I hope you are not living anywhere near Bentonville.
Okay, here goes nothin’:
Doris Day
Shannen Doherty
Rob Ford
Zsa Zsa Gabor
John Glenn
Billy Graham
Valerie Harper
Shane MacGowan
Prince Philip
Nancy Reagan
Eva Marie Saint
Charlie Sheen
Abe Vigoda
Three alternates:
- Lindsay Lohan
- Frankie Muniz
- Angelina Jolie
Jerry Brown will become the former California governor only after 2018; until then, if he dies, it will be as a Governor.
Hell if I know.
Conway, AR is not in Conway County.
Benton is not in Benton County.
By golly, upon consulting Wikipedia, Bentonville is the County Seat of Benton County!
At least *some *sense of location, even though they do eat rodents.
I rather like the little fellows, although they infuriate my little dog.
Hello again, Death Poolers! This will be my fifteenth† submitted list, so I’ve gone back over previous year’s lists. Being of a nerdy bent, and with time on my hands, I put together a spreadsheet that yielded some interesting‡ information.
In 15 death pools:
- I’ve chosen 107 unique celebrities
- 38 are dead
- 20 died in years when they were actually on my list
- 7 died the year after appearing on my list
- 23% of the celebrities on my 2001 list are dead, which means 77% are still alive.
With that said, I grant the following people a 77% chance of still being alive in 15 years:
First Timers
Joey Feek, 7 Sep 1975 - breaking a personal rule to only choose people I’ve heard of. I learned nothing from the Raven Alexis fiasco of '12.
The Amazing Johnathon, 9 Sep 1958 - A last minute addition to my list.
Malcolm Young, 6 Jan 1953 - Has been in my December 31st Calendar Alert “Death Pool Possibilities” for most of the year.
Rene Angelil, 16 Jan 1942 - A first timer on my list, but hopefully a one-timer.
Second Showing
Clive James, 10 July 1939 - How many interviews can one man give about being on death’s door?
Previous year: 2014.
Valerie Harper, 22 Aug 1939 - Giving her another round despite her perky interview in November.
Previous year: 2014.
Third Time’s A Charm
Judy Moran, 18 Dec 1944 - Living in prison can’t be easy on an old bird…
Previous years: 2013, 2014
Four To The Floor
Liza Minelli, 3 Dec 1946 - This is me kidding myself. She’ll live forever.
Previous years: 2001, 2009, 2010
Albert Finney, 5 Sep 1936 - Drop him after three years and watch him kick the bucket in January? Not a chance.
Previous years: 2012, 2013, 2015
Five Times Staying Alive
Jerry Lewis, 16 Mar 1936 - Could not have predicted in 2001 when I chose him for the first time that he’d still be around for the 2016 Death Pool.
Previous years: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006
Six years of this? Ridiculous!
Lou Richards, 15 Mar 1923 - Tenacious little bugger.
Previous years: 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Seven - Lucky for some
Lee Radziwill, 3 Mar 1933 - Token socialite.
Previous years: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013
Eight, Eight, Straight To Heaven’s Gate
Richard O’Sullivan, 5 Jul 1944 - Currently equal second with Elizabeth Taylor for most appearances on my list. If he makes it through this year, he’ll equal Deanna Durbin (d. 2013) for the top spot.
Previous years: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015
Alts:
Jeannie Little, 11 May 1938
Previous years: 2012, 2013
Fidel Castro, 13 Aug 1926
Previous years: 2007, 2008, 2013
Clean list:
Joey Feek
The Amazing Johnathon
Malcolm Young
Rene Angelil
Clive James
Valerie Harper
Judy Moran
Liza Minelli
Albert Finney
Jerry Lewis
Lou Richards
Lee Radziwill
Richard O’Sullivan
Alts:
Jeannie Little
Fidel Castro
† - My first list was submitted after closing, so I wasn’t really playing.
‡ - Facts not guaranteed interesting. No refunds will be offered.
Gene Wilder (Oompa Loompa doompity doo. I’ve got some cancer returning for you…)
Suge Knight (Train wreck of a life for this rapper/music mogul may not have contributed to his health issues, but it certainly didn’t help, then again, neither is the prison doctor, apparently.)
The Amazing Johnathan (AKA John Edward Szeles, Wikipedia has him listed under his magician stage name. He’s got no cure for cardiomyopathy up his sleeve.)
Glen Campbell (Alzheimer’s isn’t being very gentle on this country singer’s mind.)
Martin Crowe (NZ cricketer starring in the new J.J. Abrams movie “The Return of the Lymphoma.”)
Joey Feek (All aboard the cancer bandwagon.)
Brian Murray (Hockey coach would like to put his stage 4 colon cancer and secondary tumors on ice.)
Valerie Harper (Death is all around…you’re going to make it after all. [Welcome back, btw.])
Mary Tyler Moore (Death is all around…you’re going to make it after all. [Welcome back, btw.])
Jeannie Little (Australian actress’s Alzheimer’s has progressed to the point she probably doesn’t even realize why she’s on this list)
Scott Putesky (AKA Daisy Berkowitz; “We’re all stars now…in the Death Pool.” [Yeah, okay, he left the band before that song but I’m running out of cancer jokes.]
Clive James (Yep. Cancer joke pool depleted.)
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (He’s a joke all to himself.)
Alternates:
Henry McCullogh
Pat Summitt
Mohammed Dei
Amanda Bynes
Clean list:
Gene Wilder
Suge Knight
The Amazing Johnathan
Glen Campbell
Martin Crowe
Joey Feek
Brian Murray
Mary Tyler Moore
Valerie Harper
Jeannie Little
Scott Putesky
Clive James
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Alternates:
Henry McCullogh
Pat Summitt
Mohammed Dei
Amanda Bynes
Glynis Johns
Rod Carew
George P. Shultz
Vladimir Kagan
Harry Dean Stanton
John Glenn
Peter Marshall (entertainer)
John Paul Stevens
George Kennedy
Art Shay (photographer)
Joe Garagiola
Nanette Fabray
Lee Iacocca
Three alternates:
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Mikhail Gorbachev
Bob Newhart
Keeping my Dead Letters theme from the last two years, replacing the dead and Beverly Cleary, who is 99 now.
Alice Munro
Margaret Atwood
Ursula LeGuin
Philip Roth
George R R Martin
Vernor Vinge
Chuck Palahniuk
Orson Scott Card
Derek Walcott
Stephen King
Toni Morrison
Tim LaHaye
Imre Kertesz
Going to change things up a bit this year:
Paul McCartney
Mick Jagger
Bob Dylan
Willie Nelson
Jimmy Page
Meat Loaf
Charlie Daniels
Roger Daltrey
Ozzy Osborne
Bobbie Gentry
Don McLean
John Fogerty
Don Henley
Alternates:
Vince McMahon
Bill Watts
Jake Roberts
There have been some amazing recoveries on my 2015 list. 3 have apparently cured cancer. 3 have miraculously battled back from drug and mental health issues. And one who almost died from a heart attack walked away form a head on motor vehicle crash.
**
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OH MISTRESS OF DEATH!!!
**
Hey, I can suck up with the best of 'em! 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAKER!!!
I suck up better, and she already likes me.
Pat Summit
Bret Michaels
Linda Ronstadt
Pat Buchanan
Joey Feek
Angela Lansbury
Larry McMurtry
Jimmy Carter
Glen Campbell
Valerie Harper
Rush Limbaugh
Bill Cosby
David Spade
Alternates:
Alan Greenspan
Francis Ford Coppola
Warren Buffett
(Yeah, I f-ed up the 13 and 3 thing again. Sorry!)
The following is a list of all those who have at least ten picks, just in case you are into bandwagons.
Joey Feek 40
Valerie Harper 32
George H. W. Bush 29
Jimmy Carter 26
Fidel Castro 22
Nancy Reagan 17
Glen Campbell 14
Kirk Douglas 14
Muhammad Ali 14
Charlie Sheen 13
Martin Crowe 13
Tommy Chong 13
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 12
Lindsay Lohan 12
Bashar al-Assad 11
The Amazing Johnathan 11
Burt Reynolds 10
Happy birthday, Baker! May your day be filled with the best chocolate! 
Oh yes! You know what I like.
Dionne Warwick Musician
Dick Butkus HOF Football Player
Edgar Winter Musician
Alan Page HOF Football Player
John Madden HOF Football Coach
Jimmy Carter Ex-POTUS
Pope Benedict XVI Ex-Pope
Glen Campbell Musician
Carl Yastrzemski HOF Baseball Player
Fidel Castro Despot
Gordie Howe HOF Hockey Player
Mike Ditka HOF Football Player
James Caan Actor
Randy Travis Musician
Graham Kerr Celebrity Chef
Arlo Guthrie Musician
Dionne Warwick
Dick Butkus
Edgar Winter
Alan Page
John Madden
Jimmy Carter
Pope Benedict XVI
Glen Campbell
Carl Yastrzemski
Fidel Castro
Gordie Howe
Mike Ditka
James Caan
Randy Travis
Graham Kerr
Arlo Guthrie
Birthday greetings, Baker!
Happy Birthday, Baker.
Another year where I had hoped to put some time in with the list but put it off till the last minute. Three scores last year, not bad for me.
Joey Feek -country singer, band wagon
Jimmy Snuka -wrestler, murderer
Rob Ford -world’s greatest living politician, crackhead
Craig Sager -sports commentator, master of sartorial splendor
Amazing Jonathan -magician, comedian
Clive James -Author, poet
Bill Johnson -gold medal winner, skiing bad boy
Leon Redbone -singer, possibly alien
Tommy Chong -cannabis spokesman
Vivian Campbell -Def Leopard guitar player
John Hurt -wand maker
Bart Starr -NFL hall of fame
Gary Dourdan -CSI actor
alternate in case Joey doesn’t make it to midnight
Hal Moore -author, general
Malcolm Young -AC/DC
Joey Feek
Jimmy Snuka
Rob Ford
Craig Sager
Amazing Jonathan
Clive James
Bill Johnson
Leon Redbone
Tommy Chong
Vivian Campbell
John Hurt
Bart Starr
Gary Dourdan
alternate in case Joey doesn’t make it to midnight
Hal Moore
Malcolm Young