CNN) — Actor and comedian John Ritter, who gained stardom in the 1970s sitcom “Three’s Company,” died of heart failure Thursday night after collapsing on the set of his current TV series. He was 54.

Ritter was rushed from the set of the ABC series “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, after suffering from aortic dissection, an unrecognized and undetected flaw in his heart, according to a statement from his publicist Lisa Kasteler.

“Surgeons at the hospital tried to save the Emmy Award-winning actor but, sadly, were unable to do so,” the statement said.

Ritter, who would have turned 55 next week, is best known for his role as Jack Tripper on the long-running television sitcom, “Three’s Company,” which brought him an Emmy.

He was the youngest son of Western film star and country music legend Tex Ritter, according to his biography on ABC’s Web site.

He was born on September 17, 1948, and is survived by his wife, Amy Yasbeck and their daughter Stella and three children, Carly, Tyler and Jason, from his first marriage to Nancy Morgan.

WebMD.com describes an aortic dissection as “an abnormal separation of tissues within the walls of the aorta” caused by high blood pressure, family history of the condition, disease of connective tissue, or severe trauma to the chest.

“Aortic dissection results in a weakened blood vessel wall that may also rupture,” the Web site says.

Ritter guest-starred on many popular television series, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his appearance on “Ally McBeal.”

Proving his versatility, he also provided the voice of Clifford on the PBS animated series “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” a role for which he received two Emmy nominations.

He is best remembered for his goofy physical humor on “Three’s Company,” but showcased his penchant for serious acting in Billy Bob Thornton’s 1996 cinematic hit, “Slingblade.”

That role opened the door for future serious acting roles. He recently co-starred with Sigourney Weaver in Miramax’s “Tadpole,” directed by Gary Winick.

He also appeared in the independent feature “Manhood,” which premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

Ritter will also be seen in Miramax’s “Bad Santa,” opposite Thornton. The film is scheduled for release on November 26.

Johnny Cash

CNN) — He was a poor sharecropper’s son from Kingsland, Arkansas, who sang to himself while picking cotton in the fields — then later sang to millions through recordings, concerts and his late-’60s TV variety show.

He became a country music statesman who found a home with rap-rock producer Rick Rubin’s American Recordings.

He was called the “Man in Black,” who once sang “I shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die,” but opened his concerts with the friendly, modest greeting, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.”

Johnny Cash — legend, model, icon — died Friday. He was 71.

Cash died of complications from diabetes at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, hospital spokeswoman Nicole Bates said. He had just been released Wednesday after entering the hospital August 25 with an undisclosed stomach ailment.

Cash’s wife of 35 years, June Carter Cash, died June 12.

Perhaps the most widely recognized voice in country music, Cash recorded more than 1,500 songs. His career spanned more than four decades with trademark hits like “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues, “Ring of Fire” and “I Walk the Line.”

His success crossed well over onto the pop scene. He had 48 singles on Billboard’s pop charts, rivaling both the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.

His 11 Grammys included a lifetime achievement award and the 1998 Grammy for country album of the year (”Unchained”). It’s said that more than 100 other recording artists and groups have recorded “I Walk the Line.”

“Johnny Cash was not only a giant in our business, but he was one of those guys who had grown to become a cultural icon in American,” Ed Benson, executive director of the Country Music Association, told WTVF-TV in Nashville. “People associated him with values that I think they held near and dear to their hearts.”

‘I don’t think I could have made it’
A child of the Depression, J.R. Cash was born February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas. Cash’s parents took advantage of a New Deal farm program, moving their large family to Dyess Colony in northeast Arkansas. There they farmed cotton during the day and sang hymns on the porch at night.

When he was 12, his 14-year-old brother, Jack, died after an accident. Cash acknowledged the death had a profound impact on his music, and he noted it may have been once reason for his music’s melancholy tinge.

After high school, he enlisted in the Air Force. The military wouldn’t accept initials, so Cash chose John as his new first name. While stationed in Germany, Cash bought his first guitar and started a band.

“All through the Air Force, I was so lonely for those three years,” Cash told The Associated Press during a 1996 interview. “If I couldn’t have sung all those old country songs, I don’t think I could have made it.”

When his hitch was over, Cash moved to Memphis where he sold appliances door-to-door while trying to break into the music business. In 1954, he auditioned for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, hoping to record some simple gospel songs. Instead, Phillips — who had discovered Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis — pushed Cash toward a more commercial sound.

Cash’s first single, “Hey Porter,” had a disappointing debut. But his follow-up, the 1955 “Cry, Cry, Cry,” drew national attention. “Folsom Prison Blues” went into the Top Five in country singles in 1956, and “I Walk the Line” became Cash’s first No. 1 country hit. In 1957, he made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. And by 1958, he’d published 50 songs, sold more than 6 million records and moved to the Columbia label.

It was at the Opry that Cash became known as “The Man in Black.”

“Everybody was wearing rhinestones, all those sparkle clothes and cowboy boots,” he said in 1986. “I decided to wear a black shirt and pants and see if I could get by with it. I did and I’ve worn black clothes ever since.”

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