Famous People Whose Deaths Were Overshadowed

[Squib]

How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?

Ayn Rand, died one day after John Belushi in March 1982.

Stanley Kubrick died the same weekend as Joe DiMaggio in March 1999.
I remember little coverage of Kubrick's death, and lots of coverage
and news specials about DiMaggio.

Groucho Marx had the misfortune of dying within a couple days of
Elvis Presley in August 1977. Very little coverage in the media at
the time of his death.

Mother Teresa died a few days after Princess Diana in Sept. 1997.

Barry Goldwater, died one day after Phil Hartman was killed in May 1998.
Very little if any coverage as I recall.

Almost everyone knows about writers Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis dying
the same day that JFK was shot. In fact many did not know they had even
died until long afterward.

Here's a strange one:
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?
Ayn Rand, died one day after John Belushi in March 1982.

She was unlucky in not getting the recognition she should have
received.
She was a giant in literature and philosophy.

Post by Squib
Stanley Kubrick died the same weekend as Joe DiMaggio in March 1999.
I remember little coverage of Kubrick's death, and lots of coverage
and news specials about DiMaggio.
Groucho Marx had the misfortune of dying within a couple days of
Elvis Presley in August 1977. Very little coverage in the media at
the time of his death.

"I'd horsewhip you if I had a horse!"
"I wouldn't want to belong to any club that wanted me as a member."
"I have a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it."

Post by Squib
Mother Teresa died a few days after Princess Diana in Sept. 1997.
Barry Goldwater, died one day after Phil Hartman was killed in May 1998.
Very little if any coverage as I recall.
Almost everyone knows about writers Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis dying
the same day that JFK was shot. In fact many did not know they had even
died until long afterward.

True!

Post by Squib
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

She was much better than a thousand Bill Clintons.

[James Neibaur]

Squib 9/22/05 3:18 AM

Post by Squib
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

Another strange one --

Alfalfa of the Our Gang films (retitled Little Rascals on TV) was murdered
the same day Cecil B. DeMille died. DeMille got all the press.

JN

[Squib]

Post by James Neibaur
Alfalfa of the Our Gang films (retitled Little Rascals on TV) was murdered
the same day Cecil B. DeMille died. DeMille got all the press.
JN

Technically, he wasn't "murdered", as the death was ruled self-defense.
But a good example though.

[James Neibaur]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Bo Ice Bielefeldt]

Jim Henson and Sammy Davis, Jr., died on the same day. Henson got all
the press cuz his death came suddenly, while Davis had been ill for
years before his death and got very little mention.

[King Daevid MacKenzie]

Post by Bo Ice Bielefeldt
Jim Henson and Sammy Davis, Jr., died on the same day. Henson got all
the press cuz his death came suddenly, while Davis had been ill for
years before his death and got very little mention.

...this is most certainly false. In fact, both deaths were the lead
items on the CBS Evening News that day, taking up about four minutes of
airtime apiece as I recall; Davis' illness had been the topic of items
on the same newscast for at least the immediately prior two days...

[Bo Ice Bielefeldt]

OK, so the CBS Evening News did gave them equal coverage. However, one
of Chicago's major newspapers (can't remember if it was the Sun-Times
or the Tribune) published a big piece on Henson, while giving only a
small space for Davis.

[Glitter Ninja]

Post by Bo Ice Bielefeldt
OK, so the CBS Evening News did gave them equal coverage. However, one
of Chicago's major newspapers (can't remember if it was the Sun-Times
or the Tribune) published a big piece on Henson, while giving only a
small space for Davis.

I can't understand how some newspapers decide who gets how many
"inches" of space. When I was in 6th grade, Andy Kaufman died, and I
took the article to my current events class. It was an extremely short
article in the back of the newspaper. I never would have suspected his
death was the curiosity that it is, given the teeny amount of print he
got.

Stacia

[d***@comcast.net]

Speaking of overshadowed deaths, Author Irwin Shaw died the same day as
Andy Kaufman.

[Shirley]

Post by Bo Ice Bielefeldt
Jim Henson and Sammy Davis, Jr., died on the same day. Henson got all
the press cuz his death came suddenly, while Davis had been ill for
years before his death and got very little mention.

I went to the hospital the same day as Jim Henson ... with the same Strep A
infection ... was so surprised that I had survived and he had died....
That's how I knew about Jim Henson over Sammy Davis Jr.
Shirley

[teleflora]

Post by Shirley
I went to the hospital the same day as Jim Henson ... with the same Strep
A infection ... was so surprised that I had survived and he had died....
That's how I knew about Jim Henson over Sammy Davis Jr.
Shirley

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the same day Gilda Radner died of the
same disease. Weird how one lives and one dies.

Cindy

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by teleflora

Post by Shirley
I went to the hospital the same day as Jim Henson ... with the same Strep
A infection ... was so surprised that I had survived and he had died....
That's how I knew about Jim Henson over Sammy Davis Jr.
Shirley

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the same day Gilda Radner died of the
same disease. Weird how one lives and one dies.

Gilda's was obviously in the extremely advanced stage by then, while you
just learned about yours. It was a matter of timing.

[Corby Gilmore]

Post by James Neibaur
Squib 9/22/05 3:18 AM

Post by Squib
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

Another strange one --
Alfalfa of the Our Gang films (retitled Little Rascals on TV) was murdered
the same day Cecil B. DeMille died. DeMille got all the press.
JN

His real name was Carl Switzer, and apparently he still dont get no
respect, no respect at all! :-)

--
Corby Gilmore
***@ncf.ca

[Rob Petrie]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Loki]

On 22 Sep 2005 08:18:02 GMT, ***@ziwpgs.net (Squib) wrote:

Federico Fellini had the misfortune of dying the same day as River
Phoenix. River, the hot young star on the rise who died so suddenly
got all the press.


Loki

If you want to show support to our troops,
you can get some ideas of how to do so at:
http://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm

I encourage everyone to check it out,
respond from the heart, and pass it
along to anyone you think may want
to remember our troops throughout the year.

[James Neibaur]

Loki 9/22/05 7:38 AM

Post by Loki
Federico Fellini had the misfortune of dying the same day as River
Phoenix. River, the hot young star on the rise who died so suddenly
got all the press.

Ah, good one. I didn't know this.

JN

[Brad Ferguson]

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?
Ayn Rand, died one day after John Belushi in March 1982.

Not one in ten thosuand people had ever heard of Ayn Rand, who was old
and had been largely discredited. Belushi's death was -- well, perhaps
not unexpected, but certainly premature. It was a big deal for
boomers, who were starting to feel a little old as their forties
approached.

Post by Squib
Stanley Kubrick died the same weekend as Joe DiMaggio in March 1999.
I remember little coverage of Kubrick's death, and lots of coverage
and news specials about DiMaggio.

Famous baseball players, even crazy misers who keep all their money in
golf bags, always trump movie directors.

Post by Squib
Groucho Marx had the misfortune of dying within a couple days of
Elvis Presley in August 1977. Very little coverage in the media at
the time of his death.

I wouldn't say "very little," or that the death of Elvis affected the
coverage much. Groucho's death wasn't unexpected, but IIRC it came on
a day when the national newsweeklies had already been put to bed.

Post by Squib
Mother Teresa died a few days after Princess Diana in Sept. 1997.

Did somebody skimp on Mother Teresa coverage? As for Diana, see
somments below re: shoch value.

Post by Squib
Barry Goldwater, died one day after Phil Hartman was killed in May 1998.
Very little if any coverage as I recall.

Same for Alf Landon. For some reason, aged presidential ex-candidates
who got schlomped decades before their deaths don't seem to rate very
highly.

Post by Squib
Almost everyone knows about writers Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis dying
the same day that JFK was shot. In fact many did not know they had even
died until long afterward.

True enough.

Post by Squib
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

I don't agree at all. I thought she got plenty of coverage.
Inaugurations are programmers. They're always the same, and they're
covered from Washington. You can cover inaugurations in your sleep; I
don't think Clinton's (or anyone else's) affected coverage of Hepburn
at all. It's more important to consider that Hepburn had been ill for
some time, and her death was not unexpected.

The shock value of a death is important here. Sammy Davis Jr. and Jim
Henson died on the same day. It had been known for months that Davis
was dying, and obits had been made ready. Then Jim Henson, a major
cultural figure not known to have been ill, dies suddenly. The
attention went to Henson.

The same goes for Johnny Cash and John Ritter.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Brad Ferguson

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?
Ayn Rand, died one day after John Belushi in March 1982.

