Obituary News

Stephanie Jordan on the Passing of Lena Horne

Source: Sylvain Music Notes
May 10, 2010

Lena Horne, the enchanting jazz singer and actress known for her signature song “Stormy Weather" and for her triumph over the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, has died. She was 92 according to AP writer Verena Dobnik. Horne died Sunday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Gloria Chin. Chin would not release any other details. Horne, whose striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal often overshadowed her talent and artistry, was ...

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Lena Horne, Singer and Actress, Dies at 92

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Lena Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She was 92 and lived in Manhattan. Her death was announced by her son-in-law, Kevin Buckley. Ms. Horne might have become a major movie star, but she was born 50 years too early, and languished at ...

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Legendary Singer Lena Horne Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Lena Horne, the enchanting jazz singer and actress who reviled the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, slowing her rise to Broadway superstardom, died Sunday. She was 92. Horne died at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Gloria Chin. Chin would not release any other details. Horne, whose striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal often overshadowed her sultry voice, was remarkably candid about the underlying reason for her success. “I was unique in ...

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Francisco Aguabella Afro-Cuban Percussionist Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Aguabella, a sacred drummer of the Santeria religion, left Cuba in the 1950s. He performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Palmieri, Carlos Santana and the Doors.

Francisco Aguabella plays the conga drums in Hollywood. He was the master of masters," says Danilo Lozano, an ethnomusicology professor and former bandmate.

Francisco Aguabella, an Afro-Cuban percussionist considered a master sacred drummer who also had a wide-ranging career in jazz and salsa, has died. He was 84.

Aguabella ...

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Flora Thornton, L.A. Philanthropist and Arts Patron, Dies at 96

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

The USC School of Music bears her name. Among her many activities, she was a member of the LA Opera board and helped establish its young artist program.

Flora Thornton donated to many Los Angeles institutions but was best known for her contributions to the citys musical culture. (Los Angeles Times / February 19, 1997) Flora Laney Thornton, a longtime Los Angeles philanthropist and patron of the arts who was the namesake of USC's School of Music, has died. She ...

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Walter Sear, an Audio Engineer with a Passion for Analog, Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
May 7, 2010

Walter Sear, an audio engineer whose steadfast devotion to pre-digital recording technology led him to maintain a studio with vintage, analog equipment, a risk that paid off in recent years as musicians like Norah Jones, Wilco and Wynton Marsalis flocked there for its rich natural sound.

Sear died on April 29 in Manhattan. He was 80 and lived on the Upper West Side. The cause was complications of a subdural hematoma, or bleeding from the brain, after he injured himself ...

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Max Palevsky: Computer Magnate and Philanthropist Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
May 6, 2010

A founder of Intel, the billionaire donated lavishly to political causes and the arts. He was a key backer of L.A.'s first black mayor, Tom Bradley.

Billionaire Max Palevsky donated lavishly to politics and the arts as well as to other eclectic pursuits. In certain well-connected circles, Max Palevsky was known as the billionaire patron of Los Angeles' first black mayor, Tom Bradley. But his portfolio resembled a conglomerate's. A baron of the early computer industry, he helped found the ...

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In Memoriam William Lubtchansky: French Cinematographer

Source: All About Jazz
May 6, 2010

It is with a sense of personal loss that I convey word, published in Libration, of the death, at the age of seventy-two, of William Lubtchansky, the French cinematographer who was a crucial participant in many of the greatest French films--indeed, many of the greatest films in the world--in the last forty years.

I met him only once, in 2001, when he granted me an interview that turned into a long and amicable talk at his home in Paris (concluding ...

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