Rolling Obituary Thread: 2020

Just seen people in Facebook mention a stroke and no further info.

political columnist/author Richard Reeves

Curly Neal 😢

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/03/26/harlem-globetrotter-legend-fred-curly-neal-passes-away/

Curly's a rough one. Like lots of others I'm guessing, he was why I got interested in basketball in the late '70s, sliding around the gym floor with my socks pulled up above my knees. RIP.

RIP Curly

I got his autograph as a kid (and Geese Ausbie's!) and thought I'd won the lottery

(xpost) I have Richard Reeves' Nixon book but haven't read it; I've seen him on more than one Nixon documentary.

Missed Curly...Nostalgia for watching him and Meadowlark Lemon when I was younger.

Cinematographer Alfio Contini, whose credits include Il sorpasso, Zabriskie Point, and The Night Porter.

Actor Mark Blum, from coronavirus complications

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/entertainment/mark-blum-death-trnd/index.html

Houston Astros Legend Jimmy Wynn, the "Toy Cannon".

Underrated! Still have and love this cover.

http://www.autographwarehouse.com/images/products/detail/JimWynnSI.jpg

Cinematographer Alfio Contini, whose credits include Il sorpasso, Zabriskie Point, and The Night Porter.

― "...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:51 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Whoa! RIP. First scene of Zabriskie Point is some of the most immediately gripping and fascinating cinematography I've seen--I'm not being facetious, if you've seen it and think I'm crazy, that whole credit sequence in the lecture hall is just as vital and exciting as the ending.

Michael Sorkin, architect and critic, 71.

Actor Mark Blum, of COVID-19

Apologies, already posted I see

Jennifer Bate, British organist, 75. RIP. Her Messiaen recordings are top-notch.

RIP, that's a shame.

Bob Andy, Jamaican singer, producer, label owner (of Bob & Marcia fame)

Sad to hear about Jennifer Bate, I saw her performing Messiaen's Le Livre du Saint Sacrement in Westminster Cathedral back in 2008, his centenary year. When I was a nipper I actually "sang" (mumbled, really) in a church choir presided over by her fearsome dad, at the same church where she played for Messiaen for the first time. Now the church has gone all happy-clappy Toronto Blessing of course, and would probably consider Messiaen's music near-Satanic.

Obit here: https://www.rhinegold.co.uk/choir_organ/organist-jennifer-bate-has-died/

(xp) RIP Bob ;_;

Rev. Joseph E Lowery

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/joseph-lowery-dead.html?referringSource=articleShare

Artist Alberto Uderzo, co-creator of the Asterix comics ;_;

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/27/albert-uderzo-obituary-asterix

(I never knew he was color blind. One of us, one of us)

ALBERT not alberto ugh morning typos

Country Singer Jan Howard

https://musicrow.com/2020/03/breaking-grand-ole-opry-member-jan-howard-dies-at-91/

Penderecki :( :(

God damnit :(

Now's a good time as any to blast Penderecki's Threnody, this news has killed my vibe today.

That pair of EMI Matrix CDs from the mid-'90s blew my mind at the time. Polish Radio NSO, I think. Emanations is the one this morning.

ffs RIP Krzysztof P

In addition, Howard logged a number of years as an “honorary” member of Mother Maybelle & The Carter Sisters. In this capacity, she can be clearly heard warbling, “Mama sang tenor” on the memorable 1969 Johnny Cash hit “Daddy Sang Bass.”

No ebook available. Guess I should have made more of an effort to borrow her copy before the lockdown.

I Love Rock n Roll composer Alan Merrill. I saw him play with Nikki Sudden the night Sudden died. From coronavirus.

RIP Krzysztof Penderecki.

and he was Helen Merrill’s son (she’s still alive). This CV is bullshit.

xp

Rip Joe Diffie. Covid got him.

shit I had no idea Penderecki was still alive

Me neither

Same here

Actor David Schramm

https://www.thewrap.com/david-schramm-star-of-90s-sitcom-wings-dies-at-73/

Serial killer dubbed Grim Sleeper dies in California prison

https://news.yahoo.com/serial-killer-dubbed-grim-sleeper-203650878.html

Flamin' Groovies drummer Danny Mihm, as reported by Chris Wilson and James Ferrell on FB.

Just coming out now, but Phil Phillips of "Sea of Love" fame passed away a couple weeks ago.

Veteran Greek leftist and resistance fighter Manolis Glezos

http://www.ekathimerini.com/251143/article/ekathimerini/news/veteran-leftist-and-resistance-fighter-manolis-glezos-dies-at-98
The Day Two Teenage Greeks Took Down the Nazi Flag from the Acropolis

Tomie DePaola, a truly great artist.

Today we lost the adored children’s book creator Tomie DePaola who passed away from a head injury. Forever joyful, he was a creator of beauty and a beloved friend. RIP you genius imp. pic.twitter.com/v8mC2O56PH

— Lin Oliver (@linoliver) March 30, 2020

One of the greats

argh, strega nona was foundational

Looking up something else and stumbled across the fact that songwriter, Bill Martin, died on 26th March, at age 81. Quite an interesting career:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Martin_(songwriter)

First thing to note is the 1970 England World Cup team's song, "Back Home", was written by a Scotsman and an Irishman!

even more shocking

The song was also a hit in Ireland, reaching number two in the charts there.[3]

Zoltán Peskó, Hungarian conductor, 83. RIP.