Anthony Bourdain dead at 61

Anthony Bourdain, the irreverent, honest, and cultured chef who most recently was working on CNN’s Parts Unknown was pronounced dead at 61 this Friday.

Bourdain’s close friend, chef Eric Ripert, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning. They were recording a new episode of Parts Unknown in France.

“It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” CNN said in a statement Friday morning. “His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller.

Referred to as “the original rock star” of the culinary world and “the Elvis of bad boy chefs,” the larger-than-life Bourdain had won countless of awards for his near twenty-years of taking television viewers around the world to enjoy not only the cuisine, but the culture offered.

While accepting the Peabody award in 2013, Bourdain described how he approached his work. “We ask very simple questions: What makes you happy? What do you eat? What do you like to cook? And everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions,” he said, “we tend to get some really astonishing answers.”

CNN has reported the death as an apparent suicide, just days after fashion designer Kate Spade was found deceased also from an apparent suicide. Just a week out from May, Mental Health Awareness Month, we are reminded that human life is fragile and mental health awareness needs to continue to grow. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a survey Thursday showing suicide rates increased by 25% across the United States over nearly two decades ending in 2016. Twenty-five states experienced a rise in suicides by more than 30%.

If you or somebody you know is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

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