RIP ROBERT WALKER
STAR TREK ORIGINAL SERIES CHARACTER ACTOR DIES

Robert Walker
April 15, 1940 to December 5, 2019
Age: 79
Died From:
Notable For: American actor who was a familiar presence on television in the 1960s and early 1970s. He became less active in later decades.

Walker was born in Queens, New York and was the elder son of actors Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones. He attended The Lawrenceville School near Princeton before beginning his acting career.

Walker studied Tai Chi Chuan under Marshall Ho'o, a skill which he later exhibited in his role in the movie Easy Rider.

He appeared in films and television from the early 1960s onwards. His movies include the title role in Ensign Pulver (1964) with Burl Ives and Walter Matthau; The War Wagon (1967) with John Wayne and Kirk Douglas; the title role in Young Billy Young, alongside Robert Mitchum; Easy Rider (both 1969), and Beware! The Blob, or—Son of Blob (1972). He featured in Angkor: Cambodia Express (1982) with Nancy Kwan, Christopher George, Woody Strode, and Sorapong Chatree.

In the 1960s, Walker appeared in the television series Route 66 ("Across Walnuts and Wine", 1962). He played the title role and an emotionally disturbed character who was a troubled actor who lived and performed on the streets and in circuses, in Naked City episode "Dust Devil on a Quiet Street" (also 1962). In The Big Valley episode "My Son, My Son," (1965), Walker portrayed Evan Miles, an emotionally disturbed college dropout who becomes obsessed with childhood friend Audra Barkley.

Walker was cast role in the Star Trek episode "Charlie X" (1966) as Charles 'Charlie' Evans, a 17-year-old adolescent and social misfit with psychic powers. Walker appeared in the fifth season of the series Combat! in the episode "Ollie Joe" (also 1966). In addition he had the title role in an episode of The Time Tunnel entitled "Billy the Kid" (1967). He also portrayed Nick Baxter, an ill alien who caused the deaths of humans by touch, in an episode of The Invaders ("Panic", 1967). He played Mark Cole in an episode of Bonanza ("The Gentle Ones", 1967).

In the 1970s, Walker had a role in an episode of Columbo ("Mind Over Mayhem", 1974), and as an innocent longshoreman who takes the blame for a murder on Quincy, M.E. ("The Hero Syndrome", 1977). He also appeared in the pilot episode of The Eddie Capra Mysteries (1978).

Walker maintained an episodic presence on television in the 1980s and 1990s. He guest-starred in two episodes of Murder, She Wrote with Angela Lansbury, the first time in "The Corpse Flew First Class" (1987), and as a mentally handicapped man in "Shear Madness" (1990). His last television performances were in L.A. Law and In the Heat of the Night, both in 1991. He also made a television series appearance in 1993 and had a small role in the film Beyond the Darkness (2016).

Partial filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1963 The Hook Pvt. O.A. Dennison
1963 The Ceremony Dominic
1964 Ensign Pulver Ensign Frank Pulver
1966 COMBAT! Ollie Joe Brown Episode: "Ollie Joe"
1966 Star Trek Charlie Evans Episode: "Charlie X"
1967 The Time Tunnel Billy the Kid (William H. Bonney) 1 episode
1967 The Happening Herby
1967 The War Wagon Billy Hyatt
1967 Bonanza Mark Cole Episode: "The Gentle Ones"
1967 The Invaders Nick Baxter Episode: "Panic"
1968 The Savage Seven Johnnie
1968 Eve Mike Yates
1968 Killers Three Johnny Warder
1969 Agilok & Blubbo Agilok
1969 Easy Rider Jack
1969 Young Billy Young Billy Young
1970 The Man from O.R.G.Y. Steve Victor
1970 Road to Salina Jonas
1972 Beware! The Blob Bobby Hartford
1973 Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman Le guitariste
1973 Hex Chupo
1974 The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe
1974 Gone with the West Sheriff of Black Miller
1976 The Passover Plot Bar Talmi
1977 Quincy, M.E. Peter Thorwald
1977 Evil Town Mike Segal
1978 The Six Million Dollar Man Cloche / Bell 2 episodes
1982 Angkor: Cambodia Express Andrew Cameron
1982 CHiPs Tom Corey Episode: "Ice Cream Man"
1983 Olivia Michael 'Mike' Grant
1983 Hambone and Hillie The Wanderer
1983 Making of a Male Model Joseph Television movie
1983 The Devonsville Terror Matthew Pendleton
2016 Beyond the Darkness Agent Mills

rite a comment...

RIP MORS KOCHANSKI 

POLISH CANADIAN BUSHCRAFT MASTER

October 11, 1940 to December 5, 2019
Age: 79
Died From:
Notable For: Polish Canadian bushcraft and wilderness survival instructor, naturalist, and author. He acquired an international following and instructed for both military and civilians in Canada, the US, the UK and Sweden.

During the 1970s Mors became an associate professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Physical Education, editor of Alberta Wilderness Arts and Recreation magazine, and a freelancer for various agencies. In 1986, he was approached to write a book on survival and wilderness skills for the Canadian boreal forests which was originally titled Northern Bushcraft. The book became a Canadian bestseller. The original title 'Northern Bushcraft' was in reference to an earlier publication "Bushcraft" by Richard Harry Graves, which covered survival and wilderness living skills in the Australian environment. Eventually, the publishers later shortened the title to Bushcraft.

The Kochanski family immigrated to Canada from Poland in 1938. Mors, the fifth of six children, was born in 1940. His mother named him "Morris" but, because of a misunderstanding due to her Polish accent, the midwife wrote "Mors" on the birth certificate. His father fought for the Polish military during World War I.

Kochanski was brought up on a farm in Saskatchewan, where he worked and assisted his father, who had been a windmill carpenter in Poland. In his early school years, he travelled seven miles to and from school on a bush road. In 1954 his parents moved to Prince Albert, where he frequented the local library and took particular interest in two books: an old Boy Scout manual, and The Ashley Book of Knots. Kochanski lasted only one year as a Scout, due to disappointment in what he perceived as a lack of seriousness on the part of his fellow scouts and the Scout Master’s aversion to camp craft skills.

Kochanski was a Sea Cadet for three years. He chose the Navy as a career and received a scholarship to the Canadian Services College, Royal Roads. While enrolled, he traveled by ship through the Panama Canal in the summer of 1959. He was hospitalized for five weeks during his studies due to mumps. This contributed to an honourable discharge in his second year after failing too many subjects on the way to his chemical engineering degree. From 1960 to 1964 he studied arts and sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, taking classes in anthropology, psychology, geology and writing. His lack of participation in a recognised degree program resulted in a suspension from the university after four years due to "a complete lack of direction."

