Celebrity death that bummed you out the most...

[xoxoxoBruce]

Wally Parks, the driving force behind the National Hot Rod Association, died Sept. 28 at the age of 94."An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in a collection of essays 166 years ago. He could have been talking about the NHRA. Emerson's quote was stitched on a quilt presented to Parks by Louise McClelland, wife of longtime NHRA announcer Dave McClelland, at Park’s 90th birthday party four years ago. Parks' shadow stretched much taller than his six-foot four-inch frame across drag racing, lakes racing, automotive publishing and the aftermarket speed parts industry.


Parks was born in Oklahoma in 1913 and took pride in his humble roots, always referring to himself as an “Okie.” He was eight years old when his family moved west, and he remained in Southern California for the rest of his life. While the rest of the world progressed to e-mail, Parks stayed with faxes, which he called, "Oakie e-mail." Parks helped to found the Southern California Timing Association in 1937 to organize dry lakes racing. Then, like most of the racers, he went into the military during WWII. He served in the Philippines where he was said to have “the fastest Jeep in the Pacific.” It was during the war that Parks first heard the term “hot rod.” Parks returned home in 1946 and was, naturally, elected president of the SCTA.


Parks, along with future publishing magnate Pete Petersen and fellow rodder Lee Ryan (who looked the oldest among them, they decided, and therefore the most respectable) made the first pilgrimage to Utah to convince the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce to let the Southern California kids run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. They took Petersen’s car because they didn’t think Ryan’s or Parks’ cars would make it. They made it, and racers have journeyed to Bonneville ever since. In 1948 Parks and Petersen organized a speed parts show in the Los Angeles Armory that would go on to fame, many years later, as the SEMA show held now in Las Vegas. That same year Parks became editor of a magazine Petersen started called Hot Rod. In 1951, Parks, Ak Miller and Marvin Lee signed the incorporation papers that founded the National Hot Rod Association. Naturally, Parks was its president.

[Drax]

Actually, the most recent one that bummed me out happen 3 years ago:

[Shawnee123]

Please don't squeeze the Charmin. Goodbye Mr Whipple.

Also, farewell Joe Nuxhall, a Cincinnati Reds Icon.

[binky]

John Lennon- Still tear up every time I hear "Imagine", and Mitch Hedberg

[Elspode]

Dan Fogelberg has succumbed to prostate cancer at a mere 56 years of age. That sucks bad.

Dan was a brilliant and emotive songwriter with a golden and evocative voice. A tragic loss to music.

[Ibby]

Did anyone mention Ike?

EDIT: oh wait, nobody was really bummed. nevermind.

[Elspode]

Ike was a brilliant musician and a consumate asshole.

[xoxoxoBruce]

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Elspode

Dan Fogelberg has succumbed to prostate cancer at a mere 56 years of age. That sucks bad.

Dan was a brilliant and emotive songwriter with a golden and evocative voice. A tragic loss to music.

Nice mention. He will be missed. No press nonsense just a good American singer song writer.

[xoxoxoBruce]

And one that got throughly screwed by the "music business".

[Rhianne]

Patrick Depailler

[xoxoxoBruce]

I had to Google, that.

[Rhianne]

It wasn't just the who but the how and when.

[Radar]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I had to Google, that.

Me too. And that's an unbelievably stupid quote you've got in your signature.

[busterb]

Have you been told today? bb