obits
Yaphet Kotto, Actor Known For Playing Tough Characters, Dead At 81
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: NBC / Getty Yaphet Kotto made his mark in film and television by playing imposing tough guys and grizzled individuals fighting against the trials and tribulations of life. It is being reported that Kotto died on Monday (March) 15 according to an announcement from his wife via Facebook. Kotto was born November 15, 1939, in New York, N.Y. to a father reportedly of Cameroonian royalty lineage and an American mother of Panamanian and West Indian descent. Kotto began studying the craft of acting as a teenager and at 19, he made his debut as an actor in Othello. Kotto joined the Actors Studio in New York and appeared in productions on Broadway, honing his skills on stage. Kotto made his big-screen debut in 1963 in an uncredited role at 23 and the following year...
Reggie Warren Of ’80s R&B Group Troop Dead At 52
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Instagram / @stevenrussellhartss Troop, an R&B group that first amassed fame in the 1980s, lost one of its founding members over the weekend. Reggie Warren, who has battled health issues in the past, died surrounded by family and friends this past Sunday (March 14). Troop got their start in 1987 out of Pasadena, Calif. with Steve “Random” Russell, John “Jon Jon” Harreld, Rodney Benford, Allen McNeil, and Reggie Warren. Russell took to Instagram to share news of Warren’s passing, sharing a picture of his musical partner with a loving message. “ob well done my brother I will see you on the other side. RIP Reggie Warren #DamnReggie, Russell wrote. In the body of the post, R&B singer Case, Hit-Boy, Melba Moore, CeCe Peniston, and more offered their si...
Lou Ottens, Cassette Creator, Dies at 94
In the history of recorded music, the cassette tape plays an important role, falling after vinyl and reel-to-reel, and years before the digital revolution. The inventor of cassette technology, Lou Ottens, died at the age of 94 at his home in Duizel, Brabant, Belgium. It was in 1963 that the first plastic encased cassette tape was presented at an electronics fair with the slogan “smaller than a pack of cigarettes!” That said, Ottens, who retired in 1986, said in an interview that he was not on board with the recent cassette tape boom, saying, “nothing could beat the sound of a CD.” <!– // Brid Player Singles. var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ “div”: “Brid_10143537”, “obj”: {“id”:”25115″,”width”:”480̸...
Civil Rights Activist & Bill Clinton Adviser Vernon Jordan Has Died
Source: PGA TOUR Archive / Getty Vernon Jordan, a notable civil rights activist and an adviser to President Bill Clinton has died. The family said that Mr. Jordan passed away peacefully surrounded by family and loved ones. Jordan was born August 15, 1935, in Atlanta, Ga., later graduating from Indiana’s DePauw University and the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. In 1971, Jordan was the president of the National Urban League, a post he commanded for a decade. The NUL’s State of Black America report was first initialized by Jordan in 1976 in response to President Gerald Ford’s State of the Union Address which Jordan and the NUL failed to speak to the concerns that Black Americans faced at the time. Jordan’s tenure with the NUL was productive, as it expanded national chapter...
Prince Markie Dee, The Fat Boys Rapper, Dies at 52
Prince Markie Dee, known for his role in the pioneering hip-hop group the Fat Boys, has died at the age of 52. Dee’s longtime friend, Louis Gregory, and SiriusXM’s Rock the Bells station (where he had a daily program) confirmed the news of his death. The cause of death was not revealed. “Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everything you taught me. Tomorrow is your birthday, swing my way big bro,” Gregory’s tweet read. Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everythin...
Prince Markie Dee, The Fat Boys Rapper, Dies at 52
Prince Markie Dee, known for his role in the pioneering hip-hop group the Fat Boys, has died at the age of 52. Dee’s longtime friend, Louis Gregory, and SiriusXM’s Rock the Bells station (where he had a daily program) confirmed the news of his death. The cause of death was not revealed. “Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everything you taught me. Tomorrow is your birthday, swing my way big bro,” Gregory’s tweet read. Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everythin...
