THE BEST SELLERS’ LIST- In Memory of… Remembering those popular figures who bid farewell in 2018

Menu

By Thomas Sellers Jr.

The completion of life is death. One day we all finish this race. The dash between our birthdate and expiration date will determine our legacy. The first Best Sellers’ List of 2019 will reflect on 10 lives that came to an end in 2018. These people packed a lot of life in that dash. They were lives full of entertainment, spirituality, social impact and even tragedy. My top 10 passing of 2018 are a tribute to people who had an impact on my life. Either their talents and roles influenced me or how they died shook up a part of me.

Before we shine the spotlight on the top 10 here are a few honorable mentions: Penny Marshall, Joe Jackson, Big Van Vader, Tom Wolfe, Harry Anderson, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Stephen Hawking and Craig Mack.

1. Anthony Bourdain & Kate Spade (Bourdain: June 25, 1956-June 8, 2018; Spade: Dec. 24, 1962-June 5, 2018) In the middle of 2018, the world was shocked to hear about a pair of deaths. On the surface it appeared Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade had it all. Then we learned with their suicides, both were harboring deep pain inside. Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan, known professionally as Kate Spade and Kate Valentine, was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. She was the founder and former co-owner of the designer brand Kate Spade New York. Anthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and television personality who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine and the human condition. He was considered one of the most influential chefs in the world. Bourdain and Spade were so successful they each became a brand. You could see Spade’s items on the top celebrities. Meanwhile Bourdain’s ventures with dignitaries were documented on CNN.

   I bet several people would have traded lives with them on the surface. But suicide has a way of making us examine things deeper. Mental health issues is an epidemic in this country. There are many solutions ranging from talking to somebody to medicine. But if you are reading this, just remember suicide is not a solution to life — it’s the end.

2. Sir Roger Bannister (March 23, 1929-March 3, 2018) Any athlete or runner has tested their mile run. We’ve all tried to reach the Bannister. Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister was the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile in history. By the way, my best time was 6 minutes and 41 seconds back in 1997.

   Bannister was a British middle-distance athlete and neurologist. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Bannister set a British record in the 1,500 meters and finished in fourth place. Bannister is proof that once you make history, you earn a spot in the world’s hearts and minds forever. As science improves and athletes get stronger, Bannister will move over in the record books. But he will never be removed from the pages of history.

3. Bruno Sammartino (Oct. 6, 1935-April 18, 2018) For 4,040 days, Bruno Sammartino was the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion. “The Italian Strongman” established wrestling as a legit form of sports entertainment throughout the 1960s and ’70s. He was the man before Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Goldberg, Sting or John Cena. Bruno makes this countdown because of the deep devotion my family has toward professional wrestling. Thanks to the likes of Jerry “The King” Lawler and Bill “Superstar” Dundee, I have a blind passion for wrestling. Once I learned my history, I realized Sammartino belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of professional wrestling.

   Sammartino earned the title “The Living Legend” during his lifetime. In the ring, his trademarks were his powerful bear-hug finishing move. He is considered by most, the greatest professional wrestler of all time. Sting holds that belt in my heart, but Sammartino’s impact might be the greatest of all time.

4. Billy Graham (Nov. 7, 1918-Feb. 21, 2018) We’re all human. Once the world saw the human side of evangelist William Franklin Graham Jr., he became even more respected. The work with the Civic Rights movement, various presidents and crusades made Graham a tremendous spiritual leader of the 20th Century.

   Thank God this ordained Southern Baptist minister had an internationally influence since the late 1940s. Now we have multiple books, clips and sermons to continue Graham’s legacy.

5. Stan Lee (Dec. 28, 1922-Nov. 12, 2018) I am not a big superhero fan. But even I know abut the Avengers, Spider-Man and Black Panther. All those iconic images and creations are a part of the brain of the late Stan Lee. Stan Lee was a comic book writer, editor and publisher who was active from the 1940s to the 2010s. His skills were translated to print early on in his career. Then in recent years, the big screen has been the home of Lee’s creations. He even has an upcoming movie of “Avengers: Endgame.” Lee’s career can be described in one word — marvelous. Lee collaborated with others at Marvel Comics like fellow writers and artist Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Some of their creations were characters including superheroes Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch and Ant-Man.

   Lee was inducted into the comic book industry’s Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. He received the NEA’s National Medal of Arts in 2008.

