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Frankie Beverly, long known as the frontman for the soul and funk band Maze, has died according to a statement released by the family. Beverly began his career as a teenager before eventually honing his sound which later became one of the foundations of modern R&B.
Beverly was born December 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in the East Germantown section. Beverly began singing in church and joined his first band at the age of 13. At 16, much to the dismay of his father who wanted him to take a more traditional route, Beverly formed an acapella group known as The Blenders. While still trying to find his signature sound, Beverly formed a new band known as The Butlers, who cut their first record in 1963.
In 1970, determined to make it in music, Beverly formed the band Raw Soul and moved west to San Francisco to pursue a career in the industry. A chance meeting with the sister-in-law of Marvin Gaye at the time led to a fruitful connection leading to opportunities for the band. The group toured with Gaye as his opening act and according to several accounts, the legendary R&B star urged Beverly to change the band’s name from Raw Soup to Maze.
Through the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Maze notched several hits that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 and U.S. R&B charts, including “Joy & Pain,” “Southern Girl,” “Back In Stride” and the backyard two-step classic, “Before I Let Go” which was covered in 2019 by Beyoncé.
In the world of Hip-Hop, Maze has been sampled by a few notables of the genre including 50 Cent, T.I., Tha Dogg Pound, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, 2Pac, and more. Maze was also a huge touring act, which featured Beverly in his signature all-white attire complete with a white baseball cap.
The statement from the Beverly family was shared on Instagram and reads as follows:
Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.
He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends.
Love one another as he would want that for us all.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans of Beverly expressed their sorrow and celebrated the life and legacy of the singer. We’ve got those reactions below.
Beverly was 77.
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Photo: Brian Stukes / Getty
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Rich Homie Quan, who hit the airwaves big with his single “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” has reportedly died according to several reports and messages from those close to him. As this is a breaking story, we will update this post repeatedly as more details emerge.
Rich Homie Quan, real name Dequantes Lamar, was born on October 4, 1989, in Atlanta, Ga. After a stint as a college baseball player and spending 15 months behind bars, Quan began taking music seriously around 2012 and continued to grow his artistry. In 2013, Quan scored his first hit, “Type Of Way” from his mixtape Still Goin In: Reloaded. He followed that with another gold-selling single “Walk Thru” with Problem the following year.
In 2015, the aforementioned “Flex” became Quan’s signature song and to date has sold over 3 million copies. He was also a member of Birdman’s supergroup Rich Gang with Young Thug.
From what we’re able to gather, the news was first broken by R&B singer Jacquees, who has collaborated with Rich Homie Quan and the wider Rich Gang collective on several tracks. Jacquees also shared an image of the pair, referring to his fallen comrade as a “legend.”
Rich Homie Quan’s name was also recently mentioned during the still-ongoing Young Thug and YSL trial in Georgia after YSL Woody curiously name-dropped the rapper while on the stand sending attendees inside the court including Thug himself into a fit of laughter.
On X, formerly Twitter, the news of Rich Homie Quan’s passing is still moving through the timeline. We’ve captured some responses and will return with more details as we have them.
Rich Homie Quan was 34.
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Photo: Getty
The music industry is mourning the loss of talent manager Jason Hobdy, who passed away on Friday, Aug. 30, at the age of 40.
According to Yvette Noel-Schure, Hobdy was on a flight returning from a tour in Japan with his artist, Maeta, when he fell ill. The Bronx native was known for his work with a roster of notable artists, including H.E.R., Maeta, Elijah Blake, and Tone Stith.
Jason Hobdy began his career at MBK Entertainment under the guidance of Jeff Robinson, Jeanine McClean, and Suzette Williams. Starting as an intern at just 16, Jason quickly immersed himself in the world of artist management, learning the ropes from some of the best in the business.
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His journey from street team work to tour management saw him traveling the world with artists like Alicia Keys, K. Michelle, and Lucky Daye. In a 2021 interview with Rolling Out, Jason reflected on his beginnings, saying, “I was just a little boy from the Bronx… It has opened up doors, I have traveled the world, and it has shown me that there’s a big world out here outside of the Bronx.”
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Jeff Robinson, CEO of MBK Entertainment, shared a tribute on Instagram, where he described Jason as a determined young man who fulfilled his childhood dream.