After his departure from university, Mors resolved to become a specialist in outdoor subjects focused on wilderness living skills and the lifestyles of native peoples. However, he took many jobs before finding his opportunity to become an instructor, including concrete technician, geologist assistant, engineering technician, surveyor, social worker, and draughtsman, a job at which he updated the street plans of Prince Albert after the installation of gas mains. It was also around this time that he received a pilot’s license.

In 1968, Blue Lake Centre (near Hinton, Alberta) began operating outdoor education programs. Mors, now 28 years of age, offered his services. At the same time, he met his friend and mentor, Tom Roycraft. At the time, Tom was the senior civilian survival instructor at a Department of National Defence survival school.

During the 1970s Mors became an associate professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Physical Education, editor of Alberta Wilderness Arts and Recreation magazine, and a freelancer for various agencies. In 1986, he was approached to write a book on survival and wilderness skills for the Canadian boreal forests which was originally titled Northern Bushcraft. The book became a Canadian bestseller. The original title 'Northern Bushcraft' was in reference to an earlier publication "Bushcraft" by Richard Harry Graves, which covered survival and wilderness living skills in the Australian environment. Eventually, the publishers later shortened the title to Bushcraft.

List of publications

Wilderness Arts and Recreation Magazine (editor and author, with Tom Roycraft and Don Bright of Edson, Alberta) - beginning in 1976.
Bushcraft – originally released as Northern Bushcraft in 1988. A guide to outdoor skills and wilderness survival. (Lone Pine Publishing)(Northern Bushcraft - 1988 ISBN 1-871890-30-6) (Bushcraft - 1998 ISBN 1-55105-122-2)
Bush Arts – a guide to hand crafting with materials from the boreal forest. Lone Pine Publishing, 1989 ISBN 0-919433-49-9
Wilderness Skills Series and A Plant Walk with Mors Kochanski - (DVD series produced by Karamat Wilderness Ways)
Booklet series (17+ tiles, inc. Basic Wilderness Skills in Deep Snow, Survival Kit Ideas, etc.) – published by Karamat Wilderness Ways
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook: Gems from Wilderness Arts and Recreation Magazine in 2013. A guide to outdoor skills and wilderness survival. (Publisher: Karamat Wilderness Ways, ISBN 978-1894453684)
Grand Syllabus, Instructor Trainee Program: Survival, Wilderness Living Skills, Bushcraft in 2015. (Publisher: Karamat Wilderness Ways, ISBN 978-1894453677)

References

Northern Bushcraft (1988) ISBN 1-871890-30-6
Bush Arts (1989) ISBN 0-919433-49-9
Bushcraft (1998) ISBN 1-55105-122-2
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook (2013) ISBN 978-1894453684
Grand Syllabus. Instructor Trainee Program (2015) ISBN 978-1894453677

OBITUARIES

Celebrity And Notable Deaths

December 12 · 

Albert Bertelsen
November 17, 1921 to December 11, 2019
Age: 98
Died From:
Notable For: Danish autodidact painter and graphic artist.

Bertelsen was born in Vejle. Bertelsen is primarily known for his landscape paintings and graphic works in green colours. His work often features the Faroe Islands, but France, Iceland and Norway have also provided him with inspiration. Bertelsen also made object studies and humorous portraits. He states that these are often people he has met as a child, and he attempted to paint them as though seen through a child’s eyes.

Bertelsen was inspired to take up painting by the Danish CoBrA artist Henry Heerup. Nevertheless, Bertelsen's art is quite different from Heerup's.

Bertelsen was very prolific. His works are widely represented in museums and institutions primarily in Denmark, but also in Norway. He illustrated a number of books.

Anna Karina, 1960s French New Wave cinema star, dead at 79 PARIS — Actress Anna Karina, who became the symbol of the French New Wave in films during the 1960s, died Saturday in Paris. She was 79. The Danish-born actress’ death was confirmed on Twitter by her agent, Laurent Balandra, who said the cause of death was cancer; and by Franck Riester, France’s culture minister, The New York Times reported.Karina rose to stardom during the 1960s as an actress in the movies of director, Jean-Luc Godard, who was also her ex-husband, the BBC reported.

Celebrity And Notable Deaths

December 12  · 

Marie Fredriksson
May 30, 1958 to December 9, 2019
Age: 61
Died From: Complications from a brain tumor.
Notable For: Swedish pop singer, songwriter, pianist and painter, known for forming pop rock duo Roxette in 1986 alongside Per Gessle. The duo achieved international success in the late-1980s and early-1990s with their albums Look Sharp! (1988) and Joyride (1991), and had six top two hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "The Look", "Listen to Your Heart", "Dangerous", "It Must Have Been Love", "Joyride" and "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)".  
JOYRIDE FULL ALBUM
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFZWAhRpjZtxOM4awbegHPV_Us_tIrJve

Fredriksson had a successful career in her native country prior to forming Roxette. She was a member of punk group Strul, a band which created their own music festival in 1979. Strul's dissolution led to the creation of her next project, the short-lived MaMas Barn, after which she began releasing solo work. Her first album, Het vind, was issued in 1984, followed by Den sjunde vågen in 1986 and ... Efter stormen in 1987. Roxette's international breakthrough coincided with a period of inactivity for Fredriksson as a solo artist, punctuated only by the release of the non-album single "Sparvöga" in 1989. Subsequent solo albums included Den ständiga resan (1992) and I en tid som vår (1996).

In 2002, after fainting at home, Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour. During her rehabilitation, she continued to record music as a solo artist, resulting in The Change in 2004 and Min bäste vän in 2006, as well as the non-album single "Där du andas" in 2008—her first solo number one single in Sweden. She and Gessle later reunited to record more albums as Roxette, who embarked on a worldwide concert tour. She also continued to record as a solo artist in her native Sweden, releasing Nu! in 2013.

Gun-Marie Fredriksson was born on 30 May 1958 outside the small Swedish village of Össjö. She was the youngest of five children born of Charles Gösta Fredriksson (1914–1981) and Inez Dagmar Fredriksson (née Hoffert, 1922–1998). When she was four years old, her parents sold their farm and relocated to Östra Ljungby, where Charles took a job as a postman and Inez became a factory worker. Three years later, her oldest sibling Anna-Lisa was involved in a fatal traffic collision; her car was crushed by a tanker truck while she was travelling to purchase a dress for her engagement party. Marie explained: "She was 20 – and I can barely remember her today. But I remember the grief, how the family was torn apart. Completely. After that I had to fend for myself. I was only seven years old."

