Entertainment History
On Nov. 5, 1942, American showman George M. Cohan died of cancer in New York at age 64.
In 1960, singer Johnny Horton died in a car crash in Milano, Texas. He was 35. He’s known for the 1959 hit “The Battle of New Orleans” and the movie theme song “North to Alaska.”
In 1970, Brian Wilson made a rare appearance with the Beach Boys at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles. He lost his balance several times and had to be helped off the stage.
In 1989, pianist Vladimir Horowitz died at age 85. On that same day, singer-songwriter Barry Sadler died of heart failure at age 49 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
In 1991, actor Fred MacMurray died of pneumonia at a hospital in Santa Monica, California. One of his best-known roles was as the father in “My Three Sons.”
In 1999, singer Gary Cherone left Van Halen.
In 2002, original Coasters singer Billy Guy died suddenly of heart disease in Las Vegas. He was not buried for 21 days because authorities couldn’t find his estranged children, and his girlfriend of 30 years was not allowed to claim his body.
In 2003, singer Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers was found dead in a hotel room in Kalamazoo, Michigan, just 45 minutes before the duo was to perform. Hatfield was 63.
Also in 2003, “The Matrix Revolutions” opened at the same moment around the world, at 9 A.M. Eastern.
In 2021, eight people were killed when the crowd surged during Travis Scott’s set at the Astroworld Music Festival in Houston.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Harris Yulin (“The Hurricane,” “Scarface”) is 87. Actor Chris Robinson (“General Hospital”) is 86. Actor Elke Summer is 84. Singer Art Garfunkel is 83. Singer Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits is 77. TV personality Kris Jenner is 69. Actor Nestor Serrano (“24″) is 69. Comedian-actor Mo Gaffney is 66. Actor Robert Patrick (“The X-Files”) is 66. Singer Bryan Adams is 65. Actor Tilda Swinton is 64. Actor Michael Gaston (TV’s “Unforgettable,” “The Mentalist”) is 62. Actor-singer Andrea McArdle is 61. Actor Tatum O’Neal is 61. Singer Angelo Moore of Fishbone is 59. Actor Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”) is 57. Actor Seth Gilliam (TV’s “Teen Wolf”) is 56. Keyboardist Mark Hunter of James is 56. Actor Sam Rockwell is 56. Country singers Jennifer and Heather Kinley of The Kinleys are 54. Guitarist-keyboardist Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead is 53. Actor Corin Nemec (“Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”) is 53. Singer-guitarist Ryan Adams is 50. Actor Sebastian Arcelus (“Madam Secretary,” ″House of Cards,”) is 48. Actor Luke Hemsworth (“Westworld”) is 44. Actor Annet Mahendru (“The Americans”) is 39. Guitarist Kevin Jonas of The Jonas Brothers is 37.
