Rolling Obituary Thread 2023

A lovely three hour tribute mix from today:

https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/morning-becomes-eclectic/morning-becomes-eclectic-playlist-february-8-2023

Prominent death in Canada: Mendelson Joe/Joe Mendelson.

He was in a band called Mainline, who were sort of a Canadian Canned Heat. Their one hit was the excellent "Get Down To" (1972):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWpC5sgkjkY

After that he became a prominent artist. If you lived in Toronto in the '80s and '90s, you might remember him most for his non-stop published letters in a local weekly (that I used to hate with a passion--the weekly, not his letters; feels like forever ago).

https://www.torontomike.com/2023/02/mendelson-joe-dead-at-78/

I think my dad, in his role as a principal, had some sort of contretemps with Joe in the 70s (about inappropriate subject matter for kids) when he was some kind of painter-in-residence at the school.

Very intrigued!

Joe was already doing his paintings of authority figures with asses for heads, and though my dad wasn't personally offended he had to tell him they weren't suitable for the primary school kids. I imagine the "controversy" would seem silly now in a public school.

Honestly, in some ways I think things have gotten worse. There's stuff I'd show classes 20 years ago I wouldn't risk showing today.

Burt Bacharach, master of pop songwriting, dies aged 94 https://t.co/taiNYbwGaD

— The Guardian (@guardian) February 9, 2023

Oh no! Just last night I watched the Warwick doc and he was sharp as ever.

:( What a man.

RIP :(

Ugh. Some of us did a deep dive into his catalog and read his memoir in recent years. One special thing about that book is that he gives his exes a voice, so there is a lot from Angie about their relationship and their daughter. RIP.

94 is a pretty good run! loved his cameos in the Austin Powers films, very unexpected

Hugh Hudson, 86

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/10/hugh-hudson-director-of-chariots-of-fire-dies-aged-86

Carlos Saura

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/10/spanish-filmmaker-carlos-saura-director-of-ay-carmela-has-died-aged-91

This year will not let up. :((

The Garden of Delights and Cria Cuervos are two of Saura's great films. I'd actually say he had a stronger run in the 70s than his countryman Buñuel.

I may go back and rewatch Chariots of Fire (never have). Curious how it would hold up. Definitely a key film in putting an end to the New Hollywood era.

I'm curious: was Chariots' BP win an upset? Like, looking at the nominations, I suspect that On Golden Pond seemed like the surest bet that year (or maybe Reds).

I had to enquire why they didn't have no chariots in the movie?!?

Mon Capitaine, it's only February!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Welland: "Welland won the award for Best Original Screenplay for Chariots of Fire (1981) at the 1982 Academy Awards, and his acceptance speech included the phrase: "The British are coming!"[11][12] (a quotation from Paul Revere).[10]"

I seem to recall "Reds" as being the '81 favourite for BP, and Fonda/Hepburn favoured for the lead acting roles

Yeah, I think it would have been Reds.

Ugh. RIPs. Yes to Cría Cuervos.

Praying this isn’t true but seeing people saying DLS’s Trugoy has passed

Oh no :(

Fuck, it's confirmed

https://thegrio.com/2023/02/12/breaking-trugoy-founding-member-of-de-la-soul-dead-at-54/

that site is down but yes -- https://allhiphop.com/exclusives/de-la-souls-trugoy-the-dove-has-died/

i hate this

Goddammit. And right before the big De La re-entry/rediscovery etc. Just terribly sad.

Well, that’s depressing as all hell. RIP.

RIP Trugoy

RIP
My autocorrect apparently doesn't know the names of any of the members of De La Soul.

Friedrich Cerha, Austrian composer, 96.

The DJ Nathan Coles, part of Tech House originators, Wiggle has died.

https://ra.co/news/78521

horribly sad end to a life, RIP

Good riddance etc

you probably remember this photograph. it's one of the more iconic of the awful images of the nazi torch march at UVA on august 11, 2017.
on august 12, the man in the center was elated to see himself on the cover of papers across the county.
today, i can tell you he is dead. pic.twitter.com/ti5c1c0LT0

— molly conger (@socialistdogmom) February 14, 2023

that he was arrested for smuggling fentanyl over the border is just too perfect a detail

Good extended excerpts of interviews on Fresh Air this week:

Bacharach, who died Feb. 8, wrote hits in the '60s and early '70s with longtime collaborator Hal David. We listen to a 2010 interview with them, and a '98 interview with Bacharach and Elvis Costello.

Also: bigass The Songs of Bacharach and Costello out Mar. 3:
https://www.elviscostello.com/the-songs-of-bacharach-costello/

Even better from where I sit:

https://realgonemusic.com/collections/upcoming/products/dionne-warwick-the-complete-scepter-singles-1962-1973-3cd-set

Huey 'Piano' Smith :(

Yeah, damn shame but what a life!

https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/new-orleans-rock-n-roll-pioneer-huey-piano-smith-dies/article_1a451915-0f9f-5e14-a98d-c1372185dc62.html

Rest in power to a legend there

I always thought he was, like, a 1940s swing/jump blues guy who lucked into a couple of hit records at the dawn of the rock 'n' roll era, so I assumed he'd died in the 80s or something.

Raquel Welch, 82.

https://www.tmz.com/2023/02/15/raquel-welch-actress-model-dead-dies-82/

RIP. Was just watching Bedazzled last night. Be careful of the prickles!

Watching The Last of Sheila the other month was a treat. (And learning she and Herbert Ross did not get along, well then.)

https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/medium/poster/5.5/8/break/images-medium-5/flareup-us-poster-raquel-welch-1969-everett.jpg