Lesbian: Wedding got me expelled

• Woman went to Southwestern Christian University on a sports scholarship


• Letter: An official says Minard's marriage to another woman violates school policy


• Minard admits signing a morality pact, but thinks she's singled out for being lesbian


• She says you can "have faith in God and live a gay lifestyle"

(CNN) -- First there was friendship. Then there was romance. After that there was marriage.

And now, at what would have been a few weeks from her senior year in college, Christian Minard finds herself expelled from school -- because the person she married is another woman.

In a letter from earlier this month that Minard shared with CNN, an administrator at Southwestern Christian University noted that he'd been told of Minard's same-sex marriage and saw pictures of it posted to Facebook.

Such a union is in apparent conflict with the "lifestyle covenant" of the university "that all students must agree and sign," he added.

"As an American and a Christian, I do respect your choice," the administrator wrote. "(But) I have to uphold the Lifestyle Covenant at SCU and confront you with our position.

"Due to this recent event, you will not be able to attend SCU in the future."

When asked to confirm that the school -- which describes itself as part of the "International Pentecostal Holiness" denomination -- sent the letter and to elaborate on the decision, the school's provost, Connie Sjoberg, said only that federal law "prohibits us from confirming if an individual is or has been a student at our institution."

Sjoberg added, "We therefore cannot comment on your specific request."

Did Minard sign the school's morality covenant? Yes, she concedes. But she still thinks her expulsion is unfair. Plenty of other students violate the contract in one way or another without being expelled, she says. Minard thinks she is singled out because she's a lesbian.

In addition to the emotional sting, the 22-year-old says she is now stuck personally -- not knowing what to do, or where to go next.

"I'm trying to figure out how and where I can graduate," she told CNN, noting that she'll have to start paying off her loans at the end of next year unless things change. "... It's going to be hard to get into classes that may be full, because they gave me very little notice before the fall semester starts."

What you need to know about same-sex marriage

Believes 'gay lifestyle' compatible with 'faith in God'

Located in the metropolitan Oklahoma City community of Bethany, Southwestern Christian University's website states the school's three core values are scholarship, service and spirit. The latter value includes "building a Christ-centered community," "honoring our Pentecostal Holiness heritage" and "respecting diversity and various Christian backgrounds."

Minard came to the school on scholarship for basketball, though her playing career was cut short after doctors told her -- after she'd suffered multiple concussions -- that she should avoid sports with physical contact.

"I stayed on without a scholarship," Minard said, "because I was so invested in the university and knew that some credits wouldn't transfer to other schools."

Meanwhile, her life was changing in other ways as well.

About 3½ years ago, she met her future spouse, Kadyn Park. They started out as friends, and romance blossomed over time. "We eventually fell in love and decided to get married," Minard said.

The couple wed March 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico -- a state where same-sex marriage is legal.

She had planned to become a strength and conditioning coach. "Once I graduated," Minard said, "I was willing to go wherever life took me."

Her educational and professional path, though, is now far from clear.

Yet Minard feels that she's in the right place in her own spiritual journey.

Having grown up in the Lutheran Church, Minard notes that she "at first ... struggled" with the idea that her faith was at odds with her sexuality.

"I had questions, but I worked through those questions," she said. "And now I have a strong faith in God. And I believe you can still have faith in God and live a gay lifestyle."

Love wins in gay couple's 40-year immigration fight

Utah same-sex marriages already done are valid, appeals court rules

Tracy Morgan sues Walmart over crash

• NEW: Morgan released from rehab center, to continue recovery at home, his rep says


• "We're committed to doing the right thing for all involved," says Walmart statement


• Crash injured Morgan and killed his friend


• Lawsuit is by Morgan and three others, and was filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey

(CNN) -- Comedian Tracy Morgan is suing Walmart over a deadly limo bus crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that left him critically injured.

The complaint was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

Morgan, 45, suffered broken ribs, a broken nose and a broken leg in the crash in the early morning hours of June 7. His friend and fellow comedian James McNair was killed and others were injured.

Morgan has been released from a rehabilitation center and will "continue his recovery at home with an aggressive outpatient program," his representative, Lewis Kay, said Saturday.

"He asked me to pass along his sincerest gratitude to everyone who has helped him get to this point," Kay said. "He would also appreciate some privacy during this crucial point in his recovery."

Actor Tracy Morgan is in critical condition after a six-vehicle accident in New Jersey early Saturday, June 7, authorities said. The former "Saturday Night Live" cast member and "30 Rock" star was riding in a limo bus when the accident occurred.

