Garland Green obit

“Jealous Kind of Fella” singer Garland Green dies at 83

 He was not on the list.

(February 9, 2026) In 1969,Garland Green dominated radio for a period with his lush, soulful ballad “Jealous Kind of Fella.” It became an instant classic that introduced the world to the impassioned voice of a talented singer. We’re sad to report the passing of Mr. Green at age 83

Born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Green came up singing in church, and that gospel grounding never left his delivery. His vocals an unfiltered emotional honesty that felt lived-in rather than rehearsed. Like many singers of his era, he transitioned naturally into secular music, bringing church-bred passion into stories of romantic turmoil.

Green broke through in 1969 with “Jealous Kind of Fella,” a record that has since become a cornerstone of deep soul. The song’s slow, pleading groove and Green’s determined vocals struck a powerful chord, earning strong R&B chart success and enduring admiration decades later. The accompanying album, Jealous Kind of Fella, confirmed that the hit was no fluke, presenting Green as a singer capable of sustaining intensity across an entire set of emotionally charged material.

Green charted several times over the next decade with mid-level hits like “Don’t Think That I’m A Violent Guy,” “Plain and Simple Girl,” and “Let The Good Times Roll.” Toward the end of his recording career, he teamed with Motown legend Lamont Dozier, remaking the Dozier hit “Trying To Hold On To My Woman.”

In 2011, Green returned to the studio after nearly three decades to record I Should’ve Been The One, an unexpected album that showed him to still be in fine voice.

Garland Green left behind a small but powerful body of work that captures soul music at its most exposed—where every crack in the voice tells the story just as clearly as the lyrics. He will be missed.

Born in Dunleith, Mississippi, United States, Green was the tenth child of eleven in his family. He lived in Mississippi until 1958 when he moved to Chicago. While working and attending Englewood High, he sang on weekends, and one day while singing in a pool room, he was overheard by Argia B. Collins, a local owner of a barbeque chain. Collins agreed to bankroll Green's attendance at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, where Green studied voice and piano, and played in local bars and clubs.

In 1967, Green won a local talent show at a club called the Trocadero. His prize was a concert opening for Lou Rawls and Earl Hines at the Sutherland Lounge. In the audience was Mel Collins, and his wife Joshie Jo Armstead, who was a songwriter who had written tunes with Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson prior to the couple joining Motown. The couple arranged for Green to do a recording session in Detroit and released the result as a single on their label, Gamma Records, a song called "Girl I Love You", written by Shelley Fisher. It sold well locally and was picked up by MCA subsidiary, Revue Records for national distribution. Revue released three further singles from Green who then moved to MCA's main label, Uni Records.

In 1969, "Jealous Kind of Fella" became a major national success, reaching No. 5 in the Billboard R&B chart and No. 2 in the Cashbox soul chart. Written by Green, R. Browner, M. Dollinson and Jo Armstead, the record was released in the U.S. in August 1969. It sold a million copies by March 1971. Uni released an album from Green, but the follow-up single did not sell well and Green eventually left MCA, also parting company with Armstead. He then signed with Atlantic Records subsidiary, Cotillion Records, which released five singles from Garland, but only one proved a real success, "Plain and Simple Girl". Produced and arranged by Donny Hathaway, this reached the R&B Top 20.

Moving on to Spring Records in 1973, Green recorded five more singles, some of which charted modestly, notably "Let the Good Times Roll" (not the Shirley and Lee song) and "Bumpin' and Stompin'." His recording for the label, "Just What The Doctor Ordered", remained unissued until 1990, when it was included on a compilation album of his Spring singles on the UK label, Ace/Kent. A move then to RCA Records resulted in three singles and an album, produced by the Los Angeles, California producer/singer Leon Haywood.

Brad Arnold obit

Brad Arnold, 3 Doors Down Lead Singer, Dies at 47 After Cancer Battle

The musician revealed his stage 4 kidney cancer diagnosis in May 2025. 

He was not on the list.

Brad Arnold, a founding member and lead singer of 3 Doors Down, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 47.

The musician passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday (Feb. 7), surrounded by his wife, Jennifer, and loved ones, the Mississippi-based rock band wrote on its official Instagram page.

“As a founding member, vocalist, and original drummer of 3 Doors Down, Brad helped redefine mainstream rock, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners,” the band wrote in a statement.

3 Doors Down announced in May 2025 that Arnold had been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer and that the band would cancel its summer tour. In a video posted to social media at the time, Arnold shared the news himself, noting that he was battling clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which had spread to his lungs.

“I have no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all,” the singer said, emphasizing that he had been leaning on his faith during the medical battle. He also asked fans for their prayers. “I’d love for you to lift me up in prayer any chance you get. And I think it’s time for me to go and listen to ‘It’s Not My Time’ a little bit.”

