Bob Rafelson, co-creator of ‘The Monkees’, dies aged 89

The New York Times, Pitman died on Thursday August 11 at his home in La Quinta, California. No cause of death has been revealed, however the guitarist and bassist reportedly spent the last month of his life recovering from an accident that left him with a fractured spine.Born on February 12, 1920, Pitman was raised in a musical household, as his father worked as a staff bassist for programming at NBC.

cancer according to Reuters. An employee at Miyake’s office told AFP that his funeral has already taken place with ‘only relatives participating’ in accordance with his wishes. Miyake rose to prominence in the 1980s thanks to his simplistic pleated style of clothing.

Olivia Newton-John, the British-Australian pop star perhaps best known for her generation-defining role as Sandy in Grease, has died aged 73, it's been announced.

Peter Andre paid tribute to Grease star Olivia Newton-John after news of her death at the age of 73 was announced on Monday.MORE: Olivia Newton-John opens up about health amid cancer battleTaking to Instagram, the Mysterious Girl hitmaker shared a throwback snap of the duo at a Spina Bifida charity concert. A youthful-looking Peter could be seen embracing Olivia as the pair beamed at the camera.WATCH: Peter Andre's wife Emily reveals drastic room makeover for son TheoHe captioned his sweet post: "My sister Debbie just sent me this photo.

 73-year-old reportedly died in the early hours of this morning peacefully at her ranch in Southern California.Watch Below: Bert Newton surprises Olivia Newton-John dressed as John TravoltaHer husband John Easterling, confirmed the news in a post to social media, saying that Olivia was "a symbol of triumphs and hope"."Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time," Olivia's husband wrote."Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer."Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer."In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation."Olivia also leaves behind her 34-year-old daughter Chloe Lattanzi.Newton-John has had a long battle with cancer, having first been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.

Olivia Newton-John has passed away aged 73, after battling cancer on and off for 30 years.The actress, who was best known for starring in hit 1978 film Grease as Sandy, passed away peacefully at her Southern California ranch in the early hours of Monday 8 Aug, her husband, John Easterling, announced via Olivia's official Facebook account. Numerous celebrities flocked to pay tribute to Olivia, with her Grease co-star John Travolta, 68, taking to Instagram to share a heartfelt post about his close friend. Posting a photo of Olivia when she was younger, the actor penned: "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better.

Dame Olivia Newton-John, who is best known for her role as Sandy in Grease, has passed away at the age of 73, her husband has confirmed.

A post shared by Olivia Newton-John (@therealonj)“We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”This is a developing story.

Bert Schneider, his partner in the independent production company Raybert, began kicking around the idea of a television show about a band “more interested in having fun than making a living”. Their Variety ad seeking “4 insane boys, [aged] 17-21” was answered by 437 hopefuls, and the successful applicants – Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork – were dispatched on a six-week improv course. The show’s goofily knowing house style did not arrive instantly – a pilot polled direly in testing.

Tony Dow, who played Wally Cleaver in the sitcom Leave It to Beaver, has died aged 77. His death was announced on his official Facebook page on Tuesday morning (26 July). “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning,” his management team wrote.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNo movie better captures the maverick spirit of Bob Rafelson and the impact he had on the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s than “Five Easy Pieces.” The film follows Jack Nicholson’s Bobby Dupea, a former piano prodigy who has turned his back on his privileged lifestyle to embrace the life of a blue collar drifter. Dupea’s rejection of his upbringing struck a cord with the counterculture and turned “Five Easy Pieces” into a critical and commercial sensation, making it a rare film that tapped into and reflected the zeitgeist.Rafelson, who also directed “The King of Marvin Gardens” and helped create “The Monkees” television series, died on July 23 at the age of 89.

The recent limited series “The Offer” reminded viewers that before Albert S. Ruddy was taken seriously as the producer of “The Godfather,” he was often dismissed as the guy who created “Hogan’s Heroes.” Similarly, another key architect of the New Hollywood of the 1970s — director and producer Bob Rafelson — would find himself earning greater respect as the man behind such iconic, essential American films as “Five Easy Pieces,” “The Last Picture Show” and “Easy Rider” than as one of the creators of “The Monkees.”The difference, of course, is that “Hogan’s Heroes” is the kind of old sitcom contemporary audiences would call “problematic,” while “The Monkees” has endured both as a screwball piece of television and as the launching pad for a band that’s beloved to this day.

A.D. Amorosi Though regarded by cinephiles as one of the architects of the “New Hollywood” largely because of moody character studies like 1970’s “Five Easy Pieces,” filmmaker Bob Rafelson — who died Saturday at 89 — will also always be adored for his co-creation and production of the decidedly less moody, madcap television series “The Monkees,” and for further directing that makeshift band in the comically avant-garde 1968 film “Head.”Rafelson is very fondly remembered by vocalist and drummer Micky Dolenz, the final surviving member of the Monkees, who shared his thoughts about Rafelson’s role in the creation and development of the group with Variety.  A wildly silly sitcom about a faux teeny-bop band meant that its producer-showrunners, Rafelson and Bert Schneider (who died in 2011), had to find a willing quartet of actor-musicians.

Bob Rafelson, the director, producer and writer who brought a European sensibility to American filmmaking with "Five Easy Pieces" in 1970, died Saturday evening at his home in Aspen, Colorado. He was 89 years old. Rafelson’s death was confirmed by his former personal assistant of 38 years, Jolene Wolff, who worked under Rafelson’s production banner Marmont Productions.