As a one-time professional singer, I understand how grueling live performances can be. But, unlike all of the entries on this list, I survived my years in the spotlight. This list looks at twelve people who died in the midst of a performance.
Johnny Ace was a rhythm and blues musician, active from 1949 to 1954. Born in Tennessee in 1929 as John Marshall Alexander Jnr., he served his country in the Navy during the Korean War before becoming a musician. On Christmas 1954, Ace was performing in Houston, Texas, when, during a break in the set, he began playing with a .22 cal Revolver – as band members often did, shooting at road signs etc. It is widely reported that Ace was either playing Russian roulette during the break, or bragging about how the gun wasn’t loaded, when in fact it was. It’s reported he had been drinking, and was warned to “Be careful” as he waved his pistol around, before stating “it’s okay, gun isn’t loaded see?” while putting it to his head and pulling the trigger.
Edith Webster was an actress who performed on stage in theaters. She was performing in Baltimore, and, while singing her swan song “Please don’t talk about me when I’m gone”, collapsed and died, both in the play, and in real life. She had suffered a heart attack at the exact moment her character was meant to collapse and die. Obviously, the audience thought it was part of the act and applauded, unknowingly, at both her death, and the stagehands call for help, thinking it was part of the play.
Real name Jerome Irving Rodale, was a playwright, editor, author and publisher, born in 1898. During his life he published various Organic Farming magazines. While not technically a performer, he died while appearing as a guest on the Dick Cavett show in 1971. Having finished his interview, but still being on-stage, Cavett brought out his second guest, Pete Hamill – a columnist for the New York Post. It was during this interview that Rodale let out a “snoring sound”, which got laughs from the audience, before the camera zoomed in on his face and Hamill said jokingly, “This looks bad”. Still, the audience laughed, although Cavett wasn’t – he says he ‘knew’ Rodale was dead. Two interns rushed on to stage to try and revive him, but couldn’t. Ironically, during his interview, he said “I’m in such good health that I fell down a long flight of stairs yesterday and I laughed all the way”, “I’ve decided to live to be a hundred”, as well as “I never felt better in my life!” He had also previously bragged that “I’m going to live to be 100, unless I’m run down by some sugar-crazed taxi driver.”
Stunt pilots live on the edge of life and death all the time, but Paul Mantz managed to survive a long career as a stunt pilot and racing pilot champion. It was during the filming of ‘The Flight of the Phoenix’, in 1965, that Mantz died, while attempting a very low flight over a desert site in Arizona. According to reports, Mantz’s plane struck a small hillock and he lost control. After trying to save the aircraft, it split in two and nosed into the ground, killing him instantly. Officials have blamed alcohol consumption before the stunt as the reason his judgment and efficiency were not as they should have been. The final credit in The Flight of the Phoenix says, “It should be remembered… that Paul Mantz, a fine man and a brilliant flier, gave his life in the making of this film…”
Karl Wallenda was a German daredevil born in 1905, and the founder of ‘The Flying Wallendas’ – an international dare devil circus act. He was most famed for his wire walks, which he would perform between two very high structures without a safety net, particularly in his later years. In 1978, at age 73, he died while attempting to cross between two towers of a ten story hotel in Puerto Rico. While crossing the gap, winds of around 30 miles per hour were enough to cause Wallenda to lose his balance and fall 121 feet to his death. He was quoted as saying, “Life is being on the wire; everything else is just waiting.”
Leslie Harvey, born in 1945, was a Scottish guitarist for many bands during the 1960s and 1970s, most notably Stone the Crows. Before their formation in 1969, however, Harvey played with the band ‘Cartoone’ as they toured the United States supporting Led Zeppelin. On 3 May 1972, while performing with Stone the Crows at the Swansea Top Rank Ballroom in Wales, he touched an unearthed microphone with wet hands and was electrocuted. The shock killed him.
