John Glenn, First US Astronaut to Orbit the Earth, Dies at 95

John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the earth, has died at age 95, officials said Thursday.

Glenn had been admitted more than a week ago to Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital, according to the John Glenn College of Public Affairs.

He was the last surviving member of a group known as "the Mercury Seven" -- seven military test pilots selected in 1959 to become America's first astronauts.

After serving as a military pilot in World War II and the Korean conflict, Glenn was a test pilot on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps jet fighters and won a place in the first class of U.S. astronauts assembled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, in 1958.

Glenn became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth, flying a ship called the Friendship 7 around the world in a nearly 5-hour flight on February 20, 1962.

Much later, he became the oldest man to fly in space in 1998, as a crew member on the U.S. space shuttle Discovery.

Glenn also had political aspirations, running as a Democrat for a U.S. Senate seat for Ohio in 1964. He was unsuccessful, but won a seat 10 years later, defending attacks on his military record in comments that came to be known as the "Gold Star Mothers" speech.

During the Democratic primary race for the Senate in 1974, opponent Howard Metzenbaum accused Glenn, a career military man, of never holding a real job. Glenn retorted, "You go with me to any Gold Star mother (a mother whose child has died in active U.S. military service) and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job."

The speech is credited with giving Glenn the edge over his competitor in the primary, and he went on to win the Senate seat. He remained a member of the U.S. Senate until 1999, and was the oldest living former member of the Senate until his death.

Glenn made his final trip into space in 1998, while still a senator, after persuading NASA to send him on a space shuttle flight. He was 77 at the time and became the oldest man ever to fly in space. His participation in the 9-day mission was criticized by some as folly, but supporters said it provided valuable data on the effects of space flight on an elderly person, as well as providing data that could be compared with Glenn's space flights from three decades earlier.

After leaving the Senate, Glenn helped to found a public service school at The Ohio State University, which later became the John Glenn College of Public Affairs.

Catapulted into the spotlight by the 1962 space flight, Glenn went on to win numerous accolades, including honorary degrees at a number of universities, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, a U.S. Senate public service award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Trailblazing American Journalist Gwen Ifill Dead at 61

Gwen Ifill, one of the most prominent African-American journalists in the U.S., has died after battling cancer for months. She was 61.

Ifill joined PBS as the moderator of Washington Week, the public broadcaster's Sunday morning public affairs program, in 1999 and served as the show's managing editor. She was the first African-American woman to host a major political TV talk show. In 2013, she was named co-anchor and co-managing editor with Judy Woodruff of the weeknight evening news broadcast PBS NewsHour.

In 2009, she wrote a book about President Barack Obama, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

"It is with extreme sadness that we share the news that Gwen Ifill passed away earlier today [Monday] surrounded by family and friends," PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement. "Gwen was one of America's leading lights in journalism and a fundamental reason public media is considered a trusted window on the world by audiences across the nation."

A native of New York City, Ifill joined PBS in 1999. Prior to joining PBS, Ifill worked as chief congressional and political correspondent for NBC News, White House correspondent for the New York Times, and political reporter for The Washington Post.

She moderated the 2004 vice presidential debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards, and the 2008 vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

Photo by Tony Powell: Master of Ceremonies Gwen Ifill at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., 2015

Opera Singer Johan Botha Dies

South African opera tenor Johan Botha has died.

Botha, who was 51 years old, died Thursday in Vienna.

Botha's tenor seemed to effortlessly master a broad variety of operatic roles from Puccini to Wagner.

He showcased his talents on the stages of the world's opera houses, including La Scala, Covent Garden, New York's Metropolitan Opera and the State Opera in Vienna, which Botha had made his operatic home.

"We had been looking forward to his return so much," said Dominique Meyer, the director of the Vienna Opera.

Tenor Michael Schade said Botha was "one of the greatest voices that I ever got to share the stage with."

His last sang three weeks ago in Cape Town at a benefit for The Cancer Association of South Africa.

The Associated Press says the singer was suffering from cancer.

South African President Jacob Zuma said Botha would be remembered "for his soothing and powerful voice."

Botha is survived by his wife and two sons.

Photo by Monika Rittershaus: Production of Ariadne auf Naxos at Hamburgische Staatsoper 2012: Anne Schwanewilms as Primadonna / Ariadne (left), Johan Botha as Tenor / Bacchus (right).

Phyllis Schlafly 'First Lady of US Anti-Feminism' Dies

Phyllis Schlafly, the conservative activist who almost single-handedly helped defeat the proposed Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and pushed the Republican Party to the right in ensuing decades, has died. She was 92.

Schlafly died Monday of cancer at her home in St. Louis, her son John Schlafly said.

Known as "the first lady of anti-feminism," Schlafly rose to national attention in 1964 with her self-published book, “A Choice Not an Echo,” that became a manifesto for the far right. The book, which sold 3 million copies, chronicled the history of the Republican National Convention and is credited with helping conservative Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona win the 1964 GOP nomination.

