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Astro, Founding Member Of Reggae & Pop Band UB40, Has Passed Away
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Gie Knaeps / Getty For over four decades, the British reggae and pop band UB40 has delighted music fans all over the world and even notched a pair of number one hits in the process. One of the band’s founding members, Astro, has passed away due to a short illness. Via fellow founding band member Ali Campbell’s Twitter page, the passing of Astro, born Terence Wilson, was shared with some brief details. From Twitter: We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Astro has today passed away after a very short illness. The world will never be the same without him. We ask you to please respect his family’s privacy at this incredibly difficult time. Campbell and Astro split from the original group, forming UB40 fea...
Nenobia Washington AKA The Queen of Brooklyn Cause Of Death Under Investigation
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Dupree Frederick / facebook Nenobia Washington, better known to many across social media as “The Queen of Brooklyn,” was found dead in New York over the weekend under circumstances that remained unknown until now. The speculative cause of Washington’s death has been discussed, although an official statement has not been made. TMZ shared in a report that they spoke exclusively with the father of Washington’s son, David Jackson, who informed the outlet that their son had a conversation with the mother prior to her death. It is being speculated that Washington jumped six stories to her death from a New York building but it hasn’t been reported if this was her home or a business. Related Stories Washington first came to fame in 2015 after an interview on the ...
Grand Puba & Brand Nubian Affiliate DJ Stud Dugee Has Reportedly Passed Away
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Elektra / @HevNamedMeGrap Fans of Grand Puba and his solo efforts are well aware that he ventured off on his own with DJ Alamo of his group Brand Nubian and Stud Dugee in tow. According to a tweet from Grap Luva and others, Stud Doogie has reportedly passed away and some have chimed in with thoughts. Not much is known about the passing of Stud Dugee, and we must note that Grap Luva spelled the name Doogie and an older tweet from Brand Nubian’s Sadat X spells it as Doughie. We happened across the Facebook page of Ron Cherry, which we can confirm is the given name of DJ Stud Dugee. Via the page, Dugee’s connection to Hip-Hop elite circles spread far and wide as he shared photos with late legends Biz Markie, Black Rob, and also appears in photos with Ra...
WSB-TV News Anchor Jovita Moore Has Passed, Colleagues & More Remember Her Via Twitter
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Hearts are heavy across the Atlanta metropolitan region and the rest of the nation after news that Emmy Award-winning journalist Jovita Moore has died. Moore was an anchor for the city’s WSB-TV outlet and was upheld as a beloved fixture by not only viewers and colleagues, but those outside her industry as well. WSB-TV anchor Justin Farmer delivered the news with alarming professionalism and poise, despite speaking of not only a workplace partner but a dear friend of his. Gamely, Farmer delivered the news out of sheer obligation and perhaps a will of steel as the production team put together a collage of videos featuring Moore at work. Moore, a native of New York City, obtained her undergraduate degree from Bennington College in...
Rest Powerfully In Peace To Shawn “Jeranimo” Oliver Of Rumpletilskinz
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Twitter / @JazzUNGang Hip-Hop fans of a certain age are no doubt well aware of the iconic dance, the East Coast Stomp, popularized by Long Island collective, Leaders Of The New School. The inventor of the dance, Shawn “Jeranimo” Oliver of Rumpletilskinz fame has reportedly passed away. Few details are known about Oliver’s passing, but Jazz from the group, The U.N., shared a tweet on Monday (October 25) mourning the loss of his Long Island brethren in Jeranimo. “Rest In Perfection Shawn “Geronimo” Oliver,” read one tweet from Jazz, featuring an image of the late Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, a woman who appears to be rapper Lin Que, and Dinco D of Leaders Of The New School. In the flick, Phife is pretending...
Jay Black, Singer of Jay and the Americans, Dies at 82
Jay Black, the singer of Jay and the Americans, has died at the age of 82. According to a release, Black died due to complications from pneumonia. Born as David Blatt in New York City on November 2, 1938, Black, was nicknamed “The Voice” due his vocal range. Jay Black and the Americans formed in the late 1950s after meeting as students at NYU. After inking a deal with United Artists Records, the group had a bunch of hits in the 1960s, including “Only In America,” “Come A Little Bit Closer,” “Cara Mia,” “This Magic Moment,” and “Walkin’ In The Rain.” Overall, the group had 21 songs land on the charts. The group opened for The Beatles at their first American show in 1964. Additionally, the band also made appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv G...
