The voice behind “Here’s Johnny,” an “angel” with a trademark hairdo, and a child who grew up to become the “King of Pop.”
We lost all three this week with the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
They were known names, faces and voices to particular generations, but over the span of years, they influenced not just the entertainment world but the conversations in our own living rooms.
Jackson, despite his fall from mega-stardom and some of the more freakish allegations about his personal life, dazzled us with “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” during the early 1980s. We cheered when he moonwalked across the stage, and we imitated him by wearing single, sequined gloves. Jackson, during his peak, was a magical performer. He died at age 50.
Fawcett was blond and beautiful in “Charlie’s Angels,” which debuted in 1976. Her hairstyle was imitated by an entire generation of women, and her poster — well, it was an iconic image. But, she was more than just a pretty face, as she proved later in life. She won praise for her portrayal of a battered wife in “The Burning Bed,” and fought a courageous battle with cancer. She died at age 62.
McMahon shone even though he walked in the spotlight shadow as a foil to “Tonight” show host Johnny Carson. He entertained us from 1962 until 1992 as Carson’s sidekick. He was a TV personality and performed in numerous commercials, but was best known for his resounding “H-e-e-e-e-e-ere’s Johnny!” McMahon died at age 86.
We’ll miss all of these entertainers, but perhaps what we’ll miss most is the time in our lives they represented.
Opinion
In our view: Pop-culture icons will be remembered
- Opinion
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Our View: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
My oldest granddaughter was part of the class of 2012 from Joplin High School, and I attended the ceremony on Monday night.
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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