Tag Archives: obituary

Billboard Magazine reports: Chuck Berry, the singer, songwriter and guitar great who practically defined rock music with his impeccably twangy hits “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Memphis,” “My Ding-a-Ling” and “Sweet Little Sixteen,” has died. He was 90. The singer/songwriter, whose classic “Johnny B. Goode” was chosen by Carl Sagan to be included on the golden record of Earth Sounds and …

Horrible. The New York Daily News reports: NYPD Officer Michael Hance, who raised eyebrows and made headlines in 2015 for twerking with a reveler at the city’s Gay Pride parade, has died of 9/11-related cancer. He was 44. The 17-year veteran of the NYPD, who worked the bucket brigade in the aftermath of the terror attack on the World Trade …

The Daily Beast reports: Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, a co-founder of the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) and a prominent figure in the ex-gay movement, has passed away, the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic, where he served as clinical director, confirmed to The Daily Beast. Nicolosi, 70, was a practitioner of conversion or reparative therapy, treatments intended to …

People Magazine reports: Emmy-winning actor Bill Paxton died due to complications from surgery, PEOPLE confirms. “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” a family representative said in a statement. “A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department …

Fox News reports: Fox News Channel’s Alan Colmes has passed away at age 66 after a brief illness. Colmes leaves behind his wife, Jocelyn Crowley, who issued the following statement: “Alan Colmes passed away this morning after a brief illness. He was 66-years-old. He leaves his adoring and devoted wife, Jocelyn Elise Crowley. He was a great guy, brilliant, hysterical, …

The Washington Post reports: Norma McCorvey, who was 22, unwed, mired in addiction and poverty, and desperate for a way out of an unwanted pregnancy when she became Jane Roe, the pseudonymous plaintiff of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that established a constitutional right to an abortion, died Feb. 18 at an assisted-living facility in …

The Washington Post reports: Al Jarreau, a Grammy Award-winning singer whose versatile tenor voice and vibrant stage style blurred the lines between jazz, soul and pop music, died Feb. 12 at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 76. His publicist, Joe Gordon, announced the death, saying the singer had been treated for exhaustion. The cause was not immediately known. Mr. …

The BBC reports: Veteran actor Sir John Hurt has died aged 77, his agent has said. The Bafta-winning star, known for his roles in Alien and The Elephant Man, continued working despite being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. He recently starred as Father Richard McSorley in Jackie, the biopic of President John F. Kennedy’s wife. US director Mel Brooks …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Mary Tyler Moore, whose roles as a perky housewife on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s and as a spunky, single working woman in her eponymous ’70s sitcom made her America’s sweetheart, has died, her rep Mara Buxbaum confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 80. Moore played opposite her TV persona and received …

USA Today reports: Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, died Sunday morning. In a statement, the church confirmed Long’s death from cancer-related causes. “I am confident through my belief in God that my husband is now resting in a better place,” said Long’s wife, Vanessa. “Although his transition leaves a void for those of us …

The BBC reports: Larry Steinbachek [center in photo], former keyboardist with 1980s synthpop group Bronski Beat, has died at the age of 56. Steinbachek formed the group with Jimmy Somerville and Steve Bronski in 1983 and they had chart success with songs including Smalltown Boy and Why?. Their cover of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love with Marc Almond was also …

The Portland Press Herald reports: Maine State Police and Sanford police are investigating the shooting death of Portland Press Herald columnist M.D. Harmon at his home Wednesday afternoon in Sanford. Police say Michael D. Harmon, 71, died at his home on Brunelle Avenue after a handgun he was showing to a teenage boy went off while the 16-year-old was handling …

The Associated Press reports: Debbie Reynolds has died after being rushed to the hospital Wednesday, her son told The Associated Press. She was 84. Earlier in the day, TMZ and the Los Angeles Times said she suffered a medical emergency. It’s been a tragic week for the iconic Hollywood family. Reynolds lost her daughter, Carrie Fisher, on Tuesday. Fisher died …

DAMMIT. NBC News reports: “Star Wars” has lost its most beloved princess. Carrie Fisher, best known for her portrayal of the plucky Princess Leia in George Lucas’ epic intergalactic movie series, died Tuesday, days after suffering a heart attack on a plane. She was 60 years old. “It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her …

Yet another parting shot from 2016. The BBC reports: Singer George Michael has died aged 53, his publicist has said. The star, who launched his career with Wham! in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer, is said to have “passed away peacefully at home”. Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service attended a property …

The New York Daily News reports: Zsa Zsa Gabor, a Hollywood icon who personified the joy of glorious, unapologetic celebrity, has died. She was 99. The Hungarian-American actress and socialite passed away on Sunday after suffering a heart attack, TMZ reports. Her publicist Ed Lozzi confirmed to multiple outlets that she died in her Los Angeles home. She survived a …

CNN reports: Alan Thicke, the beloved TV actor who epitomized the role of the sitcom dad, died Tuesday at age 69, his agent told CNN. “Today the world lost an amazing talent,” said Tracy Mapes with Imperium 7 Talent Agency. She did not provide details regarding the cause of death. Thicke’s ex-wife, singer and actress Gloria Loring, confirmed his death …

The New York Times reports: Fidel Castro, the fiery apostle of revolution who brought the Cold War to the Western Hemisphere in 1959 and then defied the United States for nearly half a century as Cuba’s maximum leader, bedeviling 11 American presidents and briefly pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war, died Friday. He was 90. His death …

USA Today reports: Florence Henderson, the wholesome actress who went from Broadway star to television icon when she became Carol Brady, the ever-cheerful mom residing over “The Brady Bunch,” has died. She was 82. She died surrounded by family and friends, her manager, Kayla Pressman, said in a statement late Thursday. Millions loved, and kept on loving, the innocent sitcom …

The Guardian reports: David Mancuso, DJ and pioneer of New York dance culture, has died aged 72. Kid Recordings owner Craig Shifty announced the death on Facebook on Monday, writing: “He will be greatly missed, but, thankfully, he left the world a lasting vibrant legacy that continues to inspire and influence countless generations of music lovers and clubbers.” Cause of …