Thursday, June 3, 2010

Rogelio 'Limonar' Martinez


Cuban baseball legend -- via El Nuevo Herald

Giuseppe Taddei


Wonderful operatic baritone, who worked with Callas, Pavarotti, Nilsson, Toscanini and many more -- via Wikipedia

Josefa Cotillo Martinez aka 'La Polaca'


Dancer and actress -- via La Verdad. A summation of her career in English at the excellent requiem site Boot Hill (westernboothill.blogspot.com).

Sherwin Sloan


Opera fan championed Wagner's "Ring" cycle -- via the L.A. Times

Peter Price


Master carpenter created for stage, rock and corporate projects -- via The Stage

Esther Mabry


Blueswoman and owner of Esther's Orbit Room -- via the Oakland Tribune

Pat D'Arcy


English teacher and author -- via the Guardian

Polly Renton


40-year-old documentary filmmaker dies in road accident -- via the Telegraph

Marie Caillet


Gardener championed Louisiana irises -- via the Dallas Morning News

Lorrie Otto


Environmentalist and educator was known as the "mother of natural landscaping" -- via the Seattle Times

Danny Street


Ubiquitous British session singer -- via the Telegraph

Roger Manderscheid


Luxemborgian author -- via Nomadics. Pretty unknown due to his writing in Letzebuergesch, but a translated poem on the referenced page is pretty good!

Dorothy DeBorba


Former "Our Gang" member -- via Wikipedia

Thomas 'Butch' White


Doo-wop singer had hit with 'Teardrops' -- via Philadelphia Daily News

Larry Dale aka Ennis Lowery


Blues guitarist and vocalist -- via the Washington Post

Humor: P.J. O'Rourke proposes 'pre-obituaries'


The well-known satirist posits a jab at the not-quite-dead -- via the Weekly Standard

Tom C. Alusheff aka Morey Cohen

 Police officer, candymaker, comedian, wrestler and more -- via cleveland.com

Floribert Chebeya


Human rights activist -- via AFP

Rue McClanahan


Actress best known for her work on TV's "Maude," "Golden Girls" -- via People magazine

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Joan Rhodes aka Josie Terena


Strongwoman -- via the Telegraph

Yvonne Howell Stevens

 Silent-film actress was 107; was one of Mack Sennett's Bathing Beauties -- via

Hsiao Li Lindsay


Peeress was part of China's 20th-century tumult; wrote engaging memoir "Bold Plum" -- via the Guardian

Ruben Juarez

 Argentine accordionist and singer -- via the Latin American Herald Tribune

Randolph Stow


Australian writer -- via the Australian

Benjamin Lees

 Composer -- via the Desert Sun

Jeanne Robinson


Choreographer, dancer and writer -- via the Chronicle Herald

William Fraker


Primarily known as a marvelous and indefatigable cinematographer, he also directed a great Western, "Monte Walsh" -- via the L.A. Times

Leslie Scalapino


A prodigious writer who was a poet, playwright, publisher and more -- via epf

Jackson Kaujeua

Namibian composer and singer -- via the Southern Times

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Anthony Harley, aka Little Benny


Trumpeter, vocalist was pioneer of go-go music -- via the Washington Post

Jeriome Robertson


Former MLB pitcher -- via mlb.com

Karle Seydel


Urban activist championed Denver's "LoDo" -- via the Denver Post

Andrei Voznesensky


Soviet poet -- via the New York Times

Monday, May 31, 2010

Louise Bourgeois


Sculptor -- via the New York Times

Peter Orlovsky


Poet and partner of Allen Ginsberg -- via the L.A. Times

Klaus George Roy

Composer and musical commentator -- via the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ali "Ollie" Woodson


Former Temptations singer wrote "Treat He Like a Lady" -- via the Detroit News

Carol Marsh


British actress -- via the Telegraph

Chris Haney

Chris Haney (left) with Scott Abbott.
Co-creator of Trivial Pursuit board game -- via the Montreal Gazette

Merata Mita


New Zealand filmmaker -- via stuff.co.nz

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Bill Hinkley


Folk musician and teacher -- via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The very first guest on "Prairie Home Companion."

Susan Wildman

 Second City house manager -- via the Chicago Sun-Times

Irwin Rosten


Documentary filmmaker expanded the genre's possibilities with movies such as "The Incredible Machine" -- via the L.A. Times

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Dennis Hopper

 Actor and director and photographer had Hollywood career from 1954 to his death. He changed film history with "Easy Rider," his performances, in that film and in other roles in "Hoosiers," "Blue Velvet," "Apocalypse Now," "True Romance," "River's Edge" and "The American Friend" are timeless triumphs -- via the L.A. Times







Eugenia Paul


Actress best known for her early television work in series such as "Zorro" and "The Lone Ranger" -- via The Hollywood Reporter

Robert Muczynski


American composer -- via the Chicago Sun-Times

Slim Bryant


Pioneer country artist was 101 -- via KDKA-TV. His best known composition was "Mother, Queen of My Heart," a hit in 1932; he and his Wildcats played with Gene Autry, Tex Ritter and many many more. He is thought to be the last man living who played with Jimmie Rodgers. He later became a well-known Pittsburgh radio personality.

Rani Dube


Filmmaker, producer and actress best known for making "Gandhi" film happen -- via the Independent

Friday, May 28, 2010

Jack Birkett


British dancer, singer and actor best known for his work with Lindsay Kemp and Derek Jarman -- via the Guardian. Unbeknownst to many, he performed for 20 years despite failing eyesight!

Patricia Stevens


Actress was best known for her TV roles ("M*A*S*H") and as one who voiced the character of Velma in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons -- via the Worchester Telegram and Gazette

Gary Coleman

 Child actor -- via the New York Times. He had a difficult life -- many of his sitcom co-stars did too. May he rest in peace.