obituaries

A master of American abstract art has died: Sam Gilliam was 88

5:05am June 28, 2022

Gilliam, one of the most celebrated Black artists of his generation, was known for his Drape works. Vibrantly painted pieces of fabric were hung by clips and couldn't be presented the same way twice.

Sam Gilliam's 1968 work Double Merge, which is currently on display at Dia Beacon in Beacon, N.Y.

Arts

Visual artist Sam Gilliam has died at 88

7:22pm June 27, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The Washington, D.C.-based painter became famous for his Drape works — vibrantly painted pieces of fabric that he hung by clips and could never be presented the same way twice.

National

Clela Rorex, the clerk who issued some of the 1st same sex marriage licenses, dies

8:41pm June 23, 2022

by Noel Black

One of the first county clerks to issue same sex marriage licenses has died. Clela Rorex called herself an "accidental activist" but was an important figure in the fight for LGBTQ civil rights.

Queue Listen Now

Remembering Mary Ogden, lost at age 100 to COVID, with the lullaby 'Baby's Boat'

5:07pm June 22, 2022

Mary Ogden's children and granddaughter remember her through the lullaby "Baby Boat," which meant a lot to all of them. Ogden died from COVID-19 in 2020, not long after her 100th birthday.

Mark Shields speaks during a taping of NBC's Meet the Press on Feb. 17, 2008, in Washington, D.C. The longtime PBS NewsHour commentator has died at age 85.

Politics & Government

PBS NewsHour commentator Mark Shields dies at age 85

6:42pm June 18, 2022

by Juliana Kim

Mark Shields, the longtime commentator known for his weekly political analysis and sense of humor, has died at the age of 85, PBS NewsHour confirmed.

Remembering Scott 'Scooter' Stewart, lost to COVID, with Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird'

8:32pm June 15, 2022

Shannon Hunt remembers mechanic Scott "Scooter" Stewart of Shiloh, Ill., who died from COVID. She calls him her "bonus dad."

Queue Listen Now

Meghan Stabile, photographed onstage with Robert Glasper during Winter Jazzfest 2020.

Meghan Stabile, promoter who united jazz and hip-hop, dead at 39

6:14pm June 15, 2022

by Nate Chinen

"We get so stuck on categories and labels that you completely miss the point of really beautiful, authentic forms of art," Stabille told Jazz Night in America in 2015.

Prolific character actor Philip Baker Hall dies at 90

6:34pm June 13, 2022

by The Associated Press

Hall's many roles included parts in Midnight Run, Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and he was known for one of the most powerfully funny guest appearances on Seinfeld.

In the '90s, Julee Cruise filled in for The B-52s member Cindy Wilson on tour. The singer is best known for her work with David Lynch on Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet.

Julee Cruise, otherworldly crooner on 'Twin Peaks,' dies at 65

2:14pm June 10, 2022

by Lars Gotrich

Cruise's instrument, a voice of such intense calm it could be unsettling, made her a natural collaborator of director David Lynch — and, later, new-wave icons The B-52s.

Alec John Such, the bassist and a founding member of Bon Jovi, has died. He was 70. No details on when or how John Such died were immediately available.

Music & Culture

Alec John Such, a founding member of Bon Jovi, dies at 70

6:43pm June 05, 2022

by The Associated Press

No details on when or how John Such died were immediately available. A publicist for Bon Jovi didn't immediately respond to messages.