Obituary News

Patricia Ziegfeld Stephenson, Daughter of Legendary Broadway Impresario

Source: All About Jazz
April 26, 2008

Patricia Ziegfeld Stephenson, the daughter of legendary Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, died of congestive heart failure April 11 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 91. Stephenson was born Oct. 23, 1916, in New York City, where her father was famous for mounting the musical stage spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies. Her mother was actress Billie Burke, who would be most remembered for her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the 1939 movie classic ...

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William F. Ludwig II, Son of the Founder of Ludwig Drum CO.

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

William F. Ludwig II, 91; son of the founder of Ludwig Drum Co. built a set for Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr was so proud to play a Ludwig drum set during the Beatles' first televised appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964 that he asked William F. Ludwig II to build a special set for him with the company name printed in bold letters at the top of the bass drumhead. Naturally, Ludwig obliged. “I remember my dad watching ...

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Mahlon Clark, Respected Clarinetist's Passing Noted

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

Mahlon Clark, 84; clarinetist played with Welk, Sinatra and Madonna

Mahlon Clark, the clarinetist who performed on the soundtracks of numerous Hollywood movies and recorded with artists as varied as Lawrence Welk and Madonna, has died. He was 84. Clark, who also played a well-known clarinet solo in recordings of “Baby Elephant Walk," died Sept. 20 of natural causes at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, his family announced. At Capitol Records, Clark developed a friendship with Nelson Riddle, arranger, ...

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'I Go Crazy' Singer Paul Davis Dies

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

Paul Davis, a singer and songwriter whose soft rock hit “I Go Crazy" stayed on the charts for months after its release in 1977, died Tuesday. He was 60. Davis

Paul Davis' hits included “I Go Crazy," “ '65 Love Affair" and “Cool Night."

Davis died of a heart attack at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, the city where he grew up, cousin James Edwards said.

Davis' other popular hits included “65 Love Affair;" “You're Still New To Me," a ...

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Danny Federici, 58; Keyboardist Was an Original Member of E Street Band

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

Keyboardist Danny Federici, a low-profile but essential and original member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Thursday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after a three-year battle with melanoma, according to a statement released by Springsteen's publicist. He was 58.

“Danny and I worked together for 40 years," Springsteen said in the statement. “He was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure, natural musician. I loved him very much. We grew up together."

Federici ...

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Thomas Humphrey, Innovative Guitar Designer, Maker

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

Thomas Humphrey, 59, a guitar maker whose innovative techniques helped increase the volume and projection of the instrument, died of a heart attack April 16 at his home in Gardiner, N.Y., said his wife, Martha Costa Humphrey.

His best-known model, the Millennium, has a sloped face and raised fingerboard that makes it easier for musicians to reach the high notes. The body shape gives the guitar a large tone.

Humphrey had been making conventional guitars for about 15 years when ...

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Al Wilson Soul Singer Had Several '70s Hits

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

Al Wilson, 68, a soul singer and songwriter who had a number of 1970s hits, including “Show and Tell," died of kidney failure Monday April 21st at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana, said his son, Tony Wilson of Yucaipa.

Wilson was born June 19, 1939, in Meridian, Miss., where he sang in the church choir as a child. His family moved to San Bernardino in the 1950s, and he found work as a letter carrier, office clerk and janitor. ...

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Joe Feeney Tenor Starred on 'Lawrence Welk'

Source: All About Jazz
April 23, 2008

Joe Feeney, 76, an Irish American tenor who was one of the featured performers on Lawrence Welk's television programs, died April 16 at a Carlsbad hospice, said his son Chris, a member of the L.A. Opera company. Although he never smoked, the elder Feeney was diagnosed with emphysema about a year ago.

Joe FeeneyFeeney appeared on “The Lawrence Welk Show" from 1957 until production ended in 1982. His repertoire of popular numbers included traditional songs such as “Danny Boy" and ...

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