He soared to popularity with a swinging hybrid of classics and jazz. He later conducted the Philly Pops, often with one hand while the other played piano.
Category: Deaths (Obituaries)
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Nikki McCray-Penson, Basketball Star and Coach, Dies at 51
After a standout college career at the University of Tennessee, she won two Olympic gold medals, played nine years in the W.N.B.A. and was the head coach at two universities.
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Coco Lee, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and ‘Mulan’ Singer, Dies at 48
A pop star across Asia by her early 20s, Ms. Lee reached international recognition with an Oscar-nominated song in 2001.
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Lewis Branscomb, Champion of Science Across Fields, Dies at 96
He led scientific advances at I.B.M. and within the federal government during a career that spanned the space race and the dawn of the internet.
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Peter Brötzmann, 82, Dies; His Thunderous Saxophone Shook Jazz Traditions
One of Europe’s most influential free-jazz musicians, he played with “a kind of scream” to exorcise his demons, and those of German history.
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Paul Justman, Who Shed Light on Motown’s Unsung Heroes, Dies at 74
After establishing himself as a leading music video director in the 1980s, he found acclaim with his 2002 documentary about session musicians.
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Robert Sherman, WQXR Host of Classical and Folk Music Shows, Dies at 90
For more than five decades, he brought together emerging classical and folk performers as well as established stars for interviews and live performances.
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Jon Haggins, Designer Who Slipped Into and Out of Fashion, Dies at 79
He was a member of a cohort of Black designers celebrated in the late 1960s and early ’70s. But struggles with financing led to several changes in direction.
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Frank Field, Who Brought Expertise to TV Weathercasting, Dies at 100
The first meteorologist to forecast the weather on New York television, he later became known for, among other things, publicizing the Heimlich maneuver.
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Darren Drozdov, a Former Pro Wrestler, Dies at 54
Mr. Drozdov, a former N.F.L. football player known as Droz and Puke, had his pro wrestling career cut short by an injury in the ring in 1999 that left him quadriplegic.
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David Gilmour, Who Turned a Tiny Island Into a Resort, Dies at 91
An entrepreneur for more than 50 years, he built a luxurious club in Fiji and started a bottled water company, now the second-largest imported water brand in the United States.