Latest news with #Cletus
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rick Hurst, Actor on ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,' Dies at 79
Rick Hurst, who portrayed the good-hearted Deputy Cletus Hogg on the long-running CBS action comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, died Thursday. He was 79. Hurst's death was announced by the Cooter's Place museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. He had just canceled a scheduled July 3-7 appearance there. More from The Hollywood Reporter Lalo Schifrin, Acclaimed Composer of 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Mannix' Themes, Dies at 93 Bill Moyers, Longtime PBS and CBS Journalist and Documentarian, Dies at 91 Lea Massari, Italian Cinema's Anti-Diva, Dies at 91 'To fans, he was more than a character — he was family,' reads a Dukes of Hazzard post on Instagram. 'His gentle smile, impeccable comedic timing and kind-hearted spirit made every scene brighter. 'Offscreen, Rick was known for his generosity, humility and love for connecting with fans at events across the country. Whether it was a reunion special or a meet-and-greet at Cooter's, he never stopped sharing his joy with the people who adored him.' Before his most famous role, Hurst played a prisoner named Cleaver alongside Tom Poston and Hal Williams on the 1975-76 ABC sitcom On the Rocks, which revolved around inmates at a minimum security facility. Hurst also guest-starred on lots of TV programs, from The Bob Newhart Show, Gunsmoke, Kojak, Happy Days and Little House on the Prairie to M*A*S*H, Baretta, Highway to Heaven, Evening Shade and The Wonder Years. Survivors include his son Ryan Hurst, an actor perhaps best known for his turn as Opie Winston on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy. Hurst first showed up as Cletus — the second cousin twice removed of corrupt county commissioner Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) — in 1979 on the 11th episode of The Dukes of Hazzard, starring Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach and a 1969 Dodge Charger nicknamed the General Lee. The series was a big hit for CBS on Friday nights. Cletus becomes temporary deputy when Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer) is away during the second season, and he leaves his junkyard job to become permanent during season three, when Shroyer starred in his own spinoff series, Enos. After Enos returns to Hazzard County, Georgia, from his assignment in Los Angeles — the spinoff lasted just one season — he and Cletus share deputy duty and a patrol car through season five (1982-83). Hurst, who frequently ended up landing in a pond while pursuing those bedeviling Duke boys (Wopat and Schneider) in one of those great car chases, then returned for reunion telefilms in 1997 and 2000. Born in Houston on New Year's Day in 1946, Richard Douglas Hurst earned his bachelor's degree from Tulane University in 1968 and his master's in fine arts from Temple University in 1970. He received acting lessons from Cecil Pickett, a drama teacher at the University of Houston and the father of future St. Elsewhere actress Cindy Pickett. He made his onscreen debut on a 1971 episode of The Doris Day Show, then appeared the next year on Sanford and Son and The Partridge Family and in the movie The Unholy Rollers. He exited Dukes to play bumbling chef Earl Nash on Amanda's, an ill-advised 1983 ABC remake of fabled British hit sitcom Fawlty Towers that starred Bea Arthur as the owner of a seaside hotel (it was her first series after Maude). However, the show aired just 10 episodes before being canceled. Hurst's big-screen body of work also included W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), Tunnel Vision (1976), The Cat From Outer Space (1978), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), In the Line of Fire (1993) and Steel Magnolias (1989). Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Who Was Rick Hurst? Exploring Life and Career Amid The Dukes of Hazzard Actor's Passing Away at 79
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death. Rick Hurst, known for his role in The Dukes of Hazzard, has passed away at the age of 79. The unfortunate news was announced on the actor's Instagram account, where his team shared a picture and paid a special tribute to the star. The statement dropped on social media read, 'To fans, he was more than a character—he was family. His gentle smile, impeccable comedic timing, and kind-hearted spirit made every scene brighter.' It further stated, 'Offscreen, Rick was known for his generosity, humility, and love for connecting with fans at events across the country. Whether it was a reunion special or a meet-and-greet at Cooter's, he never stopped sharing his joy with the people who adored him.' Meanwhile, the actor's death came days after he canceled making an appearance at the Cooter's Place Museum. Exploring life and career of Rick Hurst Born as Richard Douglas Hurst in Houston in 1946, the actor stepped into the field of acting right after graduating from Temple University in 1970. He made his onscreen debut in a 1971 episode of The Doris Day Show. Later on, the late TV star made his appearance on Sanford and Son and The Partridge Family. The following year, the actor also landed a role in the film The Unholy Rollers. Before leaving a mark in the industry with his significant role as Cletus in The Dukes of Hazzard, Hurst went on to star as a prisoner named Cleaver in the ABC show On the Rocks. As his character, Cletus, the actor made his first appearance on the show in the 11th episode. The actor starred alongside Tom Wopat, John Schneider, and Catherine Bach, and the series went on to be a massive success on CBS. Other notable titles to Rick Hurst's name include W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings, Tunnel Vision, The Cat From Outer Space, Earth Girls Are Easy, The Karate Kid Part III, In the Line of Fire, and Steel Magnolias.
