Oscar winner Anthony Quinn, famous for his roles in movies such as "Zorba the Greek" and "Lawrence of Arabia," has died at the age of 86 years from respiratory failure at a Boston hospital.
Mr. Quinn enjoyed a film career that spanned more than 50 years and over 100 appearances in feature films. He won two Academy Awards for best supporting actor in "Viva Zapata!" and "Lust for Life." He also won his first Oscar for his work in the film "Viva Zapata!"
He was born April 21, 1916 Antonio Quinones in Chihuahua, Mexico and was raised in poverty in East Los Angeles, where as a child, he shined shoes, sold newspapers and preached. He later went on to working as an movie extra, acting on live stage productions and B-movie roles to becoming an international leading man in a number of big Hollywood motion picture productions.
Later, after leading roles became less frequent, he left Hollywood to live and work in Italy were he devoted most of his time to painting and sculpting.
Carroll O'Connor
August 2, 1924 - June 21, 2001
Carroll O'Connor, four-time Emmy winner who played the bigot Archie Bunker on the groundbreaking TV comedy "All in the Family" died of a heart attack Thursday at the age of 76 years.
Mr. O'Connor collapsed at his home and was taken to Brotman Medical Center were he died with his wife of nearly 50 years, Nancy, by his side. He had diabetes and had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery in 1989
He was a native of New York and he worked as a substitute teacher, earned his master's degree at Montana and, in the late 1950s, finally began getting roles in theater and film. He worked for two decades on stage and in TV and movie supporting roles before he landed the part of the now famous blue-collar worker Archie Bunker from New York's borough of Queens in “All in the Family”. After playing the role of Archie Bunker for more then thirteen years he moved into the roll of Sheriff Bill Gillespie on “In the Heat of the Night.”
Their father who was an attorney, and their mother who was a schoolteacher lived in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills and raised him and his two brothers in an atmosphere of financial comfort and social tolerance.
Mordecai Richler
January 27, 1931 - July 3, 2001
One of Canada's foremost novelists, a controversial and prolific journalist, and an occasional scriptwriter, Mordecai Richler who was recently taking chemotherapy treatments, died Tuesday at the age of 70 years.
Mr. Richler was born in Montreal, Quebec and grew up in the working class area near St. Urbain Street.
He securely established himself as an accomplished novelist with the publication of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959). A scintillating portrait of a young Montréal-Jewish entrepreneur which was made into a movie (1974). His other novels include: The Acrobats (1954), Son of a Smaller Hero (1955), A Choice of Enemies (1957), The Incomparable Atuk (1963), Cocksure (1968), won the Governor General's award , St. Urbain's Horseman (1971), won the Governor General's award, Joshua Then and Now (1980) made into a movie (1985), Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989), Barney's Version (1997), Children's books: Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1975) made into a movie (1977), Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur (1987), autobiographical: Home Sweet Home (1985), A year in Jerusalem (1996) and his books have been translated into French, German, Hebrew, Italian, and Japanese.
He had published over 300 journalistic pieces in a wide range of publications in Canada, the US and Britain. His periodic ventures into scriptwriting, which he approaches with less fervour than his journalism, have produced such scripts as Life at the Top (1965), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), and Joshua Then and Now (1985). His many awards include 2 Governor General's Awards (1968, 1971), a Screenwriters Guild of America Award (1974) and a Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award (1976). You are invited to sign his Book of Visitation below. For more information on the life and times of Mordecai Richler please visit CANOE.CA
Maureen Reagan
January 4, 1941 - August 8, 2001
Maureen Reagan, the first child of ex-president Ronald Reagan and actress Jane Wyman died peacefully at her Sacramento-area home on Wednesday, August 8, 2001 said her husband, Dennis C. Revell. She was "surrounded by loved ones after a courageous 5-year-long battle with malignant melanoma," Revell said. Reagan was 60. She lived with Revell and their daughter, Rita.
Nancy Reagan released a brief statement expressing sadness on behalf of her and Maureen's father. "Maureen Reagan has been a special part of my life since I met Ronnie over 50 years ago. Like all fathers and daughters, there was a unique bond between them," Mrs. Reagan said. "Maureen had his gift of communication, his love of politics, and when she believed in a cause, she was not afraid to fight hard for it."
