Obituary
Jet Black, Founding Drummer of The Stranglers, Dies at 84
Jet Black, one of the co-founders and the original drummer in beloved British new wave/punk band The Stranglers has died at 84. “It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear friend, colleague and band elder statesman Jet Black,” the band wrote in a statement on Thursday (Dec. 8). “Jet died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Fond adieu, fly straight JB.” In a lengthy tribute, the band said that Black (born Brian John Duffy on Aug. 26, 1938 in Essex, England) died on Tuesday (Dec. 6) of unspecified causes. “As the ‘elder statesmen’ of the group, Jet was already a successful businessman in the Guildford area when The Stranglers formed in 1974,” they wrote. “Jet owned a fleet of ice cream vans, one of which, as many fans will fondly remember, was used to tour the UK in...
An Appreciation of Stax Records’ Jim Stewart: ’One of the Great Label Chiefs of the 20th Century’
Steve Greenberg, founder/CEO of S-Curve Records, produced “The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959-1968,” and box sets devoted to Stax artists Otis Redding and Sam & Dave. He wrote album notes for “Stax ’68: A Memphis Story.” Below, he reflects on a 30-year friendship with Stax co-founder Jim Stewart, who died Dec. 5. I first met Jim Stewart when I was producing the 9-CD Complete Stax/Volt Singles:1959-1968 box, which came out in 1991. While consulting with him over the phone about the project, he mentioned that legendary Stax songstress Carla Thomas still lived in Memphis, and that he’d really love a chance to work with her again on a record—something he hadn’t done in over 20 years. Almost immediately, I flew down to Memphis, meeting Jim and Carla at the stately Peabody H...
Jim Stewart, Founder of Stax Records, Dies at 92
Jim Stewart, the founder of Stax Records, the iconic Memphis, TN label that launched the careers of Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and many others, and shaped the sound of soul music, died Monday (Dec. 5) at the age of 92. Stax Records (formerly Satellite) was founded in 1957 by sibling Stewart and Estelle Axton, and would go on to trigger the “Soul Explosion,” a movement that rumbles on to this day. Born July 29, 1930, in Middletown, TN, Stewart relocated to Memphis as a young man. He served for two years in the armed forces, then tried his hand at music. Playing in a band wasn’t his strong suit, but Stewart would forge a home and career with music. An allrounder, he was a producer and engineer in the studio, a record label executive, a promotions man on the go, and, importantly...
Hamish Kilgour, Founding Member of The Clean, Dead at 65
Hamish Kilgour, the New Zealand musician who co-founded the pioneering indie rock band The Clean, has died at age 65. Representatives for the band confirmed the drummer was found dead after being reported missing in November. A cause of death was not revealed. “With very heavy hearts, we can confirm that Hamish Kilgour has passed away in his home country of New Zealand,” The Clean’s US label Merge Records said in a statement shared with Pitchfork. Kilgour and his brother David founded The Clean in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1978. Their most famous lineup included bassist Robert Scott, and after signing to fledgling indie label Flying Nun, the trio helped establish the “Dunedin Sound,” complete with David’s angular guitar and Hamish’s robotic drumming. The Clean’s debut single, “Tally Ho!,” ca...
Kirstie Alley, Cheers Star, Dead at 71
Kirstie Alley, the Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her role as Rebecca Howe in Cheers, has died at age 71. Her family announced the news on social media, revealing she had passed after a short battle with cancer. “We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” Alley’s family said. “She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.” Read the full statement below. Alley starred in a number of films in the 1980s, including Summer School, Shoot to Kill, and Look Who’s Talking. Her bre...
