2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood – A Positive Outlook
•December 22, 2009 • Leave a Comment (Edit)
* This is just a rough blog with no editing….
2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood – a positive outlook
Rueters called this: “The Year of Celebrity death.” This year we lost many of the entertainment industries brightest and most influential stars, more so in this one year then in any other year in the last decade. Brittany Murphy’s death yesterday reminded me of why we are called here in Los Angeles. I am reminded again of the Natalie Merchant who is not a Christian( but who God healed when she was young) wrote a song in remembrance of River Phoenix who passed on October 21, 1993. The song said:
Young & strong Hollywood son
In the early morning light
This star fell down
On Sunset Boulevard
Young & strong beautiful one
One that we embraced so close
Is gone
Was torn away
Let the youth of America mourn
Include him in their prayers
Let his image linger on
Repeat it everywhere
With candles with flowers
He was one of ours
One of ours
Died 1993
The heart of this song is that we need to take responsibility for what is ours. What Hollywood is missing is Fathers, and there is such an orphan spirit here. As a matter of fact popular culture/entertainment industry has truly become a 3rd world nation in the Spirit. There are so many people who are losing their life before they really begin to live. They have real accomplishments and families and love, but there is a greater piece. Something inside of me has expanded to love and Father this industry. I greave when its sons and daughters die or go to rehab, or miss their mark. I also rejoice when there are accomplishments and the fruit of love here. Our heart breaking over BRITTANY MURPHY’S DEATH PROVES WE ARE CALLED TO HOLLYWOOD.
THE HARVEST IS RIPE THE WORKERS ARE FEW
When I make this statement I want to qualify it first by saying: There are AMAZING Christians in Hollywood right now, probably more than ever. They are not your religious brand of zealots who are making Hollywood miserable, they are Daniels and Josephs and Esthers and they are creators who are influencing. There is an underground move of God in Hollywood that has not just started, but has always been here, but something is surfacing and gaining momentum. There are intercessors in studios, life coaches for entertainers, counselors for the broken, prophetic people to bring destiny, churches to bring family, and bands of creative people working together. This is not the Christian scene of yesteryear, something is going on in a Kingdom way in Hollywood that is spread out between hundreds of Kingdom minded groups collaborating.
At the same time, there needs to be the same effort we have in major church movements and missions movement brought to Hollywood. There is such a need for people who have a calling to Father and Mother in this industry. Hollywood needs a deliverance from an orphan spirit and this will only happen by bringing God’s original intention to the forefront. All of Hollywood is waiting like in Romans 8:19 for this Sonship to be revealed. In other words Hollywood is not impressed by Christianity right now but is very spiritual and knows that there is a God, and is waiting in anticipation for Him to reveal Himself.
WE DON’T ONLY NEED EVANGELISM WE NEED TO MENTOR CREATORS!
This requires those who are grounded in His love and nature going into this great industry as laborers with a mindset that is not just evangelistic but is creative. In other words, Hollywood doesn’t just need to be evangelized one more time, it needs Fathers and Mothers to invest into the creators and help people believe to be the version of themselves that God created them to be!
Hollywood is the culture capitol of the world that affects every decision maker in almost every part of society, and the church is just now realizing its responsibility to love and honor what God as a creator wants to do.
What would have happened if we had more Kingdom in Hollywood this year? My vision is that there will be a generation of Hollywood who will:
1) Learn the ecstasy of God’s love and won’t need a rehab or will find true deliverance from drugs
2) Know the healing power of God’s heart so won’t need medicine to manage their pain & disease
3) Know what family and marriage is and so won’t give theirs up for something that seems like it might be better
4) Know how amazing Jesus is and want to spend eternity with Him, so they won’t compromise that love for vanity or false power which looks like better opportunity or riches that don’t last
What would happen if we released a move of God that healed the identity of Hollywood and released sonship? What would happen if the same power of God that many of you have seen heal the sick, break through your own finances, restore your life or your families, deliver you from bad patterns or addictions, what would happen if we released that into Hollywood and the entertainment industry?
