Death
R.I.P. Mike Howe, Metal Church Singer Dies at 55
Mike Howe, lead singer of the veteran band Metal Church, has died at the age of 55. No cause of death has been reported, but the band announced his passing via Facebook on Monday evening (July 26th). “It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California,” reads the band’s statement. “We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time.” The band formed in 1980 in the Bay Area as Shrapnel, impacting the thrash metal scene that was about to explode a couple years later. They moved to Aberdeen, Washington, early in their career and changed their name to Metal Church in 1...
DJ and Live Nation Executive Identified as Victim in Miami Condominium Collapse
Tragedy struck in Miami on June 24th when the Surfside condominium building collapsed, leading to a death toll of 97 people. Among the victims were DJ-turned-Live Nation executive Theresa Velásquez, along with her parents Julio and Angela. Performing under the name DJ Theresa, Velásquez was a DJ and label owner of Audio4Play, and also worked for major brands such as SFX Entertainment and Sony Music before moving onto Live Nation at the age of 36. Velásquez became a Senior Vice President at Live Nation’s Los Angeles office, where she advocated for inclusivity for the industry’s LBGTQ+ artists and women. She earned a spot on Billboard‘s Pride List of industry-shaping LGBTQ+ executives last year. Theresa Velásquez died as a result of the Surfside cond...
Faster Horses Festival Ends In Tragedy After 3 Attendees Found Dead From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Faster Horses Festival in Lenawee County, Michigan ended in tragedy for four attendees over the weekend. First responders were called to the scene of the three-day music and camping festival by a concerned friend of one man in his early twenties. After arriving, the emergency responders entered the man’s camping trailer, which was being shared amongst a group of five attendees, all of whom were unconscious. Three of the attendees were pronounced dead at the scene and the remaining two were transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The cause is believed to be acute carbon monoxide poisoning. The suspected catalyst is a generator that may have been in close proximity to the camper. Richie Mays II, 20 (left) and Kole Sova, 19 (right), were pronounced dead at af...
R.I.P. Juini Booth, Bassist for Sun Ra Arkestra, Chick Corea, Art Blakey, and Pharoah Sanders Dead at 73
Juini Booth, who plied his bass with some of the grandest figures in jazz history, has died at 73. Over his six decade career, Booth was a member of Sun Ra Arkestra and accompanied such legends as Art Blakey, Pharoah Sanders, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, and Coleman Hawkins. He passed away July 11th, according to Buffalo News, after a six-week decline in health preceded by breaking his hip in a fall at home. Born Arthur Edward Booth on Feb. 12th, 1948, Booth picked up his nickname from his sister Mary Booth-Bowden. “My mother would say, ‘Go call Junior!’ and I would say, ‘Juini!” she said. “He would tell everybody, ‘My sister named me!’” Booth first established himself in the jazz scene of his hometown of Buffalo, New York. He moved to New York City after an enc...
Nigerian community disturbed over looting, destruction, violence in South Africa
The Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA) has expressed concern over the looting, destruction and violence that has trailed the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma of South Africa. NUSA, in a statement made available to newsmen by its President, Adetola Olubajo, urged Nigerians in South Africa, most especially in various cities in Kwa Zulu Natal and Gauteng Provinces, to be vigilant and adopt safety and security measures. ‘The union is highly disturbed seeing the extent of looting, destructions and violence perpetrated by the angry protesters during our fact-finding trip to Johannesburg this morning. ‘Violent protest erupted in KZN province during the weekend after the incarceration of former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. Over 18 trucks were set ablaze, businesses looted and...
White House does not rule out Haiti request for U.S. troops
The United States is still reviewing a request for troops made by Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph to help secure key infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Monday. Psaki said Haiti’s political leadership remains unclear and that it was vital for the country’s leaders to come together to chart a united path forward. Moise was shot dead early on Wednesday at his Port-au-Prince home by what Haitian authorities describe as a unit of assassins formed of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans. Haitian police said on Sunday they had arrested another key suspect. The death of the president has plunged the troubled country into deeper turmoil, and U.S. officials traveled there on Sunday to assess the situation and ...
