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Sonny Okosun Pioneer of Nigerian Pop Music Dies
Source:
All About Jazz
Sonny Okosun, key figure in Nigerian pop music who mixed traditional African forms with Western rock elements
Okosum died May 24 of colon cancer at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., according to news reports, he was 61. Born in Benin, Nigeria, in 1947 to musician parents, Okosun taught himself to play the guitar. He began his music career by covering British and American rock 'n' roll tunes. Singing and playing guitar, Okosun led a string of bands that showcased ...
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Bassist Dave Carpenter, Nov. 4, 1959 ~ June 24, 2008
Source:
Two for the Show Media
Dave Carpenter Respected Bassist Dies at 48
Bassist Dave Carpenter appeared on over two hundred recordings, and had dozens of television, film theme and soundtracks to his recording credit. He worked with major artists including Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Mike Stern, Allan Holdsworth, Sadao Watanabe, Alan Pasqua and Herbie Hancock. He appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras plus Tanglewood and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras. Carpenter was a founding member of ...
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FM Stereo Developer Carl G. Eilers Dies
Source:
Michael Ricci
Carl G. Eilers, 83; Zenith engineer led team that developed FM stereo broadcasting
Eilers, an electrical engineer who helped develop production of high-fidelity stereo sound over the airwaves, died Friday at his home in River Forest, Ill., apparently of a heart attack. He was 83.
A 50-year employee of Zenith Electronics, Eilers led the team that developed FM stereo broadcasting. Before 1961, only phonographs could produce the high-quality sound.
Four decades ago, high-fidelity stereo sound revolutionized the radio listening experience, ...
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Kermit Love Big Bird CO-Creator Dies
Source:
Michael Ricci
Kermit Love, 91; helped create memorable 'Sesame Street' characters The Jim Henson Company
Long before creating Big Bird for Sesame Street" and his involvement in children's television, Kermit Love had collaborated with some of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century: George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Robert Joffrey, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp. His design work on one of the most influential television shows in history made him a partner in the early education of generations of children.
After years ...
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Carlin a Fine Troublemaker
Source:
Michael Ricci
George Carlin Tested Limits of Speech and Society.
The comedian liked to cause a fuss with his observations -- and we liked him for it.
It was always comforting to know that George Carlin was out there making trouble. Like Richard Pryor, he straddled the great cultural divide that was the 1960s, coming in as a lamb and going out as a lion. I remember him first as another of that age's suit-and-tie comics, putting on funny characters: the Hippy-Dippy ...
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George Carlin Collision of Comedy and Politics Dies
Source:
Michael Ricci
George Carlin, 71; comedian tested limits of speech and society
He gained notoriety for his 'seven dirty words,' but his incisive commentaries were as clever as they were vulgar. By Rich Connell and Jason Song, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers June 23, 2008 George Carlin, the acerbic, Grammy-winning comedian whose career spanned more than 50 years, died of heart failure Sunday evening after being admitted to the hospital complaining of chest pains, his spokesman said. He was 71. Carlin, who ...
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Danny Davis Country Artist Dies
Source:
All About Jazz
Country music artist Danny Davis dies at 83 Grammy winner pioneered use of horns in genre Grammy award winner Danny Davis, who pioneered the use of horns in country music, has died aged 83, his publicist Betty Hofer said Friday. Davis died of a heart attack at Nashville's St. Thomas Hospital, she said. The Nashville Brass instrumental group Davis founded in 1968 produced a brassy version of Hank Williams' Kaw-liga" which won him a Grammy. His only Top ...
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