R.I.P.: Entertainers That Passed Away in 2017

Screencap of Tom Petty from the music video for "Don't Come Around Here No More"

As with every year, entertainers who have brought some sort of joy to your life pass away. This year was no different. In fact, there were some big names that passed away this year.

I bring you a list of the top 10 celebrity deaths that hit me the hardest. This is not to take away from those I don't mention below. For everyone, this list can be different and in a year crappy year like 2017, I could have easily made this list longer than 10 names. People like Nelsan Ellis, Chester Bennington, Mary Tyler Moore, Michael Parks, Robert Guillaume, and Malcolm Young could have made this list in any other year.

Rest in Peace to following 10 entertainers who made big impacts on me. (in no particular order)

1. Chris Cornell - This death was a big one for me. Chris Cornell was the front man for Soundgarden and eventually went on to Audioslave. Much of his music could have been the soundtrack for my high school and college years. He was behind hit songs such as "Black Hole Sun", "Blow Up the Outside World", "I Am the Highway", and much more. He was nominated for 15 Grammy Awards and had won twice, but his impact on the rock music world was substantial.

2. Fats Domino - Newer generations of music fans may not appreciate Fats Domino's impact on rock and roll, but he did sell over 65 million records before his passing this year. His hits include "Blueberry Hill", "Ain't That a Shame", and "I'm Walkin'". He was one of the premier piano players of his time and had a voice that went perfectly with the music he played. Because of his music achievements, rock and roll, blues, and R&B were forever changed.

3. Tom Petty - Tom Petty took music to another level. He not only recognized that the music was important, but during the time of MTV's music video domination, he also put out some of the best music videos of his time. His music was great for road trips and cruising the California coast. Selling over 80 million records, Petty was one of the best selling music artists of all-time. His hits include "Runnin' Down a Dream", "Refugee", and "I Won't Back Down". His music video for "Don't Come Around Here No More" is perhaps one of the best music videos ever produced.

4. Hugh Hefner - Not necessarily an entertainer himself, Hefner did contribute to igniting the sexual revolution via Playboy. He also hosted Playboy After Dark which opened the door to entertainers who may have never got a chance to make it in the mainstream. A popular joke, "I only read the magazine for its articles," was not necessarily untrue. Playboy featured interviews with political and civil rights leaders, featured short stories by legendary writers such as Hunter S. Thompson and Truman Capote, and more.

5. Jerry Lewis - Lewis was the slapstick comedian who partnered with Dean Martin to form the comedy duo of Martin & Lewis. Unfortunately, they ended up splitting up. Lewis didn't let this hurt his career as he moved on to star in movies such as The Nutty Professor, King of Comedy, and The Bellboy. Later on, he would become known for his telethons that raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

6. Adam West - Quite simply, Adam West was Batman for children who grew up from 1966 until the release of Tim Burton's movie. Yes, his portrayal was campy, but it was supposed to be. A Western actor before his three-year stint as the Caped Crusader, West would eventually become forever adored by comic book geeks all over the world.

7. Roger Moore - Not the best actor to portray James Bond, Moore was still a prominent enough actor to be knighted by the British Empire. His stint as 007 was longer than any other actor including Sean Connery and Pierce Bronson. He starred in Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, and The Spy Who Loved Me.

8. Don Rickles - Quite possibly the biggest entertainer death this year for me besides Adam West, Rickles was one of the last surviving unofficial members of the Rat Pack. His comedy made him a favorite and close friend to Frank Sinatra. So close, that Rickles was one of the last people to see Sinatra alive. He made over 100 appearances on the Tonight Show and rounded out his career by taking on voice acting roles in movies such as Toy Story. He can easily be argued as being one of the top standup comedians of all-time.

9. Chuck Berry - Another legendary rock musician, Berry was a member of the Chess Records stable. His hits include "Johnny B. Goode", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Rock and Roll Music", and "Maybellene". His guitar skills were unmatched at the time of his peak. His music was so significant that his song "Johnny B. Goode" is the only rock song that was included in the Voyager Golden Records that were sent to space and intended to be listened to by any future intelligent life forms to listen to.

10. Powers Boothe - Gaining notoriety for playing TV Detective Phillip Marlowe, Booth went on to play Curly Bill in Tombstone, Cy Tolliver in Deadwood, and Senator Roark in the Sin City movies. Nominated for various acting roles, Boothe was both an underrated actor and a star actor during his lifetime.

R.I.P. Hugh Hefner: More than just the Founder of Playboy

Hugh Hefner has died. It seems sort of odd to write this because he was one of those people that seemed like they would live forever. In a way, he will. 

While the man himself has fallen, the legacy he left behind impacted the world in the twentieth century and even into the twenty-first century. Sure, some will condemn him for what they see as peddling smut and the man had his faults as every legend in their industry has. 