Chick Corea, Legendary Jazz Keyboardist, Dies at 79
Chick Corea, the legendary jazz keyboardist who collaborated with Miles Davis, supergroup Return to Forever and his own prolific solo career, has died at the age of 79. In a message posted on his official Facebook page, the cause of death was confirmed as “a rare form of cancer which was only discovered very recently” and that he died on Feb. 9. Born in Massachusetts on June 12, 1941 as Armando Anthony Corea, the keyboardist was one of the giants of the jazz world. Corea was widely known for expanding and fusing genres while showcasing his vast talents and versatility. His latest release was last year’s Plays, closing an incredible span in which Corea released nine albums over the course of a decade at the end of his near-60-year career. Corea’s most famous songs include “Spain” ...
Dustin Diamond, Saved By the Bell Actor, Dies at 44
Dustin Diamond, the actor best known for his role as Samuel “Screech” Powers on Saved By the Bell, has died at the age of 44. The actor was hospitalized in Florida last month after experiencing body pain and underwent testing before it was determined he had carcinoma, a form of cancer that starts in skin tissue or organ-lining tissue. A rep for Diamond confirmed the news of his death to SPIN. The statement said that Diamond was “diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago. In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution.” Born on Jan. 7, 1977, in San Jose, California, Diamond shot to fame for his role on Saved By the Bell. As the resident nerd of the group...
Phil Spector, Pioneering Music Producer and Convicted Murderer, Dies at 81
Phil Spector, the disgraced producer who pioneered the “Wall of Sound” and worked with artists including the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, the Ramones and the Righteous Brothers, has died at the age of 81. Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2009 and was serving a 19 years to life sentence at the time of his death. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he passed away of natural causes in an outside hospital at 6:35 pm PST on Jan. 16, 2021. TMZ had reported Spector died of COVID-19 complications. Born in New York City on Dec. 26, 1939, Harvey Philip Spector was one of music’s first well-known producers. Spector began his career in 1958 with the Teddy Bears and ...
Sylvain Sylvain, New York Dolls Guitarist, Dies at 69
Sylvain Sylvain, the longtime guitarist for glam rock pioneers New York Dolls, has died at the age of 69. In 2019, a GoFundMe was launched for Sylvain after he was diagnosed with cancer. The news of Sylvain’s death was confirmed in a post on his personal Facebook page. “As most of you know, Sylvain battled cancer for the past two and 1/2 years. Though he fought it valiantly, yesterday he passed away from this disease. While we grieve his loss, we know that he is finally at peace and out of pain. Please crank up his music, light a candle, say a prayer and let’s send this beautiful doll on his way,” the statement read. Longtime Patti Smith guitarist and rock journalist Lenny Kaye penned an essay that was included in the same post. “Syl loved rock and roll. His onstage joy, his radiant s...
Tony Rice, Influential Bluegrass Guitarist, Dies at 69
Tony Rice, the bluegrass guitarist known for his innovative flatpicking, quick sounds and is widely known as one of the greatest players in the genre, has died at the age of 69. His label, Rounder Records, confirmed the news of his death. Rice died on Christmas Day at his home in Reidsville, North Carolina. Over the years, Rice recorded with various artists, including David Grisman Quintet, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Garcia, Dolly Parton, his own The Tony Rice Unit and as a solo artist as well, in particular on Manzanita in 1979 and 1983’s Church Street Blues. His final album, Hartford Rice and Clements, was released in 2011. He won a Grammy in 1983 for Best Country Instrumental Performance. “Sometime during Christmas morning while making his coffee, our de...
Q-Tip, Questlove, Ice Cube, Chuck D and More React to Whodini’s John ‘Ecstasy’ Fletcher’s Death: ‘A Tremendous Loss of Our Heroes’
John “Ecstasy” Fletcher of the ’80s group Whodini reportedly passed away on Wednesday, but if the reactions to his death are any indication, the early rapper’s legacy will still be felt for decades to come. A who’s who of hip hop history shared their condolences and stories of how Fletcher had influenced them, with social media eulogies coming in from Ice Cube, Chuck D, Q-Tip, Questlove (who was the first person to report of the death), DJ Premier, and more. Thank you Ecstasy for showing us how to do it. RIP pic.twitter.com/ppfUZeZesp — Ice Cube (@icecube) December 23, 2020 Fletcher, Jalil Hutchins and J Grandmaster Dee released six albums throughout the ’80s as Whodini (who are now considered hip hop legends of the era, second only to Run-DMC). The trio helped lay the groundwork to t...
