Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Lee Hoiby

Composer of opera and song -- via the New York Times.

Robert Tear

Tenor -- via the Telegraph. He specialized in works by Britten and Tippett -- but can be heard on more than 250 recordings from all periods and by a dazzling array of composers.

Keith Fordyce

DJ and first host of important British TV program, music showcase "Ready Steady Go!" -- via the Independent.

Willie Davis

Willie Davis is at the top of this publicity photo for The Cadets.
Member of the doo-wop group The Cadets (aka The Jacks), whose big hit was their cover of the Jayhawks' "Stranded in the Jungle" in 1956 -- via voy.com.

Stanley Bleifeld

Sculptor -- via the Canadian Press and AP. His work includes the great "Lone Sailor" statue, as well as figures of Satchel Paige and Roy Campanella at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

H.R.F. Keating

Mystery writer -- via the Telegraph. He created the immortal Inspector Ganesh V. Ghote.

Joe Bageant

Writer, editor and social (and socialist) consciousness-raiser -- via Crooks and Liars.

Summer Serafin

Actress -- via the San Francisco Chronicle.

John Scoullar

Composer, playwright, lyricist and performer -- via Playbill.

Lula Cortes

Musician who was part of the Brazilian "psych-rock" movement -- via Oglobo.

Carl Bunch

Drummer, and later minister -- via North Iowa Today. He drummed for Buddy Holly, just missing the flight of Feb. 3, 1959 that killed Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. He later played with Hank Williams, Jr. and Roy Orbison.

Mitchell Dubey

Multiple instrumentalist and bicycle mechanic -- via the New Haven Independent.

Ken Arcipowski

Ken is at the upper left in this publicity photo of Randy & the Rainbows.
Bass and member of doo-wop one-hit wonder group Randy & the Rainbows -- via voy.com. Their chart-topping song was 1963's "Denise."

Harold "Dynamite" Payson

Boat builder, writer and teacher -- via the Bangor Daily News.

CD John aka John Chijoke

Comedian -- via vanguardngr.com.

Sidney Glassberg

General contractor, real estate salesman -- and a guy with a sense of humor -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Michael Abramson

Photographic chronicler of Chicago -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Diana Wynne Jones

Honored fantasy author -- via the Telegraph.

Roger Abbot

Comedian and actor -- via allvoices.com. A founding member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce.

Wenche Foss

Actress of stage, screen and television -- via Yahoo News.

Paul Baran

One of the developers of the Internet -- via the New York Times. His packet-switched network design was conceived and built in 9164 in response to the threat of communication disruption due to nuclear attack.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Farley Granger

Actor in film, on stage and television -- via the Hollywood Reporter. His best and best-remembered films include "Strangers on a Train," "Rope," "They Live by Night," "Side Street" and "Senso."

Johnny Pearson

Pianist, orchestra leader and composer -- via the Independent. He was best at creating "library" music, thematic passages that are sold to stage, film and TV productions. Among these are "Sleepy Shores," the theme for "All Creatures Great and Small," and the ubiquitous NFL Monday Night Football music --

David Nevin

Historical novelist -- via the New York Times.

James Pritchett

Actor -- via the New York Times.

Norman "Normie" B. Roy III

Pitcher for the Boston Braves -- via the Nashua Telegraph.

Robert "Bob" Rush

All-Star pitcher, primarily for the Cubs -- via Baseball Fever.

Charlie Metro aka Charles Moreskonich

MLB outfielder and manager -- via nantyglo.com.

Mark Chamberlin

Actor -- via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Joe Wizan

Movie producer -- via the L.A. Times. He worked on such films as "Prime Cut," "Junior Bonner," "Jeremiah Johnson," " . . . and Justice for All," and the Alex Cross films with Morgan Freeman.

Helen Stenborg

Actress on stage, screen and television -- via the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Joe Ambrosio

Tenor sax player -- via Mark Diamond's FB page.

Rodney J. Smith

Managing director of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation -- via the San Antonio Business Journal. Best known to many in my circle as the former general manger of the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

DJ Megatron aka Corey McGriff

Radio and TV personality -- via MSNBC.

Harry Coover

The man who invented Super Glue -- via the New York Times.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lanford Wilson

Playwright -- via Broadway World. A personal idol and one of the best American playwrights of his time. A founder of Off-Off Broadway.  He was a key part of the scene in New York in the early 60's, with his "The Madness of Lady Bright" providing the first big success for Off-Off Broadway landmark Caffe Cino. Having done "Balm in Gilead" and "The Rimers of Eldritch," part of my oh-so-edgy theatrical training, I was confounded by his transition to naturalistic clarity in "Hot l Baltimore," "The Fifth of July," "Talley's Folly" and "Burn This." But it works and it is spell-binding stuff.

Richard Leacock

Documentary director, producer, editor; cinematographer; pioneer of Direct Cinema and cinema verite -- via indieWIRE. A seminal figure in film history -- here's a great quote from a Mubi profile of him: "I hope to be able to create sequences, that when run together will present aspects of my perception of what took place in the presence of my camera. To capture spontaneity it must exist and everything you do is liable to destroy it... beware!'"

Huffington Post: "Finding Glory in Life in the Obit Page"

Via the Huffington Post, a salute to obits -- thanks to Pamela Tom for writing this!

Musa Juma Mumbo

Rhumba and Benga musician -- via allafrica.com.

Fred Sanford

MLB pitcher -- via voy.com.

Tom "Mac" McAvoy

Member of Softball Hall of Fame -- via the Albany Times-Union. He pitched in one major league game for the Washington Senators.

Glenn "Gos" Gostick

Baseball statistician -- via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Raymond Cohen

Violinist -- via the Guardian.

Peter Lennon

Journalist and documentary filmmaker -- via the Guardian. His only film, "Rocky Road to Dublin," was a Cannes selection . . .

Hafina Clwyd

Journalist -- via the Independent.

John Hoke

Inventor -- via the Washington Post.

Toshiko Takaezu

Ceramic artist -- via the New York Times.

Wolfgang Spier

Actor and director -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Reuven Shefer

Theater and film actor -- via forums.somethingawful.com.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor

Actress -- via ABC News. One of the great actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, she grew up on camera in such films as "Lassie Come Home" and "National Velvet"; she went on to stellar performances in such films as "A Place in the Sun," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Her great beauty and complicated personal life overshadowed but did not obscure her talent.

Here's the first of many coming updates -- the New York Times obit.

Roger Ebert remembers her here.