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William G. Scott was born in 1952 in Bessemer, Alabama. He attended Birmingham-Southern College for two years. He lived in New York City prior to moving to Hollywood in the late 1970s.

Changing his name to Glenn Shadix, he made his film debut in the poorly received The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), later winning a breakthrough role in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988) as Otho, the pretentious and treacherous interior designer who dangerously dabbles in the paranormal. Tim Burton went on to cast Shadix as the voice of the Mayor of Halloween Town in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and Senator Nado in Planet of the Apes (2001).

Notable television credits include NBC's Seinfeld (1989), and HBO's Carnivàle (2003). On September 7, 2010, Shadix accidentally fell at his condominium in Birmingham, Alabama, and died of blunt trauma to his head. He had already had mobility problems and was wheelchair-bound. Shadix was survived by his mother, sister and brother-in-law.

A brash, sharp-tongued, incorrigible actress/singer who led a six decade career that contained many highs and lows, veteran Elaine Stritch's raucous six-decade career certainly lived up well to the Stephen Sondheim song lyrics "I'm Still Here." A popular, magnetic performer, she stole so many moments on stage she could have been convicted of grand larceny This tough old bird approached her octogenarian years with still-shapely legs, a puffy blonde hairdo, a deep, whiskey voice and enough sardonic bluster and bravado to convince anyone that she would be around forever.

The Detroit-born (February 2, 1925) Elaine Stritch was the daughter of a B.F. Goodrich executive, of Irish/Welsh heritage, and the youngest of three sisters. Educated locally at Sacred Heart Convent and Duschesne Residence Finishing School, she prepared for the stage at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School where fellow "school mates" included Marlon Brando. She made her first appearance at the New School as a tiger and a cow in a 1944 children's production entitled "Babino," then followed it the following year with the part of a parlor maid in "The Private Life of the Master Race."

Elaine made it to Broadway in October 1946 as "Pamela Brewster" in "Loco" at the Biltmore Theatre. Taking over the part of "Miss Crowder" in "Made in Heaven" after that, she finished off the decade appearing in such theatre productions as "Three Indelicate Ladies," "The Little Foxes" (as Regina), the revue "Angel in the Wings" and "Yes M'Lord."

From the 1950's on, Elaine would become the toast of both Broadway and (later) London's West End, earning award-worthy acclaim on both continents over the years. Starting with a tour of "Pal Joey" (as Melba) in 1952, she followed this success with such shows as "Call Me Madam" (as Sally); "On Your Toes" (as Peggy); "Bus Stop" (Tony nom: as waitress Grace), "The Sin of Pat Muldoon" (as Gertrude); "Goldilocks" (as Maggie); "Sail Away!" (Tony nom, and also London debut as Mimi); "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (as Martha); "The King and I" (as Anna); "The Grass Harp" (as Babylove); "Wonderful Town" (as Ruth); "Private Lives" (as Amanda); "Mame" (as Vera, then Mame); "Company" (Tony-nom: as Joanne); "Small Craft Warnings" (as Leona); "The Gingerbread Lady" (as Evy); "Show Boat" (Drama Desk Award: as Parthy); and "A Delcate Balance" (Tony-nom, Drama Desk Award: as Claire). Through sheer personality alone, her cacophonous singing voice miraculously took classic songs from, among others, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart to Noël Coward and Stephen Sondheim and put her own indelibly raucous stamp on them.