She later helped lead opposition to the ERA, a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee equal rights under the law regardless of gender. Schlafly argued that the measure would mean the end of the traditional family.

Supporters of the measure argued it would require that laws determining child support and job opportunities be designed without regard to gender.

Schlafly told the Associated Press in 2007 that perhaps her greatest legacy was the Eagle Forum, which she founded in 1972. The ultraconservative group has chapters in several states and claims 80,000 members. "I've taught literally millions of people how to participate in self-government,'' Schlafly said.

The Eagle Forum pushes for low taxes, a strong military and English-only education. The group is against efforts it says are pushed by radical feminists or encroach on U.S. sovereignty, such as guest worker visas. The group's website describes the Equal Rights Amendment as having had a "hidden agenda of tax-funded abortions and same-sex marriages.''

Saint Louis University history professor Donald Critchlow, who profiled Schlafly in his 2005 book, “Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism: A Woman's Crusade,” said the defeat of the amendment helped revive conservatism and pave the way for Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980.

Schlafly remained active in conservative politics well into her 80s, when she was still writing a column that appeared in 100 newspapers, doing radio commentaries on more than 460 stations, and publishing a monthly newsletter.

Photo by Gage Skidmore: Phyllis Schlafly speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on 12 February 2011.

Scotty Moore, Legendary Guitarist for Elvis Presley, Dies

Scotty Moore, the pioneering rock-and-roll guitarist who backed Elvis Presley on his early hits, died Tuesday at the age of 84 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Moore was playing in a local country-western band in Memphis, Tennessee in July, 1954 when Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, asked him to work with the 19-year-old Presley.  The next day, Presley and Moore, along with Moore's bandmate, bassist Bill Black, recorded over a dozen songs, including "That's All Right," that merged Presley's raw mixture of gospel and blues vocals with Moore's blues, jazz and country-influenced solos.
The release of "That's All Right" soon caught fire among audiences in the southern United States and launched Presley on the road to rock-and-roll superstardom.  Moore, Black and drummer D.J. Fontana would go on to record hundreds of other rock-and roll songs with Presley in the 1950s, including classics like "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Hound Dog."
Moore's innovative playing would go on to inspire later generations of rock musicians, including Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards, who later remarked "Everyone wanted to be Elvis. I wanted to be Scotty."
After ending his partnership with Presley when the singer was drafted into the Army in 1958, Moore founded a record label, Fernwood Records, that released a hit single "Tragedy," by singer Thomas Wayne in 1959.  He teamed up with Presley one last time in 1968 for a television special that revived the singer's career.  Moore continued his music career as a recording studio manager and engineer.

Ali Service Is Celebration of Life, Nonviolence, Humanitarianism

by Marissa Melton

Widow Lonnie Ali and former President Bill Clinton were among many speakers eulogizing boxing legend Muhammad Ali at an arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday as some 15,000 mourners paid their respects.

The service took place after Ali's body had been driven through the streets of his hometown where fans packed the sidewalks to say a joyful and tearful goodbye.

Lonnie Ali spoke of her husband's love of Islam and its teachings of nonviolence. She said he had wanted his memorial service to be used to promote his ideals.

"He wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice ... but he never became embittered enough to quit or engage in violence," she said.

Drawn to the 'forgotten'

She spoke of his love of travel, and of everyday people. "As he moved with ease around the world, the rich and powerful were drawn to him, but he was drawn to the poor and forgotten," she said.

Comedian Billy Crystal said Ali "was funny. He was beautiful. He was the most perfect athlete you ever saw. And those were his own words."

Turning serious, Crystal told anecdotes about the man he called "my big brother," referring to the long friendship between the two men despite differences in their backgrounds and professions.

Speaking of Ali's humanitarian and civil rights work, Crystal said, "He was a tremendous bolt of lighting, created by Mother Nature out of thin air. ... At the moment of impact it lights up everything around it, so you can see everything clearly.”

From polarizing to beloved

Broadcaster Bryant Gumbel commented, "What does it say of a man that he can go from being one of the nation's most polarizing figures to one of its most beloved, and do so without changing his nature?"

He went on to say Ali had led battles "in support of his race, in defense of his generation ... and, ultimately, in spite of his disease." He also called Ali a champion who represented "the best of Islam, to offset the hatred that comes with fear."

Clinton mused on Ali's origins and his transformation into a "universal soldier for our common humanity."

The former president spoke of how hard Ali fought the Parkinson's disease that plagued him for decades before his death last week at age 74. But he also praised Ali's legacy.

"My enduring image of him is like a little reel in three shots," Clinton said. "The boxer I thrilled to as a boy, the man I watched take the last steps to light the Olympic flame when I was president ... and then this — the children whose lives he touched; the young people he inspired. That’s the most important thing of all."

A sense of 'somebodiness'

Louisville Pastor Kevin Cosby spoke of Ali in the same breath as civil rights legend Rosa Parks and barrier-breaking athletes Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens, all African-Americans who defied societal norms to try to break the color barrier between black and white Americans.

