army judge
Super Moderator
Several years ago, I observed one of my wife's high school students wearing a funny t-shirt.
The shirt displayed the following:
I later became acquainted with the following intials: AMFAD
All of the above awakened me to the following reckoning, I'm in the death queue, (we're ALL in a death queue, to be accurately forthcoming) I'm getting ready for my call to glory. That said, we knew nothing about the day we arrived, we learned later there'd be a day of departure.
Get yourself ready pilgrims, we all have an UNKNOWN TO US, EXPIRY DATE!!!!!
After saying sad goodbyes to the many stars who died in 2024, including Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty, The Shining actress Shelley Duvall, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star Dame Maggie Smith, celebrity fitness icon Richard Simmons, and Rocky actor Carl Weathers, we are now paying tribute after the deaths of entertainers and other notable figures in 2025.
Read on to remember the stars who have died in 2025, including Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch, Unforgiven and The French Connection Oscar winner Gene Hackman, four-time Grammy winner Roberta Flack, and Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg.
Jeannie Seely, the Grammy-winning singer of "Don't Touch Me" and country music icon, died Aug. 1 at 85. Prior to her death, which was a result of complications from an intestinal infection, Seely had been battling a number of health issues, including undergoing multiple back surgeries this spring for vertebrae repairs, as well as two emergency abdominal surgeries. Nevertheless, Seely performed at the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year on Feb. 22, which marked her 5,397th Opry performance, more than any other artist in the institution's 100-year history. Known as "Miss Country Soul" for her soul-inspired vocals, Seely first broke through with the 1966 single "Don't Touch Me," which rose to No. 2 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. Other charting songs included "A Wanderin' Man" (1967), "I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need)" (1968), and her duet with Jack Greene "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You," the latter of which peaked at No. 2 on the US country chart in 1969. In addition to her recording career, Seely also appeared in the Willie Nelson film Honeysuckle Rose, played Mrs. Jenkins in the 2002 film Changing Hearts, and she starred in stage productions including Always, Patsy Cline; The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas; Could It Be Love; and more. She also published her own book in 1988 titled Pieces of a Puzzled Mind.
Paul Mario Day, the English singer best known for being the original vocalist for iconic metal band Iron Maiden, died at 69. Day's bandmates from More — which he formed in 1980 and remained with until 1982 — announced the news of his death on July 29, paying tribute to his legacy as "a huge part of the new wave of British heavy metal" and "a well-loved figure in British rock music." Day only served as the vocalist for Iron Maiden's first official lineup for less than a year. He had been recruited by bassist Steve Harris to join the band in late 1975, and left the group after 10 months following claims he lacked both energy and charisma. Day went on to front for More and Wildfire, before joining a reformed version of Sweet as their lead vocalist alongside guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker. Day eventually relocated to Australia in the '80s, where he continued to operate as an active musician until his death. He is survived by his wife Cecily.
Alon Aboutboul, the veteran Israeli actor known for playing a doomed nuclear scientist in the hit superhero movie The Dark Knight Rises, died July 29, at 60. Aboutboul began his acting career in Israeli projects like Ricochets and Bar 51 in the 1980s, as well as American projects like Rambo III and the Tom Hanks film Every Time We Say Goodbye. In the '90s, he primarily focused on Israeli projects like Planet Blue, Passover Fever, and Marco Polo: The Missing Chapter. In the 2000s, he led the TV drama Shabatot VeHagim for five seasons and played supporting roles in Steven Spielberg's Munich as well as Ridley Scott's Body of Lies. In the 2010s, he played drug lord Avi Drexler on FX's Snowfall, and appeared on shows like NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Homeland, and Fringe. He also acted in American films like London Has Fallen, Septembers of Shiraz, and Beirut.
Tom Lehrer, the Harvard-trained mathematician and musical satirist, died on July 26 at 97 years old. Born in Manhattan on April 9, 1928, Lehrer began taking piano lessons from an early age and wrote some of his earliest songs inspired by Broadway show tunes he loved. He graduated early from the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut before going to Harvard, where he majored in mathematics and received his bachelor's degree in 1946, at age 18. Lehrer began his songwriting while attending Harvard and released his first album in 1953. Songs by Tom Lehrer ultimately sold an estimated half-million copies. He released several more albums before he stopped performing in 1960. Lehrer resumed briefly in 1965 and then stopped for good in 1967. He went on to teach courses on mathematics and musical theater at various institutions, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California. In October 2020, he relinquished the rights to all his songs, except for the melodies of those few that used his words but someone else's music.
Junior Edwards, an alligator hunter who starred in the History Channel docuseries Swamp People, has died. His grandson announced the news on July 26. Spanning 15 seasons to date, Swamp People follows the proud descendants of French Canadian refugees who settled in the swamp region of Louisiana in the 18th century as they struggle to preserve their way of life during alligator-hunting season. Junior appeared regularly on the show from 2010 until 2015 alongside his son, William "Willie" Edwards, and grandson, "Little" Willie. After starring as an original cast member throughout the first six seasons, he returned for season 12 in 2021.
Hulk Hogan, the charismatic wrestler who brought the sport to the mainstream, died July 24 from cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Fla. He was 71. Born Terry Bollea before adapting his ubiquitous stage name, he began his pro wrestling career 1977 but gained wider global recognition after he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in the '80s, ushering in the period of Hulkamania. He headlined WWE's flagship WrestleMania eight times and won the WWE championship six times. A two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee, he retired from the sport in 2012. Hogan also parlayed his flare for the theatrics into Hollywood, appearing in films Rocky III, No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, and Santa with Muscles, as well as shows The A-Team, Robot Chicken, and his own family reality show Hogan Knows Best. Hogan is survived by his widow and third wife, Sky Daily, and his two children, Brooke and Nick, from a previous marriage.
Celebrated jazz singer and actress Cleo Laine died July 24 at her home in Wavendon, England, her daughter, Jacqui Dankworth, told the New York Times. She was 97. The singer began her career by performing at London jazz clubs in the '50s. She had, the newspaper wrote, become "one of the most celebrated jazz singers in England" by the mid-'60s." She debuted in the U.S. in 1972 — after the height of "Beatle hysteria," she noted — and went on to perform onstage and record popular albums, often working with her late husband, Sir John Dankworth, who died in 2010. She won a Grammy in 1986, for her album Cleo At Carnegie — The 10th Anniversary Concert, and she was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1997. Laine is survived by her daughter, son Alec, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. In 2019, her son Stuart preceded her in death.
Prolific film editor Don Zimmerman, who worked on beloved movies such as Coming Home, Being There, Night at the Museum, and two Rocky sequels, died of acute myeloid leukemia at his home on July 24, the honorary organization American Cinema Editors confirmed to Deadline. Zimmerman was 81. He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Coming Home, the 1978 drama about life during the Vietnam War that starred Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern. His other work includes the movies The Nutty Professor, Galaxy Quest, Staying Alive, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He is survived by his wife, Donna, five children who work in the entertainment industry — Dan, Dean, Debi, Dana and David — and seven grandchildren.
Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz artist, died on July 22 at 84. As a trumpeter and flugelhorn player, Mangione gained acclaim for his work in the Jazz Brothers — which he formed with his older brother, Gap — and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Mangione won his first Grammy for the 1976 album Bellavia and his second for the Children of Sanchez soundtrack, but it was his mega-hit single, "Feels So Good," that catapulted him to worldwide recognition. He also garnered attention for composing and performing "Give it All You Got," which was the theme song for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Recent years have seen new audiences introduced to Mangionge via his gig as a guest character on King of the Hill, where he played himself as a Mega Lo Mart spokesperson. Across his 60-year career, Mangione recorded over 30 albums, and was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards. "Feels So Good" has remained ubiquitous and is frequently used in movie soundtracks, including 1996's Fargo, 2009's Zombieland, and 2016's Doctor Strange.
Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath frontman and reality star, died on July 22. He was 76. Just weeks before his death, Osbourne and his legendary rock band performed a farewell show to a hometown crowd of 40,000. In January 2020, Osbourne revealed that in 2003 he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, saying at the time, "It's not a death sentence." Also known as the Prince of Darkness, Osbourne pioneered heavy metal with his screeching vocal performances and unpredictable on-stage antics as a member of Sabbath in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also launched a successful solo career after splitting from the band, and achieved further notoriety when he shared the spotlight with family on his 2000s MTV reality series The Osbournes. In addition to being a two-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Osbourne won three Grammys as a solo artist and two as a member of Black Sabbath. His first win came for Best Metal Performance With Vocal for "I Don't Want To Change The World" in 1994, followed by a win for Best Metal Performance for a live rendition of "Iron Man" in 2000.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known as Theodore Huxtable on groundbreaking sitcom The Cosby Show, died July 20 from an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. He was 54. Warner rose to prominence as the only son of Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad's characters on the show, seminal for its depiction of an affluent Black family, before headlining Malcolm & Eddie alongside Eddie Griffin from 1996 to 2000. Other notable credits include Reed Between the Lines as Tracee Ellis Ross' onscreen husband, as well as the most recent Major Crimes, The Resident, 9-1-1, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit. He was also a poet and musician.
Kenneth Washington, the last surviving cast member of TV's Hogan's Heroes, died July 18, according to Variety. He was 88. Before landing on the final season of the classic sitcom, on which he played Sgt. Richard Baker, Washington had appeared on shows such as I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, Petticoat Junction, and My Three Sons. He was also cast in the 1973 movie Westworld and in TV movies such as J. Edgar Hoover. Washington last appeared in a 1989 episode of The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World. After acting, he went back to school and taught courses about Black actors in film and oral interpretation at Loyola Marymount University and Southwest College. Washington is survived by wife Alice Marshall, brother Johnnie, sister Aaliyah Akbar, children Kim Lee, Kenneth Jr., and Quianna Stokes-Washington, as well as three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Pop star Connie Francis, best known for dominating the charts in the late 1950s and early '60s with hits like "Pretty Little Baby" and "Stupid Cupid," died on July 16 at 87. Born Concetta Franconero on Dec. 12, 1938, in Newark, N.J., Francis began her music career when she was very young. She started playing the accordion at age 3, and by the age of 11, she was appearing on local television variety shows such as Marie Moser's Starlets, and then on Ted Mack's national show Original Amateur Hour and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. She later secured a four-year run as one of the child entertainers on Startime. As she grew up, Francis embarked on a pop career, releasing songs in the 1950s and early 1960s, and becoming the most popular female singer in the U.S. between 1958 and 1964. She sold more than 40 million records and topped the Billboard charts with No. 1 hits like "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." Other memorable tracks included "Stupid Cupid" and "Who's Sorry Now." Francis officially retired in 2018. In addition to her music career, Francis acted in movies, including a supporting role in the 1960 comedy Where the Boys Are and the lead role in 1963's Follow the Boys. She also earned a special Golden Globe in 1964 for her contributions to the recording industry. Francis is survived by son, Joey Garzilli, whom she and then-husband Joseph Garzilli adopted.
Rick Hurst, the actor known for playing Deputy Cletus Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, died on June 26 at age 79. His Dukes costar announced his death with a heartfelt tribute on the Facebook page of the show's museum, Cooter's Place in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Hurst was born Jan. 1, 1946 in Houston, Texas. The actor had some success early in his acting career, with roles on TV series such as Sanford and Son, The Partridge Family, Gunsmoke, Happy Days, Little House on the Prairie, and M*A*S*H throughout the '70s. But it was landing the part of Boss Hogg's cousin on The Dukes of Hazzard that made Hurst a household name. He appeared in 55 episodes of the CBS series from 1979 to 1982, and reprised his role for two Dukes TV films in 1997 and 2000. Hurst also appeared in shows like Murder She Wrote, 227, The Wonder Years, Family Matters, and Melrose Place. He starred in movies such as Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Anywhere But Here (1999). His last onscreen appearance was on a TV short titled B My Guest in 2016. Hurst is survived by his two sons, Ryan Hurst, an actor who appeared on Sons of Anarchy throughout its run, and Collin Hurst.
The shirt displayed the following:
I later became acquainted with the following intials: AMFAD
All of the above awakened me to the following reckoning, I'm in the death queue, (we're ALL in a death queue, to be accurately forthcoming) I'm getting ready for my call to glory. That said, we knew nothing about the day we arrived, we learned later there'd be a day of departure.
Get yourself ready pilgrims, we all have an UNKNOWN TO US, EXPIRY DATE!!!!!
After saying sad goodbyes to the many stars who died in 2024, including Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty, The Shining actress Shelley Duvall, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star Dame Maggie Smith, celebrity fitness icon Richard Simmons, and Rocky actor Carl Weathers, we are now paying tribute after the deaths of entertainers and other notable figures in 2025.
Read on to remember the stars who have died in 2025, including Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch, Unforgiven and The French Connection Oscar winner Gene Hackman, four-time Grammy winner Roberta Flack, and Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg.
Jeannie Seely, the Grammy-winning singer of "Don't Touch Me" and country music icon, died Aug. 1 at 85. Prior to her death, which was a result of complications from an intestinal infection, Seely had been battling a number of health issues, including undergoing multiple back surgeries this spring for vertebrae repairs, as well as two emergency abdominal surgeries. Nevertheless, Seely performed at the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year on Feb. 22, which marked her 5,397th Opry performance, more than any other artist in the institution's 100-year history. Known as "Miss Country Soul" for her soul-inspired vocals, Seely first broke through with the 1966 single "Don't Touch Me," which rose to No. 2 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. Other charting songs included "A Wanderin' Man" (1967), "I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need)" (1968), and her duet with Jack Greene "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You," the latter of which peaked at No. 2 on the US country chart in 1969. In addition to her recording career, Seely also appeared in the Willie Nelson film Honeysuckle Rose, played Mrs. Jenkins in the 2002 film Changing Hearts, and she starred in stage productions including Always, Patsy Cline; The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas; Could It Be Love; and more. She also published her own book in 1988 titled Pieces of a Puzzled Mind.
Paul Mario Day, the English singer best known for being the original vocalist for iconic metal band Iron Maiden, died at 69. Day's bandmates from More — which he formed in 1980 and remained with until 1982 — announced the news of his death on July 29, paying tribute to his legacy as "a huge part of the new wave of British heavy metal" and "a well-loved figure in British rock music." Day only served as the vocalist for Iron Maiden's first official lineup for less than a year. He had been recruited by bassist Steve Harris to join the band in late 1975, and left the group after 10 months following claims he lacked both energy and charisma. Day went on to front for More and Wildfire, before joining a reformed version of Sweet as their lead vocalist alongside guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker. Day eventually relocated to Australia in the '80s, where he continued to operate as an active musician until his death. He is survived by his wife Cecily.
Alon Aboutboul, the veteran Israeli actor known for playing a doomed nuclear scientist in the hit superhero movie The Dark Knight Rises, died July 29, at 60. Aboutboul began his acting career in Israeli projects like Ricochets and Bar 51 in the 1980s, as well as American projects like Rambo III and the Tom Hanks film Every Time We Say Goodbye. In the '90s, he primarily focused on Israeli projects like Planet Blue, Passover Fever, and Marco Polo: The Missing Chapter. In the 2000s, he led the TV drama Shabatot VeHagim for five seasons and played supporting roles in Steven Spielberg's Munich as well as Ridley Scott's Body of Lies. In the 2010s, he played drug lord Avi Drexler on FX's Snowfall, and appeared on shows like NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Homeland, and Fringe. He also acted in American films like London Has Fallen, Septembers of Shiraz, and Beirut.
