Peckerwood Manor

This past weekend was a sad one with several notable celebrities passing away.  The PW Manor extends condolences to their loved ones.  ► Shannen Doherty (53) passed away at home after almost a 10 years battle with cancer.  Shannen was born at Memphis, Tennessee. She began her acting career at a young age with small parts in numerous TV shows including Little House on the Prairie, Father Murphy, Magnum PI, and Air Wolf.  Her big break came when she was cast in the 1981 cult classic film, "Heathers".  That role led to her being caste in the mega hit TV show, "Beverly Hills 90210".  After the left 90210, she continued her career trajectory on the hit show "Charmed", and films including Mall Rats and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Again.  Shannen was married three times but never had kids. At the time of her death, she was in the middle of a messy divorce.  She is survived by her mom, brother, and niece / nephew. Comment : One of the things I respected ...

   Matthew Perry, 2002. Photo: NBC Universal / Getty Images Actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the 1990's TV sitcom, Friends, has died. He was 54. Cause of death was accidental drowning in a hot tub. Official results are pending an investigation and autopsy. Matthew was born in Massachusetts but moved to Canada when he was one year old after his parents divorced (his mom was Canadian and his dad American).  As a kid, he took a keen interest in tennis, becoming a top ranked junior player in Canada. When he turned 15, he moved from Ottawa to Los Angeles to live with his dad. He graduated high school in 1987 and began doing improv comedy in the LA area. In-between comedy gigs he auditioned for TV roles. One of his earliest was a three-episode appearance in Growing Pains as the boyfriend to Carol Seavers. He continued to appear in TV shows including Beverly Hills 90210 and the sitcom Home Free. In 1993 he was cast as Chandler Bing on Friends, a r...

  Photo: Taste of Country Jimmy Buffett, the musician and singer who made flip flops, tropical shirts, and beach bum attitude cool, had died. He was 76. Cause of death was skin cancer diagnosed 4 years ago. Jimmy was born in Mississippi and raised in the port city of Mobile, Alabama. Growing up, he was close to his grandfather who would take him sailing. This would later would impact his musical style. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi and graduated with a degree in history.  Jimmy moved to Nashville where he pursued country music. After a chance meeting with country musician Jerry Jeff Walker, the two went to Key West, Florida. This is when Jimmy began to establish his beach-bum persona. He played in local bars and began experimenting musically by combining country music, folk, rock, calypso, and pop music into his own style.  His big break came when his friend and fellow musician Jim Croce died tragically and his recor...

   Actor, producer, writer, and comedian Paul Reubens, best known as Pee Wee Herman, has died. He was 70 years old.  His rep revealed he had been battling cancer for years but didn't disclose it publicly. Paul Reubens was born in Peekskill, NY. The family moved to Sarasota, Florida when he was young. As a child, he was a big fan of Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus. This love for performative art would be a major influence throughout his career. As a high school student he was accepted to Northwestern University summer program for gifted students. After graduating from high school, Paul attended Boston University and began auditioning for acting schools. He was accepted to the California Institute of the Arts. While attending acting school, he worked odds jobs including performing at comedy clubs. He joined a Los Angeles improv comedy group called The Groundlings which included Phil Hartman (who went on to find fame as a cast member of SNL). During his time with the ...

  Tony Bennett, American singer and civil rights activist, has passed away at the age of 96. During his career, Mr. Bennett racked up 20 Grammys, 2 Prime Time Emmys, a Lifetime Achievement award, and a Kennedy Center honor. He sold over 50 million records. Mr. Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in NYC to Italian immigrants. He grew up listening to the greats - Judy Garland, Louie Armstrong, and Al Jolson. He enrolled at New York's School of Industrial Arts to pursue his passion for music and painting. He didn't graduate as he dropped out to help his family financially. Mr. Bennett took on a numerous odd jobs but his love for music never left.  His career in entertainment began when he started covering songs that were popular at the time. He continued to sing renditions until his big break came in 1962 when he recorded, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" which was originally an opera song. It became a huge hit and synonymous with him. The 1970's - 1980...