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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...

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    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

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    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...

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    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...

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    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,...

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    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...

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    Pig Destroyer’s Blake Harrison Dies at 48

    The grindcore band issued a statement commemorating Harrison, who played samples, noise, and other sound design:...

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    Damo Suzuki, Legendary Can Vocalist, Dies at 74

    The Japanese musician performed and recorded with the German krautrock band for a short but important...

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    Country Singer Toby Keith Dies at 62

    Keith, a torchbearer for patriotic country, had been living with stomach cancer

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    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...

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    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...

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    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...

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    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”

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    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

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    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...

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    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,...

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    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...

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    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...

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    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

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    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...

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    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”

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    Shane MacGowan, Pogues Frontman, Dies at 65

    The storied Irish punk singer was both a national icon and, for the band’s hit “Fairytale...