David Carradine – Suicide at 72 (2 Updates)

 

I met David Carradine during the 1976 Academy Awards.  His brother had just won the Oscar for best song (‘I’m Easy’ from the film 'Nashville').  The entire family was there - from old papa Carradine on down.  His father had even brought his own Oscar with.  There they were - something like 8 sons, all lined up, circling the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  Old man Carradine went up to everyone he could find, introducing his youngest son, shaking everyone's hand (his own gnarled from arthritis).  I’ve never seen a prouder man in all my life.  He was on fire – his arm around his son, comparing statuettes.  I actually got to touch an Oscar that night.  It was quite surreal.

David was there along with all the rest.  He stood a little off to the side.  Happy, yes; but not really participating.  I noticed he was a bit shorter than his brothers (definitely shorter than the old man).  I shook his hand too - told him I was a huge fan (I was).  Frankly – he and his father were the ones I was interested in.  I hadn’t liked 'Nashville' – and I thought the song sucked (sorry Keith).  David was a huge TV star.  ‘Kung Fu’ had been one of my favorite shows.  I appreciated the chance to tell him so.  He was quite gracious (as was the entire family).  I gushed, he smiled – then he lit a cigarette and moved off with the rest of the clan, maybe a step or two behind.  I wondered at that.  It was the look in his eyes – a look I was all too familiar with.  That look of not quite measuring up.  So I wondered whether or not David wanted it to be he who won the second family Oscar – not his younger brother.  Not envy mind – just a tinge of sad regret. 

Maybe I was wrong.  I’ll never know.  I am sad that he's gone.  He's the second person I met that night to commit suicide, by the way - Margot Hemingway being the other (she literally saved my ass that night).  How odd is that?

R.I.P. grasshopper.  You’ll always be Kwai Chang Caine to me.

 

***Note: I know old John only had 5 sons (I looked it up) - but there were more than 5 family members with him (as I remember).  It looked like a sea of tall, thin men in tuxedos.  I was overwhelmed by the sight.  No one in my family would have turned up like that for me.  I envied both David and Keith the love that support represented.

Update:  There's evidently some question as to whether Carradine committed suicide or not.  Auto-erotic suffocation (a la Michael Hutchence) is now a distinct possibility.   Whatever the truth - his family, friends and fans are devastated. 

 

Second Update: It looks like the FBI is getting involved upon request of the family. 

Comments

[Joanna]

What a great memory! I spent about a year living in a fantasy world in which somehow I either was Kwai Chang Caine, or was his sparring partner, or we rescued people together, or something. I suspect we don't know yet how he really died. The roil of expectations in that family, like the Richardsons, must have been epic.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

I heard today that it may not have been suicide. His death may mirror that of INXS leas singer Michael Hutchence: auto-erotic. In other words: Carradine strangled himself by accident. But there are huge questions surrounding that theory as well. I think it's safe to say - Carradine's death will be much talked about for a very long time - as was that of Bruce Lee. Kung Fu was originally created for Lee, you know. He even filmed the pilot, as I recall. But TV executives in the early 70's didn't think audiences would accept a Chinese hero - so they fired Lee and cast Carradine instead. Carradine always felt bad about that. Odd then that his death will hold the same mystique as Lee's.

[waiter]

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[waiter]

must be cool to win an oscar. Dout i ever will. lol

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