Brittany Murphy

 

"I would like to be very, very, very, very old.  With all the technology we are inventing and what they are coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes."

Brittany Anne Murphy was born in Atlanta, Georgia on November 10, 1977.  By the time she was just three years old, her parents had already divorced and her father, a member of the Italian mafia, was on his way to prison.  Brittany and her mom soon relocated to Edison, New Jersey.

By the time she was a teenager, Murphy was already intent on becoming an actress.  Her mother encouraged the dream by relocating the family to Hollywood.  It proved to be a smart bet, as Murphy quickly found work.  Her first role was in this flashback sequence on the hit comedy Murphy Brown. 

From there, she joined the cast of the FOX sit-com Drexell's Class, playing the daughter of series lead Dabney Coleman. Here's a cute clip on YouTube.  Her breakthrough role however, was in the 1995 film Clueless, playing transfer student Tai Frasier.  It was a box office success, earning $88 million worldwide and projecting Murphy to superstar status.

In 2006, Murphy began dating British screenwriter Simon Monjack.  Friends and family became increasingly distrustful of him and were often cautioning Murphy about the relationship.  She went ahead and married him anyway however, in a private ceremony in 2007.  The couple, joined by Murphy's mother, then moved into a Beverly Hills mansion formerly owned by Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake.  

On the morning of December 20, 2009, paramedics were called to the mansion after Murphy was found unconscious on a bathroom floor.  She was transported to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where she passed away following a cardiac arrest.  She was just 32 years old. 

On Christmas Eve, she was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.  The Associated Press filed this report from the cemetery. 

An autopsy cited a number of factors contributing to her death, including pneumonia, anemia, and drug intoxication.  Monjack and Murphy's mother publicly contested the autopsy, re-iterating that Murphy had never been a known drug user.  Then, just five months later, Monjack was also found dead in the home.  Amazingly, his death was also attributed to pneumonia and anemia, leading some to speculate that the house was full of toxic mold.  It remains a subject of great debate to this day.

Rest in peace.  As if!

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Brittany Murphy, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Four years after her death, independent lab tests funded by her father discovered the presence of ten heavy metals at levels deemed unsafe by the World Health Organization.
  
  
• Murphy was a talented singer as well.  In the 1990s, she collaborated with fellow actor Eric Balfour and launched the band Blessed With Soul.  You can check out her video for Faster Kill Pussycat on YouTube.
  
  
• Speaking of videos, in 2004, MTV followed Murphy to a Blockbuster video store in Manhattan, where she treated viewers to her movie picks, on VHS no less.  What did she recommend?  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• Murphy was a devout Christian and patriot, who visited our troops in both Baghdad and Kuwait during the War on Terror. 

Chris Farley

 

"I want to live fast and die young."

Christopher Crosby Farley was born in Madison, Wisconsin on February 15, 1964.  He was one of five children born to Thomas John Farley, Sr., owner of an oil company, and Mary Anne, a homemaker.

In 1986, he graduated from Marquette University in Michigan with a double major in communications and theatre.  While there, he honed his talent for comedy, making his way to Chicago's Second City Theatre following graduation.

In 1990, he began a five-year stint on Saturday Night Live (SNL), along with other newcomers Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, and David Spade.  His most famous recurring character during this time was that of motivational speaker Matt Foley, who often reminded viewers that he "lived in a van down by the river."  He also formed an intense bond with Spade, which would lead to them making a series of films together.  Along with Sandler, Farley fired from SNL in 1995.

In late December 1997, Farley was entertaining a hooker in his apartment at the John Hancock Center in Chicago.  The two imbibed on one of Farley's oft-joked about subjects, cocaine and heroin.  An accidental overdoes would lead to his death at the young age of 33.  He was eventually found by his brother John on December 18th.

A private funeral was held in Madison on December 23rd.  More than 500 people attended, including former castmates Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, George Wendt and more.  Noticeably absent was his best friend Spade, who later recalled that it would have been too emotionally overwhelming.  Farley was then entombed in the main mausoleum at Resurrection Cemetery.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Following his death, Heidi the Hooker sold photos of Farley's dead body to the Globe tabloid, which naturally published them.  This blogger has seen them, as they are easily searchable on the internet.
  
  
• Twelve years after Farley's passing, his older brother Tom decided to cash in by publishing The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts.  You can pick up a copy from Amazon.
  
