^ And that doesn't include my grandmother, my favorite high school teacher, and a dear friend--all of whom have died in the past three months. I swear the Grim Reaper has been working overtime in 2024
Long time ago, in a park near Oakland, CA, I had a notebook to get autographs from some SF Bay Area pro baseball players. I scurried around trying get as many as I could. When I got home, I realized that I got the autographs of Willie Mays, Joe Morgan, Willie McCovey, Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Bobby Bonds, and a few others. Mays and McCovey were absolutely smiling and friendly!
Eddie Murphy did an SNL sketch called the Little Richard Simmons exercise show. While leading a group of overweight people to music, he kept morphing between Little Richard and Richard Simmons and saying phrases like, "Good Golly, Miss Molly! Lose that weight!" similar to how Simmons would blurt out phrases like that during his aerobic classes with the music blaring. Both Little Richard and Richard Simmons had the gender-bender persona, were flambuoyant, and liked music. Referring to that sketch, Eddie Murphy said that even he didn't know where some of his ideas originated. He said that he sometimes thinks God writes comedy. When you're someone like Richard Simmons, you know you've hit the big time when you become permanently infused in the public's psyche and people are doing comedy sketches about you.
His brother was also killed in the same crash. Out for a bike ride while in town for their sisters wedding.
First Vader, now Splinter My childhood is under attack. Peter Renaday, OG Ninja Turtles Voice Actor, Dead At 89