obituaries

Ranking Roger, born Roger Charlery, performs with The English Beat in San Bernardino, California, on May 28, 1983. Charlery died March 26, 2019 in Birmingham, U.K.

Music & Culture

Ranking Roger, Frontman For The English Beat, Dies At 56

12:36pm March 27, 2019

by Andrew Flanagan

In the late '70s, Ranking Roger left punk rock to join The Beat — later known as The English Beat. His presence helped it become one of the most unforgettable bands of the '80s.

Scott Walker, seen here in November 1970, has died at the age of 76.

Music & Culture

Scott Walker, Pop Idol Turned Avant Auteur, Dies At 76

8:45pm March 25, 2019

by Otis Hart

The former member of The Walker Brothers and singer of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" was also one of experimental music's most beloved composers.

Singer-Songwriter Scott Walker Dies At 76

6:05pm March 25, 2019

Singer Scott Walker, an American who had pop music success in the U.K. and Canada in the 1960s, has died at 76. The Ohio-born performer re-invented himself as a member of the Walker Brothers .

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Alan Krueger on the day he was nominated by President Obama as Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

What Alan Krueger Taught Us

8:39am March 19, 2019

by Greg Rosalsky

The renowned economist and former Obama adviser Alan Krueger died this past weekend. We look at his enormous legacy.

Dick Dale, King Of Surf Guitar, Dies At 81

6:28pm March 18, 2019

by Tom Cole

Fans and fellow musicians are remembering Dick Dale, who died Saturday at 81. Dale's sound inspired legions of musicians back in the 1960s and into the 21st century.

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Books

Remembering W.S. Merwin

11:48am March 16, 2019

W.S. Merwin died Friday at the age of 91. He was one of the United States' most prolific poets — he won the Pulitzer Prize twice.

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W.S. Merwin found inspiration in his conservation work and in his home on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Books
Arts

Poet W.S. Merwin, Who Was Inspired By Conservation, Dies At 91

5:21pm March 15, 2019

by Noah Adams

In the 1980s, the two-time U.S. poet laureate moved to Hawaii and began working to restore the rainforest. According to one contemporary, that's when he "morphed into a poet of praise."

Politics & Government

Former Sen. Birch Bayh, Who Authored Title IX Legislation, Dies At 91

6:04pm March 14, 2019

by Brandon Smith

Three-term Indiana Sen. Birch Bayh died Thursday at 91. He was the author of the landmark Title IX law and wrote two constitutional amendments during his time in Congress.

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Police walk near the scene where reputed leader of the Gambino crime family Francesco "Frank" Cali, 53, was fatally shot Wednesday night.

National

Frank Cali, Reputed Gambino Crime Family Boss, Is Killed In N.Y. Attack

11:22am March 14, 2019

by Bill Chappell

In a killing that echoes mob murders of the 1980s, a man who was believed to be running a Mafia family was gunned down outside his home in Staten Island.

Drummer Hal Blaine attends an awards ceremony in Anaheim, Calif., in 2014.

Hal Blaine, 'Most Recorded Drummer In History,' Dies At 90

6:11pm March 12, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The session musician's ubiquitous drums beat a path through rock history. As a member of the Wrecking Crew, Blaine can be heard backing everyone from Frank Sinatra to Neil Diamond and the Beach Boys.

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