Obituaries
John Feinstein, sports writer and author of ‘A Season on the Brink,’ dies at 69
Feinstein was comfortable writing fiction and nonfiction, and took on an array of sports, including golf and tennis, but he was known most for his connection to college basketball
Sofia Gubaidulina, the composer who fused sound and spirituality, has died at age 93
One of the first modern women composers to reach international acclaim, Gubaidulina wrote bold music, inspired by Eastern and Western philosophies, and the joy of sound itself.
Playwright Athol Fugard, who chronicled apartheid and its aftermath, dies at 92
The celebrated South African playwright was known for Blood Knot, The Road to Mecca and "Master Harold"...and the Boys. He said his job was to make "leaps out of my reality and into other realities."
D’Wayne Wiggins, founding member of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!, has died at 64
Wiggins died Friday morning after battling bladder cancer for over the past year, according to a statement released by his family on social media.
Roy Ayers, whose ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’ charmed generations, dies at 84
The vibraphonist, composer and jazz-funk pioneer helped inspire the neo-soul movement, and his best-known song was sampled over 100 times.
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years who inspired ‘Jolene,’ dies at 82
"Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years," Parton wrote in a statement.
James Harrison, whose blood donations saved over 2 million babies, has died
Harrison, whose plasma contained a rare antibody, rolled up his sleeve 1,173 times from 1954 to 2018. The Australian is credited with helping 2.4 million babies and advancing scientific research.
Angie Stone, soul singer who broke ground in hip-hop, dies at 63
Stone, a Grammy-nominated R&B singer who rose to fame in the late 1970s, was known for hits like "No More Rain" and "Wish I Didn't Miss You. She was killed in a road collision in Alabama on Saturday.
David Johansen, who fronted the New York Dolls, dies at 75
Johansen, a pioneer in punk music who found solo success under the moniker Buster Poindexter, died on Friday. His family announced last month that he had been in treatment for advanced stage cancer.
Martin Marty, leading scholar of American religion, dies at 97
Martin Marty, one of the foremost interpreters of religion in American public life, died on Tuesday. He was 97 years old.
Gene Hackman, who thrived playing the tough guy, dies at 95
Hackman epitomized a 1970s, edgy, tightly wound masculinity. He appeared in more than 100 movies and TV shows, and won Oscars for his performances in The French Connection and Unforgiven.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, of ‘Harriet the Spy’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ dies at 39
The actress was found dead in an apartment in Manhattan on Wednesday, police said.
Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who tried to shield the Kennedys, dies at 93
Hill received Secret Service awards and was promoted for his actions that day, but for decades blamed himself for Kennedy's death, saying he would gladly have given his life to save the president.
Roberta Flack, singer of ‘Killing Me Softly,’ has died at age 88
The Grammy Award-winning artist and educator had shared an ALS diagnosis in 2022. She was best known for ballads such as "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."
Bestselling novelist Tom Robbins dies at 92
Robbins dazzled readers with the whimsy and imagination in his books, including Jitterbug Perfume, Skinny Legs and All and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
Former German President Horst Köhler dies at 81
Köhler, a onetime head of the International Monetary Fund who became a popular German president before resigning abruptly in a flap over comments about the country's military, has died at 81.
Dick Button, Olympic great and voice of skating, dies at 95
The winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, Button died Thursday in North Salem, New York, at age 95.
Marianne Faithfull, ’60s icon and evolving pop star, has died at 78
The 1964 hit "As Tears Go By," penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, made her a star, but Marianne Faithfull demonstrated a remarkable ability to change with the times.
Garth Hudson, The Band’s last founding member, dies at 87
The Canadian musician played keyboard, organ and saxophone on some of group's most memorable songs.
Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and playwright, dies at 95
Feiffer was best known for illustrating the children's classic "The Phantom Tollbooth." His loopy lines left a lasting mark on art, literature and film.
Former head of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards has died
Cecile Richards, the longtime activist for women's rights and former head of Planned Parenthood, died Monday after battling brain cancer.
Joan Plowright, acclaimed British actress and wife of Laurence Olivier, dies at 95
Plowright brought stage and screen characters to vibrant life for more than six decades in such works as A Taste of Honey, Tea with Mussolini and Enchanted April.
David Lynch, who directed off-kilter classics, dies at 78
His sinister, surreal vision of America made him a leading counterculture auteur — with movies such as Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and Mulholland Drive, and the groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks.
‘Mr. Baseball’ Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers announcer, dies at 90
Uecker was the voice of his hometown team who after a short playing career earned the moniker "Mr. Baseball" and honors from the Hall of Fame.
David Lynch, who directed off-kilter classics, dies at 78
His sinister, surreal vision of America made him a leading counterculture auteur — with movies such as Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and Mulholland Drive, and the groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks.
Leslie Charleson, who starred on ‘General Hospital’ for nearly 50 years, dies at 79
Colleagues are remembering the soap opera star for her "quick wit" and presence on set. She died after a long illness.
Sam Moore, who sang ‘Soul Man’ in Sam & Dave duo, dies at 89
Moore, the surviving half and higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave, died Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery, his publicist said.
Peter Yarrow of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary has died at 86
Yarrow wrote or co-wrote some of the group's biggest 1960s hits, including "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and "Day Is Done."
Jean-Marie Le Pen, French fiery far-right leader, dies at 96
Le Pen was convicted numerous times of antisemitism, discrimination and inciting racial violence. But the nativist ideas that propelled his popularity remain ascendant in today's France and beyond.
Film director and screenwriter Jeff Baena, husband of Aubrey Plaza, dead at 47
The co-writer of I Heart Huckabees and director of The Little Hours was found dead at a Los Angeles residence on Friday. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the case.
Birmingham Public Library Honors Civil Rights Leader Shelly Millender Jr.
The Board of Trustees at the Birmingham Public Library honored Shelly Millender Jr. who helped integrate the city’s libraries in 1963.
A Remembrance of John Floyd, Former Southern Living Editor-in-Chief
The former editor of Southern Living died this week from cancer.
