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John Amos, the actor famed for portraying James Evans on Good Times, amongst other roles, has passed away. He was 83.
Variety reports that Amos’ reps confirmed that he actually passed away over a month ago, on August 21, in Los Angeles from natural causes. It is unclear why it took so long for the public to become aware of his death.
“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” said Amos’ son, Kelly Christopher Amos, in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in ‘Suits LA’ playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, ‘America’s Dad.’ He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support at this time.”
Born in Newark and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Amos’ most popular role as an actor was easily as the middle-aged, blue collar father James Evans on Good Times. But it is worth noting that Amos was infamously fired after three seasons on the hit show due to disagreements with its writers. Apparently, Amos felt the scribes didn’t understand the Black people they were supposed to be writing about.
“The truth of it was when the show first started, we had no African-American writers on the show, and some of the attitudes they had written, as per my character and, frankly, for some of the other characters as well, caused me to say, ‘Uh uh, we can’t do this, we can’t do that.’ And they’d say, ‘What do you mean we can’t do this?’,” Amos told Sway In The Morning in 2017. “They’d go on about their credits and all the rest of that and I’d look at each and every one of them and say, ‘Well, how long have you been Black? That just doesn’t happen in the community. We don’t think that way. We don’t act that way. We don’t let our children do that. I was laying down what I thought were good rules to make the show stronger and better, they didn’t agree with me.’”
Other beloved characters in the late actor’s portfolio include Kansas City Mack in 1975’s Let’s Do It Again, Cleo McDowell in 1988’s Coming To America, and the adult Kunta Kinte in 1977’s miniseries Roots.
As soon as news of Amos’ passing start to spread, tributes to his greatness began pouring in over social media. We’ve compiled some of the more notable reactions below.
Rest in powerful peace John Amos.
John David “JD” Souther, known for his work as an artist, songwriter and actor, and his collaborations with artists including the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, died peacefully at his home in New Mexico, according to a statement posted on his official website on Tuesday (Sept. 17). Souther was 78.
Souther forged a friendship with the Eagles’ Glenn Frey and would collaborate as a writer on many of the Eagles’ biggest hits, including “New Kid in Town,” “James Dean,” “Doolin-Dalton” and “Best of My Love.” Souther also co-wrote the Eagles’ 1979 hit “Heartache Tonight” alongside Frey, Bob Seger and Don Henley, and co-wrote Henley’s 1989 hit song “The Heart of the Matter.” Souther also wrote songs including Bonnie Raitt’s “Run Like a Thief,” and Ronstadt’s “Faithless Love” and “White Rhythm and Blues.” Souther and Ronstadt also collaborated together on songs including “Prisoner in Disguise” and “Hearts Against the Wind,” which was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta.
In the process, Souther became one of the foremost musical architects in the 1970s country-rock scene. Souther was born in Detroit and raised in Amarillo, Texas. He began recording with a local group in Texas known as The Cinders; the group would release a single on Warner Bros. as John David and the Cinders.
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Souther made his self-titled debut in 1972, and then teamed with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay to release the album The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Souther followed with the 1976 solo album Black Rose, which included a collaboration with Ronstadt, “If You Have Crying Eyes.”
Souther’s most well-known solo hit came in 1979 with “You’re Only Lonely,” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1981, Souther nearly notched another top 10 on that chart, as his collaboration with James Taylor, “Her Town Too,” reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2015, he released his final album, Tenderness, telling Billboard at the time, “I wanted simple melodies and really beautiful arrangements. I wanted a really nice landscape for these stories to play out in. I just wanted to drive a little more gently; Mario Andretti once said the ideal is to win the race at the slowest speed, meaning you protect the equipment. It’s smooth. Winning a race is about power, but it’s also about being smooth…I think I sang this album better than I’ve sung any album before,” he says. “I’m not singing licks and trying to do fancy things. I’m just singing the melody; it seems to tell the story better. I didn’t have to strain. It didn’t tempt me to sing a bunch of licks or to oversing or sing too loud. Linda Ronstadt always tells me to pronounce the words, and she’s right. It makes a big difference. It gives the song more truth.”
