2019 Celebrity Deaths
There seemed to be a lot of 2019 Celebrity Deaths. Maybe it’s because I’m older and know more people that it affects me deeper. Maybe it’s because I’m older than some of the people we lost last year. I am writing this blog as a way to remember those we lost in 2019. It’s kind of sad and morbid, but it’s a way for me to honor those lost. I know we lost many more than the few I’ve listed below. I chose the celebrities who related most with my website (and my heart).
Daryl Dragon
The captain of Captain & Tennille passed away from kidney failure on January 2nd at the age of 76. Toni Tennille filed for divorce in 2014 after almost 40 years of marriage. Daryl had been ill and there are rumors that she divorced him for health insurance reasons. This was during the days of the almost free Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). My ex-husband wanted to end our marriage for the same reason. (I found other reasons to end the marriage.) Even though the Captain & Tennille divorced, they stayed friends. I think the love was always there. Toni was with her “ex” at his bedside at the time of his death.
Kristoff St. John
My sweet Neil Winters of The Young and the Restless died of heart disease on February 3rd when he was only 52. I knew he had been drinking more since his son’s suicide, but I had no idea he was close to death. I remember seeing him in The Bad News Bears when I was a kid. The Young and the Restless did a wonderful tribute to him and he’s still talked about often (his character) on the show.
Jan Michael Vincent
Gorgeous Jan Michael Vincent died at age 74 on February 10th of cardiac arrest. I love seeing pictures of him from the 70’s. He was so easy on the eyes. He battled alcohol and drug addiction most of his life and honestly, I’m not sure how he made it to 74. I’m hoping he’s in a place where his demons are gone. Click here to read the blog I wrote about him.
Peter Tork
Peter Tork of The Monkees died on February 21st of adenoid cystic carcinoma at the age of 77. Tork was the second of the four Monkees to pass away with Davy Jones dying in 2012. I believe Tork was the most musically inclined of the group and became restless with the silliness of the show. He paid a lot of money to get out of his contract early. Monkee Micky Dolenz once said that he, Davy Jones, and Michael Nesmith basically played themselves in The Monkees. Peter was the odd one out and had to really act because the role was totally out of character for him.
Luke Perry
Kristoff St. John’s death was a huge shock to me in February. That shock was nothing compared to Luke Perry’s passing on March 4th at the age of 52. Luke had a stroke at the end of February which was somewhat shocking but I never, ever in a million years didn’t think he wouldn’t recover. He was Dylan McKay after all. It’s been almost a year since his death and I still find it hard to believe that he’s gone. Click here to read the blog I wrote about him.
Peggy Lipton
Mod Squad’s Peggy Lipton died of colon cancer on May 11th at the age of 72. I never watched Mod Squad as it was a little before my time but I do remember seeing pinups of Peggy in my teen magazines. I also know of her because she was married to Quincy Jones who is a trumpet player, producer, and all-around bad ass. Peggy is also well known for her role in the show Twin Peaks (which I also did not watch). Trivia: she was involved with Paul McCartney for a brief time before Quincy. Cool.
Valerie Harper
Actress Valerie Harper died on August 30th at the age of 80 from leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. I know Valerie Harper is best known for her role of Rhoda from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but I never watched that show. I know of her because I’m a Jason Bateman fan. There was a show in the 80’s called Valerie where she played the mom to Bateman and his two younger brothers. There was a salary dispute, she was fired, Sandy Duncan was hired as the aunt, and the show changed the name to The Hogan Family.
Eddie Money
Singer Eddie Money died on September 13th at the age of 70 from esophageal cancer. I still have his 8-tracks from when I was a kid. Money was born a Mahoney in Brooklyn, but moved to Berkeley, CA in 1968 and altered his last name a bit. I live near Berkeley and we consider Eddie Money to be from around here. He’s a Bay Area success and we were sad when he lost his fight with cancer. Money battled drug and alcohol addiction for a good part of his life but got clean and sober in 2001. It’s sad he couldn’t break his cigarette addiction as well.
Conclusion
I hope my 2019 Celebrity Deaths blog was informative. I don’t want to say that I hope you enjoyed it or found it entertaining. Writing about death isn’t fun, but I think I’ll do this blog at the beginning of each year to remember those lost. Peace.