The Last Ovation (2025)

29/10/2023

BREAKING: Actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role of Chandler Bing on NBC's "Friends", has tragically died at the young age of 54.

Matthew led a very troubled life, with a very public drug habit playing out in real-time during his peak on "Friends". In and out of rehab for most of his adult life, Matthew tried very hard to overcome his addictions.

Matthew was found dead in his home, of an apparent drowning in his hot tub. No drugs or alcohol was found at the scene.

A little-known fun fact about Matthew is that his step-father is Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison.

Our thoughts are with Matthew's family, friends, co-stars and fans as they all grieve this very sad loss.

Matthew Perry, known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom 'Friends,' has died. He was 54.

15/10/2023

BREAKING: Actress Suzanne Somers, most notable for playing Chrissy Snow on the 1970s sitcom "Three's Company", has sadly died at the age of 76 after a long battle with breast cancer.

On top of being an acclaimed actress, mostly on the small screen, Suzanne was also an accomplished businesswoman and had her own line of exercise equipment and fashion accessories.

Suzanne will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans.

Suzanne Somers, who starred in the hit sitcoms 'Three’s Company' and 'Step by Step,' has died. She was 76.

02/09/2023

BREAKING: Singer Jimmy Buffett has sadly died at the age of 76. No cause of death has yet been released.

Jimmy's most notable song is the wildly famous "Margaritaville", which has been featured in countless television shows, commercials and feature films. The song was so famous that it sparked a major merchandise second-career for Buffett, with the song title emblazoned on footwear, clothing, hats, margarita supplies and even an entire restaurant chain.

Our thoughts are with Jimmy's family, friends and fans (Parrotheads, his official fan base name), as they come to terms with this terrible loss.

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, whose laid-back, good-humored, often tropically-themed brand of country-laced pop spawned a lucrative one-man business empire, died Friday. He was 76. A cause of de…

26/08/2023

BREAKING: Longtime game show host, most notably of CBS's "The Price is Right", Bob Barker, has sadly died at the age of 99.
Bob was a lifelong animal rights activist and was famous for his closing line on "The Price is Right", urging viewers to spay and neuter their pets. Bob collaborated with PETA and donated thousands to their cause. Overall, Bob was reported to have donated millions of dollars to animal causes, and conservation efforts worldwide.
Although he was a beloved game show host, Bob never acted, except for one role in which he played himself: 1996's "Happy Gilmore".

Bob entertained millions of people for several decades and was probably responsible for pet care for millions of animals. He is a legend in our television history and my thoughts are with his family, friends and fans as they grieve his loss.

Emmy Award-winning gameshow host Bob Barker, who spent five decades associated with “The Price Is Right” and “Truth or Consequences,” has died. He was 99. “It is with profound sadness that we anno…

20/08/2023

BREAKING: Acclaimed actor of stage and screen, Ron Cephas Jones, has sadly died at the age of 66 years old. Ron had a storied career and was most recently seen in a gut-wrenching role on NBC's "This is Us".
Performing runs in Ron's family: his daughter Jasmine starred in the original stage production of "Hamilton", and she and her father both won Emmys in 2020; she for Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Comedy or Drama, and he for Guest Actor in a Drama Series. These wins made history as the first time a father/daughter combo ever won Emmys in the same year.
Broadway and Hollywood has lost an icon. Our heart and love falls on Jasmine tonight, as well as the rest of Ron's family, friends and fans as they grieve this huge loss.

Ron Cephas Jones, the Emmy-winning actor known for his role as William Hill on NBC’s “This Is Us,” has died. He was 66. “Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passe…

31/07/2023

BREAKING: Oh, this is a sad one to announce. Actor Paul Reubens, best known as P*e Wee Herman, has died at the age of 70 after a secret battle with cancer. Paul spent years in the role of P*e Wee Herman, and he was the star of several films and a wildly popular children's show called "P*e Wee's Playhouse".
Paul provided us years of amazing entertainment and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family, fans and friends as they grieve his loss.

Paul Reubens, the actor best known for portraying P*e-wee Herman, died Sunday night after a private bout of cancer. He was 70. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I& #8217…

26/07/2023

BREAKING: Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has sadly died at the age of 56. Her death is just being announced, so no details of the cause of death have yet been released. However, Sinead has openly struggled with severe mental illness and depression for decades and her 17-year old son's su***de last year took a major toll on her. Sinead has been publicly grieving her tremendous loss and has admitted to struggling mightily with her own dark thoughts, especially since his death.
Our thoughts and love are with her family, friends and fans as they grieve her loss. I especially hope she is now, finally, at the peace she so desperately needed. ♥️

(If anyone is struggling with suicidal thoughts or tendencies, please, I beg you, reach out for help. You matter.)