As an actor, Souther appeared in movies including My Girl 2, Deadline and Postcards From the Edge, and in television series including Thirtysomething, Purgatory and a recurring role on Nashville.
Souther was honored with one of songwriting’s highest honors, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2013.
“It’s been said that JD Souther could have been a major artist if he had kept more of those beautiful, introspective songs he wrote for himself,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “He had the aching tenor voice, the good looks that got him TV acting jobs. But he was happy to co-write ‘New Kid in Town’ and ‘Best of My Love’ with his friends the Eagles and give ‘Prisoner in Disguise’ to Linda Ronstadt. He wasn’t a star of country-rock, but he was crucial to its enduring power.”
Souther had been set to launch a new tour with Karla Bonoff on Sept. 24 in Phoenix. Souther is survived by two sisters, his former wife and her daughter, as well as his dogs Layla and Bob, as well as many colleagues within the music community.
Donations in Souther’s honor can be made to the Best Friends Animal Society.
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Fatman Scoop, born Isaac Freeman III, has reportedly passed away. He was 52.
The CT Insider reports that Scoop’s tour manager confirmed his passing. On Friday evening (August 30), Scoop reportedly suffered some type of medical emergency while on stage at the Hamden Town Center Park in Connecticut. CPR was performed before he was transported to a local hospital.
Scoop’s tour manager, Birch Michael aka Pure Cold, took to social media to announce the beloved rapper and hyepman’s death. “I am honestly lost for words… You took me all over the world and had me performing alongside you on some of the biggest and greatest stages on this planet, the things you taught me have truely made me the man I am today,” said Pure Cold in his post. “Thank you so much, I love you x.”
Scoop and his booming voice came to fame in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, thanks to his earworm hooks on party break tracks like “Where U @?” with Crooklyn Clan. But it was own club-rocking anthem, the Faith Evans (and many more) sampling “Be Faithful” that made him a star. It reportedly took years to get the track’s multiple samples cleared. He also featured on Missy Elliott’s his singled “Lose Control” with Ciara.
But real heads remember Fatman Scoop as the former radio promotions man at Tommy Boy Records who would be seen in the label’s famed ads in back of The Source magazine.
Recently, Fatman Scoop linked up with the Bronx rapper Dyce Peso, appearing on a song called
Since news of his collapse and unfortunate passing broke, social media has been mourning and honoring the Hip-Hop legend for his contributions to the culture.
Rest in powerful peace Fatman Scoop.
This story is developing.
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On May 1, it was revealed that Dallas Penn, a dot connector, fashion architect, sneaker savant, pioneering podcaster and much, much more—had passed away. He was 53.
“Dallas has ascended to the music that was waiting for him,” posted his wife on Penn’s Facebook page. “From September 1970 to April 2024, he always said it don’t stop, it won’t stop, and he’s waiting for us all at the Funkadelic Stevie Wonder Sean Price party in the sky. Rest my love and see you in our other lifetimes. Love you always, for all time.”
Instantaneously, the tributes began pouring in, a testament to the indelible impact Penn managed to leave on culture. In the early 2000’s Dallas Penn paved ground as a vlogger and podcaster, harnessing the then still relatively untapped power of interconnect networks of “The Internets.”
Penn was critical in the creation of The Combat Jack Show with Reggie “Combat Jack” Show, which is often credited with popularizing the podcast format, particularly in Hip-Hip circles. You can just ask DJ Ben Hameen, he was there.
But it’s DJ Premier who may have said it best about the Queens native with the all-city rep. “To know Dallas Penn is to love Dallas Penn.Funny, Super Hip Hop, Lo Gear Head, will look at you like he doesn’t believe you,” he wrote in an Instagram tribute.
Penn’s sharp wit, passionate insight and enthusiasm for life itself made him a friend to many in this industry—including the writer of this story. Hip-Hop Wired was fortunate enough to include Dallas Penn and the late Combat Jack as contributors.
Hip-Hop Wired’s condolences go out to the family and friends of the inimatable Dallas Penn. Rest in power dear friend—it never stops. See more tributes to Dallas Penn in the gallery.
