Recent articles
August 11, 2026
Arlene Smith, Whose Song ‘Maybe’ Helped Define Doo-Wop, Dies at 84
With the Chantels, a groundbreaking female vocal group, she tugged heartstrings with the indelible hit and paved the way for a wave of “girl groups.”
www.nytimes.com
July 22, 2026
Doreen Broadnax, Famous (as Sparky D) for ’80s Rap Battle, Dies at 61
Tossing verbal grenades back and forth with Roxanne Shanté, she helped establish a lasting hip-hop truism: Bad blood is good business.
www.nytimes.com
July 9, 2026
Bonnie Tyler, Who Sang ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’ Dies at 75
With a voice both weathered and operatic, she minted 1980s pop anthems like “Total Eclipse” and “Holding Out for a Hero.”
www.nytimes.com
June 24, 2026
Jill Smokler, Who Blogged as Scary Mommy, Dies at 48
A mother of three, she turned a whim into an online powerhouse, sharing a warts-and-all look at parenting that attracted millions of readers.
www.nytimes.com
June 13, 2026
David Plowden, Who Photographed a Disappearing America, Dies at 93
With his haunting images of steam locomotives, steel mills and Midwestern farms, the celebrated lensman revealed the poetry in the artifacts of manual labor.
www.nytimes.com