Godspeed Freddy Cannon

Freddy Cannon, best known for such songs as "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," "Palisades Park," and "Action," died on July 17, 2026, at the age of 89. He also appeared on Svengoolie and wrote the songs "Svengoolie Stomp" and "Hey, Svengoolie" for the show.

Freddy Cannon was born Frederick Anthony Picariello, Jr. on December 4, 1936, in Revere, Massachusetts. He grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts. His father was a truck driver, but also sang and played the trumpet in local bands. Exposed to music early in life, Freddy Cannon listened to such music artists as Big Joe Turner and Buddy Johnson on the radio. He was very young when he learned to play guitar. He made his recording debut playing guitar on the single "Cha-Cha-Do" by The Spindrifts, which proved to be a local hit in the Lynn, Massachusetts area. He also played guitar on The G-Clefs' single "Ka-Ding Dong," which peaked at no. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Freddy Cannon formed his own band, Freddy Karmon & The Hurricanes, which achieved popularity in the Greater Boston Area. About the same time, he became a regular on the local TV program Boston Ballroom. It was an early recording of the song Tallahassee Lassie" that drew the attention of Dick Clark, who at the time owned part of Swan Records. The song was eventually released by Swan Records, and it  was Swan Records president Bernie Binnick who suggested the stage name "Freddy Cannon."

"Tallahassee Lassie" peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959, becoming Freddy Cannon's first hit. It was followed by such hits as "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" in 1959, "Jump Over" in 1960, "Palisades Park' in 1962, "Abigail Beecher' in 1964, and "Action" in 1965. His first album, "The Explosive Freddy Cannon," was released in 1960. It was followed by several more albums.

Although his last major hits were in the 1960s, he continued to record singles into the Eighties. He recorded the Boston Red Sox anthem "The Sox Are Rockin'" in 2013. He later recorded the songs "Svengoolie Stomp" and 'Hey Svengoolie" for the TV show Svengoolie, on which he also appeared. 

Freddy Cannon appeared on such shows as Shindig!, Shivaree, Hollywood Discotheque, Hollywood a Go Go, Where the Action Is, and American Bandstand at the height of his career. He later appeared on such shows as The Midnight Special and Hollywood Squares. He also guest starred on the shows No Time for Sergeants and Never Too Young, and the movie Village of the Giants (1965).

Freddy Cannon was nicknamed "Boom Boom," and it was a fitting nickname for him. His songs were the equivalent of a good, adrenaline-driven, popcorn. movie. Freddy Cannon's vocals were high-energy and belted out raw and raspy. He definitely was not a crooner. Adding more energy to his songs were booming bass drums and handclaps, hard-driving guitars, and conspicuous saxophones and pianos. In the end, his songs were high-energy fun. He never was one for ballads.And he would have an impact on music artists from The Rolling Stones to Alex Chilton of The Box Tops and Big Star to The Ramones.  

"Palisades Park" by Freddy Cannon

It has been another long, hot day and I don't feel up to a full-fledged post today. I plan to eulogize Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon tomorrow. He died on July 17, 2026 at the age of 89 after a brief fight with cancer. I've enjoyed his songs since childhood, when I would hear them on oldies programs and oldies radio stations. More recently, I enjoyed his appearances on Svengoolie, for which he wrote the songs "Hey Svengoolie" and "The Svengoolie Stomp." What was so wonderful about Freddy Cannon's music is that it was always fun and upbeat. I don't think he ever did a broken-hearted ballad. His songs were the equivalent of a good popcorn movie. No matter how bad your day was, they let you escape your troubles for a time. 

His biggest hit was probably "Palisades Park," written by Chuck Barris (yes, that Chuck Barris). In 1962, it went to no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would later be covered by everyone from Jan & Dean to The Beach Boys to The Ramones. Like most of Freddy Cannon's song, it is a lot of fun and lists a lot of actual rides at Palisades Park. Anyhow, for now I will leave you with "Palisades Park" by the late, great Freddy Cannon.

"Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles

Today has been a long, hot day, so I don't feel up to a full blog post. It was today in 1968 that the animated movie Yellow Submarine, based on music of The Beatles, premiered at the London Pavilion at Piccadilly Circus. I  will then leave you with the song from which the movie takes its name and which inspired much of its plot.

Godspeed Hal Williams

Hal Williams, who played Officer Smitty on Sanford and Son, Lester Jenkins on 227, and Harley Foster on The Waltons died on July 15, 2026, at the age of 91. 

Hal Williams was born on December 14, 1934 in Columbus, Ohio. He worked as a corrections officer and then a postal worker before deciding to go into acting. He made his television debut in a bit part in the special Swing Out, Sweet Land in 1970. that same year he guest starred on Dan August and That Girl.

The Seventies would be a busy decade for Hal Williams. He had a recurring role on Sanford and Son as Officer "Smitty" Smith, the local beat cop. His partner for six episodes was  Officer “Swanny” Swanhauser (Noam Pitlik) and then for the rest of the run Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins (Howard Platt), who constantly mangled Black slang. While he was appearing on Sanford and Son, Hal Williams also had a recurring role on The Waltons as Harley Foster, a mechanic and farmer worked married to Verdie Foster, who was played by another Sanford and Son alumnus, Lynn Hamilton. He was also a regular on the short-lived sitcom On the Rocks. During the Seventies, he guest starred on such shows as The Jimmy Stewart Show; The New Dick Van Dyke Show; Temperatures Rising; The Magician; Cannon; Police Woman; Harry O; Gunsmoke; Caribe; Kung Fu; S.W.A.T.; Police Story; The Jeffersons; Most Wanted; Quincy, M.E.; Good Times; What's Happening!; The White Shadow; Palmerstown, U.S.A.; and Knot's Landing. He appeared in the movies Cool Breeze (1972), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Hardcore (1979), On the Nickel (1980), and Private Benjamin (1980). He appeared in the mini-series Roots: The Next Generation.

In the Eighties, Hal Williams reprised his role as Smitty on the Sanford and Son continuation Sanford and his role as Sgt. Ross on Private Benjamin, the sitcom based on the movie of the same name. He played Lester Jenkins, construction company owner and husband of lead character Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs) on the hit sitcom 227. He guest stared on the shows T.J. Hooker; ABC Weekend Specials; ABC Afternoon Specials; The Young Landlords; The Dukes of Hazzard; Webster; The Jeffersons; Gimme a Break!; Hill Street Blues; and Magnum, P.I.. He appeared in the movies The Escape Artist (1982) and The Rookie (1990).

In the Nineties, he had a recurring role as Sinbad's father on The Sinbad Show. He guest starred on the shows Night Court; L.A. Law; Tales form the Crypt; Minor Adjustments; Suddenly Susan; and Moesha. In the Naughts, Hal Williams guest starred on Moonlight. He appeared in the movie Guess Who (2005). In the Teens, he guest starred on the shows The First Family; Parks and Recreation; and The Mayor. He appeared in the movies Night Club (2011) and Flight (2012). In the 2020s, he guest starred on shows Mr. Mayor and Matlock (2024).

When I was a kid, my family faithfully viewed both Sanford and Son and The Waltons, and both shows still number among my favourites. Hal Williams was then a familiar face to me even then, and the fact that he appeared on both shows demonstrated his versatility as an actor. As Officer Smitty, he showed a gift for comedy and was pioneering in playing an intelligent, compassionate Black man in a position of authority. Many times Hal Williams and Howard Platt were allowed to think of the Black slang that Hoppy would inevitably get wrong ("cold" instead of "cool," for example). Harley Foster on The Waltons was a much more serious role, and gave Hal Williams the chance to play a Black manual worker in a place and time where racism was still virulent. That he played both roles so well showed that he had a great deal of range.

