Obituary
Gangsta Boo, Pioneering Figure in Southern Rap, Dead at 43
Gangsta Boo has died at the age of 43, according to Fox 13 Memphis. A pioneering figure in the Southern Rap scene and one-time member of Three 6 Mafia, Gangsta Boo was found dead in her hometown of Memphis at around 4:00 p.m. local time on January 1st. Her cause of death was not immediately known as of press time. Gangsta Boo was born Lola Mitchell in Memphis, Tennessee. She began rapping at the age of 14, and within two years she became a member of Memphis horrorcore rap group Three 6 Mafia. During her six-year tenure, Three 6 Mafia crossed into the mainstream with albums like Chapter 2: World Domination and When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1. The latter release — featuring hit singles “Sippin’ on Some Syrup” and “Who Run It” — peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and was certified p...
Anita Pointer, Singer of The Pointer Sisters, Dies at 74
Anita Pointer, one of four sibling singers who earned pop success and critical acclaim as The Pointer Sisters, died Saturday (Dec. 31) at the age of 74, her publicist announced. The Grammy winner passed away while she was with family members, publicist Roger Neal said in a statement. A cause of death was not immediately revealed. “While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace. She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long,” her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer said in the statement. Anita Pointer’s only daughter, Jada Pointer, died in 2003. Anita, Ruth, Bonnie and June Pointer, born the daughters of a minister, gr...
Jeremiah Green, Founding Member & Drummer of Modest Mouse, Dies at 45
Jeremiah Green, founding member and drummer for rock band Modest Mouse, has died following his battle with cancer. He was 45. The musician’s passing was announced by Modest Mouse in an emotional social media post on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31). “I don’t know a way to ease into this: Today we lost our dear friend Jeremiah. He laid down to rest and simply faded out,” the band wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Green. “I’d like to say a bunch of pretty words right now, but it just isn’t the time. These will come later, and from many people. Please appreciate all the love you give, get, have given, and will get. Above all, Jeremiah was about love. We love you.” Green’s mother, Carol Namatame, initially broke the news of her son’s cancer in a Facebook post on Christmas Day (Dec. 25). In her n...
Jeremiah Green, Modest Mouse Drummer, Dead at 45
Modest Mouse co-founding member and drummer Jeremiah Green has died at the age of 45 following a brief battle with cancer. The band’s frontman Isaac Brock announced Green’s passing in a Facebook message posted shortly before midnight on New Year’s Eve. “I don’t know a way to ease into this: Today we lost our dear friend Jeremiah. He laid down to rest and simply faded out. I’d like to say a bunch of pretty words right now, but it just isn’t the time. These will come later, and from many people. Please appreciate all the love you give, get, have given, and will get. Above all, Jeremiah was about love.” Just five days ago, Green’s mother, Carol Namatame, went public with her son’s battle with stage four cancer and asked fans to send “healing vibes.” In a subsequent statement, Brock said Green...
Anita Pointer, The Pointer Sisters Founding Member, Dead at 74
Anita Pointer, co-founding member of The Pointer Sisters, has died at the age of 74. “She fought a very heroic battle with cancer,” Pointer’s representative told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was surrounded by family at the time of her death.” The Pointer Sisters’ origins date back to 1969 when Bonnie and June Pointer began performing in night clubs under the name Pointers, a Pair. They soon rebranded themselves as The Pointer Sisters and expanded from a duo to a quartet with the addition of their other sisters Anita and Ruth. Following a short stint with Atlantic Records, the group found their stride after signing to Blue Thumb Records in 1972. The Pointer Sisters’ self-titled debut album was released the following year, and featured their first top 20 hit single in “Yes We Can Can”, which...
Barbara Walters, TV’s Most Fascinating Anchor, Dead at 93
Barbara Walters, the pioneering television anchor and journalist, has died at the age of 93. Walters “passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” her representative said in a statement released on Friday, December 30th. “She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.” A native of Boston, Walters was a trailblazer in the television industry. After getting her start as a writer and segment producer on The Today Show in the early 1960s, Walters worked her way up the ranks to become the first woman to host an American news program as co-anchor of Today starting in 1974. Two years later, she moved to ABC News and became the first woman to host an American evening news program as anchor of ABC Evening News. Between ...
Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer and Punk Icon, Dead at 81
Dame Vivienne Westwood, the fashion designer and activist who was an integral figure of Britain’s punk movement in the 1970s, has died. She was 81. “Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London,” confirmed a message posted to Westwood’s Twitter. “The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better.” This is a developing story. 29th December 2022. Related Video Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better. pic.twitter.com/YQwVixYUrV — Vivienne Westwood (@FollowWestwood) December 29, 2022 [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=...
Club Fonograma Founder Carlos Reyes Dead at 34
For many Latin indie melomaniacs in the late 2000s to early ‘10s across Ibero-America searching the blogosphere, Club Fonograma was the Latin indie-music bible. Its founder, Arizona-based Chicano recluse and self-proclaimed cinephile Carlos Reyes, created an unlikely community of “Fonogramáticos” that outsized any expectations for what was supposed to be a tiny blog. He previously said that he simply wanted to show his friends the cool music he listened to. But on Tuesday night (Dec. 27), Club Fonograma’s official Twitter account shared the news that the website’s founder had died in 2021. He was 34 years old. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “With deep sadness, the Club Fonograma family announces the passing of our site’s founder, Carlos ...
Jo Mersa Marley, Bob Marley’s Grandson, Dies at 31
The Marley family has lost one of their loved ones. Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, has died at 31, a rep for Marley confirmed to Rolling Stone. A cause of death was not announced. His family has not yet issued a statement, though aunts Sharon and Cedella Marley both shared white squares on their Instagram feeds, prompting followers to extend their condolences in the comments. Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness extended his love to the Marley family in a Dec. 27 tweet, writing, “My heartfelt sympathies to Joseph’s friends and associates and to the Reggae music fraternity and fans everywhere. His untimely passing at the young age of 31 y.o. is a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation.” In a foll...
Jo Mersa Marley, Grandson of Bob Marley, Dead at 31
Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley, grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, has died at the age of 31. According to TMZ, Marley passed away from asthma-related conditions, although his exact cause of death was not disclosed as of press time. A native of Jamaica who relocated to Miami at the age of 11, Marley followed in his family’s footsteps by pursuing his own career in music. He released a pair of EPs — 2014’s Comfortable and 2021’s Eternal — as well as the standalone single “Burn It Down” with Yohan Marley in 2016. He also appeared on Morgan Heritage’s 2015 Grammy Award-winning album, Strictly Roots, as well as on his father Stephen’s 2016 album, Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life. Advertisement Related Video [embedded content] [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_fo...
Maxi Jazz, Singer of Faithless, Dead at 65
Maxi Jazz, singer of the influential UK dance group Faithless, has died at the age of 65. “We are heartbroken to say Maxi Jazz died last night (December 23rd),” the group announced in a Facebook post. “He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and message to our music. ” “He was also a lovely human being with time for everyone and a wisdom that was both profound and accessible. It was an honour and, of course, a true pleasure to work with him,” the statement added. “He was a brilliant lyricist, a DJ, a Buddhist, a magnificent stage presence, car lover, endless talker, beautiful person, moral compass and genius.” Related Video A separate statement posted to Instagram said Maxi Jazz “died peacefully in his sleep,” but a cause of death was not immediately...
Thom Bell, Philadelphia Soul Icon, Dies at 79
Thom Bell, the iconic pioneer of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s, passed away on Thursday (Dec. 22) in Bellingham, Washington. He was 79 years old. The news was first reported by Philly R&B radio station 105.3 WDAS-FM, with host Patty Jackson saying, “We remember Thom Bell: record producer, arranger and songwriter known for his work with Linda Creed, Gamble and Huff, the many hits, the creators of Philly soul.” The station also paid special tribute to the late musician on its website by sharing a video of the Stylistics’ 1972 Bell-produced single “People Make the World Go Round.” Bell’s attorney confirmed his passing to Billboard, saying, “Thom Bell left an indelible and everlasting mark on the history of popular music, but even more so, he will be remembered by all who knew him as a ki...
