Category: Deaths (Obituaries)

Rigmor Newman, Behind-the-Scenes Fixture of the Jazz World, Dies at 86

She was a concert promoter, a nightclub impresario and the producer of an award-winning 1992 film about the Nicholas Brothers dance duo.
David H. Murdock, a Fierce Rags-to-Riches Corporate Raider, Dies at 102

He was a school dropout at 14 and homeless for a spell, but as a driven investor he became a billionaire. Later came another quest: to extend life through better nutrition.
James Lowe, Rock Outsider With the Electric Prunes, Dies at 82

His band’s output ranged from the 1966 psychedelic hit “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” to what he called a “Catholic Mass done in rock veneer.”
Amanda Feilding, Countess Who Drilled a Hole in Her Head, Dies at 82

She was ridiculed for drilling a hole in her skull to increase blood flow, but her foundation’s research into the therapeutic use of counterculture drugs proved visionary.
Enzo Staiola, Who Starred in ‘Bicycle Thieves’ as a Child, Dies at 85

Discovered on the street in Rome, he had a brush with stardom when he was cast in what many consider one of the greatest films of all time.
John Wells Dead: Fashion Photographer Was 64

A fashion photographer, he built a do-it-yourself life on 40 lonely acres in West Texas, living like a modern-day Thoreau and telling millions of his experience on a blog.
Brian Wilson, Songwriter and Leader of the Beach Boys, Dies at 82

A hitmaker elevated and burdened by the label of genius, he transcended the breezy surf genre to create complex harmonies and intricate soundscapes in the studio.
Paul Marantz, Lighting Designer of 9/11 Memorial and Studio 54, Dies at 87

Using neon, searchlights — or even shadows — he dramatically shaped the look of prominent spaces in almost every corner of the world.
Richard Beattie, Who Helped Pioneer Private Equity Takeovers, Dies at 86

A top Wall Street lawyer, he worked on some of the biggest corporate mergers in history, including KKR’s takeover of Nabisco in 1989. He also served in the Carter administration and in city government.
Barbara Holdridge, Whose Record Label Foretold Audiobooks, Dies at 95

Beginning with a reading by Dylan Thomas, she and a friend found unlikely commercial success in the 1950s with recordings of famous writers reciting their work.
Sly Stone, Maestro of a Multifaceted, Hitmaking Band, Dies at 82

Leading Sly and the Family Stone, he helped redefine the landscape of pop, funk and rock in the late 1960s and ’70s.
Frederick Forsyth, Master of the Geopolitical Thriller, Dies at 86

He wrote best-sellers like “The Day of the Jackal” and “The Dogs of War,” often using material from his earlier life as a reporter and spy.