So Art Linkletter Died Last Week Too.

Sorry that I originally skipped giving Art Linkletter’s death a mention last week, but I was overwhelmed with the deaths of Dio, Gary Coleman, Simon Monjack, and the dude from Slipknot. And besides, admit it, your first thought was “Art Linkletter was still alive?” Ok here we go…

Art Linkletter, author and host of several television shows 1950s and ’60s died Wednesday, May 26 at the age of 97. According to a relative, “He had been ill in the last few weeks time, but bear in mind he was 97 years old. He wasn’t eating well, and the aging process took him.”

Linkletter had five children, three of whom he had outlived. His 20-year-old daughter, Diane Linkletter, committed suicide in 1969, his son Robert died in a car accident in 1980 and his son Arthur died from lymphoma in 2007.

Diane’s death fascinated me when I was younger because I grew up close to Hollywood and parking behind the apartment where she killed herself was a common occurence for me and my friends. So we’d often talk about her death and the myths surrounding it during the long walk from the car to the club.

Diane Linkletter (October 31, 1948 – October 4, 1969) was youngest child of Art Linkletter, and his wife Lois Foerster. She was 20 years old when she committed suicide in 1969.

Stories surrounding her death differ, but supposedly she was a heroin addict who had just dropped acid on the night she jumped to her death from the sixth floor window of her North Hollywood apartment. Linkletter made this claim himself, but after toxicology reports noted that there were no drugs in her at the time of her death, Linkletter claimed that she was tripping on an acid flashback when she jumped. 

Bobby Darin wrote and released a single titled “Baby May” which was inspired by Diane’s death. In the record’s publicity material, Darin said that he felt Linkletter could have assumed more responsibility for her death.

Filmmaker John Waters made a 16mm film entitled “The Diane Linkletter Story.”  The 9-minute film was a fictionalized version of the events surrounding her death and starred Divine as Diane Linkletter. I couldn’t find a clip of this for you, but here is a weird commercial featuring Art and Diane Linkletter.

Dana Plato’s Son Tyler Lambert Killed Himself Earlier this Month

I don’t mean for this to be the death blog, but I decided to post this in the aftermath of Gary Coleman’s death.

Tyler Lambert, the son of “Diff’rent Strokes” star Dana Plato, committed suicide earlier this month on May 6 – just two days before the 11th anniversary of his mother’s intentionally fatal drug overdose. Lambert, 25, died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

Dana Plato was married to musician Lanny Lambert and gave birth to Tyler in 1985. After the couple divorced, Lambert was given full custody of Tyler. As an adult, Tyler had been working as a cameraman and a songwriter.

Tyler’s grandmother mentioned that his sudden suicide could be because he never fully dealt with his mother’s death, and that he had been experimenting with alcohol and drugs.

Shortly after Plato’s death, I saw Tyler Lambert and Gary Coleman together on a TV news show. Coleman appeared so sincere in his condolences to Tyler, it made me realize what a big heart Gary Coleman had. I searched for the video to post but couldn’t find it. If anyone has it, please shoot me an email at editor@zzzlist.com.

On This Memorial Day…

Enjoy your booze and barbeque, but please don’t forget to take a moment to remember those who have died in our nation’s service.

Oh, and no drinking and driving – you hear me?!?!?!

Dennis Hopper Died Today

Actor Dennis Hopper died today from complications of prostate cancer. He was 74 years old.

Hopper, known to portray quirky characters in his movies, shot to fame in 1969 when he directed and starred in “Easy Rider,” which also starred Peter Fonda. Prior to that he was featured in two James Dean films, ”Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant”, “Hang ‘Em High” with Clint Eastwood, and two John Wayne films “True Grit” and “The Sons of Katie Elder”.

Later in his career, he was featured in Francis Ford Coppola’s blockbuster “Apocalypse Now.” His role in this film made Hollywood realize his flexibility as an actor. He subsequently appeared in “River’s Edge” with Crispin Glover and Keanu Reeves, “Speed” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock and David Lynch’s film “Blue Velvet with Isabella Rosselini.

Dennis Hopper and Crispin Glover are the reasons why “River’s Edge” is one of my all-time favorite movies. I couldn’t find a clip featuring Hopper, but here is the trailer from the film that includes several Hopper scenes.

Gary Coleman has Died at the Age of 42

Former child TV star Gary Coleman has died at the age of 42 after an intracranial hemorrhage left him comatose and on life support.

“Child actor Gary Coleman, star of the hit series “Diff’rent Strokes” died at approximately 12:05 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Family members and close friends were at his side when life support was terminated,” said hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank.

This is very sad news for me. I was a big fan. RIP Arnold Jackson!

Here is a montage of clips to remind you all how awesome he was!

Gary Coleman, Please Don’t Die!

Actor Gary Coleman, 42, is in a coma and on life-support with a brain hemorrhage in a Utah hospital, according to his manager John Alcantar.  He was the star of the hit series “Diff’rent Strokes” in which he played precocious orphan Arnold Jackson. The series also starred Dana Plato and Todd Bridges.

Coleman fell in his Utah home on Wednesday and was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. Subsequently, Coleman was transferred to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. He remained “conscious and lucid” until the afternoon of May 27, when he slipped into a coma and was placed on life support.

I’ve always been an advocate for Gary Coleman as you can see here and here. I think he is a good person who got a lot of raw deals. He had to sue his parents for the money he earned during his stint on ”Diff’rent Strokes”. He was plagued by health problems his entire life, which affected his height and stopped his growth at 4’8. Over the years, he has been assaulted by overzealous fans who saw him as an easy target. And now this. I’m not religious so I can’t pray for him, but I do wish him the best and hope he fully recovers from this.

Slipknot Bassist Found Dead in Hotel Room

Paul Gray, the bassist for the grammy-winning band Slipknot, was found dead in a room in the Urbandale, Iowa Town Plaza Hotel. He was 38 years old.

In the past Gray had admitted to problems with drugs, however, the cause of death is to be determined. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow. Gray and his wife were expecting their first child when he died.

Simon Monjack, Widower of Brittany Murphy, Found Dead

Five months after the death of his wife, actress Brittany Murphy, Simon Monjack was found dead at his Hollywood Hills home late Sunday. He was 39 years old. The preliminary cause of the death is natural causes, according to Los Angeles police. 

Witnesses say that Brittany’s mother, Sharon, who still lived in the house with Monjack, found him unconscious in the master bedroom and then called 911. Paramedics were unable to revive him. 

Monjack, a British screenwriter, is best known professionally for writing and producing the 2006 movie about Warhol actress/model Edie Sedgewick  called “Factory Girl.”

Ronnie James Dio has Died

Ronnie James Dio, singer from the bands Black Sabbath and Dio has died from cancer. He was 67 years old.

No details are available at this time.

Hilarious Ads for Adult Films

Amour, a Canadian porn company, has a hilarious new advertising campaign for their line of adult movies.

Their slogan is “You won’t watch for the acting,” and they prove their point by commercial spots featuring bubble-headed actresses and a skeezy director assuring them that the lines that they just read (horribly) were “perfect”.

Watch for yourself – these spots are safe for work. Here is a montage of television ads for Amour: