December 2022 Deaths: Hughes, McGrath, Alley, Noss, Harris and Pele

DOROTHY PITTMAN, HUGHES, 84

**  A pioneering black feminist, child welfare advocate and lifelong community activist who toured the country speaking with Gloria Steinem in the 1970s and appears with her in one of the most iconic photos of the second-wave feminist movement.

Died December 1.

BOB McGRATH, 90

**  Actor, musician and children's author known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on "Sesame Street."

Died December 4.

KIRSTIE ALLEY, 71

Two-time Emmy-winner whose roles on "Cheers" and the "Look Who's Talking" films made her one of the biggest stars in comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Died December 5.

STEPHEN "tWITCH" NOSS, 40

**  Beloved dancing DJ on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and former contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance."

Died December 13.

FRANCO HARRIS. 72

**  Hall of Fame running back who caught the "Immaculate Rcception," considered the most iconic play in NFL history.

Died December 20.

PELE, 82

**  Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became a global sports giant.

Died December 29.

November 2022 Deaths: Clary, Cara and McVie

ROBERT CLARY, 96

**  A French-born survivor of Nazi concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty POW in the improbable 1960s sitcom "Hogan's Heroes.

Died November 16.

IRENE CARA, 63

**  Oscar, Golden Globes and two-time Grammy winning singer-actor who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie "Fame" and then belted out the era-defining "Flashdance...What a Feeling" from 1983's "Flashdance."

Died November 25.

CHRISTINE McVIE, 79

**  British-born Fleetwood Mac vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player whose cool, soulful contralto helped define such classics as "You Make Loving Fun," "Everywhere" and "Don't Stop."

Died November 30.

October Deaths in 2022: Carter, Jordan and Lewis

**  ASH CARTER, 68

A former defense secretary whom opened combat jobs to women and ended a ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Died October 24.

**  LESLIE JORDAN, 67

Emmy-winning actor whose very Southern drawl made him a comedy and drama standout in TV series including "Will and Grace" and "American Horror Story.

Died October 24.

**  JERRY LEE LEWIS, 87

Untamable rock 'n' roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin'On" and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal.

Died October 28.

Deaths in Sept. 2022: Starr, Fletcher and Coolio

KEN STARR, 76

A former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president's impeachment and put Starr  in the center of one of the country's most polarizing debates in the 1990s.  Died September 13.

LOUISE FLETCHER. 88

A late-blooming star whose riveting performance as Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award.  Died September 23.

I always felt she was just doing her job and trying to deal with Jack Nicholson.

COOLIO, 59

The rapper was among hip-hop's biggest names of the 1990s with hits including "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage."   Died September 28.

I really liked those two songs and I am not a rap fan.

Deaths in Sept. 2022: Ehrenreich, Shaw, Lewis and Godard

BARBARA EHRENREICH, 81

Author, activist and self-described "myth buster" who is notable works as "Nickel and Dimed" and "Bait and Switch" challenged conventional thinking about class, religion and the very idea of an American Dream.  Died September 1.

BERNARD SHAW, 82

CNN's chief anchor for two decades and a pioneering black broadcast journalist best remembered for calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 as missiles flew around him in Baghdad.  Died September 7.

I sure remember watching him report the war while at a bowling alley.

RAMSEY LEWIS, 87

A renowned jazz pianist whose music entertained fans over a more-than 60-year career that began with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and made him one of the country's most successful jazz musicians.  Died September 12.

JEAN-LUC GODARD, 91

The iconic "enfant terrible" of the French New Wave who revolutionized popular cinema in 1960 with his first feature "Breathless," and stood for years among the film world's most influential directors.  Died September 13.

Deaths in August 2022-- Part 9: Scully, Newton-John, Dozier, Heche and Gorbachev

AUGUST

VIN SCULLY, 94

**  A Hall of Fame broadcaster who called thousands of games involving the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers during his 67 years in the booth.  Died August 2.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, 73

**  Grammy-winning superstar who reigned on pop, country, adult contemporary and dance charts with such hits as "Physical" and "You're the One That I Want" and won countless hearts as everyone's favorite Sandy in the blockbuster film version of "Grease."  Died August 8.

Next to Linda Ronstadt, my second female singer heart throb.

LAMONT DOZIER, 81

**  He was the middle name of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote or produced "You Can't Hurry Love,"  "Heat Wave" and dozens of other hits, making Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond.  Died August 8.

I'm a huge Motown fan.

ANNE HECHE, 53

**  Emmy-winning film and television actor whose dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and accomplished career contrasted with chapters of personal turmoil.  Died August14.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, 91 

**  As the last leader of the Soviet Union, he set out to revitalize it but ended up unleashing forces that led to the collapse of communism, the breakup of the state and the end of the Cold War,  Died August 30.

