By Cliff Brunt | Associated Press Marlin Briscoe, who became the first Black starting quarterback in the American Football League more than 50 years ago, died Monday. His daughter, Angela Marriott, told The Associated Press that Briscoe, 76, died of pneumonia at a...
Pamela Avila and Melissa Ruggieri | USA Today Andrew Woolfolk, a longtime saxophonist for Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at 71. Lead singer of the band Philip J. Bailey announced Woolfolk's death on Instagram Monday. "We lost him today, after being ill of over 6...
By Patrick Hipes | Deadline Keith Grayson, the influential hip hop mixtape artist, graffiti icon and New York radio host known professionally as DJ Kay Slay, died on Sunday. He was 55. Grayson’s family confirmed the news Monday after he had been battling Covid-19....
By Vanessa Etienne | People Magazine Scoey Mitchell, the comedian and actor best known for his role in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, has died at the age of 92. Mitchell died Saturday, March 19, his brother, Billy Mitchell, announced Monday evening. He reportedly...
By Mitchell Armentrout and Katie Anthony | Chicago Sun*Times Merri Dee, a fixture on Chicago TV screens for decades as a reporter and anchor for WGN-TV, has died at 85, ending a life of philanthropy, advocacy and survival as compelling as any of the stories she...
By Sasha Urban | Variety Traci Braxton, the singer, actress and television and radio personality who appeared on all seven seasons of “Braxton Family Values,” died Saturday after a battle with esophageal cancer, Variety has confirmed. She was 50 years old. “It is with...
Bruce Haring | Deadline Hollywood Johnny Brown, best known for his role as the housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the TV show Good Times and a Laugh-In regular, has died at 84. No cause of death was given by his family, who announced his March 2 death on...
Willie D. Harris: A Black Hollywood stuntman of ‘Dirty Harry’ fame Willie D. Harris, born August 8, 1941 on the Clifton Plantation in the small Holmes County community of Mileston (6) East of Tchula, Mississippi, became one of Hollywood’s first Black stuntmen. Few...
by Associated Press | Chicago Sun*Times NEW YORK — Betty Davis, a bold and pioneering funk singer, model and songwriter of the 1960s and ‘70s who was credited with inspiring then-husband Miles Davis’ landmark fusion of jazz and more contemporary sounds, has died at...
By Bruce Haring | Deadline Syl Johnson, whose 1967 single “Different Strokes” has been frequently sampled by some of hip-hop’s top artists, has died at age 85. No cause of death was given. In a statement, Johnson’s family called him “a legend.” “It is with extreme...
By Katie Campione | People Actor Moses J. Moseley, known for his role on The Walking Dead has died. He was 31. "He was loved by everyone who met him. Such a bright light in everyone's eyes," Moseley's manager said in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday. The statement...
Maureen O'Donnell | Chicago Sun*Times Drummer Sam Lay, who played with blues legends Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and backed Bob Dylan when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival, died Saturday at 86. The genre-bridging Grammy nominee was inducted into the...