2008 is turning out to be a very bad year for some of our more iconic figures.... although death is a part of life hearing about these people saddened me a great deal. May they rest in eternal peace...................
OBITUARIES 2008
Levi Stubbs Age 72
As the distinctive lead of the Four Tops, Stubbs was best known for his deep, passionate vocal style that turned Holland-Dozier-Holland compositions like "Bernadette" and "Reach Out" and later, upon the group's move from Motown to ABC Records, on adult soul songs such as "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)" and "Keeper of the Castle." A heart attack and stroke permanently sidelined Stubbs a half decade ago, and he was wheelchair-bound as he took the stage for the group's 50th anniversary celebration in 2005. But Levi Stubbs will long be remembered as a staple of Motown's greatest years and as one of the most distinctive and revered vocalists of all time. He will be greatly missed.
Isaac Hayes Age: 65
Isaac Hayes, the baldheaded, baritone-voiced soul crooner who laid the groundwork for disco and whose "Theme From Shaft" won both Academy and Grammy awards, died 8/10/08 in the afternoon after he collapsed near a treadmill, authorities said. He was 65.
Gene Upshaw Age: 63
Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, died on 8/20/08 at his home near California 's Lake Tahoe , of pancreatic cancer.
Dwight White Age: 58
Dwight White, the Steel Curtain defensive end known as "Mad Dog" who helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s, died 6/6/08, following complications from back surgery. He was 58.
Bernie mac Age: 50
Bernie Mac, an Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian, died suddenly 8/09/08 at age 50 of complications from pneumonia. The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005.
Al Wilson Age: 68
Al Wilson, the soul singer and songwriter who had a number of 1970s hits including "Show and Tell," died 4/21/08. Wilson died of kidney failure at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana , according to his son, Tony Wilson of Yucaipa .
Bo Diddley Age: 79
Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of musicians, died 6/2/08, after months of ill health. He was 79.
Ivan Dixon Age: 76
Ivan Dixon, an actor and director who was best known for playing Sgt. James Kinchloe on the 1960s sitcom "Hogan's Heroes" but whose films included vivid portrayals of black struggles in the American South and insurrectionist inclinations in the North, died 3/16/08 from complications of kidney disease.
Sean Levert Age: 39
Sean Levert, a third of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, died 3/30/08 after falling ill while serving a jail term. He was 39. Authorities said Monday that an autopsy was inconclusive but foul play was ruled out.
Johnnie Carr Age: 97
Johnnie Carr, who joined childhood friend Rosa Parks in the historic Montgomery bus boycott and kept a busy schedule of civil rights activism up to her final days, died 2/22/08. She was 97. She had been hospitalized after a stroke Feb. 11.
Buddy Miles Age: 60
Buddy Miles, a drummer who played with Jimi Hendrix and sang in the claymation commercials featuring the California Raisins in the 1980s, died 2/26/08. He was 60. Miles, who had been suffering from congestive heart failure, died in Austin, publicist Duane Lee said.
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