It wasn’t until a few minutes after seeing Franz Ferdinand on Saturday Night Live this evening that I learned of Charles Rocket’s suicide.
Rocket, 56, had a number of TV and film credits to speak of, but he’s probably best known for having been fired by SNL after saying “fuck” on the air in 1981. I’ve always associated him with some of the show’s weakest moments (and if you’ve been watching since inception, that’s really saying something).
Anyhow, the purpose of this post isn’t to further disparage a dead guy, but rather to point out that very often, there’s far more to someone’s personal and artistic background than we’re aware of. Rocket is eulogized in this week’s Providence Journal, and if his SNL tenure and the odd cameo on “Moonlighting” are all you’re familiar with (as I was), you oughta check it out.
We taped SNL and just watched the Catherine Zeta-Jones episode. I had no idea Charles died until I saw the snippet roll by. I can’t get this off my mind, I just loved this wonderful, talented man. I know I didn’t know him personally but it felt like I did. I remember being excited when he was on Moonlighting because he always added a spark. I’m so sorry for his family. Thank you for posting this article and giving us a chance to share our feelings. This is a profound loss, he will be missed.