Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 221
- Actor
- Writer
Born on April 30, 1938 in Venice, California, Gary Collins was one of the most versatile actors in the entertainment industry. Gary attended Santa Monica City College and then enlisted in the United States Army for two years. While in uniform, Gary discovered acting and performed as a radio and television personality for the Armed Forces Network. A talented and diverse actor, he portrayed a variety of characters in films, television movies, miniseries, television series and on stage. In addition to these roles, Gary was also well known for his easygoing style and warmth as a Host. Gary was married to actress, television personality and former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley. He and his wife were involved with the March of Dimes for more than 20 years and they were active volunteers in relief organizations to end world hunger. They were also involved with the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis. Gary Collins died at age 74 of natural causes on October 13, 2012 in Biloxi, Mississippi.- Beah Richards left her native Vicksburg, Mississippi, for New York City in 1950. She would not acquire a significant role on stage until 1955,when she appeared in the off-Broadway show "Take a Giant Step" convincingly portraying an 84-year-old grandmother without using theatrical makeup. In 1962 she appeared in writer James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" directed by noted actor/director/activist Frank Silvera, who told Richards "Don't act, just be." She credited Silvera with helping her further develop the subtlety and quiet dignity that distinguished all of her performances.
A prolific actress, poet and playwright, her first authored play was "All's Well That Ends" that delved into the issues of racial segregation. Always ahead of her time, she defined herself as "Black" when the term "Negro" was the preferred ethnic/racial label of Black Americans. Richards would bring her salutary satisfaction with being "Black" and her immense acting talents to the role of the peacemaking mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), a role for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Additionally, she appeared in "Purlie Victorious" by Ossie Davis and "The Little Foxes" by Lillian Hellman.
In 1988, she won an Emmy Award for her performance in Frank's Place (1987). Although stricken with emphysema, she delivered a tour-de-force performance on the ABC legal drama The Practice (1997) in 2000; she received her second Emmy Award for this performance three days before her death in her native Vicksburg. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Thin, fidgety James Millholin made a career out of playing dyspeptic bureaucrats, nervous hotel clerks and other officious authority types. Somewhat reminiscent of Edward Everett Horton or Franklin Pangborn, Millhollin's pinched face, somewhat pop eyes and flighty mannerisms fit those roles like a glove, one of the best examples being the army psychiatrist driven to distraction trying to give Andy Griffith a psychological examination in No Time for Sergeants (1958) (a role he also played on Broadway). Born in Peoria, IL, Millhollin had a career on the Broadway stage and did much television in the early 1950s before breaking into films. After retiring from the industry he moved to Mississippi, where he died in 1993.- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935 into a very religious family . His family, though not very wealthy, sold their house when he was a child to get their son a piano. He loved to play piano. He was sent to a religious school, but was soon thrown out shortly thereafter -- he did a boogie version of a song about Jesus, something the school could not accept. At 16, he married for the first time, but it only lasted seven months. He married a second time three weeks before his divorce from his first wife was final. His second marriage lasted about four years and produced his first child.
In November 1956 he moved in with a cousin, J. W. Brown, in Memphis. They started a band together, with Jerry as singer. They sold a copy of their first song, "Crazy Arms", to the legendary Sam Phillips, president of Sun Records. Phillips had become famous because of his discovery of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Phillips liked the song, and Jerry Lee Lewis began to establish his name in Memphis in late 1956.
In January 1957, he recorded a new song, the self-penned "End of the Road." It was unusual in that singers did not write their own songs at that time. Jerry was fresh in other ways, too. He not only wrote some of his own songs, he played piano. Other rock singer of that era played guitar, such as Elvis Presley, Tommy Steele, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, etc. The piano wasn't considered a rock and roll instrument - Jerry Lee Lewis changed all that.
