Willie Colón obit

Willie Colón, Salsa Innovator Who Redefined Latin Music, Dies at 75

His family confirmed the news in a statement shared on social media

 

He was not on the list.

William Anthony "Willie" Colón Román, the pioneering salsa musician, composer, trombonist, and cultural force whose work helped propel Latin music onto the global stage, died on February 21, 2026, at 75 years old. His family confirmed the news in a statement shared on social media, noting that Colón passed away peacefully with loved ones at his side in New York City.

Born on April 28, 1950, in the South Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Colón emerged from the vibrant cultural mosaic of New York City's Latin neighborhoods at a time when Caribbean rhythms were converging with urban American sounds to create something new and resonant. He first found his way into music through brass instruments, shifting from trumpet to trombone in his teens after being inspired by the powerful trombone lines of Caribbean and jazz musicians.

Architect of a Sound

Colón's career began in earnest in 1967 when he signed with Fania Records, the legendary label that became synonymous with the birth of salsa. His early records, especially with vocalist Héctor Lavoe, helped define the raw, streetwise sound of the genre in its formative years. Albums like El Malo and the Colón-Lavoe collaborations were pivotal in bringing Afro-Caribbean rhythms to wider audiences, and their success laid the groundwork for the salsa explosion of the 1970s.

He was known as much for his artistic daring as for his music: Colón embraced a "bad guy" persona in his album artwork long before it became a cultural motif, and his bold image helped forge a connection with urban audiences who saw reflections of their own experiences in his work.

In the 1970s, Colón also formed a legendary collaboration with Panamanian singer-songwriter Rubén Blades. Their 1978 album Siembra became one of the best-selling salsa records in history, a defining moment for the genre and a cultural milestone that helped take Latin music beyond its traditional markets.

Beyond sheer rhythm and dance floor energy, Colón's music often carried weighty narratives and social insight. One of his most enduring recordings, "El Gran Varón," written by Omar Alfanno and performed by Colón, tells the story of a young man rejected by his father because of his identity and is remembered for confronting prejudice and offering a voice to marginalized listeners.

His career spanned decades and included collaborations with many of the genre's greatest artists, such as Celia Cruz, Ismael Miranda and the Fania All-Stars, and multiple reinventions that kept his work relevant to new generations of musicians and fans.

A Life of Art and Advocacy

Colón's influence extended far beyond the studio. As his career grew, so did his engagement with social issues that mattered deeply to him and to the communities he represented. He became known as an activist as well as an artist, weaving themes of cultural identity, urban struggle and social justice into his work and public life. His involvement with political causes in New York City reflected his belief that music and community are inseparable, and he even pursued public office at times in his later years.

His voice and trombone became symbols of resilience and pride for many Latinos in the United States and Latin America — a testament to how deeply music can echo the lived experience of its people.

Enduring Legacy

Tributes poured in from across the world following news of his passing, underscoring the enormity of his impact on Latin culture and beyond. Colón's recordings remain a staple on radio stations, in dance halls and across digital platforms, and his influence can be heard in the music of artists who continue to expand the boundaries of Latin music.

Though details about memorial services and public tributes are still being finalized, fans and fellow musicians have already begun honoring his life and legacy, celebrating a man whose work transcended borders, language and time.

Willie Colón will be remembered not only for his unmistakable trombone sound and his contributions to salsa, but also for his role as a storyteller, cultural ambassador and tireless advocate for equity and artistic expression. His music remains a bridge between generations and a testament to the power of rhythm, identity and community.

Guyle Fielder obit

A Seattle Hockey Legend Is Gone

Former longtime Seattle Totems captain Guyle Fielder, who won three minor professional championships and kept this city on the hockey map decades before the NHL’s arrival, has died in Arizona at age 95 just hours before a planned permanent move back here 

He was not on the list.

There was a connection between hockey legend Guyle Fielder and Seattle that never truly went away, even if it did go dormant for a time ahead of a rather surprising late life resurrection.

