Obituaries
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.
Pope Francis, who reached out to the margins of society, has died at 88
The pope was a strong advocate for the poor and the environment and a towering figure on the world stage, addressing not just Catholics but the men and women of our time.
Francis Davis, a figurehead of jazz criticism, has died
His wife, Fresh Air host Terry Gross, said the longtime contributor to The Village Voice and NPR had been living with emphysema and Parkinson's disease.
Wink Martindale, the genial game show host and early interviewer of Elvis, dies at 91
The legendary TV host of game shows "Tic-Tac-Dough" and "Gambit" died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He had been battling lymphoma for a year.
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.
