In 1964, at the height of the civil rights movement, he became the first Black pilot for a major commercial airline in the United States.
Category: Deaths (Obituaries)
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Maurizio Pollini, Celebrated Pianist Who Defined Modernism, Dies at 82
His recordings of Beethoven and Chopin were hailed as classics, but his technical ability sometimes invited controversy.
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Amnon Weinstein, Who Restored Violins From the Holocaust, Dies at 84
Many had been left behind by victims of the gas chambers. He let the instruments be heard again in melodic tributes through his organization, Violins of Hope.
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Julie Robinson Belafonte, Dancer, Actress and Activist, Dies at 95
With the singer Harry Belafonte, she was one half of a celebrated (and sometimes denounced) interracial power couple who pressed the cause of civil rights in the 1960s
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M. Emmet Walsh, Character Actor Who Always Stood Out, Dies at 88
His roles in films like “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner” were sometimes big, sometimes small. But he invariably made a strong impression.
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Martin Greenfield, Tailor to Sinatra, Obama, Trump and Shaq, Dies at 95
He dressed six presidents, coached designers and made thousands of suits for TV shows and movies. But his beginnings were dismal: He learned to sew at Auschwitz.
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Cola Boyy, Indie Singer and Disability Activist, Dies at 34
Cola Boyy, whose real name was Matthew Urango, sang and produced his own brand of disco music. Born with spina bifida, he had been a vocal advocate for people with disabilities.
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Aribert Reimann, Masterful German Opera Composer, Is Dead at 88
His works, which were radically individual, were among the most celebrated of the late 20th and early 21st century.
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David Seidler, Oscar-Winning Writer of ‘The King’s Speech,’ Dies at 86
He drew on his own painful experiences with a stutter in depicting King George VI’s struggles to overcome his impediment and rally Britain in World War II.
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James D. Robinson III, Former Chief of American Express, Dies at 88
He led the company from 1977 to 1993 and helped transform Wall Street into a more competitive financial marketplace.
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Gylan Kain, a Founder of the Last Poets and a Progenitor of Rap, Dies at 81
He spun gripping portraits of the Black experience starting in the 1960s with the seminal Harlem spoken-word collective, lay a foundation for what was to come.