Death
R.I.P. Jonshel Alexander, Child Actor in Beasts of the Southern Wild, Shot and Killed
Jonshel Alexander, the former child actor who co-starred in the 2012 Oscar-nominated drama Beasts of the Southern Wild, was shot and killed over the weekend in her home state of Louisiana. She was 22 years old. As multiple outlets report, she and an unidentified man were both shot in a vehicle in New Orleans on Saturday. She was pronounced dead at the scene, while the man drove himself to the hospital for treatment. Alexander leaves behind a one-year-old daughter. Alexander was only 12-years-old when she played Joy Strong, friend of the protagonist Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), in Benh Zeitlin’s debut feature film. She beat out over 4,000 other actors for the part, her mother Shelly Alexander recalled. “She brought life to everything. Jonshel was feisty, jazzy, spoiled...
EDM Artists Pay Tribute to Virgil Abloh Following Tragic Death: “Your Vision and Creations Changed the World”
Renowned fashion designer, DJ, and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh has passed away at the age of 41 after battling cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Known for his pioneering work as Louis Vuitton’s first Black artistic director, Abloh’s influence extended far beyond the confines of fashion and deep into the music industry. He was a prolific DJ, performing at many high-profile music festivals and clubs, and frequently collaborating with Kanye West as a creative director for the hip-hop mogul’s creative content company, DONDA. The son of Ghanaian immigrants, Abloh is revered as a trailblazer in the fashion industry, which has been decried by many for its lack of diversity. CNN Style called him “one of fashion’s most powerful Black men.&...
R.I.P. Hank Von Helvete, Former Turbonegro Singer Dies at 49
Hank Von Helvete, the best-known singer of long-running Norwegian death-punk act Turbonegro, has died at age 49. His passing was confirmed by his family via the Norwegian newspaper Tvedestrandsposten and through Turbonegro’s social media pages, but no cause of death was revealed. Von Helvete (real name Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby) joined Turbonegro as the band’s third lead singer in 1993, taking over for Harald Fossberg. He fronted Turbonegro until his departure in 2009, save for a hiatus that lasted from 1999 to 2002. That break was due in part to Von Helvete’s drug addiction at the time, as he was undergoing treatment for heroin dependency. During his time with Turbonegro, Von Helvete recorded several albums with the group, beginning with 1994’s Never Is Forever and ending with 2007’s Ret...
R.I.P. Malcolm Dome, Veteran Music Journalist Who Coined the Term “Thrash Metal” Dies at 66
Malcolm Dome, a longtime music journalist who primarily covered metal and hard rock, has died at the age of 66. The veteran writer is credited with coining the term “thrash metal” in an article about Anthrax in 1984. The UK journalist got his start in the 1970s, writing for Record Mirror and Metal Fury magazines, before landing with Kerrang! upon its launch in 1981. His passing was reported by the website Louder, which encompasses the magazines Prog, Classic Rock, and Metal Hammer, all of which Dome contributed to during his lengthy journalism career. In 1981, Dome put out a book called Encyclopedia Metallica, which may have inspired the legendary metal band’s name. More directly, he referred to Anthrax’s music as “thrash metal” while writing about the band’s song “Metal Thrashing Mad” in ...
Dutch Techno Pioneer Lady Aïda Dead at 63
Dutch techno music pioneer, writer, and educator Lady Aïda has passed away at 63. The death of the renowned DJ, whose real name was Aïda Spaninks, was confirmed by Eindhovens Dagblad. Spaninks reportedly had battled breast cancer and passed away after a short illness. Spaninks was instrumental in the Netherlands’ techno scene, throwing parties and DJing at festivals in the 1980s and continuing to perform into her 60s. With a staggering collection of over 50,000 vinyl records, she founded Rebelbass, a DJ school in Eindhoven. She also ran the Rebelbass blog on 3voor12 and wrote a monthly column for Eindhovens Dagblad. Her influence on the Dutch techno scene was monumental, helping pave the way for the region’s trance scene to explode on a global level. Lady Aïda wa...
Norm Macdonald Tributes: Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, & More Honor Comedian
As news of the death of actor and comedian Norm Macdonald at 61 years old reverberates throughout Hollywood, countless tributes have poured in from fellow comedians and actors. “Every one of us loved Norm,” remembered Macdonald’s Saturday Night Live castmate Adam Sandler. “Some of the hardest laughs of my life with this man. Most fearless funny original guy we knew. An incredible dad. A great friend. A legend. Love u pal.” “I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald,” said Conan O’Brien. “Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny. I will never laugh that hard again. I’m so sad for all of us today.” Advertisement Related Video “In every important way, in the world of stand-up, Norm was the best,” former Lat...