Of course, for many he will be remembered as Lester on 227, the calm, level-headed, and compassionate husband to his sharp-tongued, yet warm hearted wife Mary. He will also be remembered as Sgt. Ross, the no-nonsense drill sergeant who was strict, but at the same time fair, in both the movie and the TV show Private Benjamin. Over the years, Hal Williams played a wide variety of roles, from a cook in a mine in the Gumsmoke episode "Hard Labor" to a former slave protecting a secret well on behalf of his community in the Kung Fu episode "The Well." Hal Williams was a talented actor who had a gift for both comedy and drama. 

The Late Great Sam Neill

Sam Neill, known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park movies and appearing in movies from The Hunt for Red October (1990) to Event Horizon (1997), died on July 13, 2026, at the age of 78.

Sam Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill on September 14, 1947, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. His father was a New Zealander stationed with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. His mother was English. The family moved to New Zealand in 1955, where they operated a wine and spirits business. He went to boarding school at Medbury School and Christ’s College in Christchurch. Because several boys at his school were named "Nigel," he took to calling himself "Sam" at school. It was while he was attending the University of Canterbury in Christchurch that he became interested in acting. He appeared in plays while at the university. Following his graduation, he toured with the Players’ Drama Quartet, performing Shakespeare. He spent six years as a director of documentaries with the New Zealand National Film Unit.

Sam Neill made his television debut in 1971 in the TV movie City of No. In the Seventies, he appeared in the mini-series The Governor and the mini-series Lucinda Brayford. He guest starred on the TV series Young Ramsay. He had a recurring role on the Australian series The Sullivans. He made his feature film debut in Landfall in 1975. He appeared in the movies Sleeping Dogs (1977), My Brilliant Career (1978), The Journalist (1979), and Just Out of Reach (1979).

In the Eighties, he appeared in his first major international role, playing Damien Thorn in Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981). He appeared in the movies Attack Force Z (1981), Possession (1981), From a Far Country (1981), Enigma (1982), Plenty (1985), For Love Alone (1986), The Good Wife (1987), Evil Angels (1988), Dead Calm (1989), La révolution française (1989), Shadow of China (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Death in Bismark (1990). On television he stared in the mini-series Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983). He also appeared in the mini-series Amerika and Kane and Abel. He appeared in such TV movies as Ivanhoe, The Blood of Others, Robbery Under Arms, and Strong Medicine.

In the Nineties, Sam Neill appeared in the movies Bis ans Ende der Welt (1991), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Hostage (1992), The Piano (1993), Jurassic Park (1993), Sirens (1994), Country Life (1994), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), The Jungle Book (1994), Restoration (1995), Children of the Revolution (1996),, Victory (1996), Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997), Event Horizon (1997), The Horse Whisperer (1998), The Revengers' Comedies (1998), Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999), Bicentennial Man (1999), My Mother Frank (2000), and The Dish (2000). He was a voice in The Magic Pudding (2000). On television, he played the title role in the mini-series Merlin. He appeared in the mini-series Family Pictures, In Cold Blood, and Sally Hemmings: An American Scandal. He guest starred on the shows The Simpsons and The Games.

In the Naughts, Sam Neill appeared in the movies Jurassic Park III (2001), The Zookeeper (2001), Dirty Deeds (2002), Perfect Strangers (2003), Yes (2004), Wimbledon (2004), Little Fish (2005), Irresistible (2006), Angel (2007), Dean Spanley (2008), Skin (2008), In Her Skin (2009), Under the Mountain (2009), and Daybreakers (2009). He was a voice in Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010). On television he had recurring roles on the series The Tudors, Crusoe, and Happy Town. He appeared in the mini-series Doctor Zhivago, To the Ends of the Earth, The Triangle, Mary Bryant, Two Twisted, Merlin's Apprentice, and Iron Road. He guest starred on the show Rake.

