Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Alan Hume


Cinematographer -- via MI6. Talk about a career! He started in film during WWII, pulling focus on movies such as "In Which We Serve." He did the David Lean Dickens films, then a lot of the silly "Carry On" series. Some Hammer horror fare, many episodes of "The Avengers," the Edgar Rice Burroughs sci-fi adaptations of the 1970s with Doug McClure, culminating with exceptional D.P. work in some of the best of the Moore Bond films, as well as "Life Force," "The Return of the Jedi," "Runaway Train," and "A Fish Called Wanda." Wonderful work! What a lot of anecdotes he must have had. All of his children followed him into the business.

George Steinbrenner


New York Yankees owner -- via AP. Here's the whole megillah from the NYT -- and a hilarious sketch from Steinbrenner's appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1990.

Mau Piailug


Master navigator revived the ancient art of steering by the stars -- via KITV Honolulu

Kohei Tsuka


Japanese playwright -- via the Japan Times

Eloy Gil


Baseball scout -- via the South Florida Sun Sentinel

Monday, July 12, 2010

Marco Aurelio Martinez Tijerina and Guillermo Alcaraz Trejo


Journalists killed in Mexico in the line of duty -- via the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

Maje McDonnell


Long-lived and faithful member of the Phillies organization -- via Philly Sports

Walter Hawkins


Gospel music great -- via the Washington Post

Paul Sawyer


Minister and social activist -- via the Los Angeles Time

Suzanne von Paczensky nee Czapski


Journalist and activist -- via the Independent

Sugar Minott


Reggae star who pioneered dancehall style -- via the Guardian

Aldo Sambrell aka Alfredo Sanchez Brell


Spanish actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. If you have ever seen a spaghetti Western, you have seen him -- he was a ubiquitous baddie in dozens of films.

David Fanshawe


Composer who also championed and recorded indigenous music -- via the Bournemouth Daily Echo

Ramon Eduardo Ruiz


Historian and teacher -- via the Los Angeles Times

Basil Davidson


Journalist, activist, historian, writer, soldier -- via the Guardian

Richard Darwin Keynes


Neurophysiologist and writer -- via the Telegraph

Tuli Kupferberg


Poet, rebel and co-founder of the Fugs -- via the New York Times. He co-wrote one of the funniest books ever written, "1001 Ways to Avoid the Draft," and he created the song "Kill for Peace." So I love him.

Harvey Pekar


Great graphic novelist and jazz expert -- via Cleveland.com. He identified the profound in the mundane. He was laceratingly honest about himself. He celebrated "ordinary" lives. I loved him! Thanks Harvey!



Friday, July 9, 2010

Achdiat Karta Mihardja


Indonesian novelist and playwright -- via the Jakarta Post

Bekim Fehmiu


Albanian actor -- via the Telegraph

Janine Thomason


Tough and resourceful TV news producer -- via the Guardian

Frank Ahearn


Boston comedy club manager -- via the Bsoton Globe

Bill Porter

Legendary Nashville sound engineer -- via Australia's Elvis site. He recorded, among other hits, the Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown," Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely" and "Oh, Pretty Woman," and most of Elvis' great work -- "Are You Lonesome Tonight," "Stuck on You," "Good Luck Charm," and more . . . he helped create "The Nashville Sound."

Simon Kornblit


Respected film advertising and marketing executive reinvented himself -- as a actor! Via the Atlanta Journal-Constistution

Joshua Cohen


Doctor on the ship Exodus during Jewish struggle for Palestine -- via the Jerusalem Post

Marj Abrams


Rip-snorting Chiacgo publicist -- via the Chicago Sun-Times

Joya Sherrill


Vocalist and TV-show host -- via the New York Times

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Robbie Jansen


South African jazzman - via the Mail & Guardian

The business of obituaries


A story from Poynter Online regarding paid obituary notices -- just FYI. This includes links to previously cited studies and comments, but they are useful to look at and keep in mind!

Harvey Fuqua


Singer, songwriter, music producer and label exec and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member -- via Yahoo News. He gave Marvin Gaye his start. He distributed Detroit's very first hit single, Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want".) He co-founded the Moonglows ("Sincerely," "The Ten Commandments of Love"). He put Tami Terrell and Marvin Gaye together, produced their hits together, as well as Gaye's later "Sexual Healing." He discovered disco queen Sylvester and the Weather Girls. He's responsible for a lot of great American music.