For those of us who are fans of the 70’s film, Car Wash, we remember the character, “Geronimo,” portrayed by actor, Raymond Vitte. Vitte was also known for his roles in the films, 9 To 5 (1980), Up In Smoke (1978), and Thank God It’s Friday (1978); and TV shows, like All In The Family, That’s My Mama, Sanford and Son, The Quest, and more. What many of us didn’t know, is that Vitte died in 1983 at the age of 33. Equally surprising is the way that he died, while in LAPD custody, under very suspicious circumstances that many of his loved ones believed were really fishy.

At the time of Vitte’s death, there were many holes in the story surrounding the police report. His death certificate was also allegedly sealed by the LAPD. Raymond Vitte’s wife, Ernesta- who was 3 months pregnant when he died- joined Donna Summer, and others to speak out publicly about their suspicions.

Below is what was reported in 1983, shortly after Robert Vitte’s death [via United Press International]:

LOS ANGELES — Actor Raymond Vitte, who died minutes after [an alleged] weekend fight with police, was not beaten to death by the officers, the coroner’s office said Tuesday.

Spokesman Bill Gold said preliminary reports of an autopsy showed ‘superficial injuries consistent with a struggle were found, but they were not responsible for his death.’ He also said no needle marks were found on Vitte’s body, and said there was no evidence a chokehold was applied.

What Happened To Raymond Vitte

UPI- Vitte died at a hospital where he was taken by officers after he stopped breathing in the back of a patrol car.

Lt. Charles Higbie said officers summoned by neighbors in the actor’s Studio City apartment complex found Vitte alone in his apartment clad only in undershorts and a shirt. The actor’s ‘religious shouting’ had continued for more than 12 hours before the neighbors called police, Higbie said.

Vitte ordered the officers off the porch and ‘placed a curse on them,’ he said. In an ensuing struggle, Vitte was struck several times with a baton and sprayed in the face with tear gas.

The actor ran from officers and fell at the side of building’s swimming pool, Higbie said. He then was handcuffed and ‘was carried screaming’ to a squad car to be taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Officers noticed on the way that he had stopped breathing and detoured to a closer facility, where Vitte was pronounced dead.

In a press conference at that time, Vitte’s loved ones said there was something really suspicious about those findings…

Donna Summer spoke out in Vitte’s defense:

According to reports, Donna Summer was “baffled” by Raymond Vitte’s death, stating, “I’m devastated because he’s also my brother in Christ and I love him”:

Donna Summer complained bitterly ‘that a man who’s basically minding his own business in his own home, who happens to be creating a disturbance somehow, is now dead because his neighbors called the police. Is it more important that he be quieted and that his neighbors have peace?’ she asked a reporter after the news conference, held at her Hollywood recording studio.

‘We’re less one person because his neighbors complained about some noise. That doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s more important to have the man and if the man is noisy, OK, that’s one thing. But I think our priorities are very drastically off.’

NAACP questioned the use of force used by police officers

Willis Edwards of the NAACP…criticized the police role in Vitte’s death. He asked the district attorney to investigate and urged the Police Commission ‘to halt the brutalization of black people. It’s an extremely sad day for all black people who live in this community,’ he said. ‘Once again, we have an unfortunate example of excessive police force.’

Actress Sheila Frazier, was angry over her friend’s death:

In a telephone interview with UPI, Sheila Frazier said Vitte was “not a drug-crazed fanatic,” but “a solid, loving man.”

She also suggested that Vitte’s chanting, which police said included the name of Mohammed, may have been the Pentecostal practice of ‘speaking in tongues.’ -via UPI

This sounds foul on many levels and the family of Ray Vitte deserves an unbiased and thorough investigation. It’s been 37 years since his death; and unfortunately, we’re still witnessing “suspicious” deaths/murders at the hands of law enforcement in 2020.  Thus, the details surrounding Vitte’s death are sadly, still very relevant today. May he and the countless other unjustly slain Black and Brown brothas and sistas continue to rest peacefully.

The post After “Car Wash” Actor Died Suspiciously In Police Custody, Fans And Celebs Were Outraged appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

You remember “T.C.” from the classic ’70s film, Car Wash, don’t you? For those who don’t know…actor, Franklyn Ajaye, played “T.C.,” a character in the movie who was an employee at the car wash and who was constantly trying to call-in to the radio station to win a contest for tickets to a concert, so that he could get his girl, the waitress, “Mona” [pictured above] back.

