Obituary
Mountain’s Leslie West Dies at 75
Mountain formed on Long Island, New York in 1969 and released three albums before they broke up in 1972 — though they’ve reunited frequently since and released a number of other projects including 1974’s Avalanche, 1985’s Go for Your Life, 1996’s Man’s World, 2002’s Mystic Fire and 2007’s Masters of War. The group notably performed at Woodstock in 1969. Their best-known song, “Mississippi Queen,” peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in 1970. West was inducted in to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and appeared on dozens of other recordings from a vast universe of artists. Samples of his performances lived a secondary life on the masters of hip-hop and rap stars. You Deserve to Mak...
R.I.P. John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, Rap Pioneer and Founder of Whodini Dead at 56
John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, co-founder of the trailblazing hip-hop group Whodini, is dead at 56. Fletcher was a towering figure in the history of rap, known for his playful storytelling and flamboyant Zorro hat. Questlove of The Roots was among the first to share news of his passing on Instagram. “One Love to Ecstasy of the Legendary Whodini,” he wrote, referencing the group’s 1986 hit “One Love”. Questlove added, “This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop. This is sad man.” Fletcher’s cause of death has not been made public. Fletcher and his friend Jalil Hutchins founded Whodini in 1982 in Brooklyn. The duo became a trio in 1986 with the addition of DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee. Together they built a national following with hi...
John Fletcher Dead: Whodini Rapper ‘Ecstasy’ Dies at 56
John Fletcher of hip-hop trio Whodini has died, Billboard can confirm. The artist, known by his stage name Ecstasy and recognizable from his signature Zorro hat, was 56. No cause of death has been revealed. “The African and Native American ancestors have gathered around and chosen this day, during the Winter Solstice, Dec 23rd, 2020 to call upon a most endeared, generous, and sincere soul who graced The World’s heart through performance, hip-hop, family, children and grandchildren,” his family shared in a statement to Billboard. “John ‘Ecstasy’ Fletcher was a beloved man, the life partner to Deltonia and ex-husband to Carla, twin brother to Joseph, artist, friend, and lifetime performing partner to the Legendary Jalil of Whodini. Whodini se...
R.I.P. Leslie West, Legendary Mountain Frontman Dies at 75
Leslie West, the legendary singer-guitarist of pioneering hard-rock band Mountain, has passed away at the age of 75. His death was confirmed by Dean Guitars. “With a heavy heart, we are saddened to hear about the passing of #Dean Artist and part of the Dean family, Leslie West. Legendary and one of a kind. Rest In Peace,” read a tweet from the guitar company. According to Rolling Stone, West suffered a cardiac arrest at his home near Daytona, Florida, and never regained consciousness. West was born Leslie Weinstein in New York City on October 22nd, 1945. He originally formed Mountain in 1969, with the band breaking up and regrouping on various occasions over the past 50 years. Mountain released several albums throughout the decades, beginning with their 1970 debut, Climbing! That LP yielde...
Rebecca Luker, Star of ‘Show Boat,’ ‘The Music Man’ and ‘Mary Poppins’ on Broadway, Dies at 59
An operatic soprano, Luker portrayed Magnolia, the daughter who marries a sleazy riverboat gambler, in Show Boat, which opened on Broadway in 1994; the librarian Marian in The Music Man, which began in 2001; and Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins. She starred in that one from 2006-10. Luker also appeared on the big screen in writer-director David Chase’s Not Fade Away (2012) and on television in such series as Boardwalk Empire, Elementary and NCIS: New Orleans. One of four children, Rebecca Joan Luker was born on April 17, 1961, in Birmingham, Alabama. She graduated from the University of Montevallo in 1984 after spending time with the Michigan Opera Theater, then made her Broadway debut in 1989 stepping in for Sarah Brightman as the chorus gi...
Former RCA Nashville Chief Joe Galante Remembers Trailblazer K.T. Oslin: ‘I Fell in Love’
We got her a place to live. Phran helped with her wardrobe and got her signature 3/4-length glove thing going. We got her hair cut. She hadn’t had the funds to do that. At her heart she was a folk hippie. She went on tour with Clint Black. She would sing and tell stories and that was the essence of who she was: the stories. She had a wicked sense of humor. At any moment you’d end up peeing you pants and if you were drinking, it got even funnier. She’d lived life. She’d attempted love on several occasions and never really found the right guy. She built a family around her. We were always together around holidays. We were at KNIX (in Phoenix) and doing a show in town. “’80’s Ladies’ was 4:45 long and people didn’t like anything over 3:30 and the [sing-song] tag at the end drove radio g...
