Shirley Hemphill, 52
Matthew Hubbard
comedienne Shirley Hemphill, best known for her role as the waitress
Shirley on the 70's show "What's Happening!!"; she also starred in the
short-lived "One in a Million" comedy, in which she played a cab driver
who inherits a multi-million dollar conglomerate. I didn't hear the
cause of death.
MattH
readnewsgro...@yahoo.com
<leof...@crl.com> wrote:
"What's Happening" actress Hemphill dead at 52
December 11, 1999 Web posted at: 1:23 a.m. EST (0623 GMT)
WEST COVINA, California (CNN) -- Actress Shirley Hemphill, best known
for her role in the television series "What's Happening," was found dead
in her home Friday morning, according to the Los Angeles County
coroner's office.
Hemphill's gardner found her face down on the floor of her West Covina
home, said Lt. Dan Aikens, of the county coroner's office. Hemphill, 52,
appeared to have been dead for some time, he said.
Her best-known role was as Shirley Wilson, the acerbic waitress on
"What's Happening." The program aired on ABC from 1976 to 1979. She
reprised her role in the show's syndicated sequel. "What's Happening
Now," which aired from 1985 to 1988.
Aikens said Hemphill appeared to have died of natural causes, but an
autopsy will be performed over the weekend.
Jim Geary
Jim Geary
jaygee at primenet dot com
http://www.primenet.com/~jaygee
Hound
wrote:
>Sounds like her career was stillborn.
>
<huge snip>
Stagnent maybe, perhaps even over, but she had a good career,
certainly better than 99% of the others who try to make it.
Sort-Man
This is the 2nd recent death of a cast member from "What's Happening".
Mabel King, who played the Mother on the show died last month.
Shirley was also an accomplished stand up comedienne. She appeared on
numerous variety shows and Comedy Specials.
SortMan
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
mws
barely 2 weeks ago.Since they say people die in groups of
three,I wonder if Rerun will be next?
readnewsgro...@yahoo.com wrote in message
<1Mu44.5903$lL.8...@nnrp3.rcsntx.swbell.net>...
To...@fred.net
: The local NPR station reports the death of actress and stand-up
: comedienne Shirley Hemphill, best known for her role as the waitress
: Shirley on the 70's show "What's Happening!!"; she also starred in the
: short-lived "One in a Million" comedy, in which she played a cab driver
: who inherits a multi-million dollar conglomerate. I didn't hear the
: cause of death.
This ranks up with the back-to-back deaths of the Henry Blakes of M*A*S*H.
--
To...@Fred.Net http://www.fred.net/tomr
* "Faith Manages...... But Willow is in Tech Support"
Mary Kay Bergman 1961-1999
gjw
wrote:
>And it is ironic that Mabel King,who played Mama, died
>barely 2 weeks ago.
A few days ago, I was driving south on the Long Beach (710) Freeway,
when I saw a large billboard with Shirley's smiling face on it.
Remembering that a cast member of "What's Happening" (Mabel King) had
recently died, for a moment I thought that it was Shirley. Then I
remembered that it had been the mother on the show, not the
wisecracking waitress. A few days later, she was dead too... Odd.
Gary
http://www.seeing-stars.com
Whoham
wisecracking waitress on the 1970s sitcom ``What's Happening!!,'' was found
dead Friday in her home. She was 52. Gardeners called authorities Friday
morning after they looked through a window and saw her face down on the bedroom
floor, said Scott Gilmore, a West Covina Fire Department paramedic.
Paramedics forced their way through the garage door and pronounced her dead at
the scene. It was not known how long she had been there, and the gardeners said
they last saw her on Dec. 3, Gilmore said. ``We are handling the death as a
natural death,'' said Lt. Dan Aikin of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
Ms. Hemphill played waitress Shirley Wilson on ``What's Happening!!'' The
comedy, which ran from 1976-79, centered on three high school students who hung
out together. She also appeared on the series ``One in a Million'' in 1980,
followed by a remake of the 1970s show called ``What's Happening Now!,'' which
ran from 1985-88. Ms. Hemphill apparently lived alone at her home in West
Covina, about 30 miles east of Los Angeles.
TAIVORY
Michael OConnor Renaissance Man
>dying and no one knowing about it for days -- well, that bothers me.
>
It is believed that actor William Holden was dead a couple of weeks before he
was found. In 1981 he was apparently drunk and stumbled and hit his head on
the corner of his coffee table in his home and died and it was not discovered
for some time. I would think the smell would give it away after a couple days
but he probably lived in a big house on a big piece of land where there weren't
many neighbors.
"The probability of one person being right increases in a direct porportion to
the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong"
ROBDON33
Possibly a stroke or a heart attack? At age 52, either one of those two may
have been the case, but we won't know until the autopsy report is released to
the public.
Rob-o
Matthew Hubbard
>
> On 12 Dec 1999 00:49:02 GMT, who...@aol.com (Whoham) wrote:
>
> > Shirley Hemphill LOS ANGELES (AP) - Shirley Hemphill, who played a
> >wisecracking waitress on the 1970s sitcom ``What's Happening!!,'' was
>
> I know I will die one day, and that doesn't bother me, but the thought
> of dying and no one knowing about it for days -- well, that bothers
> me.
It is kind of creepy, but any of us in that situation should be beyond
caring by then.
Reminds me of the great Nick Lowe tune "Marie Prevost", a silent
actress whose long undiscovered corpse was partially eaten by her pet
dachshund:
She was a winner
Who became a doggy's dinner
She never meant that much to me
But now I see...
