Saturday, May 14, 2011

Kenny Geidel

Sports vendor -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Bill Gallo

Sports cartoonist and columnist -- via the New York Daily News.

Stanley Wright aka Suleiman-Hakim

Jazzman -- via the New York Daily News.

Horace Freeland Judson

Historian of molecular biology -- via the New York Times.

Snooky Young

A genius trumpeter -- via the Washington Post.

Jane Way

Pioneer of the bed and breakfast -- via the Los Angeles Times.

Christopher G. Reischl

Firefighter, gizmo-maker and nice guy -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Michael Krsnich

Left fielder with the Milwaukee Braves and in Japanese baseball -- via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jack Morris, Bil Schenley and groups.google.com/group/alt.obituaries.

Lawrence Lee

Stained-glass artist -- via the Guardian.

Endre Wolf

Violinist -- via the Guardian.

Henry Wallace Stuart Clark

Businessman, writer and naval explorer -- via the Telegraph.

Gerald Bordman

Theatre scholar and author -- via the Philadelphia Inquirer. His "American Musical Theater" and "The Oxford Companion to the American Theater" are classics.

Mia Amber Davis

Model and actress -- via Carolina Live.

Zim Ngqwanna

Jazzman -- via the Mail & Guardian.

Norma Zimmer aka Norma Larsen

Singer -- via the Washington Post. A long-time member of "The Lawrence Welk Show" cast, her squeaky-clean image and extensive Christian repertoire made her a favorite of my grandparents.

Ross Hagen aka Leland Lando Lilly

Actor, writer, director, producer -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

"Whispering" Ted Lowe

Snooker commentator -- via the BBC.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Cornell Dupree Jr. aka Uncle Funky

Guitar master -- via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Rick Uchwat

Founder of comedy club Zanies -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

David Mason

Trumpeter -- via the Telegraph. A fine classical musician, he is best remembered for his work with the Beatles.

Duane Pillette

MLB pitcher -- via rr.com.

John Walker aka John Maus

Guitarist, singer and co-founder of the Walker Brothers -- via the New York Times.

Mike Spoerndle

Founder of Toad's Place -- via the Hartford Courant.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Mildred Robbins Leet

Philanthropist -- via the Washington Post. She was a pioneer in the use of microloans to help Third World businesspeople start their own enterprises.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Patricia Hart

Costume designer -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Gary "Speedy" West, Jr.

Guitarist -- via the Oklahoman.

Michael Meldrum

Folk musician and teacher -- via the Buffalo News. He taught Ani DiFranco guitar, and mentored her and many other regional musicians, helping them to find their voices.

Velzoe Brown

Jazz pianist and teacher -- via the Silicon Valley Mercury News. A one-time member of the Pollyanna Syncopators!

Nigel Pickering

Rhythm guitarist, vocalist and founding member of Spanky and Our Gang -- via the St. Augustine Record.


Like to Get to Know You by dcck105

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Dolores Fuller

Actress and songwriter -- via the L.A. Times. A one-time girlfriend of abysmally bad cult movie director Ed wood, she appeared in his "Glen or Glenda?" and "Jail Bait." Later, she co-wrote "Rock-a-Hula-Baby" and many other songs for Elvis films. She laso founded a record company, Dee Dee and launched the career of Johnny Rivers and Tanya Tucker.


She wrote other hits, such as "Someone to Tell It To"

Rolo Puente aka Rolando Pardo Dominguez

Actor and comedian -- via m24digital.com.

Gustavo Kouri Flores

Physician, teacher and researcher -- via the juventudrebelde.co.cu. He fought the spread of tropical diseases, especially dengue fever.

Sada Thompson

Tony- and Emmy-winning actress -- via the New York Times.

Arthur Laurents aka Arthur Levine

Playwright, screenwriter and director -- via the New York Times. For the stage, he wrote the book for "West Side Story," "Gypsy" and "Anyone Can Whistle." For the screen, he wrote "Rope," "The Way We Were" and "The Turning Point."

James "Deacon" Anderson

Singer, songwriter and steel guitarist -- via the Port Arthur News. He co-wrote the famous "Ragg-Mopp."

Jack Gottlieb

Composer and assistant to Leonard Bernstein -- via the Guardian.

Steve Alvey

Actor -- via the Guardian.

Bobby "Bull" Thompson

Outfielder for the Rangers in 1978 -- via the Charlotte Observer, Jack Morris, Bill Schenley and groups.google.com/group/alt.obituaries, in that order.

Alex

Actor -- via the Times of India.

Ernest "Shololo" Mothle

Bassist -- via tonymcgregor-tonysplace.blogspot.com.

Jagdish Khebudkar aka Nana

Lyricist and poet -- via the Hindustan Times.

Stoney Burns

"King of the hippies" -- via Pegasus News.

Elbert "Al" Moulton

Why there are no billboards in Vermont -- via boston.com.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Thanasis Veggos

Comic actor and director -- via Athens News.

Osama's obit: the backstage story from the Times

Via Steve Miller at obituaryforum.blogspot.com, and Lauren Kirchner at the Columbia Journalism Review. Kirchner interviewed NYT obit writer Kate Zernike about the mechanics of producing an updated obituary on a controversial and despised figure at the last minute on a Sunday night.

'Last post' is blogger's farewell

Derek K. Miller, blogger, pens his own obituary. It's very moving and well-done.