Obituary
Lil Keed, YSL Records Rapper, Dies at 24
Lil Keed, an up-and-coming Atlanta rapper signed to Young Thug‘s Young Stoner Life Records, has died. He was 24. Keed’s brother, Lil Gotit, first shared the news of the rapper’s passing in an Instagram post early Saturday morning (May 14). “Can’t believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy,” Gotit wrote alongside a photo of the siblings. The cause of Keed’s (real name: Raqhid Render) death was not known at press time. Billboard has reached out to the artist’s representatives for further information. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Gotit shared another post on his Instagram Story on Saturday, writing, “@lilkeed Whyyy bra whyyy u leave ...
Atlanta Rapper Lil Keed Dead at 24
Atlanta rapper Lil Keed has died at the age of 24. Keed’s brother and fellow rapper, Lil Gotit, shared news of his passing in an Instagram post on Saturday. “Can’t believe I seened u die today bro,” he wrote. “I did all my cries. I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama, Daddy, Our Brothers, Naychur, and Whiteboy #ImaHoldthisShitDown.” Fellow members of the hip-hop community have also paid tribute to Keed, including Drake Rick Ross, Lil Yachty, and Quavo. Related Video A cause of death was not immediately clear. Lil Keed was a protégé of Young Thug and signed to his YSL record label. He released two mixtapes through YSL, 2019’s Long Live Mexico and 2020’s Trapped on Cleveland 3. Advertisement Earlier this week, Young Thug, Gunna, and several other members of YSL were arreste...
R.I.P. John R. Cherry III, Director and Ernest P. Worrell Creator Dead at 73
John R. Cherry III, the director and screenwriter known for creating the character Ernest P. Worrell, died on May 8th. He was 73. The news was announced on the official Ernest P. Worrell Facebook page, citing a long battle with Parkinson’s disease as his cause of death: “Unfortunately, I have some devastating news to share with you all. Our beloved John Cherry passed away this morning after a long and well-fought battle with Parkinson’s disease.” The tribute continues: “Buster, as his friends lovingly knew him by, was probably the most brilliant man I’ve ever met. Even as Parkinson’s began to rob him of some things, that creative mind of his was always going full-force to the best of its ability. He was kind, amazingly funny, generous and had a heart of gold. In addition to being a brillia...
Dennis Waterman, ‘The Sweeney’ Actor and ‘I Could Be So Good For You’ Singer, Dies at 74
Dennis Waterman, a stage and screen actor best known for The Sweeney and Minder, has died. He was 74. The actor’s manager Derek Webster told The Hollywood Reporter that Waterman’s wife Pam called with news of his death on Sunday, noting that Waterman died at a hospital in Spain. A cause was not given. The actor was born in 1948 in Clapham, London, and educated at the Corona Theatre School. He began his screen career as a child in 1960 in the drama Night Train for Inverness. In 1962 at the age of 14, Waterman took the role of William Brown in the BBC TV series William, which was based on the Just William books by Richmal Crompton. He followed this up with recurring roles in CBS comedy Fair Exchange and family series The Barnstormers, and films such as Peter Collinson’s Up the Junction and P...
Mickey Gilley, Country Star Who Helped Inspire ‘Urban Cowboy,’ Dies at 86
Country star Mickey Gilley, whose namesake Texas honky-tonk inspired the 1980 film Urban Cowboy and a nationwide wave of Western-themed nightspots, has died. He was 86. Gilley died Saturday (May 7) in Branson, Missouri, where he helped run the Mickey Gilley Grand Shanghai Theatre. He had been performing as recently as last month, but was in failing health over the past week. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “He passed peacefully with his family and close friends by his side,” according to a statement from Mickey Gilley Associates. Gilley — cousin of rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis — opened Gilley’s, “the world’s largest honky tonk,” in Pasadena, Texas, in the early 1970s. By mid-decade, he was a successful club owner and had enjoye...
