Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Frederick E. Smith

Author -- via the Bournemouth Daily Echo. The film adaptation of his most popular work, "633 Squadron," featured a final sequence that inspired George Lucas to steal it for the climatic sequence in "Star Wars."

Sanae Nakahara

Actress -- via Yomiuri Online. Best known for her role as a villainess in the film "Lady Snowblood."

Patricia Aakhus aka Patricia McDowell

Novelist -- via legacy.com.


France Clidat

Pianist -- la-croix.com.

Marco Antonio Avila Garcia

Journalist -- via the Guardian. Tortured, murdered, left in a garbage bag. Fifth journalist killed in a month. WTF.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Friday, May 18, 2012

Ruth Foster

Actress -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Kevin Hickey

Former MLB pitcher -- via the Chicago Tribune.


Katya Filipova

Singer -- via novinite.com.

Jean Craighead George

Writer -- via the New York Times. She is best know for her young people's literature, especially "My Side of the Mountain" (one of my faves) and "Julie of the Wolves" -- both Newbery Prize winners.

Maria Biesu

Soprano -- via allmoldava.com.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Baritone; one of the great singers of the 20th century -- via the Guardian.Not just a pretty voice -- he understood and could communicate the most subtle shades of meaning, making clear the most complex lieder and aria! Here is a wonderful meditation on his talent, integrity, influence and importance by Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times. I was another one of those people who never "got" lieder, and could see no use for it -- until I put on Fischer-Dieskau. An indispensable artist.





Thursday, May 17, 2012

Donna Summer aka LaDonna Adrian Gaines

Singer -- via tmz.com. "The Queen of Disco" enjoyed a long career.













Doug Dillard

Bluegrass banjo great -- via the boot.com. As part of the Dillards, he strongly influenced the West Coast folk rock, country rock and progressive bluegrass movements. The Dillards were also among the first to electrify their instruments!







Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Chuck Brown

Musician, singer and songwriter; the Godfather of go-go -- via the Washington Post.





Gerry Hostetler

Obit writer -- via the Charlotte Observer. She wrote her own, of course.


Mark Shurilla

Musician -- via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Frank Knight

Tree warden and preservationist -- via the Chicago Sun-Times. He worked for years to preserve a certain majestic tree; part of it was saved after it died, and will serve as his coffin.

Ramesh Mehta

Playwright, director, actor and translator -- via rediff.com.

Taruni Sachdev

Actress -- via indiatoday.com.