Not one in ten thosuand people had ever heard of Ayn Rand, who was old
and had been largely discredited.

Rand was not 'discredited' or her books would not have continually sold
in the millions all over the world, and still do.
She is more celebrated today than when she wrote her books, btw.
"The Passion of Ayn Rand" (1999) won an Emmy (actress, Helen Mirren),
*and* a Golden Globe (actor, Peter Fonda).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140447/awards
Pretty good for a film about a 'discredited' writer's life and work 17
years after her death!
But I'll agree with you on one thing, she was old: 77.

Post by Brad Ferguson
Belushi's death was -- well, perhaps
not unexpected, but certainly premature. It was a big deal for
boomers, who were starting to feel a little old as their forties
approached.

I was in my 30s then and felt younger. Still do today!

Post by Brad Ferguson

Post by Squib
Stanley Kubrick died the same weekend as Joe DiMaggio in March 1999.
I remember little coverage of Kubrick's death, and lots of coverage
and news specials about DiMaggio.

Famous baseball players, even crazy misers who keep all their money in
golf bags, always trump movie directors.

Post by Squib
Groucho Marx had the misfortune of dying within a couple days of
Elvis Presley in August 1977. Very little coverage in the media at
the time of his death.

I wouldn't say "very little," or that the death of Elvis affected the
coverage much. Groucho's death wasn't unexpected, but IIRC it came on
a day when the national newsweeklies had already been put to bed.

Post by Squib
Mother Teresa died a few days after Princess Diana in Sept. 1997.

Did somebody skimp on Mother Teresa coverage? As for Diana, see
somments below re: shoch value.

Post by Squib
Barry Goldwater, died one day after Phil Hartman was killed in May 1998.
Very little if any coverage as I recall.

Same for Alf Landon. For some reason, aged presidential ex-candidates
who got schlomped decades before their deaths don't seem to rate very
highly.

Post by Squib
Almost everyone knows about writers Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis dying
the same day that JFK was shot. In fact many did not know they had even
died until long afterward.

True enough.

Post by Squib
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

I don't agree at all. I thought she got plenty of coverage.
Inaugurations are programmers. They're always the same, and they're
covered from Washington. You can cover inaugurations in your sleep; I
don't think Clinton's (or anyone else's) affected coverage of Hepburn
at all. It's more important to consider that Hepburn had been ill for
some time, and her death was not unexpected.
The shock value of a death is important here. Sammy Davis Jr. and Jim
Henson died on the same day. It had been known for months that Davis
was dying, and obits had been made ready. Then Jim Henson, a major
cultural figure not known to have been ill, dies suddenly. The
attention went to Henson.
The same goes for Johnny Cash and John Ritter.

[scottla]

Post by Brad Ferguson

Post by Squib
Groucho Marx had the misfortune of dying within a couple days of
Elvis Presley in August 1977. Very little coverage in the media at
the time of his death.

I wouldn't say "very little," or that the death of Elvis affected the
coverage much. Groucho's death wasn't unexpected, but IIRC it came on
a day when the national newsweeklies had already been put to bed.

I remember that Groucho got just a couple of paragraphs in Time
magazine. The following week they printed a letter from Dick Cavett,
criticizing the slight, saying that he hoped it wasn't because he died
on (I think) a Saturday. He closed by saying that he hoped that Time,
of all magazines, wouldn't suggest that Groucho's (one of the greatest
comedians of all time) timing was off.

[u***@aol.com]

Robert Mitchum died within a day of Jimmy Stewart. Stewart got all the
ink, which was too bad because while both were great stars, for my
money Mitchum was much more compelling.

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?
Ayn Rand, died one day after John Belushi in March 1982.
Stanley Kubrick died the same weekend as Joe DiMaggio in March 1999.
I remember little coverage of Kubrick's death, and lots of coverage
and news specials about DiMaggio.
Groucho Marx had the misfortune of dying within a couple days of
Elvis Presley in August 1977. Very little coverage in the media at
the time of his death.
Mother Teresa died a few days after Princess Diana in Sept. 1997.
Barry Goldwater, died one day after Phil Hartman was killed in May 1998.
Very little if any coverage as I recall.
Almost everyone knows about writers Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis dying
the same day that JFK was shot. In fact many did not know they had even
died until long afterward.
Audrey Hepburn died the same day that Bill Clinton was inaugurated president
on January 20, 1993. She got a lot of press, but not *nearly* as much as she
would have had she not died on inauguration day.

[d***@comcast.net]

Dudley Moore, Milton Berle, & Billy Wilder all died the same day, but
I don't really remember if one death overshadowed the other two! As for
DiMaggio, he got more coverage than Kubrick because he'd been expected
to die the previous Fall, so the networks were all ready with obits,
while Kubrick caught them off guard.

[Brad Ferguson]

Post by d***@comcast.net
Dudley Moore, Milton Berle, & Billy Wilder all died the same day, but
I don't really remember if one death overshadowed the other two! As for
DiMaggio, he got more coverage than Kubrick because he'd been expected
to die the previous Fall, so the networks were all ready with obits,
while Kubrick caught them off guard.

Milton Berle got short shrift, IMHO, but his career was long behind him
and it appeared he was generally disliked by his colleagues, of whom
there weren't too many left to interview anyway. I think people felt
sorry for Dudley Moore. Billy Wilder was one of those "educate me"
obits -- that is, even though you've probably never heard of this guy,
he was important, and here's why. Same goes for Kubrick, although
there was that thing in the air about how the stress of working on
"Eyes Wide Shut" had helped kill him, and that sort of thing always
sexes up an obit.

[Garrett]

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?

Dorothy McGuire died on September 13, 2001. It's not surprising that
I first found out about it weeks after the fact.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Garrett

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?

Dorothy McGuire died on September 13, 2001. It's not surprising that
I first found out about it weeks after the fact.

Gee, what happened two days earlier that might have obliterated any
mention of her passing? <g>

Troy Donahue got lucky [1] - he died in 'early' Sept. 2001 so he got
plenty of ink.


[1] relative in the idea, if you have to go.

"We *all* have to go."
--Telly Savalas, in "Kelly's Heroes" (1970), but in a slightly
different context, if you saw the movie and remember the line!

[Charlene]

I can think of one example where an earlier death was overshadowed by
an expected death that took place two days later. Rudyard Kipling died,
somewhat unexpectedly, on January 18, 1936, but the papers were full of
speculations on the health of King George V, and Kipling's death was
somewhat ignored. George V died on January 20; Kipling's funeral was
completely ignored by the papers.

wd41

[AndrewJ]

Post by Garrett
Dorothy McGuire died on September 13, 2001. It's not surprising that

I first found out about it weeks after the fact.

Maybe not a major celebrity, but writer Calvin Trillin's wife Alice (he
wrote about her a great deal) succumbed to cancer in a Manhattan
hosptial on the afternoon of 9/11.

[d***@comcast.net]

Actor Victor Wong (he played "Walter" in "tremors" died Sept.12, 2001.
His wife said he was very upset by 9-11. (Who wasn't?)

[Bill Schenley]

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?

Actor James Dean's death overshadowed the death of actor Michael
Chekhov on September 30th 1955.

[d***@comcast.net]

Actually, Dean got surprisingly little coverage; only one of his 3
movies had been released when he died. (Look up the NY Times obit for
him if you don't believe me)

[d***@comcast.net]

Randolph Churchill died the same day as Robert Kennedy.

[Glitter Ninja]

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person
was totally overshadowed by another?

Lee Remmick died about the same time as Michael Landon, and I hardly
heard anything about Remmick. Landon's illness and death were very
highly publicized and overshadowed almost everything else.

Stacia

[d***@comcast.net]

Lee Remick died about the same time as Michael Landon, and I hardly
heard anything about Remick. Landon's illness and death were very
highly publicized and overshadowed almost everything else.

James Franciscus also died around the same time as Remick & Landon. I
remember a pal of mine saying, "3 stars of the '60's, all gone!"

[Bob Smolarek]

Ray Charles was overshaddowed by Ronald Reagans death and all of the
coverage that was going on.

[theresa]

Post by Bob Smolarek
Ray Charles was overshaddowed by Ronald Reagans death and all of the
coverage that was going on.

Not at my house...

[Bob Feigel]

Post by theresa

Post by Bob Smolarek
Ray Charles was overshaddowed by Ronald Reagans death and all of the
coverage that was going on.

Not at my house...

Ditto ...





