obituary

Stories 2161 - 2180 | << Prev   Next >>

Inventor of First TV Remote Dead
 Inventor of First 
 TV Remote Dead 
obituary
May 22, 2012 3:20 PM CDT

Inventor of First TV Remote Dead

Eugene Polley created the Flash-Matic for Zenith in the 1950s

(Newser) - Couch potatoes everywhere can pause and thank Eugene Polley for hours of feet-up channel surfing. His invention, the first wireless TV remote, began as a luxury, but with the introduction of hundreds of channels and viewing technologies it has become a necessity. Polley died of natural causes at a suburban...

World's 'Finest' Interpreter of Art Songs Dead at 86

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau excelled at Schubert lieder

(Newser) - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, perhaps the 20th century's greatest singer of art songs, died yesterday at home in Bavaria, the New York Times reports. He was 86. The German son of a classical scholar and a schoolteacher, Fischer-Dieskau (pronounced FEE-sher DEES-cow) studied voice in Berlin and had two years of unexpected...

'Godfather of Go-Go' Chuck Brown Dead at 75

DC's funk pioneer is gone

(Newser) - Chuck Brown, who created the "go-go" genre of funk in DC in the 1970s and remained a mainstay of black Washington's culture ever since, has died at age 75, reports the Washington Post . A snippet from the paper's obituary, by Chris Richards:
  • "Like a DJ blending
...

Mexican Novelist Carlos Fuentes Dead at 83

He was a giant among Latin American writers

(Newser) - Author Carlos Fuentes, who played a dominant role in Latin America's novel-writing boom by delving into the failed ideals of the Mexican revolution, died today in a Mexico City hospital at age 83. Mexico's National Council for Culture for the Arts confirmed the death of Mexico's most...

Booker T and MGs Bassist Dunn Dies
 Booker T and MGs 
 Bassist Dunn Dies 
OBITUARY
May 13, 2012 5:40 AM CDT

Booker T and MGs Bassist Dunn Dies

Donald 'Duck' Dunn was in Rock Hall of Fame

(Newser) - Bass player and songwriter Donald "Duck" Dunn, a member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, has died in Tokyo. He was 70. Dunn was in Tokyo for a series of shows. News of his death...

Stylist Vidal Sassoon Dead
 Stylist Vidal Sassoon Dead 
obituary
May 9, 2012 2:58 PM CDT

Stylist Vidal Sassoon Dead

He revolutionized women's cuts in the 1960s

(Newser) - Hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, who undid the beehive with his wash-and-wear cuts and went on to become an international name in hair care, died today of natural causes at his Los Angeles home at age 84, police said. When Sassoon picked up his shears in the 1950s, styled hair was typically...

Wild Things Author Maurice Sendak Dead at 83

Died from complications from a recent stroke

(Newser) - Maurice Sendak, author/illustrator of the beloved Where the Wild Things Are, has died at age 83, reports the New York Times . The cause was complications from a recent stroke, says his editor. The Times offers a glowing profile of Sendak and the many books he was known for penning and...

Poker Legend Amarillo Slim Dead at 83
 Poker Legend 
 Amarillo Slim 
 Dead at 83 
obituary
May 2, 2012 12:08 AM CDT

Poker Legend Amarillo Slim Dead at 83

Texan was game's first superstar

(Newser) - Amarillo Slim, a poker Hall of Famer who was instrumental in bringing the game into the national limelight, died Sunday at 83 of colon cancer, his son tells the Los Angeles Times . Slim, born Thomas Austin Preston, Jr., "brought poker out of the back alleys," says a historian...

'Hatchet Man' Chuck Colson Dead at 80

Nixon 'dirty tricks artist' converted to evangelical Christianity

(Newser) - Notorious political "hatchet man" and prison reform advocate Chuck Colson has died at age 80 outside of Washington, DC. Renowned as a "dirty tricks artist" for President Nixon, Colson underwent a religious conversion in 1973 when facing charges for his role in discrediting Pentagon whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. After...

Rock Legend Levon Helm of The Band Dead at 71

He sang and played drums for the group

(Newser) - With songs like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "The Weight" and "Up on Cripple Creek," The Band fused rock, blues, folk, and gospel to create a sound that seemed as authentically American as a Mathew Brady photograph or a Mark Twain short story....