That is my dream, to see the Kingdom come from heaven to earth in this great industry all over the world.
I have a part two to this article for your consideration, but I wanted to end this with 2 notes.
1) If you can not go into this industry and help, then send us. We are getting a full time building in 2010 and are raising money for it. We have several hundred people who are involved in the entertainment industry in our church and we are loving well in Los Angeles. You can make a tax deductible gift to Expression58 and send it through the mail to 11271 Ventura blvd #500, Studio City, CA 91604, give to our paypal account via credit card/debit card/checking account: office@expression58.org or log into our website and give with our online store.
2) I wanted to leave you with a list of names of those we lost this year so that you can see how important your role in prayer and love is in this industry. I know some of them lived very long lives, and there is a passing of a generation of Entertainers last year and this year that is literally changing the landscape of the industry right now. I will talk about that later, but read the list and let the Holy Spirit speak to you.
JANUARY:
Johannes Mario Simmel, 84. Austrian-born author; topped German-language best-seller lists. Jan. 1.
Jett Travolta, 16. John Travolta’s son. Jan. 2. Seizure.
Pat Hingle, 84. Tony-nominated stage actor; Commissioner Gordon in “Batman” movies. Jan. 3.
Ned Tanen, 77. As Paramount and Universal chairman, he greenlighted a string of hits (“Top Gun,” “E.T”). Jan. 5.
Ron Asheton, 60. Guitarist for the Stooges, whose raw sound helped inspire punk rock. Jan. 6.
Cheryl Holdridge, 64. Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Jan. 6.
Coosje van Bruggen, 66. Artist; collaborated with husband Claes Oldenburg on his giant sculptures. Jan. 10.
Patrick McGoohan, 80. Emmy-winning actor; star of TV classic “The Prisoner.” Jan. 13.
Hortense Calisher, 97. Fiction writer known for dense prose (“False Entry”). Jan. 13.
Ricardo Montalban, 88. Actor in splashy MGM musicals; Mr. Roarke on “Fantasy Island.” Jan. 14.
Andrew Wyeth, 91. Acclaimed artist whose portraits and landscapes combined traditional realism, modern melancholy. Jan. 16.
David “Fathead” Newman, 75. Jazz saxophonist; played with wide range of luminaries. Jan. 20.
James Brady, 80. Author, Parade magazine celebrity columnist. Jan. 26.
John Updike, 76. Pulitzer-winning novelist, essayist. Jan. 27.
Hans Beck, 79. Created colourful Playmobil toy figures. Jan. 30.
FEBRUARY:
Lux Interior, 62. Lead singer of horror-punk band the Cramps. Feb. 4.
James Whitmore, 87. Many-faceted actor; did one-man shows on Harry Truman, Will Rogers. Feb. 6.
Molly Bee, 69. Country singer (“Don’t Go Courtin’ in a Hot Rod Ford”). Feb. 7.
Blossom Dearie, 84. Jazz singer with unique baby-doll voice. Feb. 7.
Robert Anderson, 91. Broadway playwright (“Tea and Sympathy”). Feb. 9.
Estelle Bennett, 67. One of Ronnettes, ’60s girl group (“Be My Baby”). Feb. 11.
Hugh Leonard, 82. Irish playwright; won Tony for father-son drama “Da.” Feb. 12.
Louie Bellson, 84. Jazz drummer; performed with Duke Ellington, wife Pearl Bailey. Feb. 14.
Al-Tayeb Saleh, 80. One of Arab world’s top novelists. Feb. 18.
Howard Zieff, 81. Directed films (“Private Benjamin”), TV ads (Alka-Seltzer’s “Spicy Meatballs.” ) Feb. 22.
Sverre Fehn, 84. Norwegian architect; won prestigious Pritzker award. Feb. 23.