6. Keith Jackson (Oct. 18, 1928-Jan. 12, 2018) “Whoa, Nelly!” The official voice of College Football got in one more bowl season before heading to the big broadcast booth in the sky. Just six days before the Alabama Crimson Tide stole a National title from the Georgia Bulldogs, Jackson passed away at his home in California. Keith Max Jackson was an American sports commentator, journalist, author and radio personality, known for his career with ABC Sports. Jackson, born in Roopville, Ga., welcomed so many to the game of the week with his Southern accent. He gave off the vibe of your cool uncle who got the best tickets in town that Saturday. Jackson was the voice of my Saturdays in the fall. I lived to hear him say, “He’s gone.” I still get goosebumps listening to his call of Kordell Stewart’s Hail Mary. I was so happy he was on the microphone the night the Tennessee Volunteers won the first BCS championship in 1999.

   Jackson is among the greatest commentators of all time like Al Michaels, Jim Nantz, John Madden, Howard Cosell, Verne Lundquist and Brent Musburger.

7. Burt Reynolds (Feb. 11, 1936-Sept. 6, 2018) Not the strongest thespian to ever walk the Earth. “My movies were the kind they show in prisons and airplanes, because nobody can leave,” Reynolds once said. But Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was undeniably one of the most iconic men to ever step foot into Hollywood. Films like “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Deliverance,” “Boogie Nights” and “The Longest Yard” made Burt Reynolds a superstar. He was one of the coolest dudes to ever grace a television or movie screen. He wasn’t afraid to make fun of himself and his status in Hollywood. Whether he was the star of the moment or the subject of tabloid journalism, Reynolds kept his cool. “Marriage is about the most expensive way for the average man to get laundry done,” he said.

   Reynolds is the second coolest dude to come out of Florida State football, just ahead of Ron Simmons and right behind Head Coach Bobby Bowden. But more people know about the man with the mustache.

8. John McCain (Aug. 29, 1936-Aug. 25, 2018) One of the strongest men I have ever seen, period. But the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional strength displayed by John Sidney McCain III through the realm of politics is amazing this day in age. He handled his defeat to Barack Obama back in 2008 with class and dignity. When challenged by Democrats, Independents or fellow Republicans, McCain was up for the challenge. I guess debates and negotiations were a walk in the park after being a prisoner of war. McCain’s capture and subsequent imprisonment occurred on Oct. 26, 1967. He was flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi. McCain fractured both arms and a leg when he ejected from the aircraft, and he nearly drowned after he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake. After being captured by the North Vietnamese, McCain was then transported to Hanoi’s main Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton.” McCain captors did not give him any kind of special medical treatment. They beat and interrogated him to get information.

   You could never question McCain’s love of country, the military and how far he was willing to go for what he believed in. Rest in peace, Senator McCain, you were a symbol of American strength.

9. Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942-Aug. 16, 2018) I am proud to say the “Queen of Soul” was born in my hometown of Memphis, Tenn. Aretha Louise Franklin was more than a singer. The girl born in the Bluff City and raised in the Motor City was a singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, actress and pianist. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father C. L. Franklin was minister. In 1968 the album Lady Soul gave us “A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools” and “Respect.” More and more fantastic albums came over the decades with Franklin working alongside some of the most influential men and women of the 20th century. She was an activist and voice for the disenfranchised. She used her platform to touch so many people in a positive way. Meanwhile her one-of-a-kind voice continued to touch our souls.

   Aretha was the blueprint on how to be a diva in the music industry. That tern is tossed around loosely these days. For a true definition, just look back at the career of the Queen.

10. George H.W. Bush & Barbara Bush (George: June 12, 1924-Nov. 30, 2018; Barbara: June 8, 1925-April 17, 2018) Losing a president always makes our country pause for a moment. The death of a first lady has a lingering impact. They are the closest thing we have to royalty in the United States. From April to November, U.S. Americans had a chance to reflect on the impact and legacy of the Bushes. They were our 41st First Family from 1989 to 1993. George Herbert Walker Bush served as the 41st president of the United States and was previously the vice president under Ronald Reagan. Right by his side the entire time was his love, Barbara. Her lasting impact on the country was the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Both Barbara and George took some heat from the media over the years, but nobody could deny their love of the U.S., their family and their respect for the office of president of the United States. Now the couple is reunited in a better place. The glorious, graceful woman who appeared on our televisions in the 1980s and ’90s with her pearls has been restored. Joining her recently was the decorated veteran who was the patriarch of one of the most influential families in American history.

    THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star and both the sports editor and a weekly personal columnist for Journal West 10 Media LLC. Contact him by phone at (901) 433-9138, by fax to (901) 529-7687 and by email to [email protected].