Hunter Thompson kills himself
WOODY CREEK, Colo., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Hunter S. Thompson, a journalist symbol of the U.S. counterculture since the 1960s, has killed himself with a handgun at age 67.
Thompson committed suicide Sunday at his Colorado home, the New York Times said Monday.
His wife, Louisa Davidson, was out of the house at a nearby gym when Thompson killed himself. She said Thompson "was not going to age gracefully. He was going to go out with a bang. He was tormented."
The author of at least a dozen books, he gained fame with his "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail" books, first published in Rolling Stone magazine.
The self-proclaimed father of "gonzo journalism" also became a regular feature in the "Doonesbury" comic strips as Uncle Duke. In addition, he wrote a memorable article for Harper's on the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, after spending a year riding with the group.
A former Air Force recruit, he was an equal-opportunity critic of U.S. culture, jabbing right-wing as well as left-wing values with his distinctive wit.
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone ... but they've always worked for me," he once wrote.
Sandra Dee dies at age 62
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Sandra Dee, Hollywood's version of the girl next door, has died in California from liver disease and pneumonia at the age of 62.
Dee died Sunday at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
Demure but sensual, Dee's performances as "Gidget" in 1959 and "Tammy" made her a teen idol in the 1960s, a status reinforced by her Hollywood marriage in 1960 to pop singer Bobby Darin.
Anorexia, which emerged when she was 11, drug use and alcoholism, which became virulent after her 1967 divorce from Darin, plagued her for much of her adult life.
"The pills, dexa-somethings, made me feel so good I zipped through the day," she said. "When I got home, I didn't want to take care of the baby, I wanted to go out.
"I couldn't function," she told People magazine in 1991, revealing she drank a quart of scotch a day and her weight fell to 80 pounds as she lived reclusively in Los Angeles.
Dee is survived by her son, Dodd Mitchell Darin, and two grandchildren.
John Raitt dies at age 88
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Noted Broadway baritone John Raitt has died at his Los Angeles home at age 88, the New York Times reported Monday.
Raitt, father of blues singer Bonnie Raitt, died Sunday from complications of pneumonia.
He gained fame playing the role of Billy Bigelow in the original production of "Carousel" in 1945 and Sid Sorokin in the comedy "The Pajama Game" in 1954.
In "The Pajama Game," Raitt played the role of a just-hired mill executive smitten with a union activist, played in the original production by Janis Paige, and in subsequent movie by Doris Day.
Raitt, a Quaker, was a conscientious objector during World War II.
In addition to Bonnie, he is survived by two sons, Steven and David, all from his first marriage to Marjorie Haydock. They divorced in 1971. His marriage to Kathleen Smith Landry in 1972 ended in divorce. In 1981 he married Rosemary Kraemer, who also survives him.
'Producers' wins big at Oliver Awards
LONDON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Mel Brooks' "The Producers" was the big winner at Britain's Olivier Awards, taking home awards for Best New Musical and Best Actor.
"Producers" star Nathan Lane took home the Best Actor prize Sunday night, despite having to drop out of the show after seven weeks due to medical troubles, the Times of London reported Monday. Castmate Conleth Hill was named Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The star of the stage adaptation of "Mary Poppins," Laura Michelle Kelly, was awarded the Best Actress in a Musical prize. The show also won the award for Best Theater Choreographer.
In non-musical categories, Alan Bennett's "The History Boys" won Best New Play, Best Director for Nicholas Hytner, and Best Actor for Richard Griffiths. Bennett was presented with a Special Award for his outstanding contribution to British theater.