Born in Mississippi, Arnold formed 3 Doors Down in 1996 with his high school friends — guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell — in their hometown of Escatawpa. At the time, Arnold served as both the band’s singer and drummer. The following year, the trio recorded a demo tape featuring “Kryptonite,” a song Arnold had written while still in high school. The track gained popularity on local radio stations and eventually attracted the attention of major record labels.

During its early-2000s heyday, 3 Doors Down scored 10 Billboard Hot 100 chart hits, including three top 10s: 2000’s “Kryptonite” (No. 3), 2003’s “When I’m Gone” (No. 4), and 2003’s “Here Without You” (No. 5). The band also had two No. 1 albums on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart: Seventeen Days (2005) and the self-titled 3 Doors Down (2008).

Arnold earned three Grammy nominations for his work with 3 Doors Down: best rock song for “Kryptonite” and “When I’m Gone,” and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for “When I’m Gone.”

3 Doors Down went on to release Time of My Life in 2011, which marked the last album featuring Arnold alongside original members Roberts and Harrell. Guitarist Roberts left the band due to health issues in 2012, and bassist Harrell was dismissed following a 2013 vehicular manslaughter charge. The band’s final studio album, Us and the Night, was released in 2016, though 3 Doors Down continued to tour regularly.

In its Instagram post, 3 Doors Down wrote that Arnold was a “devoted husband to Jennifer, and his kindness, humor, and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. Those closet to him will remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith, and deep love for his family and friends.”

Arnold is now the second original member of 3 Doors Down to pass away. Roberts, who co-wrote “Kryptonite,” died in 2016 from a drug overdose.

The rock community flooded 3 Doors Down’s comments section, sharing their condolences. Alter Bridge wrote, “Thank you Brad, your friendship was one we will hold close forever. Until we meet again,” Sevendust added, “Rest now brother. Thank you for all you have given us.” And Creed commented, “Sending love the Arnold family and 3DD family.”

Monte and Avery Lipman, co-founders of Republic Records, who signed 3 Doors Down to a partnership in 1999, also shared a statement with Billboard following Arnold’s passing.

“The impact Brad Arnold and 3 Doors Down had on us is immeasurable,” the Lipmans said. “Brad and the band chose to hitch their wagon to a small company in 1999, taking a chance on two brothers who have always been deeply grateful for their trust and loyalty.”

They added, “Brad’s connection to people and his rare ability to lift their spirits through words and music is that of legends; offering love, inspiration, and healing to so many. Our hearts are broken and we’ll miss him dearly, but Brad Arnold will forever be with us in spirit. We love you brother.”

Daniel Boyd obit

Prominent W.Va. filmmaker, longtime WVSU professor Danny Boyd has died 

He was not on the list.

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Danny Boyd, a prominent West Virginia filmmaker, writer and longtime professor in the Kanawha Valley, has died.

Boyd, 69, spent more than three decades as a professor of media studies at West Virginia State University. In his professional career, he produced multiple award-winning films and documentaries that have since been distributed internationally.

The West Virginia International Film Festival shared news of his passing on social media Saturday morning.

Several former students, collaborators and friends shared their condolences on social media throughout the day.

"While he wore many hats over the years, storytelling was at the heart of everything Danny did," Huntington's Foundry Theater said in a social media post. "His voice was singular, his perspective fearless, and his generosity with fellow artists unmistakable."

A graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Arkansas, Boyd began his professional filmmaking career in the early 1980s. His first feature film, Chillers, was released in 1988 and was awarded a Silver Scroll for excellence from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, according to his website.

His next two feature films, Strangest Dreams and Paradise Park, also saw success. The first premiered on USA Network in 1991 and remains in distribution internationally. The latter earned Gold Awards at the Houston International Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival.

A National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities fellow, Boyd has also won awards in documentary, horror, comedy and dramatic filmmaking, as well as screenwriting, his website said. He was named “Filmmaker of the Year” by the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival in 2003.

Boyd, who also taught around the world as a Fulbright Scholar, was known for actively involving his students in his professional projects. He retired from teaching at WVSU after 33 years in 2016.

He is credited with being an influential figure in West Virginia's filmmaking community during the 1980s and 90s.

In addition to his work in film, Boyd also made a mark elsewhere, writing and photographing as a freelance contributor for numerous publications, authoring illustrated novels and children’s books and contributing to local theater productions, according to his website.

His children’s books – The Adventures of Wandala, Miss Dirt Turtle’s Garden Club, Tavey’s First Hunt, and WrestleDreamia – have also won multiple awards.

 

Filmography

Year     Film     Director           Producer          Writer  Actor   Notes

1987    Chillers            Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes     

1990    Strangest Dreams: Invasion of the Space Preachers   Yes      Yes      Yes      Yes      

2006    Paradise Park  Yes      Yes      Yes      No      

2003    Red Salt & Reynolds  Yes      Yes      No       No       Documentary short

2003    Attrition           No       No       Yes      No      

2005    Ghosts of Green Bottom         Yes      Yes      No       No       TV documentary short

2010    Secrets of the Valley, History of Natue Americans in the Kanawha Valley   No       Yes      No       No           

Appearances

Rocket Boys Festiva

Greg Brown obit

Cake Founding Guitarist Greg Brown Has Died

 

He was not on the list.

