Fwd: OLA

[BOOZE...@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/27/2011 10:03:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, jeannin...@yahoo.com writes:

Hi, Did you read on the internet that Jeff Conaway dies due to drug overdose?   Many years, I remember he went to OLA. Also, the same age. Very sad- had a long term addiction but I thought, he licked it- guess not..     Give my best to Gene

 

[Pierangelas]

Hi :)

 

Yes, I remember Jeff and have a picture of him at one of our seventh grade class musicals at OLA ...(around 12 yrs old) .....but....if the one you are referring to is the one below....I don't remember him being in Broadway at 10 yrs old and don't think he could have been 4-5 years older than us.  A couple of pictures of his youth do not match mine exactly either. 

 

Anyone care to shed some light on this ?...

 

I would be very much upset if it was him.

 

Take care y'all.

 

Pierangela
PS Well, hope not.  When living in Cape Town in my mid teeens, my classmates who did not know me well, heard I had died of an over dose ...it was the actress Pier Angeli....quite my senior

 

According to Kirk Douglas' autobiography, he and Angeli were engaged in the 1950s after meeting on the set of the 1953 film The Story of Three Loves.^[2] For a short time, Angeli also had a romantic relationship with James Dean; however, under pressure from her domineering mother, she broke off the relationship and went on to marry singer and actor Vic Damone (1954–1958).^[3] Her marriage to Damone ended in divorce, followed by highly publicized court battles for the custody of their one son, Perry Farinola. Her second marriage was to Italian composer Armando Trovaioli (1962–1969), with whom she had another son (Andrew).

At the age of 39, despondent and lonely, Angeli was found dead of an accidental barbiturate overdose.^[4][5] She is interred in the Cimetière des Bulvis, in Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

She was later portrayed by Valentina Cervi in the 2001 TV movie James Dean, which depicted her relationship with Dean.

 

Pier Angeli

 

Jeff Conaway / Biography

 

 

Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway^[2] Summary

Milestones

Notes

Quick take

Name	Jeff Conaway
Real name	Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway
Date of birth	October 5, 1950
Date of death	May 27, 2011
Place of birth	New York City, New York, USA
Occupation	Actor

Details

A feathered-hair heartthrob during a brief period in the 1970s, Jeff Conaway's career became rocky following his moment in the sun as Kenickie in the musical "Grease" (1978) and his stint on the classic ABC sitcom, "Taxi" (ABC, 1978-1982). His three years on the sci-fi series "Babylon 5" (TNT, 1994-98) notwithstanding, Conaway's career during the 1980s and 1990s consisted mainly of made-for-TV and direct-to-video films, with his high-profile drug and alcohol abuse earning him the most attention. From his appearance in 2006 on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" (VH1, 2005- ), the actor slid further, ending up on the network's "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" (VH1, 2008- ), where the frail and seemingly suicidal actor bore almost no resemblance to the handsome smart aleck whose career had once been so promising. In the end, Conaway became a kind of cautionary tale of addiction, dying much too young after numerous public struggles.

Born Oct. 5, 1950, Conaway was raised in New York City. He hit the boards of Broadway at age 10, appearing with Colleen Dewhurst and Lillian Gish in "All the Way Home" (1960). At 20, he made an eerily prescient feature film debut as a druggie in the heroin-soaked "Jennifer on My Mind" (1971). After making his debut in the syndicated "Sea to Shining Sea" in 1974, he began making guest appearances on numerous series, among them "Movin' On" (NBC, 1974-76) and "Happy Days" (ABC, 1974-1984). During that time, Conaway served as an understudy during the Broadway run of "Grease," eventually taking over the lead role of cocky Danny Zuko.

The film adaptation of the musical "Grease" would mark Conaway's big screen break in 1978, though the lesser-known actor had to cede the leading role to the newly minted star John Travolta by playing the second male lead, sexually active tough guy, Kenickie. No matter. From the moment Conaway's vulgar T-Bird with a soft spot for "Greased Lightning" cars and fast women hit the screen, he managed to steal scenes from not only Travolta, but his onscreen girlfriend, Stockard Channing, who memorably played his hardened Pink Lady, Rizzo. The same year - in an incredible 1-2 punch of good luck - he was cast as Bobby Wheeler, the handsome (if dimwitted) out-of-work actor who moonlights as a cabbie on the classic sitcom "Taxi." Holding his own opposite such veteran actors as Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch and comic oddballs like Andy Kaufman and Christopher Lloyd, Conaway earned Golden Globe nominations for his performance in 1979 and 1980.