Maureen Reagan was born Jan. 4, 1941, a year after her movie star parents married . She bore a striking resemblance to her mother, actress Jane Wyman, who divorced Ronald Reagan in 1949, when Maureen was just a small child.
Maureen made a number of unsuccessful bids for public office, trying for the U.S. Senate nomination in California in 1982 and finishing second among 11 candidates for the Republican nomination for a new House seat in 1992. As well as, serving as co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee From 1987-89, she chaired the U.S. delegation to the 1985 World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, and served as U.S. representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She was also a political analyst, radio talk show host, commentator and author of the book "First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir."
Maureen was often outspoken, and disagreed with her popular Republican father on many issues, including abortion. After her father announced in 1994 that he had Alzheimer's disease, she became a crusader for awareness of the disease. She traveled the nation to spread the word about Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. She testified before Congress to get more funds for Alzheimer's research and family support. In addition to Alzheimer's disease, she was dedicated to raising public awareness of melanoma and promoting the importance of skin examinations. She, herself, was diagnosed with melanoma in 1996, and had been undergoing aggressive therapy for the spread of the disease. The initial diagnosis was malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Doctors thought the cancer was in remission. But last October they discovered it had spread to her lymph nodes, and a month later a large tumor was discovered on her pubic bone. Despite her medical condition and hectic schedule, Ms. Reagan made regular trips to her father's home to visit the ailing former president.
A public memorial service and Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT, on Saturday, Aug. 18 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Sacramento, Calif. The mass will be followed by a private graveside service. Mrs. Reagan has planned to attend the funeral, said. Reagan chief-of-staff Joanne Drake. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be made to the Maureen Reagan Tribute Fund via the Alzheimer's Association site on the Web at https://www.alz.org.
George Harrison
February 25, 1943 - November 29, 2001
On Thursday, November 29, 2001 at 1:30 p.m. in Los Angles George Harrison lead guitarist of Beatles died of cancer at the age of 58 years. In 1998, it was disclosed that he had been treated for throat cancer. The following year, he survived an attack by an intruder who stabbed him several times at his home west of London. In July 2001, he released a statement asking fans not to worry about reports that he was still battling cancer. There now remain just two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. John Lennon was shot to death by a deranged fan in 1980. A private ceremony has already taken place and it is not yet known if there will be a public funeral.
George Harrison was born February 25, 1943, in the Wavertree district of Liverpool England and was the youngest member of the Beatles. He had two brothers, Harold Jr. and Peter, and a sister, Louise. His father, Harold, was a bus driver, and his mother a housewife. George attended Dovedale Primary school, two forms behind John Lennon, and one form below Paul McCartney. George and Paul took the same bus to school, and soon found they had music and guitars in common.
From the very start of the Beatles' popularity, George was as major a vocalist as John and Paul. The first Beatles song written by George was Don't Bother Me. His song-writing was often overshadowed by the formidable song-writing team of Lennon and McCartney. But, he did contribute classics such as "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something." He also was the one who taught a young John Lennon how to play the guitar. George became a very serious musician who worked diligently to perfect his playing. His concentration to his playing was apparent while on stage, especially compared to the wild antics of John and Paul. He became known as the quiet Beatle. On February 9, 1964 because of a sore throat, he almost missed the Beatles' famous appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. In 1967, he introduced the other Beatles to the teaching of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and all four took up transcendental meditation. George was the only member who remained a follower.
He met teenage model Patty Boyd while filming A Hard Day's Night and they got married on January 21, 1966. In 1977 they divorced and she married his friend, guitarist Eric Clapton, who wrote the song "Layla" about her. George attended the wedding.
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, he had sporadic success. He organized the concert for Bangladesh in New York, produced films that included Monty Python's "Life of Brian," and teamed up with the likes of Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison, as "The Traveling Wilburys." He married Olivia Arias in 1978, a month after Dhani his only child was born.
Peggy Lee
May 26, 1920 - January 21, 2002
Music legend Peggy Lee, singer of such songs as “Fever” and “Is That All There Is?” died Monday, January 21, 2002 at her home in Bel Air, from a heart attack. She was 81.
Frank Sinatra once said that "Her wonderful talent should be studied by all vocalists; her regal presence is pure elegance and charm."