In fact, the final act of the longtime Seattle Totems captain this week was packing his belongings in Arizona on Monday ahead of a planned permanent move on Tuesday back up to this area to live out his remaining time with family in Sammamish. But he never made it. Fielder suffered a massive stroke at home early Tuesday morning, just hours before the planned drive to Washington and never fully regained consciousness before dying Saturday at age 95 with family at his side.

“It was all very peaceful,” said his niece, Jackie Malsam, who’d been in Arizona with her husband planning to drive Fielder back to their Sammamish residence. “We were all sitting around the table reminiscing late into the (Monday) night and he just closed his eyes like he always did when he needed to take a rest. This time, he didn’t open them back up.”

The Idaho-born, Saskatchewan-raised Fielder had been the oldest remaining former Seattle professional hockey player, a living testament to the city’s sports history in having guided the Totems to their only three Western Hockey League minor pro championships in 1959, 1967 and 1968. He retired in 1973 and remains pro hockey’s fourth all-time point getter at 2,037 behind only Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr.

The Kraken have an annual Guyle Fielder Award given out to the player that best exhibits the qualities of perseverance, hustle and dedication to hockey. Jaden Schwartz has won it the last three consecutive years while Yanni Gourde captured the first honor.

“Hockey had a rich history well before the Kraken with one of the greatest players of his era calling Seattle home,” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said Saturday. “Guyle Fielder not only played for Seattle for 14 seasons he brought championships to our community and was regarded as one of the finest scorers to play the game. We named a team award after Guyle for perseverance, hustle and dedication and we will forever honor this great friend and his amazing spirit and achievements.”

For Seattle sports fans of a prior era, long before the Kraken and other major pro sports franchises arrived, “Golden Guyle” was a bonafide star back when the Totems were kings. His short-lived time in the NHL, a total of 15 regular season and playoff games, had seen Fielder play alongside Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famers Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Norm Ullman and Red Kelly.

At the time, word was the Red Wings worried that Fielder’s penchant for late night pool-playing and beer might be a liability. Fielder used to bristle at such suggestions, but it later became a bit of a running gag he’d laugh at as he lived on well past his 90th birthday.

“I didn’t drink beer as much as everybody said I did,” Fielder said in one of his final interviews three months ahead of his passing. “I did play pool a little bit on the side. But I looked after myself. I kept in good shape. I played a lot of golf in the off-season, and that kept your legs in shape. And yeah, I had my beer. But certainly not as much as people were saying.”

Fielder certainly did love playing pool and still did so every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the recreation center of the Arizona retirement community where he’d recently sold his home and moved in with his longtime companion Betty Johnson. As for his physical conditioning, he was in such good shape for his age that doctors allowed him to undergo knee replacement surgery 11 months ago at age 94, making Fielder one of the oldest people in this country to ever undergo such a procedure.

It allowed him to ditch his walker and use a cane to get around, which he did in a November birthday visit to Laughlin, Nevada with Johnson.

Whether it was his late-night pool playing, a bevy of legendary Red Wings forwards, or Fielder’s slender 5-foot-9, 165-pound physique that truly limited his NHL shot, it quickly became Seattle’s gain as he enjoyed a 22-year career mostly in the WHL and 15 of those with the Totems. The WHL back then was a top minor pro circuit – right alongside the AHL – with scores of NHL-capable players unable to crack a league comprised of just six teams compared to the 32 today.

Fielder was named the WHL’s Most Valuable Player six times. He topped the 100-point mark four times and his 122 points in 1957 was a pro hockey record at the time.

His childhood friend, legendary Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Glenn Hall, once said Fielder was the player all-time NHL point-getter Gretzky most reminded him of. The pair had long remained in touch, sending each other birthday and holiday greetings. When Hall died last month at age 94, it hit Fielder particularly hard.

