Actress Dalyce Curry, who starred in the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers”, has died due to the Los Angeles fires. Known for her roles in The Ten Commandments, and Lady Sings the Blues, Curry died at 95 in the Eaton Fire.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to Curry’s family that her remains were found in her burned-down Altadena home, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, according to the New York Post.
Known to loved ones as “Momma D,” the 95-year-old actress was last seen on Tuesday when her granddaughter and part-time caregiver, Dalyce Kelley, dropped her off after a long day at a local hospital.
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The Eaton Fire had ignited just hours earlier, and Kelley didn’t expect it to escalate so rapidly. After receiving a late-night text alert about a power outage at Curry’s home, Kelley rushed to check on her grandmother.
By the time Kelley arrived at Momma D’s Altadena neighborhood, it was too late.
“I’m sorry your grandmother’s property is gone,” a law enforcement officer told Kelley when she arrived at the edge of the burn zone, which was cordoned off. “It totally burned down.”
An officer directed her to check the Pasadena Civic Center, where displaced residents had taken shelter from the rapidly spreading Eaton Fire. Kelley and her family were unable to find Momma D that night, leading them to fear the worst.
The National Guard escorted Kelley to the remains of her grandmother’s burned-down home on Friday.
“It was total devastation,” Kelley told ABC7. “Everything was gone except her blue Cadillac.”
Before receiving confirmation of her grandmother’s passing on Sunday, Kelley admitted she was “still praying for a miracle” but had little hope.
“Honestly, we don’t feel very hopeful that she’s still here with us,” she confessed.
Known as part of Old Black Hollywood in the 1950s, Momma D had a decades-long acting career.
She built a steady career as a background actress, appearing in iconic films like The Ten Commandments, The Blues Brothers, and Lady Sings the Blues.
Despite her age, Curry remained energetic, according to her granddaughter Loree Beamer-Wilkinson.
“She was very active, you would not think she was 95,” she said.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Kelley honored her late grandmother.
“We had a great run. She impacted my life in so many ways,” Kelley wrote. “This loss is devastating.”
Meanwhile, the death toll from the Los Angeles fires that started last week has risen to at least 24 as of Monday.
The fires have displaced nearly 200,000 people and scorched 39,000 acres of land.
