Death Hasn't Taken the Summer Off

By PopEater Staff Posted Sep 6th 2009 08:06PM

JUNE Deaths
3 -- Blues queen Koko Taylor, 80, complications from stomach surgery.
3 -- 'Enter the Dragon' villain Shih Kien, 96, kidney failure.
4 -- David Carradine, 72, asphyxiation.
23 -- Ed McMahon, 86, natural causes.
25 -- Farrah Fawcett, 62, cancer.
25 -- Michael Jackson, 50, homicide caused by acute propofol intoxication.
28 -- TV pitchman Billy Mays, 50, heart disease.
28 -- Entertainer Fred Travalena, 66, cancer.
29 -- 1950s sitcom star Gale Storm, 87, natural causes.

JULY Deaths
1 -- Karl Malden, 97, natural causes.
1 -- 'Fargo' actor Harve Presnell, 75, pancreatic cancer.
4 -- 'Tarzan' actress Brenda Joyce, 92, pneumonia.
17 -- Walter Cronkite, 92, natural causes.
19 -- 'Angela's Ashes' author Frank McCourt, 78, melanoma.
19 -- British invasion singer Gordon Waller, 64, cardiovascular disease.
21 -- 'You Can't Do That on Television' star Les Lye, 84.
22 -- 'American Idol' contestant Alexis Cohen, 23, struck by car.

AUGUST Deaths
6 -- John Hughes, 59, heart attack.
10 -- Folk music revivalist Mike Seeger, 75, cancer.
13 -- Guitar innovator Les Paul, 94, pneumonia.
28 -- Adam Goldstein (DJ AM), 36, cause pending autopsy results.

It's being called the Summer of Death, and for good reason. Beginning with the bizarre passing of 'Kung Fu' actor David Carradine and then recently the sudden end to DJ AM's life, the past few months have been rife with over 20 fallen celebrities and pop culture figures.

There was no pattern in the levels of prestige among the fallen, just death upon death, involving the trustworthy (Walter Cronkite), the quirky (Billy Mays) and the innovative (Les Paul). Each were met with sadness, or shock, or ambivalence -- depending on the person.

Which celeb left the biggest legacy? How did you react? Take our end of summer (of death) polls after the jump.

Comments

(27)

Sunday 06 September

By tAsnIA

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such a loss sighs

Tuesday 08 September

By tupoyiwan10029

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Recently,I found a very interesting place
______W e a l thy R o ma nc e .c o m_____.
It is the best dating club for seeking the rich singles, beauties and even hot celebs..
what's the most important is that you dont have to be a millionaire.but you can meet one.
I think everyone need to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy .You should check it out!!!
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By Cecilia lagrutta

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I like to know if MichaelJackson would receive any emmy awards,for his past songs,and dance? His family member can take it for him.But He is known for music,dance,and that is what is should still reecive. Even though his doctor took his life from him sooner,and he knew it!

By Colleen

I could be wrong but Michael Jackson may have won an Emmy for his performance on the Motown 30th Anniversary TV Special where he did a great performance in which he premiered his now infamous (but was NOT the first one to do it) MOONWALK! They give out Emmy's for guest performances and specials so he may have won an award for that. I think I recall reading it in his Bio shortly after he died. Don't quote me on it, but it's a possibility. Would they give him one now? I don't think so. He can't produce anything new for consideration to receive an Emmy award and anything that has already been filmed has probably already been seen. It would have to be new to get an Emmy and unfortunately, that is not possibile.

Monday 07 September

By H

People have been dying everyday, week in, week out. montlhy and all year long. And yet we are to honor these celebrities instead of the many others that walk side by side us in everyday life. And when Brooke Shields should meet the grim reaper are we to honor her because she made commericals for toothpaste and she needed to grow her eyelashes while she shipped her weathly mother to lived in a nursing home in New Jersey instead of living out her life in her own home. That is truly pathetic.

By Bub

Yes, people do die day in and day out, but it's figures such as these in the media that stand out and take personal meanings to many people. Why shouldn't they be honoured?

By JAY

The media tried to make more of the Jackson death than the actual fan base did. The fans did not turn out in great numbers. There were fans out there, but not like the media wanted to project. Ted Kennedy had the numbers, tributes, and show of repect, not some twice accused child molester like jackson. The blacks couldn't atually lay claim to him, he had turned himself white. And as far as the jackson Children?? they're not his either!

By Tell It Like It Is

To Jay:
I erroneously referred to you as Joe. Like Jammie Fox stated Michael Jackson BELONGS to us (THE BLACK RACE) we merely SHARED him with everyone else. King Michael stood for all RACES, CREEDS, RELIGION!!! I CONCUR. African Americans could NEVER, and WOULD NEVER DISOWN this great,great,great musical KING, because he is of our ancestry. WE CELEBRATE HIM, AND HIS LIFE ETERNALLY!!!!!!! You further, should cease from bashing people's religion.

