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It is our hope that you may find
out something interesting that
you didn’t already know about
some people of whom we have
come to know via the media.
So sit back, relax and
enjoy the show!
A
Black
History
Moment
In
Remembrance
of …
Famous Black
Americans Who
Crossed Over In…
2003
Nell Carter
Age: 54
Sept. 13, 1948 - Jan. 23, 2003
Flamboyant singer and
actress who won a Tony
and an Emmy Award
for her performance in
Ain't Misbehavin'. She
starred in the television
series Gimme a Break!
Carter died from heart
disease complicated by
diabetes and obesity in
Beverly Hills, CA.
Maynard Jackson, Jr.
Age: 65
March 23, 1938 - June 23, 2003
Influential former mayor
of Atlanta, Ga., who
transformed the city
into a power base for
the black middle class
by advocating for the
city's black majority and
establishing affirmativeaction programs. He
died of cardiac arrest at
an Arlington, Virginia
hospital after suffering a
heart attack at Reagan
National Airport in June
2003.
Edwin Starr
Age: 61
Jan. 21, 1942 – Apr. 3, 2003
Soul singer Edwin Starr
born Charles Hatcher best
known for his Grammywinning 1970 hit, "War."
Starr’s deep, powerful voice
was as soulful as it comes
and the message was clear:
War," "What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing" is as
resonant and relevant today
as it was when it was meant
as a response to the
Vietnam War. Starr died of a
heart attack at the age of
61 in his home in Beeston
near Nottingham, England.
Nina Simone
Age: 70
Feb. 21, 1933 – Apr. 21, 2003
Nina Simone born
Eunice Kathleen
Waymoa, known as a
sultry chanteuse whose
difficult-to-classify music
combined jazz, classical,
folk, and gospel and a
civil rights activist. The
child prodigy played
piano at the age of four.
Dr. Simone passed away
after being ill with
cancer for several years
before her death in her
villa in Carry-le-Rouet in
the South of France.
Barry White
Age: 58
Sept. 12, 1944 – Jul. 4, 2003
Grammy Award-winning R&B
singer and disco icon known
for his lush baritone bass
voice. His soulful, seductive
songs include "Can't Get
Enough of Your Love, Babe"
and "You're the First, the Last,
My Everything." White, 58,
struggled for nearly a year
with kidney failure caused by
high blood pressure. He died
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles. Exalted as
‘The Sultan of Soul’, ‘The
Man’, and ‘The lcon of Love’,
Barry White was and forever
will be .’The Maestro.
Gregory Hines
Age 57
Feb. 14, 1946 – Aug. 9, 2003
Born in New York, NY, Hinesn
as regarded by many as the
greatest tap dancer of his
generation, and one who
transcended the stage.Hines
learned tap dancing as a
toddler from his older brother
Maurice. When Hines was five
years old, he and his brother
began dancing professionally,
most notably at the Apollo
Theater, in Harlem. Hines, the
tap-dancing actor who
starred on Broadway and in
movies including White
Nights, The Tic Code, and
Running Scared, died of liver
cancer in Los Angeles, CA.
Bobby Bonds
Age: 57
Mar. 15, 1946 – Aug. 23, 2003
All-Star baseball
player who, in his 14
seasons in the major
leagues, hit 332
home runs and stole
461 bases. He
played for the San
Francisco Giants for
seven years. His son
is slugger Barry
Bonds. Bobby died
of complications
from lung cancer
and a brain tumor.
Althea Gibson
Age: 76
Aug. 25, 1927 – Sept. 28, 2003
Althea was a professional
tennis player who was
the first black person to
play in and win
Wimbledon and the
United States national
tennis championship. She
won both tournaments
twice, in 1957 and 1958.
She is sometimes
referred to as "the Jackie
Robinson of tennis" for
breaking the "color
barrier". Althea died in
East Orange, N.J due to
respiratory failure.
Fred Berry
Age: 52
Mar. 13, 1951 – Oct. 21, 2003
Actor Fred Berry, best
known as "Rerun" on the
1970s TV show "What's
Happening!!". During the
1990s he became a Baptist
minister and lost 100
pounds after being
diagnosed with diabetes.
He made a living during
this time mostly through
making public appearances
as Rerun. He was married
six times to four different
women. Berry died at his
Los Angeles home where he
was recovering from a
stroke.
Famous Black
Americans Who
Crossed Over In…
2004
Ron O’Neal
Age: 66
Sept. 1, 1937 - Jan. 14, 2004
Actor Ron O'Neal,
best known for
starring in two
"Superfly"
blaxploitation
movies in the
1970s. O'Neal, who
was 66, died at
Cedars Sinai
Medical Center in
Los Angeles after a
long battle with
pancreatic cancer.