“When he was 11 years old, my nephew Jason ‘Hoody’ Hobdy told me that when he grew up, he was going to work for me and eventually run the company,” Robinson wrote.
“As a teen, he actually did start working for me… What a great life and career for a poor kid from the Bronx who loved to laugh and dream big, to running your own company and touring the world for years! I am so proud to call you my Nephew and PARTNER!”
He also expressed his deep pride in Jason’s achievements, acknowledging how he successfully managed artists and broke new acts. Robinson concluded by saying, “Your name will ring bells in heaven and Earth!! Rest well, Young King.”
Jason’s impact on the artists he managed was profound. Elijah Blake shared on Instagram, “Death is such a strange concept because we were on the phone laughing at 3 a.m…. All we ever did was joke bro… Your legacy is & will be that of a champion.”
Tone Stith also paid tribute, saying, “Hoody’s heart was so big that he was able to love everyone at the same level, and serve that person… A great example of living like Jesus Christ.”
In addition to his work at MBK, Jason founded his own management company He was also an A&R consultant for Monarch Distro since 2022.
Jason Hobdy is survived by his family, including many brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and his industry family worldwide.
Texas rapper BeatKing has died at the age of 39. The rapper and producer behind tracks like “Then Leave” and “Scream,” born Justin Riley, was a driving force in Houston’s underground scene. BeatKing’s passing was confirmed on Aug. 15, by his manager, Tasha Felder, in a statement posted to Instagram. “Today, Aug. 15, 2024, we […]
Eric Gardner, chairman and CEO of Panacea Entertainment, died from complications of pneumonia on July 19 at his home in Camarillo, Calif. Gardner, whose career as a talent manager and producer of television shows and Las Vegas residencies spanned more than 50 years, was 74 years-old.
Gardner, who managed dozens of acts over the years, was inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame at their 2017 ceremony in Las Vegas. He was still managing Todd Rundgren and Paul Shaffer at the time of his death.
Gardner’s career began in 1970 when, as a graduate student earning his Master of Fine Arts in playwriting at Columbia University, he started coordinating tours for such rock bands as Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead and, later, KISS. His company, Panacea Entertainment Corp., was the industry’s first rock and roll tour coordination company. By 1973, it was coordinating tours in 23 countries.
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In 1974, Panacea’s emphasis shifted to talent management. Over the years, Gardner represented such diverse musical artists as Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones, Kenney Jones of The Who/ Faces/Small Faces, Rundgren, Donny Osmond, Rick Wright of Pink Floyd, The Stray Cats, Jefferson Starship, Sex Pistols, John Lydon, Steven Van Zandt and Max Weinberg (both of the E Street Band), Hot Tuna, Blue Öyster Cult, Grace Jones and Bettye LaVette.
He also represented Late Night with David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer; writer/producer Jim Steinman; actors David Hasselhoff, Richard Belzer and Richard Chamberlain; and psychologist, author and activist Timothy Leary, among others.
In 1981, Gardner relocated Panacea from New York to Los Angeles to expand into film and television. His first foray in 1982 was signing Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, whom he helped develop from a local Los Angeles television personality into an international film and television phenomenon. Over the next 26 years, he produced her many film and television projects.
Gardner’s IMDB page includes 40 credits as a producer or executive producer, including multiple projects with Elvira, Hasselhoff, Belzer, Rundgren (both solo and with his band Utopia), Shaffer and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones.
Gardner both produced and directed a 1976 TV special, Blue Öyster Cult: Live 1976. That was the year the band landed its biggest hit, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper,” which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
He executive produced Digital Dreams, a 1983 TV movie which documented Wyman’s life. Two years later, he executive produced Willie and the Poor Boys, a film about the “supergroup” of the same name. The band consisted of Wyman and Charlie Watts, also of the Rolling Stones, plus Andy Fairweather Low, Mickey Gee and Geraint Watkins. Their eponymous album reached No. 96 on the Billboard 200 in 1985.
Gardner executive produced Heavy Metal Heaven, a 1990 miniseries in which Elvira introduced six programs celebrating the genre.
