Obituary News

Studs Terkel, Giant

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
November 2, 2008

There is little or no mention of it in his obituaries, but Studs Terkel's first book was about jazz. The oral historian, broadcaster and master interviewer died yesterday in Chicago at ninety-six. Terkel won the Pulitzer Prize for his best-selling 1985 book The Good War: An Oral History Of World War II. Many of his other oral history books were also best sellers, beginning in 1967 with Division Street: America. He followed with Hard Times, Working and seven other books. ...

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Estelle Reiner Singer-Actress Dies

Source: All About Jazz
October 29, 2008

Estelle Reiner, 94, a singer, artist and actress known for her cameo role in her son Rob Reiner's 1989 film When Harry Met Sally, died Saturday, her family announced.

A cause of death was not given for Reiner, who was married to comedian Carl Reiner for nearly 65 years. She also appeared in Fatso, directed by Anne Bancroft, and in Mel Brooks' To Be or Not to Be.

I don't do anything but act myself. I think that's why people ...

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E. Roger Muir Backed Howdy Doody dies

Source: Michael Ricci
October 28, 2008

E. Roger Muir, who helped create and was executive producer of The Howdy Doody Show, the puppet-and-people program that first hooked millions of kids on television in its early days.

Muir died Thursday near his home in Wolfeboro, N.H. Mr. Muir, who went on to produce other successful shows, including Concentration, was 89. The cause was a stroke, his son, Warren, said. At a time when big, bulky wood-encased television sets were first coming out of their crates in homes ...

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Porn's Pied Piper Deep Throat Director Dies

Source: All About Jazz
October 27, 2008

This is kinda strange country, isn't it? Judges can see Deep Throat but they can't listen to those [Nixon] tapes. Johnny Carson- at the time when the movie was challenging Watergate as the topic du jour.

I went to see Deep Throat cause I'm fond of animal pictures. I thought it was about giraffes. Bob Hope- When Hope makes a joke about your porno movie, you've arrived.

The movie had no-name stars in fact, fake-name stars: ...

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Star Keyboardist Merl Saunders Dies

Source: All About Jazz
October 25, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO -- Keyboardist Merl Saunders, the gentle lion of the San Francisco music scene best known as co-captain of guitarist Jerry Garcia's solo excursions outside the Grateful Dead, died Friday at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center after fighting infections. The 74-year-old musician suffered a debilitating stroke 6 1/2 years ago and, although he lost the ability to speak, he made numerous sentimental guest appearances at shows over those years playing with one hand. “I never met anybody so happy who ...

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Merl Saunders: 2/14/34-10/24/08

Source: JamBase
October 25, 2008

Merl Saunders Washington :: 02/14/34 - 10/24/08

Merl Saunders by Bob Minkin Merl Saunders was born Merl Saunders Washington (he dropped the “Washington" for show biz purposes) in San Mateo, California on February 14, 1934; he passed away early this morning (October 24, 2008) at Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco.

Saunders grew up in San Francisco and was a proficient piano player by age 10. He attended Polytechnic High School, Served in the Air Force and Attended University of Mainz ...

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Peter Levinson, 1934-2008

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
October 24, 2008

Peter Levinson, the publicist with a parallel career as a biographer of music and show business figures, died yesterday in a fall in his house in Malibu, California. He was seventy-four. Levinson had been suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, which robbed him of his voice but did not leave him incommunicado. Through the use of a computer capable of converting his typing to speech, he was able to keep working. He had finished a biography of Fred Astaire, which is ...

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Peter J. Levinson Publicist and Biographer of Big-Band Legends Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
October 22, 2008

Peter J. Levinson, a veteran music industry publicist who worked with some of the leading names of the big band era and later wrote biographies of three of them, has died. He was 74. Levinson died Tuesday at his Malibu home of injuries sustained in a fall, according to publicist Dale Olson. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) nearly two years ago and the progression of the ailment also known as Lou Gehrig's disease had left him unable ...

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