# Celebrity deaths: near misses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451 "2016-03-09T19:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/1 "2016-03-09T19:07:40Z")
When I heard this morning about the death of George Martin, I was immediately saddened that there wouldn’t be any more _Song of Ice & Fire_ books after all. Then I discovered it was the Beatles producer who died, not the writer. In fact, recently there’s been a lot of minor celebrity deaths which made me do a double-take. For instance: [Brian Johnson,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Johnson_(rugby_league)) Jan. 12 (Australian rugby coach) [Steve Harris,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harris_(basketball)) Feb. 22 (American basketball player) [Robert Redbird,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redbird) March 5 (Native American artist) And I’m also reminded of the time I found out Steve Howe was killed in a car accident, thinking: _Aw man, Steve Howe died! Oh wait, phew, it wasn’t Steve Howe the Yes guitarist, it was the former Dodgers pitcher…aw man, Steve Howe died!_ ☹ Any other celebrity deaths you mistook for someone more notable when you first heard about it? ---
**Author:** ![Crybaby\_Boobie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crybaby_boobie/32/545_2.png) [@Crybaby\_Boobie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crybaby_Boobie)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/2 "2016-03-09T19:51:48Z")
Paul Ryan the comic book artist just died, and he was not Paul Ryan the current Speaker of the House of Representatives. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/3 "2016-03-09T22:28:43Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > In fact, recently there’s been a lot of minor celebrity deaths which made me do a double-take. For instance: > > [Brian Johnson,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Johnson_(rugby_league)) Jan. 12 (Australian rugby coach) > [Steve Harris,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harris_(basketball)) Feb. 22 (American basketball player) > [Robert Redbird,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redbird) March 5 (Native American artist) > > And I’m also reminded of the time I found out Steve Howe was killed in a car accident, thinking: _Aw man, Steve Howe died! Oh wait, phew, it wasn’t Steve Howe the Yes guitarist, it was the former Dodgers pitcher…aw man, Steve Howe died!_ ☹ > > Any other celebrity deaths you mistook for someone more notable when you first heard about it? Never heard of any of those guys, except Steve Howe of the Dodgers, so not yet. ---
**Author:** ![desertmonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@desertmonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desertmonk)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/4 "2016-03-10T02:00:51Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > Never heard of any of those guys, except Steve Howe of the Dodgers, so not yet. Well Robert Redbird was probably confused with Redford. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/5 "2016-03-10T02:12:14Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > Never heard of any of those guys, except Steve Howe of the Dodgers, so not yet. Brian Johnson is also the name of the lead singer of AC/DC. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/6 "2016-03-10T03:06:34Z")
Steve Harris is from Iron Maiden ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/7 "2016-03-10T03:41:02Z")
I once misread a chyron on CNN and thought that Patrick Stewart had died in a plane crash. Turned out it was the golfer, Payne Stewart. I still feel slightly guilty about how happy I was to learn that Payne Stewart had died. But Patrick Stewart had just signed on to be Professor X in the X-Men movies! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/8 "2016-03-10T04:09:53Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > Never heard of any of those guys, except Steve Howe of the Dodgers, so not yet. Plus, there’s an actor named Steve Howey, who was in the film “Stan Helsing,” and now has a recurring role on “Shameless.” He also played Van on the “Reba” sitcom. I’m ashamed that I know that part. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/9 "2016-03-10T20:24:02Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I once misread a chyron on CNN and thought that Patrick Stewart had died in a plane crash. > > Turned out it was the golfer, Payne Stewart. I still feel slightly guilty about how happy I was to learn that Payne Stewart had died. But Patrick Stewart had just signed on to be Professor X in the X-Men movies! I remember that one. Following the news of the flight creeped me out. They were reported as most likely dead as the plane was still flying north. