Changes he spearheaded in 2001 helped avert disaster. He later led the United Nations Development Program.
Category: Deaths (Obituaries)
-
Chris Strachwitz, Who Dug Up the Roots of American Music, Dies at 91
Traveling the nation to discover little-known performers for the Arhoolie label, which he founded in 1960, he earned a nickname: El Fanático.
-
Rita Lee, Brazil’s Queen of Rock, Is Dead at 75
As a member the 1960s band Os Mutantes and later as a solo artist, she drew a following that included Kurt Cobain, Beck and the Prince of Wales.
-
Heather Armstrong, ‘Queen of the Mommy Bloggers,’ Is Dead at 47
Fired from a dot-com job for making indiscreet comments about her company online, she introduced Dooce.com, a blog about parenthood and marriage that became a cash cow.
-
Denny Crum, Who Made Louisville a Basketball Power, Dies at 86
He led the Cardinals to two national championships in the 1980s and amassed 675 victories over a career that led to his induction into two halls of fame.
-
Joe Kapp, Quarterback Who Led Vikings to Super Bowl IV, Dies at 85
He found his way to the N.F.L. after playing eight seasons in Canadian football and was remembered for his toughness, playing through injury after injury.
-
Grace Bumbry, Barrier-Shattering Opera Diva, Is Dead at 86
A flamboyant mezzo-soprano (who could also sing meaty soprano roles), she overcame racial prejudice to become one of opera’s first, and biggest, Black stars.
-
Vida Blue, Pitching Sensation for Champion A’s Teams, Dies at 73
In his rookie season in 1971, he was an unstoppable fastball pitcher. Then he had a fight with the owner of the Athletics that left him embittered.
-
Menahem Pressler, Pianist Who Co-Founded the Beaux Arts Trio, Dies at 99
Mr. Pressler, who fled Nazi Germany as a youth, was the anchor of a group that, with various lineups, performed all over the world for 53 years.
-
Don Sebesky, Arranger Who Helped Broaden Jazz’s Audience, Dies at 85
He won Tonys for his orchestrations and Grammys for his compositions and arrangements. But he was best known for his genre-straddling work at CTI Records.
-
Newton N. Minow, F.C.C. Chief Who Deemed TV a ‘Vast Wasteland,’ Dies at 97
His stunning declaration caused an instant sensation when he made it in 1961 and ignited a national debate over Americans’ viewing habits.
-
Judith Miller, ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Mainstay, Is Dead at 71
Known for her many guidebooks, she helped determine what was trash and what was treasure on the BBC series that inspired the American show.