Tony Melendez A Life Example

I was touched by an inspirational video. It is about an amazing armless guy named Tony Melendez. He is a Nicaraguan guitar player, singer and Christian rock songwriter who was born without arms. His mother took Thalidomide while pregnant, which caused his disability. Melendez has learned to play the guitar with his feet.

Here is an inspirational video of Tony Melendez:

Hendrix Drummer Mitch Mitchell Dead at 61

Officials say Mitch Mitchell, the drummer for the iconic Jimi Hendrix Experience, was found dead in his Portland, Ore., hotel room Wednesday. The (Portland) Oregonian said Mitchell, 61, was in town performing with a Hendrix tribute band and was found dead at around 3 a.m. at the Benson Hotel. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's office said the cause of death was unknown pending further examination later Wednesday. The British-born Mitchell played for the Jimi Hendrix Experience in the late 1960s and did session work in the years following the guitar legend's death in 1970.

Famed Ballerina Hightower Dead At 88

Ballerina Rosella Hightower, known for her varied and versatile repertoire, has died in Cannes, France, at the age of 88, the Los Angeles Times said.

The U.S. newspaper noted Sunday the native American dancer, who was born in Oklahoma, gained worldwide fame after performing with notable ballet dancers as Eric Bruhn and Andre Eglevsky.

After becoming one of the world's elite dancers, Hightower worked with Marquis George de Cuevas ballet company, the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas.

She parlayed her fame with the noted company to create her own dance school after Cuevas' death in 1961.

Sylvia Fawlofski, a former pupil of Hightower's, told the Times the U.S. dancer was a strict, yet fun, teacher who had a unique eye for talent.

Once in a blue moon, she would appear and give us a fun class with high kicks, jazzy arrangements and spirited footwork. At the end she would tell us: 'Now you are ready to go dance on Broadway,' Fawlofski said.

The Times said survivors of the twice-married Hightower, who died Monday after suffering a series of strokes, include her daughter, dancer Dominique Monet Robier.

Source

'Jurassic Park' Author Dies Unexpectedly

Michael Crichton, best known as the author of Jurassic Park and the creator of NBC's ER, has died. He was 66. In a statement, his family calls his death unexpected, but said he had been privately battling cancer.

"While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us -- and entertained us all while doing so -- his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes," his family tells ET. "He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget."

Crichton's books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. His most recent novel, Next, about genetics and law, was published in December 2006.

He has won an Emmy, a Peabody and a Writer's Guild of America Award for ER.