Sandra Crouch, the late Andraé Crouch’s twin sister who co-wrote “Jesus Is the Answer,” has died. She was 81.
Sandra Crouch passed away on Sunday, March 17 at Northridge Hospital in Northridge, California, following complications from radiation for a non-cancerous brain lesion, Billboard has learned.
Sandra and Andraé were born on July 1, 1942, in Los Angeles to parents who went into ministry and founded Christ Memorial Church C.O.G.I.C. in 1951. The siblings began performing music together around 1960 as The COGICS, alongside friends who were active at church.
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Andraé went on to form the group Andraé Crouch & The Disciples, and Sandra worked as a percussionist in Hollywood. As a percussionist, Sandra’s credits included playing on notable projects like The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” Neil Diamond’s Tap Root Manuscript and Janis Joplin’s Pearl album.
In the 1970s, Crouch joined her brother with The Disciples, singing, playing and co-writing songs including “Jesus Is the Answer,” which became a mainstay on gospel radio.
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Among the twins’ musical accomplishments together was backing Michael Jackson on several songs on History – Past, Present and Future Book 1, and on “Man in the Mirror” when Jackson performed it live at the Grammys in 1988. Both Andraé and Sandra also worked on film soundtracks for 1985’s The Color Purple, 1993’s Free Willy and 1994’s The Lion King.
Sandra released three of her own albums in the 1980s, all of which resulted in Grammy nominations — and collected a Grammy for one of them.
Her first solo album, We Sing Praises — featuring singles “He’s Worthy,” “There’s Power in the Blood” and “We Need to Hear From You” — was released in 1983. The set earned Crouch three nominations and won the award for best soul gospel performance, female at the 26th annual Grammy Awards.
We’re Waiting, Crouch’s sophomore solo album, arrived in 1985 with the song “Completely Yes.” The album and track were nominated for best soul gospel performance by a duo, group, choir or chorus at the 28th annual Grammy Awards, though Crouch did not take home an award this time around.
Crouch’s third and final solo album, With All of My Heart, was released in 1992. It received a nomination, but did not win, for best gospel album by a choir or chorus at the 35th annual Grammy Awards. She went on the road in support of the album with Daryl Coley and the Richard Smallwood Singers on the Gospel: Good for the Soul Tour.
Sandra won two GMA Dove Awards for traditional gospel album, first for We Sing Praises in 1984, and then for With All of My Heart in 1993.
Andraé Crouch had taken over their parents’ church, Christ Memorial COGIC in San Fernando, California, in 1998 and ordained Sandra as a co-pastor, which defied the COGIC denomination’s policy against female preachers. They gave the church a new name: New Chris Memorial Church.
Sandra assumed the role of senior pastor beginning in 2015, when her brother passed.
The church’s assistant pastor, Kenneth J. Cook, released a statement about Sandra’s death last week via social media, writing, “It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that at 12pm today, March 17, 2024, our beloved Senior Pastor Sandra Elaine Crouch transitioned into the arms of the Lord. We as believers know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We will forever cherish the memories and teachings we received from her.”
Crouch’s life will be celebrated with an April 16 viewing and musical tribute at New Christ Memorial Church, followed by a homegoing service on April 17.
J.M. “Jimmy” Van Eaton, a pioneering rock ‘n’ roll drummer who played behind the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, died Friday (Feb. 9) at age 86, a family member said.
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Van Eaton, a Memphis native who came to the famous record label as a teenager, died at his home in Alabama after dealing with health issues over the last year, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis reported, with his wife, Deborah, confirming his death.
Van Eaton was known for his bluesy playing style that the newspaper said powered classic early-rock hits at Sun like “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Lewis and “Red Hot” by Riley. He also played with Bill Justis and Charlie Rich.
James Mack Van Eaton initially began playing trumpet in a school band, but he soon moved to drums, saying in a 2015 interview that “it was an instrument that intrigued me.”
Van Eaton had his own rock ‘n’ roll band called The Echoes that would record a demo at the recording studio operated by Sam Phillips. His work there led him to connect with Riley and later Lewis.
