Friday, July 22, 2011

Lil Greenwood

Jazz singer -- via WKRG.

Gil Bernal

Master of the soulful sax -- via the L.A. Times. Bernal played with Lionel Hampton, Spike Jones, Ry Cooder, Quincy Jones, Little Jimmy Scott, and Ray Charles. He played all the sax breaks on the Coasters' key hits, defining soul and R & B instrumentals for decades to come. His biggest pop hit was with Duane Eddy on "Rebel Rouser."


Jacques Jouanneau

Actor -- via westernsallitaliana.blogspot.com.

Yoshio Harada

Actor -- via House of Japan.

Lillian Mobley

Teacher, and community leader and activist -- via Black Voice News.

Ed Flesh

Art director -- via the New York Times. He designed much of the garish game-show settings of the recent past, including the iconic "Wheel of Fortune."

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Lucien Freud

Artist -- via the New York Times. One of the greatest, and most disturbing, painters of the second half of the 20th century.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Alex Steinweiss

Graphic designer and inventor of the album cover -- via the New York Times.

Joseph Hittelman

Doctor -- via jewishjournal.com. He advocated for affordable and accesible health care for the poor, so he was persecuted and blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood

Opera expert, author and impresario -- via the Telegraph.

Bob Fraser

Television producer, writer, director, actor, and teacher-- via Backstage.

From the Telegraph: Dying as a fine art

Christopher Howse meditates on the process.

Tony Stevens

Dancer and choreographer -- via Playbill. Also, he and Michon Peacock began the taped workshop sessions for dancers that later inspired Michael Bennett to create "A Chorus Line."

Dick Dillon aka The Sky Rover

Radio traffic reporter -- via the Denver Post. He was our "eye in the sky" for decades; he also covered news such as the Big Thompson Flood, the '82 Xmas Blizzard and the crash of Flight 1713 in 1987.

Prudence de Villiers

Bookseller and gay rights activist -- via the Guardian.

Harold Garfinkel

Sociologist and professor -- via the New York Times.

Mani Kaul aka Rabindranath Kaul

Film director -- via the Hindu.

Patrick Laurence

Journalist -- via the Guardian.

Hanna Segal

Psychoanalyst -- via the Guardian.

Sean Hoare

Journalist and whistleblower -- via the Guardian.

Donald Grody

Actor, playwright and activist -- via Broadway World.

Marion Konyot

Vaudevillian -- via the Telegraph.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Marketa Kimbrell

Actress, teacher and co-founder of the New York Street Theater Caravan -- via the New York Times.

T. Lux Feininger

Photographer and painter -- via the Boston Globe.

Pierrette Alarie

Coloratura soprano -- via the National Post.

Jerry Ragovoy aka Jordan Ragovoy aka Norman Meade

Songwriter, producer and arranger -- via the New York Times. He wrote some great soul tunes -- "Time Is on My Side," "Piece of My Heart" and "Cry Baby," to name a few.

Travis Bean

Guitarmaker -- via the L.A. Times.

Zdenek Sykora

Artist -- via the Washington Post and AP.

William Crozier

Artist -- via Art Lyst.

Howard Hilton

Pitcher -- via the Ventura County Star.

Heinz Reincke

Actor -- via westernsallitaliana.blogspot.com.

Al Debbo

Comedian -- via Eyewitnees News.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Cornell MacNeil

Baritone -- via Minnesota Public Radio. One of the great baritones of the 20th century. Period. He will always be the definitive Scarpia for me, and an inspired Rigoletto, Iago and other classic roles.


Saturday, July 16, 2011

Googie Withers aka Georgette Lizette Withers

Actress on stage ,and in film and TV -- via the Guardian. A beautiful and wickedly intelligent performer, she can be seen in such classic films as "Dead of Night," "Night and the City," "Shine" and "The Lady Vanishes."