R.I.P. Mike Hagerty, Mr. Treeger on Friends Dead at 67
Mike Hagerty, an icon of Chicago comedy known for roles on Friends and HBO’s Somebody, Somewhere, has died at 67. His passing was confirmed “with great sadness” by his Somebody, Somewhere co-star Bridget Everett. “A beloved character actor, his love of his hometown of Chicago and his family were the cornerstones of his life,” she wrote on Instagram. The cause of death has not been made public. Born May 10th, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, Hagerty cut his teeth as part of the famed comedy troupe The Second City. He landed his first film role as an unnamed cop in 1983’s Doctor Detroit, and he booked his first small-screen job in an 1986 episode of Cheers. With his trademark mustache, thick Chicago accent, and impeccable comic timing, he became a constant presen...
Naomi Judd, Singer of Grammy-Winning Duo The Judds, Dies at 76
Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76. The daughters announced her death on Saturday (April 30) in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.” The statement did not elaborate further. The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The mother-daughter performers scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decade...
Naomi Judd, of Legendary Country Duo The Judds, Dead at 76
Naomi Judd, who together with her daughter Wynonna made up the legendary country music duo The Judds, has died at the age of 76. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” Wynonna and her sister, the actress Ashley Judd, announced in a statement on Saturday, April 30th. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.” Naomi’s death came on the eve of The Judds’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday. Earlier this month, the mother and daughter appeared together at the CMT Music Awards to sing “Love Can Build a Bridge,” which marked their first nationally televised award show performance in more than two decades. This fal...
Bob Elkins, Actor In Loretta Lynn Biopic ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ Dies at 89
Bob Elkins, who had a small but pivotal role as a radio disc jockey in Coal Miner’s Daughter, died Wednesday in a nursing home in Cold Spring, Kentucky, a publicist announced. He was 89. In the 1980 Michael Apted-directed drama, nominated for best picture, Elkins’ Bobby Day is eventually convinced by Loretta Lynn (Oscar winner Sissy Spacek) and her husband, Doo (Tommy Lee Jones), to play her first record, which sends the country singer on her way to superstardom. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A native of West Virginia who was well known in Cincinnati’s theater community, Elkins also appeared with Soupy Sales in This Train (2001), with Lynda Carter in Tattered Angel (2008) and in such other films as The Dream...
R.I.P. Klaus Schulze, German Electronic Music Pioneer Dead at 74
Electronic music composer Klaus Schulze has died at the age of 74. According to a statement, Schulze passed away on Tuesday, April 26th. He had been suffering from an undisclosed illness, but his death was described as “sudden” by Frank Uhle, the managing director of his record label, SPV. “We were shocked and saddened to hear the news of Klaus Schulze’s sudden death,” Uhle said in a statement. “We lose and will miss a good personal friend – one of the most influential and important composers of electronic music – a man of conviction and an exceptional artist. Our thoughts in this hour are with his wife, sons and family. His always cheerful nature, his innovative spirit and his impressive body of work remain indelibly rooted in our memories.” A pioneer of the krautrock and techno genres, t...
R.I.P. Cynthia “Plaster Caster” Albritton, Artist Known for Sculptures of Musicians’ Penises Dead at 74
Cynthia “Plaster Caster” Albritton, an artist best known for creating plaster casts of famous musicians’ penises, has died at 74. According to a press release, Albritton died in Chicago after “a long illness.” Albritton was born in Chicago in 1947. She began her career in 1968, creating plaster genitals belonging to artists including Jimi Hendrix, The Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley, MC5’s Wayne Kramer,and The Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra. Later on, Albritton included breasts in her plaster repertoire, making casts of bosoms belonging to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, Peaches, Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, and The Mekons’ Sally Timms. Albritton had a close friendship with Frank Zappa. Though the avant-garde musician was never the model of a sculpture himself, he found much amusement in Albritton’s wo...
R.I.P. DJ Kay Slay, Legendary New York Hip-Hop DJ Dead at 55
DJ Kay Slay, a pioneer in New York hip-hop, has died at 55 years old. The longtime fixture on Hot 97 passed away on Easter Sunday, his family confirmed in a statement. Although no cause of death was given, Kay Slay had been hospitalized with COVID-19 for four months. “Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay,” the family wrote. “A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations. In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss.” Related Vid...
