Obituary
Brazilian Sertanejo Star Marília Mendonça Dies in Plane Crash at 26
Brazilian sertanejo star Marília Mendonça has died in a plane crash in the state of Minas Gerais, according to an official statement posted to the singer’s Instagram page. The 26-year-old artist was on her way to perform in the city of Caratinga. All five passengers, including the plane’s crew, lost their lives in the accident. “With immense regret, we confirm the death of singer-songwriter Marília Mendonça, her producer Henrique Ribeiro, her uncle and advisor Abicieli Silveira Dias Filho, and the pilot and co-pilot, of which we won’t reveal their names at this time. The plane took off from Goiania to Caratinga where Marília would perform tonight. At the moment, this is all the information we have.” With more than 8 million listeners on Spotify and more t...
R.I.P. William Lucking, Sons of Anarchy Actor Dead at 80
William Lucking, the veteran character actor who played Piney Winston on Sons of Anarchy, has died at 80. According to an obituary written by his wife Sigrid Lucking, he passed away at his home in Las Vegas on October 18th. The cause of death has not been made public. Born in 1941 in Michigan, Lucking studied literature at UCLA and acting at Pasadena Playhouse. He broke into Hollywood in 1968 with parts on the original Mission: Impossible TV series as well as the detective drama Ironside. From that point forward, he booked at least one role a year through 2014. Along the way, he picked up credits on some of the biggest television series of the day, including Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Magical World of Disney, The Rockford Files, The Incredible Hulk, Days of Our Lives, ...
John Fagot, Veteran Promo Exec, Dies at 78
Fagot got his start in the industry in the 1970s working in the mailroom for CBS Records in Atlanta. His career then took him to the role of promotion manager for Columbia Records, serving Atlanta, Dallas and the Carolinas. By 1984, Fagot became Columbia’s national director of singles promotion before being promoted to vp promotion two years later. Capitol hired Fagot in 1987 to take on a similar role at the label. In 1995, Fagot moved from senior vp promotion at Capitol to the same role at Hollywood Records. In a 1990 interview with music and radio trade publication The Network 40, when asked what makes a great promotion person, Fagot said, “You have to love music, and you have to love the music you’re working. But the most importa...
R.I.P. Ronnie Wilson, Co-Founder of The Gap Band Dead at 73
Ronnie Wilson, co-founding member and multi-instrumentalist of pioneering funk group The Gap Band, has died at the age of 73. In a statement to TMZ, Wilson’s wife, Linda, said her husband suffered a stroke last week and never recovered. He passed away Tuesday morning (November 2nd). Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, The Gap Band consisted of brothers Ronnie, Charlie, and Robert Wilson. After initially serving as a backing band for fellow Oklahoman Leon Russell, the brothers found their own success after linking up with record producer Lonnie Simmons and signing to Mercury Records. Advertisement Related Video The Gap Band’s 1979 self-titled album produced the group’s first top 10 single with “Shake.” The following year, the band’s follow-up album, The Gap Band II, achieved gold status thanks in...
Jesse Aratow, Madison House Partner and Booking Agent, Dies of Sudden Illness at 48
“How do you describe a relationship where you spent five days a week (plus a lot of weekends) with someone for over two decades?” says Nadia Prescher, Aratow’s longtime business partner and co-founder of Madison House. “We were rocks for each other. Absolute unwavering support and defense of the other. Who I am and how I am says a lot about Jesse Aratow and his impact on people. Jesse always gave love. The hole Jesse left is a chasm in our community and in my heart and soul. I know I’ll never be the same, but I know Jesse wouldn’t want that anyway. He’d want me to be even better than before. So I’m going to attempt that and I challenge everyone who loved him to do the same.” Nearly “25 years ago Jesse and I started our first company in Telluride nam...
Mort Sahl, Top Comedian & Host of First Grammy Awards Ceremony, Dies at 94
At a time when comics often traded in tired jokes about their mothers-in-law, Sahl demonstrated that he had read the paper. Mort Sahl, one of the most successful and influential comedians of the 1950s and 1960s, died Tuesday at age 94. On top of many other things, Sahl owns a little piece of Grammy history. On May 4, 1959, Sahl emceed the presentation of the first Grammy Awards in the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The black-tie dinner and awards presentation, which was not televised, drew such guests as Henry Mancini (whose Music From Peter Gunn won album of the year), Frank Sinatra (who was the night’s leading nominee with six nods but won only for best album cover), Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Gene Autry, Johnny Mercer and Andre Previn. Sahl was al...
