Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Theodore "Bo" Dollis

Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias; Mardi Gras masker, marcher, singer, reveler, and maker of merry -- via WWL. Head of this funk ceremonial marching society of New Orleans for 51 years. The Magnolias were the first to record the unique "Indian" music created during parades through town during special events, especially during Mardi Gras. Their "Handa Wanda" recording in 1970 was a local hit, and sparked more recordings of the tradition by the Wild Tchoupitoulas and others. An exuberant master of a beautiful microculture.

As to the phenomenon of Mardi Gras Indians, parsing the racial dynamics of African Americans presenting as Native Americans is mind-boggling. The key is that these regular, working-class guys work for nine months building costumes far more exuberant than any found at the most outre drag queen festival. These 100-pound contraptions they dance in through the hot, humid streets of New Orleans, for only a few days each year. Ornate costumes, alter egos, complex "tribal" rules and roles and interactions. It's a life-affirming, booty-shaking strut and stomp, art and music and dance slammed together done for no other reason than it's fun. We should all be so lucky.





Yoko Nagae Ceschina

Harpist, and arts benefactor and mentor -- via the New York Times.

Alejandro "Alex" Omes

Raoul Pantin

Journalist, playwright, and poet -- via the Trinidad Express.


Ted Harrison

Artist -- via the CBC.

Origa

Singer and voice actress -- via Anime News Network. AKA Ol'ga Vital'evna Yakovleva.

Ward Swingle

Vocalist, jazz musician, arranger, and choral director; founder of the Swingle Singers -- via Slipped Disc. His scat-like adaptations of classical compositions for a cappella choir were quite popular in the 1960s. A unique beauty, pointillistic and precise.



George Dickerson

Poet, writer, editor, playwright, and actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter.

George Probert Jr.

Jazz musician and music editor -- via legacy.com.



Dixie Hall

Govinda Halder

Poet, lyricist, and songwriter -- via Prothom Alo.


Monday, January 19, 2015

Anne Kirkbride

Don Harron

Comedian, actor, director, journalist, writer, playwright, and composer -- via the CBC. Best known as his comic alter ego, Charlie Farquharson.

Rimma Markova

Actress -- via echo.msk.ru. Best known for her role as Koldunya Darya, the witch, in the Russian "Night Watch"/"Day Watch" films.

Nelida Romero

Actress -- via Libre Prensa.

Arnaldo Calveyra

Poet, novelist, and playwright -- via telam.com.ar.

Hector Quine

Classical guitarist -- via the Telegraph.

Deathcetera: Your week in mortality news

DEATH

The town that talks about death – via Chana Joffe-Walt at NPR

MOURNING

Millenials in mourning – via Eric Ringham, Emily Kaiser at MPR

FUNERALS

Minister denies funeral to lesbian woman – via Ryan Haarer from KUSA-TV

Chronicle of a home funeral – from Ann Zaniewski at USA Today

Disabled man achieves dream of becoming a mortician – from Jay Levin at the Record

Retired funeral director has tons of fun stories – via Steve Pokin at the Springfield News-Leader


Who’s stealing hearse stretchers? – via the Claims Journal

Faten Hamama

The 'first lady of Arab cinema' -- via the Huffington Post.





Ronnie Ronalde

Vocalist, yodeler, and siffleur (expert whistler) -- via Island FM, Guernsey. AKA Ronald Charles Waldron.







Dallas Taylor

Drummer and addictions counselor -- via The Wrap. Played on the first two CSN albums.




Tony Verna

A$AP Yams

Music organizer, mentor, hiphop artist and producer -- via the Rolling Stone. AKA STeven Rodriguez, Yamorbghini. 

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Molly Blank

Disability rights activist -- via the Denver Post.

Vincent Ferrizzi

Singer and musician -- via legacy.com.


Patsy Garrett

Actress and singer -- via Variety.

Chikao Otsuka

Actor and voice actor -- via sonicstadium.org.

Yao Beina

Singer -- via crienglish.com.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Ervin Drake

Songwriter and lyricist -- via the Washington Post. AKA Ervin Druckman. He wrote the classics "It Was a Very Good Year" and "I Believe," and the lyrics for such hits as "Perdido," "Tico Tico," and "Good Morning Heartache."

Sid Smith

TV producer and director -- via the Hollywood Reporter.

German Cobos

Actor -- via westernboothill.blgospot.com.

Kim Fowley

Songwriter, performer, and producer -- via the Rolling Stone.

Elaine Summers

Friday, January 16, 2015

Wes Kenney

TV producer and director -- via Variety.

Sonny Fossett

Clown -- via the Telegraph. AKA Ronald Mole.

A.J. Masters

Alfous "Al" Ferrier

Rockabilly star  -- via legacy.com.

Maureen Budway

Singer -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Louise Kane

Actress -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. AKA Louise Kane Grueneberg. She died in March, 2014, but it has become public knowledge only now.


Al Delugach

Journalist -- via the L.A. Times. also, one of the last rewrite men -- those at daily publications that can take a stack of disparate facts, quotes, and ideas and craft a compelling and accurate new story out of them in record time.

Bernard Williams

Production manager, assistant director, and producer -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Helped to create films such as "A Clockwork Orange," "The Bounty," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," and "What About Bob?"

Al Martinez

Journalist and columnist -- via the L.A. Times.

Lawrence Gushee

Musicologist -- via the News-Gazette.


Robert Kinoshita

Artist, art director, set and production designer; creator of Robbie the Robot -- via the Hollywood Reporter. He actually invented three iconic robots for film and TV -- Tobor in "Tobor the Great," Robby the Robot in "Forbidden Planet," and Robot in "Lost in Space."










Gene Kemp

Children's writer -- via the Guardian.