Obituary
Raffaella Carra, Iconic Italian Entertainer, Dies at 78
With often sexy costumes — daring by state TV standards in a country where the Vatican wields considerable influence — Carrà also was credited with helping Italian women be more confident with their bodies and their sexuality, once even baring her belly button during a TV performance. But she could also be devastatingly classy in her dress and manners. The La Repubblica newspaper wrote that she managed to pull off being provocative but still familiar and reassuring to millions of TV viewers. She also was considered an icon for gay fans due to her joyful performances. Her trademark bouncy, blond haircut and bangs — dubbed the helmet look — were imitated by many fans. TV magnate Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian premier, mourned Carrà’s passing, calling her “one of the symbols of Italian...
R.I.P. Richard Donner, Legendary Superman, The Goonies Director Dead at 91
Richard Donner, the beloved filmmaker who brought new meaning to the Hollywood blockbuster with films like Superman, The Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has died. He was 91 years old. According to his wife, producer Lauren Schuler Donner, and his business manager, Donner passed away on Monday, July 5th (via Deadline). Donner’s seven-decade career began in television, where he directed episodes of a number of classic series including Gilligan’s Island, The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Route 66, Perry Mason, and The Wild Wild West. He transitioned to features with the 1968 Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford starrer Salt and Pepper, a crime comedy that somewhat foreshadowed his future creation of Lethal Weapon. Related Video Followin...
R.I.P. Bryan St. Pere, Hum Drummer Dead at 52
Bryan St. Pere, the drummer for the massively influential shoegaze and alt-rock band Hum, has died. He was 52 years old. His bandmates confirmed the news in a statement earlier today, writing, “It is with very heavy hearts and tear filled eyes that we share the news that our beloved friend and bandmate, Bryan St. Pere, has passed away. We are devastated and deeply saddened by his sudden, and unexpected passing. Bryan was a dear friend, a loving father, brother, and was an incredible person and musician. We all feel extremely lucky to have shared time and space with him. Peace and love to all who knew Bryan, and those he touched. We will miss him dearly.” At an early age, St. Pere was drawn to the drums and decided to start playing the instrument after falling in love with Rush, particularl...
Johnny Solinger, Ex-Singer With Skid Row, Dies at 55
Solinger’s death was confirmed in a statement posted on the band’s official social pages. “We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger,” the message reads. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.” With Skid Row, Solinger cut four albums, including 2003’s Thickskin and 2006’s Revolutions Per Minute, and he released a handful of solo albums in the noughts, including 2008’s Johnny Solinger. In 2014, Solinger revisited his country roots on Scrappy Smith, an album that pays tribute to his grandfather Willard Jesse “Scrappy” Smith who introduced the young rocker to many of the classic sounds in country music. “I was born in Russellville, Arkansas, which is right off of Crow Mountain,” Solin...
Justin Cosby, Co-Founder of Australia’s Inertia Music, Dies at 50
There are no further details available as to the cause of his death. As the sad news spread, Australia’s music community turned to social media to remember a top-notch music man with a gentle nature. “I’m just shocked to hear of the passing of beautiful Justin Cosby,” wrote indie-pop singer and songwriter Holiday Sidewinder. “He signed me when I was 16 and was truly a pleasure to work, a special soul and emotionally intuitive. I’ll never forget him crying at one of my shows because he was so moved…” She continued, “He often popped into my parents house to have a cup of tea and give me new records to listen to. He was one of the good guys in a very lecherous industry, and made me feel safe and respected as a musician. RIP beautiful man.” Justin was “highly regarded by the Austra...
R.I.P. Johnny Solinger, Ex-Skid Row Singer Dies at 55
Johnny Solinger, the longest tenured singer of Skid Row, died Saturday (June 26th) at the age of 55. The rock vocalist had announced that he was suffering from liver failure in May. A statement from Skid Row read, “We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.” Solinger became Skid Row’s singer when the when the multiplatinum rock band re-formed in 1999 without vocalist Sebastian Bach following their 1996 breakup. He recorded two studio albums (2003’s Thickskin and 2006’s Revolutions Per Minute) and two EPs (United World Rebellion: Chapter 1 and Rise of the Damnation Army – United World Rebellion: Chapter Two) with Skid Row before being fired from the group in 2015. Related V...