Hefner left behind a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come. His legacy is more than being the founder of one of the most famous magazines in history, although his magazine did contribute to igniting the flame of the sexual revolution. 

He fought against censorship, donating money to various organizations and causes that promoted first amendment rights.

An animal lover, Hefner donated to various causes that raised money for animal rescues. 

During the sixties, Hefner was a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. He once stated that he never understood why people would judge others solely based on their skin color. Playboy magazine published the last written essay by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

When his Playboy Clubs opened up at locations such as New Orleans, Hefner personally fought against those who cited Jim Crow laws that attempted to prevent African-Americans from entering his clubs alongside Caucasians. 

On his TV show, Playboy's Penthouse, which aired in the late fifties to the early sixties, Hefner invited African-American entertainers to appear on his show despite the public outcry of doing so. Guests included Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. 

Hefner supported legalizing same-sex marriage, stating that it was a right of all people to marry the person they love.

He donated money to universities to better sociology, film, and humanities departments.

A student at my university who attended at the same I did, supported herself through stripping at a local club. Admittedly, not her preferential choice to raise money, but she had no support system to help her through college and her financial aid package was limited in what it paid for. She needed to pay for books, room and board, and the basic necessities that any young adult needs. When my university found out how she was supporting herself, she lost her financial aid package. Hefner, hearing about the situation as it made local news in Southern California, paid for her college and living expenses for the rest of her college career.

With Playboy, Hefner published short stories by notable authors such as Ian Fleming, Arthur C. Clarke, and Margaret Atwood. His magazine would often interview notable people such as politicians, social activists, religious leaders, journalists, and more. 

Finally, after decades of not receiving one cent from the revival of her images, Hefner helped Bettie Page secure representation to help her from dying penniless. Hefner even paid for Page's bills until she was able to land on her feet. And this wasn't the only former Playmate that he helped during their rough times.

On the surface, he will be remembered for his girlfriends, magazine, the mansion, and the smoking jacket, but he was much more than that. He was far from perfect, but overall he left a positive impact that helped propel society forward in the twentieth century, vaulting him into being a legend.

Playboy Mansion For Sale; End of an Era

Photo courtesy of Glenn Francis via Wikipedia

Playboy Enterprises announced over the weekend that one of the most famous residences in the world, the Playboy Mansion, home to founder Hugh Hefner, is up for sale for $200 million. The only caveat is that 90-year old High Hefner gets to stay there until he passes way. It's believed that the home will in reality sell anywhere between $60 to $90 million. The reality of the matter is that with the sale, it will be the end of an era.

With free porn on the internet, sales of print media dropping, and Playboy deciding to no longer feature nude pics of women in their magazines, the Playboy empire is most likely on its decline. The mansion was a key to what became the sexual revolution, along with the magazine of course.

While some may view the mansion as the home of sexual deviation, in many ways it inspired people to look at sex differently. Hefner wanted people to be okay with the fact that they are sexual beings and that the act of sex itself can be a beautiful thing. Hosting parties for various artists brought an expansion of these ideas to mainstream and changed how sex was perceived by the American public.

With the sale of the house, it feels that the empire itself will eventually fall into obscurity. Kids will wear t-shirts with the famous bunny logo, but not really understand what it stands for. People who claimed they were "only reading the magazine for the articles" will be saddened when one less source for articles/interviews from political, religious, and other notable public figures, and a source for short stories written by Arthur C. Clarke, Ian Fleming, Ray Bradbury, and various other important writers of our generation fades out.

The magazine made famous for premiering with Marilyn Monroe on its cover, helped find famous pinup queen Bettie Page financial backing when Hefner found out that she had no money, yet her image was being used for profit with kicking her back some royalties. When Page passed away, she was worth $20 million thanks to the legal team that Hefner help put together for her. Her estate is now worth even more.

To teenagers, it was almost a right of passage when they would come across old copies of the magazine that their brothers, fathers, grandfathers, or other relatives would be hiding in their homes. Another piece of the American life that died off since it is easier for someone to find naked pictures online than in person anymore.

Hefner and his empire had an expansive reach. Cooper Hefner, son of Hugh, had remarked before about being astounded by the correspondence alone that were sent to his father by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., President Ronald Reagan, and other historical figures of the last sixty years. Hefner's influence touched millions in America alone, let alone around the world.

Now that the mansion is for sale, it feels like the end of an era is near. Most likely the famous Midsummer Night's Dream Party will end. Most likely the animals that live at the onsite zoo will have to find a new home. Most likely the charity events for autism and community healthcare will have to find a new place to be held at. With the mansion for sale and after Hefner's death, America will be forever changed.