Paul Winfield
Age: 62
May 22, 1940 Mar.7, 2004
Academy Award-nominated
actor Paul Winfield was
nominated for an Emmy for
his portrayal of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and
nominated for an Oscar for
his lead performance in the
movie “Sounder.” Winfield
was not especially publicly
open about his sexual
orientation for most of his
life. His life-partner of 30
years, Charles Gillian, Jr.,
died in 2002. Winfield died
of a heart attack, said his
agent Michael Livingston.
Ray Charles
Age: 73
Sept. 23, 1930 – Jun. 11, 2004
Ray Charles was one of
American music's great
innovators, blending the
gospel of the black church
with the sensuality of the
blues to create an
emotionally raw genre
called soul. Blind by age 7
and an orphan at 15,
Charles spent his life
shattering any notion of
musical boundaries and
defying easy definition. He
died at his home in Beverly
Hills, California at age 73
after a long battle with
liver disease.
Isabel Sanford
Age: 86
Aug. 29, 1917 – Jul. 9th 2004
Isabel Sanford, best known
as "Weezie" or Louise
Jefferson on the sitcoms "The
Jeffersons," and "All in the
Family" She received her
break in showbiz as “Tillie” in
the movie “Guess Who Is
Coming To Dinner”.. In 1981,
Sanford became the first
black woman to receive an
Emmy for Best Actress in a
Comedy Series for her work
on “The Jeffersons.” Sanford
died of natural causes at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
with her daughter Pamela
Ruff at her side.
Rick James
Age: 56
Feb. 1, 1948 – Aug. 6, 2004
Funk legend Rick
James, best known for
the 1981 hit "Super
Freak' before his
career collapsed in a
cloud of violent drug
charges died in his
sleep at his residence
near Universal City,
apparently of natural
causes.
O. D. B.
Age: 35
Nov. 11, 1969 – Nov. 13, 2004
O.D.B. or to use his full
monicker, Ol' Dirty
Bastard, died in a
recording studio 2 days
away from his 36th
birthday. O.D.B. (real
name Russell Jones) was
finishing off his
comeback album and
apparently complained
of chest pains before
collapsing in the studio.
He was one of the
founding members of
the Wu-Tang Clan, who
recorded some of the
most influential hip-hop
of the '90s.
Reggie White
Age: 43
Dec. 19, 1961 – Dec. 26, 2004
Reggie White, a fearsome
defensive end for the
Philadelphia Eagles and
Green Bay Packers who was
one of the great players in
NFL history. White died at
Presbyterian Hospital, where
he was taken after his wife
called 911. The Mecklenburg
County Medical Examiner's
Office ruled that White died
from cardiac and pulmonary
sarcoidosis. White, a twotime NFL Defensive Player of
the Year and ordained
minister was known as the
"Minister of Defense“.
Famous Black
Americans Who
Crossed Over In…
2005
Shirley Chisholm
Age: 80
Nov. 30, 1924 – Jan. 1, 2005
Mrs. Chisholm was an
American politician,
educator and author. She
was a Congresswoman,
representing New York's
12th District for seven
terms from 1969-1983.
In 1968, she became the
first African American
woman elected to
Congress. In 1972, she
became the first African
American and the first
woman to make a serious
bid to be President of the
United States.
Lamont Bentley
Age: 31
Oct. 25, 1973 – Jan. 18, 2005
Lamont Bentley, who was
a regular in the 1990s
sitcom Moesha and
appeared frequently in
television and movies,
was killed in a car crash.
Bentley died when his
vehicle plunged off the
San Diego Freeway,
manager Susan Ferris
said. He was the only
person in the vehicle.
There is a suspicion of
possible suicide.
Ossie Davis
Age: 87
Dec. 18, 1917 – Feb. 4, 2005
Actor Ossie Davis, actor,
film director, activist and
husband of Ruby Dee,
pioneered roles for African
Africans in a stage and
screen career that
spanned more than 50
years. Davis was found
dead by his grandson and
paramedics at the Shore
Club hotel in Miami
Beach, where the actor
had been shooting the
film "Retirement". Davis
was born “Raiford
Chatman Davis” in
Cogdell, Georgia
Reggie Roby
Age: 43
Jul. 30, 1961 – Feb. 22, 2005
A 16-year NFL veteran
punter and three-time Pro
Bowl selection, Reggie Roby
was found unconscious at
home by his wife Melissa
Roby with no pulse. The
cause of death, to date,
remains unannounced, but it
is speculated that it was a
heart attack. Former Miami
Dolphins head coach Don
Shula praised Reggie Roby by
stating, "He was an
outstanding punter for us
and his booming kicks often
helped us win the field
position battle."
Johnnie Cochran Jr.
Age: 67
Oct. 2, 1937 – Mar. 29, 2005
Johnnie Cochran Jr., an
attorney who rose to
fame when he helped
win an acquittal for O.J.