The Dublin performer found worldwide fame with hit single Nothing Compares 2 U in 1990

21/07/2023

BREAKING: Today is a sad day in the world of music. Singing legend Tony Bennett has sadly died at the age of 96 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Tony began his career officially in 1950 after signing with Columbia Records, and he has been on the stage since. His most recent performance was in 2021, with Lady Gaga, which came with critical acclaim. Tony retired after this performance due to ailing health and now he is sadly gone.
Our thoughts and love are with his family, friends and fans throughout the world as they grieve this tremendous loss.

Tony Bennett, the master pop vocalist who had a professional career spanning eight decades with a No. 1 album at age 85, died on Friday morning in New York City. He was 96. Bennett was diagnosed wi…

30/06/2023

BREAKING: Esteemed Actor and funny-man extraordinaire, Alan Arkin, has sadly died at the age of 89.
In 2007, Alan won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Little Miss Sunshine". Alan has appeared in dozens upon dozens of roles in film and television. (I loved him in "Edward Scissorhands".)
Alan is a cinematic legend and he will most certainly be missed. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans as they grieve this tremendous loss.

Alan Arkin, an Oscar-winning actor for “Little Miss Sunshine” with a body of work that spans seven decades of stage and screen acting, died June 29 at his home in Carlsbad, Calif, Varie…

24/05/2023

BREAKING: Musical legend Tina Turner has sadly died at the age of 83. Tina had been battling illnesses for many years and has been secluded in her home in Switzerland.
Tina met her first husband, Ike, while she was a young teenager. Ike was a musician who knew he had a hit on his hands once Tina began to sing. The two were a powerhouse, and yet behind the scenes Tina was tortured. Ike was physically, s*xually and emotionally abusive to Tina for many years and in 1993 her life was placed on the silver screen in "What's Love Got to Do With It", named after one of Tina's famous songs. Angela Bassett starred as Tina and she gave a remarkable performance, one that was recognized with an Oscar nomination.
Tina is survived by her husband, Erwin, and two sons. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans all the world over as they grieve her tremendous loss.

Thank you for the music, Tina. You will never be forgotten.

Soulful diva Tina Turner, who had a lengthy run of ’60s and ’70s R&B hits in tempestuous partnership with husband Ike Turner and struck major pop stardom in the ’80s, has died…

27/04/2023

BREAKING: Controversial television personality and former Mayor of Cincinnati, Jerry Springer has died at the age of 79. Jerry shot to fame in the early 1990s, when his daytime television show began airing content that would encourage his guests to fight each other, chase each other around the stage and would involve security (some of whom went on to their own fame), to control the participants.
Before his television career, Jerry was a politician, serving as Councilmember and Mayor of his hometown of Cincinnati in the 1970s. He also had desires for higher government office, including Congress or the Senate. But an embarrassing public resignation from his seat on the Cincinnati Council led him down other career paths.
Our thoughts are with Jerry's wife and daughter, his family, friends and fans as they grieve his loss.

Jerry Springer, the former Cincinnati news anchor and mayor who came to preside over the controversial and extremely profitable talk show bearing his name, has died. He was 79. According to NBC aff…

23/04/2023

BREAKING: Dame Edna, played by Australian comedic legend Barry Humphries has sadly died at the age of 89. Barry/Edna provided years of entertainment to the world. He will be sadly missed and our thoughts and love go to his wife, his family, friends and adoring fans.

Tributes paid to "savagely funny" Australian entertainer whose characters were loved by millions.

17/03/2023

BREAKING: Actor Lance Reddick has sadly died at the age of 60. Lance's death was sudden, and occurred just one day after posting a video of himself with his dogs on social media.
Lance was a notable actor, with roles in several films and television shows. Lance starred alongside Keanu Reeves in the John Wick series and will be seen in the upcoming John Wick 4 film. Lance is also known for his role in shows like The Wire, Fringe and Oz.

This is an incredible loss to Hollywood and our thoughts and love go to Lance's wife, his family, friends and fans the world over.

