Obituary
R.I.P. Wolfgang Petersen, Director of NeverEnding Story and Air Force One Dead at 81
Wolfgang Petersen, the German filmmaker behind The NeverEnding Story, Air Force One, and In the Line of Fire, has died at the age of 81. According to Deadline, Petersen passed away on Friday, August 12th, at his home in Brentwood, California due to complications from pancreatic cancer. After directing a series of German-language short films and TV shows, Petersen scored his first major theatrical hit in 1981 with Das Boot. The WW2-era thriller about a German U-boat was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Advertisement Related Video Petersen then made his English-language film debut in 1984 with an adaptation of Michael Ende’s fantasy novel, The NeverEnding Story. The bulk of the film was shot in Munich, and at the time it was the most ...
R.I.P. Wolfgang Petersen, Director of NeverEnding Story and Air Force One Dead at 81
Wolfgang Petersen, the German filmmaker behind The NeverEnding Story, Air Force One, and In the Line of Fire, has died at the age of 81. According to Deadline, Petersen passed away on Friday, August 12th, at his home in Brentwood, California due to complications from pancreatic cancer. After directing a series of German-language short films and TV shows, Petersen scored his first major theatrical hit in 1981 with Das Boot. The WW2-era thriller about a German U-boat was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Advertisement Related Video Petersen then made his English-language film debut in 1984 with an adaptation of Michael Ende’s fantasy novel, The NeverEnding Story. The bulk of the film was shot in Munich, and at the time it was the most ...
Svika Pick, Prolific Israeli Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 72
Svika Pick, a pillar of Israel’s music industry who gained international attention after his song won the Eurovision Song Contest, has died. He was 72. Pick, known as “the Maestro” in Israeli pop circles, was a singer, composer and prolific songwriter who penned dozens of No. 1 hits. After news of his death broke Sunday, Israeli radio stations cut off regular programming to broadcast his music. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Pick’s catchy pop songs, stretching as far back as the 1970s, became a soundtrack of the nation. He began his career on stage with a role in the musical Hair and throughout the decades became a mainstay of the Israeli music scene. A collection of his songs was turned into a musical in the early 2000s. Among hi...
R.I.P. Anne Heche, Actress Dead at 53 After Car Crash
Anne Heche, the actress known for her roles in films like Six Days Seven Nights, Donnie Brasco, and Volcano, has died from injuries sustained in a car crash that occurred on August 5th, according to the Guardian. She was 53. “Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” a rep for Heche said in a statement on behalf of her family and friends. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.” Heche suffered a “significant pulmonary injury” and “a severe anoxic brain injury” after crashing her car into a Los Angeles...
R.I.P. Darryl Hunt, The Pogues’ Longtime Bassist Dead at 72
Darryl Hunt, longtime bassist of legendary Irish punk band The Pogues, has died at the age of 72. According to a post on The Pogues’ Instagram page, Hunt passed away on Monday (August 8th) in London. A cause of death was not disclosed. Hunt joined The Pogues in 1986, replacing original bassist Cait O’Riordan following her marriage to Elvis Costello. He played on five albums, including their 1988 classic, If I Should Fall from Grace with God. Additionally, he wrote “Love You ‘Till the End,” from their 1996 album Pogue Mahone, which was later featured in the 2007 film P.S. I Love You. Related Video Hunt remained an active member of The Pogues through their initial breakup in 1996 and subsequent reunion and second incarnation from 2001 to 2014. Advertisement The Pogues closed their post annou...
Teenage Head Guitarist Gord Lewis Found Dead in Apparent Homicide
Founding Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis was found dead over the weekend in his Hamilton, Ontario apartment, The Spectator reports. According to police, his death is being investigated as a homicide. In a press briefing, Hamilton Detective Sara Beck said police received information related to a deceased person. Upon visiting Lewis’ residence, police “located a deceased male in his 60s” with “injuries consistent with foul play.” However, Beck added that “a positive identification has not been made of the deceased due to the level of decomposition…an autopsy will be performed and additional steps taken to identify the deceased.” Police charged Jonathan Lewis, Gord’s son, with second-degree murder in the case, and Beck said police were not seeking additional suspects. Advertisement Rel...
R.I.P. Judith Durham, The Seekers Singer Dead at 79
Judith Durham, singer of the Australian pop band The Seekers, has died at age 79. According to Universal Music Australia, Durham’s cause of death was chronic lung disease. “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star,” the company said in a statement. “Her struggle was intense and heroic — never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.” Born July 3rd, 1943 in Essendon, Victoria, Judith Mavis Cock studied classical piano at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. Also a classically trained vocalist, she performed blues, gospel, and jazz pieces before cutting her eponymous debut EP in 1963. Advertisement Related Video Soon after, Durham joined Atho...
Judith Durham, Lead Singer of The Seekers and Australia’s Folk Music Icon, Dies at 79
Judith Durham, Australia’s folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79. Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night (Aug. 5) after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday. She made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the U.K. and the United States, eventually selling 50 million records. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news International hits included “The Carnival is Over,” “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and “Georgy Girl.” Durham...
Sam Gooden, Founding Member of The Impressions, Dies at 87
Sam Gooden, one of the original members of the Chicago soul group The Impressions and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 87. His daughter, Gina Griffin, said Gooden died Thursday, a month shy of his 88th birthday, in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by his family. His death was first reported by WRCB-TV in Chattanooga. The Impressions formed in the 1950s after Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks met Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler in Chicago. Butler sang baritone lead on their breakthrough record in 1958, the classic ballad “For Your Precious Love,” although many of their hits featured Mayfield’s tenor, with Gooden singing bass behind him. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Imp...
R.I.P. Mo Ostin, Legendary Record Executive Dead at 95
Mo Ostin, the legendary music executive who shepherded the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Madonna, and more to Warner Bros. Records over his three-decade tenure, has been confirmed dead from natural causes at 95. The longtime label head caught his first big break running Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records until it was sold to Warner Bros. Records in 1963, subsequently launching his 31-year career with the purchasing company. His tenure began by personally signing The Kinks, which established Ostin’s reputation for attracting all types of industry innovators and rising talent. Under his stewardship, Warner signed Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Randy Newman, the Grateful Dead, R.E.M., Madonna, Tom Petty, Talking Heads, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He served fo...
Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Uhura Dead at 89
Nichelle Nichols, immortal forever as the original Nyota Uhura of Star Trek, has died at the age of 89. The actress was renowned not just for her decades playing the character in the original television series as well as subsequent feature films, but also for her activism and volunteer work. Her legacy includes encouraging entire generations of diverse candidates, including women and people of color, to explore careers in STEM. Nichols was originally cast as the groundbreaking crew member of the U.S.S. Enterprise in 1966, and infamously considered leaving the show in its first year, before being talked into staying on the show by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King had told her that Uhura was an invaluable role model for young Black women, a fact which might be considered anecdotal — except fo...
R.I.P. Pat Carroll, Who Voiced Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Dead at 95
Pat Carroll, who famously voiced the villainous Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, has died at the age of 95. According to Deadline, Carroll passed away on July 30th while recovering from pneumonia. Carroll’s career spanned over seven decades, beginning with her work as a a civilian actress technician in the United States Army in the 1940s. Upon leaving the military, Carroll became a mainstay in the world of TV variety shows, appearing on programs like The Steve Allen Show, The Red Skelton Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. Notably, her work on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy Award in 1956. Related Video In the late 1970s, Carroll’s one-woman theater show on on Gertrude Stein earned universal praise, including a Grammy for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama. Advertisement Carroll c...