Born Norma Deloris Egstrom, May 26, 1920 in Jamestown, North Dakota, Lee was of Scandinavian descent, her grandparents being Swedish and Norwegian immigrants. She endured a difficult childhood and her mother died when she was four; when her father re married she experienced an unpleasant relationship with her step-mother. Her father took to drink, and at the age of 14 she found herself carrying out his duties at the local railroad depot, where he worked as a handyman and part-time railway station agent. Though it was not the easiest of childhoods, Lee recalled that the experience turned out to be good for her because she learned independence.
She decided to become a singer at age 14, when she would earn 50 cents a night at gigs for local PTAs. A few years later she travelled to Fargo where she sang on a local radio station. The WDAY program director suggested a name change, and she became Peggy Lee. In 1937, she took a trip to California to try her luck there but soon returned to Fargo. Another California visit was equally unsuccessful and then she tried Chicago, where, in 1941, she was hired to sing at the Ambassador West Hotel. During this engagement she was heard by Mel Powell, who invited Benny Goodman to hear her. Goodman, then the King of Swing, hired her as a replacement for his regular singer, Helen Forrest, who was about to leave his band. She joined the band for an engagement at the College Inn and within a few days sang on a recording. A string of hits, notably “Why Don't You Do Right?”, made her a star.
Later, Lee married Goodman’s guitarist, Dave Barbour. After she left Goodman’s band in 1943, she had more successful records, including "That Old Feeling" and three songs of which she was co-composer with Barbour, "It’s a Good Day," "I Don’t Know Enough About You," and "Mañana." She also performed on radio with Bing Crosby. For a while, she withdrew from the music world to be his wife and raise their daughter, Nicki. She returned to singing when her marriage to Barbour fell apart. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, she made several popular recordings for Capitol. Her "Black Coffee" album of 1953 was particularly successful, as was "Beauty and the Beat" a few years later. On these and other albums of the period, Lee was often accompanied by jazz musicians, including Jimmy Rowles, Marty Paich and George Shearing. Lee's sultry voice kept her a favorite on radio, on records and later on television. She almost got back with Barbour, who had overcome an alcohol problem, when he died in 1965.
Lee was also active in films, performing the title song of "Johnny Guitar" (1954), and writing songs for others including "Tom Thumb" (1958). She also made a number of on-screen appearances in acting roles, including "The Jazz Singer" (1953), and "Pete Kelly’s Blues" (1955), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress. However, her most famous work in films was probably her off-screen work on Walt Disney’s "Lady and the Tramp," for which Lee wrote the song "He’s a Tramp" and provided the voice for the characters of Peg, the Siamese cats, and one other on-screen feline. Ironically, it was her work on this film that led to a landmark legal judgment 36 years later when a California court awarded her $2.3 million after she sued for a portion of the profits from the videocassette sale of the movie. The case hinged on a clause in her pre-video-era contract barring the sale of "transcriptions" of the movie without her approval.
Her recording successes continued, though on occasion, she had to fight to persuade Capitol, her record company, to record them. One such argument surrounded "Lover," which executives felt would compete directly with the label’s then popular version by Les Paul. Lee won out so she left Capitol for Decca. At Decca she recorded “Lover” and her performance of her own arrangement, was a sensation.
Towards the end of the 1950s, the intense level of work began to take its toll and she suffered through a series of illnesses that would continually effect her. A diabetic, Lee was often troubled by weight and glandular problems. In 1961 she was felled by double pneumonia during a New York nightclub engagement. In 1976 she had a near-fatal fall in a New York hotel. She used the period of recuperation to reflect on her past and began writing Peg. In early 1985 she had four angioplasties and resumed her singing tour. While appearing in New Orleans in October 1985, she had double-bypass heart surgery. She was back on stage the following April, telling a Los Angeles audience, "Thank you from the bottom of my new heart." She was again seriously injured in another fall in Las Vegas in 1987. In 1998, she suffered a stroke which impaired her speech, requiring therapy to recover.
During more than 50 years in show business, she recorded more than 600 songs and wrote many others. The hit "Is That All There Is?" won her a Grammy for best contemporary female vocal performance in 1969. She starred on Broadway in a short-lived autobiographical show, Peg, in which she summed up her life and career. The show closed after 18 performances in 1984. She was perplexed by the cancellation: "Audiences loved the show even if the critics didn't." Her return to recording in 1988 after a hiatus of more than a decade netted her a Grammy nomination for "Miss Peggy Lee Sings The Blues" in 1989 and another for "The Peggy Lee Songbook: There'll Be Another Spring" in 1991. In 1993 she recorded a duet with Gilbert O’Sullivan for his album "Sounds of the Loop".