“The hardest man to play with in the world was Jerry Lee. I told every musician to stay out of this man’s way,” Phillips told The Commercial Appeal in 2000. “The one exception was JM Van Eaton.”
Van Eaton became part of a core of musicians that performed at Sun through the 1950s, the newspaper reported.
Van Eaton drifted away from the music business in the 1960s, but he resumed performing by the 1970s, particularly as interest in rockabilly grew following the death of Elvis Presley.
By the early 1980s, Van Eaton began four decades of working in the municipal bond business. But he also was part of the team that played the music for the film Great Balls of Fire, about Lewis, and he put out a solo album in the late 1990s. He was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Memphis Music Hall of Fame. He moved from Tennessee to Alabama a few years ago.
In addition to his wife, Van Eaton is survived by a son and daughter.
Marlena Shaw, the jazz and soul singer best known for her 1969 recording of “California Soul,” has died. She was 81.
Shaw’s daughter, Marla Bradshaw, confirmed her death in a video posted on Facebook on Friday (Jan. 19).
“It’s with a very heavy heart that for myself and our family, I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist, Marlena Shaw, has passed away today at 12:03,” she said.
“She was peaceful,” she continued. “We were at peace. I know that you just saw posts of [a] birthday celebration just as soon as yesterday, and my twin sister and I were very grateful — and our family — that she was here in celebration for that.”
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No cause of death was given at the time of publication.
“Right now, she’s at peace. She’s in Heaven. I do know that,” Shaw’s daughter added. She shared that “she went listening to some of her favorite songs.”
Born on Sept. 22, 1939, as Marlina Burgess in New Rochelle, New York, the singer has said her uncle Jimmy Burgess got her into music. Burgess was a jazz trumpet player.
Shaw (which became her stage name) is known for her release of “California Soul,” which was written by Ashford & Simpson and made available in 1969 under Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. There, she released the albums Out of Different Bags (1967) and The Spice of Life (1969), the latter of which featured the oft-sampled songs “California Soul” and “Woman of the Ghetto.”
“California Soul” has been sampled by a number of artists, including Gang Starr and Stereo MC, and Diplo released a remix of the song in 2008. The track has also been licensed for use in several commercials, including ads for Dodge, KFC and Dockers.
“I think it’s great,” she said in a 2009 interview of hearing her music sampled. “I really do. Number one, I love the surprise of it and like to hear what somebody else’s idea is.”
“But this kinda makes me feel like I’m the sun, you know, and I shine on all kinds of things,” she added with a laugh.
Shaw also released several recordings under Blue Note Records, and music on labels including Columbia and Verve. Verve shared in a statement, “We are saddened by the passing of Marlena Shaw, a wonderful singer whose ‘California Soul’ is as popular today as it ever was and whose album It Is Love: Recorded Live at Vine St. helped relaunch the Verve label in 1987.”
Shaw has said that performing live “has been my saving grace.” She explained, “I really consistently worked live. All kinds of venues, the big bands, the small bands — because I love it.”
The singer’s family has shared an address for those who wish to send condolences:
Ms. Marlena Shaw & FamilyP.O. Box 335774N. Las Vegas, NV 89033
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Mary Weiss, the lead vocalist of The Shangri-Las — the 1960s pop girl group behind the No. 1 hit “Leader of the Pack” — has died. She was 75.
A representative for Weiss’ record label, Norton Records, confirmed the news of her death to The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday (Jan. 20). Norton released Weiss’ only solo album, Dangerous Game, in 2007.
No cause of death has been reported.
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“I think you’re born with music in you,” Weiss said at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum event in 2007. “I sang from the time I could speak. I was always into music, always. My brother was a lot older than me and had an extensive record collection, and I listened to everything.”
In sixth grade, Weiss saw The Everly Brothers perform at a theme park and was inspired by their harmonies. “I always thought they were so underrated as far as what they provided for music and harmony,” she said.
With her older sister Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss, and friends Marguerite “Marge” and Mary Ann Ganser, twins whom the Weiss sisters met in grammar school, the group got together in the Cambria Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York. “We used to sing harmony on the street corner, in bathrooms, in tunnels — Central Park has some great tunnels if you want to sing harmony — and that’s pretty much how we started,” Weiss said during her interview with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Together they performed at local talent shows and school events, being too young to appear in clubs.
