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.
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.
Bernard Lockhart’s Work Ethic Fueled His Passion For Jazz And Community-Building
Bernard Lockhart, founder of Avondale's Jazz in the Park, died last month from complications related to COVID-19.
Longtime Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver Would Have Done Just About Anything For His Little City
The longtime mayor for the city of Clanton died in July from COVID-19.
Remembering A Life Lost To COVID-19 Behind Bars
Hershell Moon came from a big family and served in the Vietnam War. He was incarcerated at St. Clair prison when he died from COVID-19 in June.
‘Be Like Pearl’: A Woman So Admired She Inspired New Year’s Resolutions Was Felled By COVID-19
Pearl Slay is one of more than 2,300 Alabamians who have died from COVID-19.
Albert Trousdale’s Son Points COVID-19 Skeptics To A Tombstone
“I said ‘I love you. That was the last time I saw him alive," said Matt Trousdale, whose father died from COVID-19.
Remembering the Alabamians Who Have Fallen To COVID-19. Who Were They?
We know very little about the Alabamians who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus and related illness during the pandemic.
Bluesman Henry “Gip” Gipson Dies at 99
Alabama native and blues musician Henry “Gip” Gipson has died. He was 99.
Former Jefferson County Commissioner Chris McNair Dies
For most of her life, WBHM reporter Sherrell Stewart has had a close up view of McNair's triumphs and heartbreaks. She shares this remembrance, including what they discussed just days before his death.
Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, 72, Dies
One of Birmingham’s most colorful and memorable mayors died Tuesday. Larry Langford, 72, died Tuesday evening at a Birmingham hospital.
