Entertainers you had no idea were still alive

Cafe Society
1

Antonymic to this thread, who were/are some entertainers you thought had died, only to discover they hadn’t? I picked up an autobiography of Mercedes McCambridge in the early 90s and, upon seeing it had been written in 1980 or '81, figured she must be dead. Imagine my surprise when she turned up alive and well on stage at the Oscars in 1998. I even wrote her a fan letter which, in retrospect, might have garnered a reply if I hadn’t started it off with words to the effct of “I thought you were dead.”

She’s dead now though.

2

Jerry Lewis…and for some reason about the same time of year, every year, Im surprised again.

3

Fats Domino. I was shocked when the news story came out a few weeks ago about finding him safe - I figured he died before I was born.

4

B.B. King. There was a thing on Nightline last night in celebration of his 80th birthday, I guess. At first I thought it was a tribute show, that he had just died yesterday. THen I realized I thought he was already dead.

Guess not. Happy birthday, B.B. Sorry I thought you were dead.

5

I thought Walter Cronkite was dead until I heard him talking about Peter Jennings on the radio recently.

6

When Bob Denver passed away recently, I thought he was the last of the male castaways to go. I was convinced that Russell Johnson had died of cancer several years ago. Now I have no idea why I thought that.

7

Although now I realize that I have you in the SDMB Dead Pool, so naturally you’ll be enjoying at least another 10 years with your beloved Lucille.

8

Eric Burdon used to (and may still) sell “I Thought He Was Dead” t-shirts at his concerts.

9

Until I came to the SDMB, I would have guessed that “that old skinny, hawk-faced guy” from “Petticoat Junction” was long dead.

I’m somewhat proud that it was I who opened a “Happy 100th Birthday, Charles Lane” thread this past January 26th. I hope I (or another Doper) will be able to open a “Happy 101st” thread on 26 January 2006.

Sir Rhosis

10

Engelbert Humperdinck

11

Stephen R. Donaldson.

12

I keep thinking James Earl Jones is dead. Suprised me to learn that he did the voice for Darth Vader in episode 3.

13

My dad was absolutely convinced that John Cleese was dead.

I thought Walter Cronkite was dead until I read this thread.

14

Ditto, except for the “before I was born part”. I had just thought it had been a while.