Obituary
R.I.P. Benny Mardones, “Into the Night” Songwriter Dies at 73
Benny Mardones, the soft-rock songwriter known for the ’80s smash hit “Into the Night”, has died following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He passed away Monday (June 29th) in his home in Menifee, California, as confirmed by Billboard. He was 73 years old. Mardones, real name Ruben Armand Mardones, was born November 9th, 1946 in Cleveland, though he was raised in Savage, Maryland. After high school, he signed up for the US Navy and served during the Vietnam War. Following his discharge, Mardones decided to relocate to New York City to pursue a career in music. It was there in the Big Apple that Mardones composed multiple songs with help from writing partner Alan Miles. This period also birthed “Into the Night”, which he penned alongside fellow songwriter Bobby Tepper. The 198...
R.I.P. Kelly Asbury, Film Animation Titan Dies at 60
Kelly Asbury, a longtime animator and director who had a hand in almost all of the biggest animated films of the last 30 years, has died at the age of 60. According to a representative, Asbury had been battling cancer. Asbury began his career at Disney, working in the animation department for films including The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Toy Story. He later took his talents to DreamWorks, where he worked on Chicken Run and Shrek. There, he was also given the opportunity to direct films including Shrek 2, Stallion of the Cimarron, and Gnomeo & Juliet. In the mid-2010s, Asbury returned to Disney to work on Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen. He also directed Smurfs: The Lost Village for Sony Pictures and last year’s UglyDolls, wh...
R.I.P. Ian Holm, Alien and Lord of the Rings Star Dies at 88
Ian Holm, iconic British actor who starred in Alien, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Chariots of Fire, and countless other productions, has died of Parkinson’s disease. He was 88. His agent confirmed the news Friday morning (June 19th) in a statement to The Guardian: “It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88. He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer. Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.” Born in Goodmayes, England on September 12th, 1931, Holm found a start in acting after his dentist, of all people, introduced him to Henry Baynton, a renowned Shakespearean actor who mentored the young thespian. Baynton’s guidance helped Holm secure admission into the Royal Academy of Drama...
R.I.P. Robert Northern, Jazz Artist Also Known as Brother Ah, Dead at 86
Accomplished jazz artist Robert Northern, also known as Brother Ah, has died at the age of 86. He passed away on May 31st in Washington, DC after battling a respiratory illness, as reported by the New York Times. Northern was born in 1934 in Kinston, North Carolina, but was raised primarily in the South Bronx area of New York City. The first few decades of his lengthy music career saw the French horn master serve as a session musician for jazz legends such as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Gil Evans, Quincy Jones, and McCoy Tyner. He notably appeared on records like Monk’s The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall from 1959 and Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini released in 1964. Around this same era, Northern played as part of Sun Ra’s cosmic, ever-e...
R.I.P. Bonnie Pointer, Founding Member of The Pointer Sisters Dies at 69
Bonnie Pointer, of the Grammy Award-winning vocal group The Pointer Sisters, has died at the age of 69. In a statement to TMZ, Anita Pointer confirmed her sister’s passing. “It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.” The Pointer Sisters’ origins date back to 1969 when Bonnie and sister June began performing in night clubs under the name Pointers, a Pair. They soon rebranded themselves as The Pointer Sisters and expanded from a duo to a quartet with the addition of their other sisters Anita and Ruth. Following a short stint with Atlanta Records, the group found their stride after sign...
R.I.P. Bob Kulick, Lou Reed Guitarist and SpongeBob Songwriter Dies at 70
Bob Kulick, a veteran session guitarist known for his work with Lou Reed, Meat Loaf, and KISS, has died at the age of 70. News of Bob’s death was revealed by his older brother, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick. “I am heartbroken to have to share the news of the passing of my brother Bob Kulick,” Bruce wrote in a post to Facebook. “His love of music, and his talent as a musician and producer should always be celebrated. I know he is at peace now, with my parents, playing his guitar as loud as possible. Please respect the Kulick Family’s privacy during this very sad time.” Bob himself actually auditioned for KISS in 1972, but was beaten out for the job by Ace Frehley. Nevertheless, he was an active contributor to the band in an uncredited capacity, playing on albums including Alive II, Unm...
