Only in Hollywood: Dearly departed performers from 'The Show Won’t Go On' take center stage at the iconic Dearly Departed Museum

The Dearly Departed Artifact Museum was the liveliest place in Hollywood yesterday afternoon as The Show Won't Go On roadshow made its latest stop on a stage that included remnants of the late Tiny Tim and the cremains of Ken Weatherwax, who portrayed Pugsley on television's The Addams Family.

Hollywood legend Scott Michaels of the Dearly Departed Tours and Museum
introduces the authors of The Show Won’t Go On 

Yes, it was that kind of afternoon in the coolest, most fascinating and most deeply Hollywood museum in the world, let alone that mythological section of Los Angeles.  While movie fans queued across Santa Monica Boulevard for a screening at the Hollywood Forever cemetery, Dearly Departed founder Scott Michaels, an acclaimed pop culture expert and author in his own right, introduced authors Jeff Abraham and Burt Kearns, kicking off a dramatic yet often hilarious discussion of performers who walked onto a stage... and had to be carried off.

Is Jeff breaking into song? No... well, maybe.

Burt makes a point, with Karl Wallenda looking on over his right shoulder.

The Show Won't Go On: The Most Shocking, Bizarre and Historic Deaths of Performers Onstage was published in September by Chicago Review Press.  The book has been praised by the publications as diverse as Vanity Fair, the UK Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Vanish magic magazine  (*****), while Abraham and Kearns have lit up many radio shows and podcasts (including one dedicated to their shared obsession with Jerry Lewis -- more on that later).  

The deadly duo have also led discussions and book signings at various venues in Southern California, including the landmark Book Soup on the Sunset Strip and the horror haven Dark Delicacies in Burbank.

A portion of Ken Weatherwax’s cremains are on respectful display at the Dearly Departed Artifact Museum

But no site was more fitting than the Artifact Museum, ground zero for the very popular Tragical History Tours of Hollywood and beyond, and the Charles Manson-themed Helter Skelter tour (given a great boost by  the popularity of Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-touted Once Upon A Time in... Hollywood, the film on which Michaels was a consultant).  

The museum includes displays that include rare, valuable, and significant memorabilia from Manson victim Sharon Tate, the cremains of Michu, the late "world's smallest man" (which is how he fit into the Alf costume on television) and the car in which fifties sex symbol Jayne Mansfield lost her wig (but not, as legend has it, her head) and her life in 1967.

The book event took place in the museum's front room, with a seating arrangement similar to that of wake, with Abraham and Kearns placed in the spot where a casket might be placed, flanked by a display of Tiny Tim (who died after an onstage tumble in 1996) and a framed photo and autograph of circus legend Karl Wallenda  (who famously said "To be on the wire is life," and found that to fall from the wire into a parking lot is death).

 

Wayne Federman, who will be starring in the final season of Silicon Velley on HBO.

Celebrities in the crowd included popular comedian, actor and podcaster Wayne Federman and the entrepreneur, writer and most significantly, bondswoman known and treasured by Hollywood's finest as "Raquel, Queen of Bail.” 

To the left of the photo of Scott Michaels with Burt & Jeff's pal Bruce Vilanch is a shot of Scott with Jack Russell, 
whose tragic gig with his Great White band at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island is featured in The Show Won't Go On.

The Show Won't  Go On  book tour rolls on this week with a special appearance at the Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park.  This discussion promises morbid fun, as it will be hosted and moderated by comedy hotshots Sasha Feiler and Steve Cohen, cohosts of the popular Shut Up I Love It podcast (the  one that featured the instantly-historic episode on which Jeff and Burt defended Jerry Lewis and his maligned yet unseen film, The Day The Clown Cried).

Next stop... Tuesday

The Show Won’t Go On: A dark, delicate subject gets a lively response at Burbank’s legendary Dark Delicacies bookstore

The Dark Delicacies “home of horror" book store and gift shop in Burbank was the second stop for  the "died-onstage" roadshow by Jeff Abraham and Burt Kearns, authors of The Show Won’t Go On: The Most Shocking, Bizarre, and Historic Deaths of Performers Onstage.

Just as the book highlight the careers and final scenes of performers from many genres of the performing arts, so was the crowd that jammed the aisles at Dark Delicacies Saturday afternoon populated by major players in from all walks of show business, including television, film, literature, memorabilia broadcast journalism -- even professional wrestling.

Dark Delicacies owners Del and Sue Howison were gracious hosts for the event, and the ever-witty and cheerful Del launched the discussion by introducing guest moderator Mark Evanier. The renowned writer, producer, show business historian and comic book and cartoon legend brought real insight and knowledge to the questions fielded by Abraham and Kearns in a lively -- and laugh-filled affair.

