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1-18 of 18
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Karen Carpenter moved with her family to Downey, California, in 1963. Karen's older brother, Richard Carpenter, decided to put together an instrumental trio with him on the piano, Karen on the drums and their friend Wes Jacobs on the bass and tuba. In a battle of the bands at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, the group won first place and landed a contract with RCA Records. However, RCA did not see a future in jazz tuba, and the contract was short-lived.
Karen and Richard formed another band, Spectrum, with four other fellow students from California State University at Long Beach that played several gigs before disbanding. In 1969, Karen and Richard made several demo music tapes and shopped them around to different record companies; they were eventually offered a contract with A&M Records. Their first hit was a reworking of The Beatles hit "Ticket to Ride", followed by a re-recorded version of Burt Bacharach's "Close to You", which sold a million copies.
Soon Richard and Karen became one of the most successful groups of the early 1970s, with Karen on the drums and lead vocals and Richard on the piano with backup vocals. They won three Grammy Awards, embarked on a world tour, and landed their own TV variety series in 1971, titled Make Your Own Kind of Music! (1971).
In 1975 the story came out when The Carpenters were forced to cancel a European tour because the gaunt Karen was too weak to perform. Nobody knew that Karen was at the time suffering from anorexia nervosa, a mental illness characterized by obsessive dieting to a point of starvation. In 1976 she moved out of her parents' house to a condo of her own.
While her brother Richard was recovering from his Quaalude addiction, Karen decided to record a solo album in New York City in 1979 with producer Phil Ramone. Encouraged by the positive reaction to it in New York, Karen was eager to show it to Richard and the record company in California, who were nonplussed. The album was shelved.
In 1980, she married real estate developer Thomas J. Burris. However, the unhappy marriage really only lasted a year before they separated. (Karen was to sign the divorce papers the day she died).
Shortly afterward, she and brother Richard were back in the recording studio, where they recorded their hit single "Touch Me When We're Dancing". However, Karen was unable to shake her depression as well as her eating disorder, and after realizing she needed help, she spent most of 1982 in New York City undergoing treatment. By 1983, Karen was starting to take control of her life and planning to return to the recording studio and to make public appearances again. In February of 1983, she went to her parents' house to sort through some old clothes she kept there when she collapsed in a walk-in closet from cardiac arrest. She was only 32. Doctors revealed that her long battle with anorexia nervosa had stressed her heart to the breaking point.- Strikingly buxom, shapely and sensuous well-built brunette knockout Karen Velez was born on January 27, 1961 in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York. Karen was the Playmate of the Month in the December, 1984 issue of "Playboy." She was named Playmate of the Year in 1985. Velez appeared in several "Playboy" videos and special edition publications (she was the cover model for the first issue of "Playboy's Playmate Review"). Karen married Lee Majors in September, 1988; the couple had three children prior to divorcing in October, 1994. Her daughter Nikki posed for a "Playboy" Cyber Club pictorial called "Playmate Daughters" in March, 2008. Karen Velez now works as a master hypnotist and certified hypnotherapist.
- Robert Michael Morris' Hollywood career began in just 2005. His most famous role is playing Mickey in the short-lived but critically acclaimed 'The Comeback' with Lisa Kudrow. He also played Will Arnett's nanny on Fox's 'Running Wilde.' With memorable guests spots on 'Will & Grace,' 'Arrested Development,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Community Service,' 'The Class,' 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Warren the Ape' and 'Two Broke Girls,' he most recently created the role of Truman DuBois in 'Lez Be Friends.'
The path to Hollywood was an unusual one for Morris. Born and raised in Kentucky, Morris joined a religious order called The Society of Mary, received a Bachelor of Arts in English and art from the University of Dayton and an MFA in playwriting from the Catholic University of America, where he received a Shubert Fellowship in Playwriting. He twice toured America with a classical theatre group ('A Midsummer Night's Dream,' 'The Bacchae,' 'Taming of the Shrew,' 'The Miser' and 'The Trial') and also taught high school in Pittsburgh, Memphis, Toronto, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Downey and San Gabriel, Calif., and taught college in Erie, Penn., and Urbana, Ohio.
