Thursday, January 6, 2011

Margot Stevenson

Actress of stage, screen, TV and radio -- via voy.com. Her 50-plus year career included roles in the original Broadway productions of "You Can't Take It with You" and "Stage Door"; she appeared in films such as "Invisible Stripes" and "Castle on the Hudson"; and she performed extensively on radio, most memorably as the 1938 summer replacement for Agnes Moorehead in the character of Margot Lane, the "friend and companion" of Lamont Cranston, "wealthy young man about town" who is, in reality, the mysterious crimefighter The Shadow.

Jean Benson Wilkinson

Teacher and activist -- via the Berkeley Daily Planet.

Raphael Hillyer aka Raphael Silverman

Violist and founding member of the Julliard String Quartet -- via the New York Times.

Brian Rust

Authoritative jazz discographer and writer -- via rustbooks.com. Here's a more comprehensive look at his career from the New York Times -- and another wonderful writeup from the Telegraph.

Keijiro Yamashita

Rockabilly singer -- via Tokyograph.

Helio Ary

Actor -- via g1.globo.com.

Jonas Falk

Actor -- via Svenska Dagbladet.

Patricia Smith Lasell

Actress -- via Legacy.com.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Karl Olson

MLB outfielder -- via Bill Schenley, alt.groups.google/obit and the Lake Tahoe Record-Courier.

Elizabeth "Dolly" Funk

Vaudeville and nightclub singer -- via philly.com.

Verne Langdon

Musician, composer, performer, mask-maker, makeup artist, promoter, publicist and writer -- via http://slam.canoe.ca.

Miriam Seegar Whelan

One of the last silent film performers -- via Alt Film Guide.

Gustavo Kupinski

Guitarist -- via Rolling Stone.

Malangatana Ngwenya

Painter and poet -- via Yahoo News.

Jimmy Gardner

Screenwriter -- via the Writers' Guild of Britain.

Julius Chingono

Poet, playwright and novelist -- via Book South Africa.

Dick King-Smith

Prolific children's author -- via the Guardian. His 1983 book "The Sheep-Pig" was adapted into the hit film "Babe."

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jill Haworth

Actress -- via groups.google.com/group/alt.obituaries. She originated the role of Sally Bowles in the first Broadway production of "Cabaret." Some more detail here from the New York Times.

Mick Karn aka Andonis Michaelides

 Multi-instrumentalist, best known as bassist for the art-rock group Japan -- via the L.A.Weekly.

Gerry Rafferty

Singer/songwriter -- via news.stv.tv. An essential part of '70s musical culture, he was behind three big hits -- "Stuck in the Middle with You," later made immortal (or ruined, per your taste) by its use in a violent scene from Tarentino's film "Reservoir Dogs"; "Baker Street," "Get It Right Next Time" and "Right Down the Line."



Paravoor Ramachandran

Actor - via deepwarriors.com.

Drew Hurley

Beloved v.p. of sales for family electrical supply company -- via Boston.com.

Julia "Judy" Bonds

Environmental activist -- via Lebanon Daily News.

Eva Strittmatter

Poet and writer -- via graceandreacchi.blogspot.com.

Albert Raisner

Musician and radio/TV host -- via premiere.fr.

Geraldo Flach

Musician and composer --via diversao.terra.com.br.

Fadil Hadzic

Screenwriter, director, playwright and journalist -- via seebiz.eu.

Suchitra Mitra

Singer, composer, educator and actor -- via The Daily Star. She specialized in Rabindra Sangeet, the musical genre launched by legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore. Her rendition of the Bangladesh national anthem, "Amar Sonar Bangla Ami Tomai Bhalobashi," is especially prized by many.

Stanley Tolliver

Criminal and civil rights lawyer, and Renaissance man -- via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A nice tribute here as well --

Hanna Kraan

Children's author -- via boeken.refdag.nl.

Yosef Shiloach

Actor -- via Shalom Life.

Tom Crowe

Radio host -- via the Telegraph.

Jean Middleton

Civil rights activist -- via the Guardian.

Gil Garfield

The Cheers -- left to right, Bert Convy, Sue Allen and Gil Garfield.
Singer and artist -- via the L.A. Times. As a member of The Cheers, he had a hit in 1955 with the Leiber/Stoller novelty song "Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots."