If they would have lived.....

[ixnay]

Braves2005, regarding Phil Hartman, other than when channel surfing, I haven't seen an unseen (at least by me) episode of "The Simpsons" since the one (in 2000 IIRC) where Maude Flanders fell to her death. (While feeling sorry for "Neddy", I just couldn't buy the notion of Mr. Flanders as a merry widower, but that's another thread). Point of the digression: I thusly don't know what was done with Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure after Hartman's death. Didn't Hartman voice Hutz and McClure? What has been done with those characters?

bk and jwk, I've never been much of a C&W connesour (that's harder to spell than the surname of #7 on the Pittsburgh Steelers). Which is probably why I waited until age 12 (in 1973; I was living in suburban Philadelphia) to hear of (and hear) Ms. Cline. How? By seeing a commercial for a mail-order LP of C&W classics, "original hits by the original artists". In that spot was a sound bite of Cline's "Leavin' on Your Mind".

Corky, my favorite Darin hit is "If I Were a Carpenter," with "Splish Splash" and "Queen of the Hop" neck and neck for second.

ixnay

 

[Stanislav]

Braves2005, regarding Phil Hartman, other than when channel surfing, I haven't seen an unseen (at least by me) episode of "The Simpsons" since the one (in 2000 IIRC) where Maude Flanders fell to her death. (While feeling sorry for "Neddy", I just couldn't buy the notion of Mr. Flanders as a merry widower, but that's another thread). Point of the digression: I thusly don't know what was done with Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure after Hartman's death. Didn't Hartman voice Hutz and McClure? What has been done with those characters?

They retired those characters out of respect for Hartman. Classy. (Most shows would have just found other voice artists to imitate the voices....)

 

[Legend City]

When I saw the name of the thread, Kovacs was the first I thought of, its heartening to know that others knew his genius as well.

I know that Frank Zappa would have a news talk show on CNN or MSNBC by now, he was working on a concept before he died.

Phil Hartman was a genius, I watched the space episode of News Radio last nite, and he introduced the show as himself, much like Troy McClure.

Belushi could have been someone, Farley was just a loser.

If Mama Cass and Karen Carpenter had lived, imagine all the beautiful music...

 

[Stanislav]

If Mama Cass and Karen Carpenter had lived, imagine all the beautiful music...

Weeelllll......Mama Cass, maybe. As for Karen Carpenter, perhaps you've heard the old joke:

When Jerry Garcia died, he found himself in an ethereal setting of clouds, rainbows, and pearly gates. Waking around, he was stunned to see who else was there. Jimi Hendrix was there, practicing a lick on his guitar; Buddy Holly and John Lennon were engaged in an animated discussion as they worked out some chords together. Over to one side, Elvis was munching on a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Everywhere he looked, Garcia saw rock and roll giants who had gone before him. "My God," he exclaimed, "I'm in Rock and Roll Heaven, and I'm going to get to jam with the band!"

Elvis glanced up with a sour look on his face. "Heaven? What do you mean, 'Heaven?'" he asked.

Just then, Karen Carpenter walked up. "OK, guys, let's go. 'Close to You,' take 9,783. One, two, three...."

 

[Ultimajock]

If Mama Cass and Karen Carpenter had lived, imagine all the beautiful music...

Weeelllll......Mama Cass, maybe. As for Karen Carpenter, perhaps you've heard the old joke:

...yeah, I heard the joke, and it was hideously unfair to Carpenter. She had one of the warmest voices ever recorded, and suffered mainly from the awful crap selections imposed on her by her brother Richard Carpenter...

...the joke was also a rip-off of one of John Astin's vignettes on "Rod Serling's Night Gallery," but that's another thread...

 

[Studio20]

...my guess is that by this time, Miss Carpenter would have long since retired from full time performing. By the time she had passed, her easy listening *** pop style was already off contemporary radio. Perhaps one or two cds of new material in the 90s, depending on her and Richards whims, plus perhaps a "legacy" tour or two, then call it quits.

She was a fine singer, a nice person and should be remembered as such.

 

[ixnay]

Braves2005, regarding Phil Hartman, other than when channel surfing, I haven't seen an unseen (at least by me) episode of "The Simpsons" since the one (in 2000 IIRC) where Maude Flanders fell to her death. (While feeling sorry for "Neddy", I just couldn't buy the notion of Mr. Flanders as a merry widower, but that's another thread). Point of the digression: I thusly don't know what was done with Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure after Hartman's death. Didn't Hartman voice Hutz and McClure? What has been done with those characters?

