Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Johnny Rotella
Multi-instrumentalist, studio musician, and songwriter -- via the Los Angeles Daily News. His big hit, recorded by Sinatra: "Nothing But the Best."
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Jackie Cain
Half of the jazz/pop duet of Jackie & Roy -- via the Washington Post. I kid Jackie & Roy; they represent the suburban bossa nova style that rock 'n' roll saved us from in the 1960s. And Roy couldn't hit the low notes on "Samba Triste," their biggest hit. They worked for a half-century, however; they were pros.
Bill Smithies
Journalist -- and obituarist! -- via the Guardian. "His
most enjoyable assignment was the five years he spent running the obituaries
department – and his most memorable moment when he was asked to organise a
Christmas lunch for the comment section's staff and contributors at the Kolossi Grill, a
local haunt. Asked whether they would like a belly-dancer, Bill took advice and
accepted. During the inevitable consternation that greeted her appearance, Bill
recalled, a leading feminist contributor was asked for her response: 'She
is a working woman – we should all support her!'" My kinda guy.
Teddy Riedel
Pianist and songwriter -- via Family Funeral Service. His big hit, "Judy," was released by Elvis in 1961.
Davie Lee White
Voiceover artist, drummer, radio host; best know for pronouncing the tagline, "This Bud's for you" -- via St. Louis Public Radio. At 18, at KDNT Radio, he spun records; Willie Nelson sold ads, and Bill Moyers did the news!
Lonnie Lynn
Poet and performer -- via the New York Daily News. AKA Pops His spoken-word work can be heard on the albums of his son, the rapper Common. And hey, he played for the old ABA Denver Rockets!
Tom Skeeter
Music studio owner -- via Ultimate Classic Rock. He ran Sound City Studios, which recorded Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Metallica, and Nirvana.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Weekly Reader: Stories on death, dying, mourning, and more
A day late this week, due to an over-filled schedule, as well as a plethora of stories.
TOP STORIES
In
NYC, many ways to mourn 9/11 develop as the years pass – written by Denis
Hamill in the New York Daily News
An
interview with Caitlin Doughty about her new book “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and
other Lessons from the Crematory” via Laura Secorun Palet on Oxy
Funeral
home offers drive-through viewings – via Bob Johnson of the Saginaw News
DEATH
The
nightmare world of Iraq’s morgue workers – from Abigail Hauslohner at the
Washington Post
In the Guardian, David Crystal writes about euphemisms
and “a thousand words for death”
Ashya King case in Britain prompts: ‘We
must stop being cowardly about death,’ by Archie King in the Independent
‘Verbal
autopsies’ in India, a leader in underreported deaths, help determine mortality
causes, bolster public health – from Linda Geddes in New Scientist and
Slate
Don’t
die a celebrity – in Epoch Times, Zachary Stieber discusses the
re-evaluated 2009 death of actress Brittany Murphy, the bad TV movies that
result, and various forms of post-mortem litigious carnage
In
Japan, Shukatsu Festival allows aging consumers to shop for funeral fare –
by Richard Cazeau of Yahoo News
Red
Cross medical teams extract bodies, try to save lives amid Ebola havoc –
via AFP and the Times of India
Buddhist
monk promises to “meditate to death,” followed by coffin bursting into flame –
detractors say he’s a show-off – by Ted Thornhill for the Daily Mail
Digital Passing talks about how
to make plans for your digital records on your death
MOURNING
Via Quartz and the Atlantic, Gabrielle
Birkner of Modern Loss writes about differences in mourning, on 9/11 and now. And she quotes . . . me? Yes. Hope this doesn't reduce
the credibility of the story for you.
Can
you mourn without a body? asks David Andreatta of the Rochester, NY
Democrat & Chronicle
Mourning,
private and public – from Allison Hrabar in the Swarthmore Daily Gazette
CONFESSIONS OF A FUNERAL DIRECTOR
Caleb Wilde’s blog is turning out a great deal of important
and interesting writing on the topic at hand – here are some highlights from
this week alone:
Confessions of a Funeral Director presents: 10
Way to Save Money When You Die! That is, if you care.
Caleb Wilde of Confessions of Funeral Director tells a much
more affecting story about empathy,
sympathy, and becoming part of the narrative
FUNERALS
Inside
NYC’s “funeral home for the stars” – via Jerry Oppenheimer for the New York
Post
Van
crashes into funeral home, during funeral. Hijinks ensue – from WLWT-TV
Funeral
home ought not to have cremated Buddhist deceased – from Oren Yaniv at the
New York Daily News
Funeral
etiquette: what to wear? by Julie Kendrick at Kendrick Works
OBITS/TRIBUTES
Stephen Miller
of Bloomberg News has found a calling in writing about those who have died.
Here's his story! (Please note, he is a long-standing electronic friend of
mine; however, I think his skills are extraordinary.) TOP STORIES
Monday, September 15, 2014
Angus Lennie
Actor -- via The Mirror. Best remembered as Flight Officer Archibald Ives in "The Great Escape," he also played a long-running role in the British sitcom "Crossroads," and many others.
Ives Crosses the Wire
Ives Crosses the Wire
The Great Escape
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Vivienne Chandler
Actress and photographer -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. AKA Holly Bush AKA Holly Bund AKA Vivienne Maya
Sunday, September 14, 2014
John Gustafson
Bass player and singer -- via Ultimate Classic Rock. AKA Johhny Gus! He started off with the Merseybeats (their biggest his during his time with them, the original "Wishin' and Hopin'"); he was on the original recording of "Jesus Christ Superstar," as Simon Zealotes; and he played on the first four Roxy Music albums.
Shirley Yamaguchi
Actress and singer -- via The international News. AKA Yoshiko Otaka, Li Xianglan, Ri Koran. Born in Manchuria to Japanese parents, she began her career performing in Japanese propaganda films during World War II, posing as a native Chinese. Eventually, she entered the pantheon as one of the "seven great singing stars" of China in the 1940s. For her propaganda work, she was arrested and tried after the war as a collaborator, until she revealed her nationality. She escaped execution, but her work was subsequently banned in China. She went on to make films for such directors as Kurosawa ("Scandal," 1949 -- my analysis from Senses of Cinema here) and Fuller's "House of Bamboo" in 1955.
Theodore J. Flicker
Writer and director for TV and film -- via the Hollywood Reporter. He started off as an improv comedian, ran his own theater. His 1967 feature film, "The President's Analyst," was a great satire and one of my favorite comedies. Unfortunately, it was not one of J. Edgar Hover's, and Flicker was blacklisted for a time as a result. After the success of "Barney Miller," which he co-created with Danny Arnold, he move to Santa Fe, wrote novels, and became a sculptor.
Darrell Zwerling
Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. Best remembered as the ill-fated Hollis Mulwray in "Chinatown."
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