State Champ Radio obit
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Tina Turner, whose gritty vocals and fierce, sizzling performances powered two iconic music careers —as one-half of husband-and-wife duo Ike & Tina Turner and later as a solo star — has died, her rep confirmed to Billboard. The eight-time Grammy Award winner was 83. TETRIS KELLY:Tina Turner has died at the age of 83. A […]
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Claire Melendez, a woman who was featured on the cover of WWCD, the studio debut album of Griselda, has died. Westside Gunn, the co-founder of the Griselda collective, shared news of the passing of Claire Melendez, showcasing a number of photos within the process.
According to a report from Syracuse.com, Claire Melendez, also known as Claire Mel, was an unhoused woman who was known across the Buffalo, N.Y. region. While a cause of death wasn’t shared in the article, the chatter online appears to put to a hit-and-run incident.
Melendez graced the cover of WWCD (What Would Chine Gun Do), an album released in 2019 on Eminem’s Shady Records imprint that featured no samples. The production was handled by longtime Griselda cohort Daringer and Beat Butcha, using live instrumentation throughout the project.
“My fav Buffalo Kid. You’ll be Loved Forever,” Gunn wrote via Twitter with a brief collage of photos and the hashtags “#IMMORTAL” and “#RIPCLAIRE.”
Melendez was referenced on the track “Connie’s Son” from Gunn’s HWH7 project with production from King JBY B. According to a Facebook post, Melendez graduated from Burgard High School in Buffalo back in 1993.
Gunn referred to Melendez as a beloved figure in interviews, and there has been an outpouring of love and respect occurring across Twitter. We’ve got those reactions listed below.
Rest in powerful peace to Claire Melendez.
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Photo: Instagram/@crackheadclaire__
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MoneySign Suede, a young rising rapper from Huntington Park, Calif., lost his life after he was reportedly stabbed in a shower while in prison and succumbed to the wounds. On Twitter, fans of MoneySign Suede are saluting the rapper as they mourn the loss across social media.
MoneySign Suede, real name Jaime Brugada Valdez, was signed to Atlantic Records in 2021 according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. Valdez was housed at the Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad, Calif., which is where he was found dead inside a shower stall this past Tuesday.
A statement from CTF reads as follows:
At approximately 9:55 p.m. on April 25, correctional officers responded when Brugada was not accounted for in his cell after a regular institutional count. During a search he was found unresponsive in another area of the housing unit with injuries consistent with a homicide.
Staff quickly initiated life-saving measures and summoned emergency services to transport Brugada to an on-site medical facility for treatment, where he was pronounced deceased at 10:00 p.m.
Officials have limited movement at the institution to facilitate the investigation being conducted by the CTF Investigative Services Unit, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office and the Monterey County Coroner. The Office of the Inspector General was notified and the Monterey County Coroner will determine Brugada’s official cause of death.
MoneySign Suede released his album, Parkside Baby, last September. He also released a self-titled EP in early 2022 as well.
On Twitter, reactions to MoneySign Suede’s death continue to take place and we’ve got those reactions below.
He was 22.
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Photo: @moneysignsuede / Instagram
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Jerry Springer, an early leader in the tabloid talk show and unscripted television space, has reportedly died. Springer, a former mayor of Cincinnati in the 1970s, engaged in a decades-long career as a broadcaster and host up until last year.
Jerry Springer, born Gerald Norman Springer on February 13, 1944, in London, England. His parents resettled in America and Springer attended public school in Queens, N.Y. ahead of attending Tulane University en route to earning a law degree from Northwestern University. Early on, Springer worked in the legal field and was a partner of a Cincinnati law firm before engaging in a career in politics.
Springer was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971 and stepped down in 1974 after admitting to soliciting a prostitute. However, his admittance won over the public and he was eventually reelected. Via a now-defunct political arrangement, Springer was elected to serve one year as mayor of the city by the council and entered into a failed bid for the governor’s seat in Ohio in the early 1980s.
From politics, Springer began his career as a television journalist, working for local station WLWT in Cincinnati. The network helped Springer establish his eponymously-named show, Jerry Springer, in 1991, which ran in syndication until 2018. The program proved to be popular once it shifted into having guests confront one another onstage, often coming to blows in the process before security would break up the fracas.