CBS&#39; Mike Wallace Dead at 93
 CBS' Mike Wallace Dead at 93 
OBITUARY
Apr 8, 2012 9:43 AM CDT

CBS' Mike Wallace Dead at 93

'60 Minutes' veteran interviewed scads of luminaries over 65-year career

(Newser) - Veteran CBS news correspondent and 60 Minutes stalwart Mike Wallace died last night at the age of 93, reports CBS News . The self-described "nosy and insistent" reporter, who once asked Ayatollah Khamenei if he was crazy and called Martin Luther King Jr. his hero, had a broadcast career that...

'Painter of Light' Thomas Kinkade Dead at 54

His sentimental works are generally hated by critics, loved by the public

(Newser) - America's best-selling artist Thomas Kinkade died unexpectedly yesterday in his California home at age 54, reports the San Jose Mercury News . The family said the death appeared to be of natural causes, but authorities will not know officially for a few days. "Thom provided a wonderful life for...

Car Designer Ferdinand Porsche Dies
 Car Designer 
 Ferdinand 
 Porsche Dies 
Obituary
Apr 5, 2012 5:34 PM CDT

Car Designer Ferdinand Porsche Dies

Yes, that Porsche

(Newser) - The man who designed the first Porsche died today at age 76 in Salzburg, Austria. Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche was born into the auto business; his grandfather designed the original Volkswagen Beetle, according to the LA Times ' obituary. But it was Ferdinand Porsche who designed the 911 sports car,...

Former Mexico Prez Dead at 77
 Former Mexico Prez Dead at 77 
Apr 1, 2012 11:09 AM CDT

Former Mexico Prez Dead at 77

Miguel de la Madrid led country through economic crises, earthquake of '80s

(Newser) - President Felipe Calderon says on his Twitter account that former President Miguel de la Madrid has died at age 77. A spokeswoman for Calderon's office speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the press confirmed today that the message was posted by Calderon....

Earl Scruggs Dead at 88
 Earl Scruggs Dead at 88 
OBITUARY
Mar 29, 2012 5:00 AM CDT

Earl Scruggs Dead at 88

Master banjoist pioneered 3-finger picking

(Newser) - Earl Scruggs, the master banjoist whose three-finger power picking propelled the instrument from mere prop directly to center stage and the heart and sound of bluegrass, died yesterday of natural causes, reports the New York Times . He was 88. Scruggs came to prominence in the 1940s with guitarist and longtime...

Feminist Poet Adrienne Rich Dead at 82

Ground-breaking writer fought for women's rights with words

(Newser) - As a woman, a lesbian, and a Jew, Adrienne Rich felt triply excluded by society, and she used her long and influential career as a poet to fight for change. Rich, who has died from complications linked to rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 82, was one of America's...

Thai Billionaire Behind Red Bull Dead at 89

Chaleo Yoovidhya's parents sold ducks, fruit to survive

(Newser) - The Thai billionaire who sparked the worldwide "energy drink" craze and co-founded Red Bull has died of natural causes in Bangkok, the AP reports. Chaleo Yoovidhya was 89. Born to a Thai mother and Chinese father who sold ducks and fruit to survive, Chaelo died as Thailand's third-richest...

Doobie Brothers Drummer Dead at 65

Michael Hossack had cancer

(Newser) - Longtime Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack is dead of cancer at age 65, reports Wyoming's Lake County News . "Big Mike" played with the band from 1971-73, a stretch that included hits such as "Listen to the Music," "China Grove," and "Blackwater," notes...

'It's a Small World' Songwriter Dead at 86

Robert Sherman also co-wrote 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'

(Newser) - Songwriter Robert Sherman is dead at 86, and the AP notes that his life's work might be summed up in the word "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." He and brother Richard wrote that song along with the ubiquitous "It's a Small World (After All)" for Disney. They also wrote...

RIP Andrew Breitbart
 RIP Andrew Breitbart 
REACTIONS
Mar 1, 2012 12:49 PM CST

RIP Andrew Breitbart

Death sets off both tributes and good-riddance shots

(Newser) - Andrew Breitbart's death continues to set off a wide range of reactions. Some examples:
  • 'Liberals celebrate': The Washington Examiner rounds up tweets from the left under that headline, including one from Slate's Matt Yglesias, who says the "world outlook is slightly improved" now.
  • Tone it
...

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