Fielder had a longstanding fear of flying and famously had not been on a plane since retiring from pro hockey. All his travel since was by car, which limited his ability to get around vast distances. It also kept him from visiting Seattle, Saskatchewan and other places as much over the years, though he remained close with his remaining family and friends in this area.

He’d stayed in touch with former teammates, such as Seattle-area resident Jim Powers and his onetime linemate Tommy McVie, who died 13 months ago at age 89 while still living in the Camus, WA home he’d acquired after playing for the Totems. The trio had gone up to Vancouver, B.C. together when Fieder was promoting a 2017 book about his career: “I just want to play hockey: Guyle Fielder: The Unknown Superstar” by author James Vantour.

“I went to Vancouver with him to watch Guyle sign books,” Powers said. “And then we did the same thing here in Kirkland and we met the Seattle Thunderbirds (junior team) together. Those were some good times.”

His limited trips back to Seattle from Arizona had created more than a 1,400-mile distance between Fielder and the city he’d once called home. The Totems ceased operations in 1975 and as time went on, memories of their legacy sharing the city’s sports spotlight with University of Washington football began to fade as the Seahawks and Mariners arrived soon after.

Fielder’s exploits might have remained statistical footnotes had the NHL not made plans to come to Seattle, starting roughly a decade ago with the arrival of Tim Leiweke and his Oak View Group. They announced plans to overhaul Fielder’s former Seattle Coliseum – by then named KeyArena – into what became a $1.15 billion Climate Pledge Arena centerpiece.

The book about Fielder came out a few months later as memories of what pro hockey had once meant in Seattle were starting to be rekindled. The NHL Seattle group, awarded the NHL’s 32nd franchise in December 2018, invited Fielder up in spring 2019 for a ribbon cutting ceremony in which a replica of his locker was built at the team’s season ticket preview center in Queen Anne.

Fielder, who’d spent his Totem years living – and shooting pool – in Queen Anne, was visibly moved during the ceremony, choking up and fighting back tears.

“I think as he got older, I think the recognition really started to mean something to him,” said longtime friend Doug Buchanan, 75, a former Canadian Olympic hockey team member. “In the early days, he was too busy competing. But as he got older, into his 80s, he got to his reflective stage, and it really meant a lot to him.”

Buchanan first met Fielder in his Williams Lake, B.C. hometown in the late 1960s when the Totems legend bought a home there. He and Fielder would spend time golfing, shooting pool, drinking beer and just getting to know one another despite their 20-year age gap.

“I never even saw him play,” Buchanan said. “He was just a fun guy to be around.”

Buchanan said Fielder was also the most competitive person he ever met, whether on a golf course or in a pool hall. He didn’t need to see him play hockey to understand why he’d succeeded in the sport. Or, to understand the decades spent after his retirement.

“He lived a tight, compact life without a bunch of loose ends to tie up,” he said. “It was his own life the way he wanted to do it.”

One loose end was tied up for him, when Fielder’s hockey legacy in Seattle was recognized by the Seattle Sports Commission in February 2024. It invited Fielder up to Seattle for its annual Sports Star of the Year gala, giving him its Royal Brougham Sports Legend Award.

He and Johnson made the nearly-3,000-mile round trip drive together.

Two days later, Fielder attended his first Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena with his former Red Wings the visiting team.

“What a beautiful building – oh my word!” Fielder said, glancing around. “It’s awesome.” He watched the game from the owner’s suite and was introduced on the twin scoreboards to raucous applause as then-general manager and current Kraken president Ron Francis gave him an honorary jersey.

The next day, Fielder received a guided tour of the Kraken Community Iceplex headquarters from CEO Leiweke, who introduced him to the team’s staff.

Fielder had hoped to get back to Climate Pledge for the team’s final regular season home game in April, when the annual Kraken award in his name is handed out. His niece, Malsam, daughter of Fielder’s sister, Judy, 80, is a Kraken season ticket member and had been sending Fielder videos of prior awards being given out.

