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1-50 of 75
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Frank Herbert was born on 8 October 1920 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer, known for Dune (2021), Dune (1984) and Dune: Part Two (2024). He was married to Theresa Shackleford, Beverley Ann Stuart and Flora Parkinson. He died on 11 February 1986 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Composer
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 - December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames "The Caruso of Rock" and "The Big O." Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers chose to project masculinity. He performed while standing motionless and wearing black clothes to match his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses, which he wore to counter his shyness and stage fright.- Additional Crew
Ed Gein and his elder brother Henry lived on a rural farm near Plainfield, WI. George Gein, his father, was a tanner and carpenter and was drunk most of the time. Augusta, Ed's domineering mother, was the real power of the house. She was a religious fanatic who constantly warned her sons about the sins of premarital sex and railed against "evil" women. Ed's father died in 1940, and brother Henry died four years later fighting a marsh fire (although it was later suspected that Ed might have killed him). Ed stayed at the family farm with his mother and never strayed out of the surrounding few counties. When she died of a stroke in 1945, Ed was left all alone at the "tender" age of 39. He sealed her bedroom and the rest of his house off, living in just the kitchen and one other room. During the period of 1950-55, he visited three local cemeteries at night and dug up at least ten graves. He removed bits and pieces from each body, returning some to their graves. He used skullcaps for bowls, and stitched chair seats and lampshades out of human skin. On special occasions, he would dance outside in the moonlight wearing numerous stitched skin coverings, including the face masks of some of his victims. His first murder was committed on December 8, 1954, the other occurred on November 16, 1957. He attacked his last victim in her store and dragged her body to a truck parked out back. Later that evening the victim's son stopped in at the store to check on his mother and found the doors locked, the cash register missing and a trail of blood leading out to the back door. He recalled that he had seen Ed at the store the day before. When the police went to his farm, they found her headless body in his shed, hanging by it's heels from the rafters. Gein was arrested and eventually confessed to his crimes. On January 16, 1958, he was sent to Central State Hospital at Waupun, WI. In November 1968, he was judged competent to stand trial. He was now diagnosed to have chronic schizophrenia, found "not guilty by reason of insanity" and returned to Waupun. It has been theorized that Gein might have killed two men who hired him as their hunting guide in 1952 and were never seen again. There were also two other unidentified women's body parts were found at his farm. In that his murder & grave robbing victims were all of middle or elderly age, these two women's remains were decisively young, in their teenage years. This was never conclusively investigated. In 1978, he was moved to Mendota Mental Health Institute. Gein was a model prisoner and died quietly in his sleep in the geriatric psychiatric ward in 1984. He is buried next to his mother in the Plainfield Cemetery.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Composer
Otis Redding was born on 9 September 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Road House (1989). He was married to Zelma Redding. He died on 10 December 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch was born on 17 June 1923 in Wausau, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for Zero Hour! (1957), Unchained (1955) and Crazylegs (1953). He was married to Ruth Stahmer. He died on 28 January 2004 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Richard Caine was born on 25 October 1938 in Rochester, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Born Again (1978), Knight Rider (1982) and Big Shots (1987). He was married to Kathleen Connors. He died on 22 February 2024 in Madison, Ohio, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Howard Finkel was born on 7 June 1950 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! (1999), The Wrestlers: Land of a Thousand Dances (1985) and The JBL & Cole Show with Renee Young (2012). He died on 16 April 2020 in Madison, Connecticut, USA.- Nicholas Hitchon was born on 22 October 1957 in Littondale, North Yorkshire, England, UK. He was married to C. Cryss Brunner and Jacqueline Bush. He died on 23 July 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Hank Snow was born on 9 May 1914 in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was an actor, known for The Ice Road (2021), The Mule (2018) and Who'll Stop the Rain (1978). He was married to Minnie Blanch Aalders. He died on 20 December 1999 in Madison, Tennessee, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kitty Wells was born on 30 August 1919 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress, known for The Blues Brothers (1980), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Crazy Heart (2009). She was married to Johnny Wright. She died on 16 July 2012 in Madison, Tennessee, USA.- Jeff Erlanger was born on 30 November 1970 in Berkeley, California, USA. He died on 10 June 2007 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Director
- Sound Department
- Writer
She received her BA in 1975 in Germanic linguistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and her Master of Fine Arts in film production from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1979. While at UCLA she served as a research assistant in Old Icelandic language and linguistics under Dr. Jesse Byock.- Fred Burrell was born on 18 September 1936 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. He was an actor, known for Klute (1971), We Own the Night (2007) and Kinsey (2004). He was married to India Cooper and Mary Flaherty Muir. He died on 9 April 2018 in Madison, Indiana, USA.
- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Lawrence was born on 9 November 1913 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an editor and assistant director, known for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Spartacus (1960) and Never Say Never Again (1983). He died on 19 September 2004 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Kate Fleming was born on 6 October 1965 in Arlington, Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Mario Tennis (2000), Hard Candy (1993) and Ollo in the Sunny Valley Fair (2002). She was married to Charlene Strong. She died on 14 December 2006 in Madison Valley, Seattle, Washington, USA.
- India Cooper was born on 24 July 1952 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for Above the Law (1988), Law & Order (1990) and Never Again (2001). She was married to Fred Burrell. She died on 17 May 2020 in Madison, Indiana, USA.
- David Gray was born on 29 April 1968 in Highland Park, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Making Revolution (2003). He died on 18 January 2002 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Legendary country pianist Floyd Cramer, one of the men responsible for what became known as "The Nashville Sound", was born on Oct. 27, 1933, in Shreveport, Louisiana, but grew up in Huttig, Arkansas. As a young boy he taught himself to play the piano, and after finishing high school went back to Shreveport, where his musical abilities landed him a job on the "Louisiana Hayride" radio show as a pianist. In 1953 he cut his first single, "Dancin' Diane", for Abbott Records. Shortly afterward he hooked up with a young singer with whom he would form a close personal and professional bond--Elvis Presley.
Cramer relocated to Nashville in 1955, at a time when piano accompaniment on country music songs was becoming popular, and he found more work than he could handle. He soon became one of the busiest session musicians in the business, playing on the records of such luminaries as Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, Elvis Presley--he played piano on "Heartbreak Hotel"--and Roy Orbison, among others. It was during these sessions that Cramer developed the practice of "slip notes", in which a note would flow effortlessly into the next--a sea change from the "percussive" style of piano playing prevalent at the time.
Although he was a top studio musician in Nashville, few people outside of the music business knew who he was. He had been recording and releasing his own records since the early '50s, but recognition didn't come for him until 1960, when he released the mournful instrumental "Last Date", which was a classic example of his "slip note" style of playing. The record hit #2 on the Billboard Top 100 chart and wound up selling more than one million copies. The next year he had another hit, "On the Rebound", which went to #3 (and #1 in the UK). In the mid-'60s he, guitar legend Chet Atkins and sax master Boots Randolph toured the US as "The Million Dollar Band".
In 1997 Floyd Cramer died of lung cancer, and is buried in Madison, Tennessee.- Music Department
- Actor
Phil 'Philo' Buerstatte was born on 7 April 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for White Zombie: Thunder Kiss '65 (1992). He died on 19 May 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Warren Ashe was born on 5 March 1903 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Deerslayer (1943), Boston Blackie and the Law (1946) and Wildcat Bus (1940). He was married to Mady Correll and Agnes Biedenkapp. He died on 19 September 1947 in Madison, Connecticut, USA.
- Composer, songwriter ("Where Is the One?"), pianist, arranger and teacher, educated at Columbia University and a student of Otto Luening, George Antheil, and John Cage. He was a jazz pianist and later an arranger for several dance orchestras. He wrote the stage background score for "Red Roses For Me", and the stage score for the film version of "George White's Scandals". From 1950, he taught at the Brook School in Short Hills, New Jersey. Joining ASCAP in 1959, his other popular-song compositions include "Star Burst", "Leave Us Leap", "Up and Atom", "Bolero Boogie" and "El Mundo".
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Johnny Wright was born on 13 May 1914 in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA. He was a producer, known for Full Metal Jacket (1987), Untitled Boy Band Documentary and God's Bloody Acre (1975). He was married to Kitty Wells. He died on 27 September 2011 in Madison, Tennessee, USA.- Gloria Pepin was born on 19 June 1937 in New York, New York, USA. She was married to Jacques Pepin. She died on 5 December 2020 in Madison, Connecticut, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
Silent-film actress Louise Vale had a relatively short career--only five years. She made her film debut with The Girl of the Sunny South (1913) and ended her career five years later with Vengeance (1918). In addition to acting, she was also a screenwriter, and wrote Joan of the Woods (1918). She was married to pioneering producer/director Travers Vale.- David Bordwell was born on 23 July 1947 in Penn Yan, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for A expedicao Brasileira de 1916 (2006), Cinema Futures (2016) and The Perfect Team: The Making of 'On the Bowery' (2009). He was married to Barbara Weinstein and Kristin Thompson. He died on 29 February 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Bobby Hinds was born on 22 September 1931 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He was married to Joyce Harrington . He died on 14 March 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Obituary for Richard E. "Dick" Flanigan.
