It is a very sad day in the world of toys because Toys”R”Us announced today that it is closing all of its stores in the US after 70 years of being in business. According to The New York Times, the company filed for bankruptcy in September and were not able to save the company. Therefore, over the next few months they will be holding a going out of business sale at their nearly 900 stores including the Babies”R”Us ones too.
Over the last few years, people have been getting their toys online and at the cheaper retailers like Target and Walmart. Because of that they were not able to compete.
While I am truly sad to see them close down because of all of the sweet memories I have there as a Toys”R”Us kid, who said, “I don’t want to grow up” I have not shopped there in years. I found their prices were too high. You can get the same toys at other stores for cheaper prices, so why would you shop there?
Although, it is going to make Baby Registries cost us so much more money because Buy Buy Baby is even more expensive. How does that store survive?
Mark Salling is dead at the age of 35 from an apparent suicide according to TMZ. Last month, the actor plead guilty to possessing around 50,000 images of child pornography on his computer and was set to be sentenced in March. According to TMZ, he could have been sentenced from 4 to 7 years.
Salling is best known for playing Puck on Glee. He is the second actor to pass away at a young age from that show. Cory Montheith died of a drug overdose at 31 in 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx5DPQVj-_g
Rose Marie passed away today at the age of 94 according to her website.
While the actress might be best known for playing the wise-cracking Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show, she was already a veteran by the time she did that sitcom. I recently learned she was a child star who started to wow audiences at the tender age of 4. People would fill theaters to hear Baby Rose Marie sing and they got their money’s worth.
Eventually she dropped the Baby from her name, but that did not stop her from singing and acting. Something she would do for the rest of her life.
Something that came later in life was documentary she made her about her life in show business. She promoted Wait For Your Life on Twitter, where she interacted with fans. Then just last month, that documentary became a reality and she did several Q&A’s at screenings of that film. Proving that she never stopped until today, the day she died.
Today, let’s honor the enormous talent that she is and watch the many highlights from her 90-year career. That is quite an accomplishment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4UHnReGilA
David Cassidy passed away today from organ failure at the age of just 67 according to KABC.
In 1970, the world feel in love with David Cassidy in The Partridge Family. He became a teen idol so quickly at 20, he did not know how to handle his newfound stardom even though he was the son of two living legends Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward and stepson to Shirley Jones. The latter was not only his stepmom in real life, she was also his TV mom on the sitcom that made him household name.
In order to deal with his fame, he took on drinking and drugs like his father and it took its toll on him. Even still, he kept on performing. He kept releasing music, starring on TV shows and even transitioning to Broadway in shows like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Blood Brothers with his real life half-brother Shaun Cassidy. I was fortunate enough to see him in that musical. After the show ended, my mom and I waited outside the stage door so she could meet Petula Clark, who played the mom. As we were waiting, David came out and did not want to sign autographs, so he ran away. As he was running away, like 50 women, who were not so young, were chasing him down Broadway even though he wanted to be left alone. I will never forget how obsessed they were him after all of those years, and are still in love with him now.
He was special. I know that because I interviewed him years later for ABC Family’s Ruby and the Rockits. I was enamored with the man, who sang I Think I Love You. He was a gentle soul even though he had been through hell and back.
Now he is at peace and out of pain. A pain that would have been worse for him as the Dementia started to take over like it did his mom. He was forced to retire earlier this year because of it and I would assume part of him died that day. He loved performing and without it, he was most likely not the same.
Today let’s honor him by singing his songs and watching the show that made us all happy. Come On Get Happy through the tears.
Here is a story about David as told by his brother Shaun from the Ruby and the Rockits’ interview. According to Shaun when Katie Cassidy was 15 years old, David brought her along to dinner one night with his brothers, who never met her nor know about her, and he told them, “Oh, and by the way, this is my daughter, I’ll have the chopped chicken liver and the…” That was how he introduced them to their niece. It was that moment that lead to Shaun pitching that show.
Della Reese passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 86 according to People.
The actress was best known for her powerful voice and gentle demeanor on Touched By an Angel for 9 years. Now she is with the angels she portrayed and we will remember her for being angel here on Earth.
Before she was a actress on shows like Chico and the Man and The Royal Family with her old friend Redd Foxx and movies like Harlem Knights, she was Jazz and Gospel singer who wowed audiences for generations. Not only did she continue acting up until a few years ago, she was also an ordained minister.
Today let’s keep her beautiful spirit alive by listening to her profound music and watching her heartfelt performances.
