Brenda Stone was a high school cheerleader and homecoming queen. She even had a few dates with Elvis Presley. She longed to be a model but didn’t want to embarrass her father, a well-known and respected deacon at a Memphis Baptist church. So, she used the name “Gail Stanton” when she posed nude for a Playboy pictorial in April 1977 entitled “Girls of the New South.” Gail’s photo caught the eye of the Playboy staff and she was featured as “Playmate of the Month” in the June 1978 issue.

Her appearance in Playboy was a springboard for her career. She did promotional work for Anheuser-Busch in the early 80s, making public appearances as “Miss Michelob.” She did public relations work at the Knoxville World’s Fair in 1982. Gail even landed a role in the comedy film Making the Grade with Judd Nelson.

When the work in the spotlight dried up, Gail became active in charity work and as an animal rights advocate. She passed away in 1996 from an undetected colon blockage, just two days after her 42nd birthday.

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Future disco queen Vicki Sue Robinson kicked off her career in rather unusual fashion. At six years of age, she accompanied her mother, folksinger Marianne, on stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Later, at 18, Vicki joined the Broadway cast of Hair, alongside then-unknown Barry Bostwick, Richard Gere and Nell Carter. On off days, she performed in small New York clubs, singing and playing guitar and dulcimer.

In 1972, she was recruited to sing backup on Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything album. The next year, she toured Japan with singer/songwriter Itsuro Shimoda

On a chance recommendation, producer Warren Schatz expressed an interest in Vicki’s singing. He produced her debut album that spawned the Top Ten single (and signature song) “Turn The Beat Around.” At the top of the disco movement, Vicki toured the world to wide acclaim. Unfortunately, attempted follow-ups never achieved the fame of her biggest hit.

Unfettered, Vicki soldiered on, recording albums and providing background vocals for the likes of Cyndi Lauper as well as the unlikely The Wrestling Album in 1985, harmonizing with wrestler The Junkyard Dog. She also provided the voices for “Rapture” and “Minx” in the animated TV series Jem.

In the 90s, Vicki teamed with other disco singers for a worldwide revival tour. She received a boost of popularity when singer Gloria Estefan recorded a cover of “Turn The Beat Around” twenty years after its initial release.

In 1999, Vicki recorded a song for the soundtrack of a popular Pokémon video game. She also shot a cameo in an independent film called Red Lipstick, a new take on the “Cinderella” story. Declining health, however. prevented her from taking other roles. Vicki passed away in April 2000 at the age of 45, just a week after the premiere of Red Lipstick.

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In 1945, Tara Browne was born into British royalty. His father was the 4th Baron Oranmore and his mother was an heiress to the Guinness Brewery fortune. Upon his 25th birthday, Tara was set to inherit 1 million pounds. In the meantime, Tara ran with an elite crowd. He attended — and often hosted — parties boasting a veritable “who’s who” of the swinging London counterculture. For his 21st birthday, he flew guests on private jets to one of his family estates in Ireland. The guest list included  John Paul Getty, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Jones’ then-girlfriend Anita Pallenberg (who would later give birth to three children by Keith Richards). Tara also numbered Paul McCartney and John Lennon among his close friends. Tara was responsible for introducing the Beatles’ bassist to his first LSD trip.

In mid-December 1966, Tara was driving through South Kensington with his girlfriend, model Suki Potier. His car, a luxury Lotus Elan, exceeded a hundred miles per hour and Tara was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He blew through a traffic signal and collided with a parked truck. Potier managed to leave the accident unscathed, but Tara died from his injuries the next day.

John Lennon immortalized his friend in the first two verses of the Beatles song “A Day in the Life.” McCartney, at first countered the reference, but confirmed it in his 2021 book Lyrics.

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Richard Moll passed away on October 26, 2023 at the age of 80. He was an actor that enjoyed a pretty successful career as a supporting player in both comedy and drama. Although he appeared in a number of films and episodic television in roles that crossed a variety of genres, he is best remembered for his portrayal of the imposing but lovable bailiff “Bull Shannon” on the NBC sitcom Night Court during its entire nine-season run. Moll’s “Bull” was a popular character on the show and pretty much defined his persona for countless fans.

That’s not always a good thing.

After I posted the announcement of Moll’s death, a Facebook friend related her personal encounter with Moll — one that left her less than enthused. Here’s her story…

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Anne Francis began modeling as a toddler. She made her big-screen debut as a teenager in a small role in the musical This Time for Keeps with Esther Williams and Jimmy Durante. In 1955, she played a supporting role in the tense drama Bad Day at Black Rock as well as a lead role as Glenn Ford’s young wife in The Blackboard Jungle. Not one to be typecast, she was featured in Forbidden Planet, the groundbreaking science fiction film that set the stage for serious films in the previously frivolous genre. Her inclusion in the film was forever immortalized in the theme song to the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Feeling trapped in a series of low-budget movies, Anne jumped to television in a starring role in her own series. Honey West followed the adventures of a shrewd and sultry private eye, a first for a female actor. She also made appearances in popular anthology series like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and a memorable segment of Twilight Zone. Anne stayed busy with guest roles in a slew of TV series throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. In the final season of the long-running sitcom My Three Sons, Anne was featured in a four-episode story arc, becoming the wife of Fergus McBain Douglas, Fred MacMurray’s Scottish cousin (also played by MacMurray).

Anne continued taking roles on television, popping up on popular shows like CHiPs, Wonder Woman, Barnaby Jones, Murder, She Wrote and an obligatory appearance on The Love Boat. She even took a guest spot on Drew Carey’s sitcom, as well as a stint on Home Improvement and Wings. Her final role was on a 2004 episode of the police procedural drama Without a Trace.

A smoker for most of her life, Anne was diagnosed with cancer in 2006. The disease took its toll in 2011. She was 80 years old.

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