Sunday, November 28, 2010

Leslie Nielsen of 'Naked Gun' Fame Dies at Age 84



Leslie Nielsen, who went from drama to inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in "Airplane!" and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in the "Naked Gun" comedies, has died. He was 84.
His agent John S. Kelly says Nielsen died Sunday at a hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale where he was being treated for pneumonia.
The Canadian-born Nielsen came to Hollywood in the mid-1950s after performing in 150 live television dramas in New York. With a craggily handsome face, blond hair and 6-foot-2 height, he seemed ideal for a movie leading man.
He quickly became known as a serious actor, although behind the camera he was a prankster. That was an aspect of his personality never exploited, however, until "Airplane!" was released in 1980 and became a huge hit.

Thursday, November 04, 2010

The Models' James Freud dead at 51


The Models frontman James Freud has died, aged 51.Musician Scott Carne from '80s band Kids in the Kitchen said that he had heard the news from the Models band member, and Freud's musical partner Sean Kelly earlier today.
It was only last month that the Models were inducted into the ARIA hall of fame, although Freud, from Melbourne, did not attend the function.
Carne said Kelly was devastated by the death, which he understood was a suicide.

"It was one of the great '80s bands that shaped the music of Australia today," he said.
"They're the band that took us under their wing and took Kids in the Kitchen on our first ever East Coast tour."
Freud was the band's bassist and lead singer.The Models' label Mushroom records was unable to confirm earlier reports, however police have confirmed a 51 year-old man was found dead by family members at his Hawthorn home about 9.30am.They said the circumstances were not suspicious.Fans took to Twitter and Facebook to express their sorrow at the loss.The singer — real name Colin McGlinchey — joined the Models in 1982 for the band’s most popular period.He was best known for writing the giant hit singles Out of Mind Out of Sight and Barbados before enjoying a string of hits in the late-1980s as a solo performer.He was believed to be battling an addiction to alcohol.Freud published two memoirs, I Am the Voice Left from Drinking (2002) and I Am the Voice Left from Rehab (2007), which detailed his career in music entertainment and addictions.