Tag Archives: obituary

Early rock & roll drummer Charles Connor — who played with Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and James Brown in the Fifties — died in his home in Glendale, California, after a battle with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus. He was 86. “He was one of those drummers that was …

Marion Ramsey, best known for her role as the soft-spoken, demure Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy franchise, died on Thursday at her home in Los Angeles, as Variety reports. She was 73. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but a rep from Ramsey’s management agency …

Rising Chicago rapper King Von was shot and killed in a scuffle outside an Atlanta club early Friday morning, November 6th. He was 26. Ghazi Shami, the founder of Von’s label, Empire, confirmed his death on Instagram:writing, “I woke up to some very horrible news this morning — my heart …

Photographer Baron Wolman, who took some of the earliest and most iconic images of rock & rollers during his stint as Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, died Monday night at age 83. Wolman’s rep, Dianne Duenzl, confirmed the photographer’s death to Rolling Stone.Wolman had recently been diagnosed with ALS, the …

Spencer Davis, Welsh musician and founder of the Spencer Davis Group, died Monday while being treated for pneumonia in the hospital. He was 81. Bob Birk, his booking agent for more than 30 years, confirmed Davis’ death to Rolling Stone. “He was a very good friend,” Birk says. “He was …

Walter Lure, guitarist and last surviving member of punk legends Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, has died at the age of 71. Los Angeles’ Starwood venue first announced Lure’s death Saturday following a brief battle with cancer (via Ultimate Classic Rock), with Lure’s band the Waldos later confirming his death. …

Steve Priest, founding bassist and singer for “Ballroom Blitz” glam rock band Sweet, died Thursday at the age of 72. Priest’s family confirmed his death on social media Thursday. No cause of death was revealed, but guitarist Andy Scott — the last surviving member of the band’s classic lineup — …

Bernie Tormé, a guitarist who had played with Ozzy Osbourne and former Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan’s band Gillan, died on Sunday at the age of 66. Mik Gaffney, Tormé drummer, confirmed the news on Facebook. Last month, his Twitter account posted that he was extremely ill and in intensive …

Paul Allen, the tech tycoon who co-founded Microsoft and became one of the world’s wealthiest men, died on Monday. He was 65 years old. The cause was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a statement from Allen’s company Vulcan Inc. In a statement, Allen’s sister Jody remembered him as “a remarkable individual …

Vinnie Paul, drummer and founding member of the heavy metal band Pantera, died at the age of 54 Friday night, the band announced on Facebook. No immediate cause of death was provided. “Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away,” Pantera wrote. “Paul is best known for his work …