TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. I want you to calm down now, OK?,″ the dispatcher told him. Cabaret; Off-Broadway; Off-Off-Broadway; Dance; Opera; Classical Music Ben Vereen, the legendary star of both stage and screen, has long made it a mission to inspire others through the healing power of the arts. Ben Vereen : biography October 10, 1946 – Personal life Vereen has appeared as a public speaker and humanitarian speaking on such topics as Black history, overcoming adversity, and the importance of continuing education. December 3, 1987. In a recording of the 911 call placed to the California Highway Patrol, a stunned Foster pleaded over his cellular telephone for an ambulance to help Vereen, who was knocked 130 feet after impact. In 1992, Vereen suffered three accidents in one day, when his car hit a tree causing him to hit his head on the roof of his car, then he suffered a stroke while he was walking on a Malibu highway, apparently veering into the road where he was struck by a car driven by record producer David Foster. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. After suffering an accident so severe that it nearly took his life, entertainer Ben Vereen required intense physical and occupational therapy to learn to walk, talk, sing, and even live again. Investigators said they did not know whether there was any connection between the accidents. Foster and Vereen, who are neighbors in Malibu, recently worked together during an AIDS benefit, but Foster didn’t recognize the man he hit on the dark, hilly section of highway. Their eldest daughter, Naja, died in a car accident in 1987. At that point, the headlights of a car could be seen bearing down on Vereen, who was sprawled on the highway with severe internal and head injuries, as well as a broken leg. ... I’m gonna be in big trouble, I know. According to NY1, Benjamin Jr. had been missing since July 27. Well, the veteran actor, Ben Vereen, is no stranger to tragedy as he lost not one but two children. Musician David Foster looks back on his car accident with Broadway superstar, Ben Vereen, and how it inadvertently saved his life. Deputy Robert Evans, lead investigator in the accident, said Foster did everything he could do to avoid hitting Vereen, who apparently was walking from his manager’s beach house to his Point Dume home five miles away. ″They’re here. Actor Ben Vereen attends the 2017 Tony Awards. Ben Vereen, Actor: All That Jazz. "We're encouraged at this point," Mr. Elbaum said, "but it's still very early.". Minutes later, Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics arrived. His legendary performances transcend time and have been woven into the fabric of this country's artistic legacy. Legendary actor, singer, and dancer Ben Vereen shares his rehabilitation experiences with Boston University Sargent College students. In prior interviews with People Magazine and Ability Magazine, the details and … Posted On : May 4, 2015. That love and support has helped Ben Vereen survive obstacles that would easily end the careers of other artists. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. A sister of performer Ben Vereen was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy when she collapsed while in custody in a county jail with a recent history of inmate deaths. Both Skip to footer site map. Mr. Vereen's sister, Aixa Clemente, said after visiting him that he was expected to survive. "Unfortunately," said Deputy Angie McLaughlin, "the pedestrian ran in the same direction and was hit by the left front area of the Suburban." Ben Vereen Hit by Car and Critically Hurt. Vereen, 45, underwent four hours of surgery Tuesday and he has been listed in critical condition at the UCLA Medical Center’s intensive care unit, said spokesman Richard Elbaum. Ben Lost His Daughter, Naja In An Accident. Almost killed in a 1992 Pacific Coast Highway accident, which occurred when he was walking back to … West End; New York City. I can’t believe this.″. Foster, a Grammy-winning composer and producer who has collaborated with Barbra Streisand and Michael Jackson, has been in seclusion since the crash. Earlier this week, Benjamin Vereen Jr., the son of legendary Broadway actor Benjamin Vereen, was confirmed to have died. Vereen lost his 16-year-old daughter, Naja Vereen, is a horrifying car accident in 1987 Vereen’s then-wife, Nancy, escaped the deadly accident unscathed. The 45-year-old Tony Award winner, one of whose five children died in a car accident in 1987, later underwent four hours of surgery at the U.C.L.A. ... Ma’am I hit him, I must have been doing 45 mph.″. This afternoon he was listed in critical condition with major head and internal injuries and a broken leg. Vereen was walking on Pacific Coast Highway shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when he was struck by Foster’s Chevrolet Suburban. After his daughter’s death, he developed a drug addiction and spent some time in rehabilitation. The entertainer Ben Vereen was critically injured early today when he was hit by a utility vehicle as he walked along a dark stretch of highway near his beach home in Malibu. I’m going to have to try to get the car’s attention without getting hit myself,″ said Foster. Vereen learned of his death on August 8. The driver of the vehicle told deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that he had seen a man walking in the roadway and had slammed on his brakes and swerved toward the right shoulder to try to avoid hitting him. Because it turned out, Vereen had already suffered an accident earlier that day, when his automobile hit a tree, inflicting him to bang his head on the roof of his automobile and undergo a stroke; this was why an out-of-sorts Vereen … He remained in critical condition Friday at University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center. The tape was obtained Friday by The Associated Press. This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. LOS ANGELES - Entertainer Ben Vereen was critically injured Tuesday after darting into the path of a small truck on a dark stretch of highway near his beach home, authorities said. I think he’s going to die. He ended up with many serious injuries. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Moments after his vehicle hit Ben Vereen, record producer David Foster told a 911 operator that a badly injured pedestrian lay nearby and, ″I think he’s going to die,″ according to an audio tape. In 1992, he had several accidents with his car. He was not charged. More From Yahoo Entertainment US. They have a son named Ben Jr. From 1976 to 2012, he was married to Nancy Bruner.They have three living daughters - Karon, Malaika, Kabara. ″OK, the sheriff’s are on their way, too, David. Mr. Vereen, perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical "Pippin" and as Chicken George in the television miniseries "Roots," was struck by a Chevrolet Suburban about 2:45 A.M. on the Pacific Coast Highway 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Naja was killed in an auto accident in 1987, on the New Jersey Turnpike when a truck overturned on her car. ″He was just, he walked right in front of my car,″ Foster told the operator before paramedics arrived. Re-teaming with Bob Fosse, Vereen hit movie theaters the following year in Fosse's semi-autobiographical, Oscar-nominated feature "All That Jazz" (1979). Deanne Holliday, a friend who was at the hospital awaiting updates on Mr. Vereen's condition, said he sometimes took predawn walks as exercise. He had lost his sixteen years old daughter, Naja Vereen, in 1987. Ben Vereen A Broadway star actor-singer-dancer who has made some inroads in TV, Ben Vereen also has seen his career plagued by personal problems, including a … A hospital spokesman, Richard Elbaum, said Mr. Vereen was "conscious and communicative" and was resting in intensive care. In 2007, he … Vereen is perhaps best known for his performance in the miniseries ″Roots″ and his Tony-winning role in Broadway’s ″Pippin.″. The miniseries was among the most talked-about television productions of the year, and Vereen leveraged his resulting high profile with the variety special "Ben Vereen, His Roots" (ABC, 1978). In the late '80s Vereen was emotionally drained after the death of his daughter, and contemplated suicide. The driver, whose name was not disclosed, was not injured. In 2007 he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has a website in which he shares his personal story along […] Musician David Foster looks back on his car accident with Broadway superstar, Ben Vereen, and how it inadvertently saved his life. The hospital has been deluged with hundreds of calls and telegrams from well-wishers that included Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, Janet Jackson, Red Skelton and Richard Pryor, said Elbaum. From 1966 to 1974, Ben Vereen was married to a woman named Andrea Townsley. Ben Vereen’s daughter, Naja, was killed when a minivan driven by her mother was crushed by a tractor toppled on a highway ramp. Watchlist. Vereen was walking on Pacific Coast Highway shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when he was struck by Foster’s Chevrolet Suburban. Chock-full of song, dance and inspirational and humorous stories, Ben Vereen in Concert is a one-man show featuring performances on the four major Hawaiian Islands, including this Sunday at Kaua’i Community College Performing Arts Center. Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Ben Vereen. His first love and passion is and always will be the stage. Doctors said it was too early for a prognosis. Ben Vereen is a dynamo. ″Oh man, there’s a car coming. Ben Vereen in “Pippin” (Photo by Martha Swope/Courtesy of the NYPL Archives) Besides winning the Tony for his performance in the original production of Pippin, Vereen has appeared in the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, Grind and most recently Wicked. Medical Center. After receiving help for his emotional problems, he bounced back, performing once again on Broadway in Jelly's Last Jam and on television in the USA series Silk Stalkings. Hours earlier, Mr. Vereen crashed his Corvette into a tree and was taken to a sheriff's station for sobriety tests, which he passed, said Deputy Larry Mead. Ben "Benji" Vereen, Jr., 55, Ben's son by his first wife, and himself a dancer and choreographer, was found dead on 8 August 2020 after being missing from his … ‘Basically, it was an act of God that she wasn’t injured,’ said a state police spokeswoman at the time. ″I know, but they can hit this man again,″ replied Foster, who managed to wave the car down in time. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ The 16-year-old daughter of entertainer Ben Vereen was killed when a mini- van driven by her mother was crushed by a tractor-trailer that toppled on a highway ramp, police said. The authorities said they did not know why he had been walking on the highway at that hour. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Moments after his vehicle hit Ben Vereen, record producer David Foster told a 911 operator that a badly injured pedestrian lay nearby and, ″I think he’s going to die,″ according to an audio tape. The eldest son and namesake of Tony Award-winning actor Ben Vereen has died under unknown circumstances at age 55, two weeks after he went missing. Ben Vereen, best known for his role as “Chicken George” in Roots and as a superb Broadway dancer, revealed that he developed an extremely heavy cocaine addiction that was kicked into overdrive after the sudden death of his 16 year old daughter, Naja. See the article in its original context from. Ben Vereen in "Pippin" (Photo: Martha Swope/NYPL) Ben Vereen is a Tony-winning actor, dancer and singer known most for his association with Bob Fosse’s work. In an inspiring and motivating presentation, Vereen share his personal journey and the importance of the rehabilitation he received. 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