Death comes for three

The worlds of sports and music are in mourning tonight.

It was just announced a short time ago that former baseball pitcher Ernie Johnson, Sr., who moved to the broadcast booth after retiring and called Braves games for nearly 40 years, passed away tonight at the age of 87. Johnson pitched for the Milwaukee Braves & Baltimore Orioles during a 10 year major league career. Tonight, as the Braves are retiring the uniform number of manager Bobby Cox, who retired at the end of the 2010 season, there was likely a moment of silence in honor of Johnson.

Scott LeDoux was a boxer who fought against the likes of Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks, and Ken Norton during his career, then turned to professional wrestling, first as a referee for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, then swapping the stripes for tights to feud with Larry Zybyzko at the end of the 80's. LeDoux later was named as the head of a combative fighting commission in Minnesota. LeDoux passed away Thursday at 62, and had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Jani Lane was the lead singer of the pop-metal band, Warrant, who scored such hits as "Cherry Pie", "Down Boys", "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and "Heaven". Lane was found in a hotel room on Thursday, dead at the age of 47. Following is a live performance of "Heaven", from the 1990 American Music Awards:



While Lane had something different in mind when he wrote "Heaven", he's there now, along with Johnson & LeDoux. Rest in peace, gentlemen.