Lee was one of the greatest "classic" vocalists of the century, alongside such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter. Jazz critic Leonard Feather once remarked, "If you don't feel a thrill when Peggy Lee sings, you're dead, Jack."
In addition to Barbour, Lee was married to actors Brad Dexter and Dewey Martin and percussionist Jack Del Rio. "They weren't really weddings, just long costume parties," she once said.
Lee is survived by her daughter, Nicki Lee Foster, grandchildren, David Foster, Holly Foster-Wells and Michael Foster, and three great-grandchildren.
For more on the life and times of Peggy Lee visit canoe.ca. Funeral arrangements were pending.
Princess Margaret
August 21, 1930 - February 9, 2002
Princess Margaret, daughter of a king and sister of a queen, died peacefully in her sleep this morning at 6:30am, in The King Edward VII Hospital. Her children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, were at her side. She was 71. Princess Margaret suffered a further stroke yesterday afternoon. She developed cardiac problems during the night and was taken from Kensington Palace to The King Edward VII Hospital at 2:30am.
Princess Margaret's life was one of the more controversial within the Royal Family, characterized by much unhappiness in her personal relationships. The fact that one marriage was prevented by divorce, and in the second case was ended by divorce, was a sign of the change which came over the country during her lifetime. She was born Margaret Rose on 21 August, 1930, at Glamis Castle in Scotland, the ancestral home of her mother's family. It was the first royal birth in Scotland since the seventeenth century. Her father and mother were then Duke and Duchess of York. In 1936 the abdication of Edward VIII and the accession of her father suddenly thrust Margaret and her sister Elizabeth closer to the throne. When World War II came, the royal family refused to be evacuated and spent those years together at Windsor Castle. They sheltered from the bombing in the dungeons where the crown jewels, wrapped only in newspaper, were stored for safekeeping.
She mingled with the crowds outside Buckingham Palace on VE Day along with Elizabeth and other members of her family. Margaret then began to assume her share of official royal duties and was noted for her glamorous looks and dress sense. At the centre of a social whirl, the young princess took a lively interest in the arts and fashion. Some called her circle of young, wealthy aristocrats the "Margaret Set". By 1953, when she was 23, Margaret had fallen in love with one of the Royal household, Group Captain Peter Townsend. It could have been a perfect romantic match between a beautiful young princess and a heroic Battle of Britain pilot. But Peter Townsend was a divorced man. Despite the fact that it was his wife who had left him, any marriage to Margaret was judged unacceptable by the Church of England and the political establishment. The Queen did not want to see her sister denied happiness and asked the Princess to wait. Townsend was sent away to be Air Attaché to the British Embassy in Belgium. For two years Princess Margaret waited.
When she turned 25, she became old enough to marry without the Sovereign's permission. When Townsend returned from Brussels, there was frantic speculation in the press that an engagement was about to be announced. But marrying a divorcee would have meant renouncing the privileges that came with being a princess. Eventually, Margaret told the Archbishop of Canterbury that he could put away his books as she had made up her mind not to marry him. The pair remained friends until Townsend's death in 1995. The princess quickly resumed her social life and, in 1958, she was introduced to a well-connected Cambridge graduate who was making a name for himself as a photographer. Anthony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret were married at Westminster Abbey in 1960.
He became the Earl of Snowdon and they had two children, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. But as the years went by, strains within the marriage began to show. Lord Snowdon tired of official engagements. "I'm not Royal", he once said, "I'm just married to one." In March 1976 the couple officially separated. Divorce followed two years later. Many people were shocked since, at that time, domestic crises within the royal family were virtually unheard of publicly. An unhappy period followed. She became ill with hepatitis, and later she had part of a lung removed. Despite this, she continued to smoke and was heavily criticized for this and for spending more time on her holiday island of Mustique than attending to royal duties. Speculation and invention about her personal life focused on her association with Roddy Llewellyn, a young socialite 17 years her junior. The affair ended after a few years, though again, the couple remained friends. In 1979, the year Lord Mountbatten was assassinated by the IRA, she caused a stir when the Mayor of Chicago alleged that she had described the Irish as "pigs".
