Gossipy Kate’s
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 Jeane Dixon |
 Pamela Harriman |
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Deng XiaopingOr this one in 1999…Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun (March 4), film director Stanley Kubrick (March 7) and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio (March 9).
 Harry Blackmun |
 Stanley Kubrick |
 Joe DiMaggio |
All these celebrities are famous in their own right but would almost never be found at the same cocktail parties! So I decided to a search of my own, setting up a few new rules …
…Rule #1 They have to be connected by more than their time of death and Rule #2 the date of their deaths have to occur within 3 days or 3 weeks . So here’s to those who entertained us from 2007-2008!
2007
The first celebrity trio occurred in February. The highly publicized death of Anna Nicole Smith, 39, on February 8th was in the headlines for days obscuring the fact that singer Francesco Paolo Lo Vecchio, (93) and known to everyone as Frankie Laine, died two days before. Frankie sang the title songs to countless movies including Raging Bull (“That’s My Desire”) and Blazing Saddles as well as another big hit “Jezebel”. Then on February 9th we lost #3 British actor Ian Richardson (“Man from La Mancha” and “Becoming Jane”). He was 72.
 Anna Nicole Smith |
 Frankie Laine |
 Ian Richardson |
On March 11th, the world lost golden legend Betty Hutton and Calvert De Forest, ( both 86). Cal was a bit actor known best as Dave Letterman’s former sidekick Larry. I am so glad Betty had company on her heavenly trip. Her final days were so lonely. Eight days later on March 19th, cartoonist Johnny Hart who was responsible for the comic strips “BC” and “The Wizard of ID” died at 76.
 Betty Hutton |
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 Johnny Hart |
On July 20th, Star Trek lost one of their crew when James Doohan left us but “Beam us up, Scotty” will always be part of our vocabulary. News anchor Tom Snyder (71) followed on July 29th and famous director Ingmar Bergman, 89, (“Wild Strawberries”) left us on July 30th.
 James Doohan |
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Three of a kind didn’t happen again until September 6th when Luciano Pavarotti took his marvelous tenor voice and joined the Celestial Choir.
Four days later on September 10th, another of the great ladies of the silver screen Jane Wyman also took her leave. She was 90. Completing the trio on September 22nd, the wonderful mime, Marcel Marceau, silently packed up and tiptoed out of our lives.
 Luciano Pavarotti |
 Jane Wyman |
 Marcel Marceau |
October held the last trio for 2007 with Joey Bishop in the lead on the 17th. Joey at 89 was the last living member of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis and Dean Martin all gone before him. Joey could crack a joke without ever cracking a smile. On October 28th country singer Porter Wagoner, 80, packed up his rhinestone suits and his guitar and went off into the old bye-and-bye. He was soon followed on the 30th by Robert Goulet, only 73, tall, dark and handsome with a beautiful baritone to match.
 Joey Bishop |
 Porter Wagoner |
 Robert Goulet |
2008
We lost a lot of our past and some of our future not long after 2008 got out of the gate and the death trios intersected each other so pardon me if I repeat myself. The first departure was Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood, on January 9th. Johnny rose from a cub reporter in North Carolina to be the most recognized spokesperson for Hollywood and has his own star on the Walk of Fame. Then there was Christopher Bowman, figure skater extraordinaire, dead at 40 of a possible drug overdose on January 10th followed by actor Brad Renfro on January 15th, same sad conclusion at age 25. Brad was best known for The Client. Then, on January 19th, Suzanne Pleshette starts a rush to Judgment Day. Suzanne, 70, well-known for both movies and television, took actor Allan Melvin (84) and the Kingston Trio guitarist John Stewart (68 ) with her. Allen was a standard of television sit-coms in the 50s, 60s and 70s including The Phil Silvers Show and All in the Family. John wrote “Daydream Believer” for the Monkees. But to take trios one step further, Suzanne also made one with Heath Ledger who died at 28 of an accidental prescription drug overdose on January 22nd and actor Christian Brando, (the son of Marlon) who died of pneumonia at 49 on January 26th…… a traffic jam on that road to heaven.
 Johnny Grant |
 Christopher Bowman |
 Brad Renfro |
 Suzanne Pleshette |
 Allan Melvin |
 John Stewart |
 Heath Ledger |
 Christian Brando |
In February we found only one threesome. Actor Roy Scheider, 75, best known for his role in Jaws took his leave on February 10th followed the next day by David Groh of television’s Rhoda fame and Dennis Letts. 73, whose 40 film acting credits includes Secondhand Lions. However, Dennis capped his career by taking the father role in Broadway’s “August: Osage County” a play written by his son, playwright Tracy Letts.
 Roy Scheider |
 David Groh |
 Dennis Letts |
March became a pick any three out of five…beginning with Ola Brunkert, former drummer with the Swedish pop group ABBA, who died after having his throat cut falling through a glass door. Then Anthony Minghella left the mortal plain on March 17th. This British director, only 54, won an Oscar for his work on The English Patient. He died in a London hospital from complications from tonsil cancer surgery. On March 19th, we lost British actor Paul Scofield, 86, forever remembered for his role as Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons. Scofield also died in a London hospital of leukemia. Another great, Richard Widmark took that long road to glory on March 24th. Richard was 93 and left us with a treasure of acclaimed film memories. Abby Mann followed Richard the next day. Screenwriter Mann, 80, won an Oscar for Judgment at Nuremberg.
 Ola Brunkert |
 Anthony Minghella |
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 Richard Widmark |
 Abby Mann |
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Not much happens in the trio department until May when there is another rush at the Pearly Gates. Between May 1st and May 13th two actors and three country western singers departed for the blue yonder. The first trio included Jim Hager, 61, one of the singing Hager twins on May 1st…soap star Beverlee McKinsey, 72, of Guiding Light fame May 2nd and country singer Jerry Wallace on May 5th. The second trio includes Eddie Arnold, 89 and a legend in country music in country music, who left us on May 8th…Dottie Rambo, 74, a country and gospel singer May 11 and John Phillip Law, 70, best known for his role as Pygar, the blind angel in Barbarella, died on May 13. The third trio plus one begins with Rob Knox, 18, on May 24th when he was stabbed to death in Sidcup, England during a fight trying to save his brother. Rob plays Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. That very same day we lost comedian Dick Martin of Rowan and Martin on the television series Laugh-In. On the 26th director Sydney Pollock, 73, who won an Oscar for Out of Africa joined up followed by Harvey Korman of The Carole Burnett Show fame. Harvey was 81.
 Jim Hager |
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 Jerry Wallace |
 Eddie Arnold |
 Dottie Rambo |
 John Phillip Law |
 Rob Knox (right) with mother and brother |
 Dick Martin |
 Sydney Pollock |
 Harvey Korman |
Well, from where I sit the rest of the year is also going to be busy at Forest Lawn and Hollywood Forever…three by three by three!...so enough said.