Oddly, Elaine never made the same kind of impact on film. Nevertheless, she appeared in an armful of supports over the years, growing increasingly abrasive, in such movies as The Scarlet Hour (1956), Three Violent People (1956), A Farewell to Arms (1957), The Perfect Furlough (1958), Kiss Her Goodbye (1959), Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965), Too Many Thieves (1966), The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (1970), The Spiral Staircase (1975), Providence (1977), September (1987), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Cadillac Man (1990), Out to Sea (1997), Krippendorf's Tribe (1998), Screwed (2000), Small Time Crooks (2000); Autumn in New York (2000), Monster-in-Law (2005), ParaNorman (2012) and River of Fundament (2014)

The actress fared somewhat better on early TV. She appeared as one of the Paynes in the early Dumont family comedy series The Growing Paynes (1948), and made appearances on several anthology series ("Kraft Theatre," "Goodyear Playhouse," "The Alcoa Hour," "The Dupont Show of the Month"). A few guest spots also decorated her small screen resume, including "Mister Peepers," "Adventures in Paradise" and "Wagon Train". In the 60's, Elaine returned to the series format, but only enjoyed single season life on three: My Sister Eileen (1960), as Ruth Sherwood; the acclaimed The Trials of O'Brien (1965) as lawyer Peter Falk's secretary "Miss G."; and as Ellen Burstyn's derisive mother on The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986).

In 1973, Elaine married English actor John Bay and moved to London. While there she appeared in a number of plays/musicals and then played an American authoress in the British comedy series Two's Company (1975) co-starring Donald Sinden as the butler. When she returned to America in the early 80's, she returned alone.

At age 76, a razor-sharp Elaine captivated audiences in a candid one woman musical stage memoir that would win her the Tony, Drama Desk, Obie, Outer Circle Critics and New York Drama Critics awards. Elaine Stritch at Liberty (2002) show also chronicled her notorious private life, combative nature, which included a long bout with the bottle (to curb her stage fright), and a destructive relationship with fellow alcoholic Gig Young. Add to that a fair share of Hollywood gossip all cleverly packaged up with raw wit and show-stopping patter songs and you had quintessential Elaine Stritch. Truly one of a kind, she would eventually be inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995.

Other memorable TV appearances included her Aunt Polly in the mini-series Pollyanna (1973); a 1984 continuing role on the daytime soaper The Edge of Night (1956); the role of Ouisar in the TV movie version of Steel Magnolias (1990); and three Emmy Award-winning portrayals -- as a guest on "Law & Order," for the 2004 TV documentary of her one-woman triumph, and for a recurring character on the hit sitcom 30 Rock (2006).

A diabetic, it took stomach cancer to finally slow this woman down at the end, dying at age 89 on July 17, 2014, at her Michigan home.

Noele Gordon was born on 25 December 1919 in East Ham, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Crossroads (1964), The Most Likely Girl (1957) and The Lisbon Story (1946). She died on 14 April 1985 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.

Lowe, rotund and professionally indefatigable, rightly gained acclaim as an accomplished comedy character actor; fondly remembered as the irascible "Captain Mainwaring" in the Home Guard comedy series Dad's Army (1968-1977), and as Coronation Street (1960)'s "Leonard Swindley". The only child of a Derbyshire railworker, Lowe gained valuable experience by organising shows for a British army field entertainment unit, in the Middle East, during World War Two, before commencing his professional acting career, at the age of 30, in 1945, upon joining the "Manchester Repertory Theatre Company".

In between endless tours for repertory and in major stage performances, Lowe utilised his character actor status - which writers identify as being aided by his bald head - in bit-parts for films including: the inspired "Ealing" black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Green Man (1956). Later, whilst gathering fame - with the reputedly observational realist soap opera Coronation Street (1960) - he cemented a professional relationship with maverick film director Lindsay Anderson; using left-wing sensibilities for some of his films: including If.... (1968) and several characters in the avant-garde O Lucky Man! (1973) (the latter earning Lowe an SFTA Award, for best supporting performance).

