Astrologer to the stars dies after heart attack

Astrologer to the starsdies after heart attack
LOS ANGELES -- Sydney Omarr, the astrologer to the stars who came to write horoscopes that appear in more than 200 newspapers, has died. He was 76.
Omarr, who was blinded and paralyzed from the neck down by multiple sclerosis, died Thursday at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica of complications from a heart attack, the Los Angeles Times reported. His ex-wife, assistants and several close friends were by his side.
Born Sidney Kimmelman in Philadelphia, Omarr decided to change his name at age 15 after watching a movie called "Shanghai Gesture," starring Victor Mature as a character named Omar. He changed the spelling of his first name and adopted Omar as his last name but added a second "r," in accordance with certain numerological formulas.
Omarr became fascinated with numerology and astrology as a teen. He wrote a book called "Sydney Omarr's Private Course on Numerology" and sold copies for $2. He also started analyzing the horoscopes of movie stars such as Edward G. Robinson for magazines.
His career began to take off after he enlisted in the Army at 17. Omarr was sent to Okinawa during World War II, where his weekly Armed Forces Radio program, "Sydney Omarr's Almanac," predicted the outcomes of professional boxing matches and horse races.
Omarr later spent a decade as a CBS radio newsman before becoming a full-time columnist and astrological consultant to Hollywood stars.
'Six Feet Under' starweds on New Year's Eve
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Rachel Griffiths married artist Andrew Taylor, a friend of 17 years, in a candlelight ceremony on New Year's Eve in Melbourne.
Griffiths, star of HBO's "Six Feet Under," was married in the chapel at her old school, Star of the Sea, said her publicist, Maria Farmer.
The 33-year-old actress walked down the aisle with her mother, Anna Griffiths, in a ceremony attended by more than 140 guests.
Her films include "The Rookie," "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "Muriel's Wedding." She was nominated for a best-supporting actress Oscar for 1998's "Hilary and Jackie."
Today's birthdays
Actress Jane Wyman is 89. Actress Barbara Rush is 76. Football Hall-of-Fame coach Don Shula is 73. Former heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson is 68. Actress Dyan Cannon is 66. Opera singer Grace Bumbry is 66. Country singer Kathy Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 48. Actress Ann Magnuson is 47. Rock musician Bernard Sumner (New Order, Joy Division) is 47. Country singer Patty Loveless is 46. Rock singer Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) is 43. Actor Patrick Casidy is 41. Actor Dave Foley is 40. Actress Julia Ormond is 38. Tennis player Guy Forget is 38. Country singer Deana Carter is 37. Rock musician Benjamin Darvill (Crash Test Dummies) is 36. Actor Jeremy Licht is 32. Actress-singer Jill Jones is 28.