Patty Donahue Question? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

APPLEI · 03-15-2001, 12:24 AM

HOW AND WHEN DID PATTY DONAHUE DIE?

JohnMcMillin · 03-15-2001, 06:42 PM

she had cancer, I believe it was in late 95 or 96.

APPLEI · 03-15-2001, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnMcMillin:
she had cancer, I believe it was in late 95 or 96.

THANK YOU JOHN MCMILLIN.
I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT.

Road Dog · 04-30-2004, 05:14 PM

Miss Donahue died on December 9, 1996 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. She was 40. If you are ever in the Cleveland area and would like to visit her grave site, she is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Section 13, Lot 782.

I was an original member of the Waitresses fan club. The club disbanded shortly after the Waitresses split. But I have kept in touch with the club preident (Billy Furcal) through the years, and he has kept up with the surviving members of the Waitresses. After the Waitresses broke up Patty had an impossible time getting another job in music because most record labels believed that she was the reason for the Waitresses split up. Patty left the group because she was tired of touring and certain clubs and crowds tended to be too rowdy for her liking. She eventually got a job with the ABC network working in as file clerk. She worked there until about 1990 and then she got a job with RCA records as talent scout or something like that. Patty smoked constantly, and it began to affect her health. Around 1992 she had a non-cancerous growth removed from her throat. She was also beginning to develop early signs of emphyzem in her lungs. Despite doctors warnings she continued to smoke. Then in early 1996, she was hospitalized with shortness of breath. That's when doctors found a cancerous tumor in her lungs. She under went a difficult round of chemotherpy treatment but it didn't do any good. Patty was a very independant person. She didn't marry and she didn't have any kids.

Nighthawk76 · 04-30-2004, 05:24 PM

I was very sorry when I learned that she had passed away. I bought the Waitresses Millennium collection cd late last year because it had the Square Pegs theme song on it. I ended up loving the whole CD and I listen to it all the time. It is really a shame they didn't become more popular then they did.

seventies_sitcoms · 01-11-2005, 11:20 PM

The Waitresses are one of the best 80's new wave bands that got overlooked. I still have their VINYL albums. I see their videos for "I Know What Boys Like" and "Make the Weather" on VH1 Classic sometimes.

mrberstein · 06-21-2006, 08:19 PM

I graduated from high school in 1982 in Georgia. I remember very vividly the music video for the Waitresses song "I Know What Boys Like." I remember sitting hours on end waiting for that video to play. Patty Donahue drove me crazy in that video. It was instant love. She was dressed perfectly with that red checkered skirt. She moved very sexy. It's hard to define but this girl had something special. The song and video was short and sweet and never seen now. The image of her in that video is still crystal clear in my mind.

I am sorry to her about her death. I would have loved to meet her.

Jinxed · 11-16-2006, 07:48 PM

The first time I ever heard the Waitresses was when I was just a kid. I fell asleep with my headphones on and at around 3:00am I woke up only to hear "I know what boys like" blaring in my ears... I had never heard anything like it before or since... It was surreal to say the least.

40 years old is entirely too young to die... What a waste.

Robert 13 · 11-20-2006, 03:59 PM

I was sad to find this out several years ago. My favorite Waitresses song apart from "I Know What Boys Like" has to be "No Guilt". I love the lyrics. Also "***** Strut" which apparently is not available on cd.

seventies_sitcoms · 12-02-2006, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert 13

I was sad to find this out several years ago. My favorite Waitresses song apart from "I Know What Boys Like" has to be "No Guilt". I love the lyrics. Also "***** Strut" which apparently is not available on cd.

They should just release the two albums and the one EP on 1 CD.
The Waitresses have one of the best Christmas songs ever!

80sTrivia · 12-02-2006, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seventies_sitcoms

The Waitresses have one of the best Christmas songs ever!

I agree: The Waitresses' song "Christmas Rapping" is a holiday classic that I look forward to hearing each Christmas season.

Nighthawk76 · 12-04-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seventies_sitcoms

The Waitresses have one of the best Christmas songs ever!

That is a great song!

cityish_girl · 01-03-2008, 07:33 PM

This is all news to me. I was listening to "Christmas Wrapping" on YouTube and then I googled "Patty Donahue" and imagine my shock when I found this thread.

I am so sorry to hear of her passing. I'm surprised I haven't heard about it since it happened 11 years ago!

I saw The Waitresses at Arizona State University ("Devil House" bar just off campus) in the fall of '82. They and R.E.M. were the opening acts for the Gang of Four, another much overlooked band from that era. What a night -- for the cost of an $8 ticket, I got to sit and watch Michael Stipe, the Waitresses and the Gang of Four from about five yards away on the stage of a bar.

Having grown up with disco, Patty made an incredible impression on me. I will never, ever, ever forget how cool she was -- the way she danced, the way she sang, her attitude. I'd never seen anything like her before or since.

I'm just so very sad to hear of her passing.

cityish_girl · 02-04-2008, 02:23 AM

Oh yeah, and while we're on the subject of the fall of '82, one other thing.

I would just like to thank my former college suite-mates, Lee Ann Henderson and Gina Guinn, for being such bitches during the fall of '82 at ASU Apartments.

Because if they hadn't been such bitches, I would have returned the Waitresses and Missing Persons albums at the end of the semester that Lee Ann had loaned to me.

I still have them. Thanks, Lee Ann!