In 2015, Springer started The Jerry Springer Podcast, and in 2019, he also hosted the courtroom series Judge Jerry until it was canceled in 2022.
According to a family spokesperson, Springer died with his family nearby in his Chicago home. Springer was previously diagnosed with cancer according to a statement from the family.
On Twitter, the reactions to the death of Jerry Springer have the host’s name trending. We have those replies below.
Springer was 79.
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Photo: Getty
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Harry Belafonte, an elegant actor, talented singer, and activist, has died according to still-developing reports. Belafonte was best known for his dashing good looks and golden voice, but he was also devoted to eliminating the struggles of Black people worldwide.
Harry Belafonte was born March 1, 1927, in New York, NY., and was raised in Harlem by his Jamaican-born parents. Belafonte began his singing career in the late 1940s and found fame in the 1950s, with his signature track, “Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” exploding onto the charts and remains a timeless classic to this day.
Belafonte is survived by his wife, Pamela, who was by his side when he passed, and his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte and two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank. Belafonte also leaves behind eight grandchildren.
Now a word from Belafonte’s publicist:
Known globally for both for his artistic ingenuity and humanitarian ideals, Belafonte became an early, vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and financial backer of countless historic political and social causes and events, including the anti-Apartheid Movement, equal rights for women, juvenile justice, climate change and the decolonization of Africa. He was one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and led a delegation of Hollywood luminaries including his best friend Sidney Poitier, as well as Paul Newman, Sammy Davis, Jr, Marlon Brando, Rita Moreno, Tony Curtis, James Baldwin, Burt Lancaster, Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carrol, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis and Tony Curtis.
To try and capture all the amazing things Belafonte did in his lifetime would nearly be impossible but what should be noted is that Belafonte never tired of seeking justice for his people and all those oppressed around the world.
Belafonte was also decorated heavily within the arts, winning three Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement trophy, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. Belafonte also won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2014, completing the coveted EGOT honor.
Beyond the stage, film, and music, Belafonte also guest-starred on several television shows and his final film role occurred via Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman in 2018.
Harry Belafonte was 96.
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Photo: Getty
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Ahmad Jamal, a legendary Jazz pianist who released a bevy of songs heavily sampled in the Hip-Hop sphere, has died after combating prostate cancer according to reports. Ahmad Jamal remained an active and curious musician well into his 80s, including a Kennedy Center set he expertly performed two years ago.
Ahmad Jamal (formerly Frederick Russell Jones) was born on July 2, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pa. According to biographical accounts, Jamal began playing piano at the age of 3 and became a professional player at 14. Shortly after high school, Jamal’s touring career began and his travels led him to Islam, thus changing his name to Ahmad Jamal and keeping with the Muslim traditions of prayer.
In 1951, Jamal’s recording career would officially begin, culminating in his touring nationally and around the world behind the success of the At the Pershing: But Not for Me album. Jamal was also known as a prudent investor and used his fortunes to make investments across Africa. In 1962, Jamal stepped away from music for more than two years, returning to recording with the release of three albums in 1965, including the acclaimed Extensions album.
In 1973, Jamal released an instrumental version of the theme song for the 1970 film M*A*S*H*, a song originally known as “Suicide Is Painless” by The Mash and featured on the film’s original soundtrack.
The American Jazz Masters award, National Endowment for the Arts gave Jamal an American Jazz Masters award in 1994. In 2007, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts named Jamal a Living Jazz Legend. In 2017, Jamal was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy.
Jamal’s music was famously sampled by Hip-Hop acts such as De La Soul, Pete Rock, Nas, 9th Wonder, Earl Sweatshirt, and countless others over the past two decades and more. Jamal’s last official recording was 2019’s Ballades album.
According to a report from the Washington Post, Jamal’s daughter, Sumayah Jamal, confirmed the passing of her father.
Ahmad Jamal was 92.
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Photo: MARTIN BUREAU / Getty
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Bobby Caldwell, a soul singer sampled by a bevy of Hip-Hop artists, died this week and rocked the core of his devoted, if not confounded at times, fans. Often mistaken for a Black man, Caldwell became something of a social media legend once fans of his talented vocals discovered he was a white man.
