Are They Dead and Gone, part II, or Peggy Lee is dead; yes, it was a test (not)

Late last Friday night an e-mail arrived here at the newspaper.

The transmittal was from a national news agency announcing the winners of an annual journalism contest, and a number of us here in the newsroom were happy to see some of our work in 2004 recognized in a national juried competition.
Photographs would be taken.

Praise would be offered and plaques mounted on walls.

So first thing Monday morning, it came as no surprise that the first face I saw entering the newsroom belonged to The Boss.

There was a funny expression gracing The Boss' face, obviously reaching for exactly the right words to express the moment.

Finally, it came: 'Peggy Lee...' said The Boss, whose eyes were a piercing stare. 'Peggy Lee ...
is dead.'

If this was an omen of what was to come, it was going to be some week.

There are hundreds of listings for Peggy Lee in the national phone book and at least half a dozen in New York state alone, but I had a pretty good idea of which Peggy Lee The Boss was referring to.

In this column last Friday, I professed with no small amazement, that Kitty Carlisle Hart was still alive - and literally kicking - after hearing of her upcoming cabaret performance at the end of January. Having not followed Hart's career in recent years, I for some reason thought she had passed, made mention of this, and apologized for killing her off.

Then I proceeded to rattle off a still alive list of other one-time famous celebrities who may have slipped under the pop culture radar in recent years.
Included among the list of the living was Peggy Lee.

The first response came from Judy of Saratoga Springs: 'It was reported today that Peggy Lee was still with us. In fact she passed away.'

A second response came from someone named Richard, 'Sorry to report, Peggy Lee has been dead since 2002.'

After doing some detective work, Sandy from Gansevoort concluded: Yes indeed, Peggy Lee is no longer among the living. Sandy added that there was something else on her mind. 'I'm wondering - was this just a test or did you make an honest mistake?'

Apparently, while prematurely sending Kitty Carlisle Hart out to pasture, I had also brought back to life singer Peggy Lee. And while this one gone/one left may equate to even-Stevens in heaven, it doesn't play well among sharp-eyed readers.

'We lost Peggy Lee a couple of years ago,' offered John from Ballston Spa, but wondered whatever happened to the 'M*A*S*H*' crew.

Since you asked John, the best I can figure is that Loretta 'Hot Lips Houlihan' Swit, and Gary 'Corporal Radar' Burghoff are still with us, as is Jamie 'Corporal Max Klinger' Farr - although it is unknown whether or not he still makes his way around the TV set wearing women's dresses.

Larry Linville, who played Dr. Frank Burns, and McLean Stevenson, who portrayed Lt. Col. Henry Blake have passed away, but Wayne Rogers ('Trapper' John McIntyre) and Alan Alda ('Hawkeye' Pierce) still dwell among the living.

The funny thing I discovered in making absolutely positively sure that Alan Alda is still alive, is that his birth name was not Alan Alda, but Alphonso D'Abruzzo.

The name-change game is almost as fun as the who's dead and who's alive.

Did you know Woody Allen's real name was Allen Konigsberg?
Or that singer Elvis Costello was born Declan McManus?

The man who would be president - Gerald R. Ford - was born Leslie Lynch King Jr.
It is hard to imagine a nameplate in the oval office that reads 'Lynch King.'

As for those clamoring for the designs of Ralph Lauren, it's fun to point out that his
birth name is Ralph Lifschitz.
Imagine the conversations: 'Nice shirt, Lif-schitz'

As for the late Peggy Lee, fans of the singer will tell you she was born with the name Norma Deloris Egstrom in Jamestown, N.D. She died three years ago, today.

Thomas Dimopoulos
The Saratogian