Don Lane dies

[ORDoubleBlues]

A great person in the history of Australian TV

Will also remember his passion for sport during his late night ABC broadcasts in the early '90's and his hosting of the superbowls live on SBS.

He was 75 years old.

RIP Don.

[A Mum]

Oh my goodness

RIP Don

[Dogwatcher]

The lanky Yank.

[CK]

Another of Australia's golden era of live TV departs the stage for the last time. Watching Don Lane as a kid was a ritual for me. Whether it be the night he told James Randi to P*ss Off (sparking a front page newspaper outrage for the language), working seamlessly with his "second banana", Bert Newton or doing one of his songs, it was always great entertainment. The likes of Rove have nothing on him nowadays.

Very saddening

[Big Phil]

http://www.theage.com.au/national/tv-legend-don-lane-dead-20091022-hamw.html?autostart=1







Entertainment legend Don Lane was charismatic and funny until the very end, his close friend and biographer Janise Beaumont says.

Lane, 75, died this morning after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

‘‘He didn’t want this to happen, but he was still Don,’’ Ms Beaumont told Macquarie Radio.

‘‘And pretty much up to the end he was very tactile ... he loved hugs, he still could make eye contact, still be funny, still be charismatic - but this bastard of Alzheimer’s... we’ve got to find a cure.

‘‘I’ll go on any committee, I’ll dress up in a chicken suit to raise money to help find a cure because it robs people of so much.’’

A private funeral service with very few in attendance would be held in Sydney tomorrow, but a public memorial would be held ‘‘down the track’’, Ms Beaumont said.

His manager Jayne Ambrose said the Gold Logie winner passed away this morning.

‘‘His son is devastated and Australia has suffered a great loss today,’’ she said.


Last year, it was reported that Lane had been admitted to a care facility in Sydney.


Born in New York, he emigrated to Australia in 1965.


Lane was originally hired to fill in for someone at Channel Nine for six weeks. He went on to become one of the country’s most popular stars and at one time was the highest paid person on Australian television.


Celebrities, including Robin Williams, Billy Connolly, Dame Edna, Tony Curtis, Peter Sellers and Kiss all appeared on The Don Lane Show, which became must-see late night entertainment between 1975 and 1983.

In 2003 he spoke to the ABC about his on-screen chemistry with fellow entertainer Bert Newton, describing it as ''magic''.


‘‘We were magic from the time he walked out from the curtain …you don't try to explain those things. You just take them and you use them and you enjoy them and most of all you appreciate them, because they don't happen often, they happen once in a rare while,’’ Lane said.


He was married twice and had a son, PJ.

PJ Lane had been booked to sing at an Alzheimer's Australia charity concert at Toorak's Trak Centre tonight to honour his father.


PJ Lane gave up a promising basketball career in the United States and Europe to move to Sydney to be with his father, he told Woman’s Day in June.

Five months ago, he said his father was still in good spirits and making jokes but he had decided to relocate closer to his father as his dementia was expected to worsen.

In the late 1960s, Lane was charged with importing marijuana. He strenuously protested his innocence, claiming that a vengeful former business associate had planted the drugs in his jacket pocket. He was eventually found not guilty, after being defended by barrister Marcus Einfeld

[Booney]

Was very much a part of Aussie TV in the early 80's in many different fields.

I guess to say "I'll miss him" is a bit much as he has been out of the public's eye for some time now.

RIP Don.

[Thiele]

RIP DON

You will be missed

[bayman]

''i love your faces'' (with the sign language that went with that saying at the end of each show)

& i think we all loved don....from memory a melbourne supporter






i have the final don lane show on tape somewhere in the spare room


RIP morton donald isaacson, lovingly known as don lane

[Footy Chick]

Don Lane tribute starting now on Channel 9.

[Hondo]

The main thing I watched him on was hosting the ABC's NFL coverage in the early 90s (as OrDoubleBlues said). There was a Tuesday night highlights show and then the superbowl each year. He was great on that! He was so passionate about the game and he actually knew enough about it to be very credible as a sports presenter.

My grandmother also has the Alzheimers curse but is still with us. I heard they think they can find a cure in the next 10 years. Let's hope so.

Rest in peace Don Lane

[the big bang]

may be a silly question, but did Don ever play in the NFL? i have always thought he did, and never known why i thought this, but reading someones earlier post mentioning he used to host the Superbowls may be what has had me believing all these years that he played NFL.

[heater31]

may be a silly question, but did Don ever play in the NFL? i have always thought he did, and never known why i thought this, but reading someones earlier post mentioning he used to host the Superbowls may be what has had me believing all these years that he played NFL.

According to wikipedia he never did. Perhaps just he had a keen interest in the sport. Although he did coach a Sydney High School Basketball team for over 10 years

[ORDoubleBlues]

may be a silly question, but did Don ever play in the NFL? i have always thought he did, and never known why i thought this, but reading someones earlier post mentioning he used to host the Superbowls may be what has had me believing all these years that he played NFL.

Never did but guess that because he was our most localised American he was given gig as he would have best chance of relating to his audience from what Aussie TV had.