Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tom Hobbs

Reference librarian was obituary expert -- via the Guardian

Marva Wright


A beautiful, brilliant blues singer from New Orleans. I have heard her and am better for it. Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune (nola.com)

John Hicklenton


Comic artist who created Judge Dredd -- Via forbiddenplanet.co.uk

Phil Johnson


New Orleans' WWL TV legendary, award-winning newsman -- via WWL TV

Phil Wood


A renowned craftsman of bicycle hubs such as the one pictured above. Via the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

Society of Professional Obituary Writers

The obit writers' convention takes place in Philadelphia April 22-24, according to Editor & Publisher

Monday, March 22, 2010

Pierrot Bidon


Showman and innovator reinvented the circus -- via the Guardian

Max Salpeter


Brilliant violinist -- via the Guardian

Jerry Adler


Harmonica virtuoso was younger brother of fellow mouth-harp genius Larry -- via the New York Times

Margaret Moth


Fearless combat photographer. Shot in the face in Sarajevo, she recuperated and was back at work at the site of her wounding six months later. An amazing life -- via CNN

Wolfgang Wagner


Composer's grandson led opera festival for decades -- via the New York Times, the Guardian

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Jerry Dzikowicz

A compelling story about a guy who hung out on a street corner -- via the Vancouver Sun

Stewart Udall


This Secretary of the the Interior fought for the environment -- via the New York Times

Robert White


Test pilot, war hero was first to fly winged vehicle into space -- via Bob White Web site

Jane Sherman

Dancer and writer -- via the New York Times

Jack Hirshberg


Hollywood publicist during the Golden Age -- via the Hollywood Reporter

Charles Muscatine


Chaucer scholar fought for free speech as well -- via the New York Times

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Fess Parker


Iconic actor played both Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, in film and on TV -- via the Hollywood Reporter and the L.A. Times

And remember, America was really not P.C. in those days . . .



H.M. Koutoukas

 Koutoukas (second from right) and others at the legendary Cafe Cino.
Playwright and actor was outrageous member of New York avant-garde theater scene -- via the New York Times

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Alex Chilton


Rock musician, songwriting genius -- via the New York Times and Pitchfork



Charlie Gillett

Gillett, right, digs through some tunes.

This amazing man wrote one of the first histories of rock and roll -- and spent years on the radio in England turning people on to new kinds of music. Oh yes, and he discovered Dire Straits. Not bad! Via the Guardian

Carmen Capalbo


This director and producer (far left in photo above) mounted the long-running Off Broadway production of "The Threepenny Opera" and won Lotte Lenya a Tony. P.S. -- he commissioned Lou Reed to write "Walk on the Wild Side."

Ron Lundy


A legendary top-40 AM DJ -- via the New York Times

Tim Holland


Backgammon master -- via the New York Times