Greg Brown, the founding guitarist for Cake, has died. The band's social media account announced the news today, saying he passed "after a brief illness."

Greg Brown co-founded the droll alt-rock band in 1991 with singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, drummer Frank French, and bassist Shon Meckfessel. Brown co-wrote and played guitar and organ on Cake's first two LPs, 1994's Motorcade Of Generosity and 1996's Fashion Nugget. For the latter he was the sole writer of "The Distance," one of Cake's biggest hits. Brown and bassist Victor Damiani departed the group in 1997 and they formed Deathray with Dana Gumbiner; their Cake bandmate Todd Roper joined on drums a few years later. Brown also collaborated with Weezer members Rivers Cuomo and Matt Sharp on a couple of non-Weezer projects, and he released the solo EP the end of something new in 2023. He reunited with Cake on the track "Bound Away" from their most recent LP, 2011's Showroom Of Compassion.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Greg Brown’s passing after a brief illness," Cake posted. "Greg was an integral part of Cake’s early sound and development. His creative contributions were immense, and his presence—both musical and personal—will be deeply missed. Godspeed, Greg."

Sonny Jurgensen - # 356

Sonny Jurgensen, Hall of Fame quarterback with Washington and Philadelphia, dies at 91

 He was number 356 on the list.

Sonny Jurgensen, a 1983 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and one of the purest passers of the 1960s, died at at the age of 91, his family announced Friday.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our husband, father, and grandfather, Sonny Jurgensen," the Jurgensen family said in a statement released by the Washington Commanders. "We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm, but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton. But to those of us who knew him beyond the stadium lights, he was the steady, humorous, and deeply loving heart of our family.

"He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues, and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his final snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.

"We are comforted by the knowledge that he brought joy to so many. This weekend as we enjoy the game that he loved so much, join us and raise a glass, share a story and a smile, as we celebrate the extraordinary life of a man who was, to us, the greatest of all time."

With an 18-year career that spanned from 1957 to 1974, Jurgensen sparkled as a thrower during an era when offenses more commonly operated in a cloud of dust. He led the league in passing yards five separate times, earning five Pro Bowl nominations and one All-Pro nod, which came in his first season as the Philadelphia Eagles' starter in 1961.

The Philadelphia and Washington quarterback was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s alongside Green Bay Packers QB Bart Starr and Baltimore Colts QB Johnny Unitas.

"Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen's genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days," Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. "Whether he was standing tall in the face of an opposing lineman as a quarterback for the Eagles and Redskins for 18 seasons or later as a beloved broadcaster in Washington for several more decades, Sonny captivated audiences and introduced generations of fans to the sport. Watching Sonny throw a football was like watching a master craftsman create a work of art."

Jurgensen's prolific career spawned from humble, unexpected beginnings as a college athlete at Duke University. The future record-holder for passing yards in a single season -- he set the NFL's high-water mark first in 1961 (3,723 yards), and then broke his own record again in 1967 (3,747) -- made his biggest impact for the Blue Devils as a defensive back.

He spent his sophomore season at Duke as a full-time defender before transitioning to being a two-way player for his final two years in school. By the end of his collegiate career, Jurgensen had 77 completions for 1,119 yards and six touchdowns. He bested his QB scoring tally by hauling in 10 interceptions on the other side of the ball throughout his time in Durham.

Regardless, Jurgensen passed the eye test. The Eagles selected him with the No. 43 overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft. Jurgensen would sit behind another Hall of Famer, Norm Van Brocklin, for four years, and he did not assume the starting role until The Dutchman retired following Philly's 1960 NFL Championship.

The small snapshot Jurgensen provided in his relief appearances for Van Brocklin during the 1960 season proved a picture-perfect microcosm of his career-to-be. The starter in waiting threw for five scores and 486 yards on just 24 completions, good for 20.3 yards per connection.

Finally at the helm the following year, Jurgensen was a revelation. The pocket-passing gunslinger immediately brought the wow factor to Philly, putting on a show for better and for worse. He not only set the single-season record for passing yards, but he also led the NFL in both touchdowns (32) and interceptions (24).

Philadelphia won 10 games but missed the playoffs despite Jurgensen's exploits, then cratered in the next two seasons, introducing a theme of teamwide futility that would plague Jurgensen's individually spectacular career.

The Eagles managed just five wins combined across their 1962 and 1963 campaigns, fired head coach Nick Skorich and completed their face lift by trading Jurgensen to Washington ahead of the 1964 season.

It was in the nation's capital that Jurgensen would cement himself as the foremost pocket passer of his time. The QB compiled 19,693 passing yards, 160 TDs and 100 interceptions during a seven-year stretch as the club's unquestioned starter.