Richard E. "Dick" Flanigan, age 81, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, following a short illness. He was born in Rockford, Illinois, USA, on 10 December 1935, the son of Paul and Zeta ( Grady) Flanigan. Following high school, Dick served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1960. Following his discharge, Dick enrolled in Bradley University where he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. His first job after college was working for WTVO in Rockford, Illinois, USA. This is where he met his future wife, Valerie Vinet. They were married a year later, in 1968. The newlyweds made Madison their home and Dick began working at WMTV where he served as the art director. During his career, he hosted Lenny's Inferno as Mr. Mephisto from 1969-1982. Dick was an avid sports fan, especially of the St. Louis Cardinals. He loved playing baseball, and eventually coached and managed the Monona Home Talent Baseball Team. Dick enjoyed playing sports, including bowling and softball. He is survived by his wife, Valerie; son, Paul (Amy) Flanigan, their children, Haley and Trevor; son, Dan (Sarah) Flanigan and their daughter, McKenna. Dick was preceded in death by his parents. A Celebration of Dick's Life was held at the 5100 Club, 5100 Erling Avenue, McFarland, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, 10 January 2017. - Kevin Croak was born on 15 February 1956 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for Rapacious (2015), Dispatched (2014) and Crashing Darkness. He died on 28 November 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Editorial Department
- Additional Crew
David Bazelon was born on 2 March 1923 in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. He is known for Point of Order! (1964) and The Mike Wallace Interview (1957). He was married to Diana Joyce Himmelstein, Patricia Layman and Mary Coleman. He died on 25 April 2005 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Ruby Wright-Wells was an American country music singer. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, she was the daughter of country singers Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright. She sang with her parents as a young girl. At age 13 she was signed by RCA Records using the name Ruby Wells because there was a Ruby Wright who was a pop singer at the time.
In the 1950s, she became part of the trio, 'Nita, Rita and Ruby, with Anita Carter and Rita Robbins. They often recorded with Chet Atkins. After the trio disbanded, Ruby began singing with her sister, Carol Sue Wright, as The Wright Sisters. Ruby also made some recordings with her father and uncle, Jack Anglin, as Johnnie and Jack and Ruby. Her most successful single was "Dern Ya", an answer to Roger Miller's "Dang Me."
Wright died of heart-related illness on September 27, 2009, a month before her 70th birthday. Her father died on September 27, 2011, exactly two years after Ruby's death. - Arnold Vierling was born on 24 May 1919 in Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for We're Off to See the Munchkins (1993). He died on 11 June 1949 in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, USA.
- Johnny Brewer was born on 8 March 1937 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Number One (1969), The NFL on CBS (1956) and 1967 East-West Pro Bowl (1967). He was married to Anita Wood Brewer. He died on 27 May 2011 in Madison, Mississippi, USA.
- James Martin Pedersen was the actor who played Rocky Rococo and was in fact the whole face of the pizza brand as he starred not only in "MasterPizza Theatre" but also was in their commercials as well as in their logo. James Martin Pederse n was very well loved in Wisconsin and was by all accounts an icon of the state's culture. But sadly James passed away in 2016. He is survived by his spouse, Georgia Pollard; son, Jason (Kim Shelton); grandson, Colin James; Gershwin, his beloved Toller; and many, many friends and family. Jim was preceded in death by his daughter, Jessica; former wife, Janet Pedersen; sister, Denise Radke; brother-in-law, Dieter Radke; and his parents. James was the face and personality of Rocky Rococo Pizza for decades.
