Mac Davis and Helen Reddy Die on the Same Day, Both at 78

Earlier this week, Helen Reddy and Mac Davis each passed away. Same day, both at the age of 78. Newspaper researchers did their thing and found a photo of Reddy and Davis together on a show in the 70's(their heyday): Reddy was a guest on Davis's show.

I not sure which of the two is the "bigger" star. They were singers first, but each dabbled in movies. Reddy was in the Disney film "Pete's Dragon." Mac Davis tried to do the Robert Redford role in "The Sting 2"(with Jackie Gleason in for Paul Newman) and...failure.

In my world, Mac Davis has one big claim to fame: somehow, he nabbed the second lead -- behind star Nick Nolte -- in the NFL expose North Dallas Forty...my favorite movie of 1979. With Nolte the real lead of the picture, evidently no bigger star wanted that "buddy" role -- the quarterback who is pals with his wide receiver...but only so far when the corporate bosses want the rebellious Nolte out of the way. Davis took the role (based on "Dandy Don Meredith" -- who turned it down) and was really quite good.

Two of my favorite lines for Davis in the film:

(To Nolte about a monstrous linebacker who bullies everybody) "You keep me on the sports pages, but he keeps me off of the obituary pages."

(To two beautiful and willing females) "You ever been part of a quarterback sandwich?"

Hey, it was back when the movies could be like that.

I recall Mac Davis being on the Johnny Carson show, with Siskel and Ebert as co-guests. Siskel told Davis (and the world) "By the way, you were really great in North Dallas Forty." I felt good about that.

The Sting 2? Not so much.

As for Helen Reddy...great voice, good looks. She made her splash with the anthem "I Am Woman" (which was utterly destroyed by the four female leads of Sex and the City in one of their movies, I saw that), and then made some radio hits that were part of the soundtrack of the 70's. Delta Dawn was one of those "can't get it out your head" ditties. And she had a weird hit in "Angie Baby" -- abstract, surreal lyrics about a crazy girl who somehow shrinks a boy and traps him in her radio!

Hey, it was the 70's.

I think the unexpected bit of history attendant to Mac Davis and Helen Reddy now becomes, indeed, that they died on the same day at the same age -- and two little bitty pieces of the 70's died with them.

As Davis says in North Dallas Party: "Wait''ll I get to the WEIRD part of the story!"

RIP