He executive produced The Filth and the Fury, a 2000 documentary about the career of the notorious punk rock band, Sex Pistols. The film was directed by Julien Temple, who had also directed The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, the classic 1980 documentary about the band. The Filth and the Fury provided an opportunity for the surviving members of the group to tell their side of the story. Also in 2000, Gardner executive produced Rotten TV, a short-lived VH-1 series hosted by Lydon of Sex Pistols fame.
He executive produced Bitter Jester, a 2003 show which was billed as the first documentary to offer a glimpse into the process behind the comedy we watch in clubs, on television and at the movies. The film included interviews with Richard Pryor and Belzer, among others.
In 2006, he executive produced Running With Arnold, a documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s successful gubernatorial campaign in California that year. The doc was narrated by Alec Baldwin.
In 2019, he executive produced Paul Shaffer Plus One, an eight-episode TV series in which Shaffer and his guests discussed inspirations and influences and notable songs.
Despite having a hand in numerous music projects, Gardner’s longest-running TV project was Shahs of Sunset, a Bravo reality series which followed a group of affluent young Persian-American friends who juggle their flamboyant L.A. lifestyles with family demands. More than 125 episodes were produced from 2012-2021.
Gardner was also behind several successful Las Vegas residencies. In 2009, he launched and produced Donny & Marie featuring Donny and Marie Osmond at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in association with Caesar’s Entertainment. He co-produced with Planet Hollywood, also in Las Vegas, the “Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band” residency shows. Once again with Caesar’s Entertainment, he produced “Paul Shaffer and the Shaff-Shifters” residency shows.
Gardner was active right up until his death. Projects in the works at the time of his death included a Blues Brothers primetime animated TV series in partnership with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s widow Judy Belushi (who died two weeks before Gardner, on July 5 at age 73); adapting the hit 1980 Blues Brothers movie as a Broadway musical; “Sharknado the Musical” in Las Vegas in partnership with Caesar’s Entertainment/Greg Young/The Asylum; a Hellraiser primetime TV series with former New World Entertainment chairman Larry Kuppin; and a feature film about Timothy Leary life’s story with HBO.
Gardner is survived by his wife, Janis, who is the co-owner of Panacea Entertainment, and three grown daughters, Cameron, Madeleine and Nathalie.
We are a deeply divided country, as we keep hearing, but there’s one thing we can all agree on – Bob Newhart was a national treasure, and one of the most talented and original comedy stars who ever lived. Newhart who died on Thursday (July 18) at age 94, starred in two long-running sitcoms, The […]
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Joe Bryant, the father of the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, has died according to reports. Joe Bryant, nicknamed Jellybean, was a Philadelphia native who played basketball and coached in the city reportedly suffered a stroke.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Joe Bryant suffered a stroke based on comments made by La Salle University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Fran Dunphy. Bryant’s passing happened well over four years after the death of Kobe Bryant and his granddaughter Gigi Bryant on January 26, 2020.
According to the Inquirer, Bryant earned the nickname Jellybean due to his love of sweet treats and was a star player at Bartram High School and La Salle University ahead of being drafted in the first round of the 1975 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. After eight seasons in the league, including four with the Philadelphia 76ers, Bryant established himself as a player in Italy and Europe, where a young Kobe picked up the Italian language
The outlet adds that a distance became apparent between Kobe Bryant and his father after being drafted right out of Lower Merion High School by the Los Angeles Lakers. After the death of his son and granddaughter, the elder Bryant never spoke about the loss, signaling just how far the rift between them was.
Joe Bryant was 69.
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Photo: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Richard Simmons, the fitness guru with a flamboyant, relentlessly positive persona, died Saturday (July 13) at his home in the Hollywood Hills. His death, which appears to be from natural causes, came one day after his 76th birthday.
Simmons’ multi-faceted fitness empire included at least 12 books, 10 CDs and 22 DVDs, including five volumes of his signature Sweatin’ to the Oldies.
Simmons had a platinum album in 1982 with Reach, which rode the Billboard 200 for 40 weeks. The album consisted of Simmons singing motivational songs such as “What Are You Waiting For?,” “You Can Do It,” “Wake Up,” “Reach” and “Live It.”