Morgan got his start as a stand-up comedian, working at Harlem's Apollo Theater before landing his gig with "Saturday Night Live." He was a cast member from 1996 until 2003. In the October 3, 1998 "Big Bernard" skit, Morgan performs with basketball star Shaquille O'Neal.

Tracy Morgan with Maya Rudolph in the "On The Subway" skit on April 13, 2002.

In 2003, Morgan left SNL to start "The Tracy Morgan Show," but it ran for only one season before it was canceled.

Morgan's acting career branched out from television to include movie titles such as "30 Years To Life." Director Vanessa Middleton, left, appeared with Allen Payne and Morgan at the premiere on March 27, 2002.

Actor Tracy Morgan and his wife Sabina pose on the red carpet during the premiere of "Are We There Yet?" at the Mann Village on January 9, 2005 in Los Angeles. The couple divorced in 2009 after 23 years of marriage.

Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey worked together after SNL on the show "30 Rock." Morgan played Tracy Jordan, a character that was loosely based on himself.

Members of the cast of "30 Rock" joke around with their award for outstanding comedy series backstage at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 21, 2008. Morgan was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Morgan starred with Bruce Willis in the 2010 movie "Cop Out."

Morgan has stirred up controversy with some of his comments in his comedy acts. "I hurt people with this, so from the bottom of my heart I apologize to everybody who I offended with my words on stage," he said in 2011 after an anti-gay rant in one of his shows. Stand-up comedy should "heal people, not hurt."

Tracy Morgan promotes his new book "I Am The New Black" at Barnes & Noble Union Square on October 22, 2009 in New York City.

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Tracy Morgan's comedy career

Photos: Tracy Morgan's comedy career

New video of Tracy Morgan crash

Crash passenger: Tracy was on top of me

The Walmart truck that rear-ended Morgan's limo was traveling 20 mph over the speed limit and its driver was almost at his drive time limit, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

According to the complaint filed by lawyers acting for Morgan and three others, the truck driven by Walmart employee Kevin Roper collided with the rear end of Morgan's vehicle.

"The defendants' negligence was a substantial contributing factor in causing plaintiffs' injuries," the complaint states.

In a statement, Walmart said the crash had been a "terrible tragedy" and that it wished full recoveries to Morgan and two others injured with him, comedian Ardley Fuqua and Morgan's personal assistant Jeffrey Millea. The fourth plaintiff in the lawsuit is Millea's wife, Krista.

"Our thoughts continue to go out to them, their families and friends, as well as to the families and friends of everyone involved, including Mr. McNair who lost his life," the Walmart statement said.

"We are deeply sorry that one of our trucks was involved. As we've said, we're cooperating fully in the ongoing investigation. We know it will take some time to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident, but we're committed to doing the right thing for all involved."

Roper, from Jonesboro, Georgia, pleaded not guilty last month to criminal charges that include vehicular homicide and assault by auto.

Kay said that Morgan didn't have any comment on the lawsuit. He referred all other questions to Morgan's lawyer, Benedict Morelli.

Morgan was a regular on "Saturday Night Live" for seven years and later received an Emmy nomination for his role in the comedy series "30 Rock."

The New York City native made his reputation with over-the-top characters and impressions of celebrities such as Mike Tyson and Oprah Winfrey.

Funny man Tracy Morgan has known fame and foibles

Cevallos: Was Tracy Morgan crash a crime or accident?

Pot study stalls after professor is let go

• Dr. Sue Sisley was planning to study marijuana's effect on veterans with PTSD


• Studies on the medical benefits of cannabis have been few and far between


• Sisley's contracts at University of Arizona were not renewed


• University says it has championed medical marijuana research on campus

Editor's note: For an exclusive interview with Dr. Sue Sisley, watch "Sanjay Gupta | M.D." Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET.

(CNN) -- A well-known medical marijuana researcher at the University of Arizona says a study she's been planning for four years has cost her her job.

Dr. Sue Sisley, a clinical assistant professor in the college of medicine, has been with the university for nearly eight years in several capacities. She has been planning a pioneering study on marijuana's effect on veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

"I was on the forefront of the most controversial research happening at the university," said Sisley, the study's principal investigator, said. "And they did not like the optics of veterans smoking and vaporizing marijuana on their campus, even in the context of a rigorous, FDA-approved, randomized controlled trial."

That trial was designed to look at the safety and efficacy of using marijuana to treat veterans who suffer from PTSD and aren't responding to other approved treatments. Seventy veterans were to participate in the randomized, triple-blind study, in which five different potencies would be used; some would be placebos and others would contain doses of up to 12% tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in pot.

