Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Shamshad Begum

Playback singer -- via the New York Times. One of the first, and the greatest of the 1940s.





Cheng Naishan

Writer -- via china.org.cn.

Vivi Bach

Actress; the "Danish Bardot" -- via Die Welt.





Layton Kor

Climber -- via the Denver Post.

Jean-Michel Damase

Pianist and composer -- via Le Monde.





Artie “Blues Boy” White

Blues and soul singer -- via the Chicago Sun-Times.





Frederick "Nosher" Powell

Boxer, stuntman, actor, and bodyguard -- via the Guardian.

Shakuntala Devi

Mathematical prodigy and circus performer -- via the New York Times.

Patrick Garland

Director, producer, writer, and actor -- via the Guardian.

Dani Crivelli

Drummer -- via loudwire.com.

Huang Wenyong

Actor, singer, and teacher -- via AsiaOne.




William Wilson

Art critic -- via the L.A. Times.


Dennis Clark Brown

Recipient of an honest but affectionate obituary -- via legacy.com.

Ellie Halliday

Former manager of Peggy's Hi-Lo in Boulder, a legendary roadhouse -- via the Daily Camera.

Chris Haney

Gothic Theater staffer -- via Westword.

Luise Kimme

Sculptor -- via massanation.blogspot.com.

E.L. Konigsburg

Author -- via the New York Times.

Sadi Afshar

Performer -- via the Tehran Times.

Cordell 'Boogie' Mosson aka Cardell Mosson

Bassist for Parliament-Funkadelic -- via Rolling Stone.

Marcel van Cleemput

Toy designer -- via the Telegraph.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Deanna Durbin aka Edna Mae Durbin

Youthful singing sensation and actress -- via the New York Times. Her precocious vocal talents  and sweet, wholesome screen image made her popular -- so much so that she is said to have saved Universal Pictures after their string of 1930s horror films lost momentum. When she got older, she quit the biz and lived happily ever after!





Vytautas Å apranauskas

Actor and TV host -- 15min.lt.

Sita Chan

Singer and actress -- via http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art.




K P Bhaskar

Classical dancer and instructor -- via dnaindia.com.

Yngve Moe

Bassist -- via itromso.no.

T K Ramamurthy

Composer, violinist, and film music director -- via the Times of India.

Dariush Safvat

Musician and ethnomusicologist -- via the Tehran Times.







Cecilia Smiga

Soprano -- via BBC News.

Harold "Jack" Daniels aka Sour Mash Jack

Former MLB player -- via Ziemer Funeral Home.


Gary Biddles

Musician -- via slicingupeyeballs.com.

Rita MacNeil

Singer of country and folk music -- via the CBC.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Dave Ismay

Columnist, comedian, announcer, and agent -- via the Birmingham Mail. In 2009, he was told he had three months to live. Two months later, they told him they were wrong. He's actually dead this time, though.




Cleyde Yaconis

Actress -- via ego.globo.com.

Jean-François Paillard

Conductor -- via artsjournal.com.





Scott Miller

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist -- via Rolling Stone.



Rentaro Mikuni aka Masao Sato

Actor and director -- via the Japan Times.




Albert Hofmann

Chemist; inventor of LSD; first synthesizer of psilocybin -- via Wired. On April 19, 1943, Hofmann ingested 250 micrograms of acid and bicycled home -- what forever after would be remembered as "bicycle day."

For those of us of that pioneer pharmaceutical era, LSD was a mixed bag -- very harmful if taken during unpleasant circumstances (like loud, crowded, chaotic rock concerts, which is where many people mistakenly took it) , or if not mentally prepared to become blissfully unhinged for quite a stretch of time. However, when taken in a calm and prepared manner, it could be quite entertaining and enlightening -- although the profound notes one took whilst tripping balls usually didn't hold up in the light of sober reality. Ultimately, an interesting interdimensional experience that can help individual consciousness to evolve. Thanks, doc!

 “LSD wanted to tell me something. It gave me an inner joy, an open mindedness, a gratefulness, open eyes and an internal sensitivity for the miracles of creation.”

Adolf "Bud" Herseth

Trumpeter -- via the New York Times.





PB Sreenivas

Playback singer -- via the Times of India.

Marcel Vercoutere

Special effects and makeup artist -- via Deadline. Worked on a number of good films -- highlight for him was his work on "The Exorcist."



George McArthur

Journalist; one of the last out of Saigon in 1975 -- via the L.A. Times.

Stephen Dodgson

Composer and broadcaster -- via the Guardian.



Chi Cheng

Bassist for the Deftones -- via Billboard.




Dean Drummond

Composer, arranger, conductor, and musician -- via the New York Times. A follower of microtonal composer Harry Partch, and conservator of his music and instruments.






Vince Montana Jr.

Musician and orchestrator -- via Soul Tracks.



Helen Doss Reed

Writer best known for "The Family Nobody Wanted" -- via Redlands Daily Facts.

Oöphoi aka Gianluigi Gasparetti

Ambient musician -- via hypnos.com.