With both parents in full-time employment but unable to afford child care, Marie and her underage siblings would often be left unaccompanied at home while their parents worked. It was during this period, with the help of siblings and friends, that she learned how to sing, read notation and play musical instruments. She also credited her pastor with encouraging her love of music, and said that she had been performing "ever since I was little and me and my sister Tina went to Sunday school. We had a wonderful pastor in Östra Ljungby. I've got really bright, lovely memories of that place, even when my big sister died. I loved all the songs. It was such a source of freedom for me… for both of us."

Her interest in music continued to grow throughout her teens, as she discovered artists such as The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple. She enrolled in a music school in the Svalöv Municipality at the age of seventeen, where she befriended students from the theatre department by composing music for their amateur plays. Since no other vocalist in the school could emulate Fredriksson's vocal range, she joined the cast of a musical she co-wrote. This musical toured throughout Sweden, with its run culminating in a performance in Stockholm for Prime Minister Olof Palme.

After graduating from music school in 1977, Fredriksson moved to Halmstad, where she worked in theatre before becoming involved in the local indie music scene. She formed punk group Strul (English: 'hassle') in 1978 with then-boyfriend Stefan Dernbrandt. Strul consisted of an extensive and fractious lineup of musicians. The majority of the band's members would leave after a single performance; Per Gessle and Mats Persson of Gyllene Tider (English: 'Golden Age') were briefly members. The group auditioned extensively for Swedish record labels, but would not be offered a recording contract until 1981. In spite of this, they established their own independent music festival in 1979, "Strulfestivalen", which was financially lucrative for the band. The festival was held each summer for three years, until 1981.

Dernbrandt exited the group in December 1980 when he and Fredriksson ended their relationship. Due to the success of the festival, she opted to continue performing under the Strul name alongside the band's other longest-serving member, guitarist Martin Sternhufvud. The group's popularity increased substantially in 1981, culminating in several performances on Swedish music television programmes. This exposure led to Strul signing with independent record label Bastun, which released their first and only single in June, the double A-side "Ki-I-Ai-Oo" / "Strul igen". The release was timed to coincide with the 1981 version of "Strulfestivalen", which would be the last; three months later, the group permanently disbanded following a "disastrous" performance at the "Pop Around the Clock" festival, which was broadcast nationally on Swedish radio.

Vocalist Sternhufvud and keyboardist Fredriksson were the only permanent members of their next project, MaMas Barn (English: 'MaMas Children'). The name was created by combining the first two letters of both members' given name. The duo regularly shared a rehearsal space with Gyllene Tider, leading to the latter band's bassist and drummer – Anders Herrlin and Mickael "Syd" Andersson, respectively – becoming members. This close relationship between the two bands resulted in Fredriksson performing vocals on Gyllene Tider's 1981 song "Ingenting av vad du behöver" (English: "Nothing of What You Need"). The following year, MaMas Barn signed with CBS Records International before being sold to WEA International, who financed the recording of their only album, Barn som barn (English: Children as Children). The album was produced by ABBA guitarist Finn Sjöberg and eventually released in November 1982. Although it was a critical success, the record struggled commercially, selling approximately 1,000 copies. The group disbanded shortly after.

Believing Fredriksson to be "too talented to be hiding behind keyboards", Gessle invited her to audition for Gyllene Tider's producer Lars-Göran "Lasse" Lindbom. Impressed with her voice, Lindbom offered Fredriksson a contract as a solo artist on EMI Sweden, although she initially refused the deal, saying she was "too nervous" and "lacked the confidence" to be a solo artist. She performed duet vocals on "Så nära nu" (English: "So Near Now"), a song released as the lead single from the Lasse Lindbom Band's 1982 album Romantisk Blackout. The album was successful in Sweden, and she joined Lindbom's band as a featured vocalist for an extensive tour of the country. Following its completion in the autumn of 1983, Fredriksson recorded backing vocals for Gyllene Tider's debut English album The Heartland Café, released in Sweden under the band's original name, and in EP format in North America under the name Roxette—derived from the Dr. Feelgood song of the same name.

On Gessle's insistence, Fredriksson agreed to embark on a solo career in late 1983, recording her debut album from December 1983 to June 1984, with Lindbom as co-writer and producer. "Ännu doftar kärlek" (English: "Still the Scent of Love") was issued as her debut single in May 1984, becoming a top twenty hit on Sverigetopplistan, Sweden's national record chart. Her debut album, Het vind (English: Hot Wind), was released in September, and also peaked within the Sverigetopplistan top twenty. The album was promoted by a three-month double bill concert tour, featuring Fredriksson performing as a solo artist alongside Lindbom's eponymous band. The title track was issued as the second and final single in October, b/w a Swedish version of Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night", retitled "Natt efter natt" (English: "Night After Night").

Her first solo tour took place from March to June 1985, after which she performed vocals for Spännande Ostar (English: 'Exciting Cheeses'). This cover band appeared on several Swedish television programmes, and consisted of Fredriksson and Lindbom performing alongside Per Gessle and Mats Persson. The same year, Fredriksson and Lindbom travelled to the Canary Islands to write songs for her second solo album. Den sjunde vågen (English: The Seventh Wave) was released in February 1986 and peaked at number six on Sverigetopplistan, selling over 90,000 copies. "Den bästa dagen" (English: "The Best Day") and "Silver i din hand" (English: "Silver in Your Hand") were issued as singles, while the title track and "Mot okända hav" (English: "Toward Unknown Seas") were top ten hits on Svensktoppen, Sweden's airplay-based chart. She won the 1986 Rockbjörnen award for Best Swedish Female, and embarked on her second tour as a solo artist.

While Fredriksson had established herself as a prominent soloist, Gessle's solo work struggled to replicate the success of Gyllene Tider; his second studio album Scener (1985) sold less than 20,000 copies, a significant drop from the 400,000 copies sold by Moderna tider four years earlier. EMI Sweden's managing director, Rolf Nygren, suggested Gessle translate one of his Swedish compositions to English and record it as a duet with Fredriksson. The resulting song, "Neverending Love", was issued under the band name Roxette—the name Gyllene Tider had used to release The Heartland Café in North America in 1984. The track peaked at number three on the Swedish Singles Chart, and was one the most popular songs on Swedish radio that year. Their debut album, Pearls of Passion, was a major success upon release in October 1986, peaking at number two and eventually selling over 200,000 copies, but it failed to chart internationally. Roxette embarked on their first tour in the summer of 1987, "Rock runt riket" (English: "Rock Around the Kingdom"), a 15-date co-headlining tour with Eva Dahlgren and Ratata.