Simmons’ album entered the Billboard 200 in the week ending June 5, 1982, one week after Jane Fonda’s Workout Record debuted. Jane Fonda‘s double-disk album reached No. 15 on the chart and went double-platinum. It consisted mostly of such upbeat jams as The Jacksons’ “Can You Feel It” and Brothers Johnson’s “Stomp!” Both albums were part of the get-fit craze of the era, which was also immortalized in Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” video, which was released in 1981.
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Simmons’ colorful personality made him a natural for television, where he achieved his greatest fame. From 1980-84, he headlined his own daytime talk show The Richard Simmons Show, focusing on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking. He also made frequent appearances as himself on General Hospital and many other programs.
He was also a frequent guest of late-night television and radio talk shows, such as Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) and Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) and The Howard Stern Show, where those hosts knew just how far they could tease Simmons without crossing the line into cruelty. Simmons, dressed in his signature Dolphin shorts and sparkly tank-tops, always seemed to be in on the joke.
He understood his role in show business. In a 2012 interview with Men’s Health, he was quoted as saying: “When the king gets depressed, he doesn’t call for his wife or the cook. He turns to the little man with the pointed hat and says to the court jester ‘make me laugh.’ And I am that court jester.”
Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons was born on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans. He grew up in the French Quarter, where, he noted in his biography, “lard was a food group and dessert mandatory.” Simmons struggled with his weight from an early age. He reportedly weighed 268 pounds when he graduated high school.
Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons developed an interest in fitness. He opened an exercise studio, the Anatomy Asylum, later renamed Slimmons. His interest in fitness helped him lose more than 100 pounds. In 2010, he proudly announced that he had kept that weight off for 42 years.
Simmons didn’t make any major public appearances after 2014. In February 2017, the podcast Missing Richard Simmons launched, investigating why Simmons left public life so suddenly.
In August 2022, in response to continued rumors and a TMZ documentary, What Really Happened to Richard Simmons, Simmons issued a statement to the New York Post that he “is happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen to live.”
In March 2024, Simmons revealed that he had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, located underneath his right eye. That same month, Simmons issued a statement clarifying that he is not dying, after a cryptic Facebook post he had written drew public concern.
“I am … dying,” Simmons had written on Facebook. “Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky … count your blessings and enjoy. “
Earlier this year, actor Pauly Shore portrayed Simmons in a short film called The Court Jester, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. In promoting the movie, Shore teased the production of a larger biopic on the fitness icon
Simmons, however, made it clear that he was not on board with the film.
“You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore,” Simmons wrote in a post. “I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read.”
Simmons, who was active on social media, appeared to be in good spirits Friday, on his birthday. He posted a black-and-white photo of himself next to a cake. “I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” Simmons wrote on Facebook. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
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Richard Simmons, a fitness guru with an outsized personality and infectious energy, has died at the age of 76, according to a breaking report. Richard Simmons dominated the fitness space for decades, later shrinking away from the spotlight due to the public demands of being a celebrity.
TMZ obtained exclusive details regarding the death of Richard Simmons, who was found unresponsive in his Hollywood Hills home according to the report.
While the outlet learned that Simmons fell in a bathroom inside the home, it isn’t known if that’s how the housekeeper found him. So far, the cause of Simmons’ death has been ruled due to natural causes, although because of his celebrity status, local police are widening the investigation. Foul play is not suspected, however.
From TMZ:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … police and fire responded to a call from his housekeeper just before 10 AM Saturday and pronounced him dead at the scene. We’re told no foul play is suspected at this time, and cops are investigating it as a natural death.
Shockingly, RS posted multiple times on Facebook recently … including thanking fans for all the birthday wishes he received.
Simmons was born in New Orleans, Louisiana back in 1948 … later attending Florida State University where he got a Bachelor’s degree in art before he moved to Los Angeles in the ’70s.
Born Milton Teagle Simmons, the fitness star opened a series of gyms in the Los Angeles region before exploding in the world of at-home videos such as his popular Sweatin’ To The Oldies aerobic videos. He was also an actor, starring as himself in the long-running soap opera General Hospital.
In recent times, Simmons maintained a reclusive lifestyle but periodically used social media to interact with his loving fanbase and continue to promote positive messages.
Richard Simmons just celebrated his birthday yesterday (July 12). He was 76.
