Obituary
Art Rupe, Pioneering Record Executive Who Helped Launch Little Richard’s Career, Dies at 104
Music executive Art Rupe, whose Specialty Records was a premier label during the formative years of rock ‘n’ roll and helped launch the careers of Little Richard, Sam Cooke and many others, has died. He was 104. Rupe, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, died Friday (April 15) at his home in Santa Barbara, California, according to the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation. The foundation did not release his cause of death. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania, native was a contemporary of Jerry Wexler, Leonard Chess and other white businessmen-producers who helped bring Black music to a general audience. He founded Specialty in Los Angeles in 1946 and gave early breaks to such artists as Cooke and his gospel group the Soul Stirrers, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, John Lee Hooker and C...
R.I.P. Liz Sheridan, Jerry Seinfeld’s TV Mom Dead at 93
Liz Sheridan, the veteran actress who famously played Jerry Seinfeld’s mother on Seinfeld, has died at the age of 93. TMZ reports that Sheridan passed away from natural causes early Friday, April 15th. A native of New York, Sheridan originally got her start on Broadway, including a role in the 1977 musical Happy End opposite Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd. After relocating to Los Angeles, she landed a series of bit television parts on series like Newhart, Who’s the Boss, and Family Ties. Related Video Sheridan’s first major TV role came in 1986 as the nosy neighbor Raquel Ochmonek on ALF. Four years later, Sheridan was cast as Jerry’s mother, Helen, on Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s beloved sitcom Seinfeld. Apart from the show’s four principal leads, Sheridan was the only Seinf...
R.I.P. Gilbert Gottfried, Comedian and Voice Actor Dead at 67
Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67. According to a statement released by his family on Tuesday, Gottfried passed away after a “long illness.” “In an addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” the statement reads. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.” Related Video Gottfried was known as a comedian’s comedian, whose brash, crude persona and unmistakable voice — equal parts shrill, obnoxious, and bombastic — stood in hilariously stark contrast to his slight 5’5″ frame. Advertisement A native of Brooklyn, Gottfried began playing open mics in New York City at the age of 15, and was eventually recruited by Saturday Nig...
Chris Bailey, Frontman of Pioneering Punk Band The Saints, Dies at 65
Chris Bailey, frontman of the Saints, whose ‘70s single (“I’m) Stranded” was the one of the sparks that lit the punk scene, died Saturday (April 9) at the age of 65. “It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you about the passing of Chris Bailey, singer and songwriter of The Saints, on April the 9th 2022,” reads a message posted by the band. “Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night,” reads the post, referencing Bailey’s famous song. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Born in Kenya in 1957, and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Bailey formed the pioneering punk outfit in 1973 with guitarist and songwriter Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay. With energy to burn, and the songwriting talents to tell th...
Roland White, Bluegrass Legend With a Playful Mandolin Style, Dies at 83
In 1968, while square-dancing during his boss Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana, guitarist Roland White turned the wrong way and ran face-to-face into Monroe himself. Monroe grabbed him, gave him a spank and sent him back on course. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I never could square-dance. If they said go left, I’d go right,” White told Tom Ewing in 2008’s “Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man.” “I could never follow directions.” White, who died Friday at 83, after complications from a heart attack, had a long career of masterfully not following directions in bluegrass. A member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, he played in the late ’60s and early ’70s with two of the genre’s most importa...
R.I.P. Estelle Harris, Actress Who Played George Constanza’s Mother Dead at 93
Estelle Harris, the comedic actress best known for playing George Costanza’s mother on Seinfeld and Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise, has died at the age of 93. “It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm,” Estelle’s son, Glen Harris, said in a statement. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.” A native of New York, Harris didn’t pursue a career in acting until her later years, after her children were grown and in school. After playing bit parts in Night Court, Married… with Children, and Mad About You, Harris was cast to play George Constanza’s mother Estelle on Seinfeld. Alongside Jerry Stiller, who p...
R.I.P. Tom Parker, The Wanted Singer, Dead at 33
Tom Parker, co-founder of the British-Irish boy band The Wanted, has died at the age of 33 after a battle with brain cancer. In a statement, Parker’s wife Kelsey Hardwick revealed the singer passed away on Wednesday, March 30th, with his family by his side. Parker revealed to fans in October 2020 that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma. “Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence,” Hardwick wrote on Instagram. “We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end.” Advertisement Related Video Par...
Jeff Carson, Country Singer Known for ‘Not on Your Love,’ Dies at 58
Country singer Jeff Carson, who topped the charts with 1995 single “Not on Your Love,” has died. He was 58. Carson died of a heart attack at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee, publicist Jeremy Westby told The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday (March 26). Born Jeffrey Lee Herndon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Dec. 16, 1963, he got his start singing in church. He later moved to Branson, Missouri, where he wrote songs and performed locally, before heading to Nashville. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Carson landed a deal with Curb Records in 1995, with his single “Yeah Buddy” released soon thereafter and giving the performer his first song on the charts. Next up that same year was “Not on Your Love,” which hit No. 1. Subsequent single “The Car” also cracked the top five and ea...
Taylor Hawkins Mourned by Tom Morello, Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Barker & More: ‘The World Was Lucky to Have His Gifts’
The Foo Fighters announced news of drummer Taylor Hawkins’ death on their social accounts late Friday (March 25), stunning the band’s fans and peers alike. Hawkins’ musical contemporaries immediately took to Twitter and Instagram to share their RIP messages for the drummer and to celebrate his “spirit and unstoppable rock power,” as Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave’s Tom Morello put it. Ozzy Osbourne remembered Hawkins as “a great person and an amazing musician.” Kiss’ Paul Stanley wrote that he was “speechless and gutted” by the news. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the Foo Fighters’ own statement, the band highlighted the 50-year-old’s “musical spirit and infectious laughter.” Below, find updating musician reaction to the news: God ...
Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins Dead
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has died at the age of 50. A statement released by the band reads as follows: “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.” This is a developing story… Related Video Share this: [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=̶...
Barbara Morrison, Legendary L.A. Jazz & Blues Singer, Dies at 72
Barbara Morrison, a legendary singer in the Los Angeles jazz and blues music community, has died. She was 72. Morrison passed away on Wednesday (March 16), according to her brother Richard Morrison. A cause of death was not disclosed. “We are working on keeping the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center open to preserve my sister’s legacy,” Richard Morrison said in a statement, referring to the L.A.-area facility his sister founded in 2009. In early March, a GoFundMe was launched for Morrison after she was admitted to the hospital with cardiovascular disease, the Los Angeles Times reports. The page helped raise more than $13,000. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Born in a suburb of Detroit in 1949, Morrison moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s at the age of 21 and went o...
R.I.P. William Hurt, Oscar-Winning Actor Dead at 71
William Hurt, the acclaimed actor who received an Academy Award for his performance in 1985’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, has died at the age of 71. Variety was first to report news of Hurt’s passing. According to his friend Gerry Byrne, Hurt passed away Sunday (March 13th) from natural causes. Hurt also received Oscar nominations for his work in the films Children of a Lesser God, Broadcast News, and A History of Violence. His other notable roles included films like Body Heat, The Good Shepherd, and Into the Wild. He also portrayed General Thunderbolt Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Advertisement Related Video A Juilliard-trained actor, Hurt received acclaim from the very beginning of his storied career. His debut performance in the 1980 film Altered States earned him a Golden Globe ...