Los Angeles Times
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
VIP Records helped launch Snoop Dogg's career. Now the shop owner wants to build a museum
In the early 1990s, Kelvin Anderson Sr. built a makeshift recording studio in the back of his Long Beach record store, a vinyl-filled paradise called the World Famous VIP Records on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. He wanted to give youth a creative outlet in the gang ridden neighborhood. Word quickly spread around the city, and aspiring artists started sprinkling in. Folks like Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg — who were part of a trio dubbed 213, the Long Beach area code at the time — famously cut their first demo there. 'Trust me, there were many kids in there,' says Anderson, who's now 70 and known as 'Pops' in the community. 'Some were learning how to sing, dance, to be a producer and, in Ricky Harris' case, how to be a comedian. There was a lot going on. Jamie Foxx used to hang out there. DJ Quik learned how to produce music there. It was a place to come and explore the possibility of being an entertainer.' These are among the decades of stories that stem from the family-owned record store that has been a mecca for G-funk music and has helped boost the careers of some of rap's biggest stars. Today, Anderson, who's worked in the music industry for more than 50 years, is hoping to preserve the history of VIP Records by converting it into a museum and educational center. 'This brand is so loved and recognized around the world, so we need this museum,' Anderson said during a Tuesday unveiling event, co-hosted by the nonprofit Creative Class Collective. 'The story needs to be told and the importance of Black music in general, and the role that it has played.' Anderson adds, 'When it comes to rap and hip-hop, VIP Records was the first to sell rap music on the West Coast, period.' Anderson's older brother, Cletus, opened the first VIP Records in 1967, and his siblings helped open 13 more locations throughout L.A. County. Anderson, who is one of 10 children, followed his family's tradition of moving from their Mississippi hometown to L.A. after he graduated high school, to help run the stores. In 1978, Cletus opened the World Famous VIP Records in Long Beach, and Anderson took it over a few months later. (Cletus died in 2024 at age 82.) In 2017, the city of Long Beach made VIP Records' iconic sign a historic landmark. Mayor Rex Richardson says that the city also put forth a 'significant amount of money' to refurbish the sign and that he hopes to place it onto public property near the store so visitors can visit and experience it. He says he wants to turn it 'into an actual monetary opportunity' to support Anderson's vision for the museum. He and the Anderson family are in the process of working out an agreement. 'A museum, in order to do it right, it will need some sustainable resources, so let's take this rich cultural capital we have and begin to put it on display,' says Richardson, adding that the restoration project is part of a larger plan known as Elevate 28 to beautify and highlight historic landmarks in Long Beach in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which Los Angeles is hosting. He also wants to open a legends walk to showcase famous Long Beach natives. Due to the ever-evolving music industry that has shifted to streaming, the Anderson family closed all but its Long Beach store, which is a few steps away from its original location. Historical artifacts fill the walls of the record store, including plaques and awards from various record labels and photos of artists like Rick James, the Jacksons and Donna Summer who visited the shop. Near the front of the store is a replica of the shop's landmark sign that Snoop Dogg famously featured in his music video for 'Who Am I (What's My Name)?' from his 1993 debut album, 'Doggystyle.' Next to a counter, there's a framed image taken by longtime photographer, Duke Givens, of his childhood friend, Snoop Dogg, on display. 'The reason why [VIP Records] has staying power is because of love,' says Givens, a Long Beach native who grew up frequenting the store and described it as a third space for locals. 'It's an institution. It's more than just a location. You know how we have church, we have school, we have sports ... we have VIP.' The idea to open a museum came to Anderson several years ago when a father walked into the store with his two sons. As they thumbed through the vinyl records, one of the preteens said, 'Dad, what's that?' Anderson recalls. 'There were a lot of people at the store that day, and everyone seemed to be tuned in,' Anderson says. 'It was funny. I said, 'Man, we need to tell the story. We need to tell the story of the record business.'' During Tuesday's event, Snoop Dogg called in and shared his support for the museum, marking a full-circle moment. 'I just want to thank you for giving us an opportunity to actually showcase our talent back when rap wasn't so popular and it wasn't so easy to do,' he said to Anderson. 'All of y'all up there at the VIP gave us hope. Y'all gave us opportunity to actually make our dream come true and give us a platform to hear our voice for the first time on a cassette, to hear what we sounded like, to see what we meant to people.' Travis A. Scott, a Long Beach native and rapper who goes by H.O.B.O (an acronym for Heart of a Brave One), went to VIP Records for the first time several years ago after hearing that Anderson was allowing artists to record music in the studio. He recorded his debut album, 'City by tha Sea,' there and was signed under At Last VIP Entertainment, VIP Records' label. 'VIP Records is a safe haven,' he says. 'It protected me. It protected my mind from venturing fully into the gang violence and into the drug trade and all the other things that were negative in my community. This where I was able to come to be able to take my negative frustration out in a creative and productive way. That allowed me to free myself from the burdens of others calamities, to be able to be myself instead of what the community and the environment wanted me to be.' Anderson says he envisions great-grandparents bringing their great-grandkids to the space to learn about the evolution of the music industry and most importantly, VIP Records' impact on it. 'We need that support,' says Anderson, adding that people can make donations via their foundation website. 'We need everybody to get behind this movement. It would be something that people would enjoy throughout the rest of their life.' As Tenisha Anderson, chief operating officer for VIP Records, flipped through photos of her father, Kelvin, in his early days at the store, she said that it's a 'no-brainer' for VIP Records to have a museum. 'There are so many things that are actually dying off, and I don't want to be political, but they are even taking books away,' says Tenisha, who is also the founder of the VIP Family Foundation and runs several young adult programs including Beauty, Brains and Beats, a workshop that highlights the music industry from a female perspective. 'The thing is, you can't take the music away. The music is always going to tell the story. The music is always going to build you up emotionally. The music is always going to be empowering because it comes from the soul.'
