Monday, May 31, 2010

Louise Bourgeois


Sculptor -- via the New York Times

Peter Orlovsky


Poet and partner of Allen Ginsberg -- via the L.A. Times

Klaus George Roy

Composer and musical commentator -- via the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ali "Ollie" Woodson


Former Temptations singer wrote "Treat He Like a Lady" -- via the Detroit News

Carol Marsh


British actress -- via the Telegraph

Chris Haney

Chris Haney (left) with Scott Abbott.
Co-creator of Trivial Pursuit board game -- via the Montreal Gazette

Merata Mita


New Zealand filmmaker -- via stuff.co.nz

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Bill Hinkley


Folk musician and teacher -- via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The very first guest on "Prairie Home Companion."

Susan Wildman

 Second City house manager -- via the Chicago Sun-Times

Irwin Rosten


Documentary filmmaker expanded the genre's possibilities with movies such as "The Incredible Machine" -- via the L.A. Times

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Dennis Hopper

 Actor and director and photographer had Hollywood career from 1954 to his death. He changed film history with "Easy Rider," his performances, in that film and in other roles in "Hoosiers," "Blue Velvet," "Apocalypse Now," "True Romance," "River's Edge" and "The American Friend" are timeless triumphs -- via the L.A. Times







Eugenia Paul


Actress best known for her early television work in series such as "Zorro" and "The Lone Ranger" -- via The Hollywood Reporter

Robert Muczynski


American composer -- via the Chicago Sun-Times

Slim Bryant


Pioneer country artist was 101 -- via KDKA-TV. His best known composition was "Mother, Queen of My Heart," a hit in 1932; he and his Wildcats played with Gene Autry, Tex Ritter and many many more. He is thought to be the last man living who played with Jimmie Rodgers. He later became a well-known Pittsburgh radio personality.

Rani Dube


Filmmaker, producer and actress best known for making "Gandhi" film happen -- via the Independent

Friday, May 28, 2010

Jack Birkett


British dancer, singer and actor best known for his work with Lindsay Kemp and Derek Jarman -- via the Guardian. Unbeknownst to many, he performed for 20 years despite failing eyesight!

Patricia Stevens


Actress was best known for her TV roles ("M*A*S*H") and as one who voiced the character of Velma in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons -- via the Worchester Telegram and Gazette

Gary Coleman

 Child actor -- via the New York Times. He had a difficult life -- many of his sitcom co-stars did too. May he rest in peace.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Julius Cesar Giraldi


Restaurateur and violinist was a Denver fixture -- via the Denver Post

Mikhail Shatrov


Soviet playwright exposed audiences to Stalin's abuses -- via the New York Times

James R. "Jim" Van de Walker


Jukebox repairman -- via the Chicago Tribune

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Siphio Ntshebe


Opera singer dies at 34, before he had the chance to perform at South Africa's World Cup opening ceremony -- via the BBC

Art Linkletter


TV and radio host -- via the New York Times. It's difficult to remember now, but he was one of the most omnipresent personalities of his time. He hosted "People Are Funny" and "House Party," and was most famous for writing the book "Kids Say the Darndest Things," based on interviews with children. He could also be seen on our home's version of the Game of Life, above the statement, "I Heartily Endorse this Game."

Mary Page Stegner

Mary and Walace Stegner on their wedding day in 1934.
Widow of writer Wallace Stegner -- via the Salt Lake Tribune. The obituary acknowledges that the concept of a woman helping her spouse achieve his artistic goals seems contra-feminist; however, it also includes this quote from Stegner, who obviously treasured her:

"She has had no role in my life except to keep me sane, fed, housed, amused, and protected from unwanted telephone calls, also to restrain me fairly frequently from making a horse's ass of myself in public, to force me to attend to books and ideas from which she knows I will learn something; also to mend my wounds when I am misused by the world, to implant ideas in my head and stir the soil around them, to keep me from falling into a comfortable torpor, to agitate my sleeping hours with problems that I would not otherwise attend to; also to remind me constantly (not by precept but by example) how fortunate I have been to live for fifty-three years with a woman that bright, alert, charming, and supportive."

Theresa Flannery


Soldier who was former beauty queen served with distinction in Iraq, dies at 32 -- via the Bellingham Herald

Keith Jessop


Deep-sea diver and treasure hunter -- via the Telegraph

Joe Schubert


Philadelphia banker (not pictured above) was big part of the city's Mummers tradition -- via the Philadelphia Inquirer

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Gabriel Vargas


Mexican cartoonist created the popular "Familia Burron" series -- via ABC News

Raoul Abdul


Opera singer, classical music writer and editor, musicologist, and secretary to Langston Hughes -- via the New York Amsterdam News

David Squibb


Renowned English choirmaster -- via the Times of London

Anneliese Rothenberger


Lyric soprano sang worldwide -- via Yahoo News

Warren Chandler


Longtime weatherman on Denver's Channel 7 -- via the Denver Post. A heck of a nice guy!