Obituary
R.I.P. Rachel Nagy, Lead Singer of The Detroit Cobras Has Died
Rachel Nagy, the frontwoman of The Detroit Cobras, has passed away. The sad news was announced via the band’s social pages, with no cause of death given. The Detroit Cobras came out of the same ’90s garage rock revival scene as The White Stripes, The Dirtbombs, and other bands. Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez, along with guitarist Greg Cartwright, formed the core of the group, joined by a rotating cast of other musicians throughout the years. Still an active band up until Nagy’s passing, The Detroit Cobras primarily recorded and performed covers of classic and little known R&B songs from the 1960s. Nagy’s passing was revealed by Cartwright, who wrote the following via Instagram: Dear friends, family and fans, It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we announce the loss of our b...
Ralph Emery, Country Music Broadcaster and Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 88
Ralph Emery, a longtime country music broadcaster and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, has died. He was 88. Emery’s passing was first reported on Saturday (Nov. 15) by the Tennessean, with a statement from his family that said he “passed away peacefully” that morning at Tristar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. His cause of death has not been revealed. Emery, born in 1933 in McEwen, Tennessee, had a successful career in the country music industry for more than 50 years, working in radio before shifting to television. Known as the dean of country music broadcasters, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1989. Explore See latest videos, charts and news He notably interviewed a number of country music sta...
R.I.P. Fred Parris, “In the Still of the Night” Songwriter Dead at 85
Fred Parris, bandleader of The Five Satins, a doo-wop group known for their smash hit “In the Still of the Night,” died Thursday at the age of 85. “Fred’s classic song ‘In the Still of the Night’ has been recognized as one of the greatest love songs of all time and the number one requested song of the doo-wop era,” Parris’ family wrote on his Facebook page. “Fred also wrote several other classic songs and his gorgeous voice enthralled audiences world-wide for decades. The Five Satins family is devastated by this loss but appreciative of having shared Fred’s music with thousands of fans and friends.” Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Parris discovered R&B music while digging through his family’s records and spent his youth singing in local groups. He wrote “In the Still of the Night” whil...
Miami Rapper Wavy Navy Pooh Killed in Ambush Shooting
Miami rapper Wavy Navy Pooh was killed in an ambush shooting as he drove with two young children, local media reported. The 28-year-old rapper, whose real name was Shandler Beaubien, was stopped at a light Friday evening (Jan. 14) when a car pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire, killing him, the Miami Herald and WPLG-TV reported. Two children, ages 5 and 1, and a woman were also in his car but it were not hurt. Police have not released the victim’s name, but Quality Control, the rapper’s record label, confirmed it was him, WPLG reported. No arrests have been made. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Beaubien is best known for his song “M.I.A.M.I. (Murder is a Major Issue).” Its video shows him waving a handgun, a staged murder scene and footage of police officers at actua...
Dallas Frazier, Country Songwriter Behind ‘Elvira,’ ‘Beneath Still Waters’ & More, Dies
Songwriter Dallas Frazier, known for penning hits including The Oak Ridge Boys‘ 1981 classic “Elvira,” and Gene Watson‘s “Fourteen Carat Mind,” died Friday (Jan. 14). Frazier was 82. Frazier was born in Spiro, Okla., on Oct. 27, 1939. At age 12, he was already writing songs and won a talent competition hosted by Ferlin Husky. By age 14, Frazier was recording for Capitol Records. In 1960, Frazier had his first success as a songwriter, when “Alley Oop” became a pop hit for the Hollywood Argyles. Three years later, he moved to Nashville. In 1967, the Frazier-penned “There Goes My Everything,” recorded by Jack Greene, was named song of the year by the Country Music Association. Frazier also found success co-writing songs with A.L. “Doodle” Owens, including Charley Pride‘s first No. 1 Billboard...
Fred Parris, ‘In the Still of the Night’ Songwriter and Five Satins Frontman, Dies at 85
Fred Parris, frontman for The Five Satins, a doo-wop group whose smash 1956 ballad “In the Still of the Night” became an enduring standard and was prominently used in movies including Dirty Dancing and The Irishman, died Thursday after a brief illness. He was 85. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I never expected it to have so much of an impact,” Parris told the New Haven Register in 2014. “I didn’t know if they were going to listen to it 15 minutes later, let alone 50 years.” On Feb. 19, 1956, Parris and one of his bandmates, Al Denby, were at home on military leave in New Haven, Conn., when they recorded “In the Still of the Night” in the St. Bernadette Catholic Church basement. It was the heart of the doo-wop era, when groups such as Frankie ...