R.I.P. Norm Macdonald, Beloved Comedian Dead at 61
Norm Macdonald, the beloved comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member, has died at the age of 61 following a nine-year private battle with cancer. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic,” Macdonald’s friend and producing partner, Lori Jo Hoekstra said in a September 14th statement announcing his death (via Deadline). “He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.” With a quick wit but painfully slow delivery, Macdonald was known for long walks to bamboozling simple, left-field punchlines. His “Moth” joke, delivered during a 2009 appearance on Conan, is a particularly beloved example of his tension-snappin...
R.I.P. George Wein, Legendary Newport Folk and Jazz Festival Producer, Dies at 95
George Wein, the legendary music festival producer behind the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, has died. He was 95 years old. Invited by socialites Louis and Elaine Lorillard to help bring a jazz festival to Newport, Rhode Island in 1954, Wein ended up setting the stage for the modern music festival revolution. “George Wein defined what a music festival could be with the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,” said LL Cool J while awarding Wein the Grammy Honorary Trustee Award in 2015. “This is a great guy. More than anyone, George set the stage for what great festivals today look like; festivals like Cocahella, Bonnaro… he made this possible…” When Wein launched the Newport Jazz Fe...
R.I.P. Ron Bushy, Iron Butterfly (“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”) Drummer Dies at 79
Ron Bushy, the longtime drummer for pioneering hard-rock act Iron Butterfly, has died at age 79. According to the band, he passed away early Sunday morning (August 29th) surrounded by family at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. TMZ reports that he had been battling cancer. Best known for his epic drum solo on the band’s signature song, the 17-minute “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” Bushy joined the San Diego band in 1966. He had still been considered a member of the group up until his passing, but he had retired from regular performing in recent years due to his health. However, he did make the occasional guest appearance at select concerts. Bushy was the only member of Iron Butterfly to appear on all six of the band’s studio albums, which were all released between the years of 1968 through 1975. The acid-...
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, Keith Richards Pay Tribute to Charlie Watts
The music world was shaken today when we learned of the death of Charlie Watts, the longtime drummer for The Rolling Stones. There has been an outpouring of reactions to the passing, with celebrities and peers from Paul McCartney to Questlove sharing messages. Now, two of his surviving bandmates have also paid tribute to Watts. In separate Instagram posts, both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards shared images in memory of their longtime bandmate. The former posted an image of a smiling Watts in action, a fitting way to remember the steady stickman known for his constant beaming behind his kit. It’s also nice to know this is how Jagger choose to remember him, rather than the time Watts punched Jagger for calling him “my drummer.” Richards, meanwhile, posted an image of Watts’ drum set with a “C...
Man Found Dead In His Own Truck Bed At Summer Camp Music Festival
While making security rounds at Three Sisters Park, the home of the 2021 edition of Summer Camp Music Festival, authorities discovered a man lying unresponsive in the truck bed of his own vehicle. According to the Peoria County Coroner’s Office, Jonathan M. Goetz, 38, of nearby Germantown Hills, Illinois was pronounced dead at the scene on the festival’s final day, August 22nd. No foul play is suspected at this time, the coroner’s report says, due to no obvious signs of trauma found on the victim. Officials are currently awaiting the results of a pending autopsy report, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday morning. A 38-year-old man was found dead on the final day of the 2021 edition of Summer Camp Music Festival. Carlie Adair The discover...
Multi-Platinum DJ and Dance Music Producer Ian Carey Dead at 46
Renowned DJ and record producer Ian Carey has died at the age of 46. Beloved for his unique approach to house music production, Carey was a multi-platinum artist who worked with major contemporary music artists such as Taio Cruz, Snoop Dogg, Afrojack, and Timbaland. His breakthrough summertime smash “Keep On Rising,” a track featuring Michelle Shellers and released in 2008, was a highlight in a career of many. Carey’s final release was a remix of “Keep On Rising” by ManyFew and Joe Stone, following a handful of reworks from other electronic music producers. Recommended Articles 2009’s “Get Shaky,” released via Spinnin’ Records under his The Ian Carey Project alias, reached the top ten on the charts in Australia, Bel...