Her third studio album, ... Efter stormen (English: After the Storm), was issued in October 1987. It peaked at number one and sold over 50,000 copies within a month of release, and was certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association for shipments in excess of 100,000 units. Both the title track and "Bara för en dag" (English: "Just for a Day") were top ten hits on Svensktoppen, and she promoted the album with a sold-out concert tour. Roxette released their second studio album, Look Sharp!, on 21 October 1988. Once again, it was an immediate commercial success in Sweden, selling over 140,000 copies within ten days of release, but failed to chart internationally.

Two weeks later, EMI released Den flygande holländaren (English: The Flying Dutchman), a tribute album to musician Cornelis Vreeswijk, who died the previous year. Fredriksson performed three songs on the compilation. One of these, "Felicia – Adjö", became her first number one on Svensktoppen. Den flygande holländaren peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks in Sweden, where it was held off the top spot by Look Sharp!. The compilation was certified double platinum there, denoting shipments in excess of 200,000 units. The non-album single "Sparvöga" (English: "Sparrow-eye") was recorded as the theme music for a miniseries of the same name, and became both her highest-peaking and best-selling single to date when it was issued in February 1989. Fredriksson won the award for Pop/Rock Female at the 1989 Grammis, the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards, as well as the Rockbjörnen award for Best Swedish Female, for the fourth consecutive year.

"The Look" was issued as the third single from Look Sharp! in Sweden, and was a top ten hit upon release in January 1989. The following month, the track unexpectedly entered the Billboard Hot 100, despite the duo not having a recording contract in the US; the local branch of EMI had previously rejected Roxette as "unsuitable for the American market." "The Look" topped the chart after just eight weeks, and went on to peak at number one in a total of 25 countries. The parent album eventually sold over 9 million copies worldwide. "Listen to Your Heart" was their second number one on the Hot 100, while the album's final single, "Dangerous", spent two weeks at number two. Fredriksson ended 1989 performing on-stage as part The Husbands, a cover band formed by Lasse Lindbom and Niklas Strömstedt.

In 1990, she contributed a cover of the Evert Taube composition "Så skimrande var aldrig havet" (English: "The Sea Was Never So Sparkling") to the tribute album Taube. The same year, Touchstone Pictures approached Gessle to compose a song for the upcoming film Pretty Woman. As he did not have time to compose a new song—Roxette had recently embarked on their first international concert tour—a new edit of their 1987 single "It Must Have Been Love" was created, and featured prominently in the movie. The track became their third number one on the Hot 100, and remains one of Roxette's best-known and most successful singles. The following year, the duo released their third album, Joyride, which remains their most successful release, with worldwide sales of over 11 million copies. The title track gave them their fourth and final number one on the Hot 100, while "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)" peaked at number two. The album was promoted by the "Join the Joyride! Tour", their biggest and widest ranging tour yet.

Fredriksson returned to solo work following the recording of Roxette's fourth album, Tourism. She was a featured vocalist on "Änglamark" (English: "Angel Land"), a Band Aid-style recording spearheaded by former ABBA vocalist Anni-Frid Lyngstad under the banner Artister för Miljö (English: 'Artists for the Environment'), which was released in July 1992. She also performed the track alongside all of the other featured artists during a televised gala the following month. Den ständiga resan (English: The Eternal Journey) was released that October, and remains both her highest-selling and most critically successful studio album, with sales of over 185,000 copies in Sweden as of 2002. She was nominated for three awards at the 1993 Grammis, including Songwriter of the Year and Artist of the Year, winning the latter. "Så länge det lyser mittemot" (English: "As Long as There Is Light on the Other Side") and "Mellan sommar och höst" (English: "Between Summer and Autumn") were issued as commercial singles; the latter song, "Så stilla så långsamt" (English: "So Still, So Slow") and "Det regnar igen" (English: "It's Raining Again"), were also top ten hits on Svensktoppen. She toured in support of the record.

Her first musical collaboration with husband Mikael Bolyos, "Herren ber för dig" (English: "The Lord Prays for You"), was released in November 1994 on the charitable compilation Vilda fåglar: sånger om barn (English: Wild Birds: Songs About Children), the proceeds of which were donated to children's hospitals in Nordic territories. The next summer, she was a featured vocalist in Bolyos' band Sugarcane, during their concert residency in Halmstad nightclub Penny Lane.[49] She took part in this residency every summer between 1995 and 2002, performing vocals on several of Bolyos' original compositions and numerous cover versions, including "The Good Life".

Her fifth solo album, I en tid som vår (English: In a Time Like Ours), was recorded by Fredriksson and Bolyos at their home studio in Djursholm between February and September 1996. She was eight months pregnant when it was released in November, so refused to publicly promote it. The album peaked at number two on Sverigetopplistan, and lead single "Tro" became the longest-charting song of her career on the Swedish Singles Chart, either as a solo artist or as part of Roxette; it reached number eight and spent a total of 29 weeks on the chart. Her duet with Anni-Frid Lyngstad, "Alla mina bästa år" (English: "All My Best Years") – from Frida's 1996 album Djupa andetag (English: Deep Breaths) – was released as a single in February 1997.

Fredriksson and Gessle collaborated on a new Roxette album throughout 1997 and 1998; Have a Nice Day was eventually released in February 1999. She was more involved in its composition and production than on previous Roxette releases, recording numerous demos at her Djursholm studio and singing lead vocals on ten of the album's fourteen songs. The record includes "Waiting for the Rain", the first Roxette song written and composed solely by Fredriksson. Prior to its release, the duo signed a new recording contract with their longterm label EMI, which saw Fredriksson obtaining full control of the copyrights to her entire discography. The process of recording the album was reputedly difficult and confrontational, with Fredriksson later heavily criticising co-producer Michael Ilbert: "I ended up under his thumb. He would only communicate with Per and [Roxette's regular producer] Clarence Öfwerman. He complained to everyone that my voice was weak, that I needed to re-record vocals, and that my songs weren't good enough. He criticised me until I started crying. I lost all my confidence, and no longer felt happy in Roxette."

Her first greatest hits album, Äntligen – Marie Fredrikssons bästa 1984–2000, was released in 2000, and was the second best-selling album of the year in Sweden, behind the Beatles compilation 1. It was also one of the best-selling albums of 2001, and was certified triple platinum for shipments of almost 250,000 units. The two new songs recorded for the compilation, "Äntligen" (English: "Finally") and "Det som var nu" (English: "That What Was Now"), were both minor hits. The latter song featured Patrik Isaksson, and was a Swedish re-recording of a demo originally produced by Fredriksson for Have a Nice Day. The record was promoted with a Swedish tour.

