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Gylan Kain, Spoken Word Artist Who Co-Founded the Original Last Poets, Dies at 81
Kain helped set the stage for rap with the Harlem collective’s beat-driven performance poetry about racism...
Cola Boyy, Pop Singer-Songwriter and Activist, Dies at 34
The California musician collaborated with the Avalanches, MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden, Air’s Nicolas Godin, and more
Shigeichi Negishi, Original Karaoke Machine Inventor, Dies at 100
Though never patented, Negishi’s 1967 Sparko Box was the first device to facilitate what would become...
Vybz Kartel, Sentenced to Life in Prison in 2014, Wins Appeal of Murder Conviction
A Jamaican appeals court will now decide whether the dancehall star and his co-defendants will again...
Rapper Boss, One of the First Women Signed to Def Jam, Dies at 54
The Detroit rapper worked with Jam Master Jay and Erick Sermon on her solo studio album,...
Eric Carmen, Raspberries Frontman and “All by Myself” Singer, Dies at 74
The Cleveland singer, guitarist, and songwriter was behind power-pop hits like “Hungry Eyes” and “Go All...
Pig Destroyer’s Blake Harrison Dies at 48
The grindcore band issued a statement commemorating Harrison, who played samples, noise, and other sound design:...
Damo Suzuki, Legendary Can Vocalist, Dies at 74
The Japanese musician performed and recorded with the German krautrock band for a short but important...
Country Singer Toby Keith Dies at 62
Keith, a torchbearer for patriotic country, had been living with stomach cancer
Brian Griffin, Depeche Mode Album Cover Photographer, Dies at 75
As well as driving the Essex band’s striking Soviet aesthetic, Griffin shot covers for the likes...
Melinda Wilson, Brian Wilson’s Wife, Dies at 77
“Melinda was more than my wife,” the Beach Boys co-founder said of the woman who steered...
Melanie, Beloved Woodstock Performer and “Brand New Key” Singer, Dies at 76
Melanie Safka was a prolific singer-songwriter and one of only three solo female performers at the...
Mary Weiss, Lead Singer of the Shangri-Las, Dies at 75
The pop singer was behind countless hits in the 1960s, including “Leader of the Pack”
Leon Wildes, Lawyer Who Exposed Nixon Plot to Deport John Lennon, Dies at 90
The New York immigration lawyer successfully defended Lennon against politically motivated deportation efforts
Del Palmer, Longtime Kate Bush Collaborator, Dies at 71
“It’s hard to know what to say… He was a big part of my life and...
Phill Niblock, Avant-Garde Composer and Filmmaker, Dies at 90
Niblock was a fixture of the New York experimental scene, collaborating with Arthur Russell, Sonic Youth,...
Iasos, Pioneer of New Age Music, Dies at 77
The man behind Inter-Dimensional Music, who believed himself to be manifesting transmissions from another plane of...
Les McCann, Soul Jazz Pianist and Singer, Dies at 88
His music was frequently sampled by hip-hop acts like Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, and...
Tom Smothers, Half of Music-Comedy Duo Smothers Brothers, Dies at 86
With his younger brother, Dick, Smothers satirized folk music and politics in the 1960s
Amp Fiddler, Storied Detroit Artist, Dies at 65
The singer, keyboardist, and producer worked with P-Funk, J Dilla, and Moodymann in a career that...
Denny Laine, Wings and Moody Blues Co-Founder, Dies at 79
Paul McCartney remembered his late bandmate as “a great talent with a fine sense of humour”
Shane MacGowan, Pogues Frontman, Dies at 65
The storied Irish punk singer was both a national icon and, for the band’s hit “Fairytale...