Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Deanna Durbin aka Edna Mae Durbin

Youthful singing sensation and actress -- via the New York Times. Her precocious vocal talents  and sweet, wholesome screen image made her popular -- so much so that she is said to have saved Universal Pictures after their string of 1930s horror films lost momentum. When she got older, she quit the biz and lived happily ever after!





Vytautas Šapranauskas

Actor and TV host -- 15min.lt.

Sita Chan

Singer and actress -- via http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art.




K P Bhaskar

Classical dancer and instructor -- via dnaindia.com.

Yngve Moe

Bassist -- via itromso.no.

T K Ramamurthy

Composer, violinist, and film music director -- via the Times of India.

Dariush Safvat

Musician and ethnomusicologist -- via the Tehran Times.







Cecilia Smiga

Soprano -- via BBC News.

Harold "Jack" Daniels aka Sour Mash Jack

Former MLB player -- via Ziemer Funeral Home.


Gary Biddles

Musician -- via slicingupeyeballs.com.

Rita MacNeil

Singer of country and folk music -- via the CBC.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Dave Ismay

Columnist, comedian, announcer, and agent -- via the Birmingham Mail. In 2009, he was told he had three months to live. Two months later, they told him they were wrong. He's actually dead this time, though.




Cleyde Yaconis

Actress -- via ego.globo.com.

Jean-François Paillard

Conductor -- via artsjournal.com.





Scott Miller

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist -- via Rolling Stone.



Rentaro Mikuni aka Masao Sato

Actor and director -- via the Japan Times.




Albert Hofmann

Chemist; inventor of LSD; first synthesizer of psilocybin -- via Wired. On April 19, 1943, Hofmann ingested 250 micrograms of acid and bicycled home -- what forever after would be remembered as "bicycle day."

For those of us of that pioneer pharmaceutical era, LSD was a mixed bag -- very harmful if taken during unpleasant circumstances (like loud, crowded, chaotic rock concerts, which is where many people mistakenly took it) , or if not mentally prepared to become blissfully unhinged for quite a stretch of time. However, when taken in a calm and prepared manner, it could be quite entertaining and enlightening -- although the profound notes one took whilst tripping balls usually didn't hold up in the light of sober reality. Ultimately, an interesting interdimensional experience that can help individual consciousness to evolve. Thanks, doc!

 “LSD wanted to tell me something. It gave me an inner joy, an open mindedness, a gratefulness, open eyes and an internal sensitivity for the miracles of creation.”

Adolf "Bud" Herseth

Trumpeter -- via the New York Times.





PB Sreenivas

Playback singer -- via the Times of India.

Marcel Vercoutere

Special effects and makeup artist -- via Deadline. Worked on a number of good films -- highlight for him was his work on "The Exorcist."



George McArthur

Journalist; one of the last out of Saigon in 1975 -- via the L.A. Times.

Stephen Dodgson

Composer and broadcaster -- via the Guardian.



Chi Cheng

Bassist for the Deftones -- via Billboard.




Dean Drummond

Composer, arranger, conductor, and musician -- via the New York Times. A follower of microtonal composer Harry Partch, and conservator of his music and instruments.






Vince Montana Jr.

Musician and orchestrator -- via Soul Tracks.



Helen Doss Reed

Writer best known for "The Family Nobody Wanted" -- via Redlands Daily Facts.

Oöphoi aka Gianluigi Gasparetti

Ambient musician -- via hypnos.com.

Friday, April 26, 2013

George Jones

One of the all-time great country crooners -- via the New York Times. Like his contemporaries -- Cash, Jennings, Haggard -- he was plagued by demons, and fought a battle with booze and drugs to a day-to-day draw in his last decade. His ability to inhabit his songs, to express the emotions and convey country's stories, was unparalleled. 14 #1 hits. 14.








Thursday, April 25, 2013

Richard Brooker

Stuntman and actor -- via dreadcentral.com. The first to wear the hockey mask as the iconic killer Jason in "Friday the 13th Part III."




Andy Johns

Sound engineer -- via the Guardian. A genius who put together many classic albums, inlcuding Zeppelin's fourth, and "Exile on Main Street." Nice.

Jean Sincere "Sinny" Zambello

Actress -- via Broadway World.


Roy Cox Jr

Bassist in the psychedelic rock band Bubble Puppy -- via caller.com.




Slawek “Mortifier” Archangielskij

Bassist for the death metal band Hate -- via metalinsider.net.


Enzo Toppano

Accordionist -- via the Daily Telegraph.

Piero de Palma

Tenor; one of the great comprimarios -- a master of supporting roles. He had about 200 at his command, and appears on more than 150 recordings. Via Opera Click.