"Before James Brown said, 'I'm black and I'm proud,' Muhammad Ali said, 'I'm black and I'm pretty,' " Cosby said, adding that, in the time that Ali said it, " 'blacks' and 'pretty' were an oxymoron." He said Ali "dared to affirm the power and capacity of African-Americans," and gave them a "sense of somebodiness."

Rabbi Michael Lerner, a political activist, spoke of Ali's decision to give up his boxing title rather than be drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. "Ali stood up to immoral war, risked fame to speak truth to power," he said.

Other guests at the service included many members of Ali's family, Hollywood director Spike Lee, football legend Jim Brown, basketball's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg.

Hockey Superstar Gordie Howe Dies at 88

Hockey star Gordie Howe, considered the greatest hockey player of all time by many of his fellow athletes, died Friday at age 88.

His family says Howe simply died of "old age." He had been suffering from the effects of a stroke in 2014, as well as dementia.

The Canadian-born Howe is known throughout the sport as "Mr. Hockey." He began his legendary career in 1946 and played professional hockey until 1980, when he was well into his 50s.

He helped the Detroit Red Wings win four Stanley Cup championships and was named the National Hockey League's most valuable player six times.

Howe set numerous hockey scoring records that stood for decades until broken by another hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky idolized Howe, calling him the greatest hockey player who ever lived and the nicest man he ever met.

U.S. President Barack Obama said of Howe in a statement, ". . . the list of kids who skated around the pond until dark, picturing themselves passing, scoring, and enforcing like Howe, dreaming of hoisting the Stanley Cup like him . . . comprises too many to count."

Ivory Coast Pays Final Tribute to Congolese Music Legend Papa Wemba

by Emilie Iob

Before the body of African music legend, Papa Wemba, was taken to the Democratic Republic of Congo for burial, International and local artists in Ivory Coast paid a final tribute to the musician known as "the King of Rumba Rock". 

The crowd encouraged the members of Papa Wemba's band to perform despite their grief, as they stood, visibly emotional, on a stage surrounded by flowers.

A few thousand people, all dressed in white, came to pay tribute to one of Africa’s most famous musicians.  The message on their t-shirts and on the stage read "We mourn you, long live Wemba."

Audience member Alain Aka says Papa Wemba was a big man of music.  Sadly he is gone, he says, so they are here to pay him the stirring tribute he deserves.

For young local musician Eric Kouassi, Papa Wemba was an inspiration.

"We have all known him since we were little", Kouassi says.  "We grew up with his music and his melodies.  His death really affected us, that is why we came to give support."

Officials and artists took turns praising the man known for his Congolese rumba.

“Africa mourns a son.  Ivory Coast mourns a brother.  And the D.R.C. mourns a father,” said one presenter.

Papa Wemba, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio, died Sunday after collapsing on stage.  He was performing at the FEMUA music festival, organized in Abidjan by another legendary African musical act, the Ivorian band Magic System.

Wemba's family was present at the wake in Abidjan, dressed mostly in black and sitting in the front row.

Music System band member A’Salfo says that Papa Wemba wanted to die on stage.  He says we should not be sad, we should be proud.  If the biggest artist of African music decides to die where Magic System was born, he says it means he wanted to send a message.

The celebration lasted until dawn before Wemba's body was flown to home to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  He was 66 years old.  

(Photo by Dicapipups: Papa Wemba in 2015.)

'Me and Mrs. Jones' Singer, Billy Paul Dies

Singer Billy Paul, best known for his song Me and Mrs. Jones, died Sunday.  He was 80.

On Me and Mrs. Jones, a number one song in 1972, Paul crooned about a love affair between a man and a married woman.

The sultry song earned Paul a Grammy for best male rhythm and blues performance, beating out his competitors who included Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes.

It was his biggest hit and Paul would be identified with the song for the rest of his life.

Paul was one of many singers who found success with the writing and producing team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, whose Philadelphia International Records also released music by the O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

Years later in 2003, however, Paul sued Gamble and Huff for unpaid royalties on Me and Mrs. Jones and won.  A California jury awarded Paul a half million dollars.

Paul was born Paul Williams.  At the suggestion of a manager, he began to use Billy Paul as his stage name to avoid confusion with the songwriter Paul Williams.

Paul continued to perform throughout the years.  The Associated Press reports that he was lining up appearances shortly before his death.

(Photo by Kassus: Billy Paul at Carthage Palace, 2006.)

Music Fans Around the World Mourn Prince

Fans Around the World Mourn Music Icon Prince

As fans worldwide lamented the loss of “a creative icon,” as U.S. President Barack Obama called Prince in a statement about the legendary musician's death, medical examiners warned that results of Friday’s autopsy might not be made public for weeks.

Obama said he listened to Prince's songs “Purple Rain” and “Delirious” on Friday morning at the U.S. ambassador's residence in London, where he is staying. He called Prince's death "a remarkable loss" during a news conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"The doves are really crying now," American media mogul Oprah Winfrey said about the death of Prince, referencing his song “When Doves Cry.”

