J.D. Blackwell articles

Once upon a time, Anna Nicole Smith had it all. Rising from a troubled past, Smith became the face of a generation. In the early 90s, everywhere you looked, you found Anna Nicole Smith staring back at you with a sultry gaze. It seemed that she was set to follow in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe or Pamela Anderson. However, that fame quickly deteriorated, and what followed was a tale that is as tragic as it is genuinely bizarre.

David Cassidy was the teen idol whose star went supernova and then turned his life into a devastating black hole of addiction and depression.

Some celebrities' careers are easily eclipsed by the outrageous scandals surrounding their names. In Robert Wagner’s case it comes down to one single scandal: Natalie Wood’s drowning. We may remember Wagner as the handsome star of TV’s Hart To Hart, but mostly we remember him as the suspicious guy who sat on board drinking while his wife quietly drowned. Here’s a school of fishy facts about Robert Wagner—the star who may have gotten away with murder.

Glenn Frey wasn’t just part of the Eagles, he was the engine behind their greatest hits. From crafting the laid-back groove of “Take It Easy” to shaping the haunting mystique of “Hotel California", his fingerprints were everywhere, ultimately changing the face of rock and roll forever. But behind the soaring success a storm brewed—and Frey’s fall proved as dramatic as his rise.

The name "George Lazenby" has become synonymous with missed opportunities and mountains of regret. The Australian model-turned-actor lost out on fame and fortune when he walked away from the role of a lifetime. Read these regrettable facts about George Lazenby, the man who bailed on Bond, James Bond.

Before Dave Bautista, John Cena, or even The Rock, one wrestler won the hearts of movie watchers everywhere despite only acting in a handful of projects. Early on, André the Giant found his calling as an entertainer, using his immense natural size to fuel his work in professional wrestling and on camera. Despite how imposing he may have seemed, those close to him knew how kind, generous, and gentle he truly was.

From the 60s to modern metal, some solos are so blistering they leave jaws dropped and speakers smoking. Here are 40 face-melting solos that still command awe.

From the moment she first came on screen in Clueless, which became her breakout role, it was clear to many that Brittany Murphy would be a star. She seemed to have finally found her happily-ever-after, which made it even more shocking when she suddenly passed in 2009. Police explained it all away—but then the tragedy and mystery deepened.

Hal Linden played the title character on Barney Miller, the sitcom that ran on ABC between 1975–1982. Linden and his co-stars were instrumental in the show that many police officers regarded as the most realistic of the TV cop shows.