President Buhari: Nigerian government to implement policies that will tackle Niger Delta challenges
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his administration’s desire to implement genuine policies that would help in tackling problems affecting the Niger Delta region to make life more meaningful to the people. Buhari gave the assurance during the commissioning and handing over of the erosion control and road improvement works in Owo Local Government to the Ondo State Government. The president, who was represented by the Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Omotayo Alasoadura, noted that the erosion control of flooded area/road project was one of the ecological intervention projects approved and executed by the federal government through the Ecological Fund Office, in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), for the good people of Owo an...
#EndSARS: Ogun panel recommends payment of over N218 million to victims
Ogun Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has assured that he will implement the report of the State’s Judicial Panel of Investigation on Police Brutality and Extra Judicial Killings. The Governor who gave the assurance while receiving the report said its implementation was necessary towards having a peaceful society and engendering of a more robust relationship between the people and security agencies. Governor Abiodun who spoke on Friday appreciated the Panel members for their selfless efforts and contributions towards the successful completion of the task. “I believe that the implementation of this report will end the gory experience often encountered by residents of the State”, the Governor assured. The State’s helmsman added that it is important for all of us as a people and security agenci...
Nigeria records 186 new coronavirus cases
The Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) has registered 186 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections from three states. The NCDC said this on its official website on Saturday morning. Newsmen report that the figure represents an increase from the 146 cases recorded on Thursday and 110 cases posted on Wednesday. It said 186 additional cases were reported from three states as of July 9. The agency noted that Lagos had the highest number of cases, which was 175, while Rivers recorded eight and Gombe had three cases. According to NCDC, compilation of the newly infected cases showed that the country now has a total of 168,442 confirmed cases. The NCDC highlighted that the total of discharged cases stood at 164,323. The agency said it also discharged eight more people from isolation ...
R.I.P. William Smith, Hawaii Five-O; Rich Man, Poor Man Actor Dead at 88
William Smith, the veteran actor best known for starring in the 1976 TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and the original Hawaii Five-O has died. He was 88 years old. According to a report by Deadline, the late actor’s wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed he had passed away July 5th at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. However, no cause of death was given publicly. Born in Columbia, Missouri on March 24th, 1933, Smith kicked off his career on screen at the young age of eight, appearing as a child actor in 1942’s The Ghost of Frankenstein, 1943’s The Song of Bernadette, and the 1944 classic Meet Me in St. Louis opposite Judy Garland. Related Video During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a Russian Intercept Interrog...
Haiti police say they have president’s suspected killers, still hunting masterminds
Haiti’s police has killed or apprehended the suspected killers of President Jovenel Moise, officials said on Thursday, and are hunting for the masterminds behind the assassination that stunned the impoverished Caribbean nation. Moise, 53, was shot dead early on Wednesday at his home by what officials said was a commando of apparently foreign, trained killers, pitching the poorest country in the Americas deeper into turmoil amidst political divisions, hunger, and widespread gang violence. Police Chief Leon Charles said in a televised briefing on Thursday that authorities had tracked down the suspected assassins to a house near the scene of the crime in Petionville, a northern suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince. A fierce firefight lasted late into the night and six suspects were taken in c...
R.I.P. Robert Downey Sr., Filmmaker and Father of Robert Downey Jr., Dead at 85
Robert Downey Sr., the accomplished underground filmmaker, actor, and father of Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr., has died at the age of 85. His son confirmed the news on Instagram, noting that his father passed away “peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s” on Wednesday. Downey Jr. also called his late dad “a maverick filmmaker” who “remained remarkably optimistic throughout.” “Maverick” well describes Downey Sr.’s early career. The auteur filmmaker began directing, producing, and writing cult underground movies in the 60s marked with his uncompromising vision and left-field humor. Projects like 1969’s Putney Swope, a corporate satire that saw a Black board takeover an white-run advertising company, and 1970’s Pound, which saw human actors playing an...
