obituaries

Dikembe Mutombo, Hall of Fame NBA player and ambassador for the sport, dies at 58 from brain cancer

By Tim Reynolds, Associated Press

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, says "it's a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world."…

Kris Kristofferson, prolific songwriter and superstar actor, dies at 88

By Andrew Dalton, Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press

With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks, he represented a new breed of country songwriters with his peers like Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall.

Tito Jackson, member of Jackson 5 and Rock Hall of Famer, dies at 70

By Brian P. D. Hannon, Associated Press

Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet, and was part of a music-making family whose songs have sold hundreds of millions of copies.

James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, dies at 93

By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement.

Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes of ‘Mas Que Nada’ fame dies at 83

By David Biller, Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Associated Press

Sergio Mendes, the celebrated Brazilian musician whose 1966 hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global superstar and helped launched a long, Grammy-winning career, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID.

Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan, known for trap jams like ‘Type of Way,’ dies at 33

By Jonathan Landrum Jr., Andrew Dalton, Associated Press

Rich Homie Quan, one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s, gained mainstream fame through the trap singles “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh).”…

Wally Amos, cookie empire creator and literacy advocate, dies at 88

By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press

Amos created the Famous Amos cookie empire and eventually lost ownership of the company — as well as the rights to use the catchy Amos name.

Acting legend Gena Rowlands dies at 94

By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

Rowlands was hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies directed by her husband, John Cassavetes.

Susan Wojcicki, longtime Google executive and former YouTube CEO, has died at 56

By Ken Miller, Mae Anderson, Associated Press

Wojcicki played a key role in Google’s creation and served nine years as YouTube's CEO, stepping down last year to focus on her "family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about,” she said at the time.