  
• Farley was cast as the title character in the 2001 animated hit Shrek and even recorded dialogue for the film.  After his untimely passing however, the role was re-assigned to his SNL castmate, Mike Myers.  Test footage does survive however, including this version on YouTube.
  
  
• At the time of his death, Farley's next-door neighbor was talk show host and disgraced former mayor Jerry Springer.
  
  
• As a tribute to the comedian, the Red Hot Chili Peppers included the lyric "Farley is an angel and I can prove this" on their single Purple Stain.  You can hear it for yourself on YouTube.
  
  
• Farley often appeared as former House speaker Newt Gingrich on SNL.  Following the former's first 100 days in that role, Farley played the part live at a meeting on Capitol Hill.  C-SPAN covered the event, which you can watch on YouTube.

The Babe!

"The only game, I think, in the world is baseball."

George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 6, 1895.  He was the son of German immigrants and one of only two siblings (out of seven) to survive past infancy.

Though much of his childhood remains a mystery, it is believed that his interest in baseball first began while as a student at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys.  There, he was mentored by Brother Matthias Boutlier, himself a skilled baseball player.

When Ruth was 19, he began his career with the Baltimore Orioles.  It was here that he earned his nickname, due to both his young appearance and his almost familial relationship with team owner, Jack Dunn.  He was later sold to the Boston Red Sox, where he had a well-earned reputation as an outstanding pitcher.

In 1920, Ruth was sold again, this time to the New York Yankees.  Over the next 15 years, he'd help them win seven American League pennants and four World Series.  By the time he retired in 1935, he'd achieved 714 home runs in his big-league career, a record that would stand until 1974, when Hank Aaron scored 715.

By 1946, Ruth was experiencing the early symptoms of cancer.  He'd continue traveling the country however, doing promotional work for the Ford Motor Company.  He also collaborated on his autobiography The Babe Ruth Story.  During one of his final public appearances, he donated a copy of the yet-unpublished manuscript to Yale University.  There, he met the captain of the baseball team, future President George H.W, Bush.

Babe Ruth passed away on August 16th, 1948, at the age of 53.  He was laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Babe Ruth, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• The eulogy that appears on Ruth's marker (shown above) was delivered by Cardinal Francis Spellman, who served as Archbishop of New York and officiated at the funeral.
  
  
• The Babe had a tendency to call each of his teammates "kid."  It wasn't a term of endearment; rather, he could never remember their names.
  
  
• The Babe's father once owned a pub in downtown Baltimore.  The neighborhood was later redeveloped and turned into Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles.  It is said that the pub was located at what is now center field.
  
  
• Camden Yards also includes a tribute to the Babe in the form of a statue.  Unfortunately, it incorrectly portrays him as a right-hander.  The Babe was a lefty.

Buried in a Pringles Can?

 

Fred Baur is not exactly a household name, but the product he created certainly is. At some point in your life, you've probably had Pringles, the uniquely shaped stackable potato chip he created for Procter and Gamble in 1966.  Five years later, he received a patent for the tubular can that would help make the chips a household name.  It would also play a pivotal role in his demise.

Baur was born in Toledo, Ohio on July 14, 1918.  He received his master's degree from Ohio State University, then did a tour with the Navy during World War 2.  After the service, he returned to Ohio and began a career as an organic chemist and food storage scientist.  

Baur died of Alzheimer's disease on May 4, 2008.  He was 89 years old.  For many, that would have been the end of the story, were it not for the unique final arrangements he had requested in the days leading up to his death.

Baur was cremated, and his ashes were divided into thirds.  The first set was given to his grandchildren.  The remaining two sets were buried at Arlington Memorial Gardens in Mount Healthy, Ohio, just twenty minutes outside Cincinnati.  Two separate containers were used - a traditional urn and a standard Pringles can.  Baur had requested that a portion of his remains be interred with the product he had given to the world.  

Artist's rendition.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• This blogger has been to known to consume an entire can of Pringles in one sitting.  Favorite flavors include original, Buffalo Ranch, Sour Cream and Onion, and Honey Mustard.
  
  
• In addition to developing Pringles and its packaging, Baur created frying oils and freeze-dried ice cream.
  
  
• In 2012, Kellogg's acquired Pringles from Procter and Gamble for the tidy sum of $2.7 billion.
  