The 57-year-old artist died Thursday morning at his home outside the northern U.S. city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson told reporters during a news conference Friday that there were no obvious signs of trauma on Prince's body and there was no reason to suspect suicide in the musician's death.

Olson said that following the death, police issued a search warrant for Prince's home and canvassed the scene, which he said was normal procedure. Olson said he could not comment on whether police took any items out of Prince's home.

Sheriff's officials say deputies found music superstar Prince unresponsive in an elevator after they were summoned to the Paisley Park Studios complex where he lived. He was pronounced dead after their attempts to revive him failed.

The local medical examiner's office said Friday that preliminary results of the autopsy will take days and the results of a full toxicology scan could be weeks.

A spokeswoman at the medical examiner's office told reporters Friday that the chief medical officer was at the scene of Prince's death for several hours. She said the officer performed a full autopsy Friday, then released Prince's body to his family.

911 call

Prince was hospitalized last week. His private plane made an emergency landing in Illinois following concerts in Georgia. No details were released at the time regarding his health.

An unidentified male who called the 911 operator to get emergency help for Prince did not know the address of the musician's home, according to a transcript of the conversation. He said "We're at Prince's house. ... And the people are just distraught."

A day after Prince's death, a steady stream of people filed past his home, leaving flowers and cards.

Huge loss

Prince was not a stage name. He was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis.

"For the residents of Minneapolis, the loss of Prince is too large to describe," Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said in a statement. "He was one of us. He gave us more opportunities to hear his music than anyone else. What a blessing. Only now may we realize how lucky we were."

‘Peerless’ talent

Prince was just 19 when he released his first album, For You, in 1978. In the decades that followed, the multi-talented musician released “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” and “Purple Rain,” the title track of his breakthrough 1984 album and movie.

He sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammys and picked up an Oscar for Best Original Song score for “Purple Rain.”

Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

"He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting edge music in the '80s," said a posting on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website. "Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone."

Clive Davis, chief creative officer at Sony Music said, "Prince was peerless as a musician, performer and songwriter. ... To know Prince personally was to know someone kind and gentle, phenomenally brilliant and intellectually curious, with every bone in his body loving music."

New York tribute

About a thousand people sang and danced to Prince's music Thursday night outside filmmaker Spike Lee's headquarters in Brooklyn at an impromptu street party to honor Prince. Lee said simply, "I miss my brother. Prince was a funny cat."

"And just like that ... the world lost a lot of magic. Rest in peace, Prince! Thanks for giving us so much," said pop singer Katy Perry.

Rapper MC Hammer wrote, "I loved this man. Too soon. Can't comprehend it but it's unfortunately true. Heaven is yours. RIP #Prince #RIPPrince."

"Today is the worst day ever. Prince, R.I.P., I am crying!" said British singer Boy George.

Sales of Prince's music have soared since news broke of the pop star's death.

(Photo by Yves Lorson: Prince in Belgium, 1986.)

American Music Legend Prince Dead at 57

American pop icon Prince has died at the age of 57.

Media reports said he was found dead early Thursday at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Details have not been released.

​​Born Prince Rogers Nelson, the multi-talented and influential musician is known for such songs as "1999," "Little Red Corvette," and "Purple Rain," the title track of his breakthrough 1984 album and movie.

He sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammys and picked up an Oscar for Best Original Song score for "Purple Rain."

Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. 

"He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties," said a posting on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website. "Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone."

Musicians, artists and fans took to Twitter express their shock and sadness at the news of Prince's death. "Numb. Stunned. This can't be real," Pop star Justin Timberlake wrote. 

Televison footage has been showing a small group of fans gathering outside his Paisley Park studio.

Who was Prince?

Born: Prince Rogers Nelson, named after Prince Roger Trio, a jazz band his father performed with

When: June 7, 1958

Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Died: April 21, at his home in Paisley Park, a Minneapolis suburb

Aliases: Briefly used others names, including an unpronounceable symbol O(+>, which led to him often being referred to as "the artist formerly known as Prince"

Debut album: For You, 1978

Several hit albums and songs, including: albums 1999 and Purple Rain, which was later made into a movie, Sign O' the Times, The Black Album; songs Little Red Corvette, Kiss, Raspberry Beret, Emancipation and When Doves Cry

Career: Sold more than 100 million records, won seven Grammy awards, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, performed during 2007 Super Bowl XLI halftime show

Known for: His songs and albums often created controversy for their sexually charged lyrics

Photo by Penner: Prince at Coachella 2008

Renowned Architect Zaha Hadid Dies in Miami

by Amanda Scott

One of Britain's most innovative architects, Zaha Hadid, has died at age 65.

Hadid's firm says she died Thursday at a hospital in Miami, Florida, where she was being treated for bronchitis.

​​In 2004, Hadid became the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious award for architecture.

The American philanthropist Thomas Pritzker, presenting the award, said Hadid's work "organizes land, space, structure and person so that each is inseparable from the other, and each calls to the other."

