Rolling Obituary Thread: 2021

Sick name

Chi Modu, legendary photographer for The Source magazine at age 54.

https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2021/05/legendary-hip-hop-photographer-chi-modu-obituary/

RIP Chi Modu. A vital individual in hip hop’s history for sure.

*not* RIP Rock ‘n roll. It never dies.

https://www.thelocal.it/20210523/italian-rockers-after-eurovision-win-we-want-to-tell-the-whole-world-rock-and-roll-never-dies/

like a perpetual Bruce Springsteen jackboot stamping on your face forever

Max Mosley, 81

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/24/max-mosley-f1-racing-driver-fia-president-privacy-campaigner-dies-aged-81

Cristóbal Halffter, Spanish composer of classical music. He was 91. RIP.

Mary Beth Edelson, pioneering feminist artist

https://www.artforum.com/news/mary-beth-edelson-1933-2021-85737

Kind of surprised that not one of Max Mosley's obituaries has (so far) mentioned the role he played in fomenting the UK's first race riot in modern times, in Notting Hill, west London, in 1958. It's not as if there's not clear evidence.

— Ian Cobain (@IanCobain) May 24, 2021

singing teacher tona west (née tona de brett) seems to have died recently:

https://tonawest.muchloved.com/

i know she taught liz fraser and annie lennox and some other good people, but she was pretty well-known in the uk as the person that record labels sent terrible singers to in an attempt to extract something resembling music. googling gave me this list of former clients, can't say she was successful in every case but hey at least she tried:

Adam Ant, Basia, Tears for Fears, Dido, Paul Hardcastle, Tanita Tikaram, Bananarama, Rick Parfitt (Status Quo), Rick Astley, Andy Summers (Police), Jonny Rotten (Sex Pistols), Seal, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Paul Young, Martine McCutcheon, Billy Piper, Mike Skinner, Jimmy Nail, Lush, Keith Flint, Lily Allen, Brett Anderson, Ozzy Osbourne, Matt Bianco, David McCalmont, Strawberry Switchblade, Murray Head, Beth Orton

this was her in the great rock'n'roll swindle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZz82J4M4to

I'm assuming Andy Summers didn't work out too well.

William Shakespeare, 81.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-57234741

I'm assuming Andy Summers didn't work out too well.

ever heard the song 'mother' off synchronicity? bloody hell no!

tbh I had no idea he'd ever sung on record!

mildly amusing interview with tona de brett here:
http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/vocal-points/5040

Do you remember what you did to Green?

"Blonde boy who blushed a lot? He had a very nice voice but he was so awfully embarrassed by it all. Because I do manhandle my customers sometimes, particularly if they're not breathing properly. I touch them around the middle like this..."

"...and I ask them to touch me around the middle and feel how I push my diaphragm out. Well poor Green got terribly embarrassed by all this and in the end he decided that he would prefer to sing without moving his diaphragm"

Justine Frischmann once showed me her tapes from Tina DeBrett, so add her to the list.

Is she referring to Green Gartside? (xp)

Yes indeed!

Tona de Brett used to advertise in the back of Melody Maker every week.

https://wtop.com/alexandria/2021/05/john-warner-former-5-term-virginia-senator-dies-at-94/

John Warner, 5-term Senator for Virginia, 94. Was he the last living spouse of Elizabeth Taylor?

last living Confederate General

https://thelaughbutton.com/rusty-warren-an-often-overlooked-comedy-trailblazer-dead-at-91

Rusty Warren, maker of 1950s and 1960 "party records," 91.

Eric Carle, Creator Of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar,' Has Died at 91

But he was still hungry.

Rusty Warren? Gotta queue her.

^Catherine O'Hara parodied her, more or less, on SCTV as the character "Dusty Towne"

I used to hear "Knockers Up" regularly on Dr. Demento.

When I saw the post about Warren I immediately went to youtube and the Dusty Towne Sexy Christmas Special in honor, but decided not to post it here.

Oh, Eric Carle. That’s a big one. <3

I adore this passage from @poetclare's Fierce Bad Rabbits - Eric Carle fought for his caterpillar's right to be merely hungry, and not to be punished for it. pic.twitter.com/YzpzLou7OI

— Katherine May (@_katherine_may_) May 27, 2021

Sad news being reported by Thames TV Archive that Freddy Marks of children’s musical trio, Rod, Jane & Freddy has died at the age of 71. 😕 pic.twitter.com/XMIbFQTX8B

— Put The Telly On 📺 (@putthetellyon) May 27, 2021

he'll be back in my dreams

Real Milli Vanilli Singer John Davis Dead at 66 from COVID https://t.co/krXrl65N6I

— TMZ (@TMZ) May 28, 2021

Quite a saga with Eric Carle. The Paris Review has now added a j/k note to the top of the 2015 item

Okay, here we go. This is boring but I guess I'm doing it.

This story of Eric Carle and his publisher "fighting bitterly over the stomachache scene" in The Very Hungry Caterpillar is fake. Eric Carle never said this, the interview is a parody, it was an April Fools joke. 1/? pic.twitter.com/DkblgICXtJ

— Avi Naftali (@AviTheNaftali) May 27, 2021

Kevin Clark, from School of Rock, 32: https://www.avclub.com/r-i-p-school-of-rock-star-kevin-clark-1846977423

Wow. I've posted this a million times, but I'll do so once more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTxqH0tukqQ

so sad. he was great!! love that movie so much

I played his character in a local staged reading of the movie. RIP

Gavin MacLeod 'Love Boat,' 'MTM Show', at 90.

https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/29/love-boat-star-gavin-macleod-dead-dies-mary-tyler-moore-show/

People You Thought Were... Dept.

RIP Capt. Steubing (sp) !

https://frinkiac.com/video/S05E02/2nm-3uCyTqAIgNzb2i8vDK7qgng=.gif

*crow t robot voice* MacLeod

*doug Mackenzie voice*
Captain Steubing you’re blinding me with your head

RIP Captain! My Captain!

And BJ Thomas, ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’ Singer, Dead at 78

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/b-j-thomas-dead-1149246/

hey

woncha play

another

somebody done somebody wrong song

;_;

also growing pains theme song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHYMM3zjffo

I just missed the MTM Show at the time (though I'm sure I saw a random repeat or two), so Gavin was always the good captain to me as a kid. Something I was all 'whuh' about when I did some digging one time, but I can't find it again now -- while there was recasting done across the three original pilots until they locked down the cast, at some point the whole idea was that a good number of the crew knew each other while serving in Vietnam? Which, what the heck! Anyway I've discovered the series, minus those pilots, is available on Paramount+ if you want to indulge.

I just missed the MTM Show at the time (though I'm sure I saw a random repeat or two)

They showed reruns at midday on one of our local channels before they started doing a noon newscast, so I watched them because my mom watched them. The past couple years of me revisiting the show as an adult have been a real joy, but I hate that Valerie Harper, Georgia Engel, Cloris Leachman, and now Gavin MacLeod have all died as I progress through the series. I think the only people left are Ed Asner, John Amos and Betty White, all of whom are probably pressing their luck with extended living. :(