She sang jazz (with Count Basie, among others) and later funk and disco, frequently in intimate venues, where she regaled audiences with tales of old love affairs.
Category: Deaths (Obituaries)
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Jesse Jane, Pornographic Film Star, Dies at 43
She starred in the highest-budget series in pornographic film history. She was also seen in some mainstream productions.
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David J. Skal, Scholar Who Took Horror Seriously, Dies at 71
In books like “The Monster Show” and “Screams of Reason,” he examined the cultural significance of movies meant to scare the bejesus out of people.
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Jon Franklin, Pioneering Apostle of Literary Journalism, Dies at 82
He won two Pulitzer Prizes by transforming accounts of doctors at work into in-depth, narrative articles that read like dramatic short stories.
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Jo-El Sonnier, Who Sparked a Revival of Cajun Music, Dies at 77
An accordion virtuoso and a gifted vocalist, he scored country hits in the 1980s by putting a Cajun spin on songs like Richard Thompson’s “Tear-Stained Letter.”
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Edward E. Crutchfield, 82, Banker Whose Deals Reshaped the Industry, Dies
He built a small Southern bank into a regional powerhouse, helping to turn Charlotte, N.C., into a national financial hub.
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Bill Hayes, Longtime Star of ‘Days of Our Lives,’ Dies at 98
He logged more than 2,000 episodes on the enduring soap opera. He also rode the Davy Crockett craze to a hit single in 1955.
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John Pilger, Crusading Journalist and Documentarian, Dies at 84
A prolific filmmaker and writer who took sides, he was best known for a documentary about the Khmer Rouge’s genocide in Cambodia in the 1970s.
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Melanie, Singer Who Made a Solo Splash at Woodstock, Dies at 76
Just 22 when she charmed the festival crowd, she went on to enjoy success with songs like “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” and “Brand New Key.”
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Charles Osgood, Lyrical Newscaster on Radio and TV, Dies at 91
A familiar face on television as the host of “CBS Sunday Morning” from 1994 to 2016, he was also known for his “Osgood File” segments on CBS Radio, often delivered with humor and a rhyme.
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Frank Farian, the Man Behind Milli Vanilli, Is Dead at 82
He had worldwide success with the disco group Boney M, but he was better known for a duo that had hit records but, it turned out, only pretended to sing.
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Ruth Ashton Taylor, Early Radio and TV Newswoman, Dies at 101
In the late 1940s, she was the only woman working on radio documentaries for CBS’s Edward R. Murrow. In Los Angeles, she was a pioneering newscaster and anchor.