Lisa Roy, Influential Audio Production Executive, Dies
Lisa Roy, a beloved audio production and communications executive, peacefully died Dec. 31 at her home in Marina Del Rey, Calif. Her brother broke the news on Facebook. Her age was unknown. Roy got her start in the music industry as co-founder of Ground Control Studios, a multi-room facility on Los Angeles’ west side. From there, she launched Rock & Roy Entertainment in 1999. The consulting firm matched creators and technology with clients ranging from AT&T and Dell to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Danny Elfman and Ben Folds. She also worked on a number of special events, including the MTV Video Music Awards, the annual Audio Engineering Society convention, the Latin Grammy Awards, the Pensado Awards and more. Additionally, she handled artist relations for a number of instrument man...
R.I.P. Ronnie Spector, Leader of The Ronettes Dead at 78
Ronnie Spector, who as lead singer of The Ronettes achieved a string of hits in the 1960s and emerged as one of pop music’s first female stars, has died at the age of 78. According to a statement from her family, Spector “peacefully left this world today after a brief battle with cancer.” “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face,” the family’s statement continued. “She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her. In lieu of flowers, Ronnie requested that donations be made to your local women’s shelter or to the American Indian College Fund.” Advertisement Related Video Spector was born in New York in 1943 to a Black and Che...
Ronnie Spector, Iconic Singer of the Ronettes, Dies at 78
Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the legendary girl group The Ronettes died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. She was 78. “Our beloved earth angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today after a brief battle with cancer,” the family said in a statement posted on her website. “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor, and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude.” Born on August 10, 1943 in Brooklyn as Veronica Greenfield, Spector formed The Ronettes in 1957 with her older sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley. After initially signing with Colpix Records, the group joined with Phil Spector, who signed them to his Philles Records. They had instant success with smash hits like “Be My Baby,” “Baby, I L...
Saying Goodbye to Both Bob Sagets
In the public eye, for a few decades there, there were two Bob Sagets. There was the Saget known and beloved by an entire generation of kids as Danny Tanner of Full House, the kind and cleaning-obsessed widower raising his three daughters with some help from his closest male friends. And then there was Saget on stage — the real Saget, it could be argued — known for filthy jokes and, at a later point in his career, making fun of his literally squeaky-clean image. This is the sort of dichotomy that frankly doesn’t exist too much these days, and Saget deliberately played with these expectations over the years. Three years after Full House ended (and only a year after his eight-year stint hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos came to a close) came his film-stealing delivery of the line “You e...
R.I.P. James Mtume, Jazz and R&B Musician Dead at 76
James Mtume, the multi-instrumentalist who performed with Miles Davis before founding the R&B group Mtume, has died at the age of 76, Pitchfork reports. No cause of death has been revealed. The son of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, James Mtume (born James Heath Jr.) grew up in a musical environment. He was raised by his mother, Bertha Forman, and pianist James “Hen Gates” Forman, who played in Charlie Parker’s band and introduced Mtume to the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins. In 1969, Mtume took on percussion on his uncle Albert “Tootie” Heath’s album Kawaida, which also featured Jimmy Heath, Don Cherry, and Herbie Hancock. A member of the Black empowerment collective US Organization, Mtume released the album Land of the Blacks in 1972 under th...
Bob Saget, Comedian and ‘Full House’ Star, Dies at 65
Bob Saget, the stand-up comedian known for starring on Full House and hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos, died Sunday (Jan. 9), the Orlando Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 65. According to the department, deputies responded just after 4 p.m. local time to the 4000 block of Central Florida Parkway, which is the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. The emergency call was in response to a person down. On arrival, deputies located Saget, who was unresponsive in a hotel room. The actor was pronounced dead on scene. Explore Explore Bob Saget See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Authorities have no information on the cause of death. Detectives have found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case. The Orange C...
