Obituary News

Earl Palmer Legendary Rock 'N' Roll Drummer Dies at 83

Source: Michael Ricci
September 21, 2008

Earl Palmer, a New Orleans drummer who provided the distinctive backbeat for seminal rock 'n' roll songs by Fats Domino and Little Richard, then traveled west to become one of Hollywood's busiest session musicians, has died. He was 83.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, Palmer died Friday at his home in Banning after a long illness, his family announced. Often called the most recorded drummer in music history, Palmer played in thousands of rock ...

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Dick Sudhalter, 1938-2008

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
September 20, 2008

Richard M. Sudhalter gave elegance and exactness to speech, writing and music-making. Dick's perfection of expression came in natural flows, whether he was writing, playing the cornet or chatting over dinner. Gene Lees observed that Dick was the only person he knew who always spoke in perfect sentences and paragraphs. Sudhalter's mastery of language is everywhere in his biographies of Bix Beiderbecke and Hoagy Carmichael and his monumental study Lost Chords. Currents of coherence, logic, passion and humor are equally evident ...

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Henry Z. Steinway Piano Maker Passes

Source: Michael Ricci
September 19, 2008

Henry Z. Steinway, the last Steinway to run the piano-making company his family started in 1853, died Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 93.

Mr. Steinway once said that he had taken countless piano lessons but never knew which is Beethovens this or Beethovens that. He remained proficient on a typewriters keys, however; long after the world had adopted personal computers, he was still pounding away on his Smith-Corona manual.

Henry Ziegler Steinway named for an uncle, and ...

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Warren Brown Renown Trombonist Passes

Source: Michael Ricci
September 19, 2008

Less More Renown Brown's Trombonist Warren Brown passed away September 15, 2008 after a lengthy illness in Carlsbad, CA.he was 92.

Warrens life was filled with music, being taught at an early age by his father, then attending New York Military Academy majoring in music. He was a trombonist with his brothers band, Les Brown and the Band of Renown until he went into the Navy in World War II where he served for 3 years. Upon discharge, ...

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Mauricio Kagel Argentine-Born Music Composer Passes

Source: Michael Ricci
September 19, 2008

Mauricio Kagel, 76, an Argentine-born composer whose experimental body of work also ranged into theater, has died in Cologne, Germany, following a long illness, the C.F. Peters musical publishing house said Thursday.

Kagel was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 24, 1931, into a Jewish family of German-Russian origin.

A self-taught composer who learned to play instruments including the piano, organ and cello, he studied literature and philosophy at the University of Buenos Aires and at age 18 became an ...

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Richard Sudhalter, R.I.P.

Source: All About Jazz
September 19, 2008

It is with profound sadness that I must notify all that Richard Sudhalter died last night. Richard had pneumonia for several weeks. Last Sunday, when he had serious difficulties breathing, he was admitted to the hospital for the second time during this period.

No funeral arrangements, as per Richard's wishes, have been made. There will be, in the near future, a celebration of Richard's life.

Earlier this year, I wrote a biographical sketch.

I join Richard's family, friends, and admirers ...

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Ruth Grace Moulon New Orleans' Famous 'Duck Girl' Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
September 17, 2008

RUTHIE the DUCK GIRL, a holdover from a time when colorful characters were as much a part of everyday life in New Orleans' French Quarter as beignets and cafe au lait, has died. She was 74.

Ruthie, whose real name was Ruth Grace Moulon, was an eccentric who zoomed from bar to bar on roller skates, often wearing a ratty fur coat or wedding gown and trailed by a string of her beloved ducks. Moulon died of cancer Sept. 6 ...

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Vernon Handley British Conductor Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
September 17, 2008

Vernon Handley, a conductor who championed British composers and made many premiere recordings of neglected music, died at his home in Monmouthshire, Wales. He was 77. Vernon Handley, the specialist in British music, in about 2000. Mr. Handleys death was confirmed by his son Patrick, who said his fathers health had been declining in recent years. Mr. Handley is best known to American audiences through his catalog of more than 150 discs, which include premiere recordings of more than 80 ...

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