Obituary News

Obituary

Actor Robert Culp Dies After Falling at His Hollywood Home

Source: Michael Ricci
March 24, 2010

Actor Robert Culp, best known for his role as an international tennis star and globe-trotting secret agent in the hit 1960s television series “I Spy," died Wednesday morning after a fall at his Hollywood home.

The 79-year-old actor was rushed to Queen of Angels hospital shortly after 11 a.m. after hitting his head while taking a walk outside his home in the 1800 block of El Cerrito Place, said LAPD Lt. Bob Binder. He was found by a jogger who ...

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Obituary

Which Photo Do You Prefer in Obituary

Source: Michael Ricci
March 24, 2010

Faithful readers of the obituary page often comment on the photos that run with the stories.

Sometimes the image is one from the deceased's prime, perhaps taken in the person's20s or 30s or when heor shehad a hit TV series or was in the news. Other times the photo that accompanies the news obituary is one taken closer to the end of the person's life.

Many times the photo that runs with the story is the only one available. Ideally, ...

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Obituary

Gospel, Blues Artist Marva Wright Dies

Source: All About Jazz
March 23, 2010

New Orleans blues and gospel singer Marva Wright died Tuesday at age 62, her former manager said. Adam Shipley confirmed that Wright died of complications from a stroke she suffered last year. She sang traditional jazz and gospel standards but was better known for sultry, sometimes bawdy blues songs. Among her best known songs were Heartbreakin' Woman and Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean. She released a series of albums on local and international record labels, and frequently performed in ...

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Obituary

Rick Abramson Industry's Legendary Music Promoter Dies

Source: All About Jazz
March 23, 2010

Rick Abramson, one of the record industry's legendary promotion men, died Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 65. The cause of death was lung cancer.

Born in Queens, N.Y., Abramson was a regular at such places as Dan Tana's (where a memorial service was held Sunday), Mirabelle and the Palm; and such a fixture in West Hollywood that the doorman at the Viper Room really did refer to him as “the mayor of the Sunset Strip." Abramson's career began in ...

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Obituary

Cherie Decastro of Singing Trio the Decastro Sisters

Source: Michael Ricci
March 23, 2010

Cherie DeCastro, the last surviving member of the DeCastro Sisters, the Latin singing trio that was a part of television history in Los Angeles, has died. She was 87. DeCastro died March 14 of pneumonia at Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, said Alan Eichler, who was the DeCastro's manager. The sisters -- Peggy, Babette and Cherie -- rose from a flamboyant nightclub act in Cuba to find success in Las Vegas. They had a hit recording in 1954 ...

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Obituary

Correspondence: Jamil Nasser's Memorial

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
March 23, 2010

There was a memorial service Sunday night in New York for the bassist Jamil Nasser, who died last month. Among those in attendance was pianist, composer and writer Jill McManus, who sent Rifftides a report.

There was a sizable crowd at Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan on the evening of March 21st to honor and remember bassist Jamil Nasser, who died on February 13th. His strong, resounding bass playing was held in high regard. Nasser cut a wide swath through ...

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Obituary

Wolfgang Wagner, Who Led Bayreuth Festival, Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
March 22, 2010

Wolfgang Wagner, the grandson of composer Richard Wagner and the leader of the Bayreuth opera festival for more than half a century, died Sunday. He was 90.

Wolfgang Wagner dedicated his whole life to the legacy of his grandfather, the festival said, adding that his long service as the events leader means that he goes into history as the longest-serving director in the world. Mr. Wagner stepped down after the 2008 festival following a long power struggle in which he ...

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Obituary

Jerry Adler, Harmonica Virtuoso, Dies at 91

Source: Michael Ricci
March 22, 2010

Jerry Adler, a harmonica virtuoso whose pure, open sound can be heard on the soundtracks to Shane, High Noon, Mary Poppins and other films, but who labored in the shadow of his more famous harmonica-playing older brother, Larry, died on March 13 in Ellenton, Fla. He was 91 and lived in Sarasota.

Mr. Adler got off to a flying start in the music business after winning a talent contest at a local theater at 13. It was the same contest, ...

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