Rolling Obituary Thread: 2021

Among other things, I thought he was hilarious in Crocodile Dundee.

https://wtop.com/arts/2021/11/arlene-dahl-who-shone-in-films-of-the-1950s-dies-at-96/https://wtop.com/arts/2021/11/arlene-dahl-who-shone-in-films-of-the-1950s-dies-at-96/

Actress Arlene Dahl, 96.

RIP :( I saw her at Film Forum introducing Slighty Scarlet once. Geoffrey O'Brien was there, told me it was one of his favorite films, but maybe he says that about everything.

aww RIP Arlene, I only really know her from this LP which I found at a car boot sale (which also bizarrely cropped up in a Techmoan video this week). it comes with a script so you can read Bogart's lines in the gaps she leaves, oddly fun.

https://i.imgur.com/DflAlDC.jpg

RIP flamboyant, brilliant Yale art and music professor Robert Farris Thompson. I saw him speak in DC twice and was wowed by his knowledge of African art, music, and religion as well as Afro-Latino art, music, and faith. This Texas raised guy, who spent some years living in Nigeria, schooled audiences ( including me) on the history of pre-salsa mambo music in an entertaining manner that was also scholarly. Beyoncé is seen reading his book Black Gods and Kings in her Black is King movie, and his Flash of the Spirit book on African art and culture inspired many.

Ray Kennedy, 70
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/30/ray-kennedy-former-arsenal-liverpool-and-england-player-dies-aged-70

RIP. The "later life" section of his wiki entry makes for grim reading.

Lee Elder, first Black golfer to play in Masters, dies at age 87

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/32745449/lee-elder-first-black-player-play-masters-dies-age-87

x-post - musician/critic/author Greg Tate re Professor Robert Farris Thompson-

A giant of African cultural scholarship no longer walks among us but along what Sun Ra called The Celestial Road. Professor Robert Farris Thompson’s lectures and books impact on C. Daniel Dawson,David Hammons, Jean Michel Basquiat, Kelly Jones, Kerry James Marshall, Henry Louis Gates, Judith Wilson, Sanford Biggers, and Arthur Jafa was immense, especially Flash of the Spirit which we essayed upon in Flyboy In The Buttermilk under the title ‘Guerilla Scholar On The Loose’. Peace go witcha Professor RFT.

Alvin Lucier has left the room.

confirmation?

mary lucier posted it on her FB page https://www.facebook.com/1261295409/posts/10227371811861959/?d=n

thanks for that, sad to hear

RIP Alvin.

It is a cliche to name a "genius" who "changed" music, listening or recording for everyone who followed. Often it is a bullshit honorific. I am however sincere when I say Alvin Lucier, genius, invented new ways to hear, execute, record and think about music and sound. Requiescat.

— steve albini (@electricalWSOP) December 1, 2021

https://www.nicolascollins.com/notebooks.htm

Lawrence Weiner. Artist, will always be most associated with Factory New York for me.

RIP. My wife worked with him a few years ago and was very fond of him.

RIP Eddie Mekka - aka Carmine Regusa

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7TWnkjGRZ4/UJUfdvRL4qI/AAAAAAAAG5I/zs-lN6qvepY/s1600/EddieMekka4.jpg

Notorious Led Zeppelin road manager Richard "Ricardo" Cole

https://ledzepnews.com/2021/12/02/former-led-zeppelin-road-manager-richard-cole-has-died/

not the Big Ragu!

He’s gone from dust to ashes.

Antony Sher, 72 - which for some reason is not an age I expect people to die

Bob Dole, 98. Lived long enough to see his party assume its final form and star in a TV commercial with Britney Spears.

...and outlived one of his SNL impersonators

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzMahrucH04

after he "left politics" he became a lobbyist for whatever country would pay him the most

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/us/politics/bob-dole-taiwan-lobby-trump.html

Also an early (perhaps the first?) celeb Viagra spokesman.

Forgot about these ads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjhc0-6eSiw

Country Singer Stonewall Jackson

https://tasteofcountry.com/stonewall-jackson-dead-dies/

RIP. Feel like the last time I saw mention of him round these parts was here: What kind of a piece of shit is ILM if after 6 years it doesn't have a thread solely devoted to Tammy Wynette?

WaPo editorial page editor and Iraq War cheerleader Fred Hiatt (only 66):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2021/12/06/fred-hiatt-dies/

John Miles, who put out a number of well regarded Northern Soul-style singles in the early 1970s ("Why Don't You Love Me", "Jose", "Yesterday (Was Just The Beginning)" and especially "One Minute Every Hour") before having his biggest hit with "Music".

Greg Tate

Absolutely gutted to learn (from a trusted source) that Greg Tate has left this dimension. What a hero he’s been — a fiercely original critical voice, a deep musician, an encouraging big brother to so many of us. Total shock. pic.twitter.com/JMzCnj3Asb

— Nate Chinen (@natechinen) December 7, 2021

Oh no. Was reading Tate on social media just 5 days ago. His writing for the Village Voice, his books, his Black Rock Coalition work, Burnt Sugar… a Dayton Ohio and DC raised guy who spoke up for the funk from both of those locales

dang

Oh no, awful news

fuck! Loved his writing

he seemed so extra alive it's hard to grasp he's gone

rest in power, Greg Tate

Melvin Parker, drummer with James Brown on (among many, many others) “Out Of Sight,” “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag.”

Had no idea Melvin Parker was Maceo Parker's brother.

aw man RiP

Barry Harris, 91.

https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/12/08/barry-harris-beloved-jazz-pianist-devoted-bebop-dies-at-91

Robbie Shakespeare of Sly & Robbie

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20211208/robbie-shakespeare-sly-and-robbie-fame-has-died

Aw no :(

Shit.

RIP, prolific genius.

Oh no!

Oh what!

Masayuki Uemura, lead designer on the NES and SNES consoles
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-09-masayuki-uemura-the-engineer-behind-the-nes-and-snes-has-passed-away