Actress -- via the Hollywood Reporter. AKA Geraldine McKeown.She was in the original production of Orton's "Loot," appeared across from Olivier in Strindberg's "Dance of Death," but she will be best remembered popularly as Miss Marple.
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.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Don Covay
Singer and songwriter -- via soultracks. AKA Donald Randolph. He wrote some classics, including "Chain of Fools," "See Saw," "Sookie Sookie," and more. Started off as a child gospel singer, then started singing R & B with the likes of a young Marvin Gaye, and finally broke in to the big time with Little Richard and Solomon Burke.
Israel Yinon
Conductor; expert on and reviver of "entartete musik" banned by the Nazis -- via the New York Times.
Than Wyenn
Actor, humorist, and dramatist -- via Variety. A ubiquitous character actor who appeared in dozens of films and TV shows.
Suzette Haden Elgin
Science-fiction writer and linguist -- via sfsite.com. AKA Patricia Anne Wilkins.
Aldo Ciccolini
Pianist; supreme interpreter of the music of Erik Satie -- via the Firenze Post. An extremely gifted keyboardist, Ciccolini specialized in works of composers of the late 19th and early 20th century -- Saint-Saens, Debussy, Ravel, Albeniz, and de Falla.
For me, Ciccolini's playing opened up an entire world. Picking up his Angel recording of "Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 1" from the public library and putting it on my turntable at home, I was immediately entranced. The "Trois Gymnopedies" came first, so familiar now from overexposure, starting with "My Dinner with Andre." But every note, especially the absurd, jagged, joking ones, turned on some enormous pleasure switch in my head. I soon had devoured all Satie, and started major inroads into Les Six, Stravinsky, Honneger, Messiaen . . . and then all the art from the period, and the film, and soon I was swimming in the most congenial culture -- a strange, spiky, funny, absurd cosmos full of energy and a brave disregard for staid conventions.
I thought of Ciccolini years later, when I made a pilgrimage to Satie's home in the rue Cortot, behind Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre. I keep listening to his definitive interpretations -- how often I hear musicians take the edge off Satie. I can't tell you how many times Ciccolini's performances have sustained me, lifted me up out of myself. Many thanks, dear sir.
For me, Ciccolini's playing opened up an entire world. Picking up his Angel recording of "Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 1" from the public library and putting it on my turntable at home, I was immediately entranced. The "Trois Gymnopedies" came first, so familiar now from overexposure, starting with "My Dinner with Andre." But every note, especially the absurd, jagged, joking ones, turned on some enormous pleasure switch in my head. I soon had devoured all Satie, and started major inroads into Les Six, Stravinsky, Honneger, Messiaen . . . and then all the art from the period, and the film, and soon I was swimming in the most congenial culture -- a strange, spiky, funny, absurd cosmos full of energy and a brave disregard for staid conventions.
I thought of Ciccolini years later, when I made a pilgrimage to Satie's home in the rue Cortot, behind Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre. I keep listening to his definitive interpretations -- how often I hear musicians take the edge off Satie. I can't tell you how many times Ciccolini's performances have sustained me, lifted me up out of myself. Many thanks, dear sir.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Actor/filmmaker Terry Carter is alive and well . . . mistake analyzed
ACTOR AND FILMMAKER TERRY CARTER LIVES!
Here's the original post:
"Actor and filmmaker -- via entertainmentwise. AKA John Everett DeCoste. Best known for his extensive appearances in TV, including "McCloud" and the original "Battlestar Galactica." "
Post 2
AND ALIVE! (?) My apologies to him and his nearest and dearest if I have erred. And -- glad, you are still around, sir!
Post 3
Here's where we stand as of 9:39 a.m. MST Jan. 30. Via WCVB in Boston, Saeed Ahmed and Lisa Respers from France CNN report that the victim Terry Carter was a 55-year-old music producer, about whom I am not finding any information. Earlier reports cite Knight's lawyer, Jams E. Blatt, as identifying the victim as the actor and filmmaker Terry Carter. Such are the vagaries of breaking news, and the eagerness of such as myself to post that we may have gotten it wrong. (If so, that would make me 3 wrong out of 10,000-plus, which I am good with.) Updates as I find them!
