Obituaries

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  • Curtis Mayfield

    A brilliant songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, producer and arranger, he had the aphoristic grace of a natural poet who was steeped in the rhetoric of the black church.
    By Jody Rosen January 7, 2000

  • Desmond Llewelyn

    "Yes, I know Q is beloved," Desmond said. "But for God's sake, don't make him some kind of sentimental grandfather -- that's what I am in real life."
    By Bruce Feirstein December 23, 1999

  • Country singer Hank Snow dies at 85

    The rhinestone-clad music legend known for hits such as "I'm Movin' On" passes away in his Nashville home.
    By JIM PATTERSON December 20, 1999

  • "Catch-22" author Joseph Heller dies at 76

    "A calamity for American letters," says Kurt Vonnegut.
    December 13, 1999

  • Rick Danko dies at 56

    As bass player and a singer in The Band, he was a key figure in one of the most popular and critically acclaimed groups to emerge in the 1960s.
    December 10, 1999

  • Jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd dies at 74

    He was a musician of extraordinary range and versatility who "re-established that the Spanish guitar can play swinging jazz."
    December 3, 1999

  • Quentin Crisp

    Leaving behind a handful of charmingly written books and a treasure trove of bons mots, the dignified gentleman iconoclast assures himself a fittingly singular immortality.
    By Jody Rosen December 3, 1999

  • Actress Madeline Kahn dies at 57

    The Oscar-nominated star of "Blazing Saddles" ends her battle with ovarian cancer.
    December 3, 1999

  • "Let the white guys sing!"

    Doug Sahm played a cosmic and unmistakable Tex-Mex blues for more than 40 years.
    By Tracy Santa November 24, 1999

  • Writer Quentin Crisp dies at 90

    Well known as the author of "The Naked Civil Servant," his autobiography, he also appeared on the stage and in films, and was one the century's most colorful characters.
    November 22, 1999

  • Mary Kay Bergman

    The voice of Wendy Testaburger, Mayor McDaniels and Ms. Crabtree dies at 38.
    By Andy Dehnart November 19, 1999

  • A tough guy called Sweetness

    Former Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton's body failed him, but his heart was never busted.
    By Dan Brekke November 2, 1999

  • Obit: NFL rushing king Walter Payton

    The Chicago Bears great dies in his home at the age of 45 after waiting nine months for a liver transplant.
    By NANCY ARMOUR November 1, 1999

  • Sen. John Chafee dies at age 77

    One of the Senate's most liberal Republicans, the former governor earned high praise from both the American Civil Liberties Union and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
    October 25, 1999

  • Jean Shepherd, "radio novelist," dies at 78

    He would tell his listeners to crank up the volume on their radios and scream along with him, "Drop the tools, we've got you covered!"
    October 19, 1999

  • Joseph Burg, Israeli founding father dies at 90

    "He tried to build a bridge over the biggest gulf in Israeli society, the gulf between religious and secular Jews,"
    October 15, 1999

  • Tanzania's Julius Nyerere dies at 77

    He led the drive for the independence of his East African nation from British rule and became the country's first president in 1962.
    October 14, 1999

  • NBA great Wilt Chamberlain dies

    One of the greatest basketball players in history is found dead at his home at the age 63 of an apparent heart attack.
    October 12, 1999

  • Vibraphonist, MJQ member Milt Jackson dies at 76

    One of the first bona fide be-bop vibraphone musicians, he became a jewel in Dizzy Gillespie's band before joining the Modern Jazz Quartet.
    October 11, 1999

  • Writer Morris West dies at 83

    The author of "The Devil's Advocate" and "Shoes of the Fisherman" died while working on his latest novel, "The Last Confession."
    October 11, 1999

  • Akio Morita, co-founder of Sony, dies at 78

    He was the last of a generation of Japanese industrialists that included carmaker Soichiro Honda and electronics rival Konosuke Matsushita.
    October 3, 1999

  • Judith Campbell Exner, reputed JFK mistress, dies at 65

    She also claimed that during Kennedy's presidency she was mobster Sam Giancana's lover.
    September 27, 1999

  • Oseola McCarty, widely respected philanthropist, dies at 91

    The former washerwoman earned acclaim in 1995 for willing $150,000 of her life's savings to provide scholarships for needy students.
    September 27, 1999

  • Actor George C. Scott dies at 71

    The Oscar winner starred in "Patton," "Dr. Strangelove," "The Hustler" and appeared in numerous other films, on the stage and in television.
    September 23, 1999

  • Raisa Gorbachev dies at 67

    The wife the last Soviet leader loses her battle with leukemia.
    By Greg Myre September 20, 1999
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