obits
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...
Harold Budd, Avante-Garde Composer, Dies at 84
Composer Harold Budd died on Tuesday at the age of 84, as confirmed by his musical collaborator, Cocteau Twins co-founder Robin Guthrie. The innovative composer, poet, and pianist famously developed the “soft pedal” style of playing piano and is most known for his work with artists like Guthrie and Brian Eno of Roxy Music. The native Angeleno was born on May 24, 1936 and spent the first half of his life in academia, receiving a graduate degree from the University of Southern California before joining the military as a drummer and then venturing into a career as a professor. By the mid-1970s, Budd had found a new calling as a musician and an unparalleled songwriter, combining jazz and new age music with his minimalist approach to compose memorable tracks both with artists as well as f...
LD Beghtol, Magnetic Fields Collaborator, Dies at 55
LD Beghtol, a songwriter who collaborated with The Magnetic Fields, has died. The band announced the passing of their bandmate and friend on their social media today (Dec. 8). Beghtol sang several songs on 69 Love Songs, and also designed the covers and booklet art for the three-disc set. No cause of death was given. It is with great sadness that we learned yesterday that our bandmate and friend LD Beghtol has passed away. LD sang several songs on 69 Love Songs, and also designed the covers and booklet art for the 3-disc set. LD also made the book 69 Love Songs: A Field Guide (33 1/3) . pic.twitter.com/wxUKRAstfP — The Magnetic Fields (@TheMagFields) December 8, 2020 Known by many as “Uncle LD,” Beghtol was the author of 2006’s Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs: A Field Guide published a...
i_o, Electronic DJ and Producer, Dies at 30
Garrett Falls Lockhart, better known as electronic DJ and producer i_o, has died at the age of 30. News of Lockhart’s death appeared on his social media on Tuesday night (Nov. 24), which revealed that he died on Monday (Nov. 23). No cause of death has been reported. “This extremely talented spirit taught us that even if nothing matters, you can still lead with love,” the statement said. “Garrett’s truth and soul lives on through the music he shared.” Known in the dance music world for his techno and deep house sound, he recently signed with Armin van Buuren’s Armada Music and on his way to starting his own imprint, Label 444. He has also released music on deadmau5’s mau5trap and Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats labels. He collaborated with Grimes’ on her single, “Violence,” from her l...
Bones Hillman, Midnight Oil Bassist, Dies at 62
Bones Hillman, the longtime time bassist of Australian rock band Midnight Oil, has died at the age of 62. The band announced the news on their social media channels, saying that Hillman died on Saturday after a battle with cancer at his home in Milwaukee. Born Wayne Stevens in 1958, Hillman joined Midnight Oil in 1987 after playing in various other bands and was a member until his death. We’re grieving the loss of our brother Bones Hillman, who has passed away at his home in Milwaukee today after a cancer… Posted by Midnight Oil on Saturday, November 7, 2020 Recently, Midnight Oil released “Gadigal Land,” which hailed from The Makarrata Project, their first new collection in nearly two decades. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we ...
Sean Connery, Legendary James Bond Actor, Dies at 90
Sean Connery, the legendary actor who is debatably the best known James Bond, has died at the age of 90. Connery’s son Jason told the BBC that he died peacefully in his sleep while in the Bahamas and had been “unwell for some time.” Born on Aug. 25, 1930 in Edinburgh, Connery featured as James Bond at the series’ onset, becoming the defining actor in the spy thriller. In addition to playing Bond, the actor was known for his role as Indiana Jones’ father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Rock, The Hunt for Red October and for winning an Oscar in 1988 for Best-Supporting Actor in The Untouchables. Connery’s final film appearance came in 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90. He was the first actor to pl...
Billy Joe Shaver, Outlaw Country Singer, Dies at 81
Billy Joe Shaver, who had solo hits and was known for writing songs like “Honky Tonk Heroes,” has died at the age of 81, SPIN has confirmed. According to SiriusXM, Shaver died of a massive stroke. Born in Corsicana, Texas, on Aug. 16, 1939, Shaver’s catalog featured a number of hits, including “Georgia on a Fast Train,” “Wacko in Waco” and “Live Forever” (which Robert Duvall performed in 2009’s Crazy Heart) His songwriting has been long admired by other artists. He wrote 10 of the 11 songs on Waylon Jennings’ 1973 album Honky Tonk Heroes and his tunes have been recorded by the likes of Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare and Johnny Cash. He was also namechecked by Bob Dylan on his 2009 song, “I Feel a Change Comin’ On.” Shaver was one of the few outlaw country singers w...
Steven ‘Saint Dog’ Thronson, Kottonmouth Kings Founding Member, Dies at 44
Steven “Saint Dog” Thronson, a founding member of stoner hip-hop outfit Kottonmouth Kings, has died at the age of 44. The band confirmed the news of his death in a statement on their verified Facebook. According to the post, Thronson died on Tuesday. “We will miss you and your big heart. You were one of a kind and our hearts our broken. But we promise to keep your legacy alive through your music. Everyone please take some time and say a few words or tell a story about our fallen brother below. He touched so many and we will keep his legacy thriving,” the statement read. RIP🙏. Our brother Steven “Saint Dog” Thronson left us yesterday. We will miss you and your big heart. You were one of a… Posted by Kottonmouth Kings on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 According to TMZ, Thronson was...
