# The Celebrity Death Pool 2013 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655 "2012-12-01T05:59:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 87
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1721 "2013-09-12T22:29:23Z")
[Founder and Director Emeritus of Dolby Laboratories Dies at Age 80](http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/Founder+Director+Emeritus+Dolby+Laboratories+Dies/8905084/story.html) Ray Dolby, an American inventor recognized around the world for developing groundbreaking audio technologies… ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1722 "2013-09-12T22:49:49Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > [Founder and Director Emeritus of Dolby Laboratories Dies at Age 80](http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/Founder+Director+Emeritus+Dolby+Laboratories+Dies/8905084/story.html) > Ray Dolby, an American inventor recognized around the world for developing groundbreaking audio technologies… I heard that. Loud and clear. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1723 "2013-09-13T04:10:46Z")
the people who said Dolby is dead are right. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1724 "2013-09-13T04:39:11Z")
[Otto Sander](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24069872) of Das Boot and Wings of Desire ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1725 "2013-09-13T14:33:31Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > the people who said Dolby is dead are right. Thomas Dolby? Alive and well as far as I know and currently at 46 points. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1726 "2013-09-13T15:18:35Z")
Not that Dolby. You know I saw an interview with him once where he claimed that the Dolby sound people tried to pressure him to change his name so the two would not be confused. Of course he refused. He said they made a deal that as long as he didn’t pretend to be a maker of fancy audio equipment, they would stop pressuring him to change his name. Gee, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1727 "2013-09-13T15:24:05Z")
Why, that’s poetry in motion. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1728 "2013-09-13T15:31:11Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Not that Dolby. Did someone give him clothes? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1729 "2013-09-13T17:48:36Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Not that Dolby. > > You know I saw an interview with him once where he claimed that the Dolby sound people tried to pressure him to change his name so the two would not be confused. Of course he refused. He said they made a deal that as long as he didn’t pretend to be a maker of fancy audio equipment, they would stop pressuring him to change his name. Gee, thanks. The Dolby company sort of had a point. The singer’s real name is Thomas Robinson. He adopted Dolby as a stagename because of his interest in audio equipment and to avoid confusion with an existing singer named Tom Robinson. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1730 "2013-09-13T20:33:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Dolby company sort of had a point. The singer’s real name is Thomas Robinson. He adopted Dolby as a stagename because of his interest in audio equipment and to avoid confusion with an existing singer named Tom Robinson. Small hijack. I read that the actor Stewart Granger’s real name was James Stewart, but he couldn’t use it because someone was already useing it!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1731 "2013-09-13T20:37:51Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Small hijack. I read that the actor Stewart Granger’s real name was James Stewart, but he couldn’t use it because someone was already useing it!😃 Albert Brooks’ real name is Albert Einstein. I’m guessing that wasn’t a SAG rules thing, but it was probably a smart move. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1732 "2013-09-13T20:57:03Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Albert Brooks’ real name is Albert Einstein. I’m guessing that wasn’t a SAG rules thing, but it was probably a smart move. And his brother is Super Dave Osborne but his real name is Bob Einstein. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1733 "2013-09-15T13:28:45Z")
A while back we were wondering if there was any way to tell if Fred Phelps, of the WBC, was really dead or not. _ **Points** _ hang on this, people! There may be a way. On October 26 a local charity organization, Equality House, will be hosting a first annual “drag-a-thon” They will have a drag parade walk all around the WBC compound. Equality House is right across the street from the WBC, and is painted in the colors of the rainbow. They’ve been trying to get Ru Paul to come, but that probably won’t happen. Now, Fred doesn’t really come out(_snerk_) for picketing any more, but if he doesn’t at least put in an appearance for _ **THIS** _ one, it’s going to be really odd. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1734 "2013-09-15T13:43:38Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Small hijack. I read that the actor Stewart Granger’s real name was James Stewart, but he couldn’t use it because someone was already useing it!😃 David Bowie’s real name is David Jones but he changed it to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees. Katy Perry’s real name is Katy Hudson but she changed it to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1735 "2013-09-15T13:44:16Z")
That’s promising! If the results are inconclusive, we could send him a letter saying he’s won a free iPhone that he can collect in person from Baker’s place. It works on [crooks](http://my.chicagotribune.com/#story/chi-sheriffs-marketing-sting-nets-100-cook-county-fugitives-20111004/), so why not Phelps? ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1736 "2013-09-15T14:06:36Z")
If Fred isn’t really seen much or any more, perhaps he’s got Parkinson’s or dementia and so can’t be trotted out. It doesn’t have to mean he’s dead. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1737 "2013-09-15T14:10:18Z")
If that was the case, they could at least do a _Weekend at Bernie’s_ imitation. Or something like the Spanish did with El Cid, propping him up in the saddle of his horse to conceal the fact he had died. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1738 "2013-09-15T19:35:08Z")
[Stephen Crohn has died, an apparent suicide.](http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/the-man-who-couldnt-catch-aids-stephen-crohn-dies-from-suicide-aged-66/story-fni0dgux-1226719799380) I’d never heard of him before reading this story, and that makes me sad. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1739 "2013-09-16T17:32:14Z")
Could have sworn I posted this earlier: Wayne Green, W2NSD has gone silent key WG founded 73 (ham radio) magazine, and BYTE > **[Ham Radio Publications Pioneer, Visionary, Iconoclast Wayne Green, W2NSD, SK](http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-publications-pioneer-visionary-iconoclast-wayne-green-w2nsd-sk)** > > The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources. Brian ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655/1740 "2013-09-17T01:06:12Z")
Meanwhile, all of my celebrities continue to have improved health. Dangit! I am considering adding Mylie Cyrus to next year’s list based on her current behavior.Of course, this will ensure that she lives to the ripe old age of a bazillion, trillion and one. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655.md?page=86) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2013/642655.md?page=88)