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Blues guitarist Luther Allison was born in Widener, AR, in 1939. His family moved to Chicago in 1951 and he joined a local gospel group, The Southern Travellers. He became interested in the blues and joined a blues band headed by his brother Ollie. He later formed a band with another brother, Grant, called The Rolling Stones (they later changed the name of the group to The Four Jivers). Allison was a mainstay in the Chicago blues scene as a sideman and performer, but he began attracting attention outside of Chicago when he performed at such places as the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in Michigan and the famous Fillmore East (in New York) and Fillmore West (in San Francisco) clubs. He recorded several albums for various labels (including Berry Gordy's Gordy Records). He toured Europe in the 1960s and 1970s and met with success there, and he eventually relocated to France. He died of lung cancer in Madison, WI, in 1997.- Timothy Jecko was born on 24 January 1938 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He was an actor, known for Hunter (1984), Murder, She Wrote (1984) and Power (1986). He was married to JoAnn Jecko, Margaret Oksner and Mary Louise Long. He died on 11 January 2005 in Madison, New Jersey, USA.
- Johnny Bragg was born on 6 May 1926 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. He was married to Gail Green. He died on 1 September 2004 in Madison, Tennessee, USA.
- Thomas Nelson "Sonny" Reynolds, had a long and illustrious career in radio and television broadcasting. He worked at Channel 9 in Chattanooga for many years before returning to Huntsville where he was employed at Channel 19 as the creative commercial director until his retirement. He will probably best be remembered as "Dr. Shock". He was a 32nd degree Mason. He was preceded in death by his son, Thomas Nelson Reynolds, Jr. and granddaughter, Lorraine Anne Merriman. He was an inspiration to his family and known by his friends as a "real character". Survivors include daughters, Diane Heap and husband, Richard, of Spanish Fork, Utah and Debi Heath and husband, Ken, of Salt Lake City, Utah; ex-wife and friend, Mary Reynolds of Spanish Fork, Utah; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Art Department
- Producer
Gary Dunham was born on 5 March 1951 in Port Hueneme, California, USA. He was a producer, known for The Negotiator (1998), Air Force One (1997) and Outbreak (1995). He was married to Keri Ellen Jordahl. He died on 2 November 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Actor
- Writer
Robert Lee Popwell, is an American jazz fusion, smooth jazz bass guitarist and percussionist.
Known as "Pops", he played with The Young Rascals , The Crusaders and the Macon Rhythm Section. The Young Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame May 6, 1997. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. He has played on albums by Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Ron Wood, Al Jarreau, Bobby Womack, Terry Bradds, Larry Carlton, Joe Sample, Smokey Robinson, Bette Midler, Gregg Allman, Bob Dylan, B. B. King, Les Dudek and Randy Crawford, among others. Most notably he played percussion on Aretha Franklin's Rock Steady.
He has also toured with Bette Midler and Olivia Newton-John. Popwell appeared in the movie Hard to Hold with Rick Springfield. Popwell wrote "Feelin Funky" on The Crusaders album Those Southern Knights.- Brance H. Beamon was born on 11 June 1923 in Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for A Time to Kill (1996). He died on 19 November 1997 in Madison County, Mississippi, USA.
- George Caldwell was born on 24 February 1932 in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Dexter Dickie (2000), Third Degree (2004) and Hollywood, Wisconsin (2000). He died on 24 April 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Writer
- Producer
Richard L. Huff was born on 6 May 1927 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Giant Spider Invasion (1975). He was married to Harriet. He died on 17 September 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Ed Maxcy was born on 6 November 1933 in Waldoboro, Maine, USA. He was an actor, known for Side Effects (2005). He died on 11 December 2006 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
Floyd Joyer was born on 15 September 1914 in Indiana, USA. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Shock Corridor (1963), The Crimson Kimono (1959) and Mean Dog Blues (1978). He died on 17 October 1994 in Madison, Tennessee, USA.- Emmett L. Bennett Jr. was born on 12 July 1918 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He was married to Marja Dorothy Adams Bennett. He died on 15 December 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Ron Johnson was born on 17 October 1947 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was married to Karen. He died on 10 November 2018 in Madison, New Jersey, USA.
- Gerda Lerner was born on 30 April 1920 in Vienna, Lower Austria, Austria. She was a writer, known for Black Like Me (1964) and The Perfect Team: The Making of 'On the Bowery' (2009). She was married to Carl Lerner and Bobby Jensen. She died on 2 January 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Soundtrack
Ginger Willis was born on 9 April 1925 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She was married to Hal Willis. She died on 26 October 2003 in Madison, Tennessee, USA.- Ben Elliott was born on 17 February 1889 in North Platte, Nebraska, USA. He died on 24 February 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Soundtrack
Jack Anglin was born on 13 May 1916 in Columbia, Tennessee, USA. Jack was married to Louise Anglin. Jack died on 8 March 1963 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.