Deaths (Obituaries) – Page 37

Paul Plishka, Prolific Soloist at the Met, Dies at 83

Known for his liquid bass tones and flawless diction, he appeared in 88 roles, many of them comic, over 1,672 performances at the Metropolitan Opera.

By Jonathan Kandell

Blues Music Chess Records Deaths (Obituaries) Gary U.S. Bonds Pop and Rock Music Quarter to Three (Song) Rhythm and Blues (Music)

Gene Barge, R&B Saxophonist Who Played on Landmark Hits, Dies at 98

Known as Daddy G, he recorded with Jackie Wilson, Chuck Willis and others, but he was best known for the Gary U.S. Bonds smash “Quarter to Three.”

By Bill Friskics-Warren

Banking and Financial Institutions Butler, Samuel C Cravath Swaine & Moore Deaths (Obituaries) Legal Profession Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures

Samuel Butler, Lawyer Who Helped Create Corporate Giants, Dies at 94

Leading the elite Wall Street firm Cravath, he became a go-to adviser on mergers and acquisitions — “all the big deals that were going on in the ’80s and ’90s.”

By Michael J. de la Merced

Actors and Actresses Company (Play) Deaths (Obituaries) Drama Desk Awards Gypsy (Play) Into the Woods (Play) Simon, Merle Louise Sondheim, Stephen Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Play) Theater Theater (Broadway)

Merle Louise Simon, a Sondheim Mainstay, Is Dead at 90

She originated roles in four of his Broadway musicals between 1959 and 1987, and won a Drama Desk Award for her performance in “Sweeney Todd.”

By Richard Sandomir