Post 4
As of 9:50 a.m., actor and filmmaker Terry Carter let folks know of his un-demise via Twitter (see above). Further details about the actual victim have not yet materialized.
#TerryCarter To quote Mark Twain, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated"!!!
Here's the original post:
"Actor and filmmaker -- via entertainmentwise. AKA John Everett DeCoste. Best known for his extensive appearances in TV, including "McCloud" and the original "Battlestar Galactica." "
Post 2
AND ALIVE! (?) My apologies to him and his nearest and dearest if I have erred. And -- glad, you are still around, sir!
Post 3
Here's where we stand as of 9:39 a.m. MST Jan. 30. Via WCVB in Boston, Saeed Ahmed and Lisa Respers from France CNN report that the victim Terry Carter was a 55-year-old music producer, about whom I am not finding any information. Earlier reports cite Knight's lawyer, Jams E. Blatt, as identifying the victim as the actor and filmmaker Terry Carter. Such are the vagaries of breaking news, and the eagerness of such as myself to post that we may have gotten it wrong. (If so, that would make me 3 wrong out of 10,000-plus, which I am good with.) Updates as I find them!
Post 4
As of 9:50 a.m., actor and filmmaker Terry Carter let folks know of his un-demise via Twitter (see above). Further details about the actual victim have not yet materialized.
Neil LeVang
Guitarist -- via Vintage Guitar. Best known for his long stint on "The Lawrence Welk Show," he was a highly valued studio musician whose work can be found on albums of many different genres, as well as film soundtracks.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Rod McKuen
Poet, songwriter, composer, and singer -- via the L.A. Times. AKA The King of Kitsch. An awful poet, he did write the Oscar-nominated song from the film "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," and popularized French poet and songwriter Jacques Brel.
Rose Marie McCoy
Songwriter and performer -- via the Champaign, IL News-Gazette. Her 800-plus songs have been recorded by the likes of: Ike and Tina Turner, Elvis, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Jordan, Ruth Brown, Aretha . . . and many many more.
Don "Bear" Bryant
Former MLB catcher and coach -- via NESN. He caught Don Wilson's no-hitter for the Astros in 1969.
Charlie Williams
Former MLB pitcher -- via the Daytona Beach News-Journal. His claim to fame: he was the guy the Giants traded Willie Mays for.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Demis Roussos
Singer -- via the BBC. A classic case of someone little-known in America . . . who sold 60 million albums.
Deathcetera: The week's news in death and mourning
English philosopher Jeremy Bentham -- one of the few human corpses stuffed, mounted, and displayed publicly. |
DEATH
Human taxidermy?
Hmmmm
– via Caitlin Doughty at Ask a Mortician
Might you be
dying soon? Take the 29-point Death Test – from Madlen Davis at the Daily Mail
From ‘vigil
volunteers’ to death doulas – by Alicia Tugend at the New York Times
Grisly secrets
of London’s Victorian dead – via Lee Jackson at the Guardian
British death
certificate changes deferred – via Hugh Pym at the BBC
What happens to
debts at death?
– from I’m Sorry to Hear
Books to help
children come to terms with death in their lives – via Meghan
Cox Gurdon at the Wall Street Journal
MOURNING
King’s
death highlights Hanbali mourning practices – via AFP and Your Middle East
Updated story:
China suppresses Shanghai mourners – via Andrew Browne at the Wall Street
Journal
Churchill’s death
and funeral remembered by his grandchild – via Celia Sandys at the Wall Street
journal
Veteran’s body
mislaid
– via fox40.com.
FUNERALS
Funeral home had
‘blatant disregard for the dead’ – via AP and the Huffington Post
Read pre-paid
funeral contracts carefully – from Cate Grant at ABC News
Avoid funeral
embarrassment with three spiritual questions – via Hans Fiene in the
Federalist
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)