Michael Jackson’s death has overshadowed the passing of “Charlie’s Angels” star Farrah Fawcett a few hours before the King of Pop’s fatal cardiac arrest episode and three days before the sudden death of TV pitchman Billy Mays.
MJ has garnered most of the public’s and media’s attention after growing up with all of us under the glaring media spotlight for the last five decades, but let’s take some time to also remember the contributions of Fawcett, 62, and Mays, who died at 50 like Mike.

Women wanted Farrah’s golden locks when she spun around with flowing hair in TV commercials during the 1970s, and men wanted her body because of that famous poster of the 20-something beauty in a red bathing suit that sold a record 12 million copies to make her the biggest sex symbol of the decade.

At the same time, she starred as Jill Munroe alongside Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson on the ‘70s “Charlie’s Angels” series, and she is still the most famous of the trio despite being on the show for only one season.
She had beauty and girl-next door charm, but she proved to be a suitable dramatic actress. She played a memorable role as a battered wife in the 1984 TV movie “The Burning Bed” for the first of three Emmy Award nominations. The role inspired her into a lifetime of charity work to shed light on victims of domestic violence.
Billy Mays made a living out of bringing attention to overlooked products. He burst on the national scene in the 1990s pitching “As Seen on TV” cleaning products such as KaBoom, OxiClean and many other cleaning products. His opening line was always, “Hi. Billy Mays, here” and then he launched into his sales pitch. Remember the Shammy cloth he said could absorb anything?
In April, Mays left commercials and settled down on the Discovery Channel for the reality TV show “Pitchmen”, in which he pitches products.
So it wasn’t surprising when he gave an animated account of his hard landing during his commercial flight home to Tampa in which he explained that he bumped his head. Hours later, he was found unresponsive in his bed Sunday, and Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams said the pitchmen likely died of heart disease. His funeral arrangements aren’t final yet, but the ceremony is expected to take place this week. He is survived by a three-year-old daughter.
Farrah Fawcett leaves behind her 24-year-old son Redmond, who will be released from prison for three hours to attend the iconic actress’ funeral. The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in L.A. The service is private invitation-only and the media is being kept out. The family has requested donations instead of flowers to support cancer research. Donations are to be mailed to: The Farrah Fawcett Foundation, P.O. Box 6478, Beverly Hills, California 90212.
She died after losing a battle with anal cancer. Her longtime friend Alana Stewart and longtime partner Ryan O’Neal were by her bedside when she died last Thursday morning at St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. Steward made a documentary of Fawcett undergoing cancer treatments. The film, Farrah’s Story aired on NBC in May. Farrah died before O’Neal could marry her. He had planned to as soon as the iconic actress’ condition improved enough for her to say “yes”.
“I can’t hear a song, I can’t pass places that we were together, without being stabbed in the heart,” O’Neal said. “I won’t know this world without her.”

By Teneshia LaFaye

Buy a limited edition I Was There, King of Pop Commemorative Journal featuring many of these stories to remember the positive side of Michael Jackson’s life. The journal went on sale at the pop icon’s public memorial in L.A., and a limited supply is left over. Don’t let this moment pass you by. Get the journal while supplies last as a keepsake for MJ’s passing with spaces for your personal experience and pictures.

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