“He loved those but seeing it in person would have been special,” she said.

Malsam and her husband, Marc, had built an apartment for Fielder at their Sammamish home in anticipation of his arrival, with his trophies and plaques displayed prominently, some Budweiser beer and non-spicy Bloody Mary mix in the fridge along with a separate cigar area. His grand niece, Marissa, and grand nephew, Marc Jr., were also awaiting his arrival at the home.

“Guyle’s desire was to spend what might be the last year of his life surrounded by his family,” she said.

That family, she added, didn’t know him as “Golden Guyle” but merely as “Uncle Guyle” – a man with no children of his own who cherished her and her two sisters, Jody and Joy Krueger, as “little ladies” growing up and had long had the sentiment mutually returned.

Just as the hockey sentiment Fielder had long expressed for Seattle began to be returned in earnest his final decade.

“I’ve always felt it was a hockey town and should be an NHL town and now it finally has become just that,” Fielder had said in that birthday interview three months ago. “If I even helped play a tiny part in it, then it was all worth it.”

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season                        Playoffs

Season Team   League GP       G         A         Pts       PIM     GP       G         A         Pts       PIM

1947–48          Prince Albert Mintos   SJHL   25        26        15        41        20        2          0          1          1            0

1948–49          Prince Albert Mintos   SJHL   20        17        26        43        22        9          9          14        23            4

1948–49          Lethbridge Native Sons          WCJHL           2          1          1          2          0          —        —            —        —        —

1949–50          Lethbridge Native Sons          WCJHL           39        47        58        105      19        10        2            7          9          14

1950–51          Lethbridge Native Sons          WCJHL           37        44        56        100      6          7          3            5          8          8

1950–51          Chicago Black Hawks NHL    3          0          0          0          0          —        —        —        —            —

1951–52          New Westminster Royals        PCHL  57        25        50        75        10        7          1          3            4          2

1952–53          St. Louis Flyers           AHL    62        22        61        83        12        —        —        —        —            —

1952–53          Edmonton Flyers         WHL   3          0          1          1          0          —        —        —        —            —

1952–53          Detroit Red Wings      NHL    —        —        —        —        —        4          0          0          0            0

1953–54          Seattle Bombers          WHL   68        24        64        88        20        —        —        —        —            —

1953–54          Boston Bruins NHL    —        —        —        —        —        2          0          0          0          2

1954–55          New Westminster Royals        WHL   70        20        67        87        37        —        —        —            —        —

1955–56          Seattle Americans       WHL   70        18        61        79        42        —        —        —        —            —

1956–57          Seattle Americans       WHL   69        33        89        122      30        6          2          4          6            0

1957–58          Detroit Red Wings      NHL    6          0          0          0          2          —        —        —        —            —

1957–58          Seattle Americans       WHL   62        26        85        111       22        9          2          9          11            2

1958–59          Seattle Totems WHL   69        24        95        119      18        12        4          9          13        4

1959–60          Seattle Totems WHL   69        31        64        95        12        4          1          1          2          0

1960–61          Seattle Totems WHL   69        24        71        95        32        11        2          9          11        4

1961–62          Seattle Totems WHL   69        21        52        73        46        2          0          0          0          0

1962–63          Seattle Totems WHL   69        17        80        97        20        17        5          17        22        6

1963–64          Seattle Totems WHL   66        17        85        102      34        —        —        —        —        —

1963–64          Quebec Aces   AHL    —        —        —        —        —        1          0          0          0          0

1964–65          Seattle Totems WHL   70        14        78        92        38        7          0          7          7          2

1965–66          Seattle Totems WHL   70        19        75        94        10        —        —        —        —        —

1966–67          Seattle Totems WHL   72        20        71        91        22        10        2          7          9          12

1967–68          Seattle Totems WHL   70        15        55        70        26        9          6          5          11        2