R.I.P. David Giler, Writer-Producer of Alien Franchise Dead at 77
David Giler, a writer and producer best known for his work on the Alien film franchise, has died at the age of 77. He passed away in his Bangkok home on December 19th. A cause of death hasn’t been revealed at this time. His longtime friend and fellow Alien producer Walter Hill announced the news in a statement. “If you knew David, you knew he was special,” he said. “The magic of his personality is hard to describe: funny, angry, extremely knowledgeable, extremely well read; it was my privilege to write and produce with him, and more importantly, to have his close and deep friendship for nearly 50 years.” Giler’s first breakout moment in Hollywood arrived in 1962 when he wrote the teleplay for an episode of ABC’s The Gallant Men. Throughout that decade, he spent his time penning scripts for...
R.I.P. Pelle Alsing, Roxette Drummer Dead at 60
Pelle Alsing, best known as the drummer for Swedish pop-rock band Roxette, has died at the age of 60. A cause of death hasn’t been revealed at this time. Roxette co-founder Per Gessle announced the news on the group’s social media on Sunday. “It is with indescribable sadness I have to inform you that our beloved Pelle Alsing has passed away. It’s almost impossible to grasp,” he wrote. “Pelle was not only an amazing and inventive drummer, helping us to create the Roxette sound since Day One, he was also the best friend you can imagine, a kind and generous human being with the biggest heart beating for everyone,” Gessle continued, adding: “He was always the funniest to be around, the one with the biggest smile on his face, the one who supported you the most when you were in doubt. He will be...
R.I.P. Jeremy Bulloch, Actor Who Played Boba Fett in Original Star Wars Trilogy Dead at 75
Jeremy Bulloch, the English actor who famously portrayed Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at the age of 75. As ComicBook notes, Bulloch’s passing was confirmed by Daniel logan, who played a young Boba Fett in the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones prequel. According to TMZ, Bulloch passed away from health complications related to Parkinson’s disease. Bulloch was born in Leicester, UK in 1945 and began acting at just 13 years old. His early career included small parts in low-budget films like Summer Holiday and Spare the Rod, as well as recurring roles in two Doctor Who serials (1965’s The Space Museum and 1973’s The Time Warrior). In the early 1980s, he co-starred in a BBC series based on Robin Hood called Robin of Sherwood. He also appeared in three James Bond films: 197...
Ann Reinking, Tony-Winning ‘Chicago’ Choreographer, Dies at 71
Trained as a ballet dancer, Reinking was known for her bold style of dance epitomized by her work in the revival of the Kander and Ebb musical “Chicago,” complete with net stockings, chair dancing and plenty of pelvic thrusts. Reinking co-starred as Roxie Hart along with Bebe Neuwirth’s Velma, and created the choreography “in the style of Bob Fosse,” the show’s original director and choreographer who died in 1987. She and Fosse worked together for 15 years and she was also his lover for several of them. “I’m beyond words to hear of the sudden and untimely passing of my dear friend Ann Reinking. The world has lost such a beautiful soul and talent,” said Chita Rivera. “I loved sharing the stage with her whenever we could. Her spirit and razzle-dazzle will be with me forever.” Reinking’s work...
Frank Amadeo, President of Estefan Enterprises, Dies at 57: ‘You Are Irreplaceable’
“In the great journey that is life, few people appear [that can be counted on] in sad moments and in moments of joy,” wrote Emilio Estefan on Instagram. There are not enough words to express the great love and gratitude that we have for Frank Amadeo. A key man in our lives. You are irreplaceable.” Although Amadeo wasn’t Latin, he was raised in Miami and fell in love with the music of Miami Sound Machine in the group’s early days in the 1980s. Amadeo was program director at Miami pop radio station Y-100 when he first heard “Dr. Beat,” a boisterous dance track built on Latin percussion and rhythm patterns and brash Latin horns with English vocals, courtesy of Gloria Estefan. His support on the station was instrumental in pushing the track to the top of the charts. Beyond the single, Amadeo b...
R.I.P. Charley Pride, Trailblazing Black Country Singer Dies at 86
Charley Pride, the trailblazing country musician who became the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 86. According to a statement issued by his publicist, Pride passed away Saturday, December 12th in Dallas, Texas of complications from COVID-19. The son of a sharecropper hailing from Sledge, Mississippi, Pride initially pursued a career in baseball and achieved success as a pitcher in the Negro leagues during the 1950s. At the same time, however, Pride moonlighted as a country singer, performing solo at night clubs in between ball games. When a team manager learned of Pride’s abilities, he paid Pride to sing prior to each game, which led to increased attendance. Eventually, Pride caught the attention of RCA Records and was signed by the label in 1965...
