Friday, April 3, 2015

Aniceto Molina

Legendary cumbia accordionist -- via soundsandcolours.com.

Billy Butler

Singer and songwriter -- via soulandjazzandfunk.com. Co-wrte "I Stand Accused."



Roger Slifer

Comics writer and editor -- via newsarama.com.

Edward Hice

Delia Salvi

Actor and acting teacher -- via legacy.com.

Ralph Sharon

Jazz pianist; long-time Tony Bennett accompanist who suggested he sing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" -- via the Denver Post. Ralph lived in Boulder, Colorado for many years after his "retirement," and was a pleasure as a talent and as a person.




Thursday, April 2, 2015

Manoel de Oliveira

Film director and screenwriter -- via EFE. He began working in film in 1927, and completed his first in 1931. Focused originally on short films and documentaries, with time he began producing narrative features as well, creating an amazing body of work (62 films) that spanned many styles. He is best known in America for his 2001 "I'm Going Home." An amazingly versatile storyteller who illuminated the human.







Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Anne James

Actress -- via legacy.com. AKA Delores Sidener, Delores Anne "Dorrie" Sheehan.



Robert Z'Dar

Actor -- via the Pensacola News Journal. AKA Robert Zdarsky.

Ronald Stevenson

Composer and pianist -- via the Independent.

Preston Ritter

Drummer for the Electric Prunes -- via Ultimate Classic Rock.



J. Karen Thomas

Helmut Dietl

Film director, and writer -- via Deutsche Welle. Best known for his hit comedy "Schtonk!"



George Spitz

Fred Robsahm

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Pedro Reyes

Actor and comedian -- via Hola.

Olga Syahputra

Comedian, actor, singer, and TV host -- via the Jakarta Post. AKA Yoga Syahputra.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Harvey Dell Harmon, Jr.

Harmon is on left in photo.
Homeless man -- via Aljazeera America. AKA Squeek.


Neil Alexander

Worked hard to advocate for those with ALS -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Marvin Wilson, the Tamale Man

Bill Chamberlain

Trombonist -- via the Pocono Record.

Washikur Rahman

Blogger and secular activist; hacked to death -- via the Sydney Morning Herald.

Deathcetera: the week in death and mourning

DEATH

Learning to talk about death – from PBS NewsHour

It doesn’t end well: grisly royal deaths – from Ross McG in Metro

Want to feel more alive? Think about death all the time – via Lauren Martin in Elite Daily


Learning about Jewish death rituals close up – by Lois Solomon in the Sun-Sentinel

When teens have to face terminal illness – via Jan Hoffman at the New York Times

If a prisoner dies, and there are no records, did they die? – from Lois Norder at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Investigating the Neolithic practice of “defleshing” the dead – from Erin Blakemore at the Smithsonian


MOURNING

On grieving – from Melissa Gould in the Huffington Post

Couple collects Victorian mourning memorabilia – via Andy Smith at the Providence Journal

Re-grieving: the second death of Chinua Achebe – by Chris Gayomali in Fast Company

Re-enactor performs one-person show on mourning in Victorian Era – from Kate Seckinger in the Daily Mail (U.S.)


FUNERALS


Pre-pay funeral contracts opened door to massive Ponzi scheme – from Dave Lieber at the Denton Record-Chronicle


Did strays really attend funeral of woman who fed them? – from Andrew McCormack of the Daily Mail


OBITS

A distinctive obituary curated – from Bob Collins at MPR News

Thomas Koch

Comedy writer -- via legacy.com. A largely unknown talent, he started off in radio, then wrote for TV and print as well. He contributed more than 3,000 pieces to Bob and Ray; he worked extensively for MAD magzine. His best-know piece for them, "43-Man Squamish," became so popular that people actually tried to play it.


Frans Tumbuan

Actor -- via the Jakarta Post.

Albert Irvin

Artist -- via the Telegraph.

William King

Sculptor -- via the New York Times.

Ray Arnett

Choreographer -- via Variety.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Miroslav Ondricek

Cinematographer -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Did his most significant work with Milos Forman (from "The Loves of a Blonde" in 1965 through "Valmont" in 1989) and Lindsay  Anderson ("If . . . ", "O Lucky Man!"). Great work on other films such as "Silkwood," "Awakenings," and "A League of Their Own."

Gary Dahl

B.J. Crosby

Singer and actress -- via the New Orleans Times-Picayune.






Rik Battaglia

Actor -- via La Repubblica. AKA Caterino Bertaglia, Rick Austin, Riccardo Battaglia, Rick Battaglia. After being discovered in a bar by Ponti, he played across from Sophia Loren in "The River Girl" in 1955. Then he moved on to peplum (sword-and-sandal) films, followed by a few Hollywood Biblical epics ("Esther and the King," "Sodom and Gomorrah"). He settled into Karl May films (May was the German equivalent of an adventure writer such as Robert Louis Stevenson or Zane Grey), and played many a villain in spaghetti Westerns.






Ivo Garrani

Actor -- via today.it. Best known in America for his role as Prince Vajda in Bava's "Black Sunday."



Tomas Transtromer

Nobel-winning poet -- via the New York Times.

Bill Slayback

Former MLB pitcher, musician, and songwriter -- via MLB. Co-wrote the Hank Aaron salute song "Move Over Babe" with Ernie Harwell.

Jytte Jensen

Film curator -- via the Hollywood Reporter.

Steven Shea

Former MLB pitcher -- via seacoastonline.com.

Peter Pistanek

Writer -- via kultura.sme.sk.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Gene Saks

Tony-winning director of stage and film; actor -- via the New York Times. AKA Jean Michael Saks. He was one of the great shapers of American wit. He will be best remembered as the primary director of late-career Neil Simon comedies, both on stage and in film -- "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Biloxi Blues," "Broadway Bound," "Lost in Yonkers"; "Barefoot in the Park," "The Odd Couple."  He also created hits such as "Mame," "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "I Love My Wife," "Same Time, Next Year," "Enter Laughing," and "Barrymore." He was money in the bank, absolutely dependable. If he got his hands on it, you would have a good time. A pro and a role model.

For you trivia fans out there, he most memorably played Leo Herman, aka Chuckles the Chipmunk, on both Broadway and in the 1965 film version of "A Thousand Clowns."






Saturday, March 28, 2015

Sally Forrest

Actress and dancer -- via the New York Times. AKA Katherine Sally Feeny.










Otto Frello

Artist -- via Varde Kommune.

Jeff Hennessy

Martyn Goff

Lil' Chris

Singer, songwriter, and actor -- via the New York Daily News. AKA Christopher James Hardman.