obituaries

World News

Photojournalist Killed While Covering Clash Between Afghan Forces And The Taliban

5:49pm July 16, 2021

by Jackie Northam

Journalist Danish Siddiqui was killed while covering a clash between Afghan forces and the Taliban. The 38-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer had worked with Reuters for more than a decade.

Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards announced a run for Congress in 2014 but failed to make a comeback. He spent eight years in prison after a felony conviction arising from the licensing of riverboat casinos in his fourth term as governor.

National

Edwin Edwards, The Larger-Than-Life Former Louisiana Governor, Dies At 93

3:43pm July 12, 2021

by Debbie Elliott

Edwards was the last in a long line of colorful populist Democrats who once dominated Louisiana politics. He served four terms as governor, and did federal prison time on a corruption conviction.

Esther Bejarano, who survived former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, performs a hip-hop song during an Auschwitz-Committee event to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz in 2010 in Hamburg, Germany.

World News

Auschwitz Survivor Who Fought Racism With Music Dies At 96

4:36pm July 10, 2021

by The Associated Press

Esther Bejarano, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp who used the power of music to fight antisemitism and racism in post-war Germany, has died at 96.

Writer and director Robert Downey Sr.'s anti-establishment ethos and experimental streak would go on to influence a new generation of filmmakers, including directors like Paul Thomas Anderson and Jim Jarmusch.

Arts

Robert Downey Sr., Director of Experimental American Movies, Dies At Age 85

6:15pm July 09, 2021

Downey Sr., who wrote and directed the 1969 film Putney Swope, died Wednesday in his home from complications due to Parkinson's disease.

World News

Dilip Kumar, Iconic Actor From The 'Golden Age' Of Indian Cinema, Has Died At 98

4:33pm July 08, 2021

by Neda Ulaby

Dilip Kumar was one of the most iconic leading men of what is considered the 'golden age' of Indian cinema in the 1950s and 60s. On Wednesday, Kumar passed away in Mumbai at 98.

Italian singer and TV host Raffaella Carrà being lifted by dancers in a 1983 performance.

Raffaella Carrà, Glittery Queen Of Italian TV, Has Died At 78

4:09pm July 07, 2021

by Neda Ulaby

The beloved entertainer is often credited with having sparked a sexual revolution in Italy with her spangled midriff-baring costumes and frank lyrics about initiating sex — and falling for gay men.

The late Armenian composer and musician Jivan Gasparyan, performing in New York in 1994.

Jivan Gasparyan, Armenian Musician Beloved By Rock Stars And Hollywood, Has Died

2:52pm July 06, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The duduk player and composer took his music from the mountains of his native Armenia to some of Hollywood's biggest films. Along the way, he played with rock legends like Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno.

Richard Donner attends a 2017 tribute to his work.

Arts

Director Richard Donner, A Pioneer In The Action-Adventure Genre, Has Died

10:48pm July 05, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

Donner directed 1978's Superman — which is in the National Film Registry — as well as The Goonies and the Lethal Weapon franchise. He was 91.

National

Remembering Elizabeth Martinez, Chicano Social Justice Activist

4:31pm July 02, 2021

by Mandalit del Barco

Chicano social justice activist and feminist writer Elizabeth Martinez died in San Francisco at 95. She was a fixture at marches and rallies and wrote books about the history of Chicanos and Chicanas.

Music & Culture

Louis Andriessen, Influential, Iconoclastic Dutch Composer, Dies At Age 82

3:59pm July 01, 2021

by Tom Huizenga

Known for his idiosyncratic, wide-ranging style and the radical politics of his early years, Louis Andriessen had a profound impact on modern music as an uncompromising creator and prominent teacher.