They retired those characters out of respect for Hartman.

How were they written out, if they were? Or did they just not appear or be mentioned in the scripts any more?

ixnay

 

[Legend City]

All dorkiness aside, Karen had an amazing voice and there were many years of great music left in her.

 

[Stanislav]

Or did they just not appear or be mentioned in the scripts any more?

Bingo. They just simply no longer appear.

 

[Ultimajock]

...my guess is that by this time, Miss Carpenter would have long since retired from full time performing. By the time she had passed, her easy listening *** pop style was already off contemporary radio. Perhaps one or two cds of new material in the 90s, depending on her and Richards whims, plus perhaps a "legacy" tour or two, then call it quits.

...I don't think so. I'm suspecting, had she beaten that anorexia, that Karen Carpenter would have returned to her musical roots -- The Carpenters had started out as a jazz combo, not a pop act -- and might very well have had the great cabaret career that Andrea Marcovicci has been enjoying for years...

 

[mleach]

...my guess is that by this time, Miss Carpenter would have long since retired from full time performing. By the time she had passed, her easy listening *** pop style was already off contemporary radio. Perhaps one or two cds of new material in the 90s, depending on her and Richards whims, plus perhaps a "legacy" tour or two, then call it quits.

...I don't think so. I'm suspecting, had she beaten that anorexia, that Karen Carpenter would have returned to her musical roots -- The Carpenters had started out as a jazz combo, not a pop act -- and might very well have had the great cabaret career that Andrea Marcovicci has been enjoying for years...

About Carpenter, the more I think about it I would see her going down the standards route today or re-doing old pop tunes, much like Rod Stewart is currently doing. I do know that not long before her death she and Richard did do a remake of that "Beechwood 45789 " tune and a few other tunes. I seem to remember "Touch Me when we are Dancing" both received some radio play. Had she lived even just another year or two, would have been interesting to see the direction the Carpenters were headed. 1983 was I believe the last year top 40 featured a full variety of music. Our then-local top 40 station back then had no trouble playing Ronnie Milsap, The Oak Ridge Boys, Christopher Cross, Kim Carnes,and The Carpenters beside The J. Giles Band and Joan Jett. By the latter part of 83 when "hot hits" became the the thing on radio plus with MTV taking more control of music at that time, a lot of the softer pop disappeared. Even though MTV started out in 1981, it really wasn't until late 1983 when they really took off. I have a few airchecks in my collection from 1983 both from the first part of that year and the latter half. It really isn't hard to hear how that year was split in half when it came to top 40.

Anissa Jones ( Buffy from Family Affair ) I heard in the past that just before her death may had a few TV projects lined up, even movies. That I doubt since both of her living co-stars Kathy Garver and Johnny Whitaker have made comments over the years that Anissa made the decision herself to get out of the biz.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

George Reeves (age 45)

Some of the people who are on the murder side in the "Suicide Or Murder" debate concerning Reeves cite the fact that, far from being despondent over being typecast as Superman, he had several projects in the hopper at the time of his death, including both acting and directing (he directed several Superman eps, in fact).

 

[jwgreek8606]

Bert Convy was supposed to host the 1990 revival of Match Game on ABC. He hosted the pilot, and was supposed to host the series, but his brain tumor forced him off. So they got Ross Shafer instead. I think he would have done a real good job with Match Game 1990 and after it got canned, he would have retired from hosting.

if Ray Combs did not commit suicide, he could have made a comeback and continued to host more game shows. After Family Feud and Family Challenge.

 

[bpatrick]

Phil Hartman was having it both ways; don't forget,
he played Major Thorn in the Steve Martin "Sgt.
Bilko" movie.

Country music began to move into the mainstream
in the late '60s/early '70s, and Patsy Cline might
have become a female Johnny Cash in the sense
of being a household word. But I'm not sure she'd
want to do a sitcom, a la Reba McEntire.

Jessica Savitch? I'd sure take her over Katie!

Another actor who died young (47) was Richard Long.
I've had a chance lately to see some "Big Valley" reruns
on the Starz Westerns channel; also know he did two
sitcoms, "Nanny And The Professor" and "Thicker Than
Water", after "Big Valley." I would hope that, had he
lived, he would have gotten back into drama. Barbara
Stanwyck might have been the star of "Big Valley," thanks
to her name, but Long seemed to be the one who really
carried the show...at least he seemed to have the most
to do.