I wish he was the Russian leader now and not the current person.

Deaths in May 2022-- Part 6: Mineta, Gilley, Lanier, Akleh and Liotta

NORMAN MINETA, 90

**  He broke racial barriers for Asian Americans serving in high profile government posts who ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks as the Federal Transportation Secretary.  Died May 3.

MICKEY GILLEY, 86

**  Country singer whose namesake Texas honky-tonk inspired the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy" and a nationwide wave of Western-themed night spots.  Died May 7.  No Bull!!

What great music.  But, I never got on one of those mechanical bulls.  My back is still okay.

BOB LANIER, 73

**  The left-habded big man who muscled up beside the likes of Kareen Abdul-Jabbar as one of the NBA's top players of the seventies.  Died May 10.

SHIREEN ABU AKLEH, 51

**  A correspondent who became a household name synonymous with with Al Jazeera's coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories.  Died May 11.

RAY LIOTTA, 67

**  Actor best-known for playing mobster Henry Hill in "Goodfellas" and baseball player "Shoeless " Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams."  Died May 26.

"Do I Amuse You?"  

Influential Figures We Lost in April 2022-- Part 5: Harris, Gottfried, Hatch, Mower and Judd

APRIL

ESTELLE HARRIS, 93

**  She hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza's short-fused ,other on "Seinfeld" and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" franchise.  Died April 2.

Serenity Now!!

GILBERT GOTTFRIED, 67

**  Actor and legendary standup comic known for his scorched voice and crude jokes.  Died April 12.

ORRIN HATCH, 88

**  The longest-serving Republican senator in history who was a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades.  Died April 23.

DR. MORTON MOWER, 89

**  A former Maryland-based cardiologist who helped invent and automatic implantable defibrillator that helped countless heart patients live longer and healthier.  Died April 25.

NAOMI JUDD, 76

**   Her family harmonies with daughter Wynonna turned them into the Grammy-winning country stars, the Judds.  Died April 30.

Loved their songs.

Influential Figures Lost in March 2022-- Part 4: Delgado, Gurt, Cavazos, Young and Albright

MARCH

EMILIO DELGADO, 81

**  Actor and singer who for 45 years was a warm and familiar presence in children's lives and a rare Latino face on American TV as fix-it shop owner Luis on "Sesame Street.  Died March 10.

WILLIAM HURT, 71

**  His laconic charisma and self-assured subtlety as an actor made him one of 1980s leading men in movies such as "Broadcast News," "Body Heat" and "The Big Chill."  Died March 13.

LAURO CAVAZOS, 95

A Texas ranch foreman's son who rose to become the first Latino to serve in a presidential cabinet as US Secretary of Education during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.  Died March 15.

DON YOUNG, 88

**  The Alaska congressman was the longest-serving Republican in the history of the US House.  Died March 18.

MADELINE ALBRIGHT, 84

**  A child refugee from Nazi and then Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe who rose to become the first female Secretary of State and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women.  Died March 23.

Influential Figures Lost in 2022-- Part 3: Montagnier, Davis, Reitman, O'Rourke

FEBRUARY 

LUC MONTAGNIER, 89

**  A French researcher who won a  Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering HIV and more recently spread false claims about the coronavirus.  Died February 8

BETTY DAVIS, 77

**  A bold and pioneering funk singer, model and songwriter of 1960s and 1970s who was credited with inspiring then-husband Miles Davis' landmak fushion of jazz and more contemporary sounds.  Died February 9.

IVAN REITMAN, 75

**  Influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century from "Animal House" to "Ghostbusters."  Died February 12.  Also "Stripes" and "Meatballs."  Some of my all-time favorite movies.

P.J. O'ROURKE, 74

**   Prolific author and satirist who refashioned the irreverance and "gonzo" journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary.  Died Fenruary 15.  

I really enjoyed reading his articles in the Rolling Stone.

Influential Figures Lost in 2022-- Part 2: Spector, Talley, Meat Loaf, Bryan and Mangeshkar

RONNIE SPECTOR, 78

**  Sang such 1960s hits as "Be My Baby,"  "Baby I Love You" and "Walking in the Rain" as the leader of the girl group Ronettes.  Died January 12.

ANDRE LEON TALLEY, 73

**  A towering and highly visible figure of then fashion world who made history as a rare black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry.  Died January 18.

MEAT LOAF, 74

**  Rock superstar, loved by millions for his "Bat Out of Hell" album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)."  Died January 20.

I'll never forget singing this song with a bartender down on Bourbon Street.

