Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner was found dead on Monday, September 8th.  Tanner was reportedly on a camping trip in the Palo Verde Mountain area near San Diego, California when he went missing on Friday, September 5th.  According to TMZ.com,

Tanner sent a text message to a friend that he was out of water and needed help.  There was a massive search that ended abruptly (Monday).

Tanner had blogged about his trip to the desert on his Spike TV blog, saying that he was going to the desert because his friends had been talking about “treasure hunting and lost gold, and my own insatiable appetite for adventure and exploration… I plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my equipment could cost me my life.”

He later wrote another message downplaying the danger of his adventure saying,

It seems some (mixed martial art) websites have reported on the story, posting up that I might die out in the desert, or that it might be my greatest opponent yet, etc.  Come on, guys.  It’s really common down in Southern California to go out to the off-road recreation areas in the desert about an hour away from L.A. and San Diego.  So my plan is to go out to the desert, do some camping, ride the motorcycle, and shoot some guns.  Sounds like a lot of fun to me.  A lot of people do it.  This isn’t a version of Into the Wild.  I’m not going out into the desert with a pair of shorts and a bowie knife to try to live off the land.  I’m going fully geared up, and I’m planning on having some fun.”

The cause of death is still unknown.  Evan Tanner was 37 years old.

George Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died of heart failure later that evening. His publicist, Jeff Abraham, broke the news.

We lost a great one.

No one saw it coming since he had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. George was known as a counterculture hero when he took his fight to say dirty words up with the supreme court in 1978 and won. “So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I’m perversely kind of proud of,” he told Associated Press earlier this year.

When asked about death, George had this to say:

“‘Older’ sounds a little better than ‘old,’ doesn’t it? Sounds like it might even last a little longer. … I’m getting old. And it’s OK. Because thanks to our fear of death in this country I won’t have to die — I’ll ‘pass away.’ Or I’ll ‘expire,’ like a magazine subscription. If it happens in the hospital they’ll call it a ‘terminal episode.’ The insurance company will refer to it as ‘negative patient care outcome.’ And if it’s the result of malpractice they’ll say it was a ‘therapeutic misadventure.’”

He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a few TV shows and appeared in several movies. Quite a feat in its own right. He is revered and admired by comics all over the world and will always be known as one of the original kings of comedy. He was a ground breaker and has influenced many in the industry today. We lost a great man and a genius of a comedian. His words will live on forever and still ring true for years to come.

We will miss you.

Sad news. British soul singer, Corinne Bailey’s husband & fellow musician, Jason Rae, died in a flat in Leeds, England on Saturday night. Authorities suspect it was due to a drug overdose. They arrested an unidentified man for suspicion of suppling/dealing.

No word on Corrine’s whereabouts or whether she was with him when he died. An autopsy was inconclusive and police are currently waiting on the results of toxicology tests before making a final determination on cause of death.

As saxophonist for Haggis Horns, Jason Rae has toured with many artists including his wife, Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson.

BBC News reported that acclaimed singer Corinne Bailey Rae, 29, met Jason Rae while working in a coat-check room at a jazz club while she was an English literature student at Leeds University. They married in 2001.

Her record label issued a statement on Sunday, saying, “EMI Records would like to offer its sincere condolences to Corinne Bailey Rae and the Rae family at this tragic time. … We ask that the media respect Corinne’s privacy and that of her entire family.”

CNN is reporting that Entertainment Tonight decided not to air a video of Heath Ledger at a party that showed drugs being used (by others) in his presence. ET said it was out of respect for his grieving family that they decided to pull the plug on airing the video; however, it may be more likely that ET decided not to air the video because of all the phone calls they received (because at first request they refused and were going to air it). It is being reported that not only did powerhouse PR firms and studio executives call in to request that it not be aired, but individual celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Sarah Jessica Parker called ET as well.

Apparently, in the video, he is never shown taking any drugs, but does say he “used to smoke five joints a day.” He also points to his tattoo of “M” and says, “this is to remind me to never smoke weed again.” (source: CNN)
Seriously, airing such a video just seems like nothing but pure sensationalism–he obviously was not seen doing any drugs, so what’s the point? Who hasn’t been to a party where drugs are present (especially in show biz)?

It is very saddening to hear that actor Heath Ledger, 28, was found dead today at 3:26 p.m. eastern time in his Manhattan apartment. He was an awesome actor that seemed to never get caught up in all the Hollywood Bull*%$!

It is being reported that his housekeeper knocked on his bedroom door to notify him that his masseuse had arrived. When he did not answer the door the housekeeper and masseuse entered the room.

TMZ is reporting that he was “face down on the floor;” however, NY Times is reporting, he was “naked and unconscious on a bed–the housekeeper and masseuse shook him, but he did not respond.”

Police Lieutenant John Grimpal was on the scene and has said that drugs were found, but the type is unknown at this time– it is now being reported that the pills found were possibly sleeping drugs (a medical examiner wil be determining the cause of death on Wednesday).

Heath’s latest movie, “The Dark Knight,” hasn’t hit the screens yet, but he did just finish all the filming. “The Dark Knight” is the sequel to “Batman Begins.” Heath played the prized role of The Joker.

Heath previously had earned an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain and starred in many notable films, such as, “A Knight’s Tale,” “The Patriot,” and “Monster’s Ball.”

Heath, born in 1979 in Perth, Australia, leaves behind his 2 year old daughter, Matilda. Matilda’s mother is Michelle Williams. Heath met Michelle during the filming of “Brokeback Mountain” (she played the role of his wife in the film). They and their daughter together in Brooklyn until they split up last year.

Undoubtedly, Heath will be missed by many.