Steel Kaleidoscopes

Whatever Happened to...

Florence Henderson?

Henderson, best known for her role as Carol Brady in "The Brady Bunch," is 78, still working and lives in Palm Coast, Fla. She hosts her own talk show, "The Florence Henderson Show," on RLTV, and will appear in an upcoming episode of "Happily Divorced" with Robert Wagner on TV Land.

Henderson made a special appearance in May, 2012, on "The Price Is Right" with Drew Carey. In 2010, Henderson competed on "Dancing with Stars." 

Henderson married Ira Bernstein in January 1956, and the couple had four children.  In 1985, she divorced Bernstein after almost 29 years of marriage. She later married Dr.  John Kappas, a hypnotherapist, whom she met while battling depression in the mid 1980s. Henderson studied hypnotherapy and is a licensed therapist.  Kappas died in 2002.

Henderson, an accomplished singer, has been in several movies, making her film debut in "Song of Norway." Henderson began her career on stage, performing in the touring productions of "Oklahoma!" and "South Pacific." Her best-known Broadway role was the long-running "Fanny," in which she starred in 888 performances.

Henderson was the first woman to guest host "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Henderson, the youngest of 10 children, was born in Dale, Ind.

Whatever Happened To...

Don Kessinger?

Kessinger, 68, is the president of a real estate company in Oxford, Miss.

After a 16-year Major League Baseball career, Kessinger coached the University of Mississippi baseball team for six seasons.  Ole Miss is his alma mater.

But it was in Chicago where Kessinger made his mark. Kessinger was an All-Star shortstop and the staple of the Cubs' infield defense in the '60s and '70s. He won Gold Gloves in 1969 and 1970.

 

Batting leadoff, Kessinger, with second baseman Glenn Beckert,  set the stage for Cubs' stars like Ernie Banks,  Billy Williams and Ron Santo.

Kessinger was known mostly for his defense. A six-time Gold Glove winner, Kessinger went 54 games without an error, setting the standard for shortstops. In three different seasons with the Cubs, Kessinger turned more than 100 double plays.

Kessinger was part of the 1969 Cubs team that held a nine-game lead over the New York Mets in August, only to finish second. The Mets would earn the nickname "Miracle Mets" and stun the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

Kessinger retired after 16 seasons, including brief stints with two rivals — the division rival St. Louis Cardinals and the cross-town rival Chicago White Sox.

In2,078 games, Kessinger had 1,931 hits with a .252 batting average.

Whatever Happened To...

Chuck Berry?

After fainting during a Jan. 1 show in Chicago, Berry, 84, is back playing out again. He recently played two gigs at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room in St. Louis, and is scheduled again next month.

Berry's agent, Dick Alen, said Berry was just suffering from exhaustion when he fainted and that he still carries his own suitcase, his own guitar and travels alone.

Berry is one of rock and roll's legends and founding fathers, breaking onto the scene with the Johnnie Johnson Trio in 1953.

His numerous hits include "Maybellene," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Johnny B. Goode." While Berry always seemed to be on the charts, especially in the late '50s, he only had one No. 1 U.S. pop single, "My Ding-a-Ling" in 1972.

Berry's legend continued to grow when his raucous playing style of "Johnny B. Goode" was emulated by Michael J. Fox in the 1985 blockbuster "Back to the Future." 

Berry was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Whatever Happened To...

Bo Derek?

Best known for her role in the movie "10," Derek, 53, is planning to marry John Corbett, whom she's been seeing for the last eight years. Corbett played Aiden, Carrie's boyfriend, on "Sex and the City."

Earlier this week, the California state Senate delayed, for now, confirming Derek to a commission that oversees horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at racetracks in California. She is one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's four appointees to the racing board.

Derek is an animal rights activist and horse lover who owns a pet care products company. She's also an avid Republican and Formula 1 racing fan.

Derek's husband, John Derek, 30 years her senior, died in 1998. They were married for 22 years.

Derek has been off screen for the past few years, with her most recent role in the 2006 telenovela "Fashion House," with Morgan Fairchild, broadcast on MyNetworkTV.

Over the years, Derek has starred in several movies and TV shows, including "Tarzan, the Ape Man" and "Bolero." 

Whatever Happened To...

Ernest Borgnine?

Borgnine, 92, received an Emmy nomination for his work on ER this past season. He turns 93 later this month.

Borgnine is married to cosmetics businesswoman Tova Traesnaes, his fifth wife. They have been married 36 years and live in Beverly Hills.

Since 1999, Borgnine has provided the voice for superhero Mermaid Man in the cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants."

Borgnine's most recent movie is 2009's  "Another Harvest Moon," which he plays the lead role.

