Obit: Fred Travalena

[easttxtv]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lieberman/detail?entry_id=42670&tsp=1

Saw this a few hours ago but couldn't access the site here to post before now. Travalena had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and was 66 years old. The link has a YouTube sample also, from one of his last appearances on Letterman.

I don't know of another time that 6 TV-related passings have occurred in such a short time. The memoriam segment at this year's Emmys will be longer than usual, at this rate ):

 

[bpatrick]

I have said in a couple of places that show-business
deaths tend to come in threes, and it's happened twice
in the past week: Ed McMahon/Farrah Fawcett/Michael
Jackson, now Billy Mays/Gale Storm/Fred Travalena.
It does seem unprecedented for six deaths in a week.

Didn't Fred Travalena do Billy Graham? Some people might
cry "sacrilegious," but I thought he had him dead-on.

 

[dmargalotti]

I have said in a couple of places that show-business
deaths tend to come in threes, and it's happened twice
in the past week: Ed McMahon/Farrah Fawcett/Michael
Jackson, now Billy Mays/Gale Storm/Fred Travalena.
It does seem unprecedented for six deaths in a week.

So now if Walter Cronkite passes (he is said to be close to death), we are going to have to start this whole cycle all over again.

 

[azumanga]

So now if Walter Cronkite passes (he is said to be close to death), we are going to have to start this whole cycle all over again.

Patrick Swayze, too -- I won't be surprised if we end up with a triple triple.

It seems as if there's some kind of celebrity plague that suddenly became virulent.

 

[Prais]

What aboout Joe Schmo who dies and is a lounge singer in a bar in Green Bay? WHY does't HE (or she) count?

Don't plumbers or blacksmiths, or mean old internet board editors die in 3's, too?

What other wives tales did your granny teach you?

 

[radiorob2.0]

Sad indeed, he just retired from "The Tonight Show" a few weeks ago.

But seriously, Leno used to talk about how people would confuse he and Travalena. RIP

 

[bpatrick]

What aboout Joe Schmo who dies and is a lounge singer in a bar in Green Bay? WHY does't HE (or she) count?

Don't plumbers or blacksmiths, or mean old internet board editors die in 3's, too?

What other wives tales did your granny teach you?

They probably do; you just don't hear about them. It seems,
though, like celebrities die in threes. Old wives' tale, maybe.
But when one dies, there seems to be a rash of them over the
next few days or weeks.

 

[dhett]

Didn't Fred Travalena do Billy Graham? Some people might
cry "sacrilegious," but I thought he had him dead-on.

Nothing sacrilegious about doing impressions of Billy Graham, or any religious leader for that matter, as long as the caricature is done in good taste. Same with any other subject, sacred or secular.

Fred Travelena was the only impressionist I heard that could do both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. I always enjoyed Rich Little's work, but I thought Travelena had a much better Carter.

 

[WMC2006]

So now if Walter Cronkite passes (he is said to be close to death), we are going to have to start this whole cycle all over again.

Bernie Madoff's freedom died today, several times over. Does that count?? ;D

 

[bpatrick]

Didn't Fred Travalena do Billy Graham? Some people might
cry "sacrilegious," but I thought he had him dead-on.

Nothing sacrilegious about doing impressions of Billy Graham, or any religious leader for that matter, as long as the caricature is done in good taste. Same with any other subject, sacred or secular.

Fred Travelena was the only impressionist I heard that could do both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. I always enjoyed Rich Little's work, but I thought Travelena had a much better Carter.

I'm sure Travalena never intended to be sacrilegious, and I don't
remember any complaints. But that doesn't mean individuals
didn't think he was. Personally, I thought he was great. But my
favorite impressionist was David Frye, the only person I ever saw
who nailed George Wallace.

 

[radioman148]

Didn't Fred Travalena do Billy Graham? Some people might
cry "sacrilegious," but I thought he had him dead-on.

Nothing sacrilegious about doing impressions of Billy Graham, or any religious leader for that matter, as long as the caricature is done in good taste. Same with any other subject, sacred or secular.

Fred Travelena was the only impressionist I heard that could do both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. I always enjoyed Rich Little's work, but I thought Travelena had a much better Carter.

