Gerald Ford (1913-2006)

As you've probably read elsewhere by now, American President Gerald Ford has passed away at the age of 93. The 38th President was never elected to either his Vice Presidency or Presidency as he was hand-picked by President Richard Nixon to succeed Spiro Agnew as his Vice President, then succeeded Nixon after he resigned amidst scandal.

Ford passed away near his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He is the longest lived President - aged 93 years and 122 days - passing the record held by Ronald Reagan. President Bush praised Ford's efforts in the post-Nixon years to restore confidence in the Presidency after the scandals of the Nixon years.

With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency. The American people will always admire Gerald Ford's devotion to duty, his personal character and the honorable conduct of his administration.

A cause of death has not yet been reported, but the former President was reportedly plagued by pneumonia early in 2006.

James Brown (1933-2006)

Many of you wrote in today with the sad news that legendary musician James Brown has passed away. Brown, who began his career in 1953, had a profound influence on rock, jazz, reggae and hip hop as well as being instrumental in the evolution of rhythm and blues and funk music. In the 1960s and 1970s, Brown was a notable presence in American politics, particularly for his activism on behalf of African Americans and the poor.

Brown had been admitted to the Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia just yesterday after a visit to the dentist where he was found to have severe pneumonia. He died this morning at 1:45am of heart failure.

Our most sincere condolences to his friends, family and fans.

Joseph Bernard Zak (1926-2006)

Team Spider's beloved octogenarian vocalist Joseph Bernard Zak has passed away. Zak, as he is most commonly known passed away quietly in his sleep on December 13th around 6pm .

He had been taken to the hospital the night before, and as per his wishes, he was not put on any "fandangled life support gizmatronics." His bandmates described it as "a painless and proud passing, just as he hoped." Funeral services will be held next week in New York City after which, Zak's ashes will be scattered over the sea.

His friends add:

Unlike our normal tradition of holding benefit concerts to help ease the financial burdens of dear friends left behind. Those already struggling with grief, who now find themselves facing the large medical, funeral, and miscellaneous bills left in the wake…

This will not be at all necessary. Zak, is his proud tradition of never being a burden on anyone… meticulously prearranged and took care of everything.

Raise a toast, say something nice, and thank ZAK for whatever way he touched you. The old bastard didn't miss much, so, it's likely he'll hear it.

Punknews.org sends our deepest condolences to Zak's friends & family.

Ahmet Ertegun (1923-2006)

Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records, died at the age of 83 on Thursday, with complications from a coma resulting from a head injury suffered at an October 29th Rolling Stones concert.

Ertegun was born a Turkish ambassador's son, and started Atlantic in 1947 after years of collecting records for fun. His resume' includes a long list of highly successful acts including Cream, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles (with whom he collaborated on the hit single "Mess Around") Led Zeppelin, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin. Of all of Ertegun's accomplishments, he is widely acclaimed for opening the doors of his label to all types of music, regardless of race. In a time before Motown Records, this was considered a major risk in mainstream music.

Punknews.org sends our condolences to Mr. Ertegun's friends & family.

Darren “Wiz” Brown (1962-2006)

Frontman/guitarist from the classic UK crust/pop grunge act Mega City Four; Darren Brown, known to friends as "Wiz", passed away December 6, 2006 from a blood clot in his brain. He died at St Georges Hospital in Tooting, South London with his closest friends and family by his side.

Mega City Four was a staple in the British punk community in the late 80's and early 90's, where the band commonly played shows with the likes of Snuff, Senseless Things and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. The group disbanded in 1996, where Wiz went on to start the group Serpico, followed by his final project Ipanema.

Everyone at Punknews.org offers their deepest condolences to Darren's friends and family. You can leave your thoughts or stories about Wiz, or read those from others at this MySpace page.

Filmmaker Perry Henzell, director of “The Harder They Come” (1936-2006)

Filmmaker Perry Henzell has succumbed to his seven year long battle with cancer. Henzell was responsible for the genre, style and scene-defining movie The Harder They Come which not only featured footage of the burgeoning reggae scene but also was the first Jamaican feature length film.

While the 1972 film was considered a success, Henzell ended up broke and could not complete work on what was to be the second film in the Ivanhoe Martin-centered trilogy. The films were a biting condemnation of the music industry and the effects that it had on Jamaican artists at the time.

Mr. Henzell passed away on November 30th and is survived by three children. All of us here at Punknews.org send our deepest condolences to his loved ones.

Logan Whitehurst of the Velvet Teen and Junior Science Club (1977-2006)

It's our sad duty to bring you the news that Logan Whitehurst, the original drummer for the Velvet Teen and Junior Science Club Project, has passed away. Whitehurst had fought a battle with brain cancer and succumbed yesterday. Slowdance Records had this to say:

Logan was an incredible special, and endlessly gifted, person. Possibly the most grounded and mature person I have ever met, Logan also had the pure joy of a child, always approaching life with a inspiring since of optimism, despite how downright unfair (my words, never his) things can become. I speak for everyone involved with this label, its bands and those associated with us, when I say that Logan will be missed terribly.

While an address for condolences to be sent to has not be posted yet, the label is inviting folks to leave their regards at Whitehurst's MySpace page.

All of us at Punknews.org send our best wishes and condolences to Logan's friends and family.

Anita O'Day (1919-2006)

Popular early jazz singer Anita O'Day passed away yesterday at the age of 86. She was considered one of the pioneering acts in jazz, and is often held in the same regard as legends like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Anita was also known for her wild behavior and non-conformist views, earning her the nickname "Jezebel of Jazz", which was largely related to drug and alcohol problems that plagued her for years.

Anita appeared in several films during the 1970's, and also started her own record label, "Emily Records". This past year, she released Indestructible!, her first new album in almost 13 years, which includes a cover of Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes".

Everyone here at Punknews.org offers their condolences to Anita O'Day's family, friends and fans.

Promoter Dirk Dirksen (1937-2006)

Dirk Dirksen, the godfather of San Francisco punk rock and man behind Mabuhay Gardens passed away in his sleep on Monday night. Mr. Dirksen presented acts such as the Dead Kennedys, Devo, the Ramones, Flipper, the Mutants, the Nuns, Black Flag, the Go-Go's and literally thousands more in the 10 years he operated the nightclub.

Mr. Dirksen, who operated the Dirksen-Malloy Productions video firm since leaving the nightclub business in 1984, also worked with the children in the Mission Recreation Center, across the street from where he lived, teaching cooking and helping resolve disputes. He hosted the various Mabuhay reunion events, including a Fillmore Auditorium show last April with members of the Dead Kennedys, the Mutants and Flipper,

Our deepest condolences to his friends and family.

Larissa Strickland of Laughing Hyenas: ( -2006)

Larissa Strickland, guitarist and founding member of Laughing Hyenas (ex-Negative Approach), passed away on November 4, 2006. The official cause of death has not been released, but several online sources are claiming it to be prescription drug-related.

Larissa was also a member of the brief, yet admired 80's punk band L-Seven (no relation to the grunge band). She is credited with being one of the pioneering women in punk rock, writing and recording during an era that was dominated by mostly male artists, and also one of the first women to actively promote local punk shows in her community.

Punknews.org sends our deepest condolences to Larissa's friends and family.