As his son, and biographer, Stephen Lowe, intimated, finances governed and perpetuated his career, in the final stages of his life, in the 1970s; appearing in over 100, and possibly very lucrative, television advertisements and, not surprisingly, a surfeit of comedies including the sit-com Potter (1979) (1979-1983), the ribald film No Sex Please - We're British (1973) and to rave reviews for his stage performance as "Stephano", in "The Tempest" (1974), at the "National Theatre". Although Lowe received excellent notices for straight roles and appearances in plays such as John Osborne's "Inadmissible Evidence" (1963) at the "Royal Court", Dad's Army (1968) assured Lowe enduring appeal, as his character acting skills seamlessly compliment the show's comfortable sit-com structure.

Mary Wimbush was a stalwart actress of repertory and West End theatre, who played three separate roles in the long-running BBC Radio serial "The Archers".

She was born in Kenton, Middlesex in 1924. Her father was a schoolmaster and her mother trained at RADA, but did not pursue a career on the stage. Mary attended the Berkhamsted School for Girls and also boarded at the St Agnes and St Michael's, an Anglican convent at East Grinstead.

Mary trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, before joining Amersham rep.

Her wartime marriage to the actor Howard Marion-Crawford by whom she had a son, ended in divorce. Her partnership with the poet Louis MacNeice lasted from 1958 until his death in 1963.

She appeared regularly on film, radio and television in character roles until her sudden death in October 2005, following a recording of "The Archers" at the BBC's Birmingham studios. She was 81.

Anna Lee Carroll was born on 7 October 1930 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. She was an actress, known for Not of This Earth (1957), One Step Beyond (1959) and Fear No More (1961). She died on 30 April 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Ysanne Churchman was born on 14 May 1925 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Othello (1956), Doctor Who (1963) and Doctor Who (2005). She was married to Anthony Pilgrim. She died on 4 July 2024 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, UK.

John Warnaby was born on 6 November 1960 in Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Les Misérables (2012), Wimbledon (2004) and The Raven (2012). He died on 13 April 2024 in Birmingham, England, UK.

Dona Hardy was born on 3 December 1912 in San Diego, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Superbad (2007), The Running Man (1987) and Universal Soldier (1992). She died on 13 February 2011 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

John Charlesworth was born on 12 November 1935 in Hull, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Christmas Carol (1951), Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951) and The Children of the New Forest (1955). He died on 2 April 1960 in Birmingham, England, UK.

Eddie Kendricks is an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "Get Ready", and "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". As a solo artist, Kendricks recorded several hits of his own during the 1970s, including the number-one single "Keep on Truckin'."

Kendricks was born in Union Springs, Alabama, the son of Johnny and Lee Bell Kendrick. He had one sister, Patricia, and three brothers, Charles, Robert, and Clarence. His family moved to the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, where he met and began singing with his best friend Paul Williams in their church choir in the late 1940s. In 1955, Kendricks, Williams, and friends Kell Osborne and Jerome Averette formed a group called The Cavaliers, and began performing around Birmingham. The group decided to move for better opportunities in their musical careers, and in 1957 the group moved to Cleveland. In Cleveland, they met manager Milton Jenkins, and soon moved with Jenkins to Detroit, where the Cavaliers renamed themselves 'The Primes'. In 1961, Osbourne moved to California, and the Primes disbanded. Kendricks and Paul Williams joined forces with members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin and the Distants after three members quit and became The Elgins, who on the same day changed their name to The Temptations and signed to Motown. The Temptations quickly became the most successful male vocal group of the 1960s. Although technically Kendricks was first tenor in the group's harmony, he predominately sang in a falsetto voice. In the Temptations, Kendricks was responsible for creating most of the group's vocal arrangements, and also served as wardrobe manager, including the now famous purple suits the group wore for one performance. Though Whitfield had chief responsibility for writing, Kendricks co-wrote and received credit for several Temptations songs.

Kendricks was nominated for four Grammy Awards, winning one for "Cloud Nine" with the Temptations in 1969. The Temptations received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

In 1998, NBC aired The Temptations (1998), a four-hour television miniseries based upon an autobiographical book by Otis Williams. Kendricks was portrayed by actor Terron Brooks.

