Not Just Their Deaths But Also Their Lives Quiz

Answer: Kiss of the Spider Woman

"Kiss of the Spider Woman" debuted on Broadway in 1993 and was based on the same titled book by Manuel Puig which inspired the 1985 movie for which William Hurt won the Academy Award for Best Actor. It was one of two plays for which McNally won Best Book of a Musical (the other being "Ragtime" in 1998), and he won two for Best Play ("Love! Valour! Compassion!" in 1995 and "Master Class" in 1996).

He also won a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 2019. He was suffering from COPD when he died from COVID complications at age 81 on March 24, 2020.

Answer: Piano

Ellis Marsalis, Jr. was a New Orleans native and jazz pianist and music teacher at the University of New Orleans. He recorded 20 albums between 1985 and 2018 and appears as a guest or accompanying musician on several others, including those of his sons Branford (a saxophonist), Wynton (a trumpeter known for both jazz and classical music and a Pulitzer Prize wining composer), and Delfeayo (a trombonist). Jason Marsalis is a percussionist.

Ellis Marsalis died at age 85 of COVID-19 related pneumonia on April 1, 2020. Due to COVID restrictions, he could not have the jazz funeral for which New Orleans is famous.

Answer: Footlights

Tim Brooke-Taylor read law at Cambridge and was a member of Footlights alongside Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman and served as the group's president. He performed in "A Clump of Plinths" which was renamed "Cambridge Circus" when it played in the West End.

After Cambridge, Brooke-Taylor worked for BBC Radio and along with Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie created "The Goodies," a sketch comedy show which aired 76 episodes between 1970 and 1982. Brooke-Taylor also served a term as the Lord Rector of the University of St. Andrews, a position earlier held by his Footlights associate John Cleese.

He was 79 when he died on April 12, 2020 of COVID-19 complications.

Answer: Greeting cards

Some people become legends. Craig Shergold became an urban legend. He was diagnosed with what doctors believed was inoperable brain cancer at age 9 and wanted to break the record for the number of greeting cards received. Not only did he break the record, but he caught the attention of billionaire John Kluge who arranged for him to fly from his native England to Virginia and have experimental surgery which cured him.

His wish, however, mutated and lived on. As late as 2013, he was receiving greeting cards, sometimes addressed to variants of his name such as "Greg" Shergold and Craig "Shefford." As an adult, Craig Shergold lived a private life and died on April 21, 2020, at age 40 of COVID-19 related pneumonia.

Answer: White lions and tigers

Roy Horn was born in Nordenham, Germany and left school at 13. He was working on a cruise ship when he met Sigfried and the two formed a magic act which included large cats and brought them to the United States (both became naturalized citizens in 1988).

They began performing in Las Vegas in 1967 and from 1990 until 2003 were the headline act at the Mirage Hotel. During the October 3, 2003 performance, Horn was mauled by Mantacore, one of the white tigers in their act and suffered a stroke. He was 75 when he died from COVID-19 on May 8, 2020.

Answer: Godfather's Pizza

Herman Cain joined the Pillsbury Company in 1977 and after a stint in their Burger King division was promoted to CEO of their subsidiary Godfather's Piazza in 1986. The chain was bought out in 1990 and Cain remained the CEO through 1996 and on the board of directors through 2002.

While with Godfather's, he served a term on the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Omaha Branch and as an advisor to Bob Dole's 1996 campaign. His 2012 campaign for President included the 9-9-9 plan which proposed a 9% personal income tax, property tax, and business transaction tax.

He was 74 when he died from COVID-19 complications on July 30, 2020.

Answer: NY Yankees and LA Dodgers

Reserve outfielder Jay Johnstone was a member of the 1978 Yankees and 1981 Dodgers. He also played for the Angles (1966-70), White Sox (1971-72) Athletics (1973 - Johnstone was not on the post season roster and only played 23 games), Phillies (1974-78), Padres (1979), and Cubs (1982-84).

After his career, he wrote three memoirs of his time as a player, did color commentary for Phillies and Yankees games, and made a few movie appearances, including as the leadoff hitter in "The Naked Gun" (lefty Johnstone batted right handed in the movie).

He was suffering from dementia when he died on September 26, 2020 at age 74 from COVID-19 complications.

Answer: Nevada

Reno native Dawn Wells was Miss Nevada 1959 and competed in the 1960 Miss America pageant. She appeared in guest roles in a number of TV shows before being cast as Mary Ann Summers, one of the seven castaways on "Gilligan's Island" for its entire three year run.

In addition to acting, for several years she had a business producing clothing for people with limited mobility. She was 82 when she died from COVID-19 complications December 30, 2020.

Answer: America's Next Top Model

Andre Leon Talley was a judge on "America's Next Top Model" from 2010 to 2011. Known in part for his kaftans and capes, Talley served as editor in chief of "Vogue" from 1998 to 2013 and advocated for diversity in the fashion industry and served as a stylist to Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.

He was awarded the Chevalier de l'order des Arts et des Lettres by France in 2020, and a documentary about his career, "The Gospel According to Andre" was released in 2016. Talley was 76 when he died from a combination of COVID-19 and a heart attack on January 18, 2022.

Answer: Julia Child

Julie Powell became known when she decided to make every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" over the course of the year and blogging the results. The complied posts were published in 2005 as "Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" which, along with Child's memoir "My Life in France" were the basis for the 2009 movie "Julie and Julia." Amy Adams and Meryl Streep co-starred as Powell and Child, respectively. Powell's second book was "Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession." He was 49 when she died of cardiac arrest due to COVID-19 on October 26, 2022.