Obituaries
Sheila Jordan, a singular voice in jazz, has died
She recorded a magical debut album on Blue Note and was later named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment of the Arts.
Famed NASA astronaut and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell has died at age 97
Lovell commanded the mission that almost ended in disaster after an explosion that threatened the crew's oxygen and electrical supply. The inspiring story of their survival was made into a hit movie.
Eddie Palmieri, a trailblazer in Latin music, has died at age 88
The bandleader and pianist was one of the leading Latin musicians of his generation. He won multiple Grammys and was recognized as an NEA Jazz Master.
Accordion master Flaco Jimenez has died at 86
Over a career that spanned 70 years, Jimenez' playing came to define the Tex-Mex music and carried the tradition-drenched conjuto sound all over the world and across genres.
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has died after battling cancer
Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball's best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.
Tom Lehrer, influential musical satirist, dies at 97
The songwriter and math professor found a following with his satirical political songs.
Singer Cleo Laine, who boasted a four-octave range, has died at 97
London's Sunday Times once called Laine "quite simply the best singer in the world."
Chuck Mangione, whose jazz horn warmed up the pop charts, has died
With his beard, long hair and brown felt fedora, the jazz flugelhorn player and composer cut an unforgettable figure in American culture.
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71
According to the Clearwater Police and Fire departments, Terry Bollea died Thursday morning after a cardiac arrest.
‘Helping every dang soul’: Beloved camp director was among those lost in Texas flooding
Jane Ragsdale ran the Heart O' the Hills camp for girls in Kerr County. The camp was between sessions when the deluge hit. The only person killed there was Ragsdale.
David Gergen, adviser to 4 presidents, dies at 83
David Gergen worked in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as a speechwriter, communications director and counselor to the president, among other roles.
Actor Michael Madsen, known for ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ dead at 67
His representatives confirmed that his death followed a cardiac arrest this morning.
‘Mission: Impossible’ composer Lalo Schifrin dies at 93
Argentine pianist and composer Lalo Schifrin, best known for his scores for Mission: Impossible and more than 200 other films and TV shows, including Bullitt, Mannix and Cool Hand Luke, has died.
Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91
Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television's most honored journalists, has died at 91.
Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the ‘Worst Cooks in America,’ dies at 55
TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of "Worst Cooks in America," has died. Medical examiners are set to determine what caused her death.
Alfred Brendel, the cerebral pianist with a dry wit, dies at 94
Routinely called a "musician's musician," the pianist had an atypical career that even he called mysterious. He spent it returning to a handful of favorite composers, with acclaimed results.
Brian Wilson, the troubled genius behind The Beach Boys, has died at age 82
The Beach Boys' co-founder, songwriter and producer transformed pop music into high art, and became America's answer to The Beatles' Lennon and McCartney in the process.
‘Day of the Jackal’ author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
Born in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a journalist. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle, which inspired The Day of the Jackal.
Sly Stone, visionary funk frontman of the Family Stone, has died at age 82
The musical visionary led a multi-racial funk band that produced five Top 10 hits in the late 1960s and early '70s.
Edmund White, who broke ground in gay literature, has died at 85
Many of White's books chronicled his own experiences as a gay man, making an indelible impression on gay culture and how LGBTQ experiences were understood more broadly at the dawning of the AIDS health crisis.
Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69
Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan literary giant who fought colonialism, dies at 87
The Kenyan author championed local African languages and was imprisoned for his work. His name was often mentioned in discussions about the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Al Foster, drummer for Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, has died
The superbly alert and flexible drummer formed a swirling current in modern jazz for more than 60 years. He was 82.
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of the 10th U.S. president, dies at 96
Harrison Ruffin Tyler was just three generations from the White House, since his father and grandfather both fathered children in their 70s. The chemical engineer helped preserve his family's legacy.
Susan Brownmiller, whose landmark book changed attitudes on rape, dies at 90
In 1975, Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape explored pernicious cultural and legal attitudes about rape and helped debunk the long-held view that victims were partly to blame.
Marcel Ophuls, who chronicled 20th century conflict and atrocities, dies at 97
"There's a relationship between attention span and morality," Ophuls said. The filmmaker commanded his audience's attention in four-plus-hour documentaries like The Sorrow and The Pity and Hôtel Terminus.
Jim Irsay, longtime Colts owner and music memorabilia collector, dies at 65
Irsay started with the Colts as a teenage ball boy and took ownership after his father's death in 1997. The team won a Super Bowl and two AFC championships under his nearly three-decade tenure.
George Wendt, who played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ has died
Wendt got his start in Chicago's The Second City improv comedy troupe. He went on to earn six Primetime Emmy nominations for his role as a lovable barfly on Cheers.
Charles Strouse, Broadway composer of ‘Annie’ and ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ dies at 96
The Broadway composer of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie died Thursday at 96.
Uruguay’s ex-President José Mujica, nicknamed ‘world’s poorest president,’ dies at 89
José Mujica, the charismatic former guerrilla fighter who later went on to lead Uruguay and became known as "the world's poorest president" for his austere lifestyle, has died at 89.
Actress and ‘Laugh-In’ comedian Ruth Buzzi dies at 88
Buzzi, who was best known for her regular appearances on the NBC variety TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on Thursday at her home in Texas.
The world’s oldest person, a 116-year-old Brazilian nun, has died
Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, a soccer-loving nun born in 1908, is remembered as compassionate and dedicated to her faith.