Category : Industry Passings
Industry Passings honoring radio, music, and media professionals whose contributions shaped the business, documenting their careers, leadership, and lasting impact on the industry.
Legendary Radio Host Mary Mason Dies at 94
Introduction Mary Mason, a longtime Philadelphia radio host renowned for her powerful voice and iconic personality, passed away at the age of 94. Mason, whose...
Albuquerque radio personality Juan Velasco passes away at 60
Beloved Albuquerque radio personality Juan Velasco passed away at 60 after 42 years in broadcasting. The KRST 92.3 afternoon host served the community for three...
Remembering Dee Harvey: Soul’s Lost Voice (video)
Remembering Dee Harvey, the soulful singer whose captivating voice and heartfelt music touched hearts and resonated with audiences across the R&B community....
Fabio Sementilli Stabbed to Death by Pool
Beauty executive Fabio Sementilli was stabbed to death by his pool in 2017. His wife Monica and her lover Robert Baker were arrested for the...
Remembering DJ Super Snake: A Valley Radio Legend
DJ Super Snake, beloved Valley radio legend known for his infectious energy and distinctive laugh, passed away unexpectedly Saturday morning. The Phoenix native worked at...
Tupac’s Mother , Afeni Shakur Dead at Age 69
Afeni Shakur, mother of rap legend Tupac and former Black Panther activist, has died at age 69 from cardiac arrest. She was instrumental in preserving...
Birmingham Radio Radio DJ Mz. Katt Dies
Birmingham radio DJ Katrina Holman, known as Mz. Katt from 95.7 Jamz, died Friday after being hospitalized. The beloved Dirty South Diva was known for...
Busta Rhymes Pays Tribute to A Tribe Called Quest
Busta Rhymes delivered a surprise tribute performance honoring A Tribe Called Quest at the 2016 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards, where the group received the...
RIP Gary Jackson (Urban Network, HITS and BRE Magazine)
Gary Jackson, longtime editor at Urban Network, HITS, and BRE Magazine, has passed away. Jackson worked alongside industry veterans and was known for his laid-back...
Percy Sutton, Media Mogul, Has Died
Percy Sutton, pioneering civil rights attorney and media mogul who owned WLIB-AM and WBLS-FM radio stations, died at age 89. The former Manhattan borough president...
8 Dead, Hundreds Injured at Travis Scott Astroworld Festival
Eight people died and over 300 were injured at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston due to a deadly crowd surge among 50,000 attendees....
Celebrity DJ AM Found Dead in New York
Celebrity DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) was found dead in his New York apartment at age 36, with drug paraphernalia reportedly at the scene. The famous...
Music Vet Harvey Scales has Died
Music composer Harvey Scales, 78, has died in Atlanta. The Milwaukee native co-wrote Johnny Taylor's hit 'Disco Lady' and penned songs for The O'Jays and...
RIP Legendary DJ Tommie Allen
Legendary DJ Tommie Allen, famous for his work at WBLS and Hot 97 in NYC, has died at age 57. The mix legend had retired...
Beloved Radio Personality Dies (video)
Beloved Foxy 106.9 radio personality Tammie Holland has passed away after three decades in broadcasting. The St. Louis station will honor her legacy with special...
Kevin Fleming, Music Industry Veteran, Dies at 65
Kevin Fleming, influential music industry veteran and CEO of The Urban Buzz, has died at 65 after battling pancreatic cancer. His 40+ year career spanned...
8 Mile Actor Nashawn Breedlove Has Died
Nashawn Breedlove, the actor who played Lotto in Eminem's 8 Mile movie, has died at age 46. The New Jersey resident passed away in his...
Blues Legend Lucky Peterson Has Died
Blues legend Lucky Peterson has died at age 55 at his Dallas home. The musician began his career at age 5 and toured worldwide throughout...
Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff Dies; Timbaland Offers Condolences
Rapper Magoo (Melvin Barcliff) has died at age 50, prompting heartfelt tributes from longtime collaborator Timbaland and the hip-hop community....
Clarence Avant, Influential Music Executive, Dies at 92
Clarence Avant, legendary music executive known as 'The Black Godfather,' has died at 92. The influential power broker shaped careers of countless artists and bridged...
Aspiring Rapper Found Dead in Barrel at Malibu Lagoon
Aspiring rapper Javonnta Murphy, 32, was found dead inside a barrel at Malibu Lagoon State Beach on July 31, 2023. The LA County coroner ruled...
BTB Savage, Ex-Military Rapper, Killed in Houston
BTB Savage, 26-year-old rapper and military veteran, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Houston after discussing a previous robbery attempt on VladTV....
Industry Vet B. Jeffery Grant Clark has Died
Industry veteran B. Jeffery Grant Clark, longtime RCA Inspiration executive and former Buffalo radio DJ, has passed away. The respected music executive was known for...
Iconic Music Composer Burt Bacharach has Died
Legendary composer Burt Bacharach has died at age 94. Known for iconic hits with Dionne Warwick and other stars, his distinctive sound defined decades of...
FAME Singer Irene Cara has Died
Irene Cara, the singer and actress who rose to fame with the 1980 hit "Fame" and "Flashdance... What a Feeling," has died at age 63...