Corey Haim did not die from drugs coroner says

Corey Haim

Drugs were not a factor in the death of actor Corey Haim. The actor’s mother placed an emergency call after finding him unconscious.

According to a reporter from the Los Angeles county coroner’s office released on May 4, the 1980s heartthrob died of natural causes from a combination of pneumonia, respiratory and heart trouble.

The coroner’s report follows California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s declaration last month that Haim obtained more than 550 prescription pills illegally from numerous doctors in the months before his death.

Haim, 38, obtained prescriptions from seven different doctors who claim they were duped into writing scripts for the troubled actor. Brown said the late actor was a “poster child” for prescription drug abuse and had been “doctor shopping” for pills. The drugs included Valium and Xanax and Vicodin, according to Brown.

Commentary: After all the drugs he had been on for the past few years, we here at i80s kind of think the drugs might have played maybe just a little role in his death.

Source: ABC News

Top of the charts this week in the 80′s

Here are the top 80′s hits for the first and second week in May from 1980 through 1989. Click on each link to find the digital download (MP3) of each song. We’ve also included a little fact about each song.

1980 – Call Me | Blondie

“Call Me” topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK (where it became the band’s biggest selling single).

1981 – Morning Train (Nine To Five) | Sheena Easton

It peaked at number three in the United Kingdom in August 1980 and was released in the United States in February 1981 (retitled Morning Train to avoid confusion with a similarly named song), where it reached number one.

1982 – I Love Rock ‘N Roll | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Written in 1975 by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of The Arrows, who recorded the first released version. The song was later made famous by the hit version recorded by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in 1981.

1983 – Beat It | Michael Jackson

Co-produced by Quincy Jones for the singer’s sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Eddie Van Halen was drafted to add the song’s distinctive over driven guitar solo.

1984 – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) | Phil Collins

The song was the main theme for the 1984 film of the same name, and first appeared on its soundtrack.

1985 – We Are The World | USA For Africa

Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and co-produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World.

1986 – Addicted To Love | Robert Palmer

Originally intended to be a duet with Chaka Khan, her record company at the time wouldn’t grant her a release to work on Palmer’s label, Island Records. Chaka Khan is still credited for the vocal arrangements in the album liner notes.

1987 – (I Just) Died In Your Arms | Cutting Crew

First released in Britain, the song peaked at #4 on the UK charts in August 1986. Upon its release in the United States, the previously unknown band’s debut single shot to number one on May 2, 1987, and stayed there for two weeks.

1988 – Where Do Broken Hearts Go | Whitney Houston

Initially, Houston did not want to record the song, feeling there was no special message to convey. However, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis believed the song would go to number one if she recorded it, so she agreed. The single became Houston’s seventh consecutive number one.

1989 – Like A Prayer | Madonna

“Like a Prayer” became one of Madonna‘s highest-selling singles in her career, selling over five million copies worldwide at the time of its release.

‘Rock of Ages’ – Broadway’s 80′s musical comedy hit

You might have heard of one of Broadway’s most spectacular musicals (especially us 80′s fans!) called Rock of Ages. In addition to playing on Broadway (starting in 2009), Rock of Ages is also showing in Chicago (starting Sept. 2010), Toronto and Melbourne (Melbourne in 2011).

For those who don’t know about this totally tubular musical; Rock Of Ages is a Tony nominated smash hit musical comedy starring American Idol’s Constantine Maroulis and Amy Spanger. In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer – and in L.A.’s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ’80s. It’s a hilarious feel-good love story told through the hit songs (including several medleys / live mash-ups) of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more.

Rock Of Ages Tony Award Nominations:

• Best Musical
• Best Actor in a Musical: Constantine Maroulis
• Best Direction of a Musical: Kristin Hanggi
• Best Costume Design: Gregory Gale
• Best Sound Design: Peter Hylenski

2011 Film

The film rights have been sold to New Line Cinema. The film is expected to be directed by Adam Shankman and is expected to begin production in the Summer of 2010, for release in 2011.

Rock Of Ages: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Track Listing

1. Just Like Paradise / Nothin’ But A Good Time (Rock Of Ages Full Company)
2. Sister Christian (James Carpinello, Michele Mais, Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
3. We Built This City / Too Much Time On My Hands (Paul Schoeffler, Lauren Molina, Wesley Taylor, Andre Ward, Adam Dannheisser, Mitchell Jarvis, Constantine Maroulis, James Carpinello & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
4. I Wanna Rock (Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger & Ensemble)
5. We’re Not Gonna Take It (Lauren Molina, Jeremy Wood, Savannah Wise & Ensemble)
6. Heaven / More Than Words / To Be With You (Amy Spanger, Constantine Maroulis, Savannah Wise & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
7. Waiting For A Girl Like You (Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, James Carpinello & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
8. Wanted Dead Or Alive (James Carpinello, Amy Spanger & Ensemble)
9. I Want To Know What Love Is James Carpinello, Amy Spanger, Constantine Maroulis & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
10. Cum On Feel The Noize / We’re Not Gonna Take It – Reprise (James Carpinello, Constantine Maroulis, Adam Dannheiser, Amy Spanger, Mitchell Jarvis, Lauren Molina, Andre Ward & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
11. Harden My Heart / Shadows Of The Night (Amy Spanger, Michael Mais, Mitchell Jarvis & Ensemble)
12. Here I Go Again (Rock Of Ages Full Company)
13. The Final Countdown (Paul Schoeffler, Wesley Taylor, Adam Dannheisser, Mitchell Jarvis, Lauren Molina & Ensemble)
14. Any Way You Want It / I Wanna Rock – Reprise (Michele Mais, Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, Andre Ward, Mitchell Jarvis, Adam Dannheisser & Ensemble)
15. High Enough (Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
16. I Hate Myself For Loving You / Heat Of The Moment (Amy Spanger, James Carpinello, Constantine Maroulis & Ensemble)
17. Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Wesley Taylor, Lauren Molina, Paul Schoeffler & Ensemble)
18. Can’t Fight This Feeling (Adam Dannheisser, Mitchell Jarvis & Ensemble)
19. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Michele Mais, Amy Spanger, Constantine Maroulis, Wesley Taylor, Paul Schoeffler, James Carpinello & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
20. Oh Sherrie (Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
21. The Search Is Over (Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger & The Rock Of Ages Cast)
22. Don’t Stop Believin’ (Rock Of Ages Full Company)

Rock of Ages Original Broadway Cast Recording CD is available @ Amazon

HUGE list of 80′s Heavy Metal bands on Rock N America’s lineup!

If I were only in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this July 23, 24 & 25th, I would be the most ecstatic 80′s heavy metal fan in the world! Rock N America’s 2010 summer concert series will no doubt satisfy your 80′s metal appetite.

Get this MEGA 80′s metal lineup; Scorpions, Twisted Sister, Ratt, Dokken, Warrant, Great White, Lita Ford, Slaughter, McAuley Schenker Group, L.A. Guns featuring Tracii Guns, Firehouse, Bullet Boys, Lynch Mob (Dokken & Lynch Mob at the same venue!), Pretty Boy Floyd, Steelheart, Faster Pussycat, John Corabi, Enuff Z’ Nuff, Toxin — AND there are more bands to be announced soon!

I can only hope they take this on the road and not limit this show to only Oklahoma. Stay tuned. If they add more dates, you will definitely see them listed here at i80s.com!

For more information about this show, visit: http://rocknamerica.com
For tickets to this show, visit Tickets.com.

Eighties & 90′s rapper Guru dies

Keith Elam better known by his stage name Guru, an American  rapper and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr died on Monday.  On February 28, 2010, Guru went into cardiac arrest and, following surgery, fell into a coma. He was said to have woken from the coma but died on April 19, 2010, after a long battle with multiple myeloma.

Guru founded Gang Starr in 1987, and built a sizable following in the early 1990s, releasing classic albums such as Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992).

In 1993 Guru released his first solo project entitled Jazzmatazz, which became the first in a series of collaborations with jazz and R&B greats such as Ramsey Lewis and Chaka Khan. The album spawned hits “Loungin’”, “No Time to Play” and “Le Bien, Le Mal”, with MC Solaar.

Prior to his death, Guru wrote a letter acknowledging Solaar as his best friend and requesting that his one-time rap partner, DJ Premier be excluded from any situations or connections to Guru.