Mark Evanier had the questions.

Asked by Evanier if they're planning a sequel, the authors responded with exciting news, saying they have many more stories of deaths onstage -- and are already working on a book that focuses on deaths of movie and television stars and stunt people -- on camera.

Jeff Abraham makes a point

Hours earlier, Abraham and Kearns had been featured on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Saturday program, in an interview with host Scott Simon. Simon revealed that he had personally experienced a “death onstage” thirty years ago, when haiku poet Nick Virgilio suffered a fatal heart attack in the NPR studio while Simon was interviewing him.

Burt Kearns lists the six -- or seven -- performers who died onstage in recent weeks

THUMBS UP from television news correspondent and producer Doug Bruckner 

Dark Delicacies is known for its gleeful embrace of death, and the Howisons managed to give Burt  a chill when they mentioned that actor Dick Miller, filmmaker Larry Cohen and wrestling legend and They Live star “Rowdy" Roddy Piper -- all died within weeks of appearing at Dark Delicacies signing events!

A lively affair...

More Southern California dates are ahead for the deadly duo of Abraham and Kearns: October 19 at the Dearly Departed Artifact Museum in Hollywood and October 21 at Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park.

A lively, historic event! Book Soup hosts Jeff Abraham and Burt Kearns, authors of The Show Won’t Go On

Book Soup, the legendary “bookseller to the great and infamous” on the Sunset Strip, hosted both on Sunday as the authors of The Show Won’t Go On debuted the first of their live discussions and signings for a crowd that indeed included the great, infamous and acclaimed.

Cowriters Jeff Abraham and Burt Kearns turned out to be great raconteurs, and had the audience enthralled with stories from the book about “the most shocking, bizarre, and historic deaths of performers onstage.” A lively question-and-answer session followed.

A special treat for the audience was the appearance of guest moderator Ray Richmond.  The popular and esteemed journalist, entertainment critic, author and playwright set the stage and tone for the afternoon by reminding Abraham and Kearns that the best possible publicity for their book would be for one of them to keel over and pop his clogs right then and there.  (Abraham reminded the crowd that Richmond had moderated a discussion featuring Abraham's client George Carlin days before the legendary comedian suffered a fatal heart attack.)

While all who attended survived, the book event was almost declared DOA that morning.  Hours earlier, an automobile careened out of control down Sunset Boulevard and plowed into the “parklet” of Book Soup tables and benches on the street. Miraculously, no one was seated (or, as too often, sleeping) there at the time.  Most of the car (see photo below) was hauled away before the book event, and the discussion and book signing went off without a hitch.

Numerous celebrities and performers were among the crowd, including top magicians, authors, producers and at least one multiple Tony award winner. We will, however, respect their privacy...

Burt Kearns & Jeff Abraham

The Show Won’t Go On was published by Chicago Review Press on September 3.  It’s received very positive reviews, and is available wherever books are sold.

“Recommended if you like: Staring into the Abyss"

Abraham and Kearns continue their roadshow on Saturday, September 21 at Dark Delicacies on North Hollywood Way in Burbank. That event, moderated by comic book and comedy legend  (and top entertainment blogger) Mark Evanier, kicks off at 4 pm.

Future events include the Dearly Departed Artifact Museum in Hollywood on Sunday, October 19, and Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park on Tuesday, October 22.

Due to the writing duo’s lively and very entertaining performances on widely-heard shows including Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast and Coast to Coast AM, there has been demand for appearances in other cities beyond Los Angeles. Watch this space for the latest news.

First bookstore appearance! Authors Jeff Abraham & Burt Kearns to discuss & sign 'The Show Won’t Go On’ at Book Soup on Sunday, Sept 15

The Show Won’t Go On: The Most Shocking, Bizarre, and Historic Deaths of Performers Onstage, the first comprehensive study of that show business phenomenon, is selling briskly and has been getting great coverage and rave reviews from the likes of Vanity Fair, The New York Daily News, The Daily Mail and the Telegraph.

Authors Jeff Abraham and Burt Kearns have been hitting the podcast and radio circuit, beginning with a side-splitting ninety minutes on Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast.

Next up: appearances and book signings. The first takes place at 3 pm this Sunday, September 15, at the legendary Book Soup on The Sunset Strip.  Author, critic and authors' pal Ray Richmond will moderate what promises to be a lively discussion about the deadly topic.

Future appearances include

Dark Delicacies in Burbank, hosted by truly legendary television and comic book writer Mark Evanier,  4 pm  on Saturday September 21

The Dearly Departed Articaft Museum in Hollywood on Saturday October 19

and Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park on  Tuesday October 22.

The boys are sticking close to home in this first go-round.

Watch this space for updates and more appearances.