Jerry got his big break in April 1957, when he went to New York and appeared on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956) with the "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". A couple of #1 hits would soon follow -- "Great Balls of Fire" (which became his signature song), "Breathless" and "High School Confidential". Many people predicted that Jerry Lee would be bigger than the King of Rock-n-Roll - Elvis Presley. In late 1957 the audiences at one of his shows stormed the stage when he set a piano on fire. Chuck Berry was supposed to have ended the evening's show, but he refused to go on, wisely understanding that he could never top what Jerry just did. Elvis went into the army in the late winter of 1958, so Jerry Lee was now virtually alone at the top of the rock heap. All was not rosy, however. Problems did arise--very serious problems. In 1957, he married for a third time, secretly, to the 13-year-old daughter of his cousin and partner J. W. Brown, Myra Gale Brown (Myra Lewis). Her parents were deeply hurt when they found out, but after a discussion with Sam Phillips, they forgave Jerry. The marriage was unknown to the press and fans until Jerry's arrival in England for a tour in the spring of 1958. Fans again stormed the stage -- but this time to express their disgust. The marriage was front-page news around the world. His career was in shambles. He had just signed a five-year contract with Sun Records, and he did continue to record songs until 1963. During the last years of the contract, however, he made very few rock songs. Most of his compositions were ballads, possibly due to his depression at the direction his career had taken.
Jerry and Myra had one son, Steve Allen Lewis, who drowned at age three. The couple divorced in 1970, after 13 years of bad treatment in the press. However, Jerry's career was not completely finished. In 1968 he made his great comeback, as a country singer. During the next few years, he performed more and more rock 'n' roll.
He married a fourth time in October 1971 but the marriage ended two years later, after producing one child. That same year, Jerry's son from his first marriage died in an auto accident. The combination of divorce, personal tragedies and his career stagnation contributed to his turning to the bottle, and for the next 15 years Jerry had a severe drinking problem. His drinking also contributed to a rash of health problems, and he almost died of a ruptured stomach in 1981. People thought that The Killer was finished. But he wasn't.
Jerry Lee Lewis continued putting on brilliant concerts even in his 70s, and with his wild life behind him. He divorced his sixth wife in the summer of 2005, after over 20 years of marriage. He remained a wild man to the end!- Isabel Cooley was born on 20 July 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for Cleopatra (1963), Real Genius (1985) and Parenthood (1989). She was married to Addison S Collins Jr.. She died on 3 January 2000 in Greenville, Mississippi, USA.
- William Faulkner, one of the 20th century's most gifted novelists, wrote for the movies in part because he could not make enough money from his novels and short stories to support his growing number of dependants. The author of such acclaimed novels as "The Sound and the Fury" and "Absalom, Absalom!", Faulkner received official screen credits for just six theatrical releases, five of which were with director Howard Hawks. Faulkner received the Nobel Prize for Literature for 1949 and he received two Pulitzer Prizes, for "A Fable" in '1955 and "The Reivers", which was published shortly before he died in 1962.
- Gloria McGehee was born on 9 January 1922 in Meadville, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for Broadway Television Theatre (1952), Man Against Crime (1949) and Rocky King, Detective (1950). She was married to Dail Dunaway, Basil Heatter and Alfred Earnest Bruch Jr.. She died on 4 May 1964 in Meadville, Mississippi, USA.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ronnie Van Zant was born on January 15, 1948 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was the oldest son of six children (3 sisters and 2 brothers - musicians Donnie and Johnny). Ronnie attended Lee High School in Jacksonville with fellow band members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. They soon formed what would become Lynyrd Skynyrd. At the height of their fame, on October 20, 1977, their chartered plane crashed. Ronnie was killed along with band members Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie. His signature songs are "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama".- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
America's preeminent military historian, Stephen E. Ambrose is the author of numerous bestselling books about World War II, including D-Day, Citizen Soldiers and The Victors, plus biographies of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. He is the founder of the Eisenhower Center and President of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans.- Director
- Writer
- Music Department
Will Price was born on 27 October 1913. He was a director and writer, known for Gone with the Wind (1939), Tripoli (1950) and North West Frontier (1959). He was married to Maureen O'Hara. He died on 4 July 1962 in McComb, Mississippi, USA.- Dennis DePue was born on 13 June 1943 in Sturgis, Michigan, USA. He was married to Marilynn DePue. He died on 21 March 1991 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Charles Hickson was born on 16 April 1931 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Blanche. He died on 9 September 2011 in Gautier, Mississippi, USA.
- Luscious petite blonde knockout Missy Cleveland was born Amanda Hodges Cleveland on December 25, 1959 in Jackson, Mississippi. Cleveland was the daughter of Becky and Sam Hodges and had two sisters and three brothers. Missy was a contestant in the Little Miss Mississippi Pageant at age 10. She attended both Provine High School and McClure Academy in Mississippi. Cleveland was the Playmate of the Month in the April, 1979 issue of "Playboy;" she was discovered by "Playboy" through the magazine's 25th Anniversary Great Playmate Hunt (she was encouraged to enter this contest by her mother). Missy did small parts in a handful of movies in the early 80s; she was especially memorable as the college coed taking a shower in the tacky slasher picture that's shown at the very start of Brian De Palma's superior thriller "Blow Out." Cleveland worked for the Playboy modeling agency in Los Angeles in the 80s. She moved to both Florida and Canada before eventually settling in her native Mississippi, where she worked as a property manager in the Jackson area. Missy was a longtime member of the Van Winkle Baptist Church. Missy Cleveland died in her home in Yazoo City, Mississippi at the tragically young age of 41 from an adverse reaction to prescription medication on August 14, 2001.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Willie Morris was a versatile writer of both fiction and nonfiction, who often drew upon his experiences in the South to reflect on the controversial issues of his time. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, but raised in Yazoo City, about an hour's drive north, Willie Morris was born into a family of storytellers. After graduating from high school as class valedictorian, he attended the University of Texas in Austin. During his senior year, Morris became editor of the Daily Texan, the school's newspaper, and soon drew the wrath of the University's Board of Regents for his biting attacks against racism, censorship, and the highly influential petroleum industry. Upon his graduation, Morris became a Rhodes Scholar, studying history at Oxford University.
Upon his return to the United States, Morris became the editor of the Texas Observer, a crusading weekly newspaper. In 1963, he was named associate editor of Harper's, becoming their editor-in-chief four years later, just as his autobiography, North Toward Home was being published. The book became a national bestseller. At Harper's, Morris transformed the magazine by hiring several notable young writers including recent Pulitzer Prize winner David Halberstam as editors. He also attracted prominent contributing writers including Arthur Miller and Ralph Ellison, and Norman Mailer.
In the wake of an editorial dispute with Harper's, Morris resigned in 1971. That same year, his book,Yazoo: Integration in a Deep-Southern Town, a look at forced public school desegregation in home town, was published as well as Good Old Boy, a children's novel. The latter was made into the film, The River Pirates (1988) several years later. Morris go on to publish several volumes of fiction and nonfiction work for the remainder of his life.
In 1980, Morris became a writer-in-residence at the University of Mississippi, where he encouraged several aspiring young writers. These included Donna Tartt and a young law student named John Grisham, who was working on a novel called, A Time to Kill (1996).
After writing an article for New Choices for Retirement Living about the third trial of Byron de la Beckwith (the accused killer of prominent civil rights leader, Medgar Evers) , Morris convinced his friend Frederick Zollo to produce the film, Ghosts of Mississippi (1996). Morris would serve as a consultant on the film.
His bestselling 1995 novel, My Dog Skip (2000), would be made into a film of the same name. Sadly, Morris would not live to see the completed film. He died August 2, 1999 as a result of a massive heart attack at the age of 64.- Soundtrack
Paul Davis was born on 21 April 1948 in Meridian, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Pamela Gayle Jay. He died on 22 April 2008 in Meridian, Mississippi, USA.- Madeline Andrews-Hodge was born on 8 September 1957 in Gulfport, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for George Michael: Careless Whisper (1984) and Detective Extralarge (1991). She was married to David E. Hodge. She died on 8 April 2012 in Clermont Harbor, Mississippi, USA.
