Jan 08 Russell Banks, award-winning author of ‘Cloudsplitter,’ dies at 82 By Hillel Italie, Associated Press Russell Banks, an award-winning fiction writer who imagined the dreams and downfalls of everyone from modern blue-collar workers to the radical abolitionist John Brown in “Cloudsplitter," has died. He was 82. Continue reading
Jan 01 Anita Pointer, one of The Pointer Sisters singers, dies at 74 By Associated Press Anita Pointer, one of four sibling singers who earned pop success and critical acclaim as The Pointer Sisters, died Saturday at the age of 74, her publicist announced. Continue reading
Dec 31 Benedict XVI, pope who resigned to spend final years in quiet, dies at 95 By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday. Continue reading
Dec 30 Barbara Walters, trailblazing television journalist, dies at 93 By Frazier Moore, Associated Press Barbara Walters, the intrepid interviewer, anchor and program host who led the way as the first woman to become a TV news superstar during a network career remarkable for its duration and variety, has died. She was 93. Continue reading
Dec 30 Influential people we said goodbye to in 2022 Queen Elizabeth II who modernized the British monarchy, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev who introduced glasnost and actor Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman, are among some of the notables who died this year. Continue reading
Dec 29 Vivienne Westwood, influential punk fashion maverick, dies at 81 By Gregory Katz, Associated Press Westwood’s fashion career began in the 1970s with the punk explosion, when her radical approach to urban street style took the world by storm. Continue reading
Dec 29 Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of ‘the beautiful game,’ dies at 82 By Tales Azzoni, Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press Pelé was one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century. He won a record three World Cups with Brazil and was the standard-bearer of "the beautiful game" with the national team and his club Santos. Continue reading
Dec 23 Thom Bell, ‘Sound of Philadelphia’ producer, dies at 79 By Hillel Italie, Associated Press Thom Bell, one of the architects of the 1970s "Sound of Philadelphia," has died. Continue reading
Dec 17 Jose Maria Sison, self-exiled Philippine Communist Party founder, dies at 83 By Associated Press Jose Maria Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, whose armed wing has been waging one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies, has died. He was 83. Continue reading
Dec 11 Paul Silas, 3-time NBA champion and longtime coach, dies at 79 By Tim Reynolds, Associated Press Paul Silas — who touched the game of basketball as a player, coach and president of the National Basketball Players Association — has died, his family announced Sunday. Continue reading