In the Teens, Sam Neill appeared in the movies The Dragon Pearl (2011), The Hunter (2011), The Vow (2012), Escape Plan (2013), The Adventures: The Curse of the Midas Box (2013), A Long Way Down (2014), United Passions (2014), Backtrack (2015), The Daughter (2015), MindGamers (2015), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Tommy's Honour (2016), Sweet Country (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), The Commuter (2018), Palmer Beach (2019), Blackbird (2019), Ride Like a Girl (2019), and Rams (2020). He provided voices for the animated movies Peter Rabbit (2018) and Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal (2020). On television, he was a regular on the shows Alcataz, Harry, and Peaky Blinders. He appeared in the mini-series Old School, The Dovekeepers, House of Hancock, And Then There Were None, Tutankhamun, and House of Bond. He was a guest voice on Rick and Morty. He guest starred on the shows Short Poppies and Flack.

In the 2020s, Sam Neill appeared on the TV shows Invasion and Untamed. He appeared in the mini-series Apples Never Fall and The Twelve. He appeared in the movies Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Assassin Club (2023), The Portable Door (2023), and Bring Him to Me (2023). He was a voice in the animated movies Scarygirl (2023) and The Fox(2023).

Some actors make a career of playing only a few sorts of roles. That was not the case with Sam Neill, who truly had range. He could play heroes as easily as villains and everything in between. Given how many times he played the role and the popularity of the movies, chances are good that many will remember him best as Dr. Alan Grant, the cynical and introverted paleontologist who nonetheless has a deep respect for nature. Chances are good that he will also always be remembered for the series Reilly: Ace of Spies, playing a fictionalized version of Russian born, British spy Sidney Reilly. In the mini-series Merlin and Merlin's Apprentice, he played Merlin himself. Another heroic role for Sam Neill was Captain Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October, the quiet second in command who longs for freedom as much as his commander does.

As good as Sam Neill was at playing heroic figures, he could also play villainous ones. Among his best known roles is that of Alisdair Stewart in The Piano. Alidair is strict, possessive, controlling, and even violent. In Event Horizon, he played Dr. William S. Weir, the man who developed the ship of the title who goes from a scientist grieving his wife to a sadistic tool of malevolent forces. On Peaky Blinders, he played Inspector Chester Campbell, who was as obsessive as he was cold and calculating. And, of course, he played the Anti-Christ himself, Damien Thorn, in Omen III: The Final Conflict. While Sam Neill played many heroic and villainous roles over the years, many of his roles fell somewhere in between. He gave a bravura performance as John Trent in In the Mouth of Madness, who finds himself at the mercy of forces beyond his control. 

Sam Neill had considerable range as an actor and, if he ever gave a bad performance, I don't remember it. He was well-respected by his cast mates not just for his talent, but also because he was one of the nicest, most charming people around. In the end, Sam Neill  was not only a rare talent, but an exceptional human being as well. 

The Late Great Randolph Mantooth

Randolph Mantooth, best known for playing paramedic Johnny Gage on the classic television show Emergency!, died on July 9, 2026, at the age of 80. The cause was complications from pneumonia.

Randolph Mantooth was born Randy Mantooth on September 19, 1945, in Sacramento, California. His father was of Cherokee and Seminole descent. By the time he turned 18, Randolph Mantooth had lived in 24 different states. His father was a pipeline construction engineer, so his family moved frequently. He acted in school plays at Santa Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California. He attended Santa Barbara City College, and then studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. It was at this point that he began using "Randolph" as a stage name,

He played Gar in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come in New York City. Eleanor Kilgallen, a talent scout for Universal, took notice of him in the play, and he signed with Universal. He made his television debut in an episode of Matt Lincoln in 1970. He guest starred on The Bold Ones: The Senator and McCloud.

Randolph Mantooth began the Seventies with a guest appearance on The Virginian. He also guest starred on the shows Alias Smith and Jones; Night Gallery; The Bold Ones: The Lawyers; Sarge; McCloud; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Adam-12; and Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law. It was in 1972 that he began playing paramedic Johnny Gage on the hit TV series Emergency!. He also appeared as Johnny Gage on  episodes of Adam-12 and Sierra, and provided the voice of Johnny Gage on the Saturday morning cartoon Emergency +4. After Emergency! ended, it was followed by several TV movies, in which Randolph Mantooth reprised his role as Johnny Gage. For the remainder of the Seventies, he guest starred on the shows Cos; Project U.F.O.;The Love Boat; Vega$; Battlestar Galactica; and Charlie's Angels. He was a regular on the second and final season of the sitcom Operation Petticoat and a regular on the short-lived sitcom Detective School. In the Seventies, he appeared on the mini-series Vanished, Testimony of Two Men, and The Seekers. 

