Sir Terry Pratchett, fun and pragmatic despite dying from Alzheimer’s Disease to the very end, finally met his end today. He was 66, far too young to leave this mortal coil.
Obituaries
Orrin Keepnews, Jazz Producer, Dead at 91
Pitchfork.com reports the passing of legendary jazz producer Orrin Keepnews. His credits include working with Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley and a host of others.
Rest in peace, Orrin.
Greek singer Demis Roussos dies aged 68
I hate it when my blog becomes a necropsy report. Unfortunately, the world lost former singer of Aphrodite’s Child, and an amazing singer in his own right, Demis Roussos.
The BBC provides an obituary here.
[Video] Tangerine Dream – Phaedra (Complete Album) / Edgar Froese R.I.P.
Post by Jerome Froese.
Jerome Froese, son of Edgar and a fine musician in his own right, bring terrible news that his father, the linchpin of Tangerine Dream, has passed away. We post my favorite album by the band, Phaedra, in his memory.
[Film] Famed actress Lauren Bacall dies at 89
Though the suicide of Robin Williams overwhelmed the news cycle this week, we also lost a legend in Lauren Bacall. May Mrs. Bogie also rest in peace.
[Film] Robin Williams, Oscar-Winning Comedian, Dies at 63 in Suspected Suicide
Recovery from alcohol-and-drug addiction, and the onset of Parkinson’s Disease, was too much for the beloved comic. The New York Times remembers Robin Williams in their Culture and ArtBeats section, as well as in the main section here.
Though he made plenty of jokes about religion, he was a practicing Episcopalian. May his family’s grief be ameliorated, and may Robin rest in peace.
RIP Paco De Lucía
Sad news to report. Perhaps the best known modern gypsy guitarist, Paco De Lucía, has passed away due to a heart attack. He was 66.
La Informacion reported the news today, as did ABC.es in Spain. English-language obituaries are sure to come in shortly.
[Film] Run Run Shaw, Chinese-Movie Giant of the Kung Fu Genre, Dies at 106
Run Run Shaw, king of Hong Kong film industry, and especially Kung Fu Theater, passed away at the age of 106. Jonathan Kandell of The New York Times eulogizes the legend here.
[Video] Amiri Baraka & Sun Ra – A Black Mass (1968)
The poet, playwright and political activist Amiri Baraka passed away from undisclosed causes on January 9, 2014.
Whether you saw him as the voice of the disenfranchized, a leading light among black artists and activists, or a worthless Marxist gadfly whose best days ended before the 1970s, this polarizing figure left a gigantic cultural mark in the arts. The video below shows Baraka at his peak collaborating with the legendary Sun Ra.
[Film] Peter O’Toole R.I.P.
The legendary actor with the face of an angel and the drinking habits of your average Irishman has left this mortal coil. Don’t let the bastards drag you down, Peter.
TIME Magazine eulogizes him in the article ‘Lawrence of Always‘.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 