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Martin Mull, the comedic actor best known for his roles on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Roseanne, died on Thursday, June 27. He was 80. Though Mull never reached the highest ranks of comedy stardom, he had a long and active career and received both a Grammy nomination and a Primetime Emmy nod.
His daughter, TV writer and producer Maggie Mull (Family Guy) shared the news of his death on Instagram.
“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials,” she wrote. “He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and — the sign of a truly exceptional person — by many, many dogs.”
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Mull was born in Chicago on Aug. 18, 1943. He moved with his family to North Ridgeville, Ohio, when he was two. They lived there until he was 15, when his family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut.
Mull had his first taste of success as a songwriter. He wrote the novelty song “A Girl Named Johnny Cash,” an answer song to Shel Silverstein’s “A Boy Named Sue,” which was a 1969 crossover smash for Johnny Cash. Singer Jane Morgan recorded Mull’s song and took it to No. 61 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 1970.
Mull had a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as an artist in 1973, “Dueling Tubas,” a parody of “Dueling Banjos,” which was featured in the 1972 movie Deliverance. Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell’s instrumental smash “Dueling Banjos” logged four weeks at No. 2; “Dueling Tubas” reached No. 92.
Mull also released a series of comedy albums in the ’70s. His self-titled debut album, released by Capricorn in 1972, featured such well-known musicians as Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Levon Helm from The Band, Keith Spring from NRBQ and Libby Titus.
Two of Mull’s comedy albums made the Billboard 200 — I’m Everyone I’ve Ever Loved (1977) and Sex & Violins (1978). The latter album received a Grammy nomination for best comedy recording, but lost to Steve Martin’s smash hit A Wild and Crazy Guy. Both of Mull’s Billboard 200 albums were released on ABC Records. He also bubbled under the chart with albums released on Capricorn and Elektra.
In the early-to-mid 1970s, before his career as an actor really took off, Mull was mostly known as a musical comedian, performing satirical and humorous songs. He opened in concert for such top music stars as Randy Newman and Sandy Denny, Frank Zappa, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
Mull’s breakout acting role was as Garth Gimble in Norman Lear’s 1976 soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He also starred in the spin-off talk show parodies Fernwood 2 Night (1977) and America 2 Night (1978). He played talk show host Barth Gimble (Garth’s twin brother), opposite Fred Willard.
Mull appeared in 49 episodes of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, which was a big cult hit; 44 episodes of Fernwood 2 Night; and 65 episodes of America 2-Night.
Mull appeared in two more long-running TV series. He played Roseanne Barr’s gay boss (and later business partner), Leon Carp, on 46 episodes of her smash sitcom Roseanne (1991-97). His sexual orientation was treated matter-of-factly. That way of treating it was groundbreaking on TV at the time, when gay characters rarely appeared at all. Mull was also a creative consultant on the fourth season of that show and wrote the episode “Tolerate Thy Neighbor.”
He played the nosy Principal Kraft on 39 episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1997-2000).
Mull also appeared as a voice actor on multiple episodes of Family Dog, Teamo Supremo, Danny Phenom and American Dad!
Mull received a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series in 2016 for playing Bob Bradley on HBO’s Veep. Given his long and active career in TV, the nomination was overdue and most likely given in recognition of a lifetime of solid work.
Mull made his film debut in FM, a 1978 film about an FM radio station. He played the libidinous DJ Eric Swan. The FM soundtrack album, featuring many of the top rock stars of the era, rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
Mull went on to play Teri Garr’s boss Ron Richardson in 1983’s Mr. Mom, and Colonel Mustard in the 1985 comedy Clue.
He also starred in a series of commercials for Michelob and Pizza Hut, and in a series of television and radio spots for Red Roof Inn with his old pal and co-star Fred Willard. (Hence his daughter’s affectionate jibe above.)
Mull began painting in the 1970s. One of his paintings, titled After Dinner Drinks (2008), is owned by Steve Martin. Martin used it as the cover of Love Has Come for You, an album he recorded with Edie Brickell that received a Grammy nod for best Americana album.
Twice divorced, Mull was married to singer Wendy Haas. Mull died at his Los Angeles home following what his family described as “a valiant fight against a long illness.”