I'm sure Travalena never intended to be sacrilegious, and I don't
remember any complaints. But that doesn't mean individuals
didn't think he was. Personally, I thought he was great. But my
favorite impressionist was David Frye, the only person I ever saw
who nailed George Wallace.

David Frye did a helluva Nixon impression also.

 

[LynnW]

His Lyndon Johnson was even better than his Nixon. He had Hubert Humphrey and Bill Buckley nailed, too.

 

[cspotrun]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

 

[radioman148]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

According to imbd.com Frye is still alive and 75 years old.

 

[LKellerIII]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

According to imbd.com Frye is still alive and 75 years old.

Rich Little got all the fame, but David Frye's impressions were much funnier - he could twist his face and body in really ways that really made his "victims" (Nixon, Buckley, etc.) seem ridiculous. His material was was edgier, too. You always got the impression (pardon the pun) that Little was trying to be gentle and not offend anybody - at least not on television. Not so with Frye.

 

[radioman148]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

According to imbd.com Frye is still alive and 75 years old.

Rich Little got all the fame, but David Frye's impressions were much funnier - he could twist his face and body in really ways that really made his "victims" (Nixon, Buckley, etc.) seem ridiculous. His material was was edgier, too. You always got the impression (pardon the pun) that Little was trying to be gentle and not offend anybody - at least not on television. Not so with Frye.

I agree. I always preferred Frye.

 

[cspotrun]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

According to imbd.com Frye is still alive and 75 years old.

i don't know if Frye is still performing, but if he is, i would love to see him again. i had the pleasure of interviewing Rich Little and having him on my show for 2 hours a few years ago, VERY NICE guy! didn't seem to have a mean spirited bone in his body. he nails 90% of the impressions he does and he does many- if he doesn't- he gets by because he's Rich Little.
i'm lucky,i also got the opportunity to interview Frank Gorshin, just weeks before he died, he did a George Burns tribute show that was AMAZING,even more so, because when he did it he was dying.

 

[ricksegers]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

According to imbd.com Frye is still alive and 75 years old.

i don't know if Frye is still performing, but if he is, i would love to see him again. i had the pleasure of interviewing Rich Little and having him on my show for 2 hours a few years ago, VERY NICE guy! didn't seem to have a mean spirited bone in his body. he nails 90% of the impressions he does and he does many- if he doesn't- he gets by because he's Rich Little.
i'm lucky,i also got the opportunity to interview Frank Gorshin, just weeks before he died, he did a George Burns tribute show that was AMAZING,even more so, because when he did it he was dying.

Frank Gorshin's Burt Lancaster puts me on the floor every time. He was much more than the Riddler though that was funny too. I have a David Frye LP that still cracks me up especially his LBJ and Bill Buckley.

 

[radioman148]

somebody mentioned David Frye, he was the BEST political impressionest since Vaughn Meader(who did all the Kennedy's) Frye did THE BEST NIXON, and all the political characters from the 60's & 70's. his career must have been short, i never saw him after Nixon's resignation. i don't know if he is still alive.

According to imbd.com Frye is still alive and 75 years old.

i don't know if Frye is still performing, but if he is, i would love to see him again. i had the pleasure of interviewing Rich Little and having him on my show for 2 hours a few years ago, VERY NICE guy! didn't seem to have a mean spirited bone in his body. he nails 90% of the impressions he does and he does many- if he doesn't- he gets by because he's Rich Little.
i'm lucky,i also got the opportunity to interview Frank Gorshin, just weeks before he died, he did a George Burns tribute show that was AMAZING,even more so, because when he did it he was dying.

Frank Gorshin's Burt Lancaster puts me on the floor every time. He was much more than the Riddler though that was funny too. I have a David Frye LP that still cracks me up especially his LBJ and Bill Buckley.

Frank Gorshin was the first great one and his impression of Kirk Douglas was wonderful too.

 

[cspotrun]

aside from his role as the Riddler on Batman, Gorshin was a great character actor in some other roles on TV & movies.
trivia---- Gorshin was on the Ed Sullivan Show the night the Beatles made their American TV debut.