Obituary
Naomi Judd, of Legendary Country Duo The Judds, Dead at 76
Naomi Judd, who together with her daughter Wynonna made up the legendary country music duo The Judds, has died at the age of 76. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” Wynonna and her sister, the actress Ashley Judd, announced in a statement on Saturday, April 30th. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.” Naomi’s death came on the eve of The Judds’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday. Earlier this month, the mother and daughter appeared together at the CMT Music Awards to sing “Love Can Build a Bridge,” which marked their first nationally televised award show performance in more than two decades. This fal...
Bob Elkins, Actor In Loretta Lynn Biopic ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ Dies at 89
Bob Elkins, who had a small but pivotal role as a radio disc jockey in Coal Miner’s Daughter, died Wednesday in a nursing home in Cold Spring, Kentucky, a publicist announced. He was 89. In the 1980 Michael Apted-directed drama, nominated for best picture, Elkins’ Bobby Day is eventually convinced by Loretta Lynn (Oscar winner Sissy Spacek) and her husband, Doo (Tommy Lee Jones), to play her first record, which sends the country singer on her way to superstardom. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A native of West Virginia who was well known in Cincinnati’s theater community, Elkins also appeared with Soupy Sales in This Train (2001), with Lynda Carter in Tattered Angel (2008) and in such other films as The Dream...
R.I.P. Klaus Schulze, German Electronic Music Pioneer Dead at 74
Electronic music composer Klaus Schulze has died at the age of 74. According to a statement, Schulze passed away on Tuesday, April 26th. He had been suffering from an undisclosed illness, but his death was described as “sudden” by Frank Uhle, the managing director of his record label, SPV. “We were shocked and saddened to hear the news of Klaus Schulze’s sudden death,” Uhle said in a statement. “We lose and will miss a good personal friend – one of the most influential and important composers of electronic music – a man of conviction and an exceptional artist. Our thoughts in this hour are with his wife, sons and family. His always cheerful nature, his innovative spirit and his impressive body of work remain indelibly rooted in our memories.” A pioneer of the krautrock and techno genres, t...
R.I.P. Cynthia “Plaster Caster” Albritton, Artist Known for Sculptures of Musicians’ Penises Dead at 74
Cynthia “Plaster Caster” Albritton, an artist best known for creating plaster casts of famous musicians’ penises, has died at 74. According to a press release, Albritton died in Chicago after “a long illness.” Albritton was born in Chicago in 1947. She began her career in 1968, creating plaster genitals belonging to artists including Jimi Hendrix, The Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley, MC5’s Wayne Kramer,and The Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra. Later on, Albritton included breasts in her plaster repertoire, making casts of bosoms belonging to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, Peaches, Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, and The Mekons’ Sally Timms. Albritton had a close friendship with Frank Zappa. Though the avant-garde musician was never the model of a sculpture himself, he found much amusement in Albritton’s wo...
R.I.P. DJ Kay Slay, Legendary New York Hip-Hop DJ Dead at 55
DJ Kay Slay, a pioneer in New York hip-hop, has died at 55 years old. The longtime fixture on Hot 97 passed away on Easter Sunday, his family confirmed in a statement. Although no cause of death was given, Kay Slay had been hospitalized with COVID-19 for four months. “Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay,” the family wrote. “A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations. In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss.” Related Vid...
Art Rupe, Pioneering Record Executive Who Helped Launch Little Richard’s Career, Dies at 104
Music executive Art Rupe, whose Specialty Records was a premier label during the formative years of rock ‘n’ roll and helped launch the careers of Little Richard, Sam Cooke and many others, has died. He was 104. Rupe, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, died Friday (April 15) at his home in Santa Barbara, California, according to the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation. The foundation did not release his cause of death. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania, native was a contemporary of Jerry Wexler, Leonard Chess and other white businessmen-producers who helped bring Black music to a general audience. He founded Specialty in Los Angeles in 1946 and gave early breaks to such artists as Cooke and his gospel group the Soul Stirrers, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, John Lee Hooker and C...
R.I.P. Liz Sheridan, Jerry Seinfeld’s TV Mom Dead at 93
Liz Sheridan, the veteran actress who famously played Jerry Seinfeld’s mother on Seinfeld, has died at the age of 93. TMZ reports that Sheridan passed away from natural causes early Friday, April 15th. A native of New York, Sheridan originally got her start on Broadway, including a role in the 1977 musical Happy End opposite Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd. After relocating to Los Angeles, she landed a series of bit television parts on series like Newhart, Who’s the Boss, and Family Ties. Related Video Sheridan’s first major TV role came in 1986 as the nosy neighbor Raquel Ochmonek on ALF. Four years later, Sheridan was cast as Jerry’s mother, Helen, on Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s beloved sitcom Seinfeld. Apart from the show’s four principal leads, Sheridan was the only Seinf...
R.I.P. Gilbert Gottfried, Comedian and Voice Actor Dead at 67
Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67. According to a statement released by his family on Tuesday, Gottfried passed away after a “long illness.” “In an addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” the statement reads. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.” Related Video Gottfried was known as a comedian’s comedian, whose brash, crude persona and unmistakable voice — equal parts shrill, obnoxious, and bombastic — stood in hilariously stark contrast to his slight 5’5″ frame. Advertisement A native of Brooklyn, Gottfried began playing open mics in New York City at the age of 15, and was eventually recruited by Saturday Nig...
Chris Bailey, Frontman of Pioneering Punk Band The Saints, Dies at 65
Chris Bailey, frontman of the Saints, whose ‘70s single (“I’m) Stranded” was the one of the sparks that lit the punk scene, died Saturday (April 9) at the age of 65. “It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you about the passing of Chris Bailey, singer and songwriter of The Saints, on April the 9th 2022,” reads a message posted by the band. “Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night,” reads the post, referencing Bailey’s famous song. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Born in Kenya in 1957, and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Bailey formed the pioneering punk outfit in 1973 with guitarist and songwriter Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay. With energy to burn, and the songwriting talents to tell th...
Roland White, Bluegrass Legend With a Playful Mandolin Style, Dies at 83
In 1968, while square-dancing during his boss Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana, guitarist Roland White turned the wrong way and ran face-to-face into Monroe himself. Monroe grabbed him, gave him a spank and sent him back on course. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I never could square-dance. If they said go left, I’d go right,” White told Tom Ewing in 2008’s “Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man.” “I could never follow directions.” White, who died Friday at 83, after complications from a heart attack, had a long career of masterfully not following directions in bluegrass. A member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, he played in the late ’60s and early ’70s with two of the genre’s most importa...
R.I.P. Estelle Harris, Actress Who Played George Constanza’s Mother Dead at 93
Estelle Harris, the comedic actress best known for playing George Costanza’s mother on Seinfeld and Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise, has died at the age of 93. “It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm,” Estelle’s son, Glen Harris, said in a statement. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.” A native of New York, Harris didn’t pursue a career in acting until her later years, after her children were grown and in school. After playing bit parts in Night Court, Married… with Children, and Mad About You, Harris was cast to play George Constanza’s mother Estelle on Seinfeld. Alongside Jerry Stiller, who p...
R.I.P. Tom Parker, The Wanted Singer, Dead at 33
Tom Parker, co-founder of the British-Irish boy band The Wanted, has died at the age of 33 after a battle with brain cancer. In a statement, Parker’s wife Kelsey Hardwick revealed the singer passed away on Wednesday, March 30th, with his family by his side. Parker revealed to fans in October 2020 that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma. “Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence,” Hardwick wrote on Instagram. “We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end.” Advertisement Related Video Par...