For decades, studies to determine the medical benefits of cannabis have been few and far between because the Drug Enforcement Agency classifies it as a Schedule I drug -- the most dangerous class of drugs. That puts it in the same category as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Schedule I drugs are defined by the agency as "drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

Dr. Gupta: I agree with Clinton on pot

Does medicinal marijuana get a bad rap?

Dr. Gupta 'doubling down' on pot

Last year, a search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine revealed 2,000 recent papers on marijuana. But the majority explored the harm of marijuana; only 6% investigated the benefits. It's yet another reason, Sisley says, that this research is important for veterans all over the world.

"All the countries that have vets suffering with PTSD are looking for new treatment options, so the eyes of the world have been on this study for years now and have propelled it forward."

Sisley, a psychiatrist, has been working with vets with PTSD for 15 years. She claims that even with the various government approvals of the study, dating back three years, it was all contingent on the university providing a study location -- something she says they failed to do.

Then last month Sisley says she received notice that her three contracts would not be renewed and she feels politics is behind the move.

Sisley said: "They won't give us a reason and they certainly don't want to admit it's political." She also said her job evaluations and performance have been excellent, adding: "Job performance is not the issue here. It's about the university being fearful of the word 'marijuana' and not wanting their brand aligned with this research."

But now the university is talking about it. While they will not discuss Sisley specifically, Chris Sigurdson, a university spokesman, told CNN Thursday that several employees, who were not involved in marijuana research, also received non-renewal notices.

In a statement they say, "The University of Arizona does not comment on personnel issues. In regard to marijuana research, in general, in 2013, the UA championed state legislation to ensure that universities could perform medical marijuana research on campus ... The UA has not received political pressure to terminate any employee as has been suggested in some media and other reports."

In fact, Sigurdson says, the university is committed to the study and has reached out to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which is funding the study. "We have been in contact with MAPS, assured them that we want to continue the research and will forward the candidate for the principal investigator."

But MAPS is standing by Sisley:

"We told them that we are glad they are interested in the research, but we haven't agreed to do it with them," said Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS. "Our goal is still to get Dr. Sisley back her job and we will continue to support her in that. That's our preference."

Right now, they are still working with her.

"We'll be supporting her and her lawyers' efforts to submit an appeal for her reinstatement at the university," Brad Burge, MAPS' communications and marketing director, added. "We expect to receive that proposal for the principal investigator candidate from the University of Arizona, but we are going to continue focusing on Dr. Sisley's appeal to the university."

In the meantime, Sisley, who hopes to get her job back, has hired a lawyer.

Politics dealt the research a blow in April. State Sen. Kimberly Yee, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, singlehandedly blocked a bill that would allow the use of surplus state funds toward the study -- and others on the beneficial effects of medical marijuana -- by refusing to allow a hearing for the House-passed bill.

Yee would not discuss Sisley's dismissal but said in a statement to CNN: "This $9 million of state money could otherwise be used for much needed K-12 education programs and drug abuse prevention. There was significant opposition from the Arizona county prosecutors and veteran-led drug prevention groups. I could not in good faith hear the bill in committee when it came to the Senate."

Sisley says veterans deserve this research and she will not give up.

"We will somehow persevere and find a home for this work. So if it's not at U of A it will be somewhere. We are negotiating with several other universities."

On Wednesday, Will Humble, the director of Arizona's Department of Health Services, wrote on his official "director's blog" that he authorized "the use of marijuana (under AMMA) for patients that are currently undergoing conventional treatment for a diagnosis of PTSD." However, he says, marijuana could only be used for palliative care of PTSD symptoms, not for the treatment of the disorder.

Frieling: Pot is legal and sky hasn't fallen

Sabet: Colorado's troubles with pot

Is marijuana as safe as--or safer than--alcohol?

If it stinks that bad, can it be healthy?

The digestion of certain foods -- like beans -- produces hydrogen sulfide, a big part of the stink in flatulence.

• Hydrogen sulfide makes flatulence smell like rotten eggs


• Cells produce it when they are sick to shore up an important component


• The mitochondria generates energy for the cell, keeping it alive


• Two scientists hope a new drug will target mitochondria with hydrogen sulfide

(CNN) -- An old children's ditty goes: "Beans, beans, they're good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you...." Well, you know.

There's wisdom in that wit that may help you to live longer, according to medical researchers working on a new drug.

A big part of the stink in flatulence comes from the chemical hydrogen sulfide, which is produced in the digestion of certain foods -- like beans.

Hydrogen sulfide smells like foul eggs and is sometimes called rotten egg gas.