Simpson in a doublemurder trial. Cochran
died at his home in Los
Angeles, his family said
in an emailed statement.
He had been suffering
from a brain tumor, the
family reported to the
media.
Ronald Winans
Age: 48
Jun. 30, 1956 – Jun. 17, 2005
Ronald Winans, a
Grammy-winning
member of The Winans
and of gospel's first
family. Winans, who
suffered a heart attack
in 1997, died at Harper
Hospital of heart
complications. He had
recently been admitted
for observation for
congestive heart failure
after doctors realized he
was retaining fluid.
Luther VanDross
Age: 54
Apr. 20, 1951 – Jul. 1, 2005
Grammy award winner Luther
VanDross, whose deep, lush
voice on such hits as "Here
and Now" and "Any Love" sold
more than 25 million albums
while providing the romantic
backdrop for millions of
couples worldwide. VanDross
died at John F. Kennedy
Medical Center in Edison, N.J.,
the cause of death is not
known, although hospital
spokesman Rob Cavanaugh
has said that VanDross never
recovered from the 2003
stroke. It was reported that
he died peacefully, surrounded
by his family and friends.
Renaldo "Obie" Benson
Age: 69
Jun. 14, 1936 – Jul. 1, 2005
Renaldo "Obie"
Benson, a soul and
R&B singer and
songwriter. He was
best known as a
member of Motown
group The Four Tops.
Benson succumbed to
lung cancer and other
illnesses. His last
performance as a Four
Top was on April 8,
2005 live on Late
Night with David
Letterman.
John H. Johnson
Age: 87
Jan. 19, 1918 – Aug. 8, 2005
John H. Johnson rose from the
welfare rolls of the Depression
to become the most successful
Black businessman in American
history. Johnson started the
Johnson Publishing Company in
November 1942 based on a
$500 loan on his mother's
furniture. He was the founder
of Ebony and Jet magazines
and became a member of the
Forbes 400. Johnson publishing
is now the largest black
publishing company in the
world and also owns Fashion
Fair Cosmetics, the global
leader for makeup and skin
care for women of color.
Richard Pryor
Age:65
Dec. 1, 1940 –Dec. 10, 2005
Born Richard Franklin Lennox
Thomas Pryor in Peoria, Illinois,
the funnyman had long suffered
from health problems at the time
of his death. In addition to his
multiple sclerosis diagnosis in
1986, he suffered a massive heart
attack and underwent triplebypass surgery in 1990. Pryor was
known for his raunchy stand-up
comedy and a variety of acting
roles, including in "Blazing
Saddles", "Superman III," "Lady
Sings the Blues”, “Car
Wash”,”Silver Streak”,” Which Way
is Up?” “Greased Lightning” and
"Harlem Nights," in which he
starred with his comedic
predecessor, Redd Foxx, and his
heir apparent, Eddie Murphy.
Famous Black
Americans Who
Crossed Over In…
2006
Lou Rawls
Age: 72
Dec. 1, 1933 – Jan. 6, 2006
Chicago-born American soul
music, jazz, and blues singer Lou
Rawls was known for his smooth
vocal style. Frank Sinatra once
said that Rawls had "the classiest
singing and silkiest chops in the
singing game." Rawls released
more than 70 albums, sold more
than 40 million records, appeared
as an actor in motion pictures and
on television, and voiced-over
many cartoons. Rawls began and
continued the "Lou Rawls Parade
of Stars Telethon"for the United
Negro College Fund for his more
than 25 years. Rawls succumed to
to lung and brain cancer at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los
Angeles with his wife at his side.
Gene McFadden
Age:56
? 1949 – Jan. 27, 2006
Gene McFadden of the
famous Philadelphia
songwriting and performing
duo McFadden & Whitehead,
best known for the hits such
as "Back Stabbers," "I'll
Always Love My Momma,"
"For the Love of Money,"
'Wake Up Everybody” and
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now,"
which became a Philadelphia
sports anthem. Mr. McFadden
succumbed to complications
from liver and lung cancer at
his Philadelphia home of 15
years.
Coretta Scott King
Age: 78
Apr. 27,1927 – Jan. 30, 2006
Coretta Scott King, the widow
of slain civil rights leader Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr., was a
strong advocate of equal
education opportunities. She
was the founder of The King
Center, which was established
in 1968 as a living memorial
dedicated to preserving the
legacy of her husband, Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and
promoting the elimination of
poverty, racism and war
through research, education
and training in Kingian
nonviolence. King, who
suffered a stroke and a mild
heart attack in August 2005,
succumbed to ovarian cancer.
I didn’t know that so
many special people
have gone on to glory.
How about you?
Were you surprised by
anyone who has died?
My, how time does fly!
These talented
famous Black folks
are a part of our
history. They will be
missed but never
forgotten!!!
THE
END