Born in Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics at the American University in Beirut. She completed her architectural studies in Britain, where she continued to live and work.

She designed projects around the world including the glass, granite and steel Guangzhou Opera House in China, the London Aquatics Center, built for the 2012 Olympics, and the Sheikh Zayed bridge in Abu Dhabi, a curved design meant to "evoke the undulating sand dunes of the desert."

At the time of her death, Hadid was working on stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and a new Iraqi parliament building in Baghdad.

Earlier this year, the Royal Institute of British Architects awarded Hadid its Gold Medal, honoring her as "a formidable and globally influential force in architecture."

"Part of architecture’s job is to make people feel good," Hadid said in her remarks to the RIBA, "in the spaces where we live, go to school or where we work - so we must be committed to raising standards."

(Photo: Zaha Hadid in 2011, from the Knight Foundation)

Frank Sinatra Jr. Dies at 72

Frank Sinatra Jr., son of the legendary singer and actor, died suddenly Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he was performing in a musical tribute to his father.

The Associated Press reported that he had a heart attack and was 72 years old.

Sinatra was a singer and musician who made headlines in 1963 when he was kidnapped and released after his father paid a large ransom.

Gossip columnists said the kidnapping was a hoax and publicity stunt, but the FBI said it was genuine and the kidnappers were convicted.

While Sinatra could never come close to matching the fame and artistry of his father, he did become well-known as the musical director and conductor for the senior Sinatra's concerts.

(Photo: Frank Sinatra, Jr. in San Diego, 2008 by Phil Konstantin)

Nancy Reagan Remembered

by Ken Schwartz

Former first lady Nancy Reagan was remembered with laughter and tears Friday by 1,000 invited mourners during her funeral at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Nancy Reagan was 94 when she died of heart failure Sunday in Bel Air, California.

Current first lady Michelle Obama represented the White House at Friday's service. President Barack Obama said in his weekly address Saturday that "as president, I know just how important it is to have a strong life partner and President Reagan was as lucky as I am."

A long list of Reagan family friends, ranging from conservative Republicans to left-wing Democrats, attended the funeral. They included members of White House families going back nearly 60 years, including Caroline Kennedy, Steven Ford, former President George W. Bush, and ex-first ladies Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Rosalynn Carter.

Actors Tom Selleck and Bo Derek and singers Johnny Mantis and Wayne Newton were among the Hollywood elite.

Tough, dedicated to husband

Nancy Reagan was remembered as a tough and often stubborn woman, but someone who was 100 percent devoted to her late husband, President Ronald Reagan.

Daughter Patti Davis said the one sure way to get on Nancy Reagan's bad side was to show even the smallest bit of disrespect to her husband.

She recalls seeing them sitting together on a California beach at sunset — not talking or moving, just sitting.

Davis recalled how, as a young girl, she fell and cracked her skull, and Nancy Reagan tenderly held her head with one hand while driving with the other to a hospital emergency room.

She also had the mourners laughing with a story about his father getting a rubdown from a massage therapist. She said Nancy Reagan sneaked into the room, kissed her prone husband on the back of the neck, and snuck out, leaving the perplexed Reagan to believe it was the burly massage therapist who kissed him.

Advocacy for stem cell research

When Ronald Reagan died from complications of Alzheimer's disease in 2004, Nancy Reagan became an inexhaustible advocate for stem cell research, which doctors believe could lead to a cure for Alzheimer's.

Obama said he was "proud" that Nancy Reagan was one of the first people he called when he signed an order to resume federal stem cell research.

"Nobody understood better than Nancy Reagan the importance of pursuing treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives," the president said.

Obama ordered all U.S. flags on government buildings flown at half-staff until Friday night, when Reagan's casket was put in the ground next to her beloved husband at the presidential library named for him.

Besides Patti Davis and son Ron Reagan, Nancy Reagan is survived by a stepson, Michael, who Ronald Reagan adopted during his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman.

Sir George Martin, ‘Fifth Beatle,’ Dies at 90

Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has announced the death of the so-called "fifth Beatle," producer Sir George Martin, at age 90.

Starr posted the news on Twitter Wednesday, with a photograph of Martin with the Beatles captioned "Thank you for all your love and kindness George."

Universal Music Group has confirmed the death, but details have not been released.

British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted a tribute early Wednesday, calling Martin "a giant of music."

Martin, a classically trained musician, signed the four young Beatles to a music contract in 1962. He was considered essential to their success, helping them arrange, and produce many of their biggest hits, starting with one of their first: 1962's "Love Me Do."

​​In some cases, Martin's classical music training filled in gaps for band members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Starr, who entered the industry with only a basic knowledge of reading and writing music. Martin is credited with scoring now-iconic trumpet solos, string quartet interludes, and piano breaks in some of the Beatles' most memorable songs.

After the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, Martin went on to work with other artists such as Elton John, Bob Dylan, and Sting. He was knighted by the British monarchy in 1996.

