Death
R.I.P. John Clayton, ESPN NFL Reporter Who Starred as Metalhead in Greatest SportsCenter Commercial Dies at 67
John Clayton, the longtime NFL reporter for ESPN, has died at age 67 after an undisclosed brief illness. While he was considered one of the best in the business among football fans, for many he will be remembered for his unforgettable starring in role in perhaps the greatest “This Is SportsCenter” commercial ever. After starting as a sportswriter in the covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks in the ’70s and ’80s, Clayton was hired by ESPN in 1995, where he remained with the network as one of its top NFL reporters until he was let go in 2017. According to ESPN, Clayton died Friday (March 18th) while surrounded by family in Washington state. Clayton, who was nicknamed “The Professor,” had a charmingly nerdy appearance, which made his turn in the aforementioned “This Is SportsC...
Musicians Remember Mark Lanegan: “One of THE Great Singers of the Last 30 Years”
Following the sad news that Mark Lanegan died at age 57 earlier today (February 22nd), the talented frontman of Screaming Trees and erstwhile member of Queens of the Stone Age is being remembered by his musical peers. Lanegan’s prolific music career — which also saw him release 12 solo albums and collaborate with a number of other musicians — had a profound influence and impact on many artists. Former New Order bassist Peter Hook tweeted, “Mark Lanegan was a lovely man. He led a wild life that some of us could only dream of. He leaves us with fantastic words and music! Thank god that through all of that he will live forever. RIP Mark. Sleep well.” Advertisement Related Video Velvet Underground legend John Cale wrote, “I can’t process this. Mark Lanegan will always be etched in my hear...
R.I.P. Jon Zazula, Megaforce Records Founder Who Helped Launch Metallica’s Career Dies at 69
Jon Zazula, the legendary founder of Megaforce Records, has died at age 69. Sadly, his passing comes just one year after the death of his wife, Marsha, who co-founded the iconic metal label with her husband. According to Variety, a rep for Megaforce confirmed that Jon Zazula passed away on Tuesday (February 1st) in Florida, where he was surrounded by his brother, daughters, and granddaughters, as well as a number of friends and associates. Known as “Jonny Z,” Zazula was a major force in the metal world, helping to launch the careers of Metallica, Anthrax, and many other bands. He and Marsha essentially founded Megaforce in order to sign Metallica to their first record deal, releasing the band’s groundbreaking 1983 debut album, Kill ‘Em All. The thrash titans stuck with Megaforce for their ...
Watch Key Glock Honor Late Friend Young Dolph in New ‘Proud’ Music Video
The late Young Dolph is being honored by his longtime friend and collaborator Key Glock two months after his death. On Tuesday, Key Glock released a music video for his all-new track “Proud.” The single is set to be released on the upcoming Young Dolph tribute album Paper Route Empire Presents: Long Live Dolph (Compilation), slated to be released Friday. Key Glock opens his heartfelt new song “Proud” rapping, “І lоѕt mу dоg, І lоѕt mу mіnd/ Nо lіе, І’m rеаllу lоѕt іnѕіdе/ І саn gеt іt bасk іn blооd/ Вut ѕtіll І саn’t gеt bасk thе tіmе/ F— thаt humblе ѕh–, lеt’ѕ gо/ Yоu knоw І’m ѕраzzіn’ оut ’bоut mіnе/ І gоt Dоlрh lооkіn’ dоwn оn mе.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the accompanying music video, Key Glock raps in front of a memoria...
Valentino Khan Shares Heartwarming Story of Bob Saget’s Reaction to “Deep Down Low”
The tragic passing of Bob Saget over the weekend has inspired several high-profile electronic music artists to share their stories of meeting the late comedy icon. Who would America’s Dad have had such a curiosity and appreciation for in dance music? Saget made a particularly meaningful impact on renowned producer Valentino Khan, who shared a heartwarming tribute on Instagram. Khan explains he was playing a set at Encore Las Vegas when the Full House star approached the booth to introduce himself. The two exchanged pleasantries and although it was brief, Khan said that Saget struck him as particularly kind. Later in the evening before leaving the club, Saget returned to the DJ booth to show Khan he’d been trying to identify his global hit, “Deep Down Low,” on his ph...
R.I.P. Burke Shelley, Budgie Singer-Bassist Dies at 71
Burke Shelley, the singer and bassist of the influential Welsh metal band Budgie, has died at the age of 71. Shelley’s daughter, Ela, shared the following post Monday night (January 10th) on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my father, John Burke Shelley. He passed away this evening in his sleep at Heath Hospital in Cardiff, his birth town. He was 71 years old. Please respect the family during this time. With love, His four children: Ela, Osian, Dimitri and Nathaniel.” Although no cause of death was given, Shelley had suffered from health problems over the last few years (a genetic disorder called Stickler syndrome, plus two aortic aneurysms), which kept Budgie off of the road and from issuing new music. Advertisement Related Video Born John Burke Shelley on ...
