02:40 PM EDT 05/31/2012
Death
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Doc Watson Dies at 89
Originally posted 05/29/2012 09:00PM
The Grammy-winning blind singer-songwriter Doc Watson has died. He was 89.
Watson had been hospitalized in Winston-Salem, N.C., for abdominal surgery, the Associated Press reports. He passed away Tuesday according to a hospital spokesperson and his management.
Born Arthel Lane Watson in North Carolina, Watson lost his eyesight as an infant due to an infection, but he went on to have a successful career as a bluegrass and folk musician, known for recordings including "Tom Dooley" and "Shady Grove."
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Tom Cruise's Mom in Risky Business Dies at 71
Originally posted 05/23/2012 04:30PM
Janet Carroll, who played Tom Cruise's oblivious mother in the movie Risky Business, died Tuesday at 71.
The Chicago-born actress, who had a long career in movies and television, died in New York after a lengthy illness, Variety reports.
Playing a mother unaware that her son was running a brothel in her own home while she was out of town, Carroll made her movie premiere in the 1983 film that launched Cruise to superstardom.
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Donna Summer Died of Lung Cancer
Originally posted 05/18/2012 01:45PM
Although it was announced that Donna Summer's death on Thursday was due to cancer, in some quarters it was speculated that it may have been breast cancer.
That was not the case, her family says in a statment, giving the cause of death as lung cancer, while also clarifying that her cancer "was not related to smoking."
"Ms. Summer was a non-smoker," says the statement. "Obviously, numerous factors can be attributed to the cause of cancer in general, but any details regarding the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of Ms. Summer's case remain between her family and team of doctors."
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Donna Summer Is Dead
Originally posted 05/17/2012 12:10PM
Donna Summer, whose pulsating hits "I Feel Love," "Last Dance" and "MacArthur Park" provided the disco soundtrack for the 1970s, has died at age 63.
Her family confirmed Summer's death, saying in a statement that they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy."
"Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time," the statement continued.
A onetime backup singer for Three Dog Night, Summer, who was born LaDonna Gaines, hit the American charts with the sexually charged "Love to Love You Baby," released in 1975 amid controversy that it was too steamy for radio. The song gained popularity, though, and became a huge favorite in discotheques.
The five-time Grammy winner went on to release a string of dance-friendly songs whose overt sexuality clashed with Summer's strict Christian upbringing in a family of seven children in Boston.
"I Feel Love" became a top 10 single in 1977 and her disco interpretation of the ballad "MacArthur Park" in 1978 was her first number one song. "Last Dance" from the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack earned Summer her first Grammy.
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Robert F. Kennedy's Wife Mary Committed Suicide by Hanging Herself
Originally posted 05/17/2012 09:30AM
Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy, committed suicide by hanging herself, the Westchester County Medical Examiner confirms to PEOPLE.
The body of Kennedy, 52, was discovered Wednesday in the garage of her home in Mount Kisco, N.Y., by a housekeeper, sources told ABC News.
Bedford, N.Y., police were called to the home at 1:36 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a "possible unattended death." Police confirmed they found a "deceased individual" on the property, owned by Mary and Robert Kennedy.
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Robert F. Kennedy's Wife, Mary Kennedy, Found Dead
Originally posted 05/16/2012 05:15PM
Mary Kennedy, the estranged second wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has died. She was 52.
"We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her," Mary Kennedy's family said in a statement released through her lawyer Kerry Lawrence. "Our heart goes out to her children who she loved without reservation.
According to reports, Mary was found dead at her Bedford, N.Y., home on Wednesday. Police issued a statement confirming they were investigating a "possible unattended death" at her home on Wednesday afternoon. Police reports also confirm that officers found "a deceased individual … inside an out building on that property." But the report withheld the individual's name.
Mitchell Guist Flashback: The Swamp People Star Makes Gumbo
Originally posted 05/15/2012 04:30PM
Swamp People fans can pay homage to the late Mitchell Guist in their own kitchens. (If they like the taste of venison and rabbit meat, that is.)
In memory of Guist, who died Monday at 48 in Louisiana from unreported causes after falling from his boat, PEOPLE.com is revisiting one of the most memorable moments from the History Channel show, in which the Guist brothers whip up gumbo for their dinner guests in an episode that aired last November.
"Hey Glenn, we got people coming over tonight, huh?" Mitchell, who was one of the alligator hunters the show followed, says to his brother. "What do you want to do with that rabbit sausage?"
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Swamp People Star Mitchell Guist Has Died
Originally posted 05/14/2012 02:45PM
Mitchell Guist, one of the crocodile-hunting stars of The History Channel series Swamp People, died in Louisiana on Monday.
Authorities confirmed the news to Baton Rouge's WBRZ.com, adding that the incident occurred around 9 a.m. along the Belle River. CPR was attempted but attempts to resuscitate Guist were not successful.
The cause of death has not been reported.
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Maurice Sendak Dies at 83
Originally posted 05/08/2012 08:50AM
Maurice Sendak, the curmudgeonly and wildly successful children's book illustrator and author of Where the Wild Things Are, died at 3 a.m. Tuesday, a rep for the artist tells PEOPLE. He was 83.
He died at his Connecticut home from complications of a recent stroke, reports The New York Times. Sendak's friend (and onetime collaborator), playwright Tony Kushner, had been with him the past couple days, the rep tells PEOPLE.
Only last January, a frail but erudite Sendak made a memorable appearance on The Colbert Report, and said, "There's something in this country that is so opposed to understanding the complexity of children."
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Justin Timberlake 'Crushed' Over Death of Adam Yauch
Originally posted 05/04/2012 03:05PM
The untimely death of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch at age 47 has drawn sympathy and sad reactions from many in the music community. Among them: Justin Timberlake, who remembered the rapper, filmmaker and father as a "true pioneer of art."
"Crushed to hear the news of Adam Yauch's passing," Timberlake Tweeted. "My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.#RIPMCA."
Jay-Z posted a black and white image of Yauch on his website with a heartfelt message, writing, "May a great musical pioneer rest in peace. Our prayers go out to his family, as his hip hop family mourns our loss and celebrates his life."
Other musicians, like Benji Madden, said the Brooklyn-born musician inspired them to pursue their dreams.
"This news hits hard," Madden Tweeted. "The Beastie Boys are 1of the reasons I do music&MCA was the captain."
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