Martin continued working on Beatles-related projects, recording two solo albums for Paul McCartney and, in 2006, developing a Beatles-based Cirque de Soleil show called "Love" that has won two Grammy awards for its soundtrack.

Guinness World Records has named Martin as the most successful music producer ever, with more than 50 number-one hit records in Britain and the United States alone, over a career that lasted six decades.

Tennis Journalist, Historian Bud Collins Dies

American tennis writer and sportscaster Bud Collins, who called himself a “scribbler and a babbler,” has died at age 86.

Collins, who died Friday at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, was credited with paving the way for newspaper reporters to move into broadcasting, becoming a familiar face to U.S. television audiences with his “Breakfast at Wimbledon” coverage on NBC.

He made one of his final public appearances last September in New York, when the media center at the U.S. Open was dedicated in his honor. A plaque for him reads: “Journalist, Commentator, Historian, Mentor, Friend.”

Collins wrote several books, including The Education of a Tennis Player (with Rod Laver, 1971), Evonne! On the Move (with Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1974), and a memoir, My Life With the Pros (1989).

He also wrote several tennis encyclopedias, including The Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis, The Bud Collins Tennis Encyclopedia, and Total Tennis, which became an authoritative standard in the sport.

Collins was married to photographer Anita Ruthling Klaussen.

US Author Pat Conroy Dies

Author Pat Conroy, who chronicled both the beauty and the pain of growing up in the American South, has died at age 70 after a bout with pancreatic cancer.

Conroy's publisher announced the news late Friday, saying the author known for his lyrical prose died at home in Beaufort, South Carolina, surrounded by friends and family.

Conroy's novels often described troubled family relationships juxtaposed with descriptions of the natural beauty of coastal South Carolina - an area known for hospitality and gracious living, but also a dark history of slavery and racism.

Four of Conroy's novels were made into movies, the best-known of which are The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini.

'Coronation Street' Creator Tony Warren Dies at 79

British writer Tony Warren, who created the long-running soap opera "Coronation Street,'' has died at 79. The show he leaves behind is 56 years old, a national cultural fixture whose fans have included royalty, poets, rappers and millions of TV viewers.

Broadcaster ITV said Wednesday that Warren died Tuesday night, "surrounded by his loving friends,'' after a short illness.

Anthony McVay Simpson — Warren was a stage name — was a 24-year-old actor when he had the idea for a television series set in a working-class street in northwestern England, where he had grown up. He wrote the initial 13-episode run of what was originally called "Florizel Street'' — renamed before it was first broadcast in December 1960.

Some TV executives had their doubts about the program, calling the characters' northern speech "the language of the music halls.'' But its workaday setting, memorable characters, dramatic story lines and tart northern humor was a hit.

"Corrie'' — as it is popularly known — set the model for British TV soaps, which to this day offer grit rather than the gloss of their American counterparts.

"Coronation Street'' still has millions of regular viewers and a surprising range of fans around the world. Prince Charles once made a cameo appearance, and his wife Camilla pulled a pint in fictional pub The Rovers Return during a 2010 visit to the set. The late poet laureate John Betjeman compared "Corrie'' to the novels of Charles Dickens, while Snoop Dogg recorded a message for its 50th anniversary.

For Warren, the show's success had a dark side. He said in a 2010 interview that the pressure of creating it left him addicted to alcohol and morphine for many years.

Warren wrote for the show for many years, and ITV said he remained a consultant on the series until the day he died.

Warren also wrote several novels, other TV shows and the 1960s film "Ferry Cross The Mersey,'' starring the Liverpool band Gerry and the Pacemakers. But nothing else had the impact of "Coronation Street.''

Actress Helen Worth, who has played the often-married, long-suffering Gail McIntyre in the soap since 1974, said Warren was "a genius of our time.''

"He brought real life into our homes for us all to relate to and enjoy. He will, of course, live on forever through 'Coronation Street,''' she said.

Famed Italian Writer Eco Dies at 84

Italian author Umberto Eco has died at age 84, ending a writing career that spanned decades and covered topics both profound and mundane.

Eco died of cancer at his home in Milan Friday. He was, as the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said, one of Italy's most celebrated intellectuals.

His novels, while challenging, had popular appeal.

His most famous work, the best-selling historical novel The Name of the Rose, was made into a movie starring Sean Connery in 1986. The novel published in 1980 has been translated into 43 languages and sold millions of copies.

Professional academics

Eco was a professional academic, having studied philosophy and later specializing in semiotics, the study of signs and symbols.

His second novel, Foucault's Pendulum, was a thriller so complicated that it was packaged with an annotated guide to help readers follow the plot.

Eco's road to literary fame was long and filled with unlikely detours.

As a teenager in northern Italy, he wrote comic books and fantasy novels. He worked as a journalist for Italian television starting in the 1950s, and later wrote children's books and columns for Italian newspapers.

In the past decade, Eco published essay collections on current events and, last year, a novel about Italian political scandal called Numero Zero.

Thousands Attend Funeral for Justice Scalia

Mourners attended a Roman Catholic funeral Mass Saturday for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, lauded as a giant of the law and the most influential justice of his era.