"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[King Daevid MacKenzie]

...Leonard Bernstein died on 14 August 1990, one day after former CBS
News anchorman Douglas Edwards. Considering Edwards had been CBS'
evening news anchor for 15 years, it struck me at the time as very odd
that Bernstein's death seemed to be the bigger story. Bernstein's
passing even seemed to blunt the coverage of the death of CBS founder
William Paley a dozen days later...

[King Daevid MacKenzie]

Post by King Daevid MacKenzie
...Leonard Bernstein died on 14 August 1990

...that should be 14 October 1990. Dunno why I wrote August there; I had
a video of the Summer 1969 installment of the Linda Ellerbee/Ray Gandolf
series "Our World" playing as I wrote that, so that could be the reason...

[d***@comcast.net]

Leonard Bernstein died on 14 August 1990, one day after former CBS
News anchorman Douglas Edwards. Considering Edwards had been CBS'
evening news anchor for 15 years, it struck me at the time as very odd
that Bernstein's death seemed to be the bigger story. Bernstein's
passing even seemed to blunt the coverage of the death of CBS founder
William Paley a dozen days later...

Edwards may have been CBS Anchor for 15 years, but by 1990, he was best
remembered for doing those little 2 minute news spots that played in
the afternoons between soap operas. Bernstein, however, was a giant of
music. I don't think it's so odd he'd be the bigger story, even at CBS.

[AndrewJ]

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person

was totally overshadowed by another?

Just remembered one more... Radio comedian/I'VE GOT A SECRET panelist
Henry Morgan (not to be confused with DRAGNET/MASH star Harry Morgan)
died on May 19, 1994... the same day as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

[Bianca]

Post by Squib

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person

was totally overshadowed by another?
Just remembered one more... Radio comedian/I'VE GOT A SECRET panelist
Henry Morgan (not to be confused with DRAGNET/MASH star Harry Morgan)
died on May 19, 1994... the same day as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Terri Schiavo's death was certainly overshadowed by the death watch for
John Paul II

[Bob Feigel]

Post by Bianca

Post by Squib

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person

was totally overshadowed by another?
Just remembered one more... Radio comedian/I'VE GOT A SECRET panelist
Henry Morgan (not to be confused with DRAGNET/MASH star Harry Morgan)
died on May 19, 1994... the same day as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Terri Schiavo's death was certainly overshadowed by the death watch for
John Paul II

Not so overshadowed that I didn't see, hear or read something about it
almost every day.





"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Brad Ferguson]

Post by Bob Feigel

Post by Bianca

Post by Squib

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person

was totally overshadowed by another?
Just remembered one more... Radio comedian/I'VE GOT A SECRET panelist
Henry Morgan (not to be confused with DRAGNET/MASH star Harry Morgan)
died on May 19, 1994... the same day as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Terri Schiavo's death was certainly overshadowed by the death watch for
John Paul II

Not so overshadowed that I didn't see, hear or read something about it
almost every day.

The Pope's death did, however, undercut the Schiavo aftermath,
particularly appearances by her parents and brother on various
interview shows, most especially on Larry King's. JP2 displaced all of
that, and by the time the Pope's funeral was over the air had gone out
of the balloon.

[Bob Feigel]

On Sun, 25 Sep 2005 21:52:48 -0400, Brad Ferguson

Post by Brad Ferguson

Post by Bob Feigel

Post by Bianca

Post by Squib

Post by Squib
How many examples can you think of where a death of a notable person

was totally overshadowed by another?
Just remembered one more... Radio comedian/I'VE GOT A SECRET panelist
Henry Morgan (not to be confused with DRAGNET/MASH star Harry Morgan)
died on May 19, 1994... the same day as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Terri Schiavo's death was certainly overshadowed by the death watch for
John Paul II

Not so overshadowed that I didn't see, hear or read something about it
almost every day.

The Pope's death did, however, undercut the Schiavo aftermath,
particularly appearances by her parents and brother on various
interview shows, most especially on Larry King's. JP2 displaced all of
that, and by the time the Pope's funeral was over the air had gone out
of the balloon.

Maybe that's why I didn't notice it when it didn't happen ;-)b





"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[AndrewJ]

On an entirely personal level, this summer I found out that an old
college friend of mine and comedy writer named Matt Albom died of a
heart attack at age 36. I bring up the comedy angle because it turns
out he died on January 23rd, the same day Johnny Carson passed away.