It is combustible, corrosive and highly poisonous. (No surprises there, eh?) So poisonous, in fact, that some scientists give it the blame for a prehistoric mass extinction.

A pinch

But a pinch of it in the right place can prevent heart failure and stroke, and put the brakes on aging. Scientists have known this for a while.

Now, two British scientists, Matt Whiteman and Mark Wood, have developed a drug called AP39 to target the delivery of hydrogen sulfide to that right place, inside of our cells. Once there, it protects a key part, the mitochondria, which generates the cell's energy.

Apparently this matters: Fart-filtering underwear

Hydrogen sulfide can prevent and even reverse mitochondrial damage, and healthy mitochondria make cells stronger, helping them live longer.

Weak mitochondria often go hand in hand with serious disease, and when you get sick, your cells create their own hydrogen sulfide to shore up the cellular organ.

What AP39 is for

That doesn't always go right, which is where AP39 comes in, Whiteman says. And it seems to be working. Weakened animal cells treated with the experimental drug have stayed alive.

The University of Exeter scientists have more work to do before it can be tested on humans, but Wood is optimistic that AP39 "could in fact be a healthcare hero" that doctors may use to treat many diseases.

The drug targets blood vessels, replenishing them, and, in tests, has reduced blood pressure and pulse rates.

Like the song says: It's good for the heart.

But since the healthy kind of hydrogen sulfide is produced inside your cells -- and does its works there -- there's probably no need to go eating beans to produce more of the kind that exits the body with a trumpeting sound.

And then subjecting yourself to the stench of.... Well, you know.

Can heart attack damage be reversed?

5 studies you may have missed

Last of the original Ramones dies

Click through to see people who passed away in 2014.

Drummer Tommy Ramone, the last living original member of the pioneering punk band The Ramones died on July 11, according to the band's Facebook page. He was 65.

Eileen Ford, who founded the Ford Model Agency 70 years ago, died Wednesday, July 9, at the age of 92, the company said.

Richard Percy Jones, the actor who gave Pinocchio his voice in the 1940 Disney movie, died at his California home on Monday, July 8. He was 87.

David Legeno, known for playing Fenrir Greyback in the "Harry Potter" movies, was found dead Sunday, July 6, by hikers in a remote desert location in Death Valley, California. He was 50. "It appears that Legeno died of heat-related issues, but the Inyo County Coroner will determine the final cause of death," read a press release from the Inyo County Sheriff's Department. "There are no signs of foul play."

Rosemary Murphy, an Emmy Award-winning actress known for her roles in the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" as well as TV soap operas "All My Children" and "Another World," died Saturday, July 5, at the age of 89. The New York Times cited cancer as the cause of death.

Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini, the subject of the book and upcoming film "Unbroken," died July 2 after a recent battle with pneumonia. The 97-year-old peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, according to a statement.

Walter Dean Myers, a beloved author of children's books, died on July 1 following a brief illness, according to the Children's Book Council.

Paul Mazursky, a five-time Oscar nominee who directed and wrote such films as "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," "An Unmarried Woman" and "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," died at the age of 84, his agent said July 1.

Actor Meshach Taylor died June 28 at his Los Angeles-area home, his agent, Dede Binder, said. He was 67. Taylor had fought a terminal illness and faded markedly in recent days, Binder said. His wife, children, grandchildren and mother surrounded him as he passed away.

Legendary soul singer Bobby Womack died June 27, according to Womack's publicist. He was 70.

Character actor Eli Wallach, seen here in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," died on June 24, according to a family member who did not want to be named. Wallach was 98.

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died June 16 at the age of 54, according to a release from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Gwynn, who had 3,141 hits in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres, had cancer.

Radio personality Casey Kasem died June 15. He was 82 and had been hospitalized in Washington state for two weeks.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll died June 13. He had suffered from Alzheimer's and heart disease. He was 82.

Ruby Dee, an award-winning actress whose seven-decade career included triumphs on stage and screen, died June 12. She was 91.

Former baseball star Bob Welch passed away on June 9 after suffering a heart attack, according to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 57.

British actor and comedian Rik Mayall, who appeared in the TV series "Blackadder," died June 9 at the age of 56, his agent said. The cause of death was not immediately reported.

Chester Nez, the last of the original Navajo code talkers credited with creating an unbreakable code used during World War II, died June 5 at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation President said. Nez was 93.

Ann B. Davis, who played Alice the maid on "The Brady Bunch," died from a subdural hematoma on June 1. She was 88.

Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist and actress, died at the age of 86, her literary agent said on May 28. Angelou was also a professor, singer and dancer whose work spanned several generations.

Australian racing legend Jack Brabham died on May 19, according to Brabham's son David. Brabham, 88, was a three-time Formula One world champion.

Malik Bendjelloul, the Oscar-winning director of "Searching for Sugar Man," died suddenly on May 13, police said. He was 36.

H.R. Giger, the Swiss surrealist artist whose works of sexual-industrial imagery and design of the eponymous creature in the "Alien" movies were known around the world, died on May 12. He was 74.

Former professional tennis player Elena Baltacha died at the age of 30 after losing her battle with liver cancer on May 4. Before retiring in November, she had reached a career high of 49th in the world rankings.

Al Feldstein, who guided Mad magazine for almost three decades as its editor, died on April 29, according to a Montana funeral home. He was 88.

Oscar-nominated British actor Bob Hoskins, known for roles in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Mona Lisa," died April 29 at age 71, his publicist said.

Hall of Fame basketball coach John "Dr. Jack" Ramsay, who became a television analyst years after winning a league championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, died on April 28, according to his longtime employer ESPN. Ramsay was 89.

Former Barcelona soccer coach Tito Vilanova, who had been battling cancer, died at the age of 45, the club announced April 25.

Country singer Kevin Sharp died from "complications due to cancer" on April 19, his mother told CNN. He was 43.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the middleweight boxing contender who was wrongly convicted of a triple murder in New Jersey in the 1960s, died April 20 at the age of 76, according to Win Wahrer, the director of client services for the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the influential, Nobel Prize-winning author of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera," passed away on April 17, his family and officials said. He was 87.

Jose Luis "Cheo" Feliciano, a giant of salsa music and a Puerto Rican legend, died in a car crash April 18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to police. He was 78.

Days after being inducted into World Wrestling Entertainment's Hall of Fame, WWE superstar Ultimate Warrior died April 8. Born James Hellwig, he legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993. He was 54.

Comedian John Pinette, 50, was found dead in a Pittsburgh hotel room on April 5. Pinette died of natural causes stemming from "a medical history he was being treated for," the medical examiner's spokesman said. An autopsy will not be done because his personal doctor signed the death certificate.

Mickey Rooney, who started as a child star in vaudeville and went on to star in hundreds of movies and TV shows, died April 6 at the age of 93.

DJ Frankie Knuckles, a legendary producer, remixer and house music pioneer, died March 31 at the age of 59.

Kate O'Mara, the British actress best known for playing Joan Collins' sister on the 1980s show "Dynasty," died March 30. She was 74.

Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the founder and longtime owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, died at age 95, the team announced March 25.

Gwar lead singer Dave Brockie died March 23 at the age of 50, his manager said. The heavy-metal group formed in 1984, billing itself as "Earth's only openly extraterrestrial rock band." Brockie performed in the persona of Oderus Urungus.

James Rebhorn, whose acting resume includes a long list of character roles in major films and TV shows, died March 21, his representative said. Rebhorn was 65.

L'Wren Scott, a noted fashion designer and girlfriend of musician Mick Jagger, was found dead of an apparent suicide March 17, according to a law enforcement official. She was 49.

Drummer Scott Asheton, who co-founded and played drums for the influential proto-punk band The Stooges, died March 15. He was 64.

Comedian David Brenner, a regular on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," died after a battle with cancer, a family spokesman said March 15. He was 78.

Actress Sheila MacRae, who portrayed Alice Kramden in a 1960s revival of "The Honeymooners" on "The Jackie Gleason Show," died on March 6, according to her family. She was 92.

Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia, seen here in 2006, died February 25 of an apparent heart attack. He was 66. De Lucia transformed the folk art of flamenco music into a more vibrant modern sound.

Actor, writer and director Harold Ramis, seen here on the far left with fellow "Ghostbusters" Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, died at his Chicago-area home on February 24. He was 69. Other popular Ramis films include "Stripes," "Groundhog Day" and "Analyze This."

Maria von Trapp, seen here posing with a photo of her family, was the last of the singing siblings immortalized in the movie "The Sound of Music." She died February 18 of natural causes at her Vermont home, according to her family. She was 99.

Journalist Garrick Utley died at age 74 following a long battle with cancer, his wife of 40 years said in February. Utley worked for CNN after his 30-year career at NBC News.

Devo guitarist Bob Casale, known by fans as "Bob 2," died February 17, his brother and band mate announced. Casale was 61.

John Henson, the son of Jim Henson who is perhaps most notable for his portrayal of Sweetums on "The Muppets," died after a "sudden, massive heart attack," his family's company said on February 15.