The life of Scalia, who was deeply religious, was honored in the country’s largest Roman Catholic church, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, where Pope Francis had celebrated a Mass in September.

Vice President Joe Biden led a distinguished group of officials, dignitaries, family and friends in attending the service for Scalia, who died one week ago at age 79.

Scalia's eight fellow justices – including Clarence Thomas, who offered a Bible reading – several cabinet secretaries and many members of Congress were in attendance, as was former Vice President Dick Cheney.

​One of the late justice's nine children, Paul Scalia, a Roman Catholic priest, delivered a homily to the congregation during the service. Four other sons served as pallbearers.

Paul Scalia recalled his father's devotion to God and country. He told the audience how his father reacted once after accidentally standing in his son's confessional line.

"Like heck if I'm confessing to you,'' Paul Scalia fondly remembered his father saying.

Public mourning

Scalia's coffin lay in repose throughout the day and evening Friday at the Supreme Court, near the U.S. Capitol, as lines of mourners filed past.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michele Obama offered their condolences Friday afternoon.

Scalia was a member of the nation's highest court for more than 29 years.

He was known as a leading proponent of conservative policies and an "originalist," meaning that he was guided in his interpretation of the U.S. Constitution by what the country's founders in the 18th century had in mind when they wrote the national charter.

​​Such views often contrast with what is known as a "liberal" view of the court's decisions, held by those who believe the Constitution, written more than 200 years ago, should be interpreted in terms of its meaning for the government and society of today.

The judge's sudden death left the Supreme Court with only eight judges, which could affect the court's actions until a ninth justice is nominated by the president and approved by the Senate.

Court review

With only eight sitting judges, an even 4-4 vote among them would mean the Supreme Court could take no action to review lower-court decisions – either upholding or overturning them. Many lower-court actions are brought before the Supreme Court on appeal, but the court chooses which cases it will review.

​​Since this is a presidential election year, many members of the opposition Republican party have said the responsibility of choosing a new Supreme Court justice should be made by the next president, whoever that may be, who will succeed Obama in 11 months' time.

President Obama, however, said it is his constitutional responsibility to act more promptly; most members of his Democratic Party and some Republicans agree that a Supreme Court nomination should not be postponed until next year.

Obama has said he will name his choice for the court in the coming days or weeks.

'To Kill a Mockingbird' Author Harper Lee Dies

Harper Lee, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the most significant works in the history of American literature, died Friday at age 89 in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

Lee's attorney, Tonja Carter, said she "passed away early this morning in her sleep" and that the death was unexpected.

Her publisher, HarperCollins, also confirmed her death Friday but did not give any other details.

"The world knows Harper Lee was a brilliant writer, but what many don't know is that she was an extraordinary woman of great joyfulness, humility and kindness," said Michael Morrison, head of Lee's publisher HarperCollins. "She lived her life the way she wanted to — in private, surrounded by books and the people who loved her.''

To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of idealistic white southern lawyer Atticus Finch, who defends an African-American man unjustly accused of raping a white woman.

The story is set in the Great Depression of the 1930s and is seen through the eyes of Finch's young daughter, Scout. It is as much a story of growing up as it is a tale of racism and injustice.

It was a remarkable novel for its time, published in 1960 when black Americans were battling for civil rights and confronted by violent mobs, indifferent police, and racist white politicians.

'Changed America'

To Kill a Mockingbird won a Pulitzer Prize for literature and was made into a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, who won an Oscar playing Finch.

The book has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, HarperCollins says, making it one of the most widely read books since it was published.

In a 1991 Library of Congress survey of books that have affected people's live, To Kill a Mockingbird was ranked second only to the Bible.

A stage version of the book will make its Broadway debut next year.

President and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama said Friday that Lee "changed America for the better" and that her book also changed the way Americans see each other more powerfully than 100 speeches could.

But Lee herself avoided the spotlight. She said she never expected Mockingbird to become a success, and she lived quietly in New York and Monroeville.

Her public appearances were few. But she did go to the White House in 2007 — to accept a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, who called her book "a gift to the entire world."

She also regularly attended an annual luncheon at the University of Alabama to meet with the winners of a high school essay contest on the subject of her book, and wrote occasional articles for U.S. magazines.

'Legacy will last'

Spencer Madrie, owner of Monroeville's Ol' Curiosities & Book Shoppe, which is dedicated to the work of Lee and other Southern authors, said the town was in a somber mood as word of Lee's death spread.

"You wish somebody like that could go on forever and be this lifelong legend," Madrie said. "You don't ever consider somebody like that passing, even though her legacy will last for generations after."

A private funeral will be held in a few days, a statement from Lee's family said.

The book world was stunned last year when Lee allowed HarperCollins to publish her only other known novel, Go Set A Watchman, which was a prequel to Mockingbird.

The publisher says it was the fastest-selling book in its history, selling more than 1.1 million copies in North America in its first week.

NYC Concert to Honor David Bowie

A David Bowie memorial concert will be held in New York City's Carnegie Hall on March 31.