In recent years, quietly but conscientiously, she supported the arts. She was president of the Royal Ballet. She was also keen on her work with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, of which she was also president. In later years, until her health gave cause for concern, she was much less in the public eye than in the past and far less so than the younger royals. She continued to perform her royal duties: at the same time she felt it was not a crime to enjoy herself. She spent more time on the island of Mustique among trusted friends. It was here, in 1998, that she suffered the first in a series of strokes. Her health continued to be poor and she had a quiet 71st birthday in August. The last time she appeared in public was during the Queen Mother's 101st birthday celebrations during the summer. She was pictured using a wheelchair and with her left arm in a sling. She wore dark glasses, and her face showed signs of puffiness, thought to be the side-effects of medication.
She was always a loyal, lively and often unpredictable member of the royal family, though, in her later years, she felt more comfortable behind the protective veil of royal status and rank. Her place was always to be second to her sister, The Queen, but her loyalty could never be doubted. Princess Margaret never achieved the contentment of a long and happy marriage but found ample comfort in the love of her children.
Chuck Jones
September 21, 1912 - February 23, 2002
At the age of 89 years, Chuck Jones, legendary animation director and artist, best known for his work on the Warner Bros. classic Looney Tunes cartoon series, died of congestive heart failure. Marian, his wife of 20 years, was by his side at their home in Corona del Mar. In a career spanning over 60 years, Jones made more than 300 animated films, winning three Oscars as director and in 1996 an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. Among the many awards and recognition’s, one of those most valued was the honorary life membership from the Directors Guild of America.
During the Golden Age of animation Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Bros. most famous characters—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of characters he created himself includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, Pepe le Pew, Michigan J. Frog and many others. He also produced, directed and wrote the screenplays for “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” a television classic, as well as the feature-length film “The Phantom Tollbooth.” In addition, Jones was a prolific artist whose work has been exhibited at galleries and museums worldwide.
Jones often recalled a small child who, when told that Jones drew Bugs Bunny, replied: “He doesn’t draw Bugs Bunny. He draws pictures of Bugs Bunny.” His point was that the child thought of the character as being alive and believable, which was, in Jones’ belief, the key to true character animation.
Born on September 21, 1912 in Spokane, Washington, Jones grew up in Hollywood where he observed the talents of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and worked occasionally as a child extra in Mac Sennett comedies. After graduating from Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles (now California Institute of the Arts) Jones drew pencil portraits for a dollar a piece on Olvera Street. Then, in 1932, he got his first job in the fledgling animation industry as a cel washer for former Disney animator, Ubbe Iwerks.
In 1936 Jones became an animator for the Leon Schlesinger Studio (later sold to Warner Bros.), and in 1938 directed his first film, The Night Watchman. Heading his own unit, Jones remained at Warner Bros. Animation Dept. until it closed in 1962. During that time he and several other directors developed and refined the personalities and characteristics of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and many others.
He moved to MGM Studios where he created new episodes from the Tom and Jerry cartoon series. While there, in addition to The Phantom Tollbooth and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jones directed the Academy Award winning film, The Dot and the Line.
In the late 70s Jones and his daughter, Linda Jones Clough, pioneered a continuing art business featuring limited edition images created by Jones depicting scenes from his most enduring cartoons. One of those films was the Wagnerian mini epic, What’s Opera, Doc? which in 1992 was inducted into the National Film Registry for being “among the most culturally, historically and aesthetically significant films of our time.”
In recent years, Jones’ work has been honored at film festivals and museums throughout the world, including a one-man retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. His autobiography, Chuck Amuck, appeared in 1989, now in its fifth printing. Chuck Reducks, his follow-up to the first book, was published two years later. Two years ago, Jones established the Chuck Jones Foundation, designed to recognize, support and inspire continued excellence in the art of classic character animation. Plans for the Foundation include scholarships, library resources, touring exhibits, access to film, notes and drawings.
Jones is survived by his wife, Marian, daughter Linda (by his first wife, Dorothy Webster), brother Richard Kent Jones, three grandchildren Todd Kausen, Craig Kausen and Valerie Ericsen, and six great-grandchildren, Alex, Brittany, Charley, Jessica, Jake, and Jamie Kausen, as well as by the daughter Rosalin Bellante, son, Peter Dern, and three grandsons, Jason, Scott, and Kevin Bohrer of his wife (by her previous marriage). A memorial event will be held in Newport Beach at a later date. Private services will be held for family only. In lieu of flowers, contribution may be made in the name of Chuck Jones to the Motion Picture & Television Fund (address) or to the Chuck Jones Foundation.
