Obituary

  • NBA Community Reacts to the Death of Wes Unseld at 74
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    NBA Community Reacts to the Death of Wes Unseld at 74

    In a joint statement, the Washington Wizards and the family of Wes Unseld announced his passing on Tuesday. He was 74. “It is with profound sadness that we share that our adored husband, father and grandfather Wes Unseld passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by family following lengthy health battles, most recently with pneumonia,” the…

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  • White People Nationwide Mourn the Senseless Murder of a Minneapolis Target Store
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    White People Nationwide Mourn the Senseless Murder of a Minneapolis Target Store

    “I’m still in shock. It was just there yesterday.” said 31-year-old Minneapolis resident Josh Hanks as he battled tears while standing in front of the Lake Street Target store’s remains. “I have so many memories of the Home and Patio section. So many laughs. So many smiles. And now it’s gone forever.” For the Lake…

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  • Drummer Jimmy Cobb, Last Surviving Member of Miles Davis' First Great Sextet, Dies at 91
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    Drummer Jimmy Cobb, Last Surviving Member of Miles Davis' First Great Sextet, Dies at 91

    Legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb, the last surviving member of Miles Davis’ First Great Sextet, died at the age of 91 in his Manhattan home on Sunday. His wife, Eleana Tee Cobb confirmed to NPR that Cobb died from lung cancer. His fantastic drumming skills became known as the “pulse” of Davis’ iconic album, Kind of…

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  • We've Lost Another Icon: No Pain (No Gain) Singer Betty Wright Has Died at 66
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    We've Lost Another Icon: No Pain (No Gain) Singer Betty Wright Has Died at 66

    Betty Wright, the R&B and soul singer known for classics like “Clean Up Woman” and “Tonight is the Night,” has died at 66 years old. Her family confirmed the news to Essence on Sunday. The cause of death has not yet been revealed, though Chaka Khan put out a call on Twitter earlier in the…

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  • Uptown Records Founder Andre Harrell Has Died at 59
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    Uptown Records Founder Andre Harrell Has Died at 59

    The man behind Uptown Records, the New York City-based label that launched the careers of acts like Diddy, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, and Heavy D has died at 59 years old. Billboard News confirmed the sad news of Andre Harrell’s death after DJ D-Nice first announced it on Instagram Live Friday night. The cause of…

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  • Little Richard, a Founder of Rock 'n' Roll, Has Died at 87
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    Little Richard, a Founder of Rock 'n' Roll, Has Died at 87

    “I should be better recognized today for sure,” Little Richard said in an August 2010 interview with the Wall Street Journal. “I am the beginning. I am the originator.” And indeed, the outrageous performer with the wild falsetto and pounding keyboards ushered in a new sound in the 1950s that combined rock ‘n’ roll with…

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  • 'My Boy Lollipop' Singer Millie Small Dead at 72
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    'My Boy Lollipop' Singer Millie Small Dead at 72

    Millie Small, the Jamaican singer best known for recording the chart-topping smash “My Boy Lollipop” as a teenager in 1964, died yesterday after suffering a stroke. She was 72. Billboard and BBC News report that her death was confirmed by Island Records. The label remembers her as “a sweet person… really special” and “a true…

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  • Fela Kuti Drummer and 'Father of Afrobeat' Tony Allen Dead at 79
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    Fela Kuti Drummer and 'Father of Afrobeat' Tony Allen Dead at 79

    Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen, lovingly known as the “Father of Afrobeat” died on Thursday evening at the age of 79, Rolling Stone confirms. Allen died of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris. “He was in great shape,” Allen’s manager Eric Trosser told France 24. “It was quite sudden.” Rolling…

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  • Philadelphia Rapper and Model Chynna Rogers, Dead at 25
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    Philadelphia Rapper and Model Chynna Rogers, Dead at 25

    Model turned rapper Chynna Rogers, known as Chynna, died Wednesday at the age of 25. “Chynna was deeply loved and will be sorely missed,” her family wrote in a statement obtained by Pitchfork. The cause of death has not been confirmed. Pitchfork further reports: Chynna Rogers began her career as a model, signing with Ford…

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  • Earl G. Graves Sr., Black Enterprise Founder, Dies at 85
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    Earl G. Graves Sr., Black Enterprise Founder, Dies at 85

    The founder and publisher of Black Enterprise, Earl Gilbert Graves Sr., was an internationally recognized authority on black-owned businesses, a guru for African-American entrepreneurs and a tireless advocate for black business and consumer power. Sadly, Graves died Monday night at the age of 85 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, according to his son, current…

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