And maybe if David Janssen (49) had lived, he might
have found something that came close to the excellence
of "The Fugitive." Tall order.

 

[gr8oldies]

Sorry to say this, but Elvis would either be playing nightly at his own theatre in Branson, MO or would be on the county fair circuit.

 

[Ultimajock]

Another actor who died young (47) was Richard Long.
I've had a chance lately to see some "Big Valley" reruns
on the Starz Westerns channel; also know he did two
sitcoms, "Nanny And The Professor" and "Thicker Than
Water", after "Big Valley." I would hope that, had he
lived, he would have gotten back into drama. Barbara
Stanwyck might have been the star of "Big Valley," thanks
to her name, but Long seemed to be the one who really
carried the show...at least he seemed to have the most
to do.

...of course, in the '80s, Long was suddenly popping up all over again on TV screens -- one of the batch of "public domain" dramatic films endlessly rerun during the period was a neat little Orson Welles opus titled THE STRANGER, in which Long contributed a fine supporting performance...

 

[mleach]

Sorry to say this, but Elvis would either be playing nightly at his own theatre in Branson, MO or would be on the county fair circuit.

You may be right about that.

Hard to believe now but at the time of Presley's death, Graceland was having serious money woes. I have heard over the years that was the reason why Elvis was doing so many concerts, even in small markets like Charleston, West Virginia and Rapid City, South Dakota. To bring the money in since after all most of radio in 1977, well Elvis meant nothing to them. And Movies, well Elvis could have been in "A Star is Born" with Babs and from what I remember reading in the past Elvis wanted to do that movie too. But Tom Parker killed that idea.

Bob Crane I always believed made a mistake of not getting back into radio. Didn't one of the top LA stations back in the 70s offered him a ton of money to go back into radio only to be turned down by Crane because Crane wanted to be an actor? Had Crane went back into radio, he could have gave Larry King a run of his money.

I was watching Auto-Focus the other night. Funny how so many people when they learned after his 1978 murder about Crane doing homemade porn how shocked they were. Today if some big star did the same, I have doubts people would even care.

 

[gr8oldies]

Elvis played the University of Dayton's homecoming in one of his last years. Apparently the reaction wasn't "all hail the king of rock and roll" but more like "you've got to be kiding!".

Not to denigrate his accomplishments as one of the pioneers of rock and roll, but..let's say that in 1977, death was a great career move.

The Carpenters would either be playing Vegas full time, or touring the smaller venues around the country. They'd be recording, but getting little or no airplay.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Bob Crane I always believed made a mistake of not getting back into radio. Didn't one of the top LA stations back in the 70s offered him a ton of money to go back into radio only to be turned down by Crane because Crane wanted to be an actor? Had Crane went back into radio, he could have gave Larry King a run of his money.
I believe that was KMPC...Their longtime morning guy, Dick Whittinghill, was close to retirement, and Crane was contacted about replacing him (they eventually went with Robert W. Morgan, who started there on weekends around 1975 and succeeded Whittinghill in '79.) I have heard that the reason Crane wasn't hired was because his "hobby" was already common knowledge in the LA area. Sadly, according to some reports, he was in the process of turning his life around at the time of his murder. BTW, Crane was awesome on the radio (find some of his old KNX airchecks from the late 50's/early 60's for ample proof. Run for his money? He would have taken Larry's money, credit cards, and library card, and left him half naked on the curb.)

 

[kirkiefan]

If Wolfman Jack would have still lived..he might have reconsidered his broadcast career which he retired from. He wanted to be home with his wife and died in her arms so the story goes.

Wolfman would have been great doing a sydnicated oldies program. Little Walter and Cool Bobby B (among others) have their programs but Wolf would have them both beat if he were still around today...Oldies stations it seems needs a shot in the arm nowadays so giving my sons(and down the road..grandkids good Lord willin')a rockin' education in rockabilly,doo-wop,early R&B,Chicago blues,Motown and British invasion might do them good. Rock and R&B needs to be fun again! Radio Disney is proving that.

Has anyone considered Wolfman sound-alikes on the air? I would!

Why not? (.. as Hilary Duff would say)