Thursday, June 23, 2011

Anatoli Bitkov

Journalist -- via en.rian.ru.

Kader Asmal

Anti-apartheid activist -- via AFP.

Miguel Angel Lopez Velasco

Journalist -- via Yahoo News. Murdered, along with his wife and son.

Gustaf Kjellvander

Singer-songwriter -- via the Sydsvenskan.

John Ehrman

Historian and writer -- via the Telegraph.

David Rayfiel

Screenwriter -- via the New York Times. A frequent collaborator with Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford, he worked on such excellent scripts as those for "Castle Keep," "Three Days of the Condor," "Abscence of Malice" and "'Round Midnight."

Pablo Ruelas Barraza

Journalist -- via en.rsf.org.

Shaun Best

Sports photographer -- via foxnews.com.

David Camron Duncombe

Chaplain and social activist -- via the Oregonian.

Jack Smith

Artist -- via the Telegraph.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Larry Wayne "Wild Man" Fischer

Outsider musician -- via the New York Times. A mentally ill and tormented person who made songs.


Phyllis Gebauer

Writing instructor and friend to Thomas Pynchon -- via the L.A. Times.

Gene McKown

Songwriter and musician -- via the Kansas City Star.

Kirby Allan

Singer, music promoter, gadfly -- via the East Valley Tribune.

IGnazio "Ig" Vella

Master cheesemaker -- via the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jyotirmoy Dey

Investigative journalist -- via the Economic Times of India.

Charlotte Joko Beck

Zen teacher and writer -- via Tricycle. Her last words were the beautiful and haunting, "This too is wonder."

Mae Wheeler

"Lady Jazz" of St. Louis -- via stljazznotes.blogspot.com.

Asad Ali Khan

Rudra veena player, and the last living master of the Khandar dhrupad school -- via the Deccan Herald.

Gyorgy Szabados

Pianist and "father of Hungarian free jazz" -- via culture.hu.

Don Diamond

Character actor in film, radio and TV -- via the L.A. Times and Legacy.com. His best-known roles were El Toro in "The Adventures of Kit Carson," Corporal Reyes in "Zorro," and Crazy Cat in "F Troop."

Jameel Fakhri

Film, TV and stage actor -- via Pakistan National News.

Maksud Sadikov

Theology professor -- via the New York Times. An advocate of peace, he was gunned down by extremists.

Bill Johnson

Artist and art director -- via the Tennessean. Working primarily in the music business, his distinctive logo for Rolling Stone is still in use.

Lee Kemp

Actor, stripper and disability rights activist -- via the Guardian. He was the leader of the disabled men's strip group, the Crippendales.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Jim Rodnunsky

Inventor of the Cablecam -- via the New York Times.

Joanna Dickens

Actress -- via altfg.com.

Gennaro Meoli aka Jerry Mayo

Trumpeter for Freddy and the Bellboys, and later top-of-the-line shirtmaker -- via the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Bellboys' cover of Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" was heard by Elvis, who then recorded it. The group served as a key point of transition between the R & B scene of the 40's and 50's and rock.

Wiley Laverne "Max" Self

Rockabilly singer, songwriter and musician -- via the Helena, Arkansas Daily World.

Alan Haberman

The father of the bar code -- via the New York Times.

Elena Bonner

Human rights activist -- via the New York Times.

Paul Massie

Actor -- via CBC.ca.

Peter Schamoni

Producer, screenwriter and director -- via westernsallitaliana.blogspot.com.

Lightning Bear

Stuntman and stunt coordinator -- via westernsallitaliana.blogspot.com.

Don DiFiore

Skycap who fought for better conditions -- via boston.com.