In 2001, Roxette released their seventh album, Room Service. Even though Ilbert was not present for this album's recording, Marie later said she "lost all desire to continue Roxette", and would appear at the recording studio as infrequently as possible; she instructed her taxi driver to wait outside while she recorded vocals for "Milk and Toast and Honey". The album was supported with a European tour, after which Fredriksson "called for a meeting" with Gessle, wherein she discussed disbanding Roxette, to which Gessle agreed. She issued a box set containing all of her previous studio albums, Kärlekens guld (English: Love's Gold), in June 2002. Roxette scheduled the release of two new compilation albums, The Ballad Hits and The Pop Hits, which were to be promoted with performances at the 2002 edition of the pan-European orchestral concert series "Night of the Proms". A press conference announcing these appearances as Roxette's "swan song" was scheduled to take place in the Netherlands on 12 September 2002.

On 11 September 2002, Fredriksson complained of feeling unwell after jogging with her husband. She collapsed in a bathroom after becoming nauseous, with the impact of the fall fracturing her cranium. She then had an epileptic seizure. Scans later indicated she had a brain tumour in the back of her head. The diagnosis led to the cancellation of Roxette's "Night of the Proms" appearances. After waiting several weeks for the effects of the fracture and resulting concussion to subside, she underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour, which was malignant, and she endured months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

In January 2003, King of Sweden Carl Gustaf XVI awarded Roxette the Litteris et Artibus (English: Culture and Education) award. Both Gessle and Fredriksson attended the ceremony, which was the first event Fredriksson appeared after her operation, and one of the very few public appearances she made over the next two years. Lasting effects of the tumour included her being blind in one eye and having limited hearing and mobility, as well as being unable to read or write. She was also unable to speak for a considerable period of time after her treatment. On 21 October 2005, Fredriksson conducted an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, saying: "It's been three very difficult years, [but] I'm healthy. I'm not receiving treatment any more."

Following her diagnosis and treatment, Fredriksson and Bolyos began work on her next studio album as a form of therapy at their home studio in Djursholm. The Change debuted atop the Swedish Album Chart, and was certified gold for shipments in excess of 30,000 units. It ended 2004 as the 18th best selling album in the country. Several of the songs included were debuted during Fredriksson's live appearances with Sugarcane in the mid-90s. It was also her first studio album to receive a worldwide release. Lead single "2:nd Chance" was a top ten hit in Sweden. Despite being unable to read or write, Fredriksson rediscovered her love of drawing during her illness, and began using charcoal to create artwork as another form of therapy. She drew the cover art which accompanied The Change, and held her first art exhibition – titled "After the Change" – at the vernissage of the Doktor Glas gallery in Kungsträdgården, Stockholm in October 2005. Every painting displayed at the exhibition was sold by the end of the second day. She held further art exhibitions, titled "A Table in the Sun", in both Stockholm and Gothenburg in 2008.

In February 2006, she released an album of Swedish cover songs titled Min bäste vän (English: My Best Friend), which peaked at number three on the Swedish Albums Chart. Later that year, she collaborated with Gessle on the recording of two new Roxette songs: "One Wish" and "Reveal", which were released on the greatest hits compilation A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs!. Fredriksson performed vocals on several tracks of Bolyos' debut solo album A Family Affair, which was released in June 2007. In November, Capitol Records issued a ballad compilation of Fredriksson's Swedish-language solo material, Tid för tystnad – Marie Fredrikssons ballader (English: Time for Silence – Marie Fredriksson's Ballads). The compilation contained two previously unreleased recordings, one of which, "Ordet är farväl" (English: "The Word Is Goodbye"), was based on a lyric Py Bäckman wrote for Fredriksson's 1984 album Het vind.

"Där du andas" (English: "There You Breathe") was released in August 2008 as the theme song to the film Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End, which became Fredriksson's first number one single in her home country. During the winter of 2008, she took part in the "Stjärnklart" (English: "Starlit") series of concerts, which saw her performing an abbreviated set alongside other vocalists in Swedish concert halls. In May 2009, she joined Gessle on-stage at the Melkweg in Amsterdam to perform acoustic renditions of several Roxette songs, during a concert of his "Party Crasher Tour". Immediately after the gig, Gessle announced to Aftonbladet that Roxette would perform at the 2009 edition of "Night of the Proms". On the first night of that tour, Expressen reported that the duo had been recording material for a new album since May 2009.

The duo reunited for a private performance at the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling at Stockholm Palace on 18 June 2010. Roxette then embarked on a seven-date tour of Europe in the summer of 2010. "She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)" was released in January 2011, becoming a substantial hit in mainland Europe, and their highest-peaking single in Germany since 1992's "How Do You Do!". Their eighth studio album, Charm School, followed the next month. "The Neverending World Tour", their first world tour in fifteen years, began in March 2011, eventually concluding in February 2016. Another studio album, Travelling, was released in March 2012. In June 2013, Fredriksson performed "Ännu doftar kärlek" at the Wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill. In November, she released Nu! (English: Now!), her first album of original Swedish material since 1996. It was supported by a nineteen-date tour of Swedish concert halls, her first solo concerts since 2000.

Roxette's tenth studio album, Good Karma, was released in June 2016, and was due to be promoted with a European tour celebrating the duo's 30th anniversary. However, these concerts were cancelled after Fredriksson was advised by her doctors to cease all touring activity, due to poor health. She released a statement saying: "Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that [have] followed us on our long and winding journey."

Fredriksson released three non-album singles after she announced her retirement from touring: "Alone Again" and "I Want to Go" in 2017, and "Sing Me a Song" in 2018. Bolyos confirmed that these songs had been recorded several years prior to their release, and expressed doubt as to whether Fredriksson would release another album.

Fredriksson met her husband, keyboardist Mikael "Micke" Bolyos, during the Australian leg of "Join the Joyride!" in December 1991. She later said of the impact meeting Bolyos had on her professional career: "If [we] hadn't met, I don't know if I would have been able to continue in Roxette much longer. I couldn't handle the personal side of life on tour. I was hanging out in bars, drinking too much. I was sad a lot of the time and had a hard time with the press, when I always had to be nice and say the right things, always having to be available to everybody, always putting on a smile and being happy. Marie Fredriksson the performer had grown in stature, at the expense of Marie the private person. I had less and less space to be myself. And when I was myself I felt uncertain, small and lost."