Paul Harvey, 90. Radio news and talk pioneer; one of nation’s most familiar voices. Feb. 28.
MARCH:
Ernie Ashworth, 80. Grand Ole Opry singer (“Talk Back Trembling Lips”). March 2.
Sydney Chaplin, 82. Tony-winning actor; son of Charlie Chaplin (“Bells Are Ringing”). March 3.
Horton Foote, 92. Playwright (“The Trip to Bountiful”) and screenwriter (“To Kill a Mockingbird”). March 4.
Hank Locklin, 91. Smooth-voiced country singer (“Send Me the Pillow You Dream On”). March 8.
James Purdy, 94. Author of underground classics (“Cabot Wright Begins”). March 13.
Anne Wiggins Brown, 96. Soprano; the original Bess in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” March 13.
Betsy Blair, 85. Actress, Oscar-nominated for role as shy woman courted by homely Ernest Borgnine in “Marty.” March 13.
Ron Silver, 62. Won Tony as tough Hollywood producer in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.” March 15.
Natasha Richardson, 45. Gifted heiress to British acting royalty (“Patty Hearst”). March 18. Skiing accident.
Jade Goody, 27. British reality TV star, hailed in final months for her courage. March 22. Cancer.
Uriel Jones, 74. Drummer whose passionate beat fuelled Motown hits. March 24.
John Hope Franklin, 94. Towering scholar of African-American studies. March 25.
Steven Bach, 70. Movie executive who oversaw the debacle “Heaven’s Gate”; later wrote memoir about it. March 25.
Irving R. Levine, 86. Bow-tied NBC newsman who explained the fine points of economics. March 27.
Helen Levitt, 95. Photographer famed for scenes of New York street life. March 29.
Maurice Jarre, 84. Oscar-winning film composer (“Lawrence of Arabia,” “Doctor Zhivago”). March 28.
APRIL:
Tom Braden, 92. Helped launch CNN’s “Crossfire”; wrote memoir “Eight is Enough” that inspired a TV show. April 3.
Dave Arneson, 61. Co-creator of groundbreaking Dungeons&Dragons fantasy game. April 7.
David “Pop” Winans Sr., 76. Grammy-nominated patriarch of gospel music family. April 8.
Marilyn Chambers, 56. She helped bring adult films into mainstream with “Behind the Green Door.” April 12. Heart disease.
Peter Rogers, 95. Produced British “Carry On” films, hallmarks of lowbrow comedy. April 14.
J.G. Ballard, 78. British author known for dark vision (“Empire of the Sun”). April 19.
Jack Cardiff, 94. Oscar-winning cinematographer famed for innovative use of Technicolor (“The Red Shoes”). April 22.
Ken Annakin, 94. Directed World War II epics “Battle of the Bulge,” “The Longest Day.” April 22.
The Rev. Timothy Wright, 61. Grammy-nominated gospel singer, and composer (“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”). April 23.
Bea Arthur, 86. Her sharp delivery propelled “Maude,” “The Golden Girls”; won Tony for “Mame.” April 25.
Vern Gosdin, 74. Country singer (“Chiseled in Stone”). April 28.
MAY:
Marilyn French, 79. Feminist writer; her 1977 novel “The Women’s Room” sold millions. May 2.
Dom DeLuise, 75. Portly actor with offbeat style (“The Cannonball Run”). May 4.
Mickey Carroll, 89. One of last surviving Munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz.” May 7.
Wayman Tisdale, 44. Accomplished jazzman; earlier, a college, NBA basketball star. May 15. Cancer.
David Herbert Donald, 88. Pulitzer-winning Civil War historian; expert on Lincoln. May 17.
Mario Benedetti, 88. Renowned Uruguayan author (“The Truce”). May 17.
Amos Elon, 82. Israeli author (“The Israelis: Founders and Sons”). May 25.
JUNE:
Koko Taylor, 80. Regal, powerful singer known as “Queen of the Blues.” June 3.
