Obituary
Tom T. Hall, ‘Storyteller’ Country Singer & Songwriter, Dies at 85
“Few could tell a story like Tom T. Hall,” Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern said in a statement following his death. “As a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, he was one of those triple threat artists who continued to make an impact on the next generation. I’ll always remember growing up listening to Tom T.’s music with my father, who was a huge bluegrass and Country fan.” Hall was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1971, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978, the Kentucky Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He received the poet’s award from the Academy of Country Music in 2010. “Tom T. Hall’s masterworks vary in plot, tone, and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for th...
R.I.P. Steve “Zumbi” Gaines, of Zion I, Dead at 47
Steve “Zumbi” Gaines, a co-founding member of the Bay Area hip-hop group Zion I, has died at the age of 47 due to complications from COVID-19. According to a statement from Gaines’ family, the rapper passed away Friday morning (August 13th) at Alta Bates Hospital in San Fransisco, California. In the mid-1990s, Gaines teamed with producer Amp Live and released their debut album, Mind over Matter. Their breakout release came with 2005’s True & Livin’, which boasted collaborations with Gift of Gab, Talib Kweli, and Aesop Rock. The following year Zion I released the first of two collaborative LPs with Oakland rapper The Grouch. Advertisement Related Video Amp Live left Zion I in 2015, but the duo recently reunited and had planned to tour together prior to Gaines’ passing. “He was working o...
R.I.P. Fez Whatley, One-Half of Beloved Radio Duo Ron & Fez Dead at 57
Fez Whatley, one-half of the beloved radio duo Ron & Fez, has died at the age of 57. Whatley’s longtime partner, Ron Bennington, shared the news to his social media on Saturday. “We lost our sweet Fez Whatley last night. His heart finally gave out,” said Bennington. “We are devastated, but we will always remember the laughter through our tears. Our thoughts are with his family who loved him the most and with the people who knew him as a voice on the radio.” Whatley had long battled health issues, having suffered at least six heart attacks since 2005. He suffered his most recent heart attack in March of this year and spent several days on a ventilator. A native of Florida, Whatley came to fame as co-host of the popular radio show Ron & Fez. After getting their start in Daytona Beach...
R.I.P. Nanci Griffith, Grammy-Winning Singer-Songwriter Dead at 68
Nanci Griffith, the Grammy-winning folk and country artist who pioneered the “folkabilly” sound, has died at 68. No cause of death has been revealed at this time, Variety reports. According to a statement from Gold Mountain Entertainment, “It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing.” In the 1990s, she survived two bouts with cancer. Griffith’s successes arrived in contradictory forms. A powerful vocalist, her biggest hits as a songwriter came for other artists, such as Kathy Mattea’s “Love at the Five and Dime,” Bette Midler’s “From a Distance,” and Suzy Bogguss’ “Outbound Plane.” And despite her chops as a writer, she won her only Grammy for a cover album, 1993’s Other Voices, Other Rooms, which fe...
R.I.P. Brad Allan, Stuntman and Coordinator in Jackie Chan and Kingsman Films, Dead at 48
Brad Allan, the influential Australian stuntman, stunt coordinator, and actor who brought fight scenes to life in iconic movies and served as a longtime member of Jackie Chan’s team, has passed away. Allan reportedly died on August 7th from an unspecified illness. He was 48 years old. News of Allan’s death was announced by Jackie Chan on his official website. “Many years ago while I was filming Mr. Nice Guy, he was just a fan and I remember him coming to visit the set,” wrote Chan in his eulogy. “At that time, he was crazy about Chinese Kung Fu and had practiced it for many years. It was because of his amazing skills and talent, he transformed from being a fan to a stuntman, and eventually joined my JC Stunt Team. He even fought with me in Gorgeous, and I think a lot of people remember thi...
Bob Ringwald, Jazz Ambassador and Molly Ringwald’s Father, Dies at 80
“Four years later, at the age of 17, he was able to grow enough of a beard to be able to pass for an adult to play in nightclubs as a professional musician, an occupation he held for the next six decades,” his daughter wrote. At first drawn to modern jazz, the music of Louis Armstrong instilled in Ringwald a lifelong passion for the performance and preservation of traditional New Orleans jazz. By the 1970s, Ringwald was playing piano at clubs seven nights a week. He co-organized the first Sacramento Jazz Festival in 1974, and his band headlined the event, which became an annual city tradition. In 2012, Ringwald was honored by the festival as “The Emperor of Jazz.” In addition to music, Ringwald’s passions included ham radio and the Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom he once served as a guest an...
R.I.P. Markie Post, Actress From Night Court & Scrubs Dead at 70
Markie Post, the veteran television actress who famously played public defender Christine Sullivan on Night Court, has died at the age of 70. According to Post’s manager, the actress died following a battle with cancer. A native of Palo Alto, California, Post’s first major TV role came in 1982 when she starred opposite Lee Majors in The Fall Guy. Three years later, she joined the cast of Night Court as Christine Sullivan. A public defender and primary love interest of Harry Anderson’s character Harry Stone, Sullivan first appeared in Season 2 of Night Court before becoming a full-time character beginning in Season 3. Post’s character was also naive and honest to a fault, and she was obsessed with Princess Diana memorabilia. Following the end of Night Court in 1991, Post starred in the poli...
Dennis ‘Dee Tee’ Thomas, Co-Founder of Kool & the Gang, Dies at 70
The band added that Thomas was Kool & the Gang’s “wardrobe stylist who made sure they always looked fresh.” In the act’s early days, he also “served as the ‘budget hawk,’ carrying the group’s earnings in a paper bag in the bell of his horn.” Thomas was born on Feb. 9, 1951, in Orlando, Fla. In 1964, he and his teenage friends — brothers Ronald Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell, Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith — formed an early incarnation of the group, calling themselves the Jazziacs. After various name changes, the young musicians settled on their famous moniker in 1969, and released their self-titled debut that same year. Over the decades, the funk, soul and R&B legends have earned two Grammy Aw...
R.I.P. Trevor Moore, Co-Founder of The Whitest Kids U Know Comedy Troupe Dead at 41
Trevor Moore, a co-founding member of The Whitest Kid U Know comedy troupe, died Friday, August 6th, after suffering an accident. He was 41 years old. “We are devastated by the loss of my husband, best friend and the father of our son,” said Moore’s wife, Aimee Carlson, in a statement. “He was known as a writer and comedian to millions, and yet to us he was simply the center of our whole world. We don’t know how we’ll go on without him, but we’re thankful for the memories we do have that will stay with us forever. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone. This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you please respect our privacy during this time of grieving.”” A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Moore co-founded The Whitest Kid U Know alongside Za...
R.I.P. Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Saxophonist of Kool & The Gang Dead at 70
Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member and longtime saxophonist of Kool & the Gang, has died at the age of 70. According to a lengthy obituary published on the group’s social media, Thomas passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, August 7th. Thomas appeared on every one of Kool & the Gang’s albums, playing alto saxophone, flute, and percussion. He was also the “master of ceremonies” at the group’s concerts. Advertisement Related Video Thomas first met Ronald Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell in high school, and together they began playing music with several other friends including Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith. After initially calling themselves the Jazziacs, the group eventually settled on the name “Kool & the Gang.” Over the proceeding ...
Paul Johnson, House Music Icon, Dies at 50 After COVID-19 Battle
Born in Chicago in 1971, Johnson began DJing in the mid-’80s while still a teenager. Expanding into production in 1990, he went on to release hundreds of records over the next three decades for labels such as Peacefrog, Moody Recordings, Dance Mania and Cajual. His 1999 single “Get Get Down,” from his album The Groove I Have, spent 18 weeks on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, where it ultimately hit No. 1. The song was an international hit as well, topping RPM’s Top 30 Dance chart in Canada and going top 10 in Greece, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK. Johnson also started the Dust Traxx label with Radek Hawryszczuk in 1997, which has released music from producers including K-Alexi, Stacy Kidd, Glenn Underground and Robert Armani. Johnson’s legacy as a house music great is per...
Charles Connor, Drummer for Little Richard, Dies at 86
“He was one of those drummers that was a bricklayer of creating that rock ‘n’ roll genre,” she said. “He played behind so many legendary musicians in the 1950s. He was a loving grandfather and was very proud of his family and took a lot of pride in his contributions to rock ‘n’ roll.” Connor began playing drums at age 12. Three years later, he started his professional career when Professor Longhair, a singer and pianist, hired him as a last-minute replacement for the 1950 Mardi Gras in New Orleans. After Connor turned 18, he joined Richard’s original road band, The Upsetters. The band appeared in several popular feature films including The Girl Can’t Help It with Jayne Mansfield along with Don’t Knock the Rock and Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll. During his career, Connor toured ...
