Esther with Smokey Robinson. |
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, August 25, 2011
Esther Gordy Williams
Gun Hagglund aka Karin Gunvor Sjöblom Hägglund
The world's first female TV news anchor -- via alexwathen.com.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Mike Flanagan
Former MLB pitcher and broadcaster -- via USA Today. A Cy Young Award winner, All-Star and World Series ring holder -- one of the best pitchers in recent times.
Ross Barbour
Ross Barbour, the last surviving member of the original vocalise group the Four Freshmen, is pictured far leftV |
Scott Wannberg
Poet -- via the L.A. Times. Here's a nice quote from him: "If humanity had the big answers, it would probably stop scratching under its underwear and actually take time out to smell the nice coffee breeze going by in that unilateral moment of music that we are all made of. Because people are just too hung up on not listening to the music that actually is there. If they had the answers to the big questions, they could follow the music to the dance hall that never closes."
Todd Green, Jon Egging, Bryan Jensen
Todd Green -- report here. |
John Egging -- report here. |
Bryan Jensen - report here. |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
John Howard Davies
TV comedy producer/director, and child actor -- via the Telegraph. This remarkable man started his career as David Lean's Oliver Twist --
Eventually, he worked his way into comedy at the BBC. He directed the first episodes of "Monty Python's Flying Circus," and produced and directed "The Good Life," "Fawlty Towers," "Yes, Minister," "Not the Nine o'Clock News," "Mr. Bean" and many more (including the pilot for "Blackadder".)
Eventually, he worked his way into comedy at the BBC. He directed the first episodes of "Monty Python's Flying Circus," and produced and directed "The Good Life," "Fawlty Towers," "Yes, Minister," "Not the Nine o'Clock News," "Mr. Bean" and many more (including the pilot for "Blackadder".)
Monday, August 22, 2011
Nickolas Ashford
Songwriter and performer -- via AP. With his wife Valerie Simpson, he wrote some of Motown's greatest hits -- first, "Let's Go Get Stoned," then "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand," and "Destination: Anywhere." Later, they wrote songs such as "I'm Every Woman" and "Solid."
Jerry Leiber aka Jerome Leiber
Lyricist -- via the L.A. Times. One of the great lyricists of the 20th century, he formed the rock 'n' roll/r 'n' b/soul songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller. Among his greatest works are:"Hound Dog," "Kansas City," "Searchin'", "Yakety Yak," "There Goes My Baby," "Love Me," "Jailhouse Rock," "Charlie Brown," "Stand by Me," "On Broadway," "Ruby Baby," "Is That All There Is?", "Love Potion #9," "Poison Ivy," "Riot in Cell Block Number 9," and "Santa Claus is Back in Town." Their music is golden, just absolutely wonderful. We still sing it today.
Ruth Brinker
Founded Project Open Hand, the first program to bring food and comfort to those housebound by their struggle with HIV/AIDS -- via the Bay Area Reporter.
Larry "the Legend" Johnson aka Aaron Rockwell Johnson
Radio personality -- via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Joe Cooper
Ukulele-playing poet, self-honed scholar, and lover of things psychic and mystical -- via the Yorkshire Post.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Jimmy Sangster
Screenwriter, filmmaker -- via Twitch. Really, one of my horror heroes -- one of the prime movers in the history of Hammer horror, along with Terence Fisher, Freddie Francis, Roy Ashton, Bernard Robinson, James Bernard, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Barbara Shelley. With no experience, faced with the strictures of reinventing classic horror icons, he wrote the screenplays for "The Curse of Frankenstein," "The Horror of Dracula," "The Mummy," "The Crawling Eye," "Paranoiac," and many other Second Wave horror greats. He even directed cheesy delights such as "Lust for a Vampire" and "The Horror of Frankenstein." Here's a wonderful profile of him from Cinema Retro. Cheers to him -- he took a well-worn genre and helped revitalize it!
Akiko Futaba
Singer -- via Kyodo News. One of the top three female vocalists in Japan after World War II. A native of Hiroshima, she narrowly escaped annihilation on Aug. 6, 1945, when the train she was riding went into a tunnel moments before the atomic bomb exploded, destroying her city.
From the Kitsap Sun: "A tribute to a worthwhile habit"
A lovely think-piece by Rob Woutat on the power, utility and beauty of well-written obituaries -- via the Kitsap Sun.
Gualtiero Jacopetti
Filmmaker -- via the New York Times. Best known as the father of the shockumentary, with his 1962 hit "Mondo Cane." It spawned a subgenre of film that purported to focus on true-life, gruesome and strnage aspects of world culture, life and death. It also brought us the Oscar-winning theme/love song, "More," strangely enough.
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