Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Hugh Stewart
Film editor and producer -- via altfg.com. He edited the 1934, vastly better version of Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Leonard B. Stern
Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody-winning writer/producer/director -- via Yahoo News. A specialist in comedy, he had a hand in many classic American TV shows, including "The Honeymooners," "Get Smart" and "McMillan and Wife." He got his start in late-period Abbott & Costello and Ma and Pa Kettle movies. And hey! He co-created Mad Libs with Roger Price, the latter of Droodles fame.
Harry Redmond Jr.
Special effects artist for film and TV -- via the Hollywood Reporter. His career began in 1931; he worked on the original "King Kong," "She," "Lost Horizon," and many more. Later worked extensively with Ivan Tors on his TV series ("Flipper," "Daktari" and "Ripcord").
Martin Rushent
Legendary sound engineer and record producer -- via the Telegraph. Among his work -- engineer: "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Electric Warrior," "Octopus"; as producer, the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks, Generation X and Human League.
Philip Rose aka Philip Rosenberg
Theatrical producer -- via the New York Times. Beginning with his successful, groundbreaking production of "A Raisin in the Sun," he went on to produce such works as "Purlie," "The Owl and the Pussycat" and "Shenandoah."
Jose Pagan
Marvelous baseball player -- via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. His RBI double in the 8th inning of Game 7 of the 1971 World Series clinched the title for the Pirates.
Monday, June 6, 2011
David "Frankie" Toler
Drummer -- via the Bradenton Herald. Best known for his work with the Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Karen Aqua
Innovative and independent animator -- via boston.com. Here's another incredibly well-written obit of her from the Wikes-Barres Times Leader.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Benny Spellman
Great R & B singer -- via WWL. His two big hits were "Lipstick Traces" and "Fortune Teller." He also sand backup on hits such as "Mother-in-Law" and "Trick Bag." A New Orleans institution!
Peter Boom
Actor, singer, voice actor, lyricist, writer and activist -- via westernsallitaliana.blogspot.com.
Betty Taylor
Comic performer -- via the Orange County Register. With long-time partner Wally Boag, Taylor hosted Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Revue as Slue Foot Sue for 40 years of live performances.
Wally Boag
Comic performer -- via the Beverly Hills Courier. A legendary and world-record-holding presence at Disneyland, Boag's act is a classic, and inspired among many others Steve Martin.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Ellen McGarr
An extraordinary obituary -- via Legacy.com. Thanks to Kay Powell on Obit Forum for posting this to attention!
Abdias do Nascimento
Writer, scholar, painter, politician and civil rights leader -- via the New York Times.
Syed Saleem Shahzad
Investigative journalist -- via the Daily Times (Pakistan). He was kidnapped, tortured and killed, presumably by Pakistan security forces.
Andrew Gold
Singer, songwriter and musician -- via Yakkity Yak. He started being noticed due to his work with Linda Ronstadt during the height of her popularity (he played the guitar solos on "You're No Good"), then became a hit in his own right for songs such as "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You for Being a Friend." He is survived by his mother, the famous Marni Nixon, voiceover singer for Deborah Kerr, Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn. His father, Ernest Gold, won an Oscar for composing the score for "Exodus."
Friday, June 3, 2011
James Arness
Actor who played Marshal Dillon in TV's "Gunsmoke" for decades -- via the Hollywood Reporter. After small movie roles such as a baddie in "Wagon Master" and the creature in "The Thing from Another World," he landed a part that would make him a television icon. "Gunsmoke" was not just a Western; it was a dramatic anthology crammed with great writing and acting. Arness held it all together.
Haleh Sahabi
Scholar and women's rights activist -- via Frontline. She died under extremely suspicious circumstances in conflict with state security forces at her dissident father's funeral.
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