During his high-profile stint on "Taxi," Conaway continued to try to make inroads towards a film career with TV movie turns as a love-struck medical student in "For the Love of It" (ABC, 1980) and a country singer kidnapped by two female convicts in "Nashville Grab" (ABC, 1981). Conaway left "Taxi" in 1982 with his sights set on a film career, but he was back on TV the following year in the heroic role of Prince Erik Greystone on the fantasy adventure series, "Wizards and Warriors" (CBS, 1983), and supporting Joan Collins in "The Making of a Male Model" (ABC, 1983). Conaway was cast as the lothario who could barely keep his pants zipped on the short-lived "Berrengers" (NBC, 1985), but by the mid-1980s, his problems with drugs and alcohol were coming to light. The actor was very open about his addiction and the steps he was taking to get his life back on track.

After a round of rehab, Conaway seemed back on track when he was cast as one of the team of the revived "Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission" (NBC, 1988), and after an appearance in the campy movie, "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" (1988). He was invited to join the CBS soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987- ), but after less than a year on the series, the out-of-control actor was back in the headlines when he sideswiped a bicycle rider on Santa Monica Boulevard in L.A. and was arrested for drunk driving. He was ordered to 60 days house arrest and three years probation with mandatory attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous five days per week for three years. During the 1990s, Conway starred in numerous low budget and direct-to-video productions, such as "A Time to Die" (1991) and "Almost Pregnant" (1992). He was associate producer of "Sunset Strip" and made his directorial debut with "Bikini Summer," both released direct-to-video in 1992. Finally in the mid-1990s, Conaway found some stability portraying security chief Zack Allan on three seasons of the sci-fi series "Babylon 5." Things continued to look up when he returned to his Broadway roots in 1997, this time playing disc jockey Vince Fontaine in the revival of "Grease."

By 2006, however, Conaway's career dipped when he appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club." Sadder still, he was forced to leave the show due to a drug relapse and in 2008, a wheelchair-bound, incoherent Conaway was relocated to another VH1 reality series, "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." During his unsuccessful attempt to stay clean, the suicidal ex-heartthrob admitted he had been a drug addict since he was a teenager, and had problems staying away from the painkillers he was prescribed for a serious back problem. When it was deemed that Dr. Drew and the rehab facility could not help the ailing Conaway, he left and was taking painkillers on camera shortly thereafter. In early 2010, Conaway's health declined further after he fell in his home and suffered a broken hip, a broken arm, a fractured neck and a brain hemorrhage. The story only became sadder when in May 2011, Conaway was found unconscious - lying on the floor for perhaps as long as 10 hours - before being rushed to the hospital. His manager confirmed the actor was in a deep coma and was suffering from pneumonia and sepsis, a severe bacterial illness. On May 27, 2011, Conaway died after his family took him off life support, with the actor never having gained consciousness. He was 60 years old.

Year	Events
2008	Appeared with other celebrities on the VH1 reality series, "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew"
2006	Appeared in VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club"; was forced to leave due to his relapse and entered rehab
1997	Returned to Broadway playing disc jockey Vince Fontaine in the revival of "Grease"
1994	Played a regular on the syndicated sci-fi series "Babylon 5"
1992	Directed and associate produced direct-to-video film, "Bikini Summer"
1989	Had regular role on daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)
1985	Was part of ensemble cast of "Berrengers" (NBC)
1983	Starred in CBS series "Wizards and Warrior"
1978	Had featured role as aspiring actor and cab driver Bobby Wheeler on the sitcom "Taxi" (ABC)
1978	Played Kenicke in the motion picture musical, "Grease"
1975	Network TV debut, guest roles on "Movin' On" and "Happy Days"
1974	Made TV debut in "Sea to Shining Sea" (syndicated)
1971	Feature film debut, "Jennifer on My Mind"
1960	Made Broadway debut at age 10, appearing with Lillian Gish and Colleen Dehurst in "All the Way Home"

In May 2011, Conaway fell into a coma following a drug overdose. He was listed in critical condition for two weeks before passing away on May 27, 2011 after being taken off life support.

Actor Jeff Conaway, was badly injured in a fall at his California home on Jan. 18, 2010 and was rushed to hospital for surgery. Conaway fell down a staircase and suffered a broken hip, a broken arm, a fractured neck and a brain hemorrhage.

While appearing on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" (VH1) Conaway revealed that he was tortured as a child and was a victim of pedophiles and child pornographers.

Conway struggled with drug addiction in the mid '80s. He successfully underwent treatment in the late '80s, but by the mid-2000s however, he had relapsed.

Attached Message

From:	Jeannine Dunn <jeannin...@yahoo.com>
To:	Booze...@aol.com
Subject:	OLA
Date:	Fri, 27 May 2011 19:03:09 -0700 (PDT)