Poor Marie.
MattH
To...@fred.net
:>I know I will die one day, and that doesn't bother me, but the thought of
:>dying and no one knowing about it for days -- well, that bothers me.
:>
: It is believed that actor William Holden was dead a couple of weeks before he
: was found. In 1981 he was apparently drunk and stumbled and hit his head on
: the corner of his coffee table in his home and died and it was not discovered
: for some time. I would think the smell would give it away after a couple days
: but he probably lived in a big house on a big piece of land where there weren't
: many neighbors.
Guy WIlliams, the Disney Zorro and Dr Robinson of LiS, was discovered dead
after a few weeks, while living in South America.
What is definitely creepier is if you started to post AFTER you've died.
The Avocado Avenger
>>I know I will die one day, and that doesn't bother me, but the thought of
>>dying and no one knowing about it for days -- well, that bothers me.
>It is believed that actor William Holden was dead a couple of weeks before he
>was found. In 1981 he was apparently drunk and stumbled and hit his head on
>the corner of his coffee table in his home and died and it was not discovered
>for some time.
That lady who played Mrs Hart on "Hart to Hart" -- Stephanie something,
I just can't remember -- was either married to or involved with Holden at
the time. On "Donahue" a long time ago, she clearly stated that he'd died
the night before someone came to visit him, and found him dead. Whether
this is true or not, I don't know; she seemed to have reasons for making
herself look better than she perhaps was.
Stacia * The Avocado Avenger * Life is a tale told by an idiot;
http://www.io.com/~stacia/ * Full of sound and fury,
There is no guacamole anywhere. * Signifying nothing.
fer...@my-deja.com
Michael
In article <3852db0c...@news.earthlink.net>,
Albin Kampfer
wrote:
>The local NPR station reports the death of actress and stand-up
>comedienne Shirley Hemphill, best known for her role as the waitress
>Shirley on the 70's show "What's Happening!!"; she also starred in the
>short-lived "One in a Million" comedy, in which she played a cab driver
>who inherits a multi-million dollar conglomerate. I didn't hear the
>cause of death.
That's too bad, but from the size of her, it would almost have to be
her heart.
Albin O. Kampfer
Volfie
Powers. She later hooked up with Robert Wagner if I remember correctly. (Did
they marry?)
Volfie -> she sure disappeared from public view after a fairly big star life in
the 60's/early 70's
Chris Marksberry
>> That lady who played Mrs Hart on "Hart to Hart" -- Stephanie something,
Volfie wrote in message
>
>Powers. She later hooked up with Robert Wagner if I remember correctly.
(Did
>they marry?)
>
>Volfie -> she sure disappeared from public view after a fairly big star
life in
>the 60's/early 70's
Robert Wagner married Jill St. John several years ago.
Stefanie Powers started the William Holden
Wildlife Foundation after William
Holden's death and is still active in that.
Chris in Houston
MailTo:cmark...@hickham.com
Chris Marksberry
>Chris wrote:
>>Robert Wagner married Jill St. John several years ago.
>>
Volfie wrote in message
>
>Oh, lord, I'm going senile! You're right. Gawwwwwwwww. Thanks for
setting me
>straight.
>
>Volfie -> :::::blushing:::::
Not to worry Volfie. Why can I remember Robert Wagner married Jill St. John
when I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday <vbg>
Volfie
>Robert Wagner married Jill St. John several years ago.
>
Oh, lord, I'm going senile! You're right. Gawwwwwwwww. Thanks for setting me
straight.
Volfie -> :::::blushing:::::
David Samuel Barr
>
> > That lady who played Mrs Hart on "Hart to Hart" -- Stephanie
> > something,
>
> correctly. (Did they marry?)
They worked together but were not romantically involved. Wagner's
first wife was Natalie Wood; after she died, Wagner married Jill
St. John.
> She sure disappeared from public view after a fairly big star life in
> the 60's/early 70's
Considering that her greatest visibility was in the Hart to Hart series
in 1979-84, and that she appeared in various TV movies and miniseries
almost every year from 1970 through 1996, I would guess you don't watch
much TV. She has spent much of her offscreen time in Africa, working on
conservation efforts there on behalf of the William Holden Wildlife
Foundation which she founded after Holden's death
http://www.allmediapr.com/whwf/index.html
Brad Ferguson
<2196DBCDA57E53A9.11CCB83F...@lp.airnews.net>,
Chris Marksberry <cmark...@hickham.com> wrote:
> >Chris wrote:
> >>Robert Wagner married Jill St. John several years ago.
> >>
>
> Volfie wrote in message
> >
> >Oh, lord, I'm going senile! You're right. Gawwwwwwwww. Thanks for
> setting me
> >straight.
> >
> >Volfie -> :::::blushing:::::
>
>
> Not to worry Volfie. Why can I remember Robert Wagner married Jill St. John
> when I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday <vbg>
I didn't even know that Robert Wagner had married Jill St. John. They
really should put a People rack in the express line.
BTW, ain't it remarkable how this thread went from Shirley Hemphill to
Stephanie Powers to Jill St. John almost effortlessly?
treg
Stephanie Powers was "second best" known for her long relationship
with the late William Holden. Holden and she shared an interest in
preserving African widelife. Since Holden's death, and the slowing
down of her career, she has spent most of her time on this project
traveling between LA and Holden's wild game preserve in Africa.
Ray Arthur