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Eddie Mekka 1952 - 2021

Eddie Mekka was born on June 14, 1952 in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts United States, and died at age 69 years old on November 27, 2021.

Eddie Mekka
Edward Rudolph Mekjian - at birth only
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Santa Clarita, CA.
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June 14, 1952
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
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November 27, 2021
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Updated: November 28, 2024
Biography ID: 192947966 What's this
Eddie Mekka Eddie Mekka (1952 - 2021)
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Eddie Mekka's History: 1952 - 2021

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  • Introduction

    Eddie Mekka (June 14, 1952 – November 27, 2021) rose to early fame in 1975 in Broadway musical The Lieutenant, which resulted in a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. After the show closed, he moved to Los Angeles and was cast in Happy Days spin-off Laverne & Shirley as Shirley’s (Cindy Williams) high school sweetheart and on-again, off-again romance. The sitcom was an immediate sensation, finishing its first week as the top-rated program in all of primetime, and aired through 1983. At the same time he was doing Laverne & Shirley, Mekka was also a regular on another Garry Marshall sitcom, Blansky’s Beauties, which aired for 13 episodes in 1977 (and also had a connection to Happy Days). In a proposed spin-off from Laverne & Shirley (which never went to series), Mekka as Carmine moved to New York after landing a role on Broadway in musical Hair in the final episode of the series. After Laverne & Shirley, Mekka appeared as a guest star in a number of TV series, including The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Moonlighting, True Blue and Family Matters. In 1992, he had a cameo in Penny Marshall-directed theatrical A League of Their Own, and he reunited on stage with Cindy Williams in musical Hairspray in Las Vegas and in a national tour of Grease. Mekka returned to off-Broadway in the summer of 2008 in comedy My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm In Therapy! Additional credits on television for Mekka include guest roles in daytime dramas Sunset Beach, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless; dramas 24 and ER; and sitcoms It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. His theatrical appearances also included Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star and Dreamgirls. Mekka was married to actress DeLee Lively from 1983 to 1992. He married Yvonne Marie Grace in 1994. Together they have one daughter, Mia.
  • 06/14
    1952

    Birthday

    June 14, 1952
    Birthdate
    Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts United States
    Birthplace
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  • Nationality & Locations

    Edward Rudolph Mekjian was born on June 14, 1952, in Worcester, Mass., to Vahe Vaughn Mekjian, an Armenian-born factory worker who served in the U.S. Army in World War II, and Mariam (Apkarian) Mekjian, a dry-cleaning presser.

  • Professional Career

    “I’ve always been a song and dance man…Gene Kelly…Tony Bennett…I’m from the old fashioned school where you had to learn how to sing and dance and act and be funny. You couldn’t just walk onto a television program overnight and then learn how to act. I’m from the old school where you had to learn it all first. Then you go out into the world and pay your dues. You did it the right way…that’s the way it’s supposed to be.” —from a 2012 interview for Media Mikes
  • 11/27
    2021

    Death

    November 27, 2021
    Death date
    Unknown
    Cause of death
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  • Obituary

    Eddie Mekka, a Star of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ Is Dead at 69 As Carmine Ragusa on the hit sitcom, he got to show off his singing, tap-dancing, and gymnastic skills — and to croon “Rags to Riches” many times. By Anita Gates Published Dec. 5, 2021 Updated Dec. 6, 2021 Eddie Mekka, the actor best known for his role as the aspiring entertainer Carmine Ragusa on the hit television series “Laverne & Shirley,” died on Nov. 27 at his home in the Newhall area of Santa Clarita, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles. He was 69. His death was announced on Mr. Mekka’s Facebook page. No cause was given. Mr. Mekka was a regular cast member on “Laverne & Shirley” (1976-83), a sitcom about two young single women working at a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s. His character, known as the Big Ragoo, was the high school sweetheart and on-again, off-again boyfriend of Shirley (Cindy Williams). If anyone was upset with Carmine, all he had to do was sing the words “You know I’d go from rags to riches” — in Tony Bennett style — and all was forgiven. Mr. Mekka got to show off his singing, tap-dancing, and gymnastic skills in the talent show and other episodes. In the series' final episode, Carmine found success: He went to New York, auditioned for the Broadway musical “Hair,” and got the job. Mr. Mekka was the second veteran of the “Laverne & Shirley” cast to die in less than a year. David L. Lander, who played Squiggy, died in December 2020. Mr. Mekka began and ended his real-life career on the stage, even earning a Tony Award nomination. He was nominated for best actor in a musical for his performance as Lt. William L. Calley Jr., who perpetrated the My Lai massacre of civilians during the Vietnam War in “The Lieutenant” (1975). In his later years, he appeared in regional theater, playing the part of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Harold Hill in “The Music Man.” Clive Barnes, reviewing the show for The New York Times, said Mr. Mekka displayed “an honesty and openness that proves very attractive” in his portrayal of “a puzzled kid with a gun who has been told to kill.” The musical, with its difficult subject matter, closed after nine performances but received four Tony nominations. He also appeared in more than 50 film and television roles, including small parts in “A League of Their Own” (he jitterbugged with Madonna at a bar) and “Dreamgirls” (as a nightclub manager). His last screen appearance was in the 2018 film “Hail Mary!” (originally titled “Sushi Tushi”), a comedy about a football team that recruits sumo wrestlers. Edward Rudolph Mekjian was born on June 14, 1952, in Worcester, Mass., to Vahe Vaughn Mekjian, an Armenian-born factory worker who served in the U.S. Army in World War II, and Mariam (Apkarian) Mekjian, a dry-cleaning presser. He performed with the Worcester County Light Opera. He attended the Boston Conservatory for a year before dropping out to take a job with a regular weekly paycheck in dinner theater. He married the actress DeLee Lively in 1983; they divorced in 1992, and he married Yvonne Marie Grace two years later. His survivors include a daughter, Mia Mekjian, and a brother, Warren Mekjian; complete information on survivors was not immediately available. Mr. Mekka returned to the New York stage in 2008, starring in the one-man Off Broadway comedy “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy.” He also continued to appear in regional theater. He was Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” Pseudolos in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors” and Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” his favorite role, which he said in 2003 he had already played more than 20 times. He had a unique take on the character, as he told The Boston Globe in 2014: “I play him like an older, grumpier and slower Jackie Mason.”
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4 Memories, Stories & Photos about Eddie

Eddie Mekka
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
11/28/2024
Eddie Mekka
Laverne and Shirley
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Eddie Mekka
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
11/28/2024
Eddie Mekka
From Laverne and Shirley as Carmine.
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Eddie Mekka
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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11/28/2024
Eddie Mekka
The show he wrote had good reviews.
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Eddie Mekka and Amanda Stevenson
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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11/28/2024
Eddie Mekka and Amanda Stevenson
At his off-Broadway show. He was great to meet.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Eddie Mekka's Family Tree & Friends

Eddie Mekka's Family Tree

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Other Biographies

Other Mekka Family Biographies

Mekka, Peter (Jan 8, 1898 - Oct 13, 1990) Mekka, Joseph (Sep 2, 1887 - Aug 1963) Mekka, Esther (Nov 29, 1904 - Jun 4, 1992) Mekka, Royal (Mar 25, 1952 - Jan 5, 2002)
Mekka, Paul (Nov 3, 1902 - Feb 1951) Mekka, Edward (Apr 30, 1905 - Feb 6, 1994) Mekka, Roland (Jan 27, 1925 - May 7, 1998)
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