Motion Picture & Television Fund 22212 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 300 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 (800) 876-8320
The Chuck Jones Foundation P.O. Box 2319 Costa Mesa, CA 92628-2319 (949) 660-7791
Harvey Kirck
October 14, 1928 - February 18, 2002
Harvey Kirck, a news anchor for CTV News for more than two decades, died on Monday, February 18, 2002. He was 73. Mr. Kirck died at home, in Toronto, of a heart attack.
Mr. Kirck, was the national news anchor for the privately-owned Canadian Television Network (CTV) from 1963 to 1984. He has been called Canada's version of Walter Cronkite.
Born in Uno Park, Ontario. Kirck got hooked on broadcasting as a boy growing up on a farm in New Liskeard, listening to radio personalities like Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy, and CBC newscaster Lorne Greene, who would later become Pa Cartwright on the TV western, Bonanza.
Beginning in 1948, Kirck served a long apprenticeship in broadcasting as an announcer who hosted programs, narrated commercials, wrote, delivered, and occasionally reported the news. He worked at radio and TV stations in Sault Ste. Marie, Barrie and Hamilton and in Calgary and Toronto. In 1960 he became a news anchor for a television station. Three years later, he joined the CTV news service, then stationed in Ottawa. The fledgling network, only two years old, was determined to challenge the dominance of the established CBC Television News. In 1966, after a change in the ownership structure of the network, CTV News was moved to Toronto. For Kirck, it was a mixed blessing. He lost his position as news editor to concentrate on being the on-screen presenter (though he also continued to participate in the writing of the newscast).
CTV's strategy at the time was to present a different take on the news than that of the industry leading CBC. It hoped to produce a bright and lively newscast that would contrast with the supposedly stodgy CBC approach. The strategy worked, as a 1972 CBC survey discovered, when CTV News scored higher as "more complete, lively, aggressive, fresh, friendly, interesting and in-touch".
That success owed something to Kirck's persona. He was tall and heavy-set with a craggy face that signalled experience. With his deep and authoritative voice, Kirck was eminently believable.
He anchored the national newscast from 1963 until 1984 — for the last seven of those years co-anchoring with Lloyd Robertson. Mr. Kirck read his final newscast for CTV in April, 1984.
After his final sign-off, Kirck travelled the country and did a series of on-the-road features for Canada AM. He also did some work for W Five and wrote a 1984 book called “Nobody Calls Me Mr. Kirck”, about his years in the news business.
Kirck was married three times; to Maggie in 1947 (divorced); to Renate in 1962 (divorced); and to Brenda in 1983.
Knowlton Nash, Kirck’s CBC rival at the time of his final newscast, referred to Mr. Kirck as "an old friend to millions of Canadians."
Good night old friend!
For more on the life and times of Harvey Kirck, go to www.canoe.ca
William Stuart Adamson
April 11, 1958 - December 16, 2001
Scottish musician Stuart Adamson has been found dead in Hawaii at the age of 43.
Adamson fronted, “Big Country”, one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. He had fought a long battle with alcoholism, and was found after going missing for over 3 weeks. This was the second time he had gone missing in two years.
Born in Manchester, he grew up in Crossgates, near Dunfermline, in Fife. With singer Richard Jobson, he formed the new wave group the Skids in the 1970s. It was with the Skids that Adamson first tasted success. After the Skids split, Adamson founded Big Country with fellow guitarist Bruce Watson in 1981. The band were known for their raw, passionate sound. Big Country had a string of hits, most notably their signature tune, “In a Big Country”. Their debut album, 1983's The Crossing, established the Scottish group in the US. Their subsequent four albums, took their total record sales to more than10 million. Big Country participated in the Live Aid concert at Wembley, in 1985- one of the biggest musical events of the 1980s. They continued recording and touring well into the 1990s but split toward the end of the decade. Their last album was "Driving to Damascus" Adamson conceded that the fact that the band’s music hadn't been more widely heard had frustrated him.
Adamson went on to form another group, the Raphaels. He had spoken in the past about going through a nervous breakdown in 1986, and had nearly suffered another due to overwork. He had recently said that he wished "to be in a situation where I can be the rock I desire to be for the people I am closest to". The guitarist and singer split from his wife and children three years ago, but he had relocated to Nashville and was involved with another woman.