R.I.P. Gift of Gab, Blackalicious Rapper Dead at 50
Gift of Gab, who set a new standard for tongue-twisting lyricism as part of hip-hop duo Blackalicious, has died at 50. The artist also known as Timothy J. Parker passed away on June 18th. His exact cause of death has not been released publicly, though a statement from his family and crew noted that he had been diagnosed with kidney failure in 2014. He was undergoing dialysis three to four times a week even while on tour, and successfully received a new kidney in 2020. Born October 7th, 1971, Gift of Gab became a fixture in the Sacramento rap scene in the early 1990s. But with the formation of Blackalicious alongside DJ Chief Xcel (aka Xavier Mosley), he would change the trajectory of hip-hop forever. The pair’s first two albums, 1999’s Nia and 2002’s Blazing Arrow, ...
R.I.P. John Paragon, Actor Who Played Jambi the Genie on Pee-wee’s Playhouse Dead at 66
John Paragon, the actor best known for playing Jambi the Genie on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, has died at the age of 66. According to TMZ, Paragon passed away back in April, but a cause of death has not yet been determined by the Riverside County Coroner. Paragon got his start in the Los Angeles-based improv comedy group The Groundlings alongside future Pee-Wee Herman star Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman. Related Video Though Paragon had a brief cameo in the 1985 motion picture Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, he’ll undoubtedly most be remembered by fans for his reoccurring role as Jambi the Genie on the Saturday morning TV series Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Paragon also voiced the character Pterri the Pterodactyl, and wrote several of the show’s episodes, including Pee-wee’s Playhouse: Christmas Special, wh...
R.I.P. Ernie Lively, Veteran Actor and Father of Blake Lively Dead at 74
Ernie Lively, veteran character actor and father of Blake Lively, has died at 74. Lively had struggled for decades with heart problems. After a 2003 heart attack, he reportedly had trouble walking even short distances without a rest. In 2013, he received experimental stem cell therapy. Via Deadline, he passed June 2nd, 2021 of cardiac complications. Born January 29th, 1947, Lively had been a constant presence on screens big and small since the mid 1970’s. He had parts in such beloved series and films as The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder, She Wrote, Turner and Hooch, The Beverly Hillbillies, The X-Files, Seinfeld, thirtysomething, That ’70s Show, and The West Wing. Related Video In 2005, he acted alongside his daughter Blake, performing as her character’s father in&...
Clarence Williams III, Prince’s Father in ‘Purple Rain,’ Dies at 81
On the big screen, the Harlem native portrayed Prince’s troubled father in Purple Rain (1984) and was Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright’s drug-addled dad in Sugar Hill (1993). In Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Legend of 1900 (1998), Williams tapped into his family’s musical roots to appear as jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton. Known for his prodigious afro and gap-toothed smile, Williams also worked regularly with famed director John Frankenheimer, first on Elmore Leonard’s 52 Pick-Up (1986) and then on The General’s Daughter (1999), Reindeer Games (2000) and two telefilms, the Attica-set Against the Wall in 1994 and George Wallace in 1997. Williams also displayed a flair of comedy, playing a former leader of the People’s Revolutionary Army in Keenen Ivory Wayans’ blaxploitation parody I’m Gonna Git ...
Rubén ‘Pelo’ Aprile, Legendary Argentine Producer, Dies at 71
In the late 1980s, Aprile sold the Interdisc catalog to PolyGram Argentina, where he eventually worked. In 2000, he launched his own label and publisher, Pelo Music, where he released Argentine artists like Miranda!, Babasónicos, Pablo Lescano and Marilina Bertoldi. On social media, dozens of artists and executives remembered a man who took risks and was larger than life. “There are no words. I think I was convinced that Pelo was immortal,” Bertoldi tweeted. Singer/songwriter and producer Alejandro Lerner remembered him as “the only producer who wanted to discover artists, not invent them. He took your dreams and multiplied them.” “One of my great godfathers and mentors,” producer Toy Selectah posted. “Saddened you won’t be here to give us your advice again. What a tremendous recording leg...
Patrick Sky, Folk Artist Who Recorded Controversial ‘Songs That Made America Famous,’ Dies at 80
Sky settled in New York City in the 1960s and cut his self-titled debut album in 1965. Patrick Sky opened with what would become a folk staple, “Many a Mile.” As his satirical edge took shape, Sky recorded his fifth album LP Songs That Made America Famous in March 1971, a set said to be so confrontational, it was rejected by multiple record labels. The album didn’t see the light of day for another two years. Adelphi Records president Gene Rosenthal wasn’t scared off. He spotted its “redeeming social content” and agreed to issue the record, complete with its controversial title, cover art and label design, a bare-butt parody of the Apple Corps logo. Indeed, a link to the record on the Adelphi Records website warns readers of its lyrical contents, which “are an aggressive breach ...