Bucky Baxter, Guitarist Who Worked on Bob Dylan’s ‘Time Out of Mind’, Dies at 65
Bucky Baxter, an in-demand guitarist who performed on Bob Dylan three-time Grammy Award-winning album Time Out of Mind, died Monday (May 25) in Sanibel Island, Florida at the age of 65. No cause of death was revealed. Baxter’s passing was revealed by his son Rayland in a post on social media. “He is my everything and now he is an angel. My heart is broken yet I am blinded by joy,” he wrote. Born in Melbourne, Florida in 1955, Baxter was a founding member of Steve Earle’s backing band, The Dukes, and played guitars on a string of the rocker’s albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the international breakout album Copperhead Road. Baxter also worked on R.E.M.’s Green and cut albums with Ben Folds, Ryan Adams, Joe Henry and others, but it’s his years-long association with Dylan f...
R.I.P. Jimmy Cobb, Veteran Jazz Drummer Dies at 91
Jimmy Cobb, the veteran jazz drummer best known for his work alongside Miles Davis on 1959’s Kind of Blue, has died at the age of 91. According to NPR, Cobb passed away Sunday, May 24th, at his home in Manhattan. The cause of death was lung cancer. Cobb was the last surviving member of Miles Davis’ First Great Sextet, which also included saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, pianist Bill Evans, and bassist Paul Chambers. The sextet appeared on Davis’ landmark Kind of Blue, widely considered the best-selling jazz record of all time. Cobb also drummed for Davis on several other albums, including Porgy and Bess, 1958 Miles, Sketches of Spain, and In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk. Additionally, he appeared on Coltrane’s Giant Steps and Coltrane Jazz,...
R.I.P. Bucky Baxter, Longtime Steel Guitarist for Bob Dylan and Steve Earle Dies at 65
Bucky Baxter, the veteran steel guitarist known for his extensive work with Bob Dylan and Steve Earle, has died at the age of 65. According to Rolling Stone, Baxter passed away Monday, May 26th, at his home in Sanibel Island, Florida. A cause of death was not immediately made available. Baxter played on several Steve Earle albums released during the 1980s and early 1990s, including Guitar Town, Exit 0, and Copperhead Road. Baxter was also a founding member of Earle’s backing band The Dukes. While on tour with Earle in the early 1990’s, Baxter met Bob Dylan, who asked Baxter to teach him how to play steel guitar. Not long after, Baxter was invited to join Dylan’s “Never Ending Tour” and would remain a frequent presence on the road for the next decade. All told, Baxter backed Dylan for ...
R.I.P. Richard Herd, Seinfeld’s Mr. Wilhelm Dies at 87
Richard Herd as Mr. Wilhelm on Seinfeld Richard Herd, the veteran character actor who played George’s boss Mr. Wilhelm on Seinfeld, has died at the age of 87. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Herd passed away Tuesday, May 26th, at his home in Los Angeles from cancer-related causes. Between 1995 and 1998, Herd appeared in 11 episodes of Seinfeld, playing Matt Wilhelm, George Constanza’s boss at the New York Yankees. Mr. Wilhelm’s first appearance came on the season 6 episode “The Jimmy”, and his character was central to the plot of several other memorable episodes, including “The Wink”, “The Hot Tub”, ‘The Checks”, “The Bottle Deposit”, and “The Millennium”. Herd later reprised the role for the series’ finale episode. Aside from Seinfeld, Herd was known for his roles in various Star Tre...
Mory Kante, African Music Star and ‘Yeke Yeke’ Singer, Dies at 70
Guinean singer Mory Kante, an influential figure in African and world music, has died, his family said Friday. He was 70. Kante brought Guinean, and Mandingo, culture to the world. He was called an ambassador of Afro-Pop music. His song “Yeke Yeke,” released in the late ’80s, has been remixed and covered extensively. “Guinea and the whole world have lost a great personality,” Kante’s son, Balla Kante, told The Associated Press. “My father was a great personality. We lost a large library today.” [embedded content] Balla said his father had not been feeling well for quite some time and died in a hospital in the capital, Conakry. He will be tested for COVID-19, his son confirmed.“He was an elderly man who did a lot and exerted a lot of physical energy,” Balla said. Born on March 29, 1950 in A...
Emilia Dike Dead: Veteran Nollywood Actress Dies Of Heart Attack In Enugu
150.1Kshares 30.1K 120.0K 0 0 0 0 0 Emilia Dike Dead: Nigerian Actress Dies Of Heart Attack In Enugu Veteran Nollywood actress Emilia Dike has died. The actress died of heart attack in Enugu on Wednesday the 20th of May 2020. According to an insider, the ever-busy actress collapsed at a local market and was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead around 9:34am. The actress who reportedly played dead in a movie 3 months ago was filming a new movie before death came calling. May her soul rest in peace. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give use...
