Harve Presnell died…on June 30th. And I didn’t even know about it until now. The media was obviously way too distracted with Michael Jackson fever (which lasted for months) to say anything about Presnell, but for those who don’t know, he was an incredible baritone singer in stage and screen musicals, starring in The Unsinkable Molly Brown and other productions - and then had one of the most amazing film comebacks of all time, when he played the grumpy father-in-law in Fargo after nearly two decades of no film acting whatsoever, and then managed to get parts in prominent movies from 1996 until his death. That is one hell of a jump-start to a career.
His character Wade was definitely one of the best things about Fargo. The movie wouldn’t have been the same with anyone else in that role.
I noticed that too quite some while after it happened. Unfortunately he was a catamaran that went down within a month of some luxury liners (McMahon, Farrah, Jackson, and the rest).
He had an interesting career: started out really big, then went away for many years- Broadway, London (originated Rhett Butler in the first of the GWTW musicals to flop there), road shows (played Daddy Warbucks in Annie something like 3 million times), then came back, sans toupee, and picked his movie career up where he left it. Probably best known today not for singing but for the pompous father-in-law with the goose down jacket in Fargo, but to me he’ll always be Rotten Luck Willie.
If Clint Eastwood and Richard Chamberlain had a mutual half-brother I think it would have been him. Pics, especially those made when he was young. Of course he outsang them both 6 ways to Sunday. He was also a much better actor in his later years; he was totally a “singer who acts” in his younger days but in his later he was a “actor who doesn’t sing” (though I’m assuming he could).
He was also good in a darkly funny episode of Grace Under Fire as a “sexy senior” who picks up Grace. She’s surprised that she’s about to go to bed with a man in his 70s but not nearly as surprised as when he drops dead of a heart attack.
Her work on “Don’t judge me!” Earl reminded me how funny Brett Butler, minus the coke, could be. She needs more work. Literally. 
Harve Presnell was cool to the end. Despite “Molly Brown” ans “Paint Your Wagon,” films that were undermined by the B-Way shows that introduced them.
I don’t know much about him other than that he played Lois Lane’s father, Sam, in a few episodes of Lois and Clark. Still sad to hear about his passing.