Tom Lehrer, the Harvard-trained mathematician and musical satirist, died on July 26 at 97 years old. Born in Manhattan on April 9, 1928, Lehrer began taking piano lessons from an early age and wrote some of his earliest songs inspired by Broadway show tunes he loved. He graduated early from the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut before going to Harvard, where he majored in mathematics and received his bachelor's degree in 1946, at age 18. Lehrer began his songwriting while attending Harvard and released his first album in 1953. Songs by Tom Lehrer ultimately sold an estimated half-million copies. He released several more albums before he stopped performing in 1960. Lehrer resumed briefly in 1965 and then stopped for good in 1967. He went on to teach courses on mathematics and musical theater at various institutions, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California. In October 2020, he relinquished the rights to all his songs, except for the melodies of those few that used his words but someone else's music.
Junior Edwards, an alligator hunter who starred in the History Channel docuseries Swamp People, has died. His grandson announced the news on July 26. Spanning 15 seasons to date, Swamp People follows the proud descendants of French Canadian refugees who settled in the swamp region of Louisiana in the 18th century as they struggle to preserve their way of life during alligator-hunting season. Junior appeared regularly on the show from 2010 until 2015 alongside his son, William "Willie" Edwards, and grandson, "Little" Willie. After starring as an original cast member throughout the first six seasons, he returned for season 12 in 2021.
Hulk Hogan, the charismatic wrestler who brought the sport to the mainstream, died July 24 from cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Fla. He was 71. Born Terry Bollea before adapting his ubiquitous stage name, he began his pro wrestling career 1977 but gained wider global recognition after he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in the '80s, ushering in the period of Hulkamania. He headlined WWE's flagship WrestleMania eight times and won the WWE championship six times. A two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee, he retired from the sport in 2012. Hogan also parlayed his flare for the theatrics into Hollywood, appearing in films Rocky III, No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, and Santa with Muscles, as well as shows The A-Team, Robot Chicken, and his own family reality show Hogan Knows Best. Hogan is survived by his widow and third wife, Sky Daily, and his two children, Brooke and Nick, from a previous marriage.
Celebrated jazz singer and actress Cleo Laine died July 24 at her home in Wavendon, England, her daughter, Jacqui Dankworth, told the New York Times. She was 97. The singer began her career by performing at London jazz clubs in the '50s. She had, the newspaper wrote, become "one of the most celebrated jazz singers in England" by the mid-'60s." She debuted in the U.S. in 1972 — after the height of "Beatle hysteria," she noted — and went on to perform onstage and record popular albums, often working with her late husband, Sir John Dankworth, who died in 2010. She won a Grammy in 1986, for her album Cleo At Carnegie — The 10th Anniversary Concert, and she was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1997. Laine is survived by her daughter, son Alec, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. In 2019, her son Stuart preceded her in death.
Prolific film editor Don Zimmerman, who worked on beloved movies such as Coming Home, Being There, Night at the Museum, and two Rocky sequels, died of acute myeloid leukemia at his home on July 24, the honorary organization American Cinema Editors confirmed to Deadline. Zimmerman was 81. He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Coming Home, the 1978 drama about life during the Vietnam War that starred Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern. His other work includes the movies The Nutty Professor, Galaxy Quest, Staying Alive, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He is survived by his wife, Donna, five children who work in the entertainment industry — Dan, Dean, Debi, Dana and David — and seven grandchildren.
Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz artist, died on July 22 at 84. As a trumpeter and flugelhorn player, Mangione gained acclaim for his work in the Jazz Brothers — which he formed with his older brother, Gap — and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Mangione won his first Grammy for the 1976 album Bellavia and his second for the Children of Sanchez soundtrack, but it was his mega-hit single, "Feels So Good," that catapulted him to worldwide recognition. He also garnered attention for composing and performing "Give it All You Got," which was the theme song for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Recent years have seen new audiences introduced to Mangionge via his gig as a guest character on King of the Hill, where he played himself as a Mega Lo Mart spokesperson. Across his 60-year career, Mangione recorded over 30 albums, and was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards. "Feels So Good" has remained ubiquitous and is frequently used in movie soundtracks, including 1996's Fargo, 2009's Zombieland, and 2016's Doctor Strange.
Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath frontman and reality star, died on July 22. He was 76. Just weeks before his death, Osbourne and his legendary rock band performed a farewell show to a hometown crowd of 40,000. In January 2020, Osbourne revealed that in 2003 he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, saying at the time, "It's not a death sentence." Also known as the Prince of Darkness, Osbourne pioneered heavy metal with his screeching vocal performances and unpredictable on-stage antics as a member of Sabbath in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also launched a successful solo career after splitting from the band, and achieved further notoriety when he shared the spotlight with family on his 2000s MTV reality series The Osbournes. In addition to being a two-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Osbourne won three Grammys as a solo artist and two as a member of Black Sabbath. His first win came for Best Metal Performance With Vocal for "I Don't Want To Change The World" in 1994, followed by a win for Best Metal Performance for a live rendition of "Iron Man" in 2000.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known as Theodore Huxtable on groundbreaking sitcom The Cosby Show, died July 20 from an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. He was 54. Warner rose to prominence as the only son of Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad's characters on the show, seminal for its depiction of an affluent Black family, before headlining Malcolm & Eddie alongside Eddie Griffin from 1996 to 2000. Other notable credits include Reed Between the Lines as Tracee Ellis Ross' onscreen husband, as well as the most recent Major Crimes, The Resident, 9-1-1, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit. He was also a poet and musician.
Kenneth Washington, the last surviving cast member of TV's Hogan's Heroes, died July 18, according to Variety. He was 88. Before landing on the final season of the classic sitcom, on which he played Sgt. Richard Baker, Washington had appeared on shows such as I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, Petticoat Junction, and My Three Sons. He was also cast in the 1973 movie Westworld and in TV movies such as J. Edgar Hoover. Washington last appeared in a 1989 episode of The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World. After acting, he went back to school and taught courses about Black actors in film and oral interpretation at Loyola Marymount University and Southwest College. Washington is survived by wife Alice Marshall, brother Johnnie, sister Aaliyah Akbar, children Kim Lee, Kenneth Jr., and Quianna Stokes-Washington, as well as three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Pop star Connie Francis, best known for dominating the charts in the late 1950s and early '60s with hits like "Pretty Little Baby" and "Stupid Cupid," died on July 16 at 87. Born Concetta Franconero on Dec. 12, 1938, in Newark, N.J., Francis began her music career when she was very young. She started playing the accordion at age 3, and by the age of 11, she was appearing on local television variety shows such as Marie Moser's Starlets, and then on Ted Mack's national show Original Amateur Hour and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. She later secured a four-year run as one of the child entertainers on Startime. As she grew up, Francis embarked on a pop career, releasing songs in the 1950s and early 1960s, and becoming the most popular female singer in the U.S. between 1958 and 1964. She sold more than 40 million records and topped the Billboard charts with No. 1 hits like "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." Other memorable tracks included "Stupid Cupid" and "Who's Sorry Now." Francis officially retired in 2018. In addition to her music career, Francis acted in movies, including a supporting role in the 1960 comedy Where the Boys Are and the lead role in 1963's Follow the Boys. She also earned a special Golden Globe in 1964 for her contributions to the recording industry. Francis is survived by son, Joey Garzilli, whom she and then-husband Joseph Garzilli adopted.
Rick Hurst, the actor known for playing Deputy Cletus Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, died on June 26 at age 79. His Dukes costar announced his death with a heartfelt tribute on the Facebook page of the show's museum, Cooter's Place in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Hurst was born Jan. 1, 1946 in Houston, Texas. The actor had some success early in his acting career, with roles on TV series such as Sanford and Son, The Partridge Family, Gunsmoke, Happy Days, Little House on the Prairie, and M*A*S*H throughout the '70s. But it was landing the part of Boss Hogg's cousin on The Dukes of Hazzard that made Hurst a household name. He appeared in 55 episodes of the CBS series from 1979 to 1982, and reprised his role for two Dukes TV films in 1997 and 2000. Hurst also appeared in shows like Murder She Wrote, 227, The Wonder Years, Family Matters, and Melrose Place. He starred in movies such as Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Anywhere But Here (1999). His last onscreen appearance was on a TV short titled B My Guest in 2016. Hurst is survived by his two sons, Ryan Hurst, an actor who appeared on Sons of Anarchy throughout its run, and Collin Hurst.