Lance Reddick, who appeared in major TV series like “The Wire,” “Fringe” and “Bosch” and films like the “John Wick” franchise, which is set to debut …

19/02/2023

BREAKING: Notable stand up comedian and actor, Richard Belzer, has died. Richard had a career in comedy before turning to a long-standing dramatic role (with some comedy zings thrown in), on Law & Order: SVU.
Our thoughts are with Richard's family, friends and fans as they grieve his loss.

Richard Belzer, who started his career as a stand-up comedian before becoming a household name for his role as Det. John Munch in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Ord…

15/02/2023

BREAKING: Actress Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82. Raquel is most known for her incredible physique that lasted through her entire life, and her timeless beauty; something she was able to capitalize on in the start of her career.
Raquel's family confirmed her death occurred after a brief illness, and our thoughts are with them as they come to terms with this loss.
Raquel was an icon in so many ways and she will be incredibly missed.

Raquel Welch, who paved the way as both an actress and international s*x symbol has died ... TMZ has learned.

09/02/2023

BREAKING: Famed musician and composer Burt Bacharach has sadly died at the age of 94.
Burt had a long career, and the music he wrote for singer Dionne Warwick made them both household names.
Burt also wrote music for TV shows and films, most notably my (Melissa's) favorite film of all time, Arthur, starring another Last Ovation celebrity, Dudley Moore.
Our thoughts are with Burt's family, friends and fans the world over who are grieving his loss.
Thank you for the music, Mr. Bacharach.

Songwriter, composer, producer and arranger Burt Bacharach, a dominant force in American popular music for half a century, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He was 94. Bacharach& #…

31/01/2023

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT (and long post warning):

As you all know, I have been struggling to maintain a regular schedule for some time now and there are a lot of reasons behind that. Most are personal, but a big chunk is that I have been hit with copyright strikes from several podcast streaming services. My YouTube channel (which sucked anyways because it was just the audio) was pulled due to copyright and now Spotify is coming at me. Although I feel I am using the "news reporter" and "education" clause of copyright laws, I am not a lawyer and can't compete against giants like YouTube and Spotify.

When I started this show I didn't think anyone would listen. I thought maybe a few dozen of my friends and family would hear it and enjoy the stories. Then I told the story of Dominique Dunne and Heather O'Rourke (Poltergeist). The show immediately grew in downloads and I was inundated with subscribers. This is a good thing! I love all my listeners! But then I started having trouble maintaining the schedule the listeners wanted. I have a full time job that holds long hours and a family of my own to manage. I then made the fatal error of deciding to feature musicians and that is when the copyright dings began. Soon it became a habit where I would release a show, then get the dreaded email that it was being pulled for the music I played within the episode. But I've always wanted to play their music/feature their films. I want my listeners to hear the voices of those in the industry that gifted us their art. I never wanted to steal, or monetize. I pulled my patreon because it felt icky asking for money for me telling stories of dead celebrities.

All this to say that for now I will not be releasing episodes to Spotify, and will have limited exposure moving forward. My website is still up and running, so you can listen to all past and future episodes there and I think we are still on PocketCasts and iTunes. Dad (Jeff) has worked on a lot of new scripts, including Montgomery Clift, Ava Gardner, Simone Signoret and Elizabeth Hartman, just to name a few. I meanwhile have been pondering what to do moving forward, but since he hasn't given up, I won't either.

We may not have the big numbers that other podcasts have, but I have the best listeners and the most loyal subscribers out there. Seriously, many of you have been here since the beginning and I love you for that.

I won't have a regular schedule, but I will post a new show now and again. I'll announce them here, and Twitter. Hopefully they'll post to any of the streaming apps that still hold the show.

This very long update is to thank you all for the continued support and to explain once and for all what is happening behind the scenes. Thank you for sticking beside me and Dad, and I look forward to sharing the next Last Ovation with you.

(Oh, and I have another podcast idea brewing in my little head, so more on that someday....)

The Last Ovation Podcast tells the story of a celebrity's life, career and death. The Last Ovation honors those who have impacted our lives with their art.

31/01/2023

BREAKING: Actress Cindy Williams, most recognizable for her portrayal as Shirley in "Laverne & Shirley" (alongside Penny Marshall), has died at the age of 75.
Cindy was surrounded by her family at the time of her death and fans across the country are grieving her loss. Our thoughts are with her family and friends as they come to terms with her passing.

Cindy Williams, who played the cheerful but demure Shirley Feeney in the popular TV sitcom “Happy Days” and its spinoff “Laverne & Shirley,” has died. She was 75. Willia…

The Last Ovation

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26/08/2023

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31/07/2023

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30/06/2023

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27/04/2023

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