Stars Dropping

Not sure what's in the water but stars have been dying off lately...

Ed McMahon kicked off things by passing away a bit ago but set things into high gear... I can totally recall watching Carson and McMahon on the Tonight Show and in fact, was likely the last time I watched the Tonight Show with any regularity. Carson and McMahon were a great team and what was great was they were during a time when they could joke about drinking, failed marriages and sexism and everyone thought it was funny...now-a-days that humor wouldn't be tolerated...

Farrah Fawcett passed away, which any man that lived during the 70's and 80's should recall....she was smoking hot back then. I really don't have much more to comment about Farrah other than to reiterate that she was really smoking hot.

Fawcett's death, as well as the others that recently passed away, is eclipsed by Micheal Jackson. Micheal Jackson was the 'Elvis' of my generation and likely the last true "King" of rock, pop, music or whatever you want to call it. With the music industry so segmented and "niche oriented" I don't think there will be an artist or an act that will dominate the music scene like Jackson did. I was around 11, 12 when "Thriller" came out... I wasn't an immediate fan but living in the barren wasteland that I do, I was pummelled with his music until I submitted and listened to the album endlessly for many months. Of course, I think a great part to Jackson's success was that it was fueled by MTV. MTV, especially in the early '80's, was a key component to any act/band being successful because MTV played music videos (weird concept, huh?). MTV and Jackson almost mirrored each others in terms of popularity as each soared into the stratosphere... then later, Jackson became really weird and musically uninteresting as MTV stopped playing music videos and is no longer even watchable. I kind of wish I was with the Enquirer right now because if it hasn't been thought of yet, I got the greatest headline: "Jackson fakes his own death, living with Elvis on remote island."

After Jackson came the current infomercial king, Billy Mays. He got hit on the head with some luggage during a hard landing aboard and airplane and then dies in his sleep the next morning. I think early reports said the events are connected and that Mays did have a heart condition...did seem a little too coincidental for me, so I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of legal action is taken at some point. I had seen and heard Billy Mays on a variety of shows (radio and t.v.) and he always seemed like a 'good sport' and a good humored guy. Some of his videos on YouTube have him doing a variety of humorous things, often using his infomercial background as the launching point for the fun. Sorry to see him pass on as well.

And then the sports world was not spared from the carnage... Steve McNair, former QB for the Titans (Oilers) and the Ravens was shot and killed. The early reports and speculation all are pointing that his girlfriend bought a gun, shot McNair four times and then killed herself. Wow... hopefully something is found to find out why this 20 year-old girl decided to do that. McNair was seen in the Nashville community as a very charitable and giving guy...not a blemish to his name... now he is found with a mistress shot to death...tragic end. I always thought McNair was a 'blue-collar' type quarterback...he led his team to the Super Bowl and was oh-so-close to potentially winning it. Sad to seem him go so soon...

I think it's been a good 2 days since McNair's death...so we'll have to stay tuned to see if the death-bug has passed yet or if there are more victims for its appetite.