In Memoriam

POSTED: Thursday, September 9, 2010, 6:45 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam
No one could rhyme New Kids on the Block with Chinese food better than Rich Cronin of one-hit-wonder-ish boy band LFO, who died yesterday after a battle with leukemia. He was 36 — but we all remember him best from that summer of 1999, when the then-25-year-old lamented that his favorite Abercrombie & Fitch-clad lady had bailed on him. When news broke yesterday of the late-'90s-kinda-cute lead singer's death, Twitter went mad, and even fellow boy bander Lance Bass was bummed: "Sad sad day that Rich Cronin died – was an amazing guy" (h/t Entertainment Weekly). And, speaking of EW, they've got a nice long piece today in tribute to the "fallen pop star," which is really more a tribute to high school. Take a minute to reminisce about LFO, summertime girls, the color purple and macaroni and cheese:
RIP RICH!!!!
Posted 2010-09-09 13:58:04
Rich was 35 he had just turned 35 2 weeks ago. He was an amazing guy!!!He will be missed!!!! Rich you will never be forgotten I am so glad I got to chill with you back in the day. Memories I will always have!!
 You are in a better place now no more pain!! xoxoxoxoxox
Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 6:45 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Saturday, August 14, 2010, 11:31 AM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Music
Joy, diluted It's been the absolute fastest moving five days of non-stop music I've ever known. Can't believe Piping Live! — aka the Glasgow International Bagpipe Festival — is all over but the After Worlds Shindig. Worlds refers to the World Championship Pipe Band competition now underway on Glasgow Green. Music on a smaller scale is what I'm after, what I've had, with pipe bands practicing in the courtyard of this student residence. Pure magic of accessible scale shall not be spoiled by a seething crowd of 40K and hustling parades of band after band. So what is it that has diluted the joy you ask? Time to send prayers up for the memory of Steve Jordan, brilliant tejano musician. He is released from the suffering that liver cancer brought on, passing on his regular Salute's gig night.
If you have an hour to spare there is no better way to get into Steve Jordan's music and life than this LatinoUSA radio show with slide presentations.
Check back here in days to come, there will be handcrafted — yes, that means ragged-but-right — clips of amazing music from Glasgow. RELATED: No Rules: The Life & Music of Esteban 'Steve' Jordan from NPR's Latino USA on Vimeo.
Fred Soriano
Posted 2010-08-18 12:13:41
Just got the news. He was a close frien of Mr. Bob Garza and even lived with Bob and Jredans sons. My condolences.
Posted by mary armstrong @ 11:31 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 6:13 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Music
[source]
DJ Randy Flash
I didn't even know that Randall Miller – the Philly house music DJ and record seller known as Randy Flash – was senselessly shot in North Philly on July 15, until Lee Jones sent a note out about it on his Sundae party mailer over the weekend. Plans were underway for a fundraiser at Octo on Thu., July 29 to cover Flash's hospital bills. Sad sadder saddest is that Flash passed away last night and the fund raiser has become a memorial to that cat so many knew from his time at Sound of Market. We'll write more as we know more though it's safe to say that you can check Jones' Sundae site for more information.
Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 6:13 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, June 4, 2010, 9:40 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam
meancards.com
I am totally bummed to be the last person in Philadelphia to learn that Foster's Urban Homeware, which moved last year from less-populated Fourth and Market to the heart of Old City's shopping district, has filed for bankruptcy and closed — without even saying goodbye!? Philadelphia magazine and the Philadelphia Business Journal reported on this sad turn of events last month. PBJ spoke with Foster's attorney, Brad Sadek, who said the decision is final. "Unfortunately, it's a sign of the times, a combination of the economy and the Internet." Here's Philly Mag's scoop on what's next for the store's owner:
Now, the word from co-owner Ken Foster is, "We're doing OK, despite having to make the really tough decision to close the store after 15 years. We've moved full-time to our country house and 25 chickens have just joined us, so I have a great distraction while I decide what to do next."
The storefront — still packed with merch (no closeout sale?) — is dark, and the website is "inaccessible temporarily." Where am I going to get my Mean Cards now?
ucak bileti
Posted 2010-06-05 14:21:05
very great article thanks
Nina Phalen
Posted 2010-08-18 11:56:53
Auh shucks! I went by there the other day to buy a greeting card...this is a huge disappointment.
Cahrlotte
Posted 2010-12-07 12:43:27
I was perusing the 'net for gift shops and came across Fosters and the customer reviews. Was all prepared to drive into town when I googled their website and saw this posting. I'm REALLY the last one to know!! Never got to experience the store but it sounds like a great loss to the city.
Leanne
Posted 2010-12-14 17:11:35
I am so bummed, I have a $150 gift e-card to spend here and despite "registering" it with the store I got no notification! Anyone know how we can get in touch with Ken Foster?
Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 9:40 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 8:09 AM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Music
Make that Un Memoriam? There's a web-rumor out there that Ronnie James Dio passed away. Apparently his Wikipedia page "broke" the story, aka reporting that he died without citing a source. Maybe somebody knows something or maybe somebody's just being a douche. Geez, I mean, can just any old person edit those things? Dio, the other important lead singer of Black Sabbath, has been battling stomach cancer. His current project with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, Heaven and Hell, recently had to cancel their tour, as he is undergoing chemotherapy. Dio was or is 67. Anyway, here's some rock from Dio playing Philly in '86:
Update: Somebody at blabbermouth.net bothered his wife/manager Wendy Dio about this. She responded: "I am at the hospital and Ronnie has NOT passed away!!!! He is not doing good, but he is not dead." Update #2: Yeah, Ronnie James Dio is dead. Guess somebody jumped the gun but knew he was close. Sad to hear it. Hope you're way north of Witches Valley, man.
Doc Immortal
Posted 2010-05-16 23:22:26
Message from Wendy Dio (http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/)

Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.

- Wendy Dio


You can leave your condolences on Facebook
Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 8:09 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, May 10, 2010, 6:00 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Movies | Music
Singer, Civil Rights activist and consummately classy lady from a bygone era Lena Horne died yesterday at 92. While Horne was best known for her rendition of "Stormy Weather" from the titular film, My first introduction to Horne was this:

For Cliff's birthday, Clair takes him and the fam to see Horne perform. It's a great episode (purchase here, stream the first part on YouTube here). Despite her Huxtable associations, her greatest performance to me is still this one:

No, it ain't easy at all. Sing it, Lena.

Jacqueline Keels
Posted 2010-05-11 11:05:13
My paternal grandmother looks just like Ms. Lena Horne.  My maternal grandmother always spoke of Ms. Horne.  She told me about Lena's parents and how her granmother raised her and all about her New York life and southern life.
Barbara Johnson
Posted 2010-05-11 11:21:08
We will  miss the beautiful voice of Ms.Horne

by Barbara johnson on May 11,2010 at 11:25 am
Posted by Molly Eichel @ 6:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 12:04 AM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Movies
Any movie fan knows the work of film editor Dede Allen, who died on Saturday at the age of 86. The first editor to be given her own screen credit, Allen worked on such films as Bonnie and Clyde, The Hustler and Dog Day Afternoon. But more those classics, Allen helped changed the landscape of American film. So, what exactly, did Allen do that shown a spotlight on the art of film editing? The L.A. Times' Claudia Luther sums up Allen's contribution perfectly:
Allen departed from the standard Hollywood way of cutting -- making smooth transitions starting with wide shots establishing place and characters and going on to medium shots and finally close-ups -- by beginning with close-ups or jump cuts. Although these editing methods had been pioneered by the French new wave and some British directors, Allen is generally credited with being the first to use and shape them in American film.
(Luther's obit is highly recommended. She explains film editing without getting bogged down in film vocab. Other obits to check out: S.T. Vanairsdale further illuminates Allen's contribution to cinema by discussing five of her most iconic clips at Movieline.com, Inquirer Carrie Rickey has some nice anecdotes up on her Flick Grrl blog and Matt Zoller Seitz talks about the soul of Allen's work at Salon.) Allen's most fortuitous collaboration was with Philadelphia's own Arthur Penn. The Bonnie and Clyde director worked with Allen six times, and told the L.A. Times she was "not an editor, but a constructionist." In college, one of my film studies professors went through Bonnie and Clyde scene-by-scene and essentially taught us what editing was. I've got a lot of Allen favorites: Odds Against Tomorrow, Slap Shot, The Hustler and, of course, Bonnie and Clyde. What's your fave?
M. Carlson
Posted 2010-04-21 02:48:47
Dede Allen was not the first film editor to receive her own screen credit.
Have you never watched movies? Look at silent films and see the editor's credit. Allen did get an opening credit in Bonnie & Clyde, which is believed to be a first for an editor, but let's get real...
Posted by Molly Eichel @ 12:04 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Thursday, April 8, 2010, 10:00 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Music
It's easy to forget that the Sex Pistols didn't form naturally, the way a lot of bands did, with a bunch of friends getting together and rocking out. No, they were made. And Malcolm McLaren was the guy who made them. He's the one who auditioned and hired Johnny Rotten to lead his band of "sexy young assassins." as McLaren supposedly, described them. (It's worth noting, perhaps, that Mr. Rotten credited MM's assistant, Bernie Rhodes, with "discovering" him.) McLaren wasn't only a band manager. Last year, Shaun Brady interviewed him about his photography, which was on exhibition at PAFA.
"Ultimately I was trying to re-create a whole history of pop culture within the basis of 20 or 30 tracks," McLaren claims. "I thought that by cutting things up, you wouldn't immediately receive something that would sound like a cliché. You might have heard a bit of it before, but you couldn't quite figure out what it's doing with this other bit. ... That was kind of a cool way of grabbing the ruins of a culture and throwing them together and giving them some basic architecture."
Read the whole interview here.
Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 10:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, March 31, 2010, 6:08 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | TV
Sad to report the death of television writer/journalist David Mills, who passed away yesterday, from what some news outlets are reporting is a brain aneurysm. Mills got his start in television penning an episode of Homicide: Life on the Streets, based on his college buddy David Simon's book of the same name. Simon would, of course, go on to create The Wire, and added Mills to its venerable writing staff (above is a clip from the Mills-penned episode "Soft Eyes," the second episode of the fourth season, which I regard to be one of the strongest seasons of television ever made). Often overlooked because of The Wire's success in prolonging the same themes into full-season arcs, is Mills and Simon's HBO miniseries The Corner, also based on a Simon book. It's an excellent mini-series and deserves a spot in any Wire fan's Netflix queue. Mills was, again, collaborating with Simon on his new HBO Treme about life in post-Katrina New Orleans, which debuts Sun., April 11. Mills also notably wrote for Kingpin, ER and NYPD Blue. But before his work in television, Mills was a reporter. In 1989, he wrote for the Washington Times a piece on Public Enemy in which Professor Griff made antisemitic statements, leading to his ouster from the group. Author Sistah Souljah was in similar hot water after a she told Mills that violence by blacks against was justified during the 1992 LA riots. Then-president Bill Clinton criticized Souljah in a speech at the Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, leading to the coining of the phrase "The Sistah Souljah Moment." Friend of Critical Mass and CP contributor Mike Pelusi led us to this obit by one of my favorite TV writers, Alan Sepinwall, who justly memorializes his friend.
Posted by Molly Eichel @ 6:08 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 6:15 PM
Filed Under: In Memoriam | Music

Former leader of the seminal band Big Star and frontrunner of the power-pop genre, Alex Chilton passed away yesterday at the age of 59. Chilton's influence was likely farther reaching than his own music. Without Big Star, the Replacements, REM and other bands with a sugary exterior hiding darker undertones would likely sound vastly different.

Michael Pelusi summed up the band's history while reviewing the Big Star box set, Keep an Eye on the Sky:

In theory, the whole idea of box(ed) sets exists for cultishly adored bands such as Big Star. For many rock nerds, their saga passed into myth long ago. In Memphis, TN, in the early '70s, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel — aspiring rockers obsessed with The Beatles, Kinks and Who — hooked up with Alex Chilton, former lead singer of The Box Tops. (Chilton sang that band's big hit "The Letter" when he was 16 years old.) The quartet made #1 Record (1972), a sparkling, chiming record that all but pioneered the power-pop genre. Commercially, it bombed. Bell quit the band. The remaining trio made the spectacular follow-up Radio City (1974), a darker, more disjointed record. Commercially, it bombed. Hummel quit the band. Chilton, Stephens and an assortment of Memphis players then made Third (aka Sister Lovers), which was even darker and even more disjointed. Record labels wanted nothing to do with it. By the time Third was finally released in 1978 — four years after it was recorded, and the same year that Chris Bell died in a car accident — the band had long ceased existing. And commercially, the album bombed of course.

Out of their three records, I'd say Radio City is my favorite, but would recommend #1 Record to new listeners.

My favorite tribute so far has come from Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen (D), who eulogized Chilton on the House floor today, saying that Chilton's "hard, different, indentpendent and beautiful" music was exemplary of his home state. You can watch the video on CSPAN, starting at around 26:30.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 6:15 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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