**********************************

FEBRUARY

ASHLEY BRYAN, 98

**  A prolific and prize-winning children's author and illustrator who told scores of stories of black life, culture and folklore on such acclaimed works as "Freedom Over Me" and "Beautiful Blackbird."   Died February 4.

LATA MANGESHKAR, 92

**  A legendary Indian singer with a prolific, ground-breaking catalog and a voice recognized by more than a billion people on South Asia.  Died February 6.

--RoadDog

Influential Figures Lost in 2022: Poitier, Saget, Hickman and Bellecourt

From the January 1, 2023, Chicago Tribune by Bernard McGhee, AP.

JANUARY

SIDNEY POITIER, 94

**  Transformed how black people were portrayed on screen.  First black actor to win an Oscar for best lead performance. Died January 6.

To Sir.

BOB SAGET, 65

Actor.comedian known for his role on the sitcom "Full House" and wisecracking host of "America's Funniest Home Movies."  Died January 9.

DWAYNE HICKMAN, 87

Actor remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis.  Died January 9.

And that beatnik friend of his.

CLYDE BELLECOURT, 85

A leader of Native American struggle for civil rights.  Died January 11.

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 4: 'Knock On Wood'

These are some of the music industry people we lost last year.

KNOCK ON WOOD--  Eddie Floyd   (Jim Stewart co-owner of Stax records and the "ST" part of the name)

SAY YOU LOVE ME--  Fleetwood Mac   (Christine McVie)

GOING FOR THE ONE--  Yes  (Alan White, drummer)

A WHITER SHADE OF PALE--  Procul Harum  (Gary Brooker, founder, leader, vocalist and  pianist)

WHAT A WONDERFUL THING--  Fabulous Rhinestones   (Cal David, guitar)

I'LL BE AROUND--  Spinners  (Thom Bell, producer)

FULL MOON TURN MY HEAD AROUND--  Off Broadway   (Cliff Johnson, leader)

Always sad to lose these people with all the enjoyment they brought us.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "This Is Our Fork In The Road.  Love's Last Episode."   Answer below.   --Cooter

"I'll Be Around"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 3: 'Court of the Crimson King'

Musicians we lost last year.

CHINA GROVE--  Doobie Brothers   (John Hartman, drums)

PEGGY SUE--  Buddy Holly   (Jerry Allison, drummer)

HAIR OF THE DOG--  Nazareth   (Manny Charlton, lead guitarist and Dan McCafferty, vocalist)

SPINNING WHEEL--  Blood, Sweat & Tears   (Dick Halligan, keyboards)

PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT--  Meatloaf

THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING--  King Crimson  (Ian McDonald, founding member of the group and also of Foreigner.)

KEEP ON PUSHIN'--  REO Speedwagon   (Gregg Philbin, bass, backing vocals)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When The Sun Comes Up On A Sleepy Little Town Down Around San Antone."  --Answer below.  --Cooter

"China Grove"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 2: 'She's a Beauty'

Musicians we lost last year.

GLORIA--  Shadows of Knight   (Jim Sohns, leader and singer)

WOODSTOCK--  CSN&Y   (Michael Lang, producer of the celebration)

GOOD LOVIN'--  Young Rascals    (Dino Danelli, drummer)

JIM DANDY--  Black Oak Arkansas  (Harvey Jett, guitarist)

WALK DON'T RUN '64--  Ventures  (Don Wilson, guitarist)

SO INTO YOU--  Atlanta Rhythm Section   (Barry Bailey, guitar)

SHE'S A BEAUTY--  Tubes   (Rick Styles, bassist)

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER--  Al Green  (Howard Grimes, drummer)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I'd Like To Tell You 'Bout My Baby You Know She Comes Around.  Just 'Bout  Five-Feet Four."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Gloria"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten' 2022-- Part 1: 'Diamond Girl'

Every new year, Bob Stroud takes a last look at the musicians that we lost in the previous year on his Rock and Roll Roots show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM.  He did this on January 8, 2023, this year.

Here are the songs he played and names of the people  who died.

BE MY BABY--  Ronettes  (Ronnie Spector)

TELL MAMA--  Savoy Brown  (Kim Simmonds)

DIAMOND GIRL--  Seals & Crofts   (Jim Seals)

STRANGE WAY--  Firefall   (David Muse)

FOUR STRONG WINDS--  Neil Young  (Ian Tyson, songwriter)

OUT IN THE COUNTRY--  Three Dog Night  (Richard Podolor, producer)

REACH OUT IN THE DARKNESS--  Friend and Lover   (Jim Post)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Think It's So Groovy Now That People Are Finally Getting Together."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Reach Out In the Darkness"