Shih Kien, 96. Veteran Hong Kong actor; Bruce Lee’s archrival in 1973’s “Enter the Dragon.” June 3.
David Carradine, 72. Actor (“Kung Fu,” “Kill Bill”). June 4.
Bob Bogle, 75. Guitarist, co-founded instrumental band The Ventures (“Walk, Don’t Run”). June 14.
Ed McMahon, 86. Ebullient “Tonight” show sidekick who bolstered Johnny Carson. June 23.
Farrah Fawcett, 62. 1970s sex symbol, star of “Charlie’s Angels.” June 25.
Michael Jackson, 50. The “King of Pop.” June 25.
Gale Storm, 87. Perky actress; one of early television’s biggest stars (“My Little Margie”). June 27.
Billy Mays, 50. Burly, bearded television pitchman. June 28. Heart disease.
Harve Presnell, 75. His booming baritone graced Broadway musicals (“The Unsinkable Molly Brown”). June 30.
JULY:
Karl Malden, 97. Oscar-winning actor; a star despite his plain looks (“A Streetcar Named Desire”). July 1.
Allen Klein, 77. No-holds-barred music manager; worked with the Beatles, Rolling Stones. July 4.
Sir Edward Downes, 85. One of Britain’s most renowned conductors; longtime head of the BBC Philharmonic. July 10.
Walter Cronkite, 92. Premier TV anchorman of the networks’ golden age. July 17.
Gordon Waller, 64. Half of the British Invasion pop duo Peter and Gordon (“A World Without Love”). July 17.
Frank McCourt, 78. Former schoolteacher who enjoyed post-retirement fame, and a Pulitzer, for memoir “Angela’s Ashes.” July 19.
E. Lynn Harris, 54. Best-selling author who pioneered gay black fiction (“Love of My Own”). July 23. Heart disease.
Merce Cunningham, 90. The avant-garde dancer and choreographer who revolutionized modern dance. July 26.
AUGUST:
Naomi Sims, 61. Pioneering black model of the 1960s. Aug. 1.
Budd Schulberg, 95. Novelist (“What Makes Sammy Run?”) and Oscar-winning screenwriter (“On the Waterfront”). Aug. 5.
John Hughes, 59. Writer-director of smash youth-oriented comedies (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Home Alone”). Aug. 6. Heart attack.
Willy DeVille, 58. Singer, songwriter; founded punk group Mink DeVille. Aug. 6. Pancreatic cancer.
John Quade, 71. Character actor; the heavy in several Clint Eastwood movies. Aug. 9.
Andy Kessler, 48. Trailblazer of NYC’s skateboarding scene; designed skate parks. Aug. 10. Heart attack after wasp sting.
Les Paul, 94. Guitar virtuoso; invented solid-body electric guitar, multitrack recording. Aug. 13.
Virginia Davis, 90. As child actress, appeared in Walt Disney’s “Alice” films in 1920s. Aug. 15.
Hildegard Behrens, 72. German-born soprano hailed as one of the finest Wagnerian performers of her generation. Aug. 18.
Don Hewitt, 86. TV news pioneer who created “60 Minutes,” produced it for 36 years. Aug. 19.
Elmer Kelton, 83. Acclaimed Western novelist (“The Good Old Boys”). Aug. 22.
Ellie Greenwich, 68. Co-wrote some of 1960s’ most enduring songs (“Be My Baby”). Aug. 26.
Dominick Dunne, 83. Best-selling author who told stories of shocking crimes among the rich and famous. Aug. 26.
Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, 36. Celebrity disc jockey; also a reality TV figure who attempted to help fellow drug addicts. Aug. 28. Overdose.
Marie Knight, 84. Gospel music legend (“Beams of Heaven”). Aug. 30.
SEPTEMBER:
Erich Kunzel, 74. Conductor, longtime head of Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Sept. 1.
Keith Waterhouse, 80. British playwright, novelist (“Billy Liar”). Sept. 4.
