Goodbye to greats: A roll call of entertainers

MAY
Jay Presson Allen, 84. Adapted “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” for stage, screen. May 1.

Johnny Paris, 65. Had hits (“Red River Rock”) with Johnny & the Hurricanes. May 1.

Louis Rukeyser 73. Public TV host known for commonsense commentary on business. May 2.

Karel Appel, 85. A founder of influential COBRA art group. May 3.

Soraya, 37. Grammy-winning Colombian-American singer (“Solo Por Ti.”) May 10. Breast cancer.

Val Guest, 94. British director, screenwriter (“The Quatermass Xperiment.”) May 10.

Frankie Thomas, 85. Hero of 1950s TV show “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.” May 11.

Ted Berkman, 92. Author, screenwriter (“Bedtime for Bonzo.”) May 12.

Johnnie Wilder Jr., 56. Soulful lead singer of R&B band Heatwave (“Always and Forever.”) May 13.

Lew Anderson, 84. Gave “Howdy Doody Show” viewers a tearful goodbye as final Clarabell the Clown. May 14.

Stanley Kunitz, 100. Former U.S. poet laureate, Pulitzer winner. May 14.

Mary Ritts, 95. With husband, created the Ritts Puppets act seen on children’s TV shows. May 14.

Cheikha Rimitti, 83. Algerian singer who works dealt boldly with sexuality and oppression; admired by fans of world music. May 15.

Dan Q. Kennis, 86. Producer of oddball films. (“I Spit on Your Corpse!”) May 17.

Cy Feuer, 95. Co-producer of Broadway smashes (“Guys and Dolls.”) May 17.

Freddie Garrity, 69. Lead singer of 1960s British band Freddie and the Dreamers (“I’m Telling You Now.”) May 19.

Katherine Dunham, 96. Choreographer who brought African influences to U.S. dance. May 21.

Billy Walker, 77. Grand Ole Opry star (“Charlie’s Shoes.”) May 21.

Marshall Fishwick, 82. Pioneer in the study of popular culture. May 22.

Ian Copeland, 57. Rock entrepreneur who represented The Police, Go-Go’s. May 23. Melanoma.

Robert Giaimo, 86. Connecticut congressman who helped create national endowment for the arts. May 24.

Henry Bumstead, 91. Oscar-winning production designer (“To Kill a Mockingbird.”) May 24.

Desmond Dekker, 64. Brought Jamaican ska music to wide audience (“Israelites.”) May 25.

Paul Gleason, 67. Actor; the bad guy in “Trading Places.” May 27.

Alex Toth, 77. Comic and cartoon artist (“Space Ghost.”) May 27.

Arthur Widmer, 92. Won Academy Award for developing technology for special effects. May 28.

Robert Sterling, 88. Actor; appeared in the ghostly 1950s comedy series “Topper.” May 30.

Shohei Imamura, 79. Japanese director twice honored with the top prize at Cannes (“The Ballad of Narayama.”) May 30.

Ralph Epperson, 85. North Carolina radio station owner who championed mountain music. May 31.

JUNE
Rocio Jurado, 61. Powerful-voiced singer-actress; beloved figure in Spain and Latin America. June 1.

Vince Welnick, 55. Grateful Dead keyboard player in the 1990s; also with the Tubes (“White Punks on Dope.”) June 2. Suicide.

Johnny Grande, 76. An original member of Bill Haley and His Comets (“Rock Around the Clock.”) June 3.

Billy Preston, 59. Exuberant keyboardist and singer (“Nothing From Nothing”); played with the Beatles and Rolling Stones. June

6. Heart infection; kidney failure.

Arnold Newman, 88. Photographer who revealed the souls of artists and politicians. June 6.

Hilton Ruiz, 54. Jazz pianist, composer. June 6. Injured in a fall.

Ingo Preminger, 95. Producer of “M-A-S-H”; Otto’s brother. June 7.

Barbara Epstein, 76. She edited the original U.S. version of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” June 16.

Vincent Sherman, 99. Hollywood filmmaker (“The Adventures of Don Juan.”) June 18.

Claydes Charles Smith, 57. Lead guitarist for Kool & the Gang (“Joanna,” “Celebration.”) June 20.

Aaron Spelling, 83. TV impresario whose stylish shows (“Beverly Hills 90210”) were wildly popular. June 23.

Lyle Stuart, 83. Publisher of such oddities as “The Anarchist Cookbook.” June 24.

Arif Mardin, 72. Grammy Award-winning producer; worked with Aretha Franklin. June 25.

Lennie Weinrib, 71. Actor, writer (“H.R. Pufnstuf.”) June 28.

George Page, 71. Creator, host of PBS series “Nature.” June 28.

Lloyd Richards, 87. Theater director (“A Raisin in the Sun”). June 29.

MORE FROM YEAR IN REVIEW 2006

Year in review 2006 Section Front

Tuning out: Shows that said goodbye New Year's resolutions for TV characters Rolling Stones among biggest 2006 tours Best of the worst songs of 2006 Best movie scenes of 2006 Quiz: Test your '06 entertainment I.Q. Worst films: Awful is the new awesome Year in review: Best films of 2006 Bad behavior in pop culture spotlight Top 10 albums of 2006 Year in review 2006 Section Front   Add Year in review 2006 headlines to your news reader: