Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Eldon Davis

Architect -- via the L.A. Times. He refined and perfected the Space-Age, Californian, car-culture-friendly "Googie" style.

Matt Cranch aka Matt "the Manx" Crank aka Wiggles

Human cannonball -- via the Guardian.

Phoebe Snow aka Phoebe Ann Laub

Singer, guitarist and songwriter -- via MSNBC. Her absolutely unique and beautiful voice is unforgettable. Her biggest hit was "Poetry Man"; she gave up music full-time in order to take care of her disabled child for more than three decades.

Poly Styrene aka Marian Joan Elliott-Said

Musician, songwriter and lead singer for X-Ray Specs -- via contactmusic.com. Her complete unconventionality and straight-ahead lyrical attack made her a prototypical punk. Like the rest of us, she grew up and went through changes (she was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, and later still became an adherent of Hare Krishna). Still, the album "Germ Free Adolescents" is a perfect artifact of its time, and a musical milestone. Thanks, Marian!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Tom King


Co-wrote pop hit "Time Won't Let Me" for the Outsiders in 1966 -- via WTAM.

WJ Gruffydd

Poet -- via the BBC. He was also an Archdruid.

Matthew "Dutch" Tilders

Bluesman -- via Contact Music.com.

Gonzalo Rojas

Poet -- via Digital Journal.

Joan Peyser

Writer on music and biographer of composers -- via the New York Times.

Alan Champion

Sign-language interpreter -- via the New York Times.

Marie Deans

Opponent of the death penalty -- via the Washington Post.

Marie-France Pisier

Actress and screenwriter -- via Yahoo News.

John Sullivan

One of England's most prominent sitcom writers -- via the Daily Mail.

Moin Ahkter

Actor, comedian, producer and director -- via All Things Pakistan.

Hazel Dickens

Bluegrass artist -- via the New York Times.

Annalisa Ericsson

Actress -- via svd.se.

Mikhail Kozakov

Actor and director -- via interfax.com.

Max Mathews

The father of computer music -- via the New York Times. He also invented the forerunner of the gestural computer controller!

James Eitrheim

One of the most influential high-school drama teachers of all time -- via oakpark.com.

Celia Lipton

Entertainer and philanthropist -- via the Telegraph.

Hubert Schlafly

Emmy-winning engineer -- via Greenwich Time. He invented the teleprompter and made the first satellite transmission of a cable program.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Miroslav Tichy

Amazing, subversive, voyeuristic, outsider photographer -- via pdnonline.com.

Hannah Kodicek aka Zuzana Oprsalova

Hannah Kodicek, right, with Rosta Cerny and puppets for the show Once Upon a Time. Photograph: Picasa
"A film-maker, actor, writer, educator and creator of children's television classics, who blended artistic vision with erudition and a childlike humour" -- via the Guardian.

Aldo Clementi

Composer -- via the Guardian.

Ray Smith

Proprietor of Ray's Jazz Shop -- via the Guardian and the Telegraph. 'Nuff said.

Barry Coward

Historian -- via the Guardian.

Alice Porcello

One of singing and dancing Kim Loo Sisters -- via northjersey.com.

Kerry Smith

Radio and television host -- via the National Business Review.

Elmer Carter

Former catcher for the Kansas City Monarchs -- via the Sacramento Bee.

Madelyn Pugh Davis

Comedy writer who shaped Lucille Ball's later career -- via the New York Times.

Lynne Topping Farrell

Actress and writer -- via tribstar.

Yoshiko Tanaka aka Yoshiko Odate

Singer and actress -- via Japan Today. Originally a ember of the famous girl group The Candies, she cemented her acting reputation with her role as Yasuko in Imamura's 1989 "Black Rain."

Babu Baral

Comedian -- via E Pakistan News.

Nicholas Selby

Actor -- via scotsman.com. He played Winchester in the 1965 BBC "Wars of the Roses," Duncan in Polanski's "Macbeth," Raleigh in "Elizabeth R" and Warleggen in "Poldark."

Patrick Cullinan

Poet -- Book South Africa.

Rami Reddy

Actor -- via bollywoodhungama.com.

Gerald Perry Finnerman

Director of photography -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. The cinematographer on the original "Star Trek" series, he worked on "Kojak," "Moonlighting," "Mission: Impossible" and many others.

Rene Soulard

Artist and community activist -- via Capitol Hill Seattle blog.

Jeanne Leiby

Writer and editor of The Southern Review -- via ABC.

Grete Waitz

Marathoner -- via the New York Times.

Nikolai Pankratyevich Morozoff

" . . . ballet dancer, wheelchair athlete, wheelchair designer and manufacturer, mentor to other wheelchair-bound people and a proud and happy father" -- via the Sydney Morning Herald.

Jon Cedar

Actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter. His pop-culture claim to fame? Playing the role of Corporal Langenscheidt on TV sitcom "Hogan's Heroes."

Roy Edward Burris

Drummer for Merle Haggard, and co-writer of "Okie from Muskogee" - via The Republic.

Marian Marangelli

Actress -- via seacoastonline.com.

Anne Blonstein

Poet and translator -- via blog.saltpublishing.com.

Sol Saks

Comedy writer and creator of TV sitcom "Bewitched" -- via Reuters.

Blair Milan

Actor -- via the Sydney Morning Herald.