The couple married in a private ceremony in May 1994, which was attended only by immediate family members. Her decision not to invite Gessle and his wife to the wedding briefly became a source of tension between the duo. She later explained: "Some of our friends felt excluded and disappointed. Today I understand that, for example, Per and [his wife] were hurt [not to be invited]. But then I didn't see it that way. My only concern was that I wanted the wedding to be private. It was what felt important then." Fredriksson and Bolyos had two children: a daughter named Inez Josefin and a son named Oscar.

Fredriksson died on 9 December 2019 in Djursholm, Sweden, at the age of 61, as a result of a recurrence of her previous brain tumour diagnosis.

Awards and nominations

Rockbjörnen Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1986 Marie Fredriksson Best Swedish Female Won
1987 Won
Efter stormen Best Swedish Album Won
1988 Marie Fredriksson Best Swedish Female Won
1989 Won

Swedish Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1988 Marie Fredriksson Pop/Rock – Female Nominated
1989 Won
1993 Nominated
Artist of the Year Won
Songwriter of the Year Nominated
1997 Pop/Rock – Female Nominated

Celebrity And Notable Deaths

December 12 at 1:36 AM · 

Jerry Naylor
March 6, 1939 to December 5, 2019
Age: 80
Died From:
Notable For: American country and rock and roll artist and broadcaster and inspirational speaker. From late 1961 thru 1964 he was lead vocalist of The Crickets.

Jerry Naylor Jackson was born in Chalk Mountain, Texas to a great depression farming family. His mother played piano in their local church and encouraged Jerry's love of music. Jerry listened to the greats of Country music such as Hank Williams, Sr., Lefty Frizzell, Bob Wills (with whom he shared his birthday) and Slim Whitman, and Whitman's steel guitar player, Hoot Raines, led the 9-year old Naylor to purchase and learn to play a steel guitar with money he earned picking cotton. By the age of 12 years, Jerry was playing that steel guitar at local honky tonks in and around Carlsbad and San Angelo, Texas, with his brother-in-law, Tommy Briggs' Hillbilly band which also featured Sherman Hamblin on fiddle and Earnest Smith lead guitar and vocals.

In 1953, at the age of 14, Jerry Naylor began working at a new radio station in San Angelo, Texas called KPEP. Veteran broadcaster, Joe Treadway, who with his wife Matilda (Tillie) would become Jerry's foster parents when Naylor's mother died in 1955, hired Naylor and taught him to be a disc jockey, radio commercial salesman and radio maintenance engineer. Joe Treadway encouraged Naylor to continue his performing, but on the insistence of Jerry's mother, gave him the opportunity to be the lead singer of the band. KPEP was co-owned by Joe Treadway and Dave Stone (Pinkstone) who also owned the, now legendary, KDAV radio station in Lubbock, Texas where Buddy Holly was also an on-air performer with Bob Montgomery, "Buddy & Bob".

These two West Texas radio stations were the first full-time country music radio stations in America and promoted live touring shows throughout West Texas with stars from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Joe Treadway and his close friend, Tillman Franks, Talent Coordinator for the Louisiana Hayride, managed Naylor's young singing career and booked Jerry and his band on these touring shows. It was here at KPEP that Naylor first heard rockabilly music, at its very beginning. After hearing and playing Elvis Presley's "That's Alright Mama" Sun Records recording, Naylor was backed by a Trio from San Angelo called the Cavaleirs at a talent show there in 1956. At the time Alton Baird was the band's original lead singer. In c.1957 after Baird went into the military, Naylor became the lead singer of the rockabilly band The Cavaliers.

In 1961, Jerry Naylor became the lead singer for the Crickets. This was two years after the tragic death of Buddy Holly and the departure of other singers from the group. Jerry Ivan Allison, Buddy Holly's drummer and co-songwriter, owned the name and trademark of "The Crickets". Jerry Allison, now the sole owner of "The Crickets" their manager, H. Daniel Whitman, offered Naylor the lead singer position with The Crickets following their signing with Liberty Records, Hollywood, California. Jerry recorded as lead singer with the Crickets until 1964. Their first hit for the label was "Don't Ever Change", a Carole King/Gerry Goffin written song, which reached the number 5 position on the national charts in the UK. The very first song the new Beatles group performed live on BBC, in 1963, was The Crickets' hit, "Don't Ever Change." and the Beatles all acknowledged the Crickets influence in a letter sent to them following a Crickets tour of the UK in 1962. More hit singles followed and the Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets Album was a best-selling album in the UK and Europe. The Crickets also had a hit EP recording on EMI/Liberty Records in 1963, featuring four tracks including, "My Little Girl" and "Teardrops Fall Like Rain," both featured in the Columbia Motion Pictures Movie, Just for Fun.

Jerry Naylor Jackson was born in Erath county, TX. At age 5 his family moved to Carlsbad, Texas which is 12 miles from San Angelo, TX. Joe Treadway owner of KPEP radio station in San Angelo became interested in the young teenager and trained him as a DJ. It seems he also sang on KPEP radio with the station's band. Jerry Jackson was a student at San Angelo's 'Lakeview High School' when he entered a talent contest in 1956. It was here that he met the founders of the Cavalier rockabilly band. They were Sid Holmes, Alton Baird and Carroll Smith. It would be the spring of 1957 when Jerry Naylor Jackson would join this band, as lead vocalist but only temporarily. By late 1957 he joined the Army and went to Germany after basic. During 1962 while living in California Jerry joined The Crickets, alternating with Sonny Curtis in singing lead with the band until March 1965. He appeared with the Crickets in the UK movie "Just for Fun". On January 30, 1966, Naylor married Pamela Ann Robinson. Jerry and Pamela, married over four decades, have three children and six grandchildren.

Naylor died in December 2019 at the age of 80.

Celebrity And Notable Deaths

December 11 at 12:42 AM · 

Notnowcato
March 25, 2002 to December 10, 2019 (death announced on this date)
Age: 17
Died From:
Notable For: Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, bred and trained in the United Kingdom. He won several important races in a career which lasted from 2004 to 2007, but is best known for his victory in the 2007 Eclipse Stakes.

Notnowcato, a 16.1 hand chestnut horse with a narrow white stripe, was bred by the Rothschild family at their own Southcourt Stud near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England. His unusual name is a reference to the Pink Panther film series. He was sent into training with Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket.