1968–69          Seattle Totems WHL   74        20        74        94        12        4          0          2          2          4

1969–70          Salt Lake Golden Eagles         WHL   55        8          58        66        20        —        —        —            —        —

1970–71          Salt Lake Golden Eagles         WHL   64        15        46        61        22        —        —        —            —        —

1971–72          Salt Lake Golden Eagles         WHL   30        5          22        27        4          —        —        —            —        —

1971–72          Portland Buckaroos     WHL   40        9          40        49        10        11        0          10        10            2

1972–73          Portland Buckaroos     WHL   70        11        47        58        4          —        —        —        —            —

WHL totals      1368    391      1380    1771    481      102      24        80        104      38

AHL totals       62        22        61        83        12        1          0          0          0          0

NHL totals       9          0          0          0          2          6          0          0          0          2

 

Career achievements

Ed Bruchet Trophy (awarded to the MVP of the WCJHL) – 1950

WHL Rookie of the Year – 1952

Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner (awarded to the AHL Rookie of the Year) – 1953

9× WHL leading scorer – 1954, 1957–1960, 1963–1965, 1967

6× George Leader Cup winner (awarded to the WHL MVP) – 1957–1960, 1964, 1967

3× Fred J. Hume Cup winner (awarded to the most gentlemanly player in the WHL) – 1966, 1967, 1969

AHL First All-Star Team – 1953

WHL First All-Star Team – 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1967

WHL Second All-Star Team – 1961, 1965, 1966, 1968

John Bertalot obit

Organ world mourns transatlantic director of music

 

He was not on the list.

Blackburn Cathedral has conveyed the death today of John Bertalot, its Director of Music and Organist from 1964 to 1982.

Bertalot, who was 94, went on to serve for the next 15 years as Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton, New Jersey.

He wrote several books on choral singing, including ‘How to Be A Successfuil Choral Director’.

Bertalot was born in Maidstone, Kent, on 15 September 1931. He studied organ at the Royal College of Music and was an organ scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1955 to 1958. He served as organist of St Matthew's Church, Northampton, from 1958 to 1964 and of Blackburn Cathedral from 1964 to 1983 before moving to the United States, where he was organist of Trinity Church, Princeton, in New Jersey from 1983 to 1998.

Bertalot was the author of John Bertalot's Immediately Practical Tips for Choral Directors, Five Wheels to Successful Sight-Singing and How to be a Successful Choir Director.

Mark Kennedy obit

Mark Kennedy, Legendary Australian Drummer For Spectrum, Ayers Rock And Leo Sayer, Dies Aged 74

 

He was not on the list.

The Australian music community is in mourning following the passing of Mark Kennedy, one of the most technically gifted and influential drummers in the nation’s history. Kennedy passed away on 21 February 2026 at McCulloch House, the palliative care unit at the Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, Victoria. He was 74.

Leo Sayer, who worked with Kennedy for over two decades, confirmed the news in a moving tribute. Kennedy had been battling terminal illness for several months.

“Vale Mark Kennedy, my drummer for 21 years,” Leo Sayer said. “We shared many great moments together onstage and offstage and Mark was such a great pal. He was one of the best I ever sung with, as good, technically and feel-wise as any of the guys I recorded or performed with over the years. I know I’ll be joined by most of Australia’s musicians and indeed the whole music industry and music fans downunder in saying it’s a great loss to us all.”

Born in Melbourne on 20 August 1951, Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, studying at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music for six years before finding his true calling behind the drum kit. His professional journey began in 1968 with the band Gallery, alongside guitarist Bill Putt.

In 1969, Kennedy and Putt joined forces with Mike Rudd and Lee Neale to form the seminal progressive rock group Spectrum. Although he left the band shortly before their debut album, Spectrum Part One, was released, his drumming is immortalised on the iconic Australian number one hit “I’ll Be Gone”. Mike Rudd later recalled that Kennedy’s virtuosity often stole the show, noting that his drum solos were a major drawcard for the band’s early audience.