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/10 "2016-03-10T21:15:16Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > When I heard this morning about the death of George Martin, I was immediately saddened that there wouldn’t be any more _Song of Ice & Fire_ books after all. Then I discovered it was the Beatles producer who died, not the writer. > > In fact, recently there’s been a lot of minor celebrity deaths which made me do a double-take. For instance: > > [Brian Johnson,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Johnson_(rugby_league)) Jan. 12 (Australian rugby coach) > [Steve Harris,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harris_(basketball)) Feb. 22 (American basketball player) > [Robert Redbird,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redbird) March 5 (Native American artist) > > And I’m also reminded of the time I found out Steve Howe was killed in a car accident, thinking: _Aw man, Steve Howe died! Oh wait, phew, it wasn’t Steve Howe the Yes guitarist, it was the former Dodgers pitcher…aw man, Steve Howe died!_ ☹ > > Any other celebrity deaths you mistook for someone more notable when you first heard about it? Coincidentally I just read an article the other day that AC/DC postponed a bunch of dates because Brian Johnson’s voice is gone. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/11 "2016-03-10T21:29:09Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > Coincidentally I just read an article the other day that AC/DC postponed a bunch of dates because Brian Johnson’s voice is gone. It’s not his voice that’s going. Doctors have advised Johnson to quit touring or else risk total hearing loss. > **[AC/DC Singer Brian Johnson Got Hearing Loss From Racing Cars, Not Music](https://jalopnik.com/ac-dc-singer-brian-johnson-got-hearing-loss-from-racing-1763693841)** > > The latest AC/DC tour has been delayed by doctors fearing over lead singer Brian Johnson’s hearing loss. You’d think it was all those rock’n’roll canons and huge amps doing the damage. Nope. Johnson claims he burst an ear drum in a racecar, not on... > [@](#): > > According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Johnson has been suffering from hearing loss since before 2014, with doctors forcing him to postpone the remaining U.S. dates of AC/DC’s current tour…AC/DC have postponed the remaining dates of their U.S. tour after doctors pulled Johnson off the road, saying he risked total hearing loss if he continued to perform. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/12 "2016-03-11T03:54:06Z")
When Paul Simon, the former senator and presidential candidate, died in 2003, at I first thought it was the singer. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/13 "2016-03-11T04:27:36Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > I remember that one. Following the news of the flight creeped me out. They were reported as most likely dead as the plane was still flying north. Yep. They dispatched a plane or two to try to contact them visually. He reported that he could see frost on the windows, an indication of cabin pressure loss. They couldn’t do anything except wait for it to crash. I’ve mentioned this accident to people, and they just shrug it off. To me, it was akin to the Apollo 13 accident, when they had to slingshot around the moon, and no one knew if they’d survive the trip since there would be no radio contact. That’s how I imagine the Apollo disaster, anyway. I was a small child when that happened, and don’t recall knowing about it until the movie. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/14 "2016-03-11T13:17:47Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > It’s not his voice that’s going. Doctors have advised Johnson to quit touring or else risk total hearing loss. > > [AC/DC Singer Brian Johnson Got Hearing Loss From Racing Cars, Not Music](http://jalopnik.com/ac-dc-singer-brian-johnson-got-hearing-loss-from-racing-1763693841) Ah Yes! That’s what it was. Thanks for the correction. Maybe I heard it wrong on the news. (I should stop touring as well) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/15 "2016-03-11T14:49:16Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Steve Harris is from Iron Maiden And an actor, notably on The Practice. > **[Steve Harris | Actor, Producer](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004996/?ref_=nv_sr_1)** > > Known for: The Practice, The Rock, Diary of a Mad Black Woman ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-deaths-near-misses/748451/16 "2016-03-11T16:51:47Z")
This is merely death _adjacent._ I had read with cloak-and-dagger glee when Scalia died that the owner of the ranch/death site was John Poindexter. Turned out to be _A_ John Poindexter, not _THE_ John Poindexter, former NSA habitué. I could’ve almost tasted the cigar. :smack: