JANUARY 3, 2019

Usher, Jason Derulo and Adam Lambert were among the celebrity victims of a “slick” suspect who cased Hollywood homes during open houses then returned to burglarize them. Benjamin Ackerman, 32, had a mind-blowing stash of fine art, diamond jewelry, luxury watches, designer handbags and collectible wines at his residence and a storage unit when detectives served search warrants back in September. “Ackerman targeted high-end celebrity homes that were for sale or were being shown during open-house appointments.

 

Daryl Dragon, the cap-wearing “Captain” of “The Captain and Tennille” who teamed with then-wife Toni Tennille on hits like “Love Will Keep Us Together” and “Muskrat Love,” died Wednesday at age 76. Dragon died of renal failure at a hospice in Prescott, Arizona. Tennille was by his side. “He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly. I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him,” Tennille said in a statement. Dragon and Tennille divorced in 2014 after nearly 40 years of marriage, but they remained close and Tennille had moved back to Arizona to help care for him.

 

Bob Einstein, a two-time Emmy winner who has recurred on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm since its launch and created the Super Dave Osborne character, died in Indian Wells, CA. He was 76 and recently had been diagnosed with cancer.

 

Legendary WWE and WCW interviewer “Mean” Gene Okerlund has died. He was 76. The WWE Hall of Famer was the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history.  Okerlund got his start with the American Wrestling Association, where interviewed the likes of Jesse “The Body” Ventura — who gave him his “Mean Gene” name.  Okerlund also sang the National Anthem during the first-ever Wrestlemania in 1985.

 

Pegi Young, who co-founded the Bridge School with her former husband of 36 years Neil Young, has died after a yearlong battle with cancer. She was 66. Pegi who was born in San Mateo, Calif., married Neil Young in 1978 after they met four years earlier when she was a waitress near his ranch. The pair had two children. The Youngs had so much difficulty finding a school that was prepared to handle the needs of their son Ben, who has cerebral palsy, that they co-founded the Bridge School, an educational program aimed at aiding children with severe speech and physical impediments, in 1986.

 

Two Philly actors are playing both Sonny and Cher in Broadway’s hit ‘Cher Show’

 

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have gone with a different surrogate to deliver their new baby — but it’s not because they didn’t like the last one … she was simply unavailable. Kim and Kanye hired a new woman to carry their fourth child, a boy … not the 20-something-year-old they used last year for baby Chicago. The reason is simple … that lady was already pregnant with a kid of her own. As we reported … Kim and Kanye’s new baby boy is due in early May. He’ll be their fourth child.

The Pointers Sisters have had great success in a range of music genres through the 70s and 80s. Bonnie Pointer was doing a solo set at Hollywood’s Wattles Mansion over the New Year’s weekend.  She threw up in her hand and trying to be a true professional, tried to make it through the next song, “I’m So Excited.”  About one minute into the song, Pointer let the backing vocal track take over while she tried to regroup, but it was too late.  The show stopped and there is no word as to what caused the episode.

 

Hockey Hall of Fame member Bobby Hull in 1939 (age 80)

Victoria Principal in 1950 (age 69)

Mel Gibson in 1956 (age 63)

Danica McKellar in 1975 (age 44)

Eli Manning in 1981 (age 38)

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