Throughout the 1970s, Kennedy became the “go-to” drummer for the elite of Australian rock and jazz-fusion. He formed King Harvest with Leo De Castro and Duncan McGuire, and later joined Doug Parkinson In Focus. His partnership with bassist Duncan McGuire became legendary, with the pair regarded as one of the finest rhythm sections the country has ever produced.

In 1973, the duo teamed up with Ray Burton to form the trio Burton, McGuire & Kennedy, which eventually evolved into the acclaimed jazz-fusion outfit Ayers Rock. The group achieved significant international notice, recording their second album, Beyond, in Los Angeles in 1976.

Kennedy’s career took a commercial turn in the mid-70s when he joined Marcia Hines’ band. He played on every one of her albums from Shining (1976) to Love Sides (1983). It was Kennedy who famously fought for the song “You” to be recorded after producer Robie Porter had initially rejected it. The song went on to become Marcia Hines’ highest-charting single, reaching number two on the charts.

His versatility saw him contribute to a staggering array of projects. In 1983, his percussion work appeared on the Duran Duran album Seven And The Ragged Tiger. By 1985, he was recruited by Men At Work to play on their third album, Two Hearts, subsequently touring the world with the band.

Kennedy’s resume reads like a history of Australian contemporary music, featuring stints or sessions with Renée Geyer, Jim Keays, Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe, Glenn Shorrock, Brian Cadd, Max Merritt, and Kevin Borich. In the 1990s, he was a member of the supergroup Blazing Salads with Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock.

Despite his technical prowess, Kennedy remained humble about his craft. In a 2000 interview with Drummer Magazine, he noted, “the best drummers are musicians who play the drums, not like the tradesman kind of mentality, the better guys are the guys who understand where the music is, the voicing of it and get amongst it and create a language.”

Kennedy remained active until the very end. His final performance took place in December 2024, appearing with Leo Sayer at the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria.

Leo Sayer noted that Kennedy passed away peacefully, with a smile on his face, surrounded by the thoughts of his wife Dori and his many friends.

Rondale Moore obit

NFL wide receiver, former Big 10 All-American dies at 25

 He was not on the list.

NFL wide receiver and former Purdue star Rondale Moore has died at the age of 25, the Floyd County Coroner told local station WLKY on Saturday

Fox 9’s Ahmad Hicks reported that New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey said that Moore, who was on the Minnesota Vikings roster last season, was found dead in his garage from “a suspected self-inflicted gunshot.”

Moore burst onto the scene in 2018 as a stud freshman with the Boilermakers. The speedster had 114 receptions for 1,258 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in addition to 21 rushes for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps the most legendary performance of his career came that year against Ohio State, where he had 12 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns in the 49-20 upset over the Buckeyes.

Moore stayed with the Boilermakers for the next two seasons battling injuries before heading to the NFL, where he was a second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Standing at 5-foot-7, he was sought after as a special YAC receiver. He spent the 2021 through 2023 with the Cardinals before being traded to the Falcons.

In 2025, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings but suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp that ended his season early. Moore was scheduled to be a free agent in March.

Over his career, Moore had 1,201 yards on 135 receptions and four total touchdowns.

 

An autopsy has been scheduled.

Career information

High school     Trinity (Louisville, Kentucky)

College            Purdue (2018–2020)

NFL draft        2021: 2nd round, 49th overall pick

Career history

Arizona Cardinals (2021–2023)

Atlanta Falcons (2024)

Minnesota Vikings (2025)

Awards and highlights

Paul Hornung Award (2018)

Paul Warfield Trophy (2018)

Consensus All-American (2018)

Big Ten Receiver of the Year (2018)

Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2018)

First-team All-Big Ten (2018)

Career NFL statistics

Receptions       135

Receiving yards          1,201

Receiving touchdowns            3

Kara Braxton obit

Kara Braxton, former WNBA and Oregon prep basketball star, dead at age 43

 

She was not on the list.