A tribute concert dedicated to his musical legacy had been announced for the storied venue, but organizers changed it to a memorial in the wake of his death from cancer Sunday.

Tickets went on sale Monday and quickly sold out as news spread.

​​Bowie producer Tony Visconti's house band will perform, along with artists including Cyndi Lauper, the Roots and the Mountain Goats.

On Friday, the iconic musician turned 69 and released Blackstar, his 25th album. Inventive to the end, Bowie mixed rock and jazz on the album, which critics hailed as his best work in years.

British Rock Icon David Bowie Dies at 69

British rock music legend David Bowie has died.

On Friday, the iconic musician turned 69 and released Blackstar, his 25th album. Inventive to the end, Bowie mixed rock and jazz on the album, which critics hailed as his best work in years.

His Facebook and Twitter accounts say he died peacefully Sunday "surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer."

​Bowie was known for his gender-bending dress and for his refusal to be pigeon-holed in any one musical genre, experimenting with glam rock, hard rock, dance, pop, soul and punk.

He shot to fame with 1969's Space Oddity, the lyrics of which summed up the loneliness of the Cold War space race and coincided with the Apollo landing on the moon: "Ground Control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on ... For here am I sitting in my tin can. Far above the world. Planet Earth is blue. And there's nothing I can do."

​Ziggy Stardust

Three years later, he released The Rise of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders from Mars, which introduced one of music's most famous personas: the red-headed, androgynous, eyeliner-wearing Stardust, who would become an enduring part of Bowie's legacy.

He was born David Jones in south London two years after the end of World War Two. But, to avoid confusion with the Monkees' Davy Jones, he later changed his name to David Bowie, according to Rolling Stone.

Bowie's Ziggy Stardust gave way to the stuttering rock sound of Changes, to the disco soul of Young Americans, co-written with John Lennon, to a droning collaboration with Brian Eno in Berlin that produced Heroes.

​​Some of his biggest successes occurred in the early 1980s, with the Let's Dance, Under Pressure, which he recorded with Queen, and a massive American tour.

'High points of one's life'

"My entire career, I've only really worked with the same subject matter. The trousers may change, but the actual words and subjects I've always chosen to write with are things to do with isolation, abandonment, fear and anxiety — all of the high points of one's life," he told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview.

Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. He also co-wrote the musical Lazarus, which is finishing its run on Broadway this month.

He kept a low profile in recent years after reportedly suffering a heart attack in the 2004. However, he was to be honored with a concert at Carnegie Hall in March.

Bowie is survived by his wife, the model Iman, and two children.

Final Exits of 2015

Natalie Cole
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2016/01/singer-natalie-cole-dead-at-65.html

Ornette Coleman
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/06/jazz-icon-ornette-coleman-dies-at-85.html

James Horner
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/06/titantic-composer-james-horner-dies-in.html

Ellsworth Kelly
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/12/abstract-master-ellsworth-kelly-dies-at.html

B.B. King
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/05/blues-legend-bb-king-dead-at-89.html

Lemmy
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/12/motorheads-lemmy-dead-at-age-70.html

Mikhail Lesin
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/11/mikhail-lesin-russian-media-tycoon-ex.html

Martin Milner
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/09/martin-milner-star-of-tvs-adam-12-route.html

Omar Sharif
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/07/remembering-hollywood-icon-omar-sharif.html

Lee Kuan Yew
http://post-humous.blogspot.com/2015/03/world-leaders-in-singapore-sunday-for.html

Singer Natalie Cole Dead at 65

Grammy award-winning singer Natalie Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, is dead at the age of 65.

Cole died Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from "ongoing health issues,” according to a family statement. The statement said Cole "fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived — with dignity, strength and honor."

In quoting her most identifiable song, the family also said, "Our beloved mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever," putting the name of the song in capital letters.

Celebrity gossip website TMZ said Cole died from congestive heart failure, but that it had been told the underlying medical issues were complications from a kidney transplant and hepatitis C. Cole had struggled with drug and alcohol problems in the past and underwent a kidney transplant in 2009.

'Unforgettable' career

Natalie Cole began her career as an R&B singer and had hits that included the Grammy-winning song, "This Will Be."

Cole's career, however, reached superstar status when she recorded the 1991 album, Unforgettable...With Love, which paid tribute to her father, who died in 1965. The album included reworked versions of some of his best-known songs. The title song, "Unforgettable," featured Natalie Cole's voice spliced with her father's. Engineers used technology that was considered cutting edge at the time to make it appear as if father and daughter were singing a duet.

The song was a hit for Nat King Cole in 1951. The song and the album garnered several Grammy awards for Natalie Cole. In addition to R&B, Natalie Cole delved into pop and jazz music. Other hits included "Our Love" and the reworked "Pink Cadillac," a song originally by Bruce Springsteen.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson was among those paying tribute to Natalie Cole.

In a tweet, he described her as a "sister beloved ... of substance and sound. May her soul rest in peace."