TMC · 12-04-2020, 05:00 AM

Todd in the Shadows just made a video chronicling the career of Patty Donahue and The Waitresses. He briefly talks about Square Pegs at the 18:06 mark.

(LANGUAGE WARNING)

03-15-2001, 12:24 AM	#1
APPLEI Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 16, 2000 Location: JACKSON MI. 49203 Posts: 810	Patty Donahue Question? HOW AND WHEN DID PATTY DONAHUE DIE?

04-30-2004, 05:14 PM	#4
Road Dog Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 30, 2004 Posts: 94	Patty Donahue Miss Donahue died on December 9, 1996 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. She was 40. If you are ever in the Cleveland area and would like to visit her grave site, she is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Section 13, Lot 782. I was an original member of the Waitresses fan club. The club disbanded shortly after the Waitresses split. But I have kept in touch with the club preident (Billy Furcal) through the years, and he has kept up with the surviving members of the Waitresses. After the Waitresses broke up Patty had an impossible time getting another job in music because most record labels believed that she was the reason for the Waitresses split up. Patty left the group because she was tired of touring and certain clubs and crowds tended to be too rowdy for her liking. She eventually got a job with the ABC network working in as file clerk. She worked there until about 1990 and then she got a job with RCA records as talent scout or something like that. Patty smoked constantly, and it began to affect her health. Around 1992 she had a non-cancerous growth removed from her throat. She was also beginning to develop early signs of emphyzem in her lungs. Despite doctors warnings she continued to smoke. Then in early 1996, she was hospitalized with shortness of breath. That's when doctors found a cancerous tumor in her lungs. She under went a difficult round of chemotherpy treatment but it didn't do any good. Patty was a very independant person. She didn't marry and she didn't have any kids.

03-15-2001, 06:42 PM	#2
JohnMcMillin Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 29, 2000 Location: louisville, ky, USA Posts: 380	she had cancer, I believe it was in late 95 or 96.

04-30-2004, 05:24 PM	#5
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,256	I was very sorry when I learned that she had passed away. I bought the Waitresses Millennium collection cd late last year because it had the Square Pegs theme song on it. I ended up loving the whole CD and I listen to it all the time. It is really a shame they didn't become more popular then they did.

01-11-2005, 11:20 PM	#6
seventies_sitcoms * Senior Member Join Date: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 2,243	The Waitresses are one of the best 80's new wave bands that got overlooked. I still have their VINYL albums. I see their videos for "I Know What Boys Like" and "Make the Weather" on VH1 Classic sometimes.

06-21-2006, 08:19 PM	#7
mrberstein Member First Time Poster Join Date: Jun 21, 2006 Posts: 1	I graduated from high school in 1982 in Georgia. I remember very vividly the music video for the Waitresses song "I Know What Boys Like." I remember sitting hours on end waiting for that video to play. Patty Donahue drove me crazy in that video. It was instant love. She was dressed perfectly with that red checkered skirt. She moved very sexy. It's hard to define but this girl had something special. The song and video was short and sweet and never seen now. The image of her in that video is still crystal clear in my mind. I am sorry to her about her death. I would have loved to meet her.

11-16-2006, 07:48 PM	#8
Jinxed Member First Time Poster Join Date: Nov 16, 2006 Posts: 1	The first time I ever heard the Waitresses was when I was just a kid. I fell asleep with my headphones on and at around 3:00am I woke up only to hear "I know what boys like" blaring in my ears... I had never heard anything like it before or since... It was surreal to say the least. 40 years old is entirely too young to die... What a waste.

11-20-2006, 03:59 PM	#9
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	I was sad to find this out several years ago. My favorite Waitresses song apart from "I Know What Boys Like" has to be "No Guilt". I love the lyrics. Also "***** Strut" which apparently is not available on cd.

01-03-2008, 07:33 PM	#13
cityish_girl Member Forum Cub Join Date: Jan 03, 2008 Posts: 2	This is all news to me. I was listening to "Christmas Wrapping" on YouTube and then I googled "Patty Donahue" and imagine my shock when I found this thread. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. I'm surprised I haven't heard about it since it happened 11 years ago! I saw The Waitresses at Arizona State University ("Devil House" bar just off campus) in the fall of '82. They and R.E.M. were the opening acts for the Gang of Four, another much overlooked band from that era. What a night -- for the cost of an $8 ticket, I got to sit and watch Michael Stipe, the Waitresses and the Gang of Four from about five yards away on the stage of a bar. Having grown up with disco, Patty made an incredible impression on me. I will never, ever, ever forget how cool she was -- the way she danced, the way she sang, her attitude. I'd never seen anything like her before or since. I'm just so very sad to hear of her passing.

02-04-2008, 02:23 AM	#14
cityish_girl Member Forum Cub Join Date: Jan 03, 2008 Posts: 2	Oh yeah, and while we're on the subject of the fall of '82, one other thing. I would just like to thank my former college suite-mates, Lee Ann Henderson and Gina Guinn, for being such bitches during the fall of '82 at ASU Apartments. Because if they hadn't been such bitches, I would have returned the Waitresses and Missing Persons albums at the end of the semester that Lee Ann had loaned to me. I still have them. Thanks, Lee Ann!

12-04-2020, 05:00 AM	#15
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,675	Todd in the Shadows just made a video chronicling the career of Patty Donahue and The Waitresses. He briefly talks about Square Pegs at the 18:06 mark. (LANGUAGE WARNING)