Kara Braxton, a two-time WNBA champion with the Detroit Shock, has died at age 43.

No cause of death was given.

"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton," the WNBA said in a statement Sunday. "Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time."

Braxton, a 6-foot-6 center-forward, played at Georgia from 2001 to 2004 and was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002.

She was selected No. 7 by the Shock in the 2005 WNBA draft and made the league's all-rookie team that season. Braxton won WNBA titles with Detroit in 2006 and 2008.

Braxton spent part of the 2010 season in Tulsa, where the Shock franchise relocated, and then was traded to the Phoenix Mercury.

During the 2011 season, she was traded to the New York Liberty and finished her WNBA career with New York in 2014.

Braxton, who was named an All-Star in 2007, averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds during a 10-year WNBA career.

Braxton's son, college football player Jelani Thurman, played tight end the past three years at Ohio State. He transferred to North Carolina in January.

Braxton was killed in a car accident over the weekend in Atlanta, according to several reports. But no official cause of death has been released. The WNBA confirmed her death through social media on Sunday.

Braxton is considered one of the best high school basketball players in Oregon history. The Oregonian/OregonLive ranked Braxton No. 7 on its list of the top 25 girls prep players published in 2017.

Kara and her twin sister Kim, who also played basketball, moved from Jackson, Michigan, to Oregon in 1997.

Kara Braxton was named Class 4A player of the year following her sophomore and junior seasons.

As a sophomore, Braxton averaged 18.8 points and 9.7 rebounds during the regular season and upped her production to 22 points and 9.5 rebounds in the state tournament.

The following season, she averaged 17.8 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. That season, the twins led the Wildcats to the 4A championship.

Several recruiting services ranked Kara Braxton the No. 2 recruit nationally heading into her senior season.

The twins signed with Georgia, where Kara played for three seasons, averaging 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Braxton was named SEC freshman of the year after averaging 16.3 points per game during the 2001-02 season.

In 2005, Braxton entered the WNBA draft and was selected No. 7 overall by Detroit. She played eight seasons with the Shock, Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty, averaging 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.

During her time in the WNBA, Braxton was named an All-Star in 2007 and won championships with the Shock in 2006 and 2008.

During the 2008 playoffs, Braxton averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Career information

High school     Westview (Beaverton, Oregon)

College            Georgia (2002–2005)

WNBA draft    2005: 1st round, 7th overall pick

Drafted by       Detroit Shock

Playing career 2005–2014

Position           Power forward / center

Career history

2005–2008      Detroit Shock

2010    Tulsa Shock

2010–2011      Phoenix Mercury

2011–2014      New York Liberty

Career highlights

WNBA All-Star (2007)

2× WNBA champion (2006, 2008)

WNBA All-Rookie Team (2005)

First-team All-SEC (2002)

SEC Freshman of the Year (2002)

SEC All-Freshman Team (2002)

Maxi Shield obit

Drag Race Down Under star Maxi Shield dies five months after cancer diagnosis

 

Not on the list.

Drag Race Down Under star Maxi Shield has died, five months after being diagnosed with cancer. She was 51.

Multiple friends of the Sydney-based drag star, born Kristopher Elliot, have paid tribute to her on social media.

Dillion Shaw of Sydney’s famed LGBTQ+ nightclub Universal wrote in a post on social media that the community was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the drag star’s death. Shaw honoured her “big personality” and “heart of gold”.

“In all my years in this community, there has never been a time I can remember when Maxi wasn’t an iconic presence (and she’d absolutely smack you for reminding her of that),” Shaw wrote.

“Maxi worked across every queer venue in Sydney, touching hearts not only across the country but around the world through her appearance on Drag Race Down Under. This Mardi Gras will feel different. It will be more solemn, as so many of us gather carrying the space left by her smile, her quick wit, and her remarkable spirit.”