After Car Wash and Stir Crazy, we didn’t see much of actor/comedian, Franklyn on the big screen, so we decided to do a lil’ diggin’ to find out where he’s been all of these years and let’s just say that the things we learn after doing a little research are often quite interesting. Here’s the scoop on Franklin…

After making a few appearances on ’70s TV shows like the Flip Wilson Show and Johhny Carson, Franklyn went on to record and release five comedy albums, with his last one, Vagabond Jazz & the Abstract Truth, being released in 2004. But get this, in 1997 Franklyn packed up and moved to Melbourne Australia, where he’s been a citizen ever since.

Apparently he’s been making a lot of noise throughout the years over there as a comedian and here’s what he said about why he decided to vacate the U.S. premises for good:

“Moving to Australia was not a career move, but a quality of life issue. It has no guns, no God, and no gangster rap. as an Ethiopian cab driver said to me the other day when i was returning from a gig in Sydney, “Australia is a peaceful, democratic place.” I like the relatively stress free lifestyle. it’s worth a drop in income.”

As some of you may know, Franklyn’s been known to make a few jokes about religion and other social issues. Here’s a clip from his performance on TV One a few years ago.

Over here [in Australia] I produce my one man show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, teach television writing at a university, do voice-over work, act in a children’s action-adventure television show, and am a guest panelist on a popular weekly discussion show called “The Panel.”

[Source: Shecky Magazine]

His Latest Acting Gigs

Ajaye still travels back to the U.S, periodically to work. As far as we know, his more recent projects in the U.S, include his role as the father of comedic actress, Maya Rudolph[late singer, Minnie Riperton’s, daughter] in the 2011 film, Bridesmaids. In 2019, Ajaye also had a role in the television film, Deadwood: The Movie.

And there you have it folks! Franklyn Ajaye has not stopped doing his thing ever since Car Wash and at 72 years young, he seems to be in great health. Hopefully we’ll be seeing him in more films or TV shows here in the U.S. soon.

Ajaye Shares His Hilariously Epic Encounter With Richard Pryor

Franklyn Ajaye once told this funny story about his first experience working with one of his comedic idols, Richard Pryor. It was a pretty wild experience and it all went down on the set of a movie that very few people ever knew about. It was Pryor’s production. Here is what TC explained in the Richard Pryor biography, Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him:

The movie’s cast and crew were never sure what sort of domestic mayhem they might walk into when they reported for work at Richard’s and Shelley’s (Richard’s then-wife) Hancock Park House. Massive amounts of coke coupled with Richard’s samurai sword collection did little to calm jittery nerves.

For Franklyn Ajaye, the filming was not a pleasant experience. The first day they met, Ajaye remembers that Richard was screaming at his wife in the kitchen. “It was a pretty rough scene.”

When the two comedians came to know each other later on in the seventies, appearing regularly on The Midnight Special and The Tonight Show, and together on Flip Wilson’s show and in the movies, Car Wash and Stir Crazy, Ajaye never mentioned to Richard that he’d been in his movie. “I doubt he remembered me from that, and i never saw it. I don’t know if he ever finishes it. I didn’t even know what it was called.”

See how much Ajaye got paid for his work in that film…

Ajaye recalls that his character had to wash the man standing trial (that was a scene in the movie) “like in a car wash or something. It was kind of a strange-ass fucking movie.” Ajaya put in a seventeen-hour day for a fee of thirty-four dollars and Richard paid him with a bad check. “It certainly didn’t make you want to be in movies, I can tell you that,” he says with a laugh.

Like I always say, there was never a dull moment in the life of the talented legendary Richard Pryor…LOL.

