Friday, May 16, 2014

Marty Thau

Doug Hale

Actor -- via Variety.

Ralph Peduto

Actor -- via the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

John Hartley Williams

Poet -- via the Guardian.

Jean Marshall

Soprano and singing teacher -- via the Telegraph.


Larry Ray Lubenow

Journalist who asked one question that changed history -- via WDAZ. Larry Ray Lubenow was a 21-year-old reporter at the Grand Forks, ND, Herald when Louis Armstrong came to town for a show on Sept. 17, 1957. His editor ordered him not to ask him about politics (this was two weeks after the Little Rock Nine, young black students, were barred from entering Little Rock Central High School). Lubenow ignored his editor's orders and asked Armstrong about the situation. Pops responded with a profanity-laced tirade against the United States government for not standing up to segregationist acts. The story blew up and circled the world. The racist outcry against Armstrong was massive; the wave of support was even stronger. Seven days later, 1,200 U.S. troops escorted the students into the school, breaking the back of segregation. It is held that Armstrong's widely read comments forced President Eisenhower's hand in the matter.

Here's the complete story, from the New York Times. If Lubenow hadn't asked his forbidden question, none of this might have happened. P.S. He got fired.

Louis Armstrong - Little Rock Nine from Andrew Cannizzaro on Vimeo.

Edward Blake

Narrator -- via alt.obituaries.

William Coughlin

Charles F. Farthing

Doctor who specialized in fighting HIV/AIDS -- via the Washington Post.

David Prentice

Artist -- via the Ledbury Reporter.


Sarat Pujari

Actor -- via the Times of India.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Selim Sesler

Clarinetist -- via Hurriyet Daily News. A remarkable player who fused Romani (gypsy) and Turkish sound.










Marlow Tackett

Country singer -- via WSAZ-TV.

Jadiel el Tsunami aka Ramon Gonzalez

Reggaeton singer -- via WHAM-TV.

Amedus "Meddy" Gallant

Fiddler -- via inmemoriam.ca.

Dmitri Volkov

Cellist -- via the Baltimore Sun.

READER: This week's stories on death, dying, and end-of-life issues

Here's another installment of my periodical accumulation of interesting Obit Patrol-oriented stories:

From Emma Courtland at the L.A. Weekly, a portrait of Caitlin Doughty, who hopes to become "the Millenial's Mortician"

From Matt Sedensky at AP, a feature story on a hospice nurse who faced the death of a loved one

From "The Wanderer in Zambia," a story of mourning and different cultures

From Sian Cain in the Guardian, young-adult fiction and death

From Tracy Rose in Liberty Voice: Constant arguing can kill you

From Andrea Oschetti for CNN, mourning for the fallen Sherpas of Nepal

From Before It's News, "Mortician Occupation Becoming Popular in China"

From Steve Fouch of the Christian Medical Fellowship: The need to talk openly about the end of life

From Messy Nessy Chic: The Paris Morgue -- from 1864 to 1907, it was "the first free theater for the people"






Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Stephen Sutton

Fundraiser -- via CNN. A 19-year-old kid, dying of cancer, who raised 5.4 million bucks for a teenage cancer charity. Amazing.

Andres Carrasco

Molecular biologist who fought Monsanto over glyphosate, a harmful element of the one of the most widely-used weed killers in the world -- via the Times of India. Another great portrait and summary here from Dario Aranda.

Carmen Alardin

Poet -- via Fox News Latino.

Yuji Kodama

Leprosy activist -- via the Japan Times.

Nash the Slash aka Jeff Plewman

Visionary musician -- via o.canada.com.



Gordon Wiles

TV director -- via the L.A. Times.

Ed Gagliardi

Judi Meredith Nelson aka Judith Claire Boutin

Actress -- via the Oregonian.

Jacinto Convit

Rob Rose

Singer and guitarist -- via The Guardian.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Camille Lepage

Photojournalist -- via the Guardian.

Malik Bendjelloul

Dick Orleans

Musician -- via the Trail-Gazette. Great guitarist, nice guy!





Rafael Garcia

Humanitarian -- via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Willie Lara

Master of parang music -- via newsday.co.tt.

Raghuveer

Actor -- via The Times of India.

Robert Symms

Photographer -- via the Augusta Chronicle.

Tommie Wright

Pianist and composer -- via the Tallahassee Democrat.

HR (Hans Rudolf "Ruedi") Giger

Artist and Oscar-winning designer -- via the Guardian. He created the famous look of the "Alien" films, and created much album art, including the controversial "Landscape XX" insert in the Dead Kennedys' "Frankenchrist" LP. A painter of nightmares, a creator of disturbing visions.












Monday, May 12, 2014

Billy Lenhart

Child actor; best known as half of the once-popular team of Butch & Buddy -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. He died on Feb. 19, 2013, but his death was not announced until recently.



Leo J. Marentette, Jr.

Former MLB player -- via The Cleveland Blade.

Charles Nabess

Musician -- via the CBC.




Mary Ellen Tanner

Singer -- via The River City News.

Bohdan Skaradziński

Writer and social activist -- via podkowaleska.pl.

Leslie Carlson

Actor -- via Entertainment Weekly.

Randal Kinkead

Actor -- via the Guardian.

Naura Hayden aka Nora Hayden aka Helene Hayden

Actress and writer -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. Her death on August 10, 2013, was only recently reported.

Ben Hoberman

Nancy Malone

Actress, director, and producer -- via The Hollywood Reporter.

William Olvis

Composer -- via Billboard.