Sunday, May 15, 2011

Terence Longdon

Actor -- via the Telegraph. Best remembered as Drusus in "Ben-Hur," he starred in a British TV series, "Garry Halliday."

John S. Carter


A & R exec, manager, producer and songwriter -- via Billboard. He wrote the lyrics for the Strawberry Alarm Clock's 1967 hit "Incense and Peppermints." (The band hated the lyrics, and a visiting friend, Greg Munford, actually sings them!)

Mary Murphy

Actress -- via the L.A. Times. Her biggest role was as the female lead in "The Wild One"; she also appeared in "The Desperate Hours," "The Mad Magician" and "Junior Bonner."

Jeffery Williams

Military historian -- via the Telegraph.

Birgitta Trotzig

Writer -- via the Canadian Press.

Jim Heise

MLB pitcher, school administrator and baseball coach -- via West Virginia Illustrated. He played eight games for the Senators in 1957; interestingly, his father pitched one game for the Cardinals in 1934.

Mel Queen

MLBer -- via the Washington Post. Interestingly, he learned three different positions in his playing career -- third baseman, outfielder and pitcher. He went on to serve as manager, exec and pitching coach, primarily for the Blue Jays. He is popularly considered to have revived the career of Roy Halladay; he also helped Hentgen, Stottlemyre and David Wells.

Jack Richardson

Music producer -- via the Canadian Press. Best known for his work with the Guess Who, he also produced records for Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, Poco and Badfinger.

Patrick Galvin

Poet, playwright, songwriter and memoirist -- via the Irish Times.

Huseyin Zan

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Badal Sircar

Playwright and director -- via NDTV.

Lloyd Knibb

Drummer with the Skatellites -- via Spinner.com. One of the key developers of the ska beat!

Vivian Myerson

Vivian Myerson and her husband Seymour display a brick and rock allegedly thrown through their window by an L.A.P.D. "surveillance" unit. (Courtesy LA Times)
Activist who won important case against police harassment -- via the L.A. Times.

Bernard Greenhouse

Cellist and founder of the Beaux Arts Trio -- via the New York Times.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Kenny Geidel

Sports vendor -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Bill Gallo

Sports cartoonist and columnist -- via the New York Daily News.

Stanley Wright aka Suleiman-Hakim

Jazzman -- via the New York Daily News.

Horace Freeland Judson

Historian of molecular biology -- via the New York Times.

Snooky Young

A genius trumpeter -- via the Washington Post.

Jane Way

Pioneer of the bed and breakfast -- via the Los Angeles Times.

Christopher G. Reischl

Firefighter, gizmo-maker and nice guy -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Michael Krsnich

Left fielder with the Milwaukee Braves and in Japanese baseball -- via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jack Morris, Bil Schenley and groups.google.com/group/alt.obituaries.

Lawrence Lee

Stained-glass artist -- via the Guardian.

Endre Wolf

Violinist -- via the Guardian.

Henry Wallace Stuart Clark

Businessman, writer and naval explorer -- via the Telegraph.

Gerald Bordman

Theatre scholar and author -- via the Philadelphia Inquirer. His "American Musical Theater" and "The Oxford Companion to the American Theater" are classics.

Mia Amber Davis

Model and actress -- via Carolina Live.

Zim Ngqwanna

Jazzman -- via the Mail & Guardian.

Norma Zimmer aka Norma Larsen

Singer -- via the Washington Post. A long-time member of "The Lawrence Welk Show" cast, her squeaky-clean image and extensive Christian repertoire made her a favorite of my grandparents.

Ross Hagen aka Leland Lando Lilly

Actor, writer, director, producer -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

"Whispering" Ted Lowe

Snooker commentator -- via the BBC.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Cornell Dupree Jr. aka Uncle Funky

Guitar master -- via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Rick Uchwat

Founder of comedy club Zanies -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

David Mason

Trumpeter -- via the Telegraph. A fine classical musician, he is best remembered for his work with the Beatles.

Duane Pillette

MLB pitcher -- via rr.com.

John Walker aka John Maus

Guitarist, singer and co-founder of the Walker Brothers -- via the New York Times.

Mike Spoerndle

Founder of Toad's Place -- via the Hartford Courant.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Mildred Robbins Leet

Philanthropist -- via the Washington Post. She was a pioneer in the use of microloans to help Third World businesspeople start their own enterprises.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Patricia Hart

Costume designer -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Gary "Speedy" West, Jr.

Guitarist -- via the Oklahoman.

Michael Meldrum

Folk musician and teacher -- via the Buffalo News. He taught Ani DiFranco guitar, and mentored her and many other regional musicians, helping them to find their voices.

Velzoe Brown

Jazz pianist and teacher -- via the Silicon Valley Mercury News. A one-time member of the Pollyanna Syncopators!

Nigel Pickering

Rhythm guitarist, vocalist and founding member of Spanky and Our Gang -- via the St. Augustine Record.


Like to Get to Know You by dcck105

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Dolores Fuller

Actress and songwriter -- via the L.A. Times. A one-time girlfriend of abysmally bad cult movie director Ed wood, she appeared in his "Glen or Glenda?" and "Jail Bait." Later, she co-wrote "Rock-a-Hula-Baby" and many other songs for Elvis films. She laso founded a record company, Dee Dee and launched the career of Johnny Rivers and Tanya Tucker.


She wrote other hits, such as "Someone to Tell It To"

Rolo Puente aka Rolando Pardo Dominguez

Actor and comedian -- via m24digital.com.

Gustavo Kouri Flores

Physician, teacher and researcher -- via the juventudrebelde.co.cu. He fought the spread of tropical diseases, especially dengue fever.

Sada Thompson

Tony- and Emmy-winning actress -- via the New York Times.