Veteran actor Ralph Waite died at 85 on February 13, according to an accountant for the Waite family and a church where the actor was a regular member. Waite was best known for his role as John Walton Sr. on 'The Waltons."

Sid Caesar, whose clever, anarchic comedy on such programs as "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour" helped define the 1950s "Golden Age of Television," died on February 12. He was 91.

Hollywood child star Shirley Temple, who became diplomat Shirley Temple Black, died February 10 at her Woodside, California, home. She was 85.

Joan Mondale, the wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale, died on February 3, according to a statement from the family's church.

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of an apparent drug overdose, law enforcement sources said February 2.

Maximilian Schell died on February 1 in a Austrian hospital with his wife by his side, his agent Patricia Baumbauer said. He was 83. Schell was nominated for an Oscar three times. He won in 1962 for "Judgment at Nuremberg."

Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, known for classics such as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)," died of natural causes in New York on January 27, his grandson told CNN. He was 94.

Ruth Robinson Duccini, who played one of the Munchkins in the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz," died on January 16. She was 95.

Former Playboy centerfold Cassandra Lynn Hensley was found dead at a friend's home in Los Angeles, the coroner there said on January 17. Hensley was 34. Her cause of death was not immediately known.

Hiroo Onoda, center, salutes after handing over his military sword on Lubang Island in the Philippines in March 1974. Onoda, a former intelligence officer in the Japanese army, had remained on the island for nearly 30 years, refusing to believe his country had surrendered in World War II. He died at a Tokyo hospital on January 16. He was 91.

Russell Johnson, center, stands with Alan Hale Jr., left, and Bob Denver in an episode of "Gilligan's Island" in 1966. Johnson, who played "the professor" Roy Hinkley in the hit television show, passed away January 16 at his home in Washington state, according to his agent, Mike Eisenstadt. Johnson was 89.

Ariel Sharon, whose half century as a military and political leader in Israel was marked with victories and controversies, died on January 11 after eight years in a coma, Israeli Army Radio reported. Sharon was 85.

Franklin McCain, seen center wearing glasses, one of the "Greensboro Four," who made history for their 1960 sit-in at a Greensboro Woolworth's lunch counter, died on January 10 after a brief illness, according to his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.

Larry Speakes, who served as President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, died January 10 at his home in Cleveland, Mississippi, following a lengthy illness, according to Bolivar County Coroner Nate Brown. He was 74.

Poet Amiri Baraka, who lost his post as New Jersey's poet laureate because of a controversial poem about the 9/11 terror attacks, died on January 9, his agent said. Baraka was 79.

Sir Run Run Shaw, the media tycoon who helped bring Chinese martial arts films to an international audience, died at his home in Hong Kong on January 7 at age 106, the television station he founded said.

Stage, TV and film actress Carmen Zapata, who founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts as a means of of introducing "the rich and eloquent history of the diverse Hispanic culture to English-speaking audiences," died on January 5 at her Los Angeles home. She was 86.

Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, died from a heart attack on January 5 at age 71, said his former club, Benfica.

Alicia Rhett, who had been one of the oldest surviving cast members of the classic film "Gone With the Wind," died on January 3 in her longtime hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, a retirement community spokeswoman said. She was 98.

Singer Phil Everly, left -- one half of the groundbreaking, smooth-sounding, record-setting duo the Everly Brothers -- died on January 3, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was 74.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

• The Ramones are credited with kicking off the punk rock movement


• Their music is fast, loud and cynical, but with an upbeat tune


• They were joined in the new music style by the likes of the Sex Pistols and the Clash


• Tommy Ramone was the last living member of the original band

(CNN) -- Punk rock fuel-injected the beat of rock and roll in the mid-1970s with a frenetic tempo. On Friday, the drummer who gunned out those rhythms with pioneering punk band the Ramones passed away.

Tommy Ramone was 65 and the last living original member of the band, which debuted its first album in 1976. Ramone was also one of the band's composers.

A notice of his death was posted on the band's Facebook page with his age. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reported that he was 62.

Ramone was reportedly battling cancer when he died.

Tommy Ramone was the last surviving original member of the Ramones. From left: Guitarist Johnny Ramone (1948-2004), drummer Tommy Ramone (1949-2014), singer Joey Ramone (1951-2001) and bassist Dee Dee Ramone (1952-2002).

With their racing-pulse beat and disparaging, cynical lyrics that were combined with oddly florid but loud guitar riffs, the Ramones kicked off a music and counterculture movement in New York that quickly spread to Britain.

