Last Days

On May 28, 1998, Phil Hartman – star of Saturday Night Live and voice of countless characters on The Simpsons – was shot and killed in bed by his wife in the middle of the night. But the murder turned out to be only a prelude to one of the most shocking tragedies ever to rock Hollywood, leaving fans to mourn the death of a comedy icon while family and friends struggled to make sense of it all.Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On May 24, 2023, Tina Turner – the iconic Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll who dazzled legions of fans with her electric performances for more than six decades – passed away after a long illness at the age of 83. Although already a vibrant and singular presence in music by the late 60s, her incredible comeback in the mid-80s after enduring years of abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, Ike Turner, inspired a whole new generation of people and allowed her to transform from music icon to living legend.Hosts: Derek Kaufman & Eric Colley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On December 18, 1997, Chris Farley – known to his cadre of famous friends as the funniest and kindest man they’d ever known – died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin. His death was the heartbreaking conclusion of a life lived in the grip of addiction and serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of fame and the perils of a system designed to extract a laugh at any cost.Host: Jason Becerkman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On May 19, 2023, Jim Brown - quite possibly the greatest American athlete ever - died after a long illness. As great as Brown was on the field, his most indelible impact may well be be as a civil rights pioneer who fought fiercely for revolutionary causes. During a time when athletes – especially Black athletes – were expected to keep their ideas to themselves, Brown was a proud rabble-rouser who paved the way for later generations to openly fight for the causes that matter to them.Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 11, 2003, John Ritter - the popular sitcom superstar from Three's Company - suddenly fell ill on the set of his new show and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died from a rare heart condition. As the world mourned the passing of a comedic legend, his family and friends were left to wonder -- was it preventable?Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On March 31, 1995, Selena – 23 years old and on the verge of superstardom – was shot and killed by her former employee and best friend, and the world was left to wonder why it had happened, and what might have been for one of the most beloved young artists in the history of music.Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the height of the COVID lockdown, the world found out about the death of Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer from a heartbreaking post on social media. After a string of successful biopics and the enormous success of Black Panther, his sudden passing at the age of 43 from colon cancer shocked his fans and colleagues in the film community, who soon learned it was anything but sudden.Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On April 27, 2023, Jerry Springer died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 79. Although one of the most controversial people in the history of television, his passing has been met with a tidal wave of affection that underscores the enormity of his impact on American culture.Hosts: Derek Kaufman & Jason Beckerman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Young, handsome, and enormously talented, Heath Ledger was destined to be a superstar until his addiction to prescription meds took his life. But Ledger’s death was more complex – and perhaps more sinister - than anyone knew, and sparked an investigation into another huge Hollywood star who many still blame for his death.Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes burst onto the Atlanta music scene with her TLC bandmates back in the 90s, but her successes on the Billboard charts were often paired with a tumultuous personal life. Still, her sudden death in 2002 from a car accident in Honduras shocked the world and left many with more questions than answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices