Davy Jones

British actor and musician Davy Jones (of The Monkees) died at the age of 66 of a heart attack on the morning of 29 February 2012, at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, Florida. He had complained of chest pains the previous evening at his home in Indiantown, Florida.

Photo by Karla Kaulfuss. British singer Davy Jones (member of The Monkees) performing at a free concert in Geneva, Illinois, USA. 30 September 2006.

Award-Winning New York Times Reporter Dies in Syria

Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid has died while on assignment in Syria for The New York Times.

The newspaper says the 43-year-old Shadid suffered a severe asthma attack Thursday while preparing to leave Syria, where he spent the past week covering opposition forces battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. A Times photographer traveling with Shadid took the reporter's body back to Turkey.

Shadid, an American of Lebanese descent who was fluent in Arabic, spent his two-decade career reporting on the Middle East for the Associated Press, The Boston Globe and The Washington Post, as well as the Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 2004, and again in 2010, for his coverage of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq while working for The Washington Post.

Shadid's Middle East assignments often put him in danger. He was shot in the shoulder in 2002 while covering the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and arrested in Libya last year along with two other Times correspondents by forces loyal to late dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The Times says Shadid and his colleague slipped into Syria with the help of smugglers.

Times executive editor Jill Abramson praised Shadid as a reporter “determined to bear witness to the transformation sweeping the Middle East” in an e-mail to the newspaper's staff Thursday.

Photo by JavaMan. Journalist Anthony Shadid in a talk at Harvard Law School, 14 April 2009.

Singer Whitney Houston Memorialized at Pre-Grammy Awards Gala

The music industry is celebrating the life of Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston who was found dead at a Los Angeles hotel Saturday.

Houston's death comes on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where the six-time Grammy winner had gathered with hundreds of artists for Sunday's program.

The organizers of the Grammys said singer Jennifer Hudson will pay tribute to Houston during Sunday's broadcast.

Police say the 48-year-old Houston was pronounced dead late Saturday afternoon in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Police say the cause of her death has not been determined.

Houston sold over 170 million albums and singles, making her one of the world's best-selling artists. Her self-titled debut album, released in 1985, sold 25 million copies worldwide.

Her talent took her from music to movies, where she starred in hits like The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.

In recent years, she struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.

Beverly Hills police spokesman Mark Rosen says officers and medical personnel were at Houston's room within minutes after getting a call for an emergency.

“We were on scene within about two minutes, the fire department was actually here sooner than that. They were on scene for the pre-Grammy party. Fire department and hotel security found her in her room unresponsive. They attempted resuscitation measures. They were not successful. At 3:55pm, Whitney Houston was pronounced dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hills Hilton.”

Officials say an attempt was made to resuscitate Houston by the emergency personnel who rushed to her room. They have said there was no obvious sign of criminal intent.

Reactions to Whitney Houston's death continue to pour in. Music producer Jimmy Jam said it is ironic Houston's death occurred before the Grammys.

“You remember the first time you saw Whitney on stage singing was probably at this event. And so the irony of that is just crazy..so it's tragic.”

Legendary singer Tony Bennett said Houston was the “greatest singer I ever heard.”

Another singing legend, Smokey Robinson, told CNN Houston was “one of the greatest singers to ever open her mouth.”

Condolences and reactions from celebrities and everyday fans are also pouring in to social network sites.

She was married to singer Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007. They have a daughter. Houston often blamed her troubled marriage on her husband, who was charged with domestic abuse in 1993.

Whitney Houston's musical prowess was not a fluke. She was inspired by a host of singers, including her mother, Cissy Houston, cousin Dionne Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin, who expressed shock at Whitney Houston's death.

Photo of Whitney Houston (April 2010) by ישרון.

Singer Whitney Houston Dead at 48


Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the pop-music diva had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

A winner of six Grammys, Houston sold over 170 million albums and singles, making her one of the world's best-selling artists.

Her self-titled debut album, released in 1985, sold 25 million copies worldwide.

Her talent took her from music to movies, where she starred in hits like The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.

In recent years, she struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.

She was married to singer Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007. They have a daughter. Houston often blamed her rocky marriage on her husband, which included a charge of domestic abuse against him in 1993.

Her death comes on the eve of this year's Grammy awards ceremony, to be held Sunday night in Los Angeles.

(Photo by asterix611 a.k.a. Asterio Tecson: American singer Whitney Houston performing on Good Morning America in Central Park, New York City, 1 September 2009.)