Tommy Ramone, former drummer for the Ramones, plays as part of the duo Uncle Monk at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival i Indio, California, in 2012.

Punk rock combined a DIY sensibility with stripped-down songs and a screw-you attitude. Though the best-known punk movement came out of 1976-77 Britain, the genre had its roots in 1960s garage band America, with bands such as the Seeds, the Sonics and Question Mark and the Mysterians. Their singles were collected on the 1972 LP "Nuggets," which was expanded into a series of boxed sets in the CD era.

Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker (with drop-bys from Nico and Doug Yule) combined raw instrumentation with avant-garde subject matter. The apocryphal story goes that only 3,000 people bought the Velvet Underground's first album, but every one of them formed a band. (Actually, the album did much better than that, but why mess with a good story?) Many of those bands were proto-punks.

James Newell Osterberg -- aka Iggy Pop -- and his band mates blasted out of southeast Michigan with loud, distorted music and lyrics that were glorious in their minimalism: "It's another year / For me and you / Another year / With nothing to do" went "1969." What more was there to say?

Heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground (their first album was even produced by John Cale), the Modern Lovers also took a back-to-basics approach at a time when progressive rock was in full swing. Jonathan Richman's songs were down to earth, even nostalgic, hailing late-night drives and disdaining the "Modern World." Drummer David Robinson later joined the Cars; keyboardist Jerry Harrison ended up in Talking Heads.

Adding a touch of glam to downtown New York grit, the New York Dolls' raw sound and theatricality proved both influential and divisive: In a Creem magazine survey, they were named both the best and worst new band of 1973. The initial lineup broke up after two albums, though members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain reformed the band in the 2000s.

With their leather jackets, sneering attitude and turbo-powered songs, the foursome from Queens, New York, defined "punk," and it was their July 4, 1976, appearance at London's Roundhouse that helped ignite the UK punk scene. "If that Ramones record hadn't existed, I don't know if we could have built a scene here," the Clash's Joe Strummer once said. Their rise was slower, but no less influential, in their home country.

Equal parts provocateurs, fashion victims and three-chord howlers, the Sex Pistols kicked off their meteoric rise with their angry "Anarchy in the UK" and a number of controversial media appearances. The band made just one studio album, but its echoes still reverberate.

The name could be taken literally: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Terry Chimes (and later Topper Headon) really did have disparate musical tastes. But they shared a fire fueled by politics and music. It made for five terrific studio albums, highlighted by songs such as "White Riot," "London Calling" and "The Magnificent Seven," and an unparalleled live act.

Captain Sensible and his merry crew actually beat the Sex Pistols to the record racks -- "New Rose" came out before "Anarchy in the UK" -- and were in the forefront of the British punk movement.

Blondie was one of the many New York bands that came out of the downtown scene revolving around CBGB. The group, led by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein, was distinctive in its love of girl-group pop, though such songs as "X Offender" certainly had different subject matter. The group eventually had four No. 1 hits.

Another CBGB favorite, Television revolved around guitarists Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, whose tangled lines flowed through such cuts as the 10-minute "Marquee Moon," the title cut to their first album. The group split after 1978's "Adventure," though there were occasional reunions.

Richard Hell and the Voidoids recorded "Blank Generation," one of the most anarchic and wonderful of punk singles, and Hell's spiked hair and torn clothes became emblematic of the punk look.

Smith, a poet, teamed with "Nuggets" compiler Lenny Kaye and others to form this New York band, which had early success with the albums "Horses" and "Easter." Smith's androgynous look and defiant attitude influenced both punk and succeeding generations of female musicians.

One of the earliest hardcore punk bands, Bad Brains started as a Washington-based fusion band called Mind Power. Unusual in many ways -- not least because the band consisted of African-Americans playing rock -- Bad Brains ended up moving to New York after being "Banned in D.C.," as their song put it.

There was some punk in their attitude toward punk -- Izod shirts weren't exactly typical CBGB attire -- and in David Byrne's rubbery voice, but, for the most part, Talking Heads was known for being adventuresome and artsy. No surprise for these former Rhode Island School of Design students, whose albums remain inimitable.

From the mod side of the spectrum came the Jam, the Paul Weller-led trio whose blasts of anger ("The Modern World," "In the City") became more reflective and soul-infused over time.

With songs that sounded like soccer chants ("If the Kids Are United"), Sham 69 gave rise to the Oi! movement, known for its bluntness and working-class sympathies.