In the Eighties, Randolph Mantooth began a stint on the soap opera Loving. He also guest-starred on the shows Aloha Paradise; Fantasy Island; Vega$; Insight; Dallas; Scene of the Crime; Murder, She Wrote; The Fall Guy; and L.A. Law. In the Nineties, he was again a regular on the soap opera Loving and a regular on the soap opera The City. He guest starred on the shows Under Cover; China Beach; MacGyver; CBS Schoolbreak Special; Baywatch; General Hospital; JAG; Walker, Texas Ranger; Promised Land; Diagnosis Murder; and ER. He appeared in the movies Enemy Action (1999), Time Share (2000), and Agent Red (2000). 

In the Naughts, Randolph Mantooth had recurring roles on As the World Turns and One Life to Live. He guest starred on Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer. He appeared in the movies Price to Pay (2006), He Was a Quiet Man (2007), Scream of the Bikini (2009), and Bold Native (2010). In the Teens, he guest starred on Sons of Anarchy and appeared in the movie Killer Holiday (2013).

Randolph Mantooth will always be best known as Johnny Gage on Emergency!, and it is because of Emergency! that his impact went well beyond his acting. When he was cast as Johnny Gage, he didn't even know what a paramedic was. There comes as no surprise when it is considered that when Emergency! debuted, there were only 12 paramedic units in the entire continent of North America. Within three years of the show's debut, 48 states enacted laws creating paramedic units. Ten years after the show's debut, more than half of all Americans lived only ten minutes away from a paramedic unit. 

Not only did Randolph Mantooth play a paramedic on an influential show, but he was a tireless advocate on the behalf of paramedics, and other emergency medical service providers. He served as a spokesman for the International Association of Firefighters on Health and Safety. He was a lifetime member of Advocates for EMS and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. He was a spokesman and honorary chairman for the Los Angeles County Fire Museum Association. He was a co-producer on the documentary Into the Unknown: The Paramedics' Journey with Emergency! co-star Kevin Tighe and actor Steve Buscemi (who had been a New York City firefighter). Randolph Mantooth also raised funds for burn centres, first responder memorials, and charities, and advocated for funding for EMS services throughout the country. For his work on behalf of firefighters, paramedics and EMS providers, he received several accolades, but in accepting them he always deferred to the firefighters paramedics, and other EMS personnel he considered to be the true heroes. He always acknowledged the debut he owed to firefighters and paramedics.

Another way in which Randolph Mantooth had an impact is that he was Native American in descent. This was acknowledged in early episodes of Emergency!, although it was later dropped. In 1984,  for the American Indian Theatre Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he appeared in a stage production of Black Elk Speaks. He later played a Native American character on Sons of Anarchy, as well as the off-Broadway play Rain Dance in 2003. He also advocated for Native Americans playing Native American characters. At a time when Native Americans only appeared on television in Westerns, Randolph Mantooth appeared in a drama set in a present day.

Of course, Randolph Mantooth played other roles. In the China Beach episode "100 Kicks Out," he played a bar owner. He had a regular role on the second season of Operation Petticoat as Lt. Mike Bender and was a regular on Detective School as enterprising salesman Eddie Dawkins. In the Battlestar Galactica episode "Greetings from Earth," he played Michael, a computer specialist from the planet Terra. Randolph Mantooth was a talented actor and a tireless advocate for Emergency Medical Services. 

