A master Impressionist is gone June 29, 2009 10:17 AM Subscribe
As if there haven't been enough celebrity deaths, now the sad news that the great impressionist - comedian Fred Travalena has passed away at his Encino, CA home at age 66. Examples of some of his work are here from a Merv Griffin Show, and a later one from a live performance. posted by Seekerofsplendor (35 comments total)
Are these deaths really inordinately close together or are we just better equipped to hear of their happening?
Other than him turning up on various talk shows, the main thing I remember him for is his fun take on Madman Mancuso in the Buddy Holly Story. posted by Slack-a-gogo at 10:52 AM on June 29
I'm sure a minor celebrity dies every day. How about death.metafilter.com
just to make sure we cover all bases (and keep this off the front page)
I'm amazed that Billy Mays autopsy made CNN breaking news headlines. Alas poor Fred got a missed 1 sentence in the Life section. posted by dasheekeejones at 11:11 AM on June 29
that obit on Bianco is one of the most fascinating, enlightening, and butt-puckering things I've ever read. It would have made a good full length novel if John McPhee had thought of it. Thank-you. posted by docpops at 11:21 AM on June 29
I have never heard of this guy. Is he the poor man's Rich Little? posted by chillmost at 11:25 AM on June 29
I had a little bit of a crush on Fred Travalena in the 70's-80's, when I was a kid. posted by Lucinda at 11:25 AM on June 29
Oh, man, I was just thinkin about Fred Travalina the other day - I thought he was a stitch when I was a kid.
Johnny's filling up the big couch in the sky quite nicely these days...
Once upon a time, Gale Storm would have gotten all the front pages for an untimely death. She was very big when the TV screens were very small. posted by briank at 11:46 AM on June 29
"We're scrapin' the celebrity death barrel I see."
I liked Travalena when I was a kid/teen. My favorite reference to him was when Richard Lewis (I think) did a bit about how boxing referees determine if a fighter can continue when the match is in Las Vegas:
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three."
"Who's Fred Travalena?
"I dunno."
"You're out!" posted by The Deej at 12:44 PM on June 29
Having only glanced quickly at the title of the post, I assumed that it was about Madoff. posted by esome at 1:08 PM on June 29
Fred Travalena had to have some talent. He was able to get on Merv Griffin, without getting on Merv Griffin, knowwhatImean?
If only there was a paper that came out every day, delivered to your household, and contained a list of those who died. posted by ALongDecember at 1:10 PM on June 29 [1 favorite has favorites]
just trying to get a few of these out of the way before they get posted on the front page.
I also did a link to a Gale Storm obit in the Billy Mays thread. Damn, it sucks to be a celebrity who doesn't even merit an FPP. It's not as if Ms. Storm wasn't a TV pioneer or anything. posted by blucevalo at 1:45 PM on June 29
Here's my passable impression of a MetaFilter obituary dot:
Well I've heard of him, which is more than I can say for some obits around here. It's kind of sad to carp about someone dying not being famous enough to notice, isn't it?
We seem to have a nice crematorium going. Will that do? posted by rokusan at 2:36 PM on June 29
I wouldn't wake Fred Travelena with Bea Arthur's remains. posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 2:42 PM on June 29
It's kind of sad to carp about someone dying not being famous enough to notice, isn't it?
It's called theard carping.
But you can tell people have had enough. I think the post about the television huckster pushed them over the edge. posted by pracowity at 3:02 PM on June 29
Bah, I haven't had enough. It has been a strange couple of days, with several notable and mildly notable people dying. The coincidence is noteworthy, and yes, this will play itself out and things will be back to normal, with deaths hardly warranting notice as usual. How about an FPP on the science of backlash and how it seems to occur so much more quickly in the information age? posted by scrowdid at 3:44 PM on June 29
It's kind of sad to carp about someone dying not being famous enough to notice, isn't it?
I just think shitloads of interesting individals die every day. Hell, write an obituary about pretty much anyone who died today on this planet and it'll make a good story, but is it best of the web?
Anyone dying is sad. Some one like Michael Jackson merits a front page post because their appeal is global. Lines do need drawn though, it's a bit easy to start jumping on every death we might think notable. To me that's distasteful. Apologies if this guy meant something to people here, but I'd never heard of him and to be honest, after reading his obits... well, he's no Michael Jackson. posted by twistedonion at 3:52 PM on June 29
Bah, I haven't had enough. It has been a strange couple of days, with several notable and mildly notable people dying. The coincidence is noteworthy,
But is it though? I found this interesting (thinking it's been a strange couple of days because a few celebritys you happen to know die) and checked out Wikipedia. I compared the deaths of the same days this year to last. OK, so no-one as big as MJ died but it was interesting just how many people died that were of mildly notable importance, moreso last year than this imo. You really want mefi to have an obit a day? posted by twistedonion at 4:04 PM on June 29
Awh...I kinda liked Fred in the 70's. Or it could just be that I had a really major contact high from all the hippies my parents collected. I mean, I was young enough that I don't think I knew who the people he was imitating *were*...but I thought the funny voices were...well...funny.
Plus, I seem to remember him doing a really great Bugs Bunny. My sympathies to his family.
Also: Gale Storm? I remember she had a show that broadcast back in the dawn of Nick and Night, and it was lovely. R.I.P., Ms. Storm. posted by dejah420 at 5:38 PM on June 29
You really want mefi to have an obit a day?
Why not?
Seriously, there is not really a limit to the number of posts that MetaFilter can have. As long as it's someone notable and no one's trying to fill a quota of "one per day," then it seems fine. Metafilter is a lot of things to a lot of people, and it's become as much a community as anything else. So why not discuss stuff? posted by explosion at 8:52 AM on June 30
OK, so no-one as big as MJ died but it was interesting just how many people died that were of mildly notable importance, moreso last year than this imo.
You're right, and that's always going to be the case. Right now, as you said, it's a weird perceived streak of celebrity deaths, notable or not, and the human brain's tendency to look for patterns and connections is amplifying the importance of someone like Fred Travelena and even Billy Mays (no disrespect to either, both of whom I admire on at least a couple levels). It'll die down and get back to normal, and no, we won't have an obit a day. But as explosion says, there's room for it on the page anyway, and any other time we might be championing a (more informative, perhaps) post on the semi-interesting life of semi-interesting and semi-notable life of Fred Travelena.
Hell, come to think of it, if Metafilter DID have one daily obit post about someone semi-notable and semi-interesting whose life we might enjoy reading about, that would be kind of cool. posted by scrowdid at 2:18 PM on June 30
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posted by SinisterPurpose at 10:26 AM on June 29