RIP
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Andre Braugher, Emmy Award-winner and star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine has passed away suddenly, surprising the entertainment industry.
On Tuesday night (December 12), it was confirmed that Andre Braugher had passed away. His publicist, Jennifer Allen, stated that Braugher had died after undergoing a brief illness. She did not elaborate on what that illness was. Braugher was 61 years old. His passing was met with grief by David Simon, who remembered the Homicide: Life On The Street actor in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful actors. I’ll never work with one better.”
Braugher rose to fame after a breakthrough role in the acclaimed 1989 film Glory, starring as Corporal Thomas Searles of the Union Army’s all-Black 54th Regiment of Massachusetts during the Civil War. The actor would build upon that success as the intense Baltimore Detective Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life On The Street. Braugher would win the first of his two Emmy Awards for his role, earning him a reputation as an actor with tremendous presence. He would go on to star in numerous films including Spike Lee’s Get On The Bus and HBO’s The Tuskegee Airmen. Braugher also made his mark in television series including House, The Good Fight, Men Of A Certain Age starring opposite Ray Romano, and Thief. That FX crime miniseries gave him his second Emmy.
The actor gained a whole new audience when he turned to comedy, starring as Captain Raymond Holt, the stern but hilarious precinct commander in the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Co-star Terry Crews offered his heartfelt condolences in an Instagram post. “Can’t believe you’re gone so soon. I’m honored to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts. You left us too soon,” he wrote.
Born in Chicago’s West Side on July 1st, 1962, Braugher attended St. Ignatius Prep and earned a scholarship to Stanford University. Noting that he could’ve been a bigger success, Braugher remarked on it with perspective noting his choice to focus on his family life. “It’s been an interesting career, but I think it could have been larger,” he said to HuffPost. “I think it could have spanned more disciplines: directing, producing, all these other different things. But it would have been at the expense of my own life.”
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As many offer tribute to the late television legend Norman Lear after his death, we take a look at the television shows featuring predominately Black casts he produced which changed the culture.
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The passing of television icon Norman Lear at the age of 101 has paved the way for a further examination of the shows that the producer and writer was responsible for bringing to the screen and in the process, impacting comedy and American society greatly with a focus on social and political themes of the time.
His work (which included having an astonishing eleven hit shows on air at one time) included shows airing in the 1970s and 1980s that showcased the Black community in roles that captured their full scope and would have a major impact on the industry for decades afterward. We take an in-depth look at the Black-focused shows of Norman Lear that had major success.
Sanford & Son
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Reworking a popular British sitcom Steptoe & Son, Sanford & Son became a smash hit when it aired on NBC in 1974. Ribald veteran comedian Redd Foxx was tapped to star as Watts-based junkman Fred G. Sanford and Demond Wilson as his son, Lamont. Featuring beloved recurring characters such as Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page), the show was Lear’s first featuring an all-Black cast and was a solid ratings giant all of its six seasons, coming in second only to Lear’s iconic All In The Family on CBS. It would end in 1977 after a contract dispute between Foxx and NBC.
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Good Times
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A spin-off of the Bea Arthur-fronted Maude (which was itself a spin-off from All In The Family), Good Times focused on Maude’s former housekeeper Florida Evans (Esther Rolle), and her husband James Evans (John Amos) as they raised their three children in the projects in Chicago. Good Times was co-created by Eric Monte (who wrote the cult classic Cooley High) and Mike Evans, who starred as Lionel on All In The Family. The show would become another hit series for CBS, despite some turbulence with Rolle and Amos over concerns of negative stereotypes as the character of J.J. (played by comedian Jimmie Walker) was thrust into the forefront with his “Dyn-O-mite” catchphrase (which Lear actually detested at first). Good Times would go on to be revered by many, with numerous Black stars appearing on the show including Janet Jackson as Penny Gordon.
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The Jeffersons
Featuring Sherman Helmsley as the quick-tempered laundry owner George Jefferson and Isabel Sanford as his wife, Louise, The Jeffersons would become another major hit series for Norman Lear with roots in All In The Family. The Jeffersons would represent America’s first look at an upwardly mobile Black family as the couple moved from living next door to the Bunkers to the Upper East Side. With a catchy theme song (you’re humming it right now as you read this no doubt) and a unique perspective thanks to the strong cast, The Jeffersons would run for ten seasons from 1975 to 1985 on CBS.
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Diff’rent Strokes
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This sitcom by Norman Lear first made its debut on NBC in 1978, with Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges starring as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two recently orphaned Harlem children taken in by wealthy Park Avenue widower Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) and their daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato). The show would run for eight seasons on NBC and ABC highlighted by Coleman’s magnetic charm and the “very special episodes” that tacked issues like racism and drug use.
227
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Lear would be an uncredited executive producer for 227, a show that would become part of NBC’s vaunted Saturday night comedy block in the 1980s. Marla Gibbs, who rose to fame as the wisecracking housekeeper Florence on The Jeffersons, starred as housewife Mary Jenkins as part of a trio of friends and neighbors Rose Holloway (Alaina Rose Hall ) and Sandra Clark (Jackee Harry) in the same Washington D.C. apartment building. 227 was also the debut of Regina King, who played Mary’s daughter Brenda. The show would last for five seasons.