His record 3,747 passing yards in 1967, which he coupled with a league-leading 31 TD passes, stood until Dan Fouts eclipsed it with the NFL's first 4,000-yard passing season in 1979 (Joe Namath had the first 4,000-yard season in the more pass-happy American Football League during the '60s).

In the 10 years following Jurgensen's record-setting feat, the NFL witnessed a 3,000-yard passer only six other times -- one of those being Jurgensen accomplishing the mark again.

Jurgensen's only winning season as Washington's starter came in 1969 with Vince Lombardi, the QB's third head coach in six years. Following Lombardi's death from cancer in September 1970, Jurgensen spent one more year as the team's signal-caller, under interim head coach Bill Austin.

Jurgensen's fifth and final head coach in D.C., George Allen, installed Billy Kilmer as the team's new QB in 1971 to usher in a conservative, run-first offense.

Jurgensen stayed on for four more years, backing up Kilmer as the team's fortunes finally turned around to the tune of 40 wins and four consecutive playoff trips. The final snaps of Jurgensen's career came in relief of Kilmer during a Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He was 40 years old, and it was the only postseason action of his storied NFL journey.

Jurgensen retired with 32,224 passing yards, 255 touchdowns and 189 interceptions. He remains Washington's single-season record holder for passing TDs even today, and his career high of 32 in 1961 still ranks second on the list in Philadelphia.

Although he never attained the individual accolades and championship pedigree of his All-Decade Team counterparts, Starr and Unitas, those who saw him play recognized his brilliance.

During his one-year opportunity to work with Jurgensen, the legendary coach Lombardi put it simply: "He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen."

Personal information

Born    August 23, 1934

Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S.

Died    February 6, 2026 (aged 91)

Listed height   5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Listed weight  202 lb (92 kg)

Career information

High school     New Hanover (Wilmington)

College            Duke (1953–1956)

NFL draft        1957: 4th round, 43rd overall pick

Career history

Philadelphia Eagles (1957–1963)

Washington Redskins (1964–1974)

Awards and highlights

NFL champion (1960)

2× First-team All-Pro (1961, 1969)

2× Second-team All-Pro (1964, 1967)

5× Pro Bowl (1961, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969)

5× NFL passing yards leader (1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1969)

2× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1961, 1967)

NFL passer rating leader (1967)

NFL completion percentage leader (1970)

NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame

Washington Commanders Ring of Fame

Washington Commanders No. 9 retired

2× first-team All-ACC (1955, 1956)

NFL record

99-yard pass play (tied)

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts          4,262

Passing completions    2,433

Completion percentage           57.1%

TD–INT          255–189

Passing yards  32,224

Passer rating    82.6

Lynn Blakey obit

Beloved Indie Rock Musician, Inspiration for the Replacements’ Alt-Rock Anthem ‘Left of the Dial,’ Dies

Lynn Blakey, who played in the bands Let’s Active, Oh-OK and Tres Chicas, has died.

 She was not on the list.

Lynn Blakely, an indie rock musician who played with Let’s Active, Oh-OK and Tres Chicas, has died. Her cause of death wasn’t immediately known. In 2025, she was fighting a recurrence of cancer. She was in her early 60s.

The news of her death was reported on social media by Bob Mehr, author of the acclaimed book Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, who noted her role in the Replacements’ college rock anthem “Left of the Dial.”

“On one level ‘Left of the Dial’ celebrated the ’80s American indie scene and paid tribute to the tiny-watt college stations at the far end of the FM dial, where the Replacements got most of their airplay. But it was also a love song, an evocation of Paul Westerberg’s infatuation with Blakey,” Mehr wrote. “They first met when the ‘Mats & Let’s Active shared a bill at San Fran’s I-Beam in late ‘83. He bummed cigarettes off her & they spent hours walking & talking in the rain. ‘I think Paul decided he had a crush on me,’ said Blakey. As Westerberg recalled: ‘I was in love with the idea of being in love with her. I used that to pine with.’”

The phrase in the song “sweet Georgia breezes” refers to Athens, Ga., Mehr added, where Blakey moved and joined the band Oh-OK, which also featured the sister of R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, Lynda.

“The song is about that first year of Paul and I meeting and hitting it off and logistically it not working out,” said Blakey, Mehr shared in his post.

“I figured the only way I’d hear her voice was with her band on the radio on a college station and one night we did,” said Westerberg told Mehr. “We were passing through a town somewhere, and she was doing an interview on the radio. I heard her voice for the first time in six months for about a minute. Then the station faded out.”

The song’s lyrics, “If I don’t see ya in a long, long while/I’ll try to find you, left of the dial,” directly referred to that situation, Mehr noted.

In 2024, Blakey returned to the University of North Carolina, Greensboro to pursue a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies. Then 61, Blakey had attended the university three decades earlier and was pursuing a communications degree before she left school during her junior year to join Let’s Active.

Last March, Blakey’s friends in the band the dB’s posted on Instagram that Blakey’s cancer had returned and shared a link to a GoFundMe to raise money for her treatment. At the time, Blakey’s husband Ecki Heins had been diagnosed with colon cancer.

Peggy Steffans obit

Peggy Steffans, Actress and Widow of Sexploitation Director Joseph Sarno, Dies at 87

The two were married for 40 years, and their story was told in the 2013 documentary ‘A Life in Dirty Movies.’

 She was not on the list.

Peggy Steffans, who appeared in such 1960s soft-porn movies as The Bed and How to Make It!, The Sex Cycle and Come Ride the Wild Pink Horse for her future husband, sexploitation filmmaker Joseph W. Sarno, has died. She was 87.

Sarno died Friday of respiratory failure at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, her son, film editor Matthew Sarno, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The petite, green-eyed Steffans was often billed as Cleo Nova in the movies written and directed by Sarno. She quit acting after they wed in 1970 but continued working with him as an assistant director, costume designer, set decorator, script supervisor, production designer, etc.

The two were together until his death in 2010 at age 89, with their story captured by Swedish filmmaker Wiktor Ericsson in his 2013 documentary, The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies.

“What a testimony to Joe’s life and to mine, that the documentary about us and our work and our life together should be appreciated and loved as a film,” she said in a 2013 interview with The Telegraph. Peggy Silverman was born in New York on Oct. 11, 1938. Her mother, Phyllis, was an artist and her father, Matthew, a labor lawyer.

After she graduated from Bayside High School in Queens, she attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and another college in Edinburgh, then studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Back in the U.S., Steffans and Shelia Finn played two versions of the same woman in the Adolfas Mekas-directed Hallelujah the Hills (1963) — she went to the Cannes Film Festival in support of the drama — before making it to Broadway in 1964 in The Passion of Josef D., written and directed by Paddy Chayefsky.

Along the way, she became great friends with future Oscar-nominated production designer Polly Platt.

Steffans was working as a waitress when a producer asked her to audition for Sarno; she said she knew he made sex films, but that didn’t bother her. “Because I had this feeling that sex and love did not have anything to do with each other,” she told The Telegraph. “You could have sex without love, and there are many different kinds of sex.”

Steffans then appeared in black and white Sarno films including The Swap and How They Make it (1966), The Love Merchant (1966), The Bed and How to Make It! (1966), The Sex Cycle (1967), Come Ride the Wild Pink Horse (1967), Anything for Money (1967), Bed of Violence (1967), The Love Rebellion (1967), Skin Deep in Love (1967), Scarf of Mist Thigh of Satin (1967) and Deep Inside (1968).

She also acted in movies without him, among them A Taste of Flesh, The Touch of Her Flesh, Infidelity American Style and Justine, all released in 1967.

Sarno, who was 17 years her senior, was still married to his second wife when they started living together, she told The Telegraph.

Steffans had begun her behind-the-scenes career as second assistant director on Sarno’s biggest hit, Inga (1964), a Swedish sexploitation film that drew international attention and got him the nickname “the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street,” as Stephen Dalton noted in his THR review of A Life in Dirty Movies.

The documentary “paints an affectionate and touchingly romantic picture of Sarno and his wife” as they attempt without success to make one last film.

Dalton described Sarno, who directed more than 100 films, as “an art house auteur of soft-core erotic melodramas, typically written from an emotionally complex female perspective and often addressing the darker side of psycho-sexual neurosis.” Retrospectives of his work played at prestigious European film festivals and cinematheques. He turned to hardcore porn later in his career, often directing under other names.

In addition to her son, survivors include her grandchildren, Tom and Jane; her brother, Steve, and her daughter-in-law, Laura.

Barry Wilburn obit

Family confirms former NFL player and Super Bowl champion died in Orange Mound house fire

 He was not on the list.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (WMC) - Family and friends are mourning the loss of former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Barry Wilburn. Family confirms he was the victim of a house fire in Orange Mound early Friday morning.

Wilburn graduated from Melrose High School before playing football for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1985, where he played defensive back for 5 seasons. Wilburn led the league in interceptions in the 1987 season, where he and the team would go on to win Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos.

The Memphis Fire Department responded to a reported residential structure fire on Douglass Avenue in Orange Mound at around 2am Friday morning. They found an unresponsive victim in the rear hallway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A representative for the family has confirmed that Wilburn is the victim of the fire. MFD have yet to confirm the victim’s identity.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

He was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the eighth round of the 1985 NFL draft. Wilburn played in eight NFL seasons from 1985 to 1996 (he missed two seasons due to injury) and in two CFL seasons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the British Columbia Lions. He played in one final season in 1999 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before retiring.

Wilburn was drafted in the 8th round of the 1985 draft by the Washington Redskins. Wilburn had a breakout year in the strike-shortened 1987 NFL season after leading the league in interceptions recording 9 and was named to the first-team All-Pro. Wilburn started in Super Bowl XXII that year and recorded two interceptions in their 42–10 victory against the Denver Broncos. In 1992, Wilburn signed with the Cleveland Browns but only played in 6 games. After his stint with the Browns, he then spent a few years in the Canadian Football League playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the BC Lions where he also won a Grey Cup title as a member of the 1994 BC Lions, making him one of only ten players to have won football championships on both sides of the border (Super Bowl and Grey Cup). After his CFL stint, Wilburn returned to the NFL signing with the Philadelphia Eagles but saw limited playing time. In 1999 Wilburn returned to the CFL and signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Wilburn then retired after the 1999 season and he retired with 246 career tackles, 20 career interceptions, and five fumble recoveries in the NFL.

Wilburn held the Washington record for the longest interception return after scoring on a 100-yard return against the Minnesota Vikings in 1987.

Wilburn was the son of Olympic great, Margaret Matthews Wilburn and the father of Jordan and Dominique Wilburn, named for his two favorite NBA basketball players.

Career information

High school     Melrose

College            Ole Miss

NFL draft        1985: 8th round, 219th overall pick

Career history

Washington Redskins (1985–1989)

Cleveland Browns (1992)

Saskatchewan Roughriders (1993)

BC Lions (1994)

Kansas City Chiefs (1994)*

Philadelphia Eagles (1995–1996)

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1999)

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Awards and highlights

Super Bowl champion (XXII)

Grey Cup champion (1994)

First-team All-Pro (1987)

NFL interceptions leader (1987)

Career NFL statistics

Tackles            246

Interceptions    20

Touchdowns    1

Ray Handley, obit

Former Giants Super Bowl Champion, Head Coach, Dies at 81

The coach who succeeded Bill Parcells after the Giants' victory in Super Bowl XXV died Thursday.

 He was not on the list.

Ray Handley, who helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls as a coach and was elevated to the head coach position after the second, died Thursday. He was 81.

Handley was hired to Bill Parcells' coaching staff as an offensive backfield coach out of Stanford University in 1984. He served under Parcells when the Giants won Super Bowls XXI and XXV.

In 1991, Handley was elevated to head coach — getting the promotion over the team's wide receivers coach (Tom Coughlin) and defensive coordinator (Bill Belichick), both of whom would later win Super Bowls as head coaches.

Handley's Giants went 14-18, finishing fourth in the NFC East in 1991 and 1992, before he was fired and replaced as head coach by Dan Reeves. Handley never coached in professional football again.

Handley made a name for himself at running back for Stanford in the 1960s. He was a two-time All-Pac-8 selection, and a first team All-America selection at halfback in 1964. He finished his collegiate career with 1795 rushing yards, a Stanford record at the time.

In 1964, Handley set school records for yards gained rushing (936) and rushing attempts (197). But he never played a down in the NFL, leaving the San Diego Chargers' training camp in 1966 to pursue a coaching career.

Handley would return to Stanford for two stints as an assistant coach, in 1972-73 and 1979-83. He was later inducted into the university's Hall of Fame.

For all his success as a position coach, Handley's transition to the Giants' head coach was abrupt. He took the job when Parcells quit a week before mini-camp in May 1991, four months after the team won the Super Bowl.

Handley replaced quarterback Phil Simms with Jeff Hostetler in his first preseason. The team went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. The Giants went 6-10 in Handley's second year. He was fired on Dec. 30, 1992 and replaced by Dan Reeves.

Handley receded from the public eye afterward.

"Rest in peace, Uncle Ray," his nephew, Rob, wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing Handley's death.

A native of Reno, Nevada, Handley played three seasons as a running back for Stanford beginning in 1963. During his junior season, he rushed for 936 yards, with his long ground gains during the November 14, 1964 contest against Oregon State, helping to upset the Beavers, 16–7. The following year began with talks of potential All-American honors, but ended in disappointment. Handley's running did help defeat arch-rival California, 9–7, in the 1965 edition of the Big Game on November 21.

Handley was signed by the American Football League's San Diego Chargers on June 11, 1966, but voluntarily left camp one month later, putting an end to his playing career.

The following year, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach, then headed east in 1968 for two years as an assistant at Army. One of his fellow coaches during this period was Bill Parcells, a connection that would prove fruitful in the future. Following a year out of the game in 1970, Handley returned the following year for the first of four more seasons at Stanford.

In 1975, Handley shifted to coaching another branch of the armed services when he accepted an assistant position at the United States Air Force Academy. In his final year, Parcells served as head coach, but after his departure, Handley once again returned to Stanford, serving five years under both Rod Dowhower and Paul Wiggin.

On February 28, 1984, Handley was named the offensive backfield coach for the New York Giants under Parcells, beginning a seven-year stretch that saw the team capture two Super Bowls wins. Following the Giants' second title in Super Bowl XXV that season, Parcells announced his retirement, and Handley was then promoted to his first head coaching position on May 15, 1991.

George Young picked Handley to serve as head coach of the Giants after then-Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick left to coach the Cleveland Browns. The bad relationship between Young and Belichick also played into Handley's promotion; Young had consistently given a negative review about Belichick when teams with potential coaching opportunities inquired about him, and never felt his defensive coordinator had the leadership abilities to run his own team. In addition, the team's wide receivers coach under Parcells, Tom Coughlin, whom Young had considerable respect for and would probably have promoted to head coach after Parcells' departure if the timing had worked, quickly moved on after the Super Bowl and was hired as head coach at Boston College.

With the NFL Draft in the rearview, Handley was dealt a short time window to prepare for his first season as head coach. In 1991, Handley's first major decision of his tenure was who would be the starting quarterback. The previous season, Phil Simms had guided the Giants to an 11–2 record before suffering a leg injury. Backup Jeff Hostetler finished the regular season, and led the Giants to upset victories against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game and the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. Handley announced that the two quarterbacks would compete for the starting job. This caused some controversy as both fans and commentators felt that Simms should not lose his starting job due to injury. Nonetheless, Hostetler won the battle in training camp and was announced as the starting quarterback.

Handley's first game as head coach was a Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers (a rematch of the 1990 NFC Championship). The Giants would win that game, but Handley would be most remembered for wearing an unusually-designed logo shirt (bearing the New York Giants colors and logo). The Monday Night Football win helped Handley with most Giants fans, but when the team finished with an 8–8 record and out of the playoff picture, fan support quickly eroded. One fan held up a sign reading: "From the Super Bowl to the toilet bowl. Thanks, Ray." Fans also chanted "Ray must go!" during the 1991 and 1992 seasons, a play on the "Joe must go!" chants that New York Jets fans had delivered when Joe Walton had been coaching that team a few years earlier. In 1992, the team fell further to a 6–10 record, leading a combative Handley to trade verbal darts with both the media and his players.

His relationship with the defensive players was also strained, particularly when he tapped Rod Rust to be the defensive coordinator in 1992. The defense was not thrilled about Rust's hiring, especially knowing that the veteran coach was coming off a 1–15 mark as head coach of the New England Patriots in 1990. Additionally, the players preferred a more aggressive scheme to Rust's read-and-react scheme. This led to some frustration during games, where the players would often ignore Rust's calls and call their own defensive assignments in the huddle. Handley's communication with the media became another reason for his dismissal, as he would often refuse to answer questions, even going as far as walking out of one press conference after being asked about his handling of Hostetler and Simms as the team's starting quarterback. He scoffed at the question, calling it "ridiculous" and unfair to him and his quarterbacks. After the reporter persisted about why he would not answer the question, Handley stormed off while telling the rest of the reporters to "get him straightened out."

Fred Smith obit

Fred Smith, Bassist for Television, Dies at 77

 

He was not on the list.

Fred Smith, bass player for the influential proto-punk band Television, died Thursday. He was 77. The band confirmed his death on its Instagram.

Smith started out playing with Angel and the Snake, which then became Blondie. In 1975 he left Blondie to replace Richard Hell in Television. After the band broke up in 1978, he played on solo albums for the Television members Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, as well as for The Roches, Willie Nile, Blondie, Peregrins and The Revelons. Smith also played bass and toured with The Fleshtones.

He rejoined the band when Television reunited in 1992 and played on numerous tours.

Television member Jimmy Rip wrote on Instagram, “The legendary bassist for Television, Tom Verlaine and many others, Fred Smith, was not only my bandmate for 46 years — he was my true friend. He was a great running buddy and exactly the guy you wanted around when road life got wearisome. His sense of humor, much like his musical voice, was dry, subtle, to the point, hilarious and always left you wanting a more. Yesterday, he left this world, leaving so many who loved him wanting so much more…of him.

We met in 1980 playing, with Jay Dee Daugherty on drums, in The Eve Moon Band, and soon after, the three of us were the NYC version of Holly and The Italians with Holly Beth Vincent. In 1981 when Tom Verlaine was preparing to tour for his disc Dreamtime, which Fred and Jay had performed on, they recommended me as second guitar, leading to very long and rich musical, and personal friendships.

If you are a lover of melodic bass lines and counterpoint, you could go to school on what Fred created so effortlessly. He was a natural — never flashy, always essential — always serving the song in ways that only the greatest musicians can…

“He fought his illness long and hard these last few years, looking always forward to new projects… we had big plans to play Tom’s music live this year… but it just wasn’t meant to be. Thankfully, we were able to say goodbye, “love you” were our last words to each other. I will miss him more than anyone can imagine.”

Smith and his wife, Paula Cereghino. founded an artisanal winery Cereghino Smith which was based in Bloomington, New York.

Clay Iles obit

Tennis coach Clay Iles, 83, has died

 

He was not on the list.

Eastbourne based Clay Iles, one of the most successful tennis coaches in the country, has died aged 83.

Iles taught numerous British junior champions including Sussex-based Julie Salmon, Clare Wood and Sarah Gomer.

These three made up the British Federation Cup Team.

He also guided Horsham-based John Whiteford as the British-under 21 champion.

As a player, he competed at Wimbledon 12 times between 1962 and 1974.

Iles played Pancho Gonzales in the first ever "Open Era" singles match at the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth in 1968.

He won the North of England hard court championships in 1964, when he beat Mark Cox in the final.

And he later added the British Professional Coaches Championship six times.

He represented Surrey many times when they won the British county title.

As a coach, he  held a position as a national trainer and was responsible for the leading players under 12 in the country. For two years Tim Henman was in that group.

Rohun Beven, former Wimbledon and international tennis player and Sussex No.1 1 said: "I have known Clay for over 55 years, he was one of the most highly respected players and coaches of his generation.

"Clay had a significant impact on the lives and careers of so many Wimbledon and British International players. The tennis world will miss him".

His funeral will be held on Friday, February 13 at Langley Crematorium in Eastbourne at 2pm.

Tommy Crook obit

Tommy Crook • 1944-2026

Oklahoma Music Hall of Famer Tommy Crook dies at 81

 

He was not on the list.

Acclaimed Tulsa guitarist Tommy Crook has died. He was 81.

An entry on Crook in the book “Oklahoma Music Guide” said in-the-know musicians recognized him as one of the premier guitarists in the U.S., if not the world.

"I never heard anybody play any better than Tommy," Texas Playboy legend Eldon Shamblin once said.

The best endorsement Crook ever got came from Chet Atkins, who, during an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” was asked by host Johnny Carson if anyone, anywhere played guitar as well or better than Atkins. The reply: “Yes, Johnny. Tommy Crook in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

"I never saw the show, and I don't know exactly what he said,'' Crook once told the Tulsa World. "But I bet I've talked to a thousand people who saw the show. It happened all the time when I was playing out at the airport, with all the people coming and going. They'd come up and say, 'Are you the guy Chet talked about?'"

Atkins had heard Crook play at an airport hotel, the Sheraton Inn, where Crook had a standing gig from 1972 through 1984.

Coincidentally, it was Atkins who sparked Crook’s desire to become a musician.

"I got my first guitar when I was 4," Crook told the Tulsa Tribune in 1989. "Dad played and performed at square dances. I was the caller. When I started playing electric guitar at age 7, he let me play music with him. But when I heard Chet Atkins, that lit the fire. He made a guitar sound the way I wanted it to. There were times I'd be in tears because I was so frustrated that I couldn't play just like him."

Crook was born Feb. 16, 1944. By age 11, he was skilled enough to be a performer on Porter Wagoner’s touring show. As a student at Central High School, Crook played in bands with David Gates, Jimmy Karstein, Carl Radle, Leon Russell, JJ Cale, Gene Crose and Jimmy Markham, according to “Oklahoma Music Guide.”

A 2001 Tulsa World story provided a chronological recap. Crook played with Gene Crose and the Rockets in 1960, David Gates and the Accents from 1961-62 and the Valentines from 1962-63. Crook performed on USO tours from 1967 to 1971. The story said Crook, who performed on USO Tours from 1967-71, also has played with Kenny Rogers, Merle Haggard, Pat Boone, Lou Rawls, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.

"In 1958, Jerry Lee Lewis hired Leon and us to back him up at Cain's Ballroom," Crook told the Tulsa Tribune in 1989. "That was a thrill. He liked the band so well, he took them on the road. I couldn't go because I was still in high school and my folks wouldn't have stood for it."

The story said Crook also was left behind when Gates, the driving force behind the soft rock band Bread, left for Los Angeles.

"Once again, I was too young to go," Crook said.

Crook told the stories about Lewis and Gates after saying this: "I think people naturally think 'If you're so good, why are you still here?’”

Crook turned down an offer to join the T-Bones in 1965 because his wife gave birth the day he was supposed to leave. He chose family.

The Tribune story said there were other reasons he stayed home.

"I could work solo and make as much money as I could going on the road and being a sideman," Crook said. "I really don't want to be someone's sideman, and I'm not into getting on the bus."

Among career highlights: In 1998, the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society asked Crook if he would join some of the world’s best guitarists by playing at an event honoring Atkins in Nashville. The invitation came after the head of the organization encountered a video ("The World of Finger-Style Jazz Guitar") that featured Crook and four other guitar masters.

"The thing is, I've been thinking about doing something like this, playing for Chet Atkins, since I was 10 years old,” Crook said. “All the time, I've been thinking, 'What will I play? What will I play?'”

Crook released his first album in 1968. Others followed. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

A 2004 Tulsa World story said this: Although the great guitarist Tommy Crook hasn't slowed a bit since his years as a teenage phenom, he's already written his epitaph.

"Here's what I want," Crook said. "'He was a good ol' boy, and he played in tune.'"