Book Review: Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2019

The research importance of Harris Lentz’s annual obit books is invaluable. Lentz carefully gathers every showbiz name who died throughout the year, and offers both a picture and a biography, the length of which is due to the level of stardom. For someone like Doris Day, Tim Conway or Valerie Harper, whom we sadly lost last year, there is much more info than for, say, Pandora Bronson or David Foster. But they are all here, including musicians, wrestlers, and anyone else who was active in any capacity in the performing arts. Even the cat from Pet Sematary nets an obit.

Of course, the most famous faces are familiar, and we realized they passed that year. But we are reminded of people like Preston Epps (remember Bongo Rock?), June Harding (from The Trouble With Angels), Beverly Lunsford (whom I remember in some episodes of Leave it to Beaver and My Three Sons), and Beverly Owen (The first Marilyn Munster).

The music world lost 100 year old R&B songwriter Dave Bartholomew, surf classic Dick Dale, singer Bobby Diamond, rockabilly star Sleepy LaBeef, Cream drummer Ginger Baker, the great Andre Previn, the delightful Leon Redbone and Dr John, Eddie Money, Captain Daryl Dragon, Cars front man Ric Ocasek, and beloved Monkee Peter Tork.

The youngest to go was Mya-Lecia Naylor at only 16. But it was way too soon to say goodbye to Cameron Boyce and Mungau Dain, both of whom were under 30, and Nipsey Hussle, only 33.

Old timers that made it past 100 include, along with the aforementioned Mr. Bartholomew, actress Julie Gibson, who, at 106, was the oldest celeb to die in 2019. We also lost Fay McKenzie and Herman Wouk, both of whom passed the century mark.

The year 2019 also saw the loss of Mousketeers Karen Pendelton and Dennis Day, Bachelor Father co-star Bernadette Withers, World's Greatest Athlete Jan-Michael Vincent, pretty Mod Squad star Peggy Lipton, beautiful ladies Carol Lynley, Julie Adams, and Lolita star Sue Lyon. Peter Fonda will always be flying down the highways on motorcycle; forever the easy rider.

There was the,unexpected passing of filmmaker John Singleton and actor Luke Perry, far too young to go. And despite their being older, losing Diahann Carroll and Doris Day was like saying goodbye to two old friends.

The wrestling world was rocked by the passing of King Kong Bundy, Ashley Massaro, Harley Race, Pedro Morales, Rene Goulet, and legendary announcer Mean Gene Okerland. Harris Lentz, a wrestling historian, has included them all.

Harris Lentz has been offering these books for many years, and I have been honored to be among the many to offer very marginal assistance to his tallying. There is nothing cold about this reference. Each of the bios Lentz offers are heartfelt and respectful, giving respect to every one of the performers we lost.

An absolute must for libraries and researchers, the book is available here: Obits