Although he's appeared in more than 100 films, Borgnine is best known for his television work on "McHale's Navy" and "Airwolf."

In 1955, Borgnine won the Best Actor Award for his role in "Marty." This is the oldest film whose Best Actor winner is still living.

Other notable films include "From Here to Eternity," "The Wild Bunch" and "The Poseidon Adventure."

Borgnine was the first center square in the original version of "Hollywood Squares," hosted by Peter Marshall.

Whatever Happened To...

Bette Midler?

Midler, 63, is currently starring in "Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On" at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. The show is in the midst of a two-year run, replacing the long-running Celine Dion's residency.

Midler is also working on her 15th studio album, due for release in March 2010.

Equally known for her singing and acting, Midler has won four Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. She has two Academy Award nominations.

Midler's daughter, Sophie Frederica Alohilani von Haselberg, graduated from Yale in 2008 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in East Asian Studies.

Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Whatever Happened To...

Shaun Cassidy?

Cassidy, a 1970s teen idol, eldest son of actress Shirley Jones and a half brother to David Cassidy, is currently the creator and executive producer of "Inseparable," a TV pilot centered on a partially paralyzed forensic psychiatrist with a split personality.

The pilot is in post-production and there is no time frame for its release.

Cassidy, now 50, is married to producer Tracey Turner, and they have two sons, Caleb and Roan. Cassidy has been married twice previously, and he is the stepfather of Jessica Wilson Cruz, and father of Caitlin, Jake, and Juliet Cassidy.

Cassidy's first album in 1977 spawned a No. 1 single, "Da Doo Ron Ron." From 1977-1980, Cassidy released six albums and was a frequent cover boy for teen magazines like "16" and "Tiger Beat."

Cassidy used his family roots, boyish good looks and singing success to enter the television industry, starring in "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries."

Cassidy eventually got behind the camera, creating TV shows like "American Gothic," "Roar," "Cold Case," "The Agency" and "Invasion." 

Somewhat recently, Cassidy starred with his half-brother David in the Broadway production of "Blood Brothers."

Whatever Happened To...

Thunder Gulch?

Thunder Gulch is now 16 years old and is stabled near Versailles, Ky.

Thunder Gulch, best known for winning the Kentucky Derby at 25-1 odds in 1995, is commanding a sire fee of $30,000.

Jockey Gary Stevens, who rode War Admiral in the movie "Seabiscuit," was aboard Thunder Gulch in the Derby, as well as victories in the Belmont and Travers Stakes in the '95 racing season. Thunder Gulch placed third in the Preakness Stakes.

Thunder Gulch retired at the end of the '95 season, after finishing fifth to the legendary Cigar in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. After the race it was discovered that he had fractured a bone in his left leg.

In just 16 career races, Thunder Gulch won nine times, placed twice and finished third twice.

Whatever Happened To...

Melanie?

Best known for her No. 1 hit "Brand New Key," Melanie, whose full name is Melanie Safka, resides in Nashville, Tenn.

She's on the road this month, playing two shows at Espenschied Chapel in Mascoutah, Ill., before heading off to the Netherlands.

Melanie, 61, is married to Peter Schekeryk and has three children — Leilah, Jeordie and Beau-Jarred, all musicians. If you check out Melanie's MySpace page, she includes links to her kids' pages with samples of their music.

Last year Melanie played in London's Meltdown Festival at the Royal Festival Hall to a sellout crowd. That concert was filmed for a DVD entitled "Melanie: For One Night," which was released last October.

Perhaps Melanie's most memorable moment was her appearance at Woodstock, where the audience lit candles during her set.  The next year at the Isle of Wight Festival, Keith Moon introduced her and she received four standing ovations.

Melanie was the first female vocalist to have three Top 40 hits simultaneously with "Brand New Key," "Ring the Living Bell" and "The Nickel Song" in 1972. She was voted Billboard's Top Female Vocalist in 1972.

Melanie has arguably earned her place alongside Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Marianne Faithfull in the pantheon of iconic female singers.

Whatever Happened To...

Adam West?

Best known for his role as Bruce Wayne in the '60s TV series "Batman," West now plays Cat Man on the Nick cartoon show "Fairly Odd Parents."

But West is probably best known these days for his recurring role as Mayor Adam West on "Family Guy."

West, who turns 80 in September, has hardly faded away. While he's appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows over the last 40 years, it was his Batman role in the late '60s that still pads his pocket. In fact, you can get Bat Greetings and ring tones for your cell phone through West's web site, which opens with the theme from "Batman."

West was born William West Anderson but changed his name when he moved to Hollywood in 1959.