Greetings, Programs!

For those growing up in the 90s, the announcement of two deaths today will be a shock for a lot of you.

Fans of Beverly Hills, 90210 will be shocked to learn that Luke Perry did not survive his massive stroke from last Wednesday. He was 52.

The report from Variety states:

“[Perry] was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” his rep said in a statement. “The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”

Although never a fan of 90210, I did enjoy his run on the show Jeremiah back in 2002 with Malcolm-Jamal Warner. He had quite the list of acting roles per IMDb, but Luke will always be remembered as the bad boy Dylan McKay.

All too soon!

Fans of 90s electronica music will be saddened by the news of The Prodigy frontman Keith Flint passing away today. He was 49.

The report from Variety states:

“We were called to concerns for the welfare of a man at an address in Brook Hill, North End, just after 8.10am on Monday, March 4,” the police said. “We attended and, sadly, a 49-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.”

Also from Variety:

“While Flint was essentially a visual foil and occasional singer/ rapper for the group, his outlandish appearance — pierced, tattooed, heavy makeup and his hair fashioned into a mohawk — became as much a part of Prodigy’s identity as its aggressive and pulsating sound. The 1996 single “Firestarter,” with a video heavily focused on Flint, vaulted the group into another league of popularity, which was cemented by the release the following year of the “Fat of the Land” album. The album, which debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. as well as the U.K., saw the group signing with Madonna’s Maverick Records and being seen as leaders of the “electronica” scene, a loosely defined fusion of dance and rock music. The group spawned enormous controversy with the single “Smack My B—h up,” which was entirely instrumental except for the title line and the words “Change my pitch up.” While those lyrics were actually sampled from a track by the Ultramagnetic MCs, the song was excoriated by multiple women’s groups, including the National Organization for Women, which said it advocated violence against women; the Jonas Akerlund-directed video was filmed from the perspective of a person engaging in highly hedonistic behavior, but featured a twist at the end when the character is revealed to be female. However, that, combined with Howlett’s statement that the song was actually about “doing anything intensely,” did little to diminish the outcry. Its air and video plays were frequently limited to late hours, and the group got into an onstage dispute with the Beastie Boys at the 1998 Reading Festival in England: The Beasties asked the group not to perform the song due to the effect it might have on survivors of abuse, but the Prodigy played it anyway.

However, the controversy took its toll and the group went on hiatus, re-emerging in 2002 and releasing four albums in the years since, retaining a solid fan base and chart success, but not at the level it had previously enjoyed. Flint spoke of depression and a dependence on prescription drugs during the early 2000s, but said he’d given them up, as well as cigarettes and alcohol, by 2006. Heformed a pair of solo outfits, Clever Brains Fryin’ and Flint, releasing one single and recording an unreleased album with the latter outfit. He was also an avid motorcycle racer.”

The group’s cofounder main songwriter Liam Howlett said in an Instagram post that Flint’s death was a suicide:

“The news is true, I can’t believe I’m saying this but our brother Keith took his own life over the weekend,” he wrote. “I’m shell shocked, fuckin angry , confused and heart broken ….. r.i.p brother Liam #theprodigy.”

The band had released their latest recording, “No Tourists“, last November. The US leg of their tour was to start in May. No word on those shows as of this writing.

Other notables:

Katherine Helmond (July 5, 1929 – Feb. 23, 2019) – Alzheimer’s

Known for her great comedic roles in Soap, Time Bandits, Who’s The Boss, and Brazil.

Lisa Sheridan (Dec. 5, 1974 – Feb. 25, 2019) – Cause of death unknown.

You may remember her from FreakyLinks, Invasion, Journeyman.

Mark Hollis (Jan. 4, 1955 – Feb. 25, 2019) – “a short illness from which he never recovered”

The lead singer from the UK band Talk Talk, their most famous songs were “It’s My Life“, and “Life’s What You Make It

All will be missed.