In shocking and sad news, Back to Black singer Amy Winehouse was found dead at 4pm today in her London home. She was 27. There are currently no details as to the cause of her passing, though we imagine these will become available as the story develops. Though she struggled in recent years with health issues, drug addiction and alcohol abuse, Winehouse was an insanely talented singer and songwriter, credited by many for her role in the reemergence of British soul and R&B into the mainstream, as well as the increased popularity of female singer/songwriters on the world stage.
[via the Daily Mail]
Tura Satana, most famous for her role as Varla, the sultry, violent bad girl in Russ Meyer’s 1965 exploitation film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, died at age 72 last night in Reno, NV, of reported heart failure. Satana was one seriously amazing woman, overcoming many hardships to become a figurehead of female empowerment. Her role as the violent yet unfailingly feminine Varla has influenced many films and characters, including Xena Warrior Princess and the Kill Bill films. An enduring cult actress still beloved by many fans due to her take-no-prisoners attitude and aggressive femininity, she also dated Elvis and even turned down his marriage proposal. Click through for more about her life and a few of our favorite pictures of our favorite cult killer.
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“Fantastical,” “shocking,” “visionary”: these are words that only begin to scratch the surface at describing the late, great Alexander McQueen. The fashion designer, who committed suicide last month in his flat in Mayfair, London, would have turned 41 today. As an addendum to some touching McQueen tributes by fellow designers on Stylelist, we delved into the archives to compile 41 essentials facts about the man and his legend. Find the list after the jump.
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Touted by none other than Isaac Asimov as “nearest thing to an artist in residence from outer space,” illustrator Robert McCall visualized the mid-century age of space exploration. McCall, who died at age 90 at his home in Arizona, is best known for his work on the poster for Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as the six-story mural in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. A motherlode of McCall images after the jump.
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Dutch designer Bob Noorda, who, with Massimo Vignelli, designed the official look of New York’s subway system, died earlier this month at the age of 82. If you’re obsessed with Helvetica, or suffering from fatigue thereof, you can probably blame Noorda, who modernized the MTA with an iconic visual language using the sans-serif font. Not only does his work direct the traffic flow of around 5.2 million subway riders daily, but he’s also been collected by MoMA and credited with injecting Modernist thinking into the corporate world as an “early proponent of unified branding.” More words and pictures on Noorda, after the jump.
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Way Station, (2001). Cedric Andrieux, Derry Swan. Photo by Tony Dougherty.
Earlier today the New York Times announced that modern dance master Merce Cunningham had died Sunday night at the age of 90. While his formal obituary isn’t up yet, this paragraph describing the famous choreographer in his later years on Arts Beat made us smile. Read More »
Just as Princess Diana’s death eclipsed everything around it (including the tragic passing of Mother Teresa), Michael Jackson‘s untimely end has made it difficult for anyone else to gain attention. While the King of Pop should certainly be honored for his unquestionable achievements, it’s sad to see his mourning come at the expense of others that have died in the last seven days. After the jump, eight scientists, activists, and celebrities just as deserving of their due.
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