Robert Durst, Real Estate Heir Who Admitted to Murder in HBO’s The Jinx, Dead at 78
Robert Durst, the heir to a billion-dollar real estate empire who was sentenced to life in prison after admitting to murder in the HBO miniseries The Jinx, has died at the age of 78. As TMZ reports, the cause was cardiac arrest, though he had also been battling bladder cancer, and was weakened after a bout with COVID-19 put him on a ventilator last year. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst aired in 2015 and examined the possibility that Durst was a serial killer. Incredibly, the series was Durst’s idea, having reached out to director Andrew Jarecki to volunteer himself for an interview. At the time, he was suspected in the deaths of three people: his wife Kathleen McCormack Durst, who disappeared in 1982; the 2000 murder of his friend Susan Berman; and the 200...
Betty White Died Six Days After Suffering Stroke
Betty White’s death certificate has revealed that the television icon suffered a stroke six days before she died. Via TMZ, the official cause of death is listed as cerebrovascular accident, or loss of blood flow to parts of the brain. Reportedly, she was alert and cogent following the stroke, and passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 31st, just weeks short of her 100th birthday. According to PageSix, her final words were “Allen,” in apparent reference to her late husband Allen Ludden. White would have enjoyed her centennial birthday on January 17th. On that day, theaters will screen Betty White: A Celebration, a film marking 100 years since she was born, although it was slightly altered following her death. That same date, her hometown of Oak Park, Illinois will ce...
Lollapalooza Co-Founder Ted Gardner Dead at 74
Ted Gardner, who co-founded Chicago’s iconic Lollapalooza festival alongside Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, has died at the age of 74. He passed away on December 28th, 2021 after battling an unspecified illness, Pollstar reports. Prior to launching Lollapalooza, Gardner was the full-time manager of Jane’s Addiction starting in 1989. He and Farrell in 1991 went on to host the inaugural festival, which was reportedly set up at the time as a farewell tour for the band. In addition to co-founding Lollapalooza, Gardner was a prolific rock manager who worked with Queens of the Stone Age and The Verve, among others. Originally from Melbourne, he and his wife, Nikki Brown, looked after a myriad of bands in Los Angeles for over 25 years, such as The Cramps, Rose Tatt...
R.I.P. Classic BlackBerry, Phone with Best Keyboard and Worst OS Dead at 22
BlackBerry, the tech company that shattered the barrier between work and home, has stopped supporting its classic line of phones after 22 years. All of the standard BlackBerry models have turned into paper weights with keyboards as of today, January 4th, though a small number of devices powered by the Android operating system will continue to function. The move was a long time coming. The last version of the BlackBerry OS launched in 2013, and the company mostly moved out of the phone industry in 2016. In September of 2021, BlackBerry announced that it would be discontinuing support for BlackBerry 10, 7.1 OS and earlier to focus on its security software and services. BlackBerry first began in 1996 as Research in Motion, promoting a device it called a two-way pager. That first offering allo...
Nicki Minaj Remembers Former Business Manager Angela Kukawski as ‘Sweetest Person’ After Her Death
Nicki Minaj honored her former business manager Angela “Angie” Kukawski, who recently died in a suspected homicide. The Los Angeles-based business manager was reported missing a week ago on Dec. 22, but Los Angeles and Simi Valley police officers found her body inside her car parked on Patricia Avenue in Simi Valley the next day, according to a press release from the Los Angeles Police Department issued Wednesday (Dec. 29). Her death was ruled a homicide by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office. She was 55. On Minaj’s Instagram Story Wednesday, the rapper wrote, “Hardest working, most reliable, sweetest person you could ever know. You didn’t deserve this, Angela. My heart is breaking for your children. Rest In Peace.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news Nicki Minaj sympathize...
Promising Electronic Music Producer CharlestheFirst Dead at 25
CharlestheFirst, a fast-rising DJ and electronic music producer, has tragically died at the age of 25. “Early this morning our beloved Charles Elias Ingalls passed away in his sleep,” reads a tweeted statement shared by Lab Group, a multimedia collective co-founded by CharlestheFirst. “Amongst many things, Charles was a larger than life presence that deeply moved and affected all who knew him.” “A son, a brother, a friend, a poet, and an absolutely brilliant musician,” the statement continues. “He lived his life with a sense of magic and inspiration that most people only dream of.” Known for his ability to blend hypnotic bass music with lo-fi and hip-hop, CharlestheFirst released his latest album SOLUS in March 2021. The expansive record was ...