As a son of the Hungerford Stakes winner Inchinor, he is a representative of the Byerley Turk sire line, unlike more than 95% of modern thoroughbreds, who descend directly from the Darley Arabian. Aside from Notnowcato, Inchinor, who died in 2003, sired over five hundred winners including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Summoner, the Prix de Diane winner Latice and the sprinter Cape of Good Hope. Notnowcato is the first recorded foal of his dam, Rambling Rose, who won the Listed Galtres Stakes at York in 1998.

Notnowcato began his career as a two-year-old in 2004 with placed efforts at Warwick and Salisbury. The following year he proved himself to be a useful and consistent performer, winning two handicaps at Newmarket from six starts. He was obviously some way below top class (his official rating was 101), but his steady improvement suggested that he could develop into a Group race performer.

As a four-year-old, Notnowcato continued his "rapid progress", signalling his arrival at a higher level by winning the Earl of Sefton Stakes on his debut in impressive style. A month later he followed up with a victory over a stronger field, including Group race winners Hattan (Chester Vase) and Bandari (Princess of Wales's Stakes), in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park. He finished only fifth in a highly anticipated renewal of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, but, in being beaten less than two lengths behind proven Group One winners Ouija Board, Electrocutionist, Manduro and David Junior he proved that he was a capable of competing at the highest level. This impression was re-inforced when Notnowcato finished second to David Junior in the Eclipse Stakes, with Ouija Board, who had trouble finding a clear run, back in fifth.

At York for the International Stakes he was partnered for the first time by Ryan Moore and recorded his best win up to that point. Taking the lead two furlongs out he showed his ability to "dig deep" by staying on strongly to claim a short-head win over Maraahel, with the odds-on favourite Dylan Thomas in fourth.

Having had a hard race, Notnowcato was given a break to "freshen him up" for an autumn campaign. These plans came to nothing however, as he ran an "uncharacteristically flat" race when finishing last of eight behind Pride in the Champion Stakes and did not return until 2007.

He began his five-year-old season, with a fourth place behind the Breeders' Cup Turf winner Red Rocks in the Gordon Richards Stakes, before travelling outside England for the first and only time to challenge for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh. Under a strong ride from Johnny Murtagh (who was warned by the stewards for excessive use of the whip) he took up the lead in the straight and stayed on under pressure to hold off Dylan Thomas by a head, with Youmzain four lengths back in third. After the race, Dylan Thomas's trainer, Aidan O'Brien offered "no excuses". At Royal Ascot he was part of a small, but exceptionally strong field for the Prince of Wales's Stakes. He finished third behind the 2007 World Champion Manduro and Dylan Thomas, with Red Rocks fourth and the 2006 Derby winner Sir Percy last of the six runners.

The 2007 Eclipse Stakes was expected to be a contest between the 2007 Derby winner Authorized and the Ballydoyle-trained four-year-old George Washington, who had been rated the equal best horse in Europe in 2006. Ryan Moore, re-united for the race with Notnowcato, had noticed that the pace of the turf course was uneven, and decided to take advantage of this fact. As the horses entered the straight, Moore moved Notnowcato sharply to the left to race on the stands side, completely isolated from the other seven runners. While Authorized held off the challenge of George Washington on the far side, Notnowcato kept on strongly along the stands rail to score an upset length and a half victory. Moore was effusive in his praise for the colt, saying "he's got a lot of class and a great heart" and offering his opinion that "our lad proved he is the best mile-and-a-quarter horse in this country". Others, however, considered him a lucky winner, with Chris McGrath in the Independent claiming that Authorized was a "victim of tactics" who had been "mugged in a messy race".

On his next start, Notnowcato finished third to Authorized and Dylan Thomas in his attempt to win a second International Stakes. For the second year in a row his poorest performance came in his seasonal finale in the Champion Stakes, this time finishing a remote sixth to the French colt Literato.

Earlier speculation concerning a challenge for the Breeders' Cup Classic came to nothing, and he was retired to stud.

Notnowcato received a peak Timeform rating of 131+, although his official end of year Timeform rating in 2007 was 128.

In the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings he was rated at 121 in 2006, making him the twentieth best racehorse in the world, and in 2007 he was rated at 123, placing him thirteenth. In the latter year he was rated six pounds below Authorized and Dylan Thomas, despite having beaten both.

Notnowcato retired to stand as a stallion at the Stanley House Stud at Newmarket, with an initial stud fee of £8,000. His first crop of foals reached the racecourse in 2011. In June 2012, Notnowcato's son, Fast Or Free, won the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot. In 2013, Knockhouse Stud in Kilkenny, Ireland purchased Notnowcato.

The most successful of his offspring included Redkirk Warrior (winner of the 2017 and 2018 Group 1 Newmarket Handicap as well as the Black Caviar Lightning), Custom Cut (winner of seven Group races including the Group 2 Sandown Mile, Group 2 Joel Stakes and Group 2 Solonaway Stakes) and Long Dog (Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle).

Notnowcato collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack when covering a mare at Knockhouse Stud in 2019.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Notnowcato (GB), chestnut stallion, 2002 Sire
Inchinor (GB)
1990 Ahonoora
1975 Lorenzaccio Klairon
Phoenissa
Helen Nichols Martial
Quaker Girl
Inchmurrin
1985　 Lomond Northern Dancer
My Charmer
On Show Welsh Pageant
African Dancer
Dam
Rambling Rose (GB)
1995 Cadeaux Genereux
1985　 Young Generation Balidar
Brig O'Doon
Smarten Up Sharpen Up
Languissola
Blush Rambler
1988 Blushing Groom Red God
Runaway Bride
Nikitina Nijinsky
Vela (Family: 2)

George Laurer
September 23, 1925 to December 5, 2019
Age: 94
Died From:
Notable For: IBM engineer at Research Triangle Park. He published 20 bulletins, held 25 patents and developed the Universal Product Code (UPC) in 1973. He devised the coding and pattern used for the UPC, based on Joe Woodland's more general idea for barcodes. IBM engineer at Research Triangle Park. He published 20 bulletins, held 25 patents and developed the Universal Product Code (UPC) in 1973. He devised the coding and pattern used for the UPC, based on Joe Woodland's more general idea for barcodes.

George Laurer was born on September 23, 1925, in New York City. His family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, so his father, an electrical engineer, could work for the United States Navy. Laurer recovered from polio which he contracted as a teenager, nonetheless, while in 11th grade, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. After being discharged from the military, he attended technical school where he studied radio and television repair. Upon completion of his first year at the technical school, his instructor convinced him that he should not continue that course of study, but that he should go to college. Laurer graduated from the School of Engineering at University of Maryland in 1951.

