Obituary
Teenage Head Guitarist Gord Lewis Found Dead in Apparent Homicide
Founding Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis was found dead over the weekend in his Hamilton, Ontario apartment, The Spectator reports. According to police, his death is being investigated as a homicide. In a press briefing, Hamilton Detective Sara Beck said police received information related to a deceased person. Upon visiting Lewis’ residence, police “located a deceased male in his 60s” with “injuries consistent with foul play.” However, Beck added that “a positive identification has not been made of the deceased due to the level of decomposition…an autopsy will be performed and additional steps taken to identify the deceased.” Police charged Jonathan Lewis, Gord’s son, with second-degree murder in the case, and Beck said police were not seeking additional suspects. Advertisement Rel...
R.I.P. Judith Durham, The Seekers Singer Dead at 79
Judith Durham, singer of the Australian pop band The Seekers, has died at age 79. According to Universal Music Australia, Durham’s cause of death was chronic lung disease. “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star,” the company said in a statement. “Her struggle was intense and heroic — never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.” Born July 3rd, 1943 in Essendon, Victoria, Judith Mavis Cock studied classical piano at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. Also a classically trained vocalist, she performed blues, gospel, and jazz pieces before cutting her eponymous debut EP in 1963. Advertisement Related Video Soon after, Durham joined Atho...
Judith Durham, Lead Singer of The Seekers and Australia’s Folk Music Icon, Dies at 79
Judith Durham, Australia’s folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79. Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night (Aug. 5) after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday. She made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the U.K. and the United States, eventually selling 50 million records. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news International hits included “The Carnival is Over,” “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and “Georgy Girl.” Durham...
Sam Gooden, Founding Member of The Impressions, Dies at 87
Sam Gooden, one of the original members of the Chicago soul group The Impressions and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 87. His daughter, Gina Griffin, said Gooden died Thursday, a month shy of his 88th birthday, in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by his family. His death was first reported by WRCB-TV in Chattanooga. The Impressions formed in the 1950s after Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks met Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler in Chicago. Butler sang baritone lead on their breakthrough record in 1958, the classic ballad “For Your Precious Love,” although many of their hits featured Mayfield’s tenor, with Gooden singing bass behind him. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Imp...
R.I.P. Mo Ostin, Legendary Record Executive Dead at 95
Mo Ostin, the legendary music executive who shepherded the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Madonna, and more to Warner Bros. Records over his three-decade tenure, has been confirmed dead from natural causes at 95. The longtime label head caught his first big break running Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records until it was sold to Warner Bros. Records in 1963, subsequently launching his 31-year career with the purchasing company. His tenure began by personally signing The Kinks, which established Ostin’s reputation for attracting all types of industry innovators and rising talent. Under his stewardship, Warner signed Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Randy Newman, the Grateful Dead, R.E.M., Madonna, Tom Petty, Talking Heads, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He served fo...
Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Uhura Dead at 89
Nichelle Nichols, immortal forever as the original Nyota Uhura of Star Trek, has died at the age of 89. The actress was renowned not just for her decades playing the character in the original television series as well as subsequent feature films, but also for her activism and volunteer work. Her legacy includes encouraging entire generations of diverse candidates, including women and people of color, to explore careers in STEM. Nichols was originally cast as the groundbreaking crew member of the U.S.S. Enterprise in 1966, and infamously considered leaving the show in its first year, before being talked into staying on the show by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King had told her that Uhura was an invaluable role model for young Black women, a fact which might be considered anecdotal — except fo...
R.I.P. Pat Carroll, Who Voiced Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Dead at 95
Pat Carroll, who famously voiced the villainous Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, has died at the age of 95. According to Deadline, Carroll passed away on July 30th while recovering from pneumonia. Carroll’s career spanned over seven decades, beginning with her work as a a civilian actress technician in the United States Army in the 1940s. Upon leaving the military, Carroll became a mainstay in the world of TV variety shows, appearing on programs like The Steve Allen Show, The Red Skelton Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. Notably, her work on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy Award in 1956. Related Video In the late 1970s, Carroll’s one-woman theater show on on Gertrude Stein earned universal praise, including a Grammy for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama. Advertisement Carroll c...
R.I.P. Jim Sohns, Founding Vocalist of The Shadows of Knight Dead at 75
Jim Sohns, co-founder and vocalist of the garage rock band The Shadows of Knight, died on July 29th. He was 75. Sohns died after a suffering a stroke on July 22nd, according to a statement via The Shadows of Knight’s Facebook page. His daughter, Rachael, confirmed the news: “Absolutely devastated,” the statement reads. “My thoughts go out to Jimy’s family and friends at this time. My best friend is gone, and I will miss running this page with him. His legend will live on forever.” Born James Alan Sohns in 1946, Sohns began recording with The Shadows of Knight in 1965. Inspired by British rock bands of the era like The Animals as well as the blues scene from their Chicago hometown, The Shadows of Knight were best known for their 1965 recording of Van Morrison’s “Gloria.” Advertisement Relat...
Leave It To Beaver Actor Tony Dow Still Alive, Despite Announcement from Family
Update: According to the New York Times and TMZ, Tony Dow is still alive and in hospice care. The statement announcing his death, which was posted to his official Facebook page, was reportedly done by mistake after Dow’s wife, Lauren, was led to believe that her husband had passed. — Original Story — Tony Dow, who played Wally Cleaver on the iconic American television sitcom Leave It To Beaver, has died at the age of 77. Dow previously revealed in May of this year that he had been diagnosed with liver cancer. “Tony was a beautiful soul – kind, compassionate, funny and humble,” reads a statement posted to Dow’s Facebook page. “It was truly a joy to just be around him. His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him. The world has lost...
R.I.P. Paul Sorvino, Goodfellas and Law & Order Actor Dead at 83
Paul Sorvino, the actor best known for his roles in Goodfellas and Law & Order, has died at the age of 83. Sorvino’s wife, Dee Dee, shared the news on Instagram, writing, “I am completely devastated. The love of my life & the most wonderful man who has ever lived is gone. I am heartbroken.” This story is developing… [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”category” title=”Select category”][flexi-form-tag type=”tag” title=”Insert tag”][flexi-for...
Shonka Dukureh, Who Portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Elvis, Found Dead at 44
Shonka Dukureh, who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, was found dead in her Nashville apartment on Thursday, July 21st. She was 44 years old. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (via Tennessean), Dukureh was found unresponsive by one of her children early Thursday morning who went to a neighbor’s apartment for help. Police do not suspect foul play and an autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death. Dukureh hailed from Charlotte, but resided in Nashville after graduating from Fisk University with a bachelor’s degree in theater. She also held a master’s degree in education from Trevecca Nazarene University. Advertisement Related Video Prior to landing the role in Elvis, Dukureh performed gospel and blues music locally and worked as an elementar...
R.I.P. Paul Ryder, Happy Mondays Bassist Dead at 58
Paul Ryder, whose funky bass lines bridged rock and dance for Manchester’s Happy Mondays, is dead at the age of 58. Happy Mondays and Paul’s brother, vocalist Shaun Ryder, made the announcement on social media. “The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning. A true pioneer and legend. He will be forever missed. We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.” No cause of death has been made public. Born April 24th, 1964, Paul formed Happy Mondays with his brother Shaun in 1980 alongside Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). With fellow Mancunians The Stone Roses, they helped pioneer the Madchester sound, sometimes called indie dance or indie r...
