Tag Archives: obit

David Johansen, frontman for the New York Dolls and the last surviving original member of that pioneering punk band, has died at the age of 75. The death of the singer who also moonlighted as his swing music alter ego Buster Poindexter and, as an actor, appeared in films like …

Angie Stone, neo-soul singer and member of the pioneering all-female hip-hop group the Sequence, has died at the age of 63. The singer’s rep Deborah R. Champagne told TMZ that Stone died in a car accident early Saturday morning following a concert the previous night in Montgomery, Alabama; Stone was …

Gene Hackman, a two-time Oscar-winning actor whose compelling gravitas and simple humanity made him an onscreen fixture for 40 years, has died at 95. The actor, his wife of 34 years, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Wednesday, according to …

If there’s a moment that sums up the genius of Gene Hackman, it’s in Night Moves, the 1975 Arthur Penn neo-noir where he’s a washed-up football player turned detective. He’s on a case where he hunts a movie star’s runaway teenage daughter in the Florida Keys. But at one point …

Michelle Trachtenberg, the star of Harriet the Spy who went on to have memorable parts in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, died today, the New York City Police Department confirmed to Rolling Stone. She was 39. A NYPD spokesperson said Trachtenberg died at her apartment this …

Robert John, an itinerant singer-songwriter who was working in construction before scoring a Number One hit with 1979’s “Sad Eyes,” died Monday. He was 79. Michael Pedrick, John’s son, confirmed his father’s death to Rolling Stone. There was no immediate cause of death, but Pedrick said his father was still …

Roberta Flack, the veteran Grammy-winning soul and R&B vocalist who recorded massive hits with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” died Monday at age 88. Elaine Schock, Flack’s representative, confirmed the singer’s death from cardiac arrest. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. …

Bill Fay, the cult British singer-songwriter whose music was later championed by artists like Jeff Tweedy and Nick Cave, leading to a late-career resurgence, has died at the age of 81. Dead Oceans — the record label that released Fay’s three most albums, which arrived decades after inactivity — confirmed …

Jerry Butler, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original lead singer of the Impressions who later embarked on a successful career as a solo artist and a Chicago politician, has died at the age of 85. Butler’s niece confirmed her uncle’s death to the Chicago Sun-Times, adding …

Voletta Wallace, the mother of rapper Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace who spent decades preserving her late son’s legacy, has died at the age of 78. Thomas Yanac, coroner for Monroe County, PA, confirmed Wallace’s death to Rolling Stone, adding that she died of natural causes on hospice care at …