Bobby Caldwell was born August 15, 1951, in New York, N.Y., but was raised primarily in Miami, Fla. Caldwell found himself surrounded by a variety of musical influences and even became close with Bob Marley, who was sold a home by Caldwell’s mother. Caldwell demonstrated the ability to play instruments as a middle-schooler ahead of joining a band later in his teens and picking up singing duties.
Caldwell was signed to Miami label TK Records, which primarily served up R&B and soul records for African American listeners. Caldwell’s eponymous debut album was released in 1978 and features “What You Won’t Do For Love,” easily Caldwell’s signature song. The story goes that TK Records wasn’t pleased with the album Caldwell turned in, so Caldwell took two days to record “What You Won’t Do For Love,” satisfying the desire of the label to gain a hit.
The collective of Hip-Hop artists who sampled or borrowed elements of Caldwell’s songs include 2Pac, Common, Aaliyah, Snoh Aalegra, The Notorious B.I.G., and more.
The Twitter account of Bobby Caldwell, with a statement from Caldwell’s wife, Mary, shared the tweet below:
Mrs. Caldwell writes of her husband being FLOXED, a condition that can occur after a type of antibiotic treatment and exposure to fluoroquinolones.
Bobby Caldwell was 71.
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Photo: Ethan Miller/BET / Getty
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Wayne Shorter, one of the giants of jazz and a wizard with the saxophone, was part of the genre’s experimental shifts of the 1960s and 1970s, spawning a new direction that honored the roots. Shorter passed away on Thursday, and we briefly look back at his extraordinary life and career.
Wayne Shorter was born on August 25, 1933, in Newark, N.J., and raised in the area through grade school. The New York University graduate and Army veteran joined Art Blakely’s Jazz Messengers in 1959 at the age of 26, later joining Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet. Shorter’s time with Davis was instrumental in him establishing his own sound in the presence of masters and using his formal education to great effect.
In 1971, the emergence of Shorter’s band, Weather Report, expanded the wide universe of jazz fusion and pushed new sounds to the forefront all with Shorter’s guiding hand. Some classic releases from that period include standout albums such as the acclaimed Heavy Weather release from 1977 and its 1978 follow-up, Mr. Gone.
Towards the end of his playing career, Shorter released several live recording albums, including the collaborative Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival album with Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, and Leo Genovese which was released in 2022.
Shorter was married three times. He married his first wife, Teruko Nakagami, in 1961, and is the mother of his daughter, Miyako. He married his second wife, Ana Maria Patricio in 1970, and the pair had a daughter, Iska, who passed away in 1985. Shorter then married Carolina Dos Santos in 1999.
Wayne Shorter was 89.
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Photo: Getty
Written By D.L. Chandler , Senior Editor Posted 20 mins ago @dlchandler123 D.L. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. Initially freelancing at iOne Digital in 2010, he officially joined the iOne team in 2017 where he currently works as a Senior Editor […]
C.J. Harris’ cause of death was made public on Thursday (Jan. 19), less than a week after his sudden and tragic passing.
The singer died at just 31-years-old after suffering a heart attack on Sunday (Jan. 15), according to reporting by People. (Billboard has reached out to the Walker County Coroner’s Office in Harris’ native Alabama for confirmation.)
Harris first made waves across the nation by competing on Season 13 of American Idol in 2014, when he auditioned for judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and newcomer Harry Connick Jr. with a cover of “Soulshine” by The Allman Brothers Band. After earning his golden ticket, he progressed through Hollywood week and the semifinals to become one of the three Wild Card contenders to make the season’s crop of 13 finalists.
During the live shows, Harris often performed with his trusty guitar, churning out country-soul covers of Darius Rucker’s “Radio,” “Can’t You See” by Toy Caldwell of The Marshall Tucker Band, Hunter Hayes’ “Invisible,” The SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been For Love” and more. Eventually, he was eliminated in sixth place behind eventual winner Caleb Johnson, runner-up Jena Irene and fellow finalists Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse and Sam Woolf.
Following his stint on Idol, Harris embarked on the post-season American Idols LIVE! Tour 2014 with the rest of the top 10 and even duetted with Rucker — one of his major inspirations — at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2016, the singer faced legal troubles after being arrested in a drug bust in Walker, Ala., where he was charged with three counts of alleged felony distribution of a controlled substance, including oxycodone and marijuana. His debut single, “In Love” was released in 2019, and just weeks before his death he hinted at new music he was planning to release later this year.