Laurer was 36-year employee of IBM until his retirement in June 1987. He joined IBM in 1951 as a junior engineer. By 1969, he had been promoted to senior engineer / scientist and moved to the company's offices in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.

Laurer was assigned the task of developing barcodes for use in grocery stores. Initially, IBM envisioned a circular bullseye pattern as proposed by N. Joseph Woodland in 1940s. Laurer realized that the pattern was ineffective because of smearing during printing. Instead, he designed a vertical pattern of stripes which he proposed to his superior in 1971 or 1972. He told

In 1973, a consortium of grocery store companies adopted his Universal Product Code (UPC).

Laurer was the holder of 25 patents and authored 20 published Technical Disclosure Bulletins. In 1976, he was given the Raleigh Inventor of the Year Award. In 1980, he received the Corporate Technical Achievement award from IBM.

As of 2019, UPC barcodes were being scanned more than 6 billion times each day, according to GS1.

Laurer lived in Wendell, North Carolina until his death in December 2019. His wife, Marilyn Slocum Laurer, died in 2013. They had four children.

Published journal articles
Savir, David; Laurer, George J. (1975). "The characteristics and decodability of the Universal Product Code symbol". IBM Systems Journal. 14 (1): 16–34. doi:10.1147/sj.141.0016.

Celebrity And Notable Deaths

December 6 at 1:11 AM · 

Lil Bub
June 21, 2011 to December 1, 2019
Age: 8
Died From:
Notable For: American celebrity cat known for her unique physical appearance. Her photos were first posted to Tumblr in November 2011, before being taken off after being featured on the social news website Reddit. "Lil Bub" on Facebook has over three million likes. Lil Bub starred in Lil Bub & Friendz, a documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 18, 2013, and won the Tribeca Online Festival Best Feature Film.

Lil Bub was the runt of her litter born to a feral mother. She was born with several genetic mutations, had to be bottle-fed, and had difficulty being adopted. Lil Bub had an extreme form of feline dwarfism that caused her limbs and lower jaw to be quite small in comparison to the rest of her body. The shortened lower jaw meant that, among other things, she could not retain her tongue within her mouth. Her owner, Mike Bridavsky, adopted her when his friends asked him to give her a home. When Bridavsky first picked her up, he said "Hey, Bub!"

Lil Bub suffered from osteopetrosis for which she received medication. In late 2012, during the filming of Lil Bub & Friendz, she had a serious health episode and was diagnosed with osteopetrosis by a specialist in Indianapolis. Lil Bub's short legs and osteopetrosis restricted her movement but she was termed "a fantastic waddler." Vibrations from travel also break down the osteoclasts. She was recorded running at the Strand Bookstore after her book signing.

A group of individuals launched a campaign on the website Experiment.com to sequence Lil Bub's genome. The purpose of this project was to better understand Lil Bub's unique appearance (for example, her extra digits. The campaign reached its funding goal on May 25, 2015. The scientists found Lil Bub had a mutation in gene RANK/TNFRSF11A which has also been found in one mouse and fifteen humans. Their research on Lil Bub is published at bioRxiv.

Bridavsky sold a variety of merchandise under the LIL BUB moniker and donated much of the profits to animal rescue groups. Some of the money also helped Bridavsky pay off six months of back rent on his recording studio. Bridavsky has a policy to not "approach anybody for anything" and chose to not sign with talent agent Ben Lashes, whose clients have included Grumpy Cat. Lil Bub’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet was released September 3, 2013.

Bridavsky arranged "meet and greets" for both he and Lil Bub at animal shelters around the US. The shelters received donations and a cut of merchandise sales.

Lil Bub posed for a PETA campaign that encourages people to spay and neuter their pets.

Lil Bub met Grumpy Cat at the second annual Internet Cat Video Film Festival. Lil Bub had a book signing for her new book at Strand Books on September 5. Lil Bub and Bridavsky did a reddit "Ask Me Anything" on September 10. Lil Bub did a meet and greet on October 10 at Urban Outfitters in Chicago benefitting Best Friends Animal Society and Tree House Humane Society.

A screening of Lil Bub & Friendz at Metro Chicago raised $1,800 for Tree House Humane Society.

Lil Bub appeared on Good Morning America in August 2012. She did a photoshoot with Bullett Magazine in October 2012. She was also featured in Bloom Magazine in the December 2012/January 2013 edition.

She appeared on Today and The View in April 2013. Lil Bub appeared in the YouTube Big Live Comedy Show with Jack McBrayer and the cast of Workaholics. She appeared on an episode of Meme'd on The Pet Collective.

In September 2014, Lil Bub was interviewed by David Yow of The Jesus Lizard for The A.V. Club.

Lil Bub makes an appearance in the film Nine Lives (2016) as the cat form of the film's main antagonist Ian Cox (Mark Consuelos) after he is hit by a car and his soul goes inside the cat's body.

Lil Bub's life story was featured for 30 minutes during the three hour "Animal Special" episode of the Japanese TV show Experience a Miracle – Unbelievable. In this dramatization the role of Mike Bridavsky was played by New Zealand actor Gregory Snelgar.

Lil Bub stars in Lil Bub & Friendz, a documentary directed by Andy Capper and Juliette Eisner and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 18, 2013. The film also stars Keyboard Cat, Nyan Cat and Grumpy Cat. Capper and Eisner decided to make a full-length film after meeting Lil Bub and seeing the turnout of 10,000 people at the 2012 Internet Cat Video Film Festival in Minneapolis. Lil Bub & Friendz won the Tribeca Online Festival Best Feature Film.

Lil Bub, Bridavsky, Capper and Eisner attended the Tribeca Drive-In outdoor screening at the World Financial Center Plaza on April 20. Lil Bub did a petting and photo session. Festival co-head Robert De Niro met Lil Bub at the Director's Brunch on April 23 after co-head Jane Rosenthal quipped to The Hollywood Reporter "I keep saying Little Bub needs to meet Big Bob."

On Lil Bub's second birthday, June 21, 2013, it was announced that she would star in Lil BUB's Big SHOW web series with Revision3. Bridavsky selected Rev3 for its connections to Discovery Communications and Animal Planet. Bridavsky had full writing and creative control. The talk show format was made possible by having a subtitled Lil Bub edited with footage of her guests recorded separately. Her first guest was Whoopi Goldberg who met her on The View in April 2013. The episode ended with Lil Bub introducing the audience to Tabby's Place, a cat sanctuary for disadvantaged felines. The episode aired September 3, 2013.

Lil Bub died in her sleep on December 1, 2019. According to her owner, Lil Bub had been fighting an aggressive bone infection at the time of her death.