Tag Archives: obit

Syl Johnson, the Chicago soul singer and blues artist whose 1967 track “Different Strokes” became one of most sampled songs in hip-hop history, has died at the age of 85. Johnson’s family announced his death Sunday; no cause of death was provided. The singer’s death comes just days after his …

Michael K. Williams, the actor who portrayed stickup-man-cum-antihero Omar Little in The Wire and racketeer Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire, died Monday at the age of 54. Williams’ rep, Marianna Shafran, confirmed the actor’s death to Rolling Stone. A rep for the New York Police Department added that Williams was …

Monte Hellman, the film director who earned a cult following with movies like Two-Lane Blacktop and Ride in the Whirlwind, died Tuesday at Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, after a fall in his home. His daughter, Melissa Hellman, confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 91. …

Double K, a member of the Los Angeles underground rap duo People Under the Stairs, died Saturday at the age of 43. The rapper died at his home, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, though no cause of death was given. Born Michael Turner, Double K and his cohort …

Bruce Swedien, the celebrated audio engineer and producer who worked on records by Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Donna Summer, Duke Ellington, Paul McCartney and many more, died Tuesday at the age of 86. Swedien’s daughter, the musician Roberta Swedien, confirmed his death on Facebook, writing, “A legend in the music …

Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, who died Friday at age 77, wasn’t just a pioneer and key popularizer of Jamaican music; he was also an essential bridge between the worlds of ska, rocksteady, reggae, and the great American R&B tradition. His vocal delivery, raspy yet gorgeously supple, and poignant way of writing …

Scoring over 500 movies and television shows, as well as over 100 classical works, film composer Ennio Morricone (who passed away at 91) wrote, orchestrated, and toured ceaselessly, refining and expanding his repertoire to accommodate different visions and the ever-shifting sounds of the day. Yet despite its eclecticism — or …

Carl Reiner didn’t mean to create The Dick Van Dyke Show — or, rather, he didn’t mean to create a show for Dick Van Dyke. When he sat down to write what was then called Head of the Family, Reiner was basing its hero, Rob Petrie, on his own experiences …

Bill Withers, the soul legend who penned timeless songs like “Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” died Monday from heart complications in Los Angeles. He was 81. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father,” his family said in a statement. “A …

5th Ward Weebie, a pioneer of New Orleans bounce music, died Thursday after suffering a heart attack, The Times-Picayune reports. He was 42. Weebie, real name Jerome Cosey, was hospitalized for a ruptured artery, underwent surgery and died of related complications while still in the hospital. The musician’s death was …