Punk eventually made its way to the U.S. West Coast, where it inspired a number of Los Angeles-area bands. (Many of them were featured in the 1984 film "Repo Man.") Black Flag's leader, Greg Ginn, even founded a record label, SST, which became home to such bands as the Minutemen, Husker Du and Sonic Youth.

"We had no preconceived notions of what we were going to be," leader John Doe told CNN in 2004. His Los Angeles-based band, X, got lumped in with the punks, but their influences included rockabilly and country. It was their "scary" style and singer Exene Cervenka's otherworldly voice that made such songs as "Los Angeles" and "Johnny Hit and Run Paulene" fit with the overall scene.

Led by one of the great punk names -- Lee Ving -- Fear played hardcore rock and liked to bait audiences. The tactic backfired (or did it?) on a 1981 episode of "Saturday Night Live," when slam-dancing fans damaged the set.

From Northern California came the Dead Kennedys, whose name provoked the desired clucking from the offended classes. One wonders if they ever listened to the music, which included "California Uber Alles" and "Holiday in Cambodia." But even punks have capitalist troubles: Leader Jello Biafra was sued by his bandmates over royalties.

Glenn Danzig, later of the band Danzig, founded this leader in what came to be called "horror-punk." The band now includes original member Jerry Only; the musical style is closer to metal.

Social D, as they're known, had a slower rise than other punk bands. The group had some minor success after forming in 1978, but didn't get wider notice until the late '80s, after signing a major-label deal and changing their style to what became known as "cowpunk." The group had a national hit, "Ball and Chain," in 1990.

A short history of punk: 'Nuggets'

Jonathan Richman/Modern Lovers

Richard Hell and the Voidoids

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

A short history of punk

It came echoing back from London in variations from groups like the Clash and the Sex Pistols.

Glue-sniffing darkness

Their debut album, "Ramones," left little doubt about the direction of the new rock style with song titles like: "Beat on the Brat," "Chain Saw," "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue."

Not all of their lyrics were dark. Some were playful ruckus, but most of them seemed to come "from a sullen adolescent basement of the mind," as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame put it.

Their head-banging rock cut like a machete into the candy-glazed, infatuated glam pop of the time that was vaulting the band ABBA to Beatles-like elevations. A flock of similar kissable, bell-bottomed groups were riding their coattails.

Then punk rock slammed into the party head-on.

Clashing with glam pop

The Ramones' black leather, torn jeans and canvas sneakers clashed with the rainbow satin, sequins and platform shoes that had overtaken youth culture.

The everyday heroes the Ramones sang about had dumped surfboards and disco gyrations for lives as pogo-ing punk rockers in the urban grit of places like Berlin and New York.

The Ramones were practically the house band of the hole-in-the-wall rock bar CBGB on lower Manhattan's Bowery, a neighbor to skid row. Other American punk and new wave acts like Blondie, the Cramps and Joan Jett joined them there.

The Hall of Fame credits the band with saving rock music "from one of its lowest ebbs."

"The Ramones got back to basics: simple, speedy, stripped-down rock and roll songs. Voice, guitar, bass, drums. No makeup, no egos, no light shows, no nonsense."

Tommy Ramone said the intention was innovation with a statement.

"It wasn't just music in the Ramones: it was an idea. It was bringing back a whole feel that was missing in rock music -- it was a whole push outwards to say something new and different," he said.

Iron Curtain

While his Hall of Fame biography states that Ramone was born Tom Erdelyi in Budapest, Hungary, he was actually born in that city as Erdelyi Tamas, on January 29, 1949, and his name was changed to Tom Erdelyi after he emigrated with his family to the United States in 1957, according to Andy Schwartz, a representative of Ramone's longtime domestic partner, Claudia Tienan.

It was during the morbid wake of World War II, when the Soviet Union was beginning to cement Eastern Europe into a communist bloc.

Some of the Ramones' music reflects that Cold War background with songs like "Blitzkrieg Bop" and the album "Rocket to Russia."

Ramone built his music career on the band but handed over the drum sticks in 1978. In subsequent years, he still drummed, composed and produced for other bands, including the Talking Heads.

But in the decade prior to his death, he didn't play drums for any band, including Uncle Monk, the acoustic duo he formed with Tienan, Schwartz said. Ramone also stopped composing for other artists during this period, Schwartz said.

The other original band members passed away between 2001 and 2004, according to the Hall of Fame.

Joey Ramone, born Jeffrey Hyman, died of cancer in 2001 at age 49.

Dee Dee Ramone, born Douglas Colvin, died from an apparent overdose in 2002 at age 49.

Johnny Ramone, born John Cummings, died of cancer in 2004 at age 52.