Last week was definitely one where things came in threes. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, & Hulk Hogan all passed away within the span of just a few days.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was born August 19, 1970. Many of us grew up watching the Cosby Show & will remember Warner as Theo Huxtable. He appeared in the shows American Horror Story: Freak Show, Jeremiah, & the Resident, as well as the movies The Tuskegee Airmen & Fool's Gold. Warner also lent his voice to The Magic School Bus (the original series, not the remake) & The Legend of the Candy Cane. Between acting, directing, & making some music, Warner also found time to write his memoir - Theo & Me: Growing Up Okay. He passed away on July 20, 2025 in Costa Rica, after getting caught in a strong current while swimming.
Whether you came to Ozzy through his music or because of the E! show, the Osbournes, he definitely left an impact. Ozzy was born December 3rd, 1948. He had a lengthy music career, performing with Black Sabbath in various incarnations over the decades & having a solo career outside of the band. Ozzy also appeared in a few movies - Trick or Treat, Little Nicky, Austin Powers in Goldmember, both Gnomeo & Juliet and its sequel Sherlock Gnomes, & Trolls: World Tour. (Don't worry - we also forgot for a minute that Ozzy was in kids movies.) He also found time to write a book, Trust Me, I'm Doctor Ozzy, & to have a couple documentaries, including God Bless Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy passed away July 22, 2025, after suffering the effects of Parkinson's for many years.
Hulk Hogan is best known for his wrestling career, but some of us came to his career because of his occasional acting or because of the VH1 show, Hogan Knows Best. Hogan was born August 11, 1953 & of course, we all know that Hulk Hogan as a wrestler. But he also appeared in movies & on tv, including Rocky III, Suburban Commando, & 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. Hogan also a wrote a memoir along the way, My Life Outside the Ring. He passed away on July 24, 2025 of cardiac arrest.
The things mentioned above are available through the Quincy Public Library and/or QPL's partner libraries, if you want to introduce your kids to any of it or just run down memory lane yourself. You can also always search the online catalog on the library website or check out Hoopla, Kanopy, or Libby.