Comedian Rudy Ray Moore Dead At 81

Comedian Rudy Ray Moore has died at the age of 81 in Akron, Ohio, of apparent complications due to diabetes, his record label said. He is survived by his daughter, Yvette; sister, Geraldine; brother, Gerald, and his 98-year-old mother, Lucille. Rudy was an entertainer's entertainer and a self-made man that fans of all generations embraced, Donald H. Randell, Moore's producer, said in a statement. In the 1960s and '70s, he broke new ground and paved the way for comedians that followed like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Lisa Lampanelli. Rudy's cult comedy continues to break through into today's mainstream. Excerpts of Moore's comic recordings have been sampled by the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Eric B. and Rakim, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, 2 Live Crew, ODB, Busta Rhymes, and dozens of other platinum-selling rap artists, Warrior Records said in a news release. Moore also produced and starred in seven films during Hollywood's Blaxploitation era of the 1970s, including Human Tornado, Monkey Hustle, Petey Wheatstraw, Disco Godfather, Penitentiary, Rude, and most notably, Dolemite.

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Former Royal Ballet Star Nerina Dead At 80

Nadia Nerina, who once earned fame as a dancer in the Royal Ballet, has died in France at the age of 80, the London dance troupe has confirmed.

The Royal Ballet said Nerina, whose technical skills and charming presence earned her principal ballerina honors in the dance company, died of unspecified causes last Monday in the French commune of Beaulieu-sur-Mer after a prolonged illness, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The pinnacle of Nerina's fame came in 1960 when the South African-born dancer performed with Leningrad's Kirov Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, the newspaper said.

During her career, Nerina had a noted rivalry with fellow Royal Ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

That rivalry between the dance partners culminated in a noted Swan Lake performance by Nerina in which she completed 32 continuous whip-like turns known as fouettees. That act, which came shortly after a similarly impressive dance maneuver by Nureyev, caused the Russian to storm off the stage.

The Times said Nerina is survived by her husband, Charles Gordon.

Soap Star Irene Dailey Dead At 88

Soap opera star Irene Dailey has died of colon cancer at the age of 88 in Santa Rosa, Calif., her friend Arleen Lorrance said. Lorrance told the New York Times Dailey died Sept. 24.

The Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress portrayed Liz Matthews on Another World from 1974 to 1986 and then again from 1988 to 1994. The New York native also played the role of Nettie Cleary in Frank D. Gilroy's 1964 stage drama The Subject Was Roses, and made appearances on TV's The Edge of Night, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, The Twilight Zone and The Defenders. Her film credits include No Way to Treat a Lady, Five Easy Pieces and The Amityville Horror.