger, Stronger, Faster, a documentary released this year I reviewed last month and recommend whole-heartedly. I'm not a wrestling fan, but I found the story of the family very compelling. Of all the famous and semi-famous deaths reported today, this is the one that makes me feel like a lost a relative.Best wishes to Mad Dog's friends and family, from a fan of his little brother's movie.
6 comments:
Dead at 37? What do you think, steroids?
Oh man, Matty Boy. You'll recall that I commented on your "Bigger, Faster, Stronger" review because I too loved the movie. Wow. That family must be really hurting right now. His poor wife.
Man. I'm bummed.
maybe our friend in iraq should have thrown his shoes in threes
kz: Mad Dog tried to commit suicide earlier, when he realized his dreams of the big time in wrestling weren't going to pan out. His brother blames painkillers and booze.
dg: You're so right about his wife. I feel for his mom and dad, too. They were nice folks doing their best to raise their kids.
Too bad about Sam Bottoms, too. I worked with his brother Tim on an Atari production in about '95. Great guy.
And just to make it a group of seven, former major league pitcher Dock Ellis, Mr. No-Hitter on Acid, died yesterday as well.
Post a Comment