Entertainment industry obituaries

[Rewind]

The COVID-19 virus has claimed the life of another musician. Joan Jett had a number-one hit in 1982 with I Love Rock 'N Roll. Alan Merrill & The Arrows recorded it first, in 1975. Merrill, the son of jazz vocalist Helen Merrill, released 15 studio albums. He also played guitar on three Rick Derringer albums and wrote three songs for him.

Alan Merrill, Arrows lead singer and writer of I Love Rock 'N Roll, dies at 69

https://bestclassicbands.com/alan-me...tuary-3-29-20/

[Rewind]

Phillips, born John Phillip Baptiste in Louisiana, had only one chart hit but it was a big one: Sea Of Love. He had written the song for his girlfriend, Verdie Mae. A gas meter reader heard him singing the song, suggested he record it and put him in touch with local record producer George Khoury. Sea Of Love reached #2 on the Hot 100 in August 1959. Phillips never married Verdie Mae, though. In 1978 he produced a new version of Sea Of Love for the Fire Ants, a group composed of five of his children.

Sea Of Love singer Phil Phillips dies at 94

https://www.katc.com/news/local-news...-phillips-dies

[Rewind]

Faber also appeared in Sue, Palindromes, Hard Luck, Restless, Stonewall, Bob Roberts, Ride With The Devil and other films.

Matthew Faber, Natural Born Killers and Welcome To The Dollhouse star, dies at 47

https://movieweb.com/matthew-faber-dead/

[Rewind]

Diffie had 29 top-40 country hits, 1990-2004, and five number ones: Home, Pickup Man, Third Rock From The Sun, Bigger Than The Beatles and If The Devil Danced In Empty Pockets.. Among his other hits are John Deere Green, So Help Me Girl, Honky Tonk Attitude, Ships That Don't Come In and Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox If I Die.

Country music star Joe Diffie dies of coronavirus at 61

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...us-61-n1171666

[Rewind]

Schramm played defense secretary Robert McNamara in five episodes of the 1983 mini-series Kennedy and played rival airline owner Roy Biggins in 172 episodes of Wings, 1990-97. He also appeared in episodes of Max Monroe, Miami Vice, Working Girl, Wiseguy, Another World, Jake & The Fatman, The Equalizer and Spenser For Hire.

David Schramm, stage actor and star on NBC's Wings, dies at 73

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/dav...es-1203548344/

[Rewind]

COVID-19 has claimed the life of another musician. Roney studied under Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis and released 21 albums as a bandleader. He also played on albums by Art Blakey, Geri Allen, Chick Corea and other artists. From Roney's 2016 CD A Place In Time, here is Around & Through:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imkyOEU5bBY

Legendary jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney dies of complications from coronavirus

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/us/wa...-19/index.html

[Rewind]

COVID-19 has claimed the life of another musician. Yes, I'm saying it again. How many more will die before this virus runs its course? Fountains Of Wayne has released five albums and 16 singles. Their biggest hit, Stacy's Mom, reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2003. Among their other hits are Radiation Vibe, Denise, The Summer Place and Red Dragon Tattoo.

Adam Schlesinger, co-founder of Fountains of Wayne, dies from COVID-19 complications at 52

https://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...-dies-obituary

[Rewind]

Do we need to start a new thread just for all the coronavirus deaths? Here is another one. In addition to his roles in three Star Wars films, Jack appeared in the movie Kate & Leopold and in several British television series. He played a schoolboy in 10 episodes of Whack-O! in 1957.

Andrew Jack, Star Wars actor and dialect coach, dies from COVID-19

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/enter...cli/index.html

[Rewind]

Two jazz legends. Both were patriarchs of a musical family. Both are now dead from coronavirus. How very sad.

Jazz-guitar great Bucky Pizzarelli dies at 94 after testing positive for coronavirus

https://www.usatoday.com/story/enter...us/5112393002/

Ellis Marsalis Jr., pianist, educator and patriarch of legendary musical family, dies of complications from coronavirus

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/us/el...rus/index.html

[Rewind]

Withers had 15 top-40 R&B hits, including Use Me, Lovely Day, Heartbreak Road, Grandma's Hands, Kissing My Love and the Grammy-winning duet with Grover Washington Jr., Just The Two Of Us. In 1972, Withers' Lean On Me topped both the R&B chart and the Hot 100.

Ain't No Sunshine, Lean On Me singer Bill Withers dies at 81
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https://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...3qm-story.html