  
• There are a number of YouTube videos regarding Baur, Pringles, and the grave.  Unfortunately, they all suck.  Here's one that sucks less than the rest.  

Wayland Flowers....and Madame?

 

"This was an underground act that took root and shot up out of nowhere."

If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, you probably remember Wayland Flowers and Madame for their regular appearances on Hollywood Squares.  While many would agree that Madame was the brains of the act, most of the credit goes to Wayland himself.

He was born in Dawson, Georgia on November 26, 1939.  A few years later, his father was killed in World War 2, and Flowers was raised in a devoutly religious all-female household.  After college, he enlisted in the Coast Guard, before eventually settling in New York City, having become enamored with the Broadway stage. 

In 1964, Flowers landed a job as a puppeteer for the New York World's Fair.  There is some historical debate as to whether this was his first involvement with the world of puppets, but it would ultimately provide the inspiration for the character of Madame. 

Recognizing Flowers' affection for a Wicked Witch of the West puppet, his boss gave it to him, which he soon transformed into the first version of the Madame puppet.  Her feisty personality would come later, after Flowers overheard an elderly Ziegfeld Follies girl become irate with an abusive bartender.  Believe it or Not!

The duo would spend the next twenty years appearing in sold-out live performances and on a host of television shows.  From 1981 to 1984, they were regular co-hosts on the syndicated musical countdown series Solid Gold, often providing some much-needed comic relief.  Check out these clips with generous co-host Marilyn McCoo.  The team would even have their own short-lived series called Madame's Place, which aired for one season in 1982.  Co-stars included Judy Landers and a then-unknown Corey Feldman.

In September 1987, Flowers was diagnosed with HIV.  A little over one year later, he collapsed on stage wile performing at Lake Tahoe.  After a brief hospitalization, he visited with friends and family in Georgia, before retiring to a Los Angeles area hospice to live out his final days.  He ultimately passed away on October 11, 1988.  He was just 48 years old. 

Wayland Flowers was cremated and his ashes were returned to Dawson, Georgia.  He was laid to rest in the family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• In 1983, the duo released a scandalous, tell-all autobiography to generally positive reviews.  You can pick up a copy of Madame: My Misbegotten Memoirs, from Amazon.
  
  
• Following his death, the Star tabloid incorrectly reported that Madame was buried with Flowers, an urban legend that persists to this day.  In fact, the Madame puppets (there were multiple) were bequeathed to friends and family members.
  
  
• Flowers left part of his estate to the Hughes House, the L.A. hospice where he'd spent his final days.  It was later renamed the Wayland Flowers House, but it ultimately closed just a few months after his passing.
  
  
• It might shock fans of Hollywood Squares to know that Wayland Flowers and Madame was a stage show for adults only.  Flowers insisted that no one under 18 be admitted to a live performance.
  
  
• As Madame, Flowers would often state that Jim Henson and his team had been inspired by the duo in the creation and performance of Muppets star Miss Piggy.  This blogger definitely sees the resemblance. 

The Duchess Anastasia - Buried in Virginia?

 

Most famous graves are fairly cut and dry.  A celebrity dies, they're laid to rest, and I tell you where to go.  Sometimes however, there's a little bit of a mystery involved, like the space alien buried in Texas, or TV's Mr. Ed, who was laid to rest in an Oklahoma farmer's backyard.  Such is the case with this week's subject, Grand Duchess Anastasia.

In case you were asleep during high school history, Anastasia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas of Russia.  In 1918, the entire family was murdered during a Bolshevik revolt, but it was the beginning of a mystery that would last for nearly a century.

In 1922, a woman who would be known as Anna Anderson made her first public claims to be the surviving Anastasia.  She told a tale of being secreted away after the attack and spending the intervening years in seclusion.  Much of that time was spent in a mental hospital in Berlin. 

When she first went public, she received equal parts criticism and support.  Most significantly, surviving members of the family would claim emphatically that she was not who she claimed to be.  Over the next forty years, Anderson would often find herself in a courtroom, attempting to prove her claim, which she was never able to do.