Wednesday 09 September

By Michelle

You need to hush.I bet not as many people cared about Ted then Michael. And he was NOT a child molester.

By Ruby

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R I P. Dominic Dunne!

By c e w

Billy Mays will be missed he is Great at what he did on saleing stuff ----seen on T V ---- Drugs did him in what a way too go-- will be missed

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To notoislam :
You should concentrate more on "noto" making statements about matters which you know "noto" about! King Michael NEVER MOLESTED ANYONE"S CHILD, THE FACTS HAVE BEEN IN FOR QUITE SOME TIME!!!! Do you READ and do RESEARCH??? WERE YOU OUT OF THE PLANET FOR SOME TIME, AND JUST RETURNED SINCE KING MICHAEL'S TRAGIC DEATH? DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY? HAVE YOU EVER LOST A LOVED ONE? I hope if you have, or that if you haven't people would "noto" be as isensitive to your loss as you are with respect to the statements you have made regarding THE WORLD"S GREATEST ENTERTAINER OF ALL TIME, THE HONORABLE KING OF MUSIC, KING OF POP, KING MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON!!!!!! R.I.P. THE WORLD'S MIGHTY MUSICAL ICON, GUINESS WORLD BOOK RECORD HOLDER (MANY TITLES) AT THE PINNACLE OF EVERY OTHER SOLO PERFORMER IN THE GALAXY WITH THRILLER, BECAUSE EVRY OTHER PERFORMER IS BENEATH YOU IN THIS CATEGORY, WONDERFUL FATHER, SON , BROTHER, HUMANITARIAN, LOVED BY MILLIONS!!!! I WILL DIE MISSING YOU , MY GLORIOUS KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By your right

Thats right

To Joe:
You are another misinformed jacka--!!! King Michael had VITILIGO , go research the disease. When he did the half time show for the Superbowl back in 1993, more people watched the half time show THAN THE FOOTBALL GAME!!! When he did a special for HBO their ratings were HIGHER than they had EVER been, hence he was AWARDED THE CABLE ACE AWARD!!!! King Michael's untimely death was MOURNED ON EVERY CONTINENT OF THE GLOBE COMPLETE WITH SAND SCULPTURES, WAX FIGURES, STATUES, and the list goes on. His 51st b'day, which would have been August 29, was celebrated no differently, new sand sculptures, more wax figures, statues and the like!!! Where have YOU been? The LA police forbid fans from flooding the area around the memorial at the Staples Center, obviously for security reasons. If you didn't have a ticket to get into the memorial, you could not go beyond a certain point!!! Therefore, MILLIONS OF FANS AROUND THE GLOBE WATCHED THE MEMORIAL ON TELEVISION!!!!

By neice

I find all the negative remarks about MJ very sad, I dont beleive he hurt any child, he was a child in a adult body, in a adult world, his father to blame for alot of it in many ways, he didnt grow up, children to him were innocent, painless, the reason for loving them so,I understand all that, loved alot of his music, now the media is going to have a field day reporting on his kids, which will be very sad, it will hard to keep alot of it away from them, my only problem is MJ wasnt a king, his name is not king michael, its michael jackson king of pop, Bruce is the boss, Elvis is king, and so on,I am not counting record sales,ok even michael would tell you, so lets keep it all real, not act like the media, or say racist remarks, or speak of his kids in a negative tone, michael is their father and thats it.

By kun

Tell it like it is------The use of all caps is disturbing. MJ was a man, not a king, not some kind of messiah. He was very talented but no one is worthy of being raised to that status you are trying to elevate him to. You seem to be worshiping him and I don't get that.

By trekrhed

Celebrities are people like the rest of us. It is sad and tragic for their families when they pass away. What I don't understand is why the media makes such a big deal about them when our mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters are being wounded or killed in the middle east, and hardly a whisper is mentioned in the media about their sacrifice.
As far as I'm concerned we should be hailing these brave souls, and those before them, who fought and fight for our country, and whose sacrifice allows you to worship people who entertain you.
So go ahead and worship, praise, mourn, complain, judge, and give your opinion. Just be sure to thank all the soldiers past and present, who gave up their lives so you can have the freedom that the people in these other countries are persecuted for!
For all you brave souls currently serving in our military away from your home and families, I SALUTE YOU!

By PUNKBOOKKEEPER

Please include the great songwriter, Ellie Greenwich, who passed in August. She gave us "Be My Baby" and "River Deep, Mountain High".
Also, Sky Saxon of the Seeds, whose "Pushin' Too Hard" is a garage rock classic. He died the same day as Michael Jackson.

By brother bother

dude,all those folks seem to be either old as dust or dope fiends

By dar

i dont see the big deal here.people die,i dont think its something that should be to shocking to anyone that these people passed away.some were old,some were cancer stricken,and some or most were drug addicts.God doesnt pass over the rich and famous,come on people.

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