REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath dies

Reo Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath has died, the band announced on its website andFacebook page Sunday. He was 65.

Band frontman Kevin Cronin said in a message that "my longtime friend and collaborator Gary Richrath passed away earlier (Sunday)." He did not disclose a cause of death.

"I feel so sad," Cronin wrote. "Gary was both a unique guitarist and songwriter, and the embodiment of the tough guy with a heart of gold."

He said he learned most of what he knows about being in a rock band from Richrath.

"The entire REO Family mourns his death and shares in the grief of his family, friends, and fans," he added.

"These words do not come close to expressing the depth of emotions I am feeling at this time."

He added that a photo of the two on stage performing "has been on my music-room table for as long as I can remember, and will stay there."

Richrath joined Speedwagon, known for its 1980s ballad, Can't Fight This Feeling, in 1970, three years after the band was formed in Illinois. Based in Peoria, he was known as a songwriter as well as a guitarist, and helped grow the band's popularity beyond its original Midwestern stronghold.

Richrath also brought new songs to the band, including Ridin' the Storm Out. He recorded 12 albums with the band and also wrote another song, Take It On The Run. 

He sang lead vocals on Find My Fortune and Only A Summer Love. The last album he recorded with the band was 1987's Life As We Know It. He  left the band in 1989.

According to UltimateClassicRock.com, Richrath released one solo album, in 1992,Only the Strong Survive, but reunited briefly with the band in 2013 when they staged a benefit concert for residents of central Illinois displaced by a series of powerful storms in the area.

“Gary was in great spirits when he walked into the dressing room. We hugged one another, I told him how happy I was that he came, and he expressed his gratitude for the invitation,” wrote Cronin at the time. “When I introduced ‘the guy who this band wouldn’t be here without’ and Richrath came up for ‘Ridin’ the Storm Out,’ 7,000 people went crazy. The response was arm-hair raising … We all felt it. It was fun to look over to my left and see Richrath digging in and playing like only he can. It was a night for the ages.”

Read More: Gary Richrath, Former REO Speedwagon Guitarist, Dies at 65 | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/gary-richrath-dies/?trackback=tsmclip

He reunited with the group briefly in 2013, joining his former bandmates for a concert staged to aid residents of central Illinois who were displaced or had their homes damaged by a series of powerful storms in the area.

“Gary was in great spirits when he walked into the dressing room. We hugged one another, I told him how happy I was that he came, and he expressed his gratitude for the invitation,” wrote Cronin at the time. “When I introduced ‘the guy who this band wouldn’t be here without’ and Richrath came up for ‘Ridin’ the Storm Out,’ 7,000 people went crazy. The response was arm-hair raising … We all felt it. It was fun to look over to my left and see Richrath digging in and playing like only he can. It was a night for the ages.”

Read More: Gary Richrath, Former REO Speedwagon Guitarist, Dies at 65 | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/gary-richrath-dies/?trackback=tsmclip

Tribute tweets for Richrath started posting almost immediately.

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Roll back the tape! We've ranked the routines from the premiere of 'DWTS'

Welcome back to the ballroom. The pseudo-celebs were movin’ and groovin’ Monday evening when Dancing with the Stars kicked off its 21st season.

Although Len Goodman wasn’t sitting at the judge’s table, he was there in spirit and Tom Bergeron’s pocket square which he borrowed.

13 couples competed, and heck yes, that is a whole lotta dancing, but don’t worry. If you missed a moment, that’s what we’re here for. So let’s foxtrot, quickstep, jive, and cha cha now y’all.

1. BINDI IRWIN AND DEREK HOUGH

At first dance, Bindi appears to be this season’s Sadie Robertson. Her smile lights up a room like that coveted mirror ball trophy. And, it turns out when Bindi would dance around as a little girl at the zoo, her moves would make her dad, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, cry. Awwwww! And no, we don’t think they were crocodile tears.

Bindi danced a jive to Crocodile Rock because she is awesome. And before performing hummed her personal theme song Eye of the Tiger because of course she did. Bindi danced an hour and half into the show, and judge Julianne Hough said that it was the best performance of the night.

2. CARLOS PENAVEGA AND WITNEY CARSON

Carlos is fellow DWTS contestant Alexa PenaVega’s hubby which we think could make things really interesting. His jive kicked off the top of the second hour, and Julianne said he was the most natural performer that she’d seen thus far.

