Obituary
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...
Bob Saget, Comedian and Full House Star, Found Dead at 65
Bob Saget, the veteran comedian and actor known for his role in Full House, has died at the age of 65. TMZ reports that Saget was found dead on Sunday (January 9th) inside of his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida. According to a statement from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Saget “was pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.” Advertisement Related Video Prior to his passing, Saget had been on a standup tour in Florida, which included a show in Jacksonville on Saturday night. In a Tweet posted early Sunday morning, Saget commented on his most recent performance, writing, “Loved tonight’s show @PV_ConcertHall in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience… I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I’m happily addicted again to...
R.I.P. Michael Lang, Woodstock Festival Co-Founder Dead at 77
Michael Lang, a co-founder of the famed Woodstock Festival, has died at the age of 77. A family spokesperson said Lang passed away Saturday (January 8th) from a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Lang was one of the chief architects of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Taking place over four days in August at a family farm in Bethel, New York, the festival welcomed nearly half a million attendees to watch performances from Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, The Band, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Who, Santana, and more. With copious amount of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, the festivals became emblematic of late-60s counterculture, while also launching the career of countless future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. Due to the success of Woodstock, The Rolling Stones enlisted Lang a...
Calvin Simon, Former Parliament-Funkadelic Member, Dies at 79
Calvin Simon, who was a founding member of Parliament–Funkadelic and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, has died. He was 79. “We lost another Original member of Parliament/Funkadelic,” Bootsy Collins wrote on Instagram on Friday (Jan. 7), confirming Simon’s death. “A friend, bandmate & a cool classic guy, Mr. Calvin Simon was a former member of Parliament/Funkadelic. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen members of P-Funk! R.I.P Bootsy baby!!!” “Rest in peace to my P-Funk brother Mr. Calvin Simon,” a post on George Clinton‘s Facebook page said. “Longtime Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist. Fly on Calvin!” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Simon’s cause of death has not been reported. Born in 1942 in West Virginia...