Caleb Bankston was born on 27 September 1987 in Collinsville, Alabama, USA. He died on 24 June 2014 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Howard Hill was born on 13 November 1899 in Wilsonville, Alabama, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Tembo (1952), The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946) and Art of Archery (1951). He was married to Elizabeth Hodges. He died on 4 February 1975 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Anthony Morton was born on 7 April 1927 in Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Performance (1970), Neighbours (1985) and Crossroads (1964). He died on 15 January 2001 in Birmingham, England, UK.

Fred West was born on 29 September 1941 in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, England, UK. He was married to Rosemary West and Rena West. He died on 1 January 1995 in Winson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.

Sun Ra was born on 22 May 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He was a composer and writer, known for Space Is the Place (1974), The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) and Deceiver (1997). He died on 30 May 1993 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Carl Wayne was born on 18 August 1943 in Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Crossroads (1964), Lucky Break (2001) and The Benny Hill Show (1969). He was married to Susan Hanson. He died on 31 August 2004 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.

Jeffery Danny Dench (29 April 1928 - 25 March 2014) was an English actor, best known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was the older brother of actress Judi Dench.

Jeffery Dench was born in Tyldesley, Manchester to Eleanora Olave (née Jones), a native of Dublin, and Reginald Arthur Dench, a physician who met his future wife while studying medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. Jeff lived in Tyldesley with his brother Peter; later the family moved to York where his sister, Judith, was born.

Jeffery Dench was born in Tyldesley, Manchester to Eleanora Olave (née Jones), a native of Dublin, and Reginald Arthur Dench, a physician who met his future wife while studying medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. Jeff lived in Tyldesley with his brother Peter; later the family moved to York where his sister, Judith, was born.

Dench attended St Peter's, York, where he began acting with the role of Cleopatra in George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra.

He spent his national service at an army theatre in Catterick before attending the Central School of Speech and Drama. It was here that he met Betty, his first wife, who was working as a speech therapist. He moved to Clifford Chambers and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963, where he worked for many years.

With his wife Betty, Dench had three daughters: Sarah, a teacher who lives in Brailes; Clare, who lives in Shiplake; and Emma, a Roman historian previously at Birkbeck, University of London, and at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Betty died from a heart attack on 11 January 2002. Dench then married Ann Curtis, a costume designer for the RSC and a longtime family friend. They lived in Stratford-upon-Avon and in 2012 he became the President of Stratford-upon-Avon Choral Society.

On 27 March 2014 it was announced that Dench had died in England, UK two days earlier.

William Dufty was born on 2 February 1916 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. He was a writer, known for Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Round Trip (1967) and Reputations (1994). He was married to Gloria Swanson and Maely Bartholomew. He died on 28 June 2002 in Birmingham, Michigan, USA.

Winifred Coffin was born on 19 October 1911 in Schnectady, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Route 66 (1960), The Yellow Mask (1930) and The Detectives (1959). She was married to Dean Fiske Coffin. She died on 18 December 1986 in Birmingham, Michigan, USA.

Sherri Martel was born on 8 February 1958 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. She was an actress, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), WWE Smackdown! (1999) and Saturday Night's Main Event (1985). She was married to Robert Schrull and Leroy Gonzales. She died on 15 June 2007 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Marcel White was an actor, known for SeaView (2021), House 243 (2019) and Gem (2017). He died on 2 June 2022 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK.

Larry Rew was born on 4 May 1947 in Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), Mis-drop (2014) and Crucible of the Vampire (2019). He was married to Gwen Williams. He died on 5 August 2022 in Birmingham, England, UK.

Philip Garston-Jones was born on 22 May 1912 in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Swizzlewick (1964), The Crime of the Century (1956) and St. Ives (1955). He died on 19 November 1979 in Birmingham, England, UK.

Cassidy Cochran was born on 22 June 1994 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. She was an actress, known for New Arrivals (2012). She died on 11 November 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.