Rising R&B Singer Emani 22 Has Died
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Instagram / @lonebrain A rising R&B star out of Califonia tragically lost her life earlier this week, and some of her peers are paying their respects. Emani 22 of Lancaster reportedly died this past Monday (October 11), and the details are largely being kept from the public at the moment. PEOPLE exclusively spoke with Emani 22’s manager and received a statement sharing the tragic news. From PEOPLE: “It is with heavy hearts that the family of Emani has confirmed her passing,” a statement provided to PEOPLE reads. “They would like to share that although she fought courageously and the medical team went above and beyond doing everything in their power to aid in her recovery, on Monday, October 11th, Emani succumbed to the injuries she sustained after a t...
Singer-Songwriter Andrea Martin, Who Penned Songs For Toni Braxton & En Vogue, Has Died
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Cindy Ord / Getty Andrea Martin, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and singer, has died according to a statement that appeared on social media. Martin, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native, penned hits for the likes of Toni Braxton and En Vogue among others. While the details of Martin’s passing are being kept private by the family, the news has sent shockwaves throughout the music industry where Martin was deeply respected for her work as a songwriter and remembered as an artist herself. “Dear Family and Friends, it is with a heavy heart we inform you of the passing of our beautiful Andrea Martin also known as ‘Annie,’” began the statement, which was shared via Martin’s Instagram Story feed. “Andrea will always be remembered for her passion and dedication...
Richard H Kirk, Cabaret Voltaire Co-Founder, Dies at 65
Richard H Kirk, one of the founding members of Cabaret Voltaire, has died at the age of 65. Cabaret Voltaire and Mute, the band’s record label, shared the news of Kirk’s in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning. No cause of death has been revealed. Here’s what the statement said: It is with great sadness that we confirm our great and dear friend, Richard H. Kirk has passed away.Richard was a towering creative genius who led a singular and driven path throughout his life and musical career.We will miss him so much.We ask that his family are given space at this time. Born on March 21, 1956, Kirk joined forces with Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson to form Cabaret Voltaire in Sheffield, UK in the early 1970s. The ushered in a new era of industrial and electronic that also blended elements of pu...
Norm MacDonald, Former Saturday Night Live Comedian and Actor, Dies at 61
Norm MacDonald, the Canadian comedian best known as the host of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s, has died at the age of 61 following a private battle with cancer. Deadline was first to report the news of MacDonald’s death. In a statement, Lori Jo Hoekstra, who Deadline reports was with MacDonald at the time of his death and his longtime producing partner, said he’d been battling cancer for a decade. “He was most proud of his comedy,” Hoekstra told Deadline. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.” Born on October 17, 1959 in Quebec...
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Reggae Legend and Dub Pioneer, Dies at 85
Lee “Scratch” Perry, the highly influential reggae musician and producer, has died at the age of 85. Jamaica Observer reports that Perry died at Noel Holmes Hospital in the coastal town of Lucea. No cause of death has been reported. Born in March 1936 in Kendal, Jamaica as Rainford Hugh Perry, Perry’s music career began in the 1950s and in 1968, he’d form his own label, Upsetter Records. With Upsetter, Perry would pioneer dub music, which focused on remixing existing songs to create new instrumental or vocal versions. Perry’s best-known personal work includes “Dreadlocks in Moonlight,” “People Funny Boy,” “Jungle Lion,” “Curly Locks,” “City Too Hot” and “I Am A Mad Man.” On top of his solo output, over the course of his 60-year career, Perry would go on to produce a number of notable artis...
Charlie Watts, Rolling Stones Drummer, Dies at 80
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80. A statement obtained by SPIN from a Watts spokesperson can be seen below: “’It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family. Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation. “We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.’” The Stones shared the news on their social media accounts as well. A few weeks ago, Watts dropped off the Stones’ upcoming U.S. tour due to an undisclosed medical procedure. Prior to this, Watts didn’t miss a Stones gig. ...