In 1968, Anderson received a six-month visa to the United States.  Her trip was paid for by Jack Manahan, a history professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.  Just as the visa was set to expire, the two were married in a simple ceremony, becoming well-known local eccentrics.  Manahan, who was 20 years her junior, was now referring to himself as the "Grand Duke-in-Waiting" as well as a son-in-law to the Tsar.  Their story was even profiled on that great 70s documentary series In Search Of, hosted by Leonard Nimoy.

By 1983, Anderson's health was in serious decline.  That November, she was institutionalized once again and given a court-appointed legal guardian.  It didn't sit well with Manahan however, who checked her out just a few days later.  The couple would spend the next three days on the run, living out of area convenience stores.  She was returned to the healthcare facility, where she died of pneumonia of February 12, 1984.  She was cremated, and her ashes were buried in Germany.

In failing health himself, Manahan bought a plot at the University of Virginia Cemetery in Charlottesville.  He ordered a headstone for both he and his wife, whom he forever immortalized as "Anastasia."  

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Manahan eventually passed away on March 22, 1990.  He was 70 years old.
  
  
• In 1991, DNA testing was conducted on the bodies of the Royal family.  It was compared to DNA samples of Anderson, taken from a 1979 medical procedure.  It determined conclusively that she was in fact, not Anastasia.  Her true name was Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish factory worker with a history of mental illness.
  
  
• A number of books have been written about the troubled life of Anna Anderson.  Check out this selection from Amazon. 
  
  
• Anna Anderson's story has also been chronicled by other documentaries as well, including Unsolved Mysteries and Chicken Soup for the Soul.  The couple also sat down with local Charlottesville station WSLS for this interview in 1968 (no audio).

The Lost Grave of Andy Williams

 

"I still don't think I'm as good as anyone else."

Every now and then in my research, I come across a grave so unique that it immediately piques my interest.  Such was the case with Andy Williams, a famed singer I had certainly heard of, but knew very little about.  When I discovered the sad story of his final resting place in Branson, Missouri, I knew I had to go there to see it for myself.

Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams was born in Wall Lake, Iowa, on December 3, 1927. When he was just 16 years old, he moved with his three older brothers to Los Angeles, having formed the Williams Brothers Quartet.  Their act caught the attention of Bing Crosby, who put them on his 1944 album Swinging on a Star.

Williams went solo in 1953 and enjoyed a long and prosperous career.  He recorded his signature song Moon River in 1962, having been asked to perform it at the Academy Awards.  Although it had been recorded by Audrey Hepburn one year earlier for her feature film Breakfast at Tiffany's, the ballad would forever be associated with Williams.

In 1991, older brother Don invited Williams to Branson, Missouri, an up-and-coming tourist mecca in the Ozark Mountains.  There, he was encouraged by locals to open his own theatre and he did just that.  The Moon River Theatre officially opened on May 1, 1992.  It was the first non-country and western attraction to open in the predominantly rural setting.

Williams appeared regularly at theatre for the next 20 years, often joined by fellow crooners, including Glen Campbell, Ann-Margret, and 70s icon Charo.  It was from this venue where he announced in 2011 that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer.  It ultimately took his life just one year later, on September 25, 2012.  He was 84 years old.

In keeping with his last request, Williams was cremated, and his ashes were sprinkled on Moon River itself, an artificial pond located on the property.

The pond as it appears in 2025.

The theatre's final curtain call came just a few years after Williams passed away.  The property was sold in 2021 and is currently being redeveloped as the Truth Traveler Theatre, a Bible-based attraction offering a 5D virtual reality ride, one that promises to "bring the Bible to life."

When this blogger visited the site in February 2025, it was in a state of redevelopment.  The Andy Williams signage has been removed, but the building's recognizable mountainesque facade remains.  The future of the pond is unclear.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• In 2009, Williams released his autobiography Moon River and Me: A Memoir.  Pick up a copy on Amazon.
  
  
• Want to see video of his watery grave?  Scott Michaels, who runs the fantastic Dearly Departed website, took viewers on a tour in 2022.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• A popular urban legend tells that Williams overdubbed the singing voice of Lauren Bacall in the 1944 film To Have and Have Not.  Sources including Bacall herself claimed that this was not the case.  Take a listen on YouTube and judge for yourself.
  
  
• The theatre appeared, kind of, in a 1996 episode of The Simpsons.  Check out this clip on YouTube.
  
  
• While in Branson, be sure to visit the Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium, home to the world's largest roll of toilet paper (4,000 pounds).