Comic actor Henry Gibson dead at 73
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. actor Henry Gibson, best known as an original cast member of the TV comedy "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," has died of cancer, his family said. He was 73.
Gibson's son, Jon, told the Los Angeles Times he died late Monday night at his home in Malibu, Calif.
"Henry was an integral part of 'Laugh-In' for a long time, and he was brilliant," close friend and "Laugh-In" announcer Gary Owens told the Times. "He was a very funny man."
"He came in and did a poem and a full back flip. He said, 'Is that anything?' I said, 'Be here Monday,'" said George Schlatter, the executive producer and creator of "Laugh-In," recalling the day Gibson auditioned for the show.
"Henry was a sweet, gentle man. Any piece we gave to Henry took on a different shape when he read it because he infused his own whimsy and his own gentle intelligence and wit to it," Schlatter added.
Poems Gibson penned and recited on the series were compiled for two comedy albums, "The Alligator" and "The Grass Menagerie," and the book "Flower Child's Garden of Verses."
The Pennsylvania native's film credits include "The Nutty Professor," "Kiss Me, Stupid," "Nashville," "The Blues Brothers," "The 'Burbs" and "Wedding Crashers."
He recently played a recurring role on the TV courtroom comedy "Boston Legal" and lent his voice to Wilbur the pig in the animated movie "Charlotte's Web."
Gibson is survived by his sons Jon, Charles and James; his three sisters, Elizabeth Malloy, Adele Donahue and Mary Lee; and two grandchildren, the Times said.
Folk singer Mary Travers dead at 72
NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Folk singer Mary Travers has died at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut following complications from leukemia treatment, her representative said. She was 72.
The Redding, Conn., resident -- best known for being a civil-rights and anti-war activist, and a member of the musical trio Peter, Paul and Mary -- died Wednesday, her spokeswoman Heather Lylis told The New York Times.
Along with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, the Kentucky native, who was raised in New York's Greenwich Village neighborhood, recorded hit songs like "Lemon Tree," "If I Had a Hammer," "Blowin' in the Wind," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in the 1960s.
Although the band officially broke up in 1970, Travers, Yarrow and Stookey reunited numerous times afterward to perform.
Yarrow said in a statement to the Times Wednesday that Travers' singing style was an expression of her character, both of which were "honest and completely authentic."
"Her charisma was a barely contained nervous energy -- occasionally (and then only privately) revealed as stage fright," Stookey added in a statement to the newspaper.
Travers is survived by her fourth husband, Ethan Robbins; two daughters; a sister; and two grandchildren.
Chicken farmer wins $1M on TV's 'Talent'
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Kevin Skinner, a Kentucky chicken farmer and aspiring country music star, won $1 million on Wednesday's finale of "America's Got Talent."
Skinner earned the chance to headline an "America's Got Talent" show at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas next month, as well.
Wednesday's finale also featured a performance of the Rolling Stones's hit "Wild Horses" by "Britain's Got Talent" star and Internet sensation Susan Boyle in her U.S. television singing debut.
The BBC said the Scottish singer was greeted by more than 1,000 fans when she arrived at a Los Angeles airport before the show.
Boyle's debut album "I Dreamed a Dream" is set for release in November.
'Feeling' holds fast to No. 1 chart spot
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The Black Eyed Peas's "I Gotta Feeling" is No. 1 on the U.S. record chart for a 12th week, Billboard.com reported Thursday.
Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 is Jay Sean's "Down" featuring Lil Wayne, followed by Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." at No. 3, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West's "Run This Town" at No. 4 and Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" at No. 5.
Rounding out the top tier are Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" at No. 6, Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say" at No. 7, Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" at No. 8, Pitbull's "Hotel Room Service" at No. 9 and Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad" featuring Leighton Meester at No. 10.