Army Archerd, 87. His breezy Daily Variety column kept tabs on Hollywood doings for more than a half-century. Sept. 8.
Frank Batten Sr., 82. He built media giant Landmark Communications, created The Weather Channel. Sept. 10.
Jim Carroll, 60. Poet, punk rocker; wrote “The Basketball Diaries.” Sept. 11. Heart attack.
Larry Gelbart, 81. Slyly witty writer for stage and screen (“Tootsie,” “M-A-S-H”). Sept. 11.
Pierre Cossette, 85. Record label founder; turned Grammy Awards into a popular televised ceremony. Sept. 11.
Zakes Mokae, 75. Tony-winning South African actor (Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold … and the Boys”). Sept. 11.
Paul Burke, 83. Two-time Emmy nominee for his role as Detective Adam Flint in the gritty crime drama “Naked City.” Sept. 13.
Patrick Swayze, 57. Dancer turned movie superstar for “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost.” Sept. 14. Pancreatic cancer.
Henry Gibson, 73. Comic character actor; recited offbeat poetry on “Rowan&Martin’s Laugh-In.” Sept. 14.
Trevor Rhone, 69. Jamaican playwright; co-wrote the reggae film “The Harder They Come.” Sept. 15.
Mary Travers, 72. One-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary (“If I Had a Hammer”). Sept. 16.
Art Ferrante, 88. Half of the piano duo Ferrante and Teicher (“Exodus”). Sept. 19.
Alicia de Larrocha, 86. Spanish pianist who thrilled music listeners for decades. Sept. 25.
William Safire, 79. Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist and word warrior. Sept. 27.
OCTOBER:
Mercedes Sosa, 74. Argentine folksinger; the “Voice of Latin America” who inspired pro-democracy activists. Oct. 4.
Ben Ali, 82. Founded Ben’s Chili Bowl diner, a Washington landmark. Oct. 7.
Irving Penn, 92. Photographer famed for stark simplicity in portraits, fashion shots. Oct. 7.
Al Martino, 82. Singer (“Spanish Eyes”); played the Frank Sinatra-type role in “The Godfather.” Oct. 13.
Daniel Melnick, 77. Producer of acclaimed films “Straw Dogs,” “Network.” Oct. 13.
Vic Mizzy, 93. Songwriter; did catchy sitcom themes (“The Addams Family”). Oct. 17.
Soupy Sales, 83. Rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on thousands of pies to the face. Oct. 22.
Ray Browne, 87. Bowling Green State professor credited with coining the phrase “popular culture.” Oct. 22.
Michelle Triola Marvin, 76. She fought a landmark “palimony” case in the 1970s against former lover Lee Marvin. Oct. 30.
NOVEMBER:
Francisco Ayala, 103. Spanish novelist, sociologist; went into exile during the country’s Franco dictatorship. Nov. 3.
Sheldon Dorf, 76. Founded Comic-Con International comic book convention that draws more than 100,000. Nov. 3.
Jeanne-Claude, 74. With her husband, Christo, she created large-scale, highly publicized art projects. Nov. 18.
Elisabeth Soderstrom, 82. Swedish soprano who performed on world stages. Nov. 20.
Al Alberts, 87. Member of singing Four Aces (“Love is a Many Splendored Thing”). Nov. 27.
DECEMBER:
Aaron Schroeder, 84. Songwriter (Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never”). Dec. 1.
Richard Todd, 90. Acclaimed British actor (“The Longest Day”). Dec. 3.
Vyacheslav Tikhonov, 81. Popular Russian actor; starred in Oscar-winning Soviet production of “War and Peace.” Dec. 4.
Liam Clancy, 74. Last of Clancy Brothers Irish folksong troupe whose songs struck sentimental chord worldwide. Dec. 4.
Thomas Hoving, 78. Former director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art who championed the “blockbuster” exhibit. Dec. 10.