Rubik’s Cube illusion

While we here at i80s.com are fanatics about well, just about anything 80′s related, this is the first time we’ve seen someone just a bit more fanatical about an 80′s toy than we are. In any case, we thought it would be cool to post this interesting Rubik’s Cube illusion.

The person who posted the YouTube video mentions that this is another version of the Rubiks Cube Poster Illusions. The goal was to make it look like an unsolved rubiks cube from one angle …then slowly it changes to a solved cube.

If we find other versions of this illusion, rest assured it’ll be posted on i80s.com!

Related Rubik’s Cube items @ Amazon.com:

Bret Michaels is released from Texas hospital

Former Poison frontman Bret Michaels has been released from a Texas hospital following an emergency appendectomy earlier this week.

Early Monday morning, the Celebrity Apprentice star was rushed to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Westover Hills in San Antonio, Texas, after suffering from excruciating stomach pains originally thought to be symptoms of the stomach flu. He had remained under the care of his doctors until Wednesday when hospital officials confirmed that Michaels, a diabetic, was released.

Michaels, 47, was in town and set to perform at Sea World San Antonio as part of the theme park’s Bands, Brew & BBQ concert lineup, but the concert has been postponed until Oct. 1.

Who knew dot-com started back in the 1980′s?

Yes, it was 25 years ago — March 15, 1985 that the first dot-com domain name Symbolics.com appeared on the Internet, bringing in the commercial age of the World Wide Web. Dot-com (or .com) is derived from commercial, indicating its original intended purpose for networks of general commercial character.

The dot-com domain was one of the original top-level domains (TLDs) in the Internet when the Domain Name System was implemented in January 1985, the others being edu, gov, mil, net, and org. It has grown into the largest top-level domain. Today the Internet has grown to more than 80 million dot-com domain names, according to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF).

Who would have known that something created back in the 80′s would be so popular today and used by millions everyday?!

80’s Artists – B

B-52′s

B-Movie

Babyface

Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Bad Company

Bad English

Bauhaus

Baker, Anita

Balin, Marty

Baltimora

Bananarama

Band Aid

Bangles

Bardeaux

Basia

Basil, Toni

Beach Boys, The

Beastie Boys

Bee Gee’s

Belouis Some

Benatar, Pat

Benson, George

Berlin

Bianco, Matt

Big Audio Dynamite

Big Country

Black

Black Flag

Black, Frank

Blancmange

Blondie

Blotto

Blow Monkeys, The

Blue System

Bongo’s, The

Bon Jovi

Book of Love

Boom Boom Room

Boom Crash Opera

Boomtown Rats

Boston

Bow Wow Wow

Bowie, David

Boy Meets Girl

Boys Club

Boys Don’t Cry

Branigan, Laura

Breakfast Club

Breathe

Brickell, Edie and the New Bohemians

Broley, Martin

Bronski Beat

Bros

Brothers Johnson, The

Brown, Bobby

Brown, James

Brown, Miquel

Buckingham, Lindsay

Buckner and Garcia

Buggles, The

Bullet Boys

Burnette, Rocky

Burning Sensations

Bush, Kate

80s Artists – C

1980′s Actor Corey Haim Found Dead

Corey Haim

Actor Corey Haim died this morning of an apparent accidental overdose according to the Los Angeles County Coroner and the LAPD. Corey was 38.

Police said Haim was pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank.

Haim was born in Ontario Canada in 1971 and as a teenager found fame in Hollywood. His first role was in 1984′s “Firstborn” with Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr.

Haim rose to fame in the 80s alongside longtime pal Corey Feldman and co-starred in a number of films, including “The Lost Boys” in which he starred with Feldman. Other 1980′s films Haim had roles in were: “Murphey’s Romance“, “Lucas“, “License to Drive“,  and “Dream a Little Dream“.

In the 1990s Haim played more obscure roles however continued to work steadily in films like “National Lampoon’s Last Resort” and “Prayer of the Rollerboys.” Haim struggled with substance abuse through much of his career.

Haim reportedly suffered a drug-induced stroke in 2001 and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center and also reportedly was in and out of rehab 15 times, but cleaned up in 2004 after moving to Toronto.