Along the way he did summer stock (Kenley Players, Apple Hill Playhouse), musical theatre (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera), community and academic theatre (Erie, PA, Washington, D.C.); television (Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles), and movies (Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles). To stay alive he worked as a party decorator in NYC, file clerk at Radio City Music Hall, stage manager of Broadway's 'Cloud Nine,' and as a secretary to the brilliant producer Sydney Glazier. During all this time, he was writing plays; he has completed more than 91 scripts, some of which have even had productions and won awards. He has no favorite style and enjoys writing comedies as well as dramas. His last plays were about a pedophile, a musical about Sarah Bernhardt, dreaming of Sal Mineo, Michelangelo's creation of the David, the Chapel of the Holy Rosary at Venice by Matisse, the 1981 murder of a transsexual in NY, and two one woman shows: Anna Magnani and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. He most recently received an award for his 10-minute play, 'Blood from a Stone,' about a former Nazi camp guard and his daughter. There are now more than 90 plays, 14 of which can be found in 'Anthology 1: Plays from the Mind of Robert Michael Morris,' published by Incarnate Word Press; three more anthologies will be published, along with his memoir 'I Had Breakfast with Yakima Canute.' - Tricia Joe was born on 29 July 1978 in California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), American Playhouse (1980) and I'll Do Anything (1994). She died on 24 September 2021 in Downey, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Keefe Brasselle was born on 7 February 1923 in Elyria, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Eddie Cantor Story (1953), A Place in the Sun (1951) and If You Don't Stop It... You'll Go Blind!!! (1975). He was married to Arlene DeMarco and Norma Jean Aldrich. He died on 7 July 1981 in Downey, California, USA.- Agnes Carpenter was born on 5 March 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was married to Harold Carpenter. She died on 1 October 1996 in Downey, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emilio Franco was born on 28 May 1957 in Mexico. He was an actor and producer, known for Clave privada (1996), Dados cargados (1997) and Los más buscados 3 (2005). He died on 3 November 2010 in Downey, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Donna Jo Gribble was born on 13 July 1935 in Ingelwood, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Reform School Girl (1957), The People's Choice (1955) and Four Star Playhouse (1952). She was married to Steve Garl Miller. She died on 10 June 2022 in Downey, California, USA.- Harold Carpenter was born on 8 November 1908 in Wuchow, China. He was married to Agnes Carpenter. He died on 15 October 1988 in Downey, California, USA.
- Lou Fillipo was born on 1 December 1925 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Tay Đấm Huyền Thoại 4 (1985), Tay Đấm Huyền Thoại 2 (1979) and Tay Đấm Huyền Thoại (1976). He was married to Pat Filippo. He died on 2 November 2009 in Downey, California, USA.
- Bob Meusel was born on 19 July 1896 in San Jose, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Pride of the Yankees (1942) and Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927). He died on 28 November 1977 in Downey, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Gian Molina was an actor and director, known for 3 Hot Roommates (2015), Butterscotch (2014) and Codex (2016). He died on 20 December 2016 in Downey, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary Lawlor was born on 28 June 1907 in Utica, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Good News (1930) and Shooting Straight (1930). She died on 20 April 1977 in Downey, California, USA.- Additional Crew
Al Cowens was born on 25 October 1951 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for Monday Night Baseball (1976), 1978 American League Championship Series (1978) and 1976 American League Championship Series (1976). He was married to Velma McClendon. He died on 11 March 2002 in Downey, California, USA.- Bert Appling was born on 6 December 1871 in Madera, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Just Pals (1920), The Light of Western Stars (1918) and Snowed In (1926). He died on 14 January 1960 in Downey, California, USA.
- Sunni Welles was an actress, known for Quincy M.E. (1976), Lift (2004) and Dateline (1992). She died on 9 August 2021 in Downey, California, USA.
- Actor
Ray Wehba was born on 16 August 1916 in Sherman, Texas, USA. He was an actor. He died on 2 June 2003 in Downey, California, USA.- Timothy Holcombe was born on 15 February 1956. Timothy is known for Chiến Binh Vũ Trụ: Nhện Khổng Lồ (1997) and Người Nhện (2002). Timothy died on 6 March 2001 in Downey, California, USA.