Australian drag wig company Wigs By Vanity confirmed the news on Instagram, writing: “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our dearest sister, Maxine, has passed away.

“We are all mourning the loss of an incredible icon, friend, and our beloved sister. Thank you for the laughs, the cackles, and the magic you brought into our lives.

“I will cherish every second of our 30 year friendship and I’m so grateful that I was a part of your chosen family. You will be forever loved and deeply missed. I love you old girl.”

Maxi Shield appeared on the first season of Drag Race Down Under in 2021 and quickly became a fan favourite. She came in sixth place.

Prior to becoming a global drag star via Drag Race Down Under, Maxi Shield was a veteran of the Australian drag scene, performing across the country. In 2000, she performed at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She was one of the entertainers opening the Gay Games in the city in 2002.

She was a regular performer at venues across Oxford Street, Sydney’s notable LGBTQ+ area.

In August, Maxi had been performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland alongside her season one sister Art Simone when she was hospitalised.

She was forced to pull out of her show Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play and taken to hospital due to a swollen gland pushing blood vessels in her throat.

In September, she shared a health update with fans, confirming that the growth had been diagnosed as cancerous.

She spent the following months undergoing treatment for the growth, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Maxi had also been using social media to share frequent health updates with her fans.

The drag entertainer returned to performing earlier this month for the first time since her diagnosis.

In a post on Instagram, Drag Race Down Under season one winner Kita Mean remembered Maxi Shield as “the kindest queen that has ever been”.

“Your love for drag, your wicked sense of humour, your giving spirit. There will forever be a void in my heavy heart where your fabulousness hit me like a tonne of bricks,” she wrote.

“Your strength over the last few months has been incomprehensible and I will go forward with such pride in my heart knowing I was friends with the best sister in the business.”

Ismael Kanater obit

The artist Abu Al-Qanater died in America

 

He was not on the list.

The esteemed Moroccan artist Ismail Abu Al-Qanater passed away today, Friday, in the United States of America, at the age of 69, after suffering from a health condition during the last few months, before his condition deteriorated in recent days, giving up his soul in the land of exile, where he had settled for many years.

A group of Moroccan artists and producers mourned the deceased on their social media pages, recalling his noble human qualities and calm spirit, and praising his great talent that he demonstrated in an artistic career that spanned decades, considering his passing a loss to the Moroccan artistic scene and to a creative experience that was able to carry national talent to international spaces.

The late Abu al-Qanater is one of the artistic figures who left a special mark between Morocco and America. His experience began in the theaters of Casablanca, where he received his initial training and accumulated his first experiences, before he traveled to the United States in the seventies of the last century to pursue his studies in the arts of cinema and acting, driven by an old dream to expand his artistic horizons.

The deceased worked with prominent theatrical figures, including Tayeb Saddiki, and participated in a number of well-known American series and Moroccan and foreign cinematic works. He remained present with his creativity between the stage and the camera, carrying the Moroccan experience to global horizons, and dedicating a path that combined artistic ambition with the constant search for excellence.

Ismael Kanater was born in Casablanca, Morocco. A Drama graduate from the Casablanca Conservatory of Drama and dance and a Film-Making graduate from Rhode Island School of Design. Mr. Kanater is also a stage writer/director notably at the prestigious Off Broadway theater La Mama E.T.C and most recently at the Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company the creation with the ensemble and the South African writer/director Yael Farber a new take on Salome .

Actor

Down by the Water

The Mysterious Man (as Ismail Kanater)

Pre-production

 

Autisto (2025)

Autisto

Mahmoud

2025

 

Mounia Lamkimel, Oussama Bastaoui, Fatima Zahra Bennacer, Rabie Kati, Mourad Zaoui, Meryem Zaimi, Kamal Kadimi, and Salwa Zarhane in Ala Ghafla (2025)

Ala Ghafla

5.7

TV Series

Hakam

2025

 

