Rolling Obituary Thread: 2020

My mistake, it was 'Good Times Bad Times' I read during uni, not 'My Paper Chase'. I'm not that young. The latter v much recommended though.

photorealist painter Robert Bechtle, 88yo

one of Cobb's colleagues posted this overview/taste of his freewheeling thang, started w example of cool cover art for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction:
http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2020/09/22/ron-cobb-1937-2020/

also some here, among a nova express of heads:
http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2018/04/27/the-artists-of-future-life/

Also this guy, who was amazing, for many many years, so glad he came back to the community, still contributing, though just being there, as a living reminder of past achievement and survival, would have been enough:
Robert Graetz, white minister who supported Montgomery bus boycott and became KKK target, dies at 92
https://www.al.com/news/montgomery/2020/09/robert-graetz-white-minister-who-supported-montgomery-bus-boycott-and-became-kkk-target-dies-at-92.html See also NYTimes etc. coverage

original Small Faces keyboardist Jimmy Winston

Mark Stone, Van Halen's original bass player
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mark-stone-van-halen-dies/

No-one mentioned Lee Kerslake, Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne drummer, 73.

...and one of the guys whose work was stripped from the 2001 Rhoads-era Ozzy remasters. (since restored on later versions)

Philadephia DJ/musician/overall scene guy Sean O’Neal — far too young, and a personal favorite of mine thanks to his work in the wonderful Flowchart.

https://newsflash.bigshotmag.com/news/63621/

Damn. He was a good guy!

Yeah I've heard nothing but love for him. What a damn shame.

He recommended me the excellent Gez Varley 2xLP "Bayou Paradis" right toward the end of 611's time as a record shop. Really fantastic record.

Helen Reddy

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/trailblazing-australian-singer-helen-reddy-dead-at-78-20200930-p560i0.html

ohhhh helen ;_;

She was before my time, and "I Am Woman!" was basically a sitcom punchline by the time I heard of it, but I was amused to learn, very recently, that she sang backup vocals on Gene Simmons' s/t solo album (from that time all four KISS members released solo records on the same day).

RIP.

She used to host The Midnight Special (sometimes alongside Wolfman Jack!).

her voice is my entire childhood

Helen Reddy and Mac Davis dying the same day. If the used record stacks at Goodwill are the barometer, protect Judy Collins.

Big ole Ruby Red Dress

The AM Gold flag is at half-mast.

KEEP ON SINGIN'
DON'T STOP SINGIN'
YOU'RE GONNA BE A STAR SOMEDAY

^^ perennial earworm

rip Helen and Mac

Back when the only pop stars I knew were the ones who had their own TV shows Mac Davis was up there in the pantheon with Bobby Vinton, Sonny & Cher, and the Hudson Brothers

Yeah, and we had TV shows for Marc Bolan, and The Arrows.

(I discovered recently that The Arrows have all passed, but seeing as there isn't a 'people you hadn't realised were not still living' thread...)

Songwriter Mac Davis

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/30/mac-davis-songwriter-of-elvis-hits-in-the-ghetto-and-a-little-less-conversation-dies-aged-78

Tower of Power's founding bassist, Francis Rocco Prestia

RIP

Quino, Argentine cartoonist, creator of Mafalda, 88. RIP.

CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst, son of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, dies aged 19 https://t.co/Es6wrUG2tJ

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 1, 2020

Was just coming to see if Quino had been mentioned. Both my partner (who is Cuban Spanish) and my Spanish teacher are pretty sad about him dying - Mafalda was a big deal for them growing up as I understand it. I've tried to read it, but still struggle to really get the nuances.

Frank Windsor, 92, staple of British police dramas.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/02/frank-windsor-z-cars-softly-softly-dies

bit late to this but Quino and Mafalda were well loved in my household. We have a big doorstop book - Todo Mafalda - which has every strip. Definitely the only comic strip I've read in its entirety. definitely the pre-eminent and undisputed greatest Latin American comic strip and he stopped making it in 74 or something like that. RIP.

Mafalda was also a big deal in France (and Quebec, to some extent). Quino doesn't appear to have made much of a dent in English-speaking countries – a shame.

big in Italy also I seem to remember

Makes sense.

legendary Dubstep artist Cookie Monsta

RIP

Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson

dag

Tony Baylis of The Wurzels

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/tributes-paid-chart-topping-member-4571333.amp

Rip big man, was listening to some wurzels just this past week ('drink up thy zider' got played on nts, adge and the lads are hipster music now)

My wife loves Mafalda; might need to look for that book. Thanks for the tip!

Claude Vigée, French poet, 99. RIP.

We have a pdf of (I think) Toda Mafalda, but the picture quality is pretty terrible and lots of the strips are cut off, so I'm on the lookout for the actual book for my partner too.

Baseball player Charlie Haeger Found Dead After Being Wanted On Suspicion Of Murder Charge In Ex-Girlfriend’s Death

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/10/03/charlie-haeger-dead-report/

playwright and screenwriter Murray Schisgal (Luv, Tootsie

https://forward.com/culture/455757/remembering-murray-schisgal-the-consummate-jewish-playwright-with-the-eyes/

Thomas Jefferson Byrd

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/spike-lee-pays-tribute-to-clockers-star-thomas-jefferson-byrd-says-actor-was-murdered

His line about keeping his teeth white in Bamboozled is SO fucking funny

nah that was Paul Mooney

peregrine worsthorne

Thought he'd died in about 1971

you would sting me with a wasp?