3. NICK CARTER AND SHARNA BURGESS

Backstreet’s back! Well at least the one that we thought was the cutest anyway. Yeah, Brian’s aight, but we were always a Nick fan, swoon! Even though he’s been in a boy band far beyond puberty, Nick said he was always insecure about his dancing. Let’s see if his fangirling partner can change that with a cha cha.

4. ALEK SKARLATOS AND LINDSAY ARNOLD

Alek is one of the brave men that saved passengers on a train headed to Paris back in August. And, before the American hero even started dancing, the audience was already on their feet. Alek danced an absolutely beautiful foxtrot, and it goes without saying we had the chills.

5. ALEXA PENAVEGA AND MARK BALLAS

Alexa and Mark danced a pretty lively and sexy jive. Though her husband, Carlos, joked about being jealous of her immediate closeness with her partner, he was incredibly proud of her performance. He cheered her on once her dance was finished and booed Carrie Ann when she delivered some criticism.

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Punchlines: Is Kim Davis a hero

Is the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples a hero? It depends on who you ask.

Mike Huckabee and other GOP politicians who greeted Kim Davis (she spent five days locked up after refusing to follow the law) by playing "Eye of the Tiger" as she walked out of jail last week say she is.  Gay rights activists and couples who want to get married call her a bigot.

And the late-night comics? Well Bill Maher called her hypocrite. Why? It turns out Davis, who has been fighting so hard for traditional marriage, has had some marriage problems of her own.  Maher analyzes Davis' history, and gives a more practical explanation for her inability to issues licenses in today's Punchlines.

Take a look at our favorite jokes in the video above, then vote for yours in the quick poll to the right.  Watching from your smartphone or tablet? Then visitopinion.usatoday.com to cast your ballot.

Listen to the podcast!

On the go today? No time to stop and watch the video? No problem.  We've got you covered.  Click or download below for the audio version!

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A Dekade Before Filmmakers

A decade before filmmakers migrated to Hollywood, they'd already figured out that the Caribbean was a nice place to get away from the dreary winter and gray skies that afflicted their studios in New York and New Jersey.

Thomas Edison patented and popularized the motion-picture camera in 1891, though, as with the light bulb, he didn't actually invent it. His company did produce what may be the first motion-picture set in the Caribbean, West Indian Girls in Native Dance, filmed on St. Thomas in the winter of 1903. It features a bevy of West Indian beauties doing the shay-shay in a garden in Charlotte Amalie. That same year, the company issued another epic filmed in the Bahamas titled Native Woman Washing a Negro Baby in Nassau, B.I.. The Caribbean had been "discovered" all over again, and they've been making movies here ever since.

The following highlights are far from inclusive and ignore the many direct-to-video and television productions shot in the region.

DR NO

1962 | Sean Connery, Ursula Andress

The first James Bond film finds Ian Fleming's hero on a mission to Jamaica to investigate the mysterious death of a British intelligence agent. Along the way he meets CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord) and the glamorous Honey Rider (Andress). It was the Swedish bombshell's entrance — she appears from the ocean at Laughing Waters Beach in front of Dunn's River Falls wearing a white bikini — that set the standard for all of the "Bond Girls" who followed. Andress reportedly auctioned off the bikini for more than $60,000.

TRAVEL AGENT 007: Experience James Bond's Caribbean

HELP!

1965 | John, Paul, George and Ringo

The beach scenes for the follow-up to the Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night, were filmed on Paradise Island off of Nassau. The movie was under-appreciated for years, even by the Beatles themselves, who attributed their manic performances to "smoking a lot of marijuana" during the production. Nonetheless, "Help!" did feature some of their best early tracks including Ticket To Ride, Another Girl and, of course, Help!

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

1994 | Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

The grim prison movie adapted from horrormeister Stephen King's novel ends on an up note, when ex-cons Andy (Robbins) and Red (Freeman) are reunited on a paradise-worthy beach in Zihuatanejo, Mexico — or not. The scene was actually shot at Sandy Point on the southwest end ofSt. Croix, USVI.

DR. DOOLITTLE

1967 | Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Richard Attenborough

If your familiarity with the Dr. Doolittle story is confined to the 1998 Eddie Murphy remake, pull up your Netflix account and take a look at the original. Predictably, it's more naive but also much more charming. The scene where the good doctor (Rex Harrison) talks to the giant pink snail was filmed in Marigot Bay, St. Lucia.

TRADING PLACES

1983 | Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Don Ameche, Ralph Bellamy

In Murphy's Doolittle remake, he never made it any farther from Hollywood than San Bernardino and San Francisco. However, he definitely made up for it when he and Dan Aykroyd filmed "Trading Places." The final scenes that show the two enjoying their new-found wealth — fleeced from "brothers" Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy — were filmed in St. Croix.

