Tag Archives: obituary

Singer Julee Cruise, whose haunting voice made her a favorite of filmmaker David Lynch, has died at 65. The news was confirmed by her husband, Edward Grinnan on Facebook, per The Guardian. “She left this realm on her own terms. No regrets,” he wrote. “She is at peace.” Grinnan added, …

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 …

Stephen Sondheim, the legendary Broadway songwriter, has died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 91, according to The New York Times. The prolific composer and lyricist was the creative force behind some 20 musicals starting in 1954 — including West Side Story (lyrics), A Funny Thing Happened …

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 …

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 …

Buck Henry, screenwriter for The Graduate and co-creator of Get Smart, has died at the age of 89. Henry died of a heart attack at a hospital in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, the Washington Post reports. Born Henry Zuckerman in 1930 in New York City, the noted screenwriter was …