Here’s an Old School fun fact about Franklyn Ajaye:
He attended UCLA in 1968-69 at the same time as Lew Alcindor (who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, Old School news with a new point of view

The post Ever Wonder What Happened To “TC” From “Car Wash?” We Found Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For those of us who are fans of the 70’s film, Car Wash, we remember the character, “Geronimo,” portrayed by actor, Raymond Vitte. Vitte was also known for his roles in the films, 9 To 5 (1980), Up In Smoke (1978), and Thank God It’s Friday (1978); and TV shows, like All In The Family, That’s My Mama, Sanford and Son, The Quest, and more. What many of us didn’t know, is that Vitte died in 1983 at the age of 33. Equally surprising is the way that he died, while in LAPD custody, under very suspicious circumstances that many of his loved ones believed were really fishy.

At the time of Vitte’s death, there were many holes in the story surrounding the police report. His death certificate was also allegedly sealed by the LAPD. Raymond Vitte’s wife, Ernesta- who was 3 months pregnant when he died- joined Donna Summer, and others to speak out publicly about their suspicions.

Below is what was reported in 1983, shortly after Robert Vitte’s death [via United Press International]:

LOS ANGELES — Actor Raymond Vitte, who died minutes after [an alleged] weekend fight with police, was not beaten to death by the officers, the coroner’s office said Tuesday.

Spokesman Bill Gold said preliminary reports of an autopsy showed ‘superficial injuries consistent with a struggle were found, but they were not responsible for his death.’ He also said no needle marks were found on Vitte’s body, and said there was no evidence a chokehold was applied.

What Happened To Raymond Vitte

UPI- Vitte died at a hospital where he was taken by officers after he stopped breathing in the back of a patrol car.

Lt. Charles Higbie said officers summoned by neighbors in the actor’s Studio City apartment complex found Vitte alone in his apartment clad only in undershorts and a shirt. The actor’s ‘religious shouting’ had continued for more than 12 hours before the neighbors called police, Higbie said.

Vitte ordered the officers off the porch and ‘placed a curse on them,’ he said. In an ensuing struggle, Vitte was struck several times with a baton and sprayed in the face with tear gas.

The actor ran from officers and fell at the side of building’s swimming pool, Higbie said. He then was handcuffed and ‘was carried screaming’ to a squad car to be taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Officers noticed on the way that he had stopped breathing and detoured to a closer facility, where Vitte was pronounced dead.

In a press conference at that time, Vitte’s loved ones said there was something really suspicious about those findings…

Donna Summer spoke out in Vitte’s defense:

According to reports, Donna Summer was “baffled” by Raymond Vitte’s death, stating, “I’m devastated because he’s also my brother in Christ and I love him”:

Donna Summer complained bitterly ‘that a man who’s basically minding his own business in his own home, who happens to be creating a disturbance somehow, is now dead because his neighbors called the police. Is it more important that he be quieted and that his neighbors have peace?’ she asked a reporter after the news conference, held at her Hollywood recording studio.

‘We’re less one person because his neighbors complained about some noise. That doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s more important to have the man and if the man is noisy, OK, that’s one thing. But I think our priorities are very drastically off.’

NAACP questioned the use of force used by police officers

Willis Edwards of the NAACP…criticized the police role in Vitte’s death. He asked the district attorney to investigate and urged the Police Commission ‘to halt the brutalization of black people. It’s an extremely sad day for all black people who live in this community,’ he said. ‘Once again, we have an unfortunate example of excessive police force.’

Actress Sheila Frazier, was angry over her friend’s death:

In a telephone interview with UPI, Sheila Frazier said Vitte was “not a drug-crazed fanatic,” but “a solid, loving man.”

She also suggested that Vitte’s chanting, which police said included the name of Mohammed, may have been the Pentecostal practice of ‘speaking in tongues.’ -via UPI

This sounds foul on many levels and the family of Ray Vitte deserves an unbiased and thorough investigation. It’s been 37 years since his death; and unfortunately, we’re still witnessing “suspicious” deaths/murders at the hands of law enforcement in 2020.  Thus, the details surrounding Vitte’s death are sadly, still very relevant today. May he and the countless other unjustly slain Black and Brown brothas and sistas continue to rest peacefully.

The post After “Car Wash” Actor Died Suspiciously In Police Custody, Many Celebs Were Outraged appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

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He died while in police custody of the LAPD, under very suspicious circumstances that many of his family members and friends, like the late singer, Donna Summer, believed were really fishy.

At the time of his death, there were many holes in the story of the police report and his death certificate was allegedly sealed by the LAPD. Raymond Vitte’s wife, Ernesta, was 3 months pregnant when he died and she, Donna Summer, and several others spoke out publicly about their suspicions in the reports you’re about to see.

We wanted to share this with y’all because it’s been 34 years since Vitte’s death and we still are witnessing “suspicious” deaths at the hands of law enforcement in 2017.  Therefore the details surrounding Vitte’s death are still very relevant today…

SEE DETAILS OF ROBERT VITTE’S DEATH & WHAT HIS FRIENDS & FAMILY SPOKE OUT ABOUT

https://www.facebook.com/149567035143488/photos/a.149630471803811.22346.149567035143488/149633921803466/?type=3&theater

Here is what was reported in 1983, shortly after Vitte’s death via United Press International:

The Story Police Officers Reported In Vitte’s Death

Via UPI: Lt. Charles Higbie said officers summoned by neighbors in the actor’s Studio City apartment complex found Vitte alone in his apartment clad only in undershorts and a shirt. The actor’s ‘religious shouting’ had continued for more than 12 hours before the neighbors called police, Higbie said. Vitte ordered the officers off the porch and ‘placed a curse on them,’ he said. In an ensuing struggle, Vitte was struck several times with a baton and sprayed in the face with tear gas. The actor ran from officers and fell at the side of building’s swimming pool, Higbie said. He then was handcuffed and ‘was carried screaming’ to a squad car to be taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Officers noticed on the way that he had stopped breathing and detoured to a closer facility, where Vitte was pronounced dead.

Vitte’s Autopsy Results

Actor Raymond Vitte, who died minutes after [an alleged] weekend fight with police, was not beaten to death by the officers, the coroner’s office said… Spokesman Bill Gold said preliminary reports of an autopsy showed ‘superficial injuries consistent with a struggle were found, but they were not responsible for his death.’ He also said no needle marks were found on Vitte’s body, and said there was no evidence a chokehold was applied.

Donna Summer & Others Expressed Their Outrage & Suspicions

Now here is where (in that same 1983 article) Vitte’s family and friends say something is really suspicious about those findings:

Donna Summer and the president of the Beverly Hills-Hollywood chapter of the NAACP held a news conference to question the circumstances surrounding the death of the star. Vitte’s pastor, mother, and his pregnant wife, Ernesta, appeared at the same news conference, defending Vitte’s reputation and questioning circumstances of his death.

Miss Summer complained bitterly ‘that a man who’s basically minding his own business in his own home, who happens to be creating a disturbance somehow, is now dead because his neighbors called the police. Is it more important that he be quieted and that his neighbors have peace?. We’re less one person because his neighbors complained about some noise. That doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s more important to have the man and if the man is noisy, OK, that’s one thing. But I think our priorities are very drastically off.’ Miss Summer said she was shocked and ‘baffled’ by the death and added, ‘I’m devastated because he’s also my brother in Christ and I love him.’

Willis Edwards of the NAACP…asked the district attorney to investigate and urged the Police Commission ‘to halt the brutalization of black people. It’s an extremely sad day for all black people who live in this community,’ he said. ‘Once again, we have an unfortunate example of excessive police force.’

Actress Friend Recalls His Devoted Christian Beliefs

Actress, Sheila Frazier… said earlier in telephone interviews that Vitte was ‘not a drug-crazed fanatic’ but ‘a solid, loving man.’ She also suggested that Vitte’s chanting, which police said included the name of Mohammed, may have been the Pentecostal practice of ‘speaking in tongues.’

This sounds foul on many levels and after 34 years, the family of Ray Vitte deserves an unbiased and thorough investigation.

The post After “Car Wash” Actor Passed Away Suspiciously, Donna Summer & Others Were Very Pissed appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For those of us who are fans of the 70’s film, Car Wash, we all remember the character, “Geronimo,” who was played by actor, Raymond Vitte. Vitte was also know for his roles in the films, 9 To 5 (1980), Up In Smoke (1978), and Thank God It’s Friday (1978), as well as in TV shows like All In The Family, That’s My Mama, Sanford and Son, The Quest, and several more.

