Big Blue Huddle

General Category => The Front Porch => Topic started by: uconnjack8 on July 15, 2024, 10:17:38 AM

Title: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: uconnjack8 on July 15, 2024, 10:17:38 AM
Dr Ruth, 96, Shelley Duvall, 75, Richard Simmons, 74 and Shannon Doherty, 53 all died this weekend. 

Dr. Ruth is iconic IMO.  Always loved her frankness around sexual discussion especially considering when she was raised. 

Thoughts on any or all?
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: MightyGiants on July 15, 2024, 10:30:42 AM
I saw the age 74 but I also saw age 76 for Simmons

Considering Richard was a fitness guru, 74 or 76 is pretty young to die.   However, since he basically withdrew from public life in 2014, it's hard to say how he was or how he was doing. 

I still remember Jack LaLane, who was doing feats of strength well into old age and died at 96
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: Jolly Blue Giant on July 15, 2024, 12:44:14 PM
There's been rumors for the last few years of health issues for Richard Simmons, mainly due to his complete exodus from media and seems he fell off the face of the earth. No one knew anything about him and wondered why he disappeared. I'd be surprised if whatever he died of, will never be made public

Funny story: My brother-in-law was flying first class on El Al to Israel. The person sitting next to him turned out to be Dr. Ruth. They chatted through most of the flight, and she was found to be very entertaining and easy to talk with. She asked my brother-in-law if he would like a signed copy of her latest book. He excitedly said sure. Afterward, she told him that would be twenty dollars...LOL

Normally, these unfortunate passings of iconic figures would normally have been major news stories if not for the attempted assassination of one of the current Presidential candidates that took over all the air time and the printed press, and continues to this day
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: Bob In PA on July 15, 2024, 03:30:31 PM
Hadn't heard about Shelley Duvall (and had no idea she was that old). Bob
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: MightyGiants on July 16, 2024, 07:35:30 AM
Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on July 15, 2024, 12:44:14 PMThere's been rumors for the last few years of health issues for Richard Simmons, mainly due to his complete exodus from media and seems he fell off the face of the earth. No one knew anything about him and wondered why he disappeared. I'd be surprised if whatever he died of, will never be made public

Funny story: My brother-in-law was flying first class on El Al to Israel. The person sitting next to him turned out to be Dr. Ruth. They chatted through most of the flight, and she was found to be very entertaining and easy to talk with. She asked my brother-in-law if he would like a signed copy of her latest book. He excitedly said sure. Afterward, she told him that would be twenty dollars...LOL

Normally, these unfortunate passings of iconic figures would normally have been major news stories if not for the attempted assassination of one of the current Presidential candidates that took over all the air time and the printed press, and continues to this day

Simmons was very obese as a child and young man.  I wonder if he fell off the wagon, so to speak, which triggered his public withdrawal.   Overeating is essential an addiction.   It seems like in Simmon's case he replaced his addiction for eating with an addiction to exercise.  Obviously, exercise was a much better addiction, but it likely was still an issue for him.
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: DaveBrown74 on July 16, 2024, 03:41:09 PM
I can't believe Richard Simmons was only 76. I feel like I remember him as a well-into-middle-age guy in the early/mid 1980s when I was still a kid.
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: LennG on July 16, 2024, 05:05:37 PM
When people retire from public life there is usually some sort of medical issue. Just because he was a fitness guru that will not prevent him from cancers, dementia, Alhtimers or other such debilitating diseases.

I always thought Shelley Duvall was the perfect Olive Soul. She played that part to perfection.
Title: Re: Rough Weekend for Losing Famous People
Post by: DaveBrown74 on July 16, 2024, 05:15:23 PM
Quote from: LennG on July 16, 2024, 05:05:37 PMWhen people retire from public life there is usually some sort of medical issue. Just because he was a fitness guru that will not prevent him from cancers, dementia, Alhtimers or other such debilitating diseases.

I always thought Shelley Duvall was the perfect Olive Soul. She played that part to perfection.

Absolutely superb in The Shining too. While Nicholson was obviously the big star, her totally convincing portrayal of a mother in a state of complete and utter terror was a major contributor to how scary that movie was, in my opinion at least.