Sesame Street Star Bob McGrath Dead at 90
Bob McGrath, who for five decades portrayed Bob Johnson on Sesame Street, has passed away at the age of 90. McGrath died peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 4th, according to a statement from the actor’s family. Along with Loretta Long, who played Susan Robinson, McGrath was one of the two longest-serving human actors on Sesame Street. Beginning with the show’s premiere in 1969 through 2016, McGrath portrayed Bob Johnson, a music teacher who lived above Hooper’s Store. His character famously sang songs like “The People in Your Neighborhood,” “Believe in Yourself,” and “I’ve Got Two.” Advertisement Related Video McGrath appeared on over 150 episodes of Sesame Street, as well as in numerous specials, direct to video movies, and two feature films. After the show was retooled in 2017, M...
Bob McGrath, Original, Longtime Resident of ‘Sesame Street,’ Dies at 90
Bob McGrath, the Sing Along With Mitch tenor who portrayed the friendly music teacher Bob Johnson for more than four decades as an original castmember on Sesame Street, has died. He was 90. “Hello Facebook friends, the McGrath family has some sad news to share,” McGrath’s family posted on his Facebook page Sunday (Dec. 4). “Our father Bob McGrath passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.” Born on a farm in Illinois, McGrath was one of the four non-Muppet castmembers when Sesame Street debuted on public television stations of Nov. 10, 1969. With no acting experience, producers always told him to be himself. Over the years, he sang dozens of the show’s signature tunes, including “Sing, Sing a Song” and “The People in Your Nei...
Al Strobel, the “One-Armed Man” in Twin Peaks, Dead at 83
Al Strobel, the actor best known for portraying Phillip Michael Gerard a.k.a. the “One-Armed Man” in Twin Peaks, has died at 83. The news was announced on Saturday by Twin Peaks producer and longtime David Lynch collaborator Sabrina Sutherland via Facebook, who shared, “I am sad to have to post that Al Strobel passed away last night. I loved him dearly.” No further details have been released at this time. Strobel was born in Seattle in 1939 and settled in the Pacific Northwest region for most of his life. At 17 years old, he lost his left arm in a car accident, and he later pursued a career in the performing arts while living in Oregon. During this time, he founded the Church of the Creative commune and worked as an architect for the group. In 1972, he assisted with the Grateful Dead’s leg...
Quentin Oliver Lee, Broadway Actor, Dies at 34
Broadway actor Quentin Oliver Lee has died following a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was 34. Lee’s wife, Angie Lee Graham, confirmed his death Thursday in an Instagram post, saying, “He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves. It was peaceful, and perfect.” Lee’s Broadway credits included the 2017 production of Prince of Broadway and the 2021 revival of Caroline, or Change. He played the title role in a national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and earlier this year was part of an Off-Broadway production of Oratorio for Living Things that had a two-month run after opening in March. The Phantom of the Opera posted a tribute to Lee on its Instagram account: “The Phantom family is saddened to...
Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird,” Dead at 79
Christine McVie, the legendary vocalist and songwriter who lifted Fleetwood Mac with clear-eyed optimism, has died at the age of 79. McVie “passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness. She was in the company of her family,” according to a statement. “We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.” “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” Fleetwood Mac added in a separate statement. “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have ...
Al Mair, Canadian Music Industry Pioneer and Attic Records Co-Founder, Dies at 82
<!– <!– _ _ _ ____ _ _____ _ ___ | | (_) | _____ / ___|___ __| | ___ | ____| |__|__ \ | | | | |/ / _ \ | | / _ \ / _` |/ _ \ | _| | '_ \ / / | |___| | Al Mair, Canadian Music Industry Legend & Label Founder, Dead at 82 – Billboard Skip to main content ad [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”category” title=”Select category”][flexi-form-tag type=”tag” title=”Insert tag”][flexi-form-tag type=”article” class=”fl-...
Irene Cara, ‘Fame’ & ‘Flashdance’ Singer-Actor, Dies at 63
Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie Fame and then belted out the era-defining hit “Flashdance … What a Feeling” from 1983′s Flashdance, has died. She was 63. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, writing that a cause of death was “currently unknown.” Moose also confirmed the death to an Associated Press reporter on Saturday (Nov. 26). Cara died at her home in Florida. The exact day of her death was not disclosed. “Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief,” Moose wrote. “She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and ...