R.I.P. Benjamin Vallé, Founding Guitarist of Viagra Boys Dead at 47
Benjamin Vallé, the founding guitarist of Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys, has died at the age of 47, his publicist confirms. The band announced the news over social media. “It brings me great sadness to say that our beloved friend and founding member of viagra boys, Benjamin, has passed,” the group wrote. “Benjamin was loving and kind and the sweet memories we have together are countless. i cant stop crying while going through pictures of you but also laughing because you were one of the funniest, goofiest, people i had the pleasure of knowing.” The cause of death has not been announced. Vallé previously performed in the hardcore group Nine, which dropped five albums between 1996 and 2007. Viagra Boys formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 2015, and together they put out three EPs and two...
Walter ‘Herbie’ Herbert, Manager Who Helped Launch Journey, Dies at 73
He was a protege of Bill Graham, and also worked with Santana, Steve Miller Band, Roxette and Europe during his career. Longtime artist manager Walter James “Herbie” Herbert II, who worked with groups including Journey and Santana, has reportedly died. According to Variety, Herbert was 73 years old. Herbert began his career in the early 1970s working with famed promoter Bill Graham. Graham helped Herbert land a gig as a roadie for Santana, whom Graham managed at the time. Herbert befriended Santana musicians Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon, and after they went on to found Journey they recruited Herbert to work alongside them. Schon was one of the first people to acknowledge Herbert’s passing in a Facebook post Monday, saying, “I’ll cherish all the incredible times and trials and tribu...
Sonny Osborne, Bluegrass Banjoist Behind ‘Rocky Top,’ Dies at 84
With his brother Bobby, the bluegrass legends were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, won a CMA Award and helped popularize & modernize the genre. Bluegrass musician and singer Sonny Osborne, whose fast banjo licks turned “Rocky Top” into a hit with The Osborne Brothers, has died. He was 84. Alison Brown, a Grammy-winning banjo player, told The Tennessean that Osborne died on Sunday. His death was first announced on the website Bluegrass Today, where Osborne was a columnist. With his older brother Bobby, who sang and played the mandolin, the bluegrass legends were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, won a CMA Award and helped popularize and modernize the genre. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with gi...
James Michael Tyler, Gunther from Friends, Dead at 59
James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on Friends, has died at the age fo 59 following a battle with prostate cancer. According to TMZ, Tyler passed away Sunday (October 24th) at his home in Los Angeles. “The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh “Friend”), from the hit series Friends, but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,” his family said in a statement. Advertisement Related Video Tyler appeared on over one hundred episodes of Friends as well as on the recent reunion special. On the show he played Gunther, the manager of the coffee shop Central Perk. His character famously has a crush on Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel, who works as a waitress at Central Perk, but his feelings are not reciprocated. As such, Gunther freque...
Jay Black, Jay and the Americans Singer, Dies at 82
In the 1960s, Black joined the rock band, taking over for original singer Jay Traynor. Black recorded a series of hits with Jay and the Americans, including “Come a Little Bit Closer” (1964) “Cara Mia” (1965) and “This Magic Moment” (1968). Jay and the Americans were the opening act for the Beatles at their very first U.S. concert in 1964, in Washington, D.C. The band parted ways in 1973, with Black moving forward with his career as a solo artist. He also enjoyed a short stint as an actor, with a supporting role in Frank Sinatra’s Contract on Cherry Street in 1977; Black portrayed the character of Tommy Sindardos in the made-for-television film distributed by NBC. Black often performed as a solo artist in the tri-state area and in Florida. He held ...
R.I.P. Jay Black, Frontman of Jay and the Americans Dead at 82
Jay Black, frontman of ’60s rock band Jay and the Americans, has died at the age of 82. According to Rolling Stone, Black passed away Friday, October 22nd, from complications of pneumonia. Black also suffered from dementia. Jay Black was born David Blatt in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park. After a short stint fronting the doo-wop group The Empires, he took over as lead singer of Jay and the Americans in 1962, replacing original singer John “Jay” Traynor. In joining Jay and the Americans, Blatt agreed to assume the professional moniker of Jay Black. Jay and the Americans saw a majority of their success with Jay Black singing lead. “Come a Little Bit Closer,” released in 1963, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. A second top 5 single followed in 1964 with “Cara Mia.” The band’s t...