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Downey And Bollywood Stars In Best-Paid List

Robert Downey Jr has been revealed as the world's top-earning actor by Forbes, in a list that also features some of Bollywood's top names for the first time.

The Iron Man star, 50, earned an estimated $80m (£51m) in the past year, helped by the success of his superhero film Avengers: Age of Ultron, which saw box office success to the tune of more than $1.3bn worldwide.

Chinese actor and martial arts veteran Jackie Chan grabbed second place, earning around $50m from films including Dragon Blade and its associated merchandise.

The 61-year-old Chan beat Hollywood's Vin Diesel, who took third place with $47m, helped by his stake in the Fast and Furious series.

Bradley Cooper, Adam Sandler and Tom Cruise were all not far behind.

But the new names on the list came from the growing cinematic powerhouse of Bollywood, where Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan both tying for seventh place.

Bachchan, 72, and Khan, 49, earned $33.5m each.

Akshay Kumar, 47, came in at number nine with $32.5m.

Forbes' list of the most highly-paid actresses will be released later in the year.

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Ex Bond Brosnan Stopped With Knife At Airport

Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan was stopped by security as he tried to board a plane at a US airport with a knife.

Brosnan, 62, was stopped by US Transportation Security Administration agents with the blade, reportedly a ten-inch hunting knife, in his hand luggage.

The actor was allowed to continue his journey through Burlington International Airport in Vermont after the issue was resolved, said Lieutenant Shawn Burke.

In footage showing the incident on Sunday, Brosnan, who starred in four Bond films, is seen removing his belt in the security area and speaking to staff.

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Kermit The Frog And Miss Piggy Announce Split

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, the once inseparable Muppets couple whose love seemed eternal in a jaded world of celebrity break-ups, have announced they have split.

After more than three decades together, the pair dropped the bombshell during a Television Critics Association (TCA) event in Los Angeles while plugging their forthcoming ABC mockumentary series.

Kermit said: "Piggy and I have gone our separate ways, romantically."

Miss Piggy wrote on Facebook: "After careful thought, thoughtful consideration and considerable squabbling, we have made the difficult decision to terminate our romantic relationship.

"We will continue to work together on television."

She added: "Our personal lives are now distinct and separate, and we will be seeing other people, pigs, frogs, et al.

"This is our only comment on this private matter...unless we get the right offer. Thank you for your understanding."

Miss Piggy first announced the pair were engaged to be married in 1979, but they apparently never officially tied the knot.

Kermit is now said to be already dating another pig named Denise, who works in marketing.

Miss Piggy put a brave face on the break-up on Tuesday.

The porcine diva told the audience at the TCAs: "Dating moi is like flying close to the sun.

"It was inevitable that Kermit would drop down to the ground while I stayed in the heavens."

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An image of Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, lying in her casket has reportedly been sold for a six-figure sum. TMZ claims the picture was auctioned off for more than $100,000 (£64,000) and was taken when family viewed her body the day before her funeral. The showbiz website does not say which media outlet has allegedly bought the photograph. The 22-year-old suffered irreversible brain damage after being found face-down in a bathtub in her Georgia home six months ago. She had been in a medically-induced coma, but died last week and was buried next to her mother on Monday.

A police report described the death as a drowning, but authorities are still investigating what happened.

A weekend memorial service for the 22-year-old was interrupted by the airing of a long-standing rift between the families of her parents.

Bobbi Kristina's father is R&B singer Bobby Brown.

8/8

An image of Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, lying in her casket has reportedly been sold for a six-figure sum.

TMZ claims the picture was auctioned off for more than $100,000 (£64,000) and was taken when family viewed her body the day before her funeral.

The showbiz website does not say which media outlet has allegedly bought the photograph.

The 22-year-old suffered irreversible brain damage after being found face-down in a bathtub in her Georgia home six months ago.

She had been in a medically-induced coma, but died last week and wasburied next to her mother on Monday.

A police report described the death as a drowning, but authorities are still investigating what happened.

A weekend memorial service for the 22-year-old was interrupted by the airing of a long-standing rift between the families of her parents.

Bobbi Kristina's father is R&B singer Bobby Brown.

The families are now blaming each other for the picture, despite measures being taken to stop such a thing happening, claim TMZ sources.

Bobbi Kristina's death was eerily similar to the way her mother died.

In 2012, Whitney Houston's body was found face-down in a foot of water in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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