Award Winning Actor Ben Gazzara Dies



 Emmy Award winning actor Ben Gazzara has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81.
A family attorney says Gazzara passed away at a New York City hospital Friday, with his family at his side.
Gazzara, son of Italian immigrants parents, was known for portraying emotionally complex characters, with a tough guy persona.
He gained recognition early in his career, playing the role of Brick in the Broadway production of 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”.
Gazzara later won three Emmy Awards for television roles, including the lead in the hit prime time drama “Run for Your Life,” which aired on the U.S.-based NBC network in the mid to late 1960's.
He also earned Tony Award nominations for his theatre roles in works such as the critically acclaimed “Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?”.
Gazzara is survived by a wife and daughter. A private funeral is planned. No public memorial has been announced.

Photograph of Ben Gazarra by Carl van Vechten, 13 May 1955.

Tributes Pour in for Late Soul Train Creator

Tributes are pouring in to the late U.S. television host and music promoter Don Cornelius, who was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in his Los Angeles home Wednesday.

Cornelius was the founder of the iconic Soul Train television show that helped introduce African-American music and culture to mainstream America from 1971 to 1993.

Police say the gunshot apparently was self-inflicted. It is not clear why Cornelius would have ended his life, although there have been reports in recent years that his health was failing.

The chairman of Black Entertainment Television, Robert Johnson, called Cornelius an “iconic figure” whose achievement was “nothing short of phenomenal.”

Singing legend Aretha Franklin, who appeared on Soul Train, called Cornelius' death “sad, stunning and downright shocking.” She called it a “huge and momentous loss.”

Composer-producer Quincy Jones said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of his friend and business partner.

Photo by Jen Knoedl. Fans with Don Cornelius at the 40th anniversary of Soul Train, 30 June 2010.

Legendary US Boxing Trainer Dies

Legendary U.S. boxing trainer Angelo Dundee, who worked the corner of the ring for Muhammad Ali in his greatest fights, has died at age 90.

Dundee died Wednesday at his home in Florida.

Dundee trained 15 world champion boxers, including Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman and Jimmy Ellis.

But in a career that spanned six decades, it was his work with Ali that will be remembered the most.

Dundee trained the legendary Ali for some of the most iconic fights in boxing history, and the pair traveled the world for bouts such as the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire in 1974 and the “Thrilla in Manila” in the Philippines in 1975.

Dundee also was a great motivator who exhorted his boxers to keep fighting when it appeared they were on the verge of defeat. He gave a famous “You're blowing it, son” pep talk to Leonard just before he knocked out Thomas Hearns to unify the welterweight crown in 1981. He also helped Ali get through some of his toughest fights.

Dundee was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.

Photo by Googie man at en.wikipedia. Former trainer for boxer Muhammed Ali, Angelo Dundee, in Dunedin, Florida with Frank Thomas on 27 March 2008.

Polish Nobel Laureate Dies



 Polish Nobel Laureate Wislawa Szymborska has died at the age of 88.

Authorities say the reclusive poet passed away Wednesday evening of lung cancer at her home in Krakow.

Syzmborska's style has been described as reflective and playful because of her approach to serious subjects such as war in Poland, death and torture.

She had published dozens of poems prior to winning the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Associated Press says she had been working on several poems that an associate of Syzmborska says will be published in a book this year.

(Photo by Mariusz Kubik: Wisława Szymborska, born 2 July 1923 in Bnin, Poland. Polish poet and Nobel Prize winner. Seen here on 23 October 2009 in Cracow, Poland.)

Legendary Soul Train Host Found Dead

U.S. television host and music promoter Don Cornelius has died. For more than 20 years, his iconic show Soul Train helped introduce African-American music stars to mainstream America.

Police say the 75-year-old Cornelius was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in his Los Angeles home. Officials say the wound apparently was self-inflicted.

It is not clear why Cornelius would have ended his life, although there have been reports in recent years that his health was failing.

Tributes quickly poured in to honor the man who brought “soul music” to a mainstream TV audience from 1971 to 1993. Cornelius, a Chicago native, created the show in his hometown, then brought it to Los Angeles. It went on the air nationally a decade before the MTV network.

Singing legend Aretha Franklin, who appeared on Soul Train, called Cornelius' death “sad, stunning and downright shocking.” She called it a “huge and momentous loss.”

Composer-producer Quincy Jones said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of his friend and business partner.

Photo by Jen Knoedl: Don Cornelius at the 40th anniversary of Soul Train, 30 June 2010.