In 1964, when Weiss was just 14, the group met producer and songwriter George “Shadow” Morton. Working with him, they broke through with their recording of “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” released in 1964 via Red Bird Records, followed by singles like the chart-topping “Leader of the Pack” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” the same year, and “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” in 1965.
As Weiss was a minor, her mother signed her contracts. The group released only two studio albums before shifting to Mercury Records and disbanding in 1968 amid litigation.
In 2007, Weiss recalled of the group’s busy years in the mid-’60s, “My entire life was a whirlwind … For four or five years, I would go to sleep and not remember what state I was in when I woke up because I would do a TV show in the morning and a radio thing in the afternoon, and be on a plane and be some place else. That was my life.”
“Initially, I loved the music. I didn’t like a lot of the things that came with it. I think it was very, very hard in 1964 to be a woman in the music business,” she said.
Weiss admitted that her “tough image kept a lot of people away, which was really important for survival.”
“It was very difficult back then because I truly believe that a lot of men were considered ‘artists’ whether or not other people wrote for them. Women were considered products,” Weiss explained. “I always found that difficult to accept.”
The Shangri-Las shared concert bills with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown and more famed acts. Weiss recalled the time Brown booked the group for a show in Texas in a 2007 interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “When I walked out onstage, I thought he was going to have a coronary. He didn’t realize I was white.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored “Leader of the Pack” in its singles category in 2019.
After her time performing with The Shangri-Las, Weiss went on to pursue a career as a commercial interior designer and consultant in New York City.
Weiss is survived by her husband, Ed, and sister, Liz, who is the last living member of The Shangri-Las.
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Jo-El Sonnier, the Grammy-winning artist from Louisiana who performed Cajun and country music, has died at age 77.
Sonnier passed away while on tour, Texas country music promoter Tracy Pitcox stated in a post on his Facebook account Sunday (Jan. 14).
He died after suffering cardiac arrest following a show at the Llano Country Opry in Llano, Texas, where he had played for over an hour and received a standing ovation as he ended his performance with his signature “Tear Stained Letter” and an encore of “Jambalaya.” Pitcox says the singer-songwriter “was air flighted to Austin where he was pronounced deceased.”
“It is never easy to lose a legend,” Pitcox said, “but he truly spent his final day doing what he loved — entertaining his fans with his loving wife, Bobbye, by his side.”
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Sonnier was born in 1946 to a French-speaking family in Rayne, Louisiana, where he showed an interest in music early on. At the age of three he began to play the accordion, and by age 11 was making his first music recordings. He recorded several singles and albums independently as a teen.
In the 1970s, he signed as a country artist with Mercury Nashville, but made the shift to independent label Rounder Records when he began recording Cajun music.
Sonnier returned to country in the 1980s, signing with RCA. He charted with singles including 1988’s “No More One More Time” and “Tear Stained Letter,” a track originally recorded by Richard Thompson. Actor Judge Reinhold (Beverly Hills Cop, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Santa Clause films) starred in the music video for “Tear Stained Letter.”
Sonnier moved to Capitol Records in the 1990s before making the return to Cajun music at Rounder Records.
Sonnier won a Grammy Award for best regional roots album, for The Legacy, in 2015. It was his first Grammy win, but fifth time being nominated.
In 2017, Sonnier and his sister-in-law Shirley Strange-Allen released a children’s book titled The Little Boy Under the Wagon, based the struggles Sonnier faced growing up autistic in the 1950s in South Louisiana. According to an interview with The Associated Press, he hoped that sharing his story would communicate an important message: “They need to know it’s OK to be different.”
“Once he figured it out and had a diagnosis, he saw ‘This is why the way I thought the way I did. This is why I didn’t fit in. This is why I focused on music 100 percent. This is why I don’t like crowds outside of music,’” said Sonnier’s wife, Bobbye.
“You want to leave something good behind and let somebody embrace that,” Sonnier said to the publication. “When you’re gone, that’s it. One day, we won’t be here. While we are here, let’s try to do the good.”
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