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The world has lost a true African-American icon. Richard Roundtree, star of the seminal Blaxploitation film Shaft, has passed away. He was 81.
Reportedly, Roundtree died on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 24) from pancreatic cancer. The renowned actor’s longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, confirmed his death.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” said McMinn in a statement. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
To say that Roundtree was influential would be a massive understatement. In 1971 he starred as John Shaft, the titular lead character of Gordon Park’s landmark film which is credited with launching the Blaxploitation genre. Sporting an afro and undeniable swagger, Shaft became the prototype of urban, effortless cool that was otherwise previously unseen on the movie screen.
Richard Roundtree is survived by four daughters, Nicole, Tayler, Morgan and Kelli Roundtree, and a son, James. Fans, Hollywood stars, musicians, pro athletes and more quickly took to Twitter to salute the legend, which we have assembple below.
Rest in powerful peace Richard Roundtree, he was bad mother [shut your mouth].
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Hip-Hop has lost another icon way too soon. DJ Mark the 45 King has reportedly passed away. He was 62.
DJ Premier revealed the 45 King’s death via a tribute post on Instagram. “His sound was unlike any other from his heavy drums and his horns were so distinct on every production,” reads part of Premier’s tribute, where he details 45 King’s production on an early Gang Starr single.
Born Mark Howard James in the Bronx, DJ Mark the 45 King made a name for himself crafting classic beats for Queen Latifah, Jay-Z and his own famed breakbeat “The 900 Number.” For Hip-Hop heads of a certain age, you’ll remember “The 900 Number” as the instrumental used by Ed Lover to perform his famed “The Ed Lover Dance” on Yo! MTV Raps. Originally released in 1987, the song caught another resurgence when it was prominently sampled in DJ Kool’s hit “Let Me Clear My Throat” in 1996.
The 45 King was instrumental in bringing Queen Latifah to the masses, producing her debut album, All Hail The Queen on Tommy Boy Records, which was released in 1989. 45 King’s earlier work with the Flavor Unit (Latifah, Chill Rob G, Lakim Shabazz and Apache) and his mastery of sampling quickly made him one of Hip-Hop’s early production wunderkinds.
And showing he was no flash in the pan, in 1998, Mark produced Jay-Z’s Annie-sampling “Hard Knock Life,” a song often credited with turbo-boosting the Brooklyn rapper and mogul’s superstar career. Two years later, he scored another smash producing Eminem’s “Stan.”
Rest in powerful peace DJ Mark the 45 King. We compiled reactions to his passing that are a testament to how immense of a loss his death is to the culture.
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Sad news for lovers of 90’s R&B music as it’s being reported that Irish Grinstead from the group 702 has passed away.According to Blavity, the “Steelo” singer passed away at the young age of 43 with her sister, Lemisha Grinstead, announcing the terrible news on Instagram. Posting a black-and-white picture of Irish, Lemisha wrote a heartfelt caption describing her sister saying, “That girl was as bright as the stars! She was not only beautiful on the outside, but also within. Sharing the stage with her was a joy I will cherish for the rest of my life! We, the family ask for prayers and respect for our privacy as we grieve an outstanding loss to our family.”
Blavity reports:
702 released its debut album, No Doubt, in 1996. “Steelo,” one of the tracks featured on the album, became the theme song for the Nickelodeon series Cousin Skeeter.
The group continued to produce hits after artist Cree La’More replaced Williams. With La’More on the team, 702 released “Pootie Tangin,” a single inspired by the Chris Rock film Pootie Tang. When Williams returned to the group, they released another album, Star.
702 split up in 2006 and reunited 11 years later. The group earned several accolades through the years, including multiple nominations for Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, as well as recognitions for an American Music Award and a BET Award.
The cause of death still isn’t known, but regardless it’s still heart-wrenching to see someone pass away at such a young age.
Missy Elliott who appeared on their hit “Steelo” and co-wrote “Where My Girls At?” took to her X page to give her love and condolences to the Grinstead family during this tragic time.
Prayers up for the Grinstead family.
Rest In Power, Queen. See more reactions to her untimely passing in the gallery.
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Emmy-winning and beloved stage and film actor Ron Cephas Jones, has passed away. He was just 66.
On Saturday (Aug. 20) Jones’ manager, Dan Spilo, issued a statement announcing the renowned Black actor’s death due to A “long-standing pulmonary issue.” In 2021, the New York Times reported that he had a double lung transplant due to a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” reads the statement. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway. Ron’s inner-beauty and soul was evident to the huge audience from his multi-Emmy award winning performance on This is Us.”
An accomplished actor, Jones’ most recent acclaim came via his role as William “Shakespeare” Hill on This Is Us, for which he won a pair of Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Along with his daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones, they made history as the first father-son duo to both win Emmys in the same year in 2020. Be sure to check him out Marvel’s Luke Cage (and Paid In Full), too.
“Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,” said actor Sterling K. Brown on an Instagram post honoring his co-star. “@cephasjaz has passed away, and the world is a little less bright. Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed. Keep them laughing in the next phase of existence, and I’ll see you when I get there.”
Rest in power Cephas Jones. See some of the tributes to his passing in the gallery from fellow thespians like Wendell Pierce, Michael Colter and more in the gallery.
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Rapper Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff of Timbaland & Magoo fame has passed away. He was 50 years old.
Magoo’s cause of death remains undisclosed. Digital Black of the group Playa took to Instagram to confirm his friend’s passing on Sunday (August 13). They both are members of the Bassment Crew and Superfriendz group of creatives.
Hailing from Norfolk, VA, Timbaland & Magoo would drop several albums, including their debut, Welcome To Our World, which had the hits “Up Jumps Da Boogie” and “Luv 2 Luv Ya (Remix).” With Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, Aaliyah and Timbaland, Magoo was party of some of Hip-Hop’s most innovative sounds in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
“I don’t even know how to say anything at this point , I have lost 3 friends now within a month to LIFE and it’s due date ….this dude , always pushed me …I will mis you maganooo that’s what we called him,” said singer and friend Ginuwine in a tribute post.
Rest in power Magoo. See social media reactions to Magoo’s untimely passing in the gallery.
This story is developing.
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Paul Reubens, the actor that became a cultural icon thanks to his Pee-wee Herman character, passed away over the weekend.
On Monday (July 31st), social media accounts for the actor announced his passing. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit,” the caption read.
A short time later, another personal statement from the comedian and writer was released. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” it read. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans, and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Born in Peekskill, New York, Reubens skyrocketed to fame after being passed over for Saturday Night Live in the 1980s after creating “The Pee-wee Herman Show” at Los Angeles’ Groundling Theater. The show featured Pee-wee in a signature gray suit and red bow tie (which he found backstage at the theater) living in Puppet-Land with all his friends.
His mastery of the character’s world, merging reality and fiction, led to him being booked for his first feature film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, in 1985. That film, which was also Tim Burton’s directorial debut, was a smash success leading him to star in the CBS children’s program Pee-wee’s Playhouse which ran from 1986 to 1991. The immersive dreamscape-like show featured many well-known actors from Laurence Fishburne to the late Phil Hartman.
Towards the end of the show’s run, Reubens would encounter scandal after being arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Florida. His career took a major hit, but Reubens would make notable appearances in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Batman Returns. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw him stay the course with appearances on TV shows and a strong turn in 2001’s Blow with Johnny Depp as a gay drug-dealing hairdresser.
Reubens would bring Pee-wee back in 2010 in stage shows in New York and Los Angeles, and six years later he’d do a Netflix special, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, produced by Judd Apatow. In the wake of his passing, many have offered their own tributes and recollections of the comedian. Conan O’Brien wrote on Twitter: “His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts.”
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The untimely passing of De La Soul’s Trugoy The Dove is still reverberating throughout the Hip-Hop community. To honor their dear friend and co-founder’s charmed life, De La’s Pos and Mase have announced The DA.I.S.Y. Experience, which will go down in New York City at Webster Hall on Thursday, March 2.
The DA.I.S.Y. Experience will “celebrate the life and legacy of the late David “Trugoy The Dove” Jolicoeur and the influence and impact of De La Soul” per an announcement from the group
De La fans will surely be familiar with “Da Inner Sound Y’all” that the DA.I.S.Y. acronym stems from. Touted as an “immersive activation” Webster Hall will be transformed into a De La destination utilizing artwork from the group’s seminal debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. The following day (March 3), the Long Island trio’s music (that was issued on Tommy Boy) will finally hit streaming services.
The DA.I.S.Y. Experience is produced in conjunction with Amazon Music. Handling the evening’s sounds will be The Originals; DJ’s Stretch Armstrong, Clark Kent, Rich Medina, and Tony Touch—who will curate sets in homage to De La Soul. Expect plenty of rare grooves and breaks that group sampled over the years.
If you can’t make it, fans will be able to watch the set on Maseo’s Twitch Channel starting at 8 p.m. ET. Posdnuos and Maseo will be in the building to honor Dave and you can RSVP to the free event here: thedaisyexperience.com.
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The passing of Dave aka Trugoy The Dove was a gut punch to fans of De La Soul. Fellow group members and “brothers” Posdnous and Maseo took to social media to express how much Plug Two meant to their global following and themselves personally.
“Dear Dave, You were the heart of our group,” wrote Pos on Instagram. “You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come. Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community. You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others, and you will be deeply missed by all who knew you.”
As for P.A. Pasemaster Mase aka Plug Three, he shared similar sentiments.
“Dave – thank you so much for being in my life,” wrote Maseo on Instagram. “Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group.
Pos, Mase and Dave met in high school before connecting with Prince Paul after he heard their demon of “Plug Tunin’,” and the rest is Hip-Hop history. Perhaps most bittersweet is that De La Soul’s catalog of classic albums on Tommy Boy Records will finally hit streaming services in March.
RIP Dave.