12 : Johnny Ace
Johnny Ace was a rhythm and blues musician, active from 1949 to 1954. Born in Tennessee in 1929 as John Marshall Alexander Jnr., he served his country in the Navy during the Korean War before becoming a musician. On Christmas 1954, Ace was performing in Houston, Texas, when, during a break in the set, he began playing with a .22 cal Revolver – as band members often did, shooting at road signs etc. It is widely reported that Ace was either playing Russian roulette during the break, or bragging about how the gun wasn’t loaded, when in fact it was. It’s reported he had been drinking, and was warned to “Be careful” as he waved his pistol around, before stating “it’s okay, gun isn’t loaded see?” while putting it to his head and pulling the trigger.
11 : Edith Webster
Edith Webster was an actress who performed on stage in theaters. She was performing in Baltimore, and, while singing her swan song “Please don’t talk about me when I’m gone”, collapsed and died, both in the play, and in real life. She had suffered a heart attack at the exact moment her character was meant to collapse and die. Obviously, the audience thought it was part of the act and applauded, unknowingly, at both her death, and the stagehands call for help, thinking it was part of the play.
10 J.I.Rodale
Real name Jerome Irving Rodale, was a playwright, editor, author and publisher, born in 1898. During his life he published various Organic Farming magazines. While not technically a performer, he died while appearing as a guest on the Dick Cavett show in 1971. Having finished his interview, but still being on-stage, Cavett brought out his second guest, Pete Hamill – a columnist for the New York Post. It was during this interview that Rodale let out a “snoring sound”, which got laughs from the audience, before the camera zoomed in on his face and Hamill said jokingly, “This looks bad”. Still, the audience laughed, although Cavett wasn’t – he says he ‘knew’ Rodale was dead. Two interns rushed on to stage to try and revive him, but couldn’t. Ironically, during his interview, he said “I’m in such good health that I fell down a long flight of stairs yesterday and I laughed all the way”, “I’ve decided to live to be a hundred”, as well as “I never felt better in my life!” He had also previously bragged that “I’m going to live to be 100, unless I’m run down by some sugar-crazed taxi driver.”
9 : Paul Mantz
Stunt pilots live on the edge of life and death all the time, but Paul Mantz managed to survive a long career as a stunt pilot and racing pilot champion. It was during the filming of ‘The Flight of the Phoenix’, in 1965, that Mantz died, while attempting a very low flight over a desert site in Arizona. According to reports, Mantz’s plane struck a small hillock and he lost control. After trying to save the aircraft, it split in two and nosed into the ground, killing him instantly. Officials have blamed alcohol consumption before the stunt as the reason his judgment and efficiency were not as they should have been. The final credit in The Flight of the Phoenix says, “It should be remembered… that Paul Mantz, a fine man and a brilliant flier, gave his life in the making of this film…”
8 : Karl Wallenda
Karl Wallenda was a German daredevil born in 1905, and the founder of ‘The Flying Wallendas’ – an international dare devil circus act. He was most famed for his wire walks, which he would perform between two very high structures without a safety net, particularly in his later years. In 1978, at age 73, he died while attempting to cross between two towers of a ten story hotel in Puerto Rico. While crossing the gap, winds of around 30 miles per hour were enough to cause Wallenda to lose his balance and fall 121 feet to his death. He was quoted as saying, “Life is being on the wire; everything else is just waiting.”
7 : Leslie “Les” Harvey
Leslie Harvey, born in 1945, was a Scottish guitarist for many bands during the 1960s and 1970s, most notably Stone the Crows. Before their formation in 1969, however, Harvey played with the band ‘Cartoone’ as they toured the United States supporting Led Zeppelin. On 3 May 1972, while performing with Stone the Crows at the Swansea Top Rank Ballroom in Wales, he touched an unearthed microphone with wet hands and was electrocuted. The shock killed him.
Categories:
amazing
,
intersting
0 comments:
Post a Comment