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Stunts
- Actor
James M. George was born on 28 July 1937 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Midnight Run (1988), Wyatt Earp (1994) and Private Benjamin (1980). He died on 9 March 2021 in Mississippi, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The man who would eventually become known as the Junk Yard Dog was born on December 13, 1953, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He played football & wrestled in high school and was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1975 after graduating from Fayetville State University, but was cut after blowing out his knee. He tried out of the Packers and held a few odd jobs until he began his wrestling career in the IWA in 1977. After stints in Memphis & Germany, he began working in Calgary for Stu Hart and spent much of 1978 working against Bret Hart, Jake Roberts, and Tommy Billington. After awhile he & Roberts traveled to Louisiana to work for Bill Watts. It was Watts who came up with the name Junk Yard Dog for Ritter. There he did a still famous angle with Michael Hayes (Michael Seitz) when it was alleged that Hayes blinded him, and the audience believed it, to the point where one fan actually pulled a gun on Hayes mid-match. He also worked with Paul Orndorff and Ted DiBiase. In his personal life, the Dog was known to be a giving, kind man, but his divorce led him into heavy cocaine use. His drawing power was fading in New Orleans, but the WWF, led by Vince McMahon soon scooped him up. He was popular, and had a match with Harley Race at WrestleMania III (1987) that drew well, but he was gaining too much weight and was eventually released. He turned up in WCW and ECW in the early 90s briefly, but was considered a has-been. He died in a car accident on June 2nd, 1998. He was 45.- Music Department
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Robert Johnson was born on 8 May 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, USA. He was a writer, known for The Skeleton Key (2005), Chocolat (2000) and Holes (2003). He was married to Calleta "Callie" Craft and Virginia Travis. He died on 13 August 1938 in Greenwood, Mississippi, USA.- Emmett Louis Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois to Louis and Mamie Till. When Emmett was four, he and his mother got word that his father, a soldier stationed in Italy during World War II, had been executed by the government (it wasn't revealed until many years later that his father was convicted by a court martial of the rape and murder of three Italian women, sentenced to death and subsequently hanged). Emmett was raised by his mother and grandmother and, in his early years, was said to have been a happy, normal young man who excelled at science and art in school and was known to love jokes.
In 1955, his great-uncle Mose Wright came up from Mississippi for a funeral and, at that time, invited young Emmett back to Mississippi with him for a vacation. Unaware of the strict rules of segregation enforced in Mississippi, Emmett made the fatal mistake of paying improper attention to Carolyn Bryant, the wife of a white store owner. Though accounts vary, history has agreed that while visiting the store, Emmett directed a wolf whistle at Mrs. Bryant. After several days, her husband Roy and his half-brother J.W. Milam tracked down young Till at his great-uncle's house in the middle of the night and took him away to a plantation, where they tortured him, then murdered him and threw the body in the Tallahatchie River. It was discovered days later and shipped back home to Chicago, where his mother decided to put her son's grossly bloated and disfigured corpse on display at an open-casket funeral so that all Chicago could see the full horror of her son's death.
The case made headlines worldwide, especially when Bryant and Milam were acquitted by an all-white jury back in Mississippi, and then began giving interviews bragging about how they had gotten away with murder and describing how they had tortured and murdered Emmett. After failing to get President Dwight D. Eisenhower to reopen the case, Mrs. Till had the photos of her son's corpse published in Jet magazine. The response to such a horrible act would remain in the minds of a generation of black people, and was said to have been the spark that put the Civil Rights Movement into motion. - Lecile Harris was born on 6 November 1936 in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977), The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (1986) and The Bob Braun Show (1967). He was married to Ethel Elizabeth Bledsoe. He died on 13 February 2020 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
- Buddy McRaney was born on 4 July 1938 in Collins, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again (1995). He was married to Lydia Sue Hemphill. He died on 12 February 2024 in Collins, Mississippi, USA.
- Roy Bryant was born on 24 January 1931 in Charleston, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Vera Jo Orman and Carolyn Bryant. He died on 1 September 1994 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
- Medgar Evers was born on 2 July 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Myrlie Evers-Williams. He died on 12 June 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Todd Lynn was an actor and writer, known for My Wife and Kids (2000), BET's Comicview (1992) and Comedy Central Presents (1998). He died on 27 January 2012 in Mississippi, USA.