Tag: singer

Gary Brooker, Frontman of Rock Band Procol Harum, Dies at 76

LONDON—Gary Brooker, the Procol Harum frontman who sang one of the 1960s’ most enduring hits, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” has died. He was 76. The English rock band said Brooker died at his home on Saturday. He had been receiving treatment for cancer. A statement posted on the band’s official website said: “With the…


Singer Fred Parris of the Five Satins Dead at Age 85

NEW YORK—Fred Parris, the lead singer of the 1950s doo-wop group the Five Satins and composer of the ballad “In the Still of the Night,” has died at age 85. Parris died Jan. 13 after a brief illness, according to his music manager, Pat Marafiote. Parris and his wife Emma lived in Hamden, Connecticut, not…


Vicente Fernández, Revered Mexican Singer, Dies at 81

MEXICO CITY—Vicente Fernández, an iconic and beloved singer of regional Mexican music who was awarded three Grammys and nine Latin Grammys and inspired a new generation of performers, including his son Alejandro Fernández, died on Sunday. He was 81. Fernández was known for hits such as “El Rey,” and “Lástima que seas ajena,” his command…


Brazilian Singer and Latin Grammy Winner Dies in Plane Crash

SAO PAULO—Marília Mendonça, one of Brazil’s most popular singers and a Latin Grammy winner, died Friday in an airplane crash on her way to a concert. She was 26. Mendonça’s press office confirmed her death in a statement, and said four other passengers on the flight also perished. Their plane crashed between Mendonça’s hometown Goiania…


Girls Aloud Star Sarah Harding Dies at 39 After Cancer Fight

LONDON—Singer Sarah Harding of the British pop group Girls Aloud has died after a battle with breast cancer, her mother said Sunday. She was 39. The singer said last August that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and it had spread to other parts of her body. On Sunday, her mother Marie said on…


VIDEO: 96-Year-Old Veteran Sings National Anthem at Baseball Game—and He’s ‘Darn Good’

A 96-year-old WWII veteran in Michigan has a patriotic affection for singing the national anthem—and he’s not afraid to admit that he’s “darn good” at it. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, John Pylman walked onto the field at Comstock Park Aug. 11, and delivered an inspired rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner before a West…


Tom T. Hall, Country Singer and ‘Harper Valley PTA’ Composer, Dies at 85

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Tom T. Hall, the singer-songwriter who composed “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue-collar bard, has died. He was 85. His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician’s death on Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Known as “The Storyteller” for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics, Hall…


Grammy-Winning Folk Singer-Songwriter Nanci Griffith Dies

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Nanci Griffith, the Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter from Texas whose literary songs like “Love at the Five and Dime” celebrated the South, has died. She was 68. Her management company, Gold Mountain Entertainment, said Griffith died Friday but did not provide a cause of death. “It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or…


Singer Rihanna Is Officially a Billionaire, Forbes Says

Pop star Rihanna’s net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion, making her the richest woman musician in the world, but her music is not the primary source of her wealth, Forbes magazine said on Wednesday. The Barbados-born singer, whose birth name is Robyn Fenty, derives an estimated $1.4 billion of her fortune from her 50…


New York Opera Singer Delivers Her Own Baby in Car While Husband Drives to Hospital

For professional opera singer Emily Geller Hardman, who was pregnant with her second child, dreams of a natural birth came true a little too literally when she delivered her baby in the back of the family car. Acting as doctor, midwife, and doula for herself, Emily gave birth to her baby girl even before paramedics…