Obituary
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 ...
R.I.P. Thea White, Courage the Cowardly Dog Voice Actress Dead at 81
Thea White, the actress behind the voice of Muriel Bagge on Courage the Cowardly Dog, passed away on Friday. She was 81. The actress was born in Newark, New Jersey on June 16, 1940 to parents Arthur and Eleanor Zitzner. The acting bug was firmly planted in her bloodline long before her arrival, as both her mother and maternal grandmother were also actresses. After graduating from high school in Caldwell, New Jersey, White studied acting at both the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and the American Theater Wing in New York City. While pursuing her early career, the aspiring actress also worked as a personal assistant to none other than Marlene Dietrich, accompanying the screen legend on a tour of Australia during her later years. Advertisement Related Video “This was towards the end...
Johnny Ventura, Dominican Merengue Icon, Dies at 81
Born in La Vega, Dominican Republic, Ventura kicked off his career in the early ‘60s and was coined as “El Caballo Negro.” Some of his biggest titles include tropical hits such as “Patacon Pisao,” “¿Pitaste?” and “Merenguero Hasta la Tambora,” all of which have become staples in Latin households. Ventura’s timeless music has entered various Billboard charts, including Hot Latin Songs, Top Latin Albums, Tropical Airplay and Tropical Albums. From 1994 to 1998, Ventura also served as vice mayor of Santo Domingo and as mayor from 1998 to 2002. On social media, artists such as Olga Tañon and Manny Cruz, among others, reacted to his death. “My admiration for you always,” Tañon wrote on Instagram. “You always treated me with so much affection and respect! I made my dream of recording ...
ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill Dead: Longtime Bassist Dies at 72
ZZ Top‘s longtime bassist Dusty Hill has died, the band announced in a statement Wednesday (July 28). He was 72. “We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston,” the group shared. “We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top.’ We will forever be connected to that ‘Blues Shuffle in C.'” “You will be greatly missed, amigo,” bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard concluded in their statement. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back ...