The Late Great Joanna Pettet

I never had the honour of knowing actress Joanna Pettet, who appeared in the movies The Group (1966) and Casino Royale (1967) and several guest appearances on television, but I had many friends who were also friends with her. It is for that reason that I know that she was not only a beautiful and talented actress, but a warm, sweet, and approachable human being. She truly cared about her friends and appreciated her fans. When Sir Alan Bates was dying from pancreatic cancer in 2003, it was Miss Pettet who cared for him and provided him with companionship. I know of at least one person to whom she sent a warm and comforting letter upon the death of his mother. She was truly a great lady. Sadly, Joanna Pettet died on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the age of 83. Her death occurred exactly 31 years after that of her son Damien Zachary Cord.

Joanna Pettit was born Joanna Jane Salmon in London on November 16, 1942. Her father, Harold Salmon, served in the Royal Air Force and died in combat during World War II. After the war, her mother remarried and settled with her family in Montreal. Joanna Salmon took her stepfather's surname, Pettet. She was 16 years old when she moved to New York City with $1000 in her pocket.

Joanna Pettit studied acting at the Neighbourhood Playhouse. She made her debut on Broadway in Take Her, She's Mine in 1961. She appeared again on Broadway in 1964 in The Chinese Prime Minister opposite Alan Bates and in Poor Richard, for which she one a Theatre World Award. She made her television debut in 1964 in an episode of Route 66. In 1964, she also began a brief stint as a recurring character on the soap opera The Doctors. During the Sixties, she guest starred on the TV shows The Nurses; The Trials of O'Brien; The Fugitive; A Man Called Shenandoah; and Dr. Kildare. She made her film debut in Sidney Lumet's movie The Group in 1966. She appeared in the movies The Night of the Generals (1967), Casino Royale (1967), Robbery (1967), Blue (1968), and The Best House in London (1969).

In the Seventies, Joanna Pettet appeared in the movies Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974), To Catch a Pebble (1975), the television version of Two-Minute Warning (1976), and The Evil (1978). She guest starred on the shows Mannix; The Delphi Bureau; Banacek; Night Gallery; McCloud; Medical Center; Police Story; Caribe; Thriller (1974); Harry O; Police Woman; Tales of the Unexpected; The Love Boat; and Charlie's Angels. She appeared in the mini-series Captain and the Kings, as well as such TV movies as The Weekend Nun, Pioneer Woman, and A Cry in the Wilderness.

In the Eighties, Joanna Petter appeared in a story arc of Knot's Landing. She guest starred on the shows Aloha Paradise; Tales of the Unexpected; The Littlest Hobo; The Love Boat; Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; Fantasy Island; The Fall Guy; The Yellow Rose; Knight Rider; Finder of Lost Loves; Hotel; Murder, She Wrote; and ABC Afterschool Specials. She appeared in the movies Double Exposure (1982), Otelo (Comando negro) (1982), and Sweet Country (1987). She made her last appearance on film in Terror in Paradise in 1991. She then retired from acting.

Joanna Pettet was an immensely talented and versatile actress. This can be seen in what may be her two most best known movies. In The Group, she played Kay Strong Peterson, the poorest member of eight freinds who becomes the wife of an abusive and alcoholic playwright. While The Group was a serious drama, Casino Royale was an outright spoof. As Mata Bond, the daughter of James Bond by Mata Hari, who is charged by her father to infiltrate International Mother's Help, which was little more than a SMERSH front. In her films, Joanna Pettet played a wide variety of roles, from a pioneer woman in Blue to a medical doctor in The Evil, and she did well in all of them even if the movies were not always the best.

Joanna Pettet was impressive in her television roles as well. In the Fugitive episode "Shadow of the Swan," she played a troubled young woman who is involved with a dodgy carnival worker and lives in a fantasy world. She appeared in multiple episodes of Dr. Kildare, playing a dancer afflicted with a rare neuromuscular disease. On Knots Landing, she played a homicide detective investigating the murder of Ciji Dunne (Lisa Hartman). One of her most amusing television roles was playing herself in the episode of The Fall Guy, "Always Say Always." She appeared alongside Britt Ekland and Lana Wood. Joanna Pettet was an amazing actress who leaves behind a wealth of great performances. From those who knew her, I know she was also a sweet, warm, and loving human being, the epitome of a lady.