The thing that many of us didn’t know was that Vitte died in 1983 at the young age of 33 and what’s equally surprising is the way that he died. He died while in police custody of the LAPD under very suspicious circumstances that many of his family members and friends, like Donna Summer, believed were really fishy.
Loved ones described Vitte as an extremely religious person, who was devoted to his christian faith. At the time of his death, there were many holes in the story of the police report and his death certificate was allegedly sealed by the LAPD. Raymond Vitte’s wife, Ernesta, was 3 months pregnant when he died and she, Donna Summer, and several others spoke out publicly about their suspicions in the article you’re about to read below.

We wanted to share this with y’all because it’s been 33 years since Vitte’s death and we still are witnessing “suspicious” deaths at the hands of law enforcement in 2016.  By the end of 2015, young black men were nine times more likely than any other race to be killed by police officers, and 1,134 of them were murdered by law enforcement in 2015 alone! Therefore the details surrounding Vitte’s death are still very relevant today. Scroll down to read the details below…
Here is what was reported in 1983, shortly after Robert Vitte’s death via United Press International:

LOS ANGELES — Actor Raymond Vitte, who died minutes after [an alleged] weekend fight with police, was not beaten to death by the officers, the coroner’s office said Tuesday.

Spokesman Bill Gold said preliminary reports of an autopsy showed ‘superficial injuries consistent with a struggle were found, but they were not responsible for his death.’ He also said no needle marks were found on Vitte’s body, and said there was no evidence a chokehold was applied.

Now here is where (in that same 1983 article) Vitte’s family and friends say there was something really suspicious about those findings:

Earlier in the day, a group including singer Donna Summer and the president of the Beverly Hills-Hollywood chapter of the NAACP held a news conference to question the circumstances surrounding the death of the star.

Vitte’s pastor, mother and his pregnant wife, Ernesta, appeared at the same news conference, defending Vitte’s reputation and questioning circumstances of his death.

Miss Summer complained bitterly ‘that a man who’s basically minding his own business in his own home, who happens to be creating a disturbance somehow, is now dead because his neighbors called the police.’

‘Is it more important that he be quieted and that his neighbors have peace?’ she asked a reporter after the news conference, held at her Hollywood recording studio.

‘We’re less one person because his neighbors complained about some noise. That doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s more important to have the man and if the man is noisy, OK, that’s one thing. But I think our priorities are very drastically off.’

Miss Summer said she was shocked and ‘baffled’ by the death and added, ‘I’m devastated because he’s also my brother in Christ and I love him.’

The Rev. Billy Ingram, pastor of the Maranatha Community Church in suburban Inglewood, described Vitte as ‘a diligent and persistent Christian’ and said accounts of his death were not in his character.

Willis Edwards of the NAACP…criticized the police role in Vitte’s death. He asked the district attorney to investigate and urged the Police Commission ‘to halt the brutalization of black people.’

‘It’s an extremely sad day for all black people who live in this community,’ he said. ‘Once again, we have an unfortunate example of excessive police force.’

Actress Sheila Frazier, who did not speak at the news conference, said earlier in telephone interviews that Vitte was ‘not a drug-crazed fanatic’ but ‘a solid, loving man.’

She also suggested that Vitte’s chanting, which police said included the name of Mohammed, may have been the Pentecostal practice of ‘speaking in tongues.’

Vitte died at a hospital where he was taken by officers after he stopped breathing in the back of a patrol car.

Lt. Charles Higbie said officers summoned by neighbors in the actor’s Studio City apartment complex found Vitte alone in his apartment clad only in undershorts and a shirt. The actor’s ‘religious shouting’ had continued for more than 12 hours before the neighbors called police, Higbie said.

Vitte ordered the officers off the porch and ‘placed a curse on them,’ he said. In an ensuing struggle, Vitte was struck several times with a baton and sprayed in the face with tear gas.

The actor ran from officers and fell at the side of building’s swimming pool, Higbie said. He then was handcuffed and ‘was carried screaming’ to a squad car to be taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Officers noticed on the way that he had stopped breathing and detoured to a closer facility, where Vitte was pronounced dead.

This sounds foul on many levels and after 33 years years, the family of Ray Vitte deserves an unbiased and thorough investigation.

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, old school news with a new point of view

The post After Car Wash Actor Died Suspiciously Donna Summer & Others Were Angered appeared first on I Love Old School Music.