John Ashton, famous for playing Detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, has sadly passed away at the age of 76. Now, his family has a special request.
Keep reading to learn more.
John Ashton died peacefully in Ft. Collins, Colorado, this past Thursday. His family and friends are heartbroken over his loss.
He passed away after bravely fighting cancer, according to his representative, Alan Somers. Somers shared that Ashton’s legacy is one of “love, dedication, and service,” and his family will continue to celebrate his life. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, and more.
To honor the late actor’s life and legacy, the family is asking for donations to be made to Pathways Hospice Care in his memory.
Ashton was a well-known name in Hollywood for over 50 years, lighting up screens with more than 200 film, TV, and stage performances. While fans loved many of his roles, it was his portrayal of the straight-laced detective alongside Eddie Murphy’s wild cop character, Axel Foley, that made him a household name.
Ashton’s character, Detective Billy Rosewood, provided the perfect contrast to his co-star’s character, adding energy and humor to the films.
The film was a major success and established Ashton’s name in Hollywood. In July of this year, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” premiered. In an interview, Ashton revealed that the film had taken 20 years to make before finally being released.
He mentioned there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the film, to the point that he had given up on the idea and moved on to other projects. By the time he received a call about the film, he was already working on another project in Chicago.
After finishing his film, he went to L.A. to meet director Mark Molloy. Ashton knew that the film could only move forward if Murphy approved the script.
He said he knew he could fully commit to the project when Murphy greenlit the script and Jerry Bruckheimer joined as a producer.
In addition to his iconic role in “Beverly Hills Cop,” Ashton also had notable appearances in the show “M*A*S*H” and played Eric Stoltz’s father in the John Hughes comedy-drama “Some Kind of Wonderful.”
He started his career at a young age, with his first professional role in a production of “Othello” at the Hartford Stage Company. He later toured the world in various theater productions.
Ashton received great recognition for his acting, including an LA Method Fest award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Once Upon a River.”
He also appeared in several films, including “Death in Texas” (2020), “American Christmas” (2019), and “My Little Baby” (2019), among others.
Beyond his career, he was a devoted family man. He leaves behind his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye, and his children, Michelle and Michael Thomas Ashton.
He is also survived by his stepchildren, Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio, and Ashley Hoye, as well as his grandson Henry, his sisters Sharon Ann Ashton and Linda Jean Ashton, and his brother Edward Richard Ashton.
19-year-old Christian Burrows brings judges to tears with song about late brother
A 19 year old named Cristian walked in front of the judges and said he saw Ed Sheeran playing a show and wanted to be like him. Simon Cowell replied, “but you know with him it’s all about the songs?” Cristian replied, “I write songs myself” prompting Simon to ask, “Can we hear one of your songs?”. Slightly hesitantly, Cristian replies, “you can, yeah” and slowly added, “I’ve got a song that I wrote for my brother who passed away when I was only young”. Simon asked if he was sure he wanted to perform it and Cristian said, “I think I’m ready to.” He then showcased some of the most beautifully written lyrics heard in an audition leaving all the judges with a lump in their throat. Cristian’s heartfelt audition went on to receive over 14 million views as his authentic songwriting captured the hearts of millions. Watch video in comments below.
Talent shows are full of surprises and that is one of the reasons we get so addicted to them. We never know if that shy girl who’s trembling on the stage would be the next star, or if the boy who can’t wait to let his voice loose would get a pass for the next round. What we do know, however, is that some of the performances are so powerful they stay with us long after we see them.
When Christian Burrows took the stage of one of the most popular music talent shows, The X Factor, not many believed he would make many cry.
When Simon asked him what he prepared for them, Christian said he’d penned a song about the loss of his baby brother Nathan who passed away at just three months old.
“I’ve got a song that I wrote for my brother who passed away when I was only young,” he told Simon, who asked him if he was certain he wanted to perform such a personal and emotional song. Christian said he believed he was ready, but no one was prepared for what followed.
The lyrics of Thunder Buddy, which Christian performed in front of the entire nation, touched everyone’s heart.
Before his son saw the light of the day, Christian only performed it twice in his life; once for his mom and once for his dad.
He left the stage with four yeses and proud of his performance that left some of the judges in tears.
Following his appearance on the show, Christian spoke to Metro Online and shared the heartbreak his family suffered when his brother passed away. At the time, Christian was 2 and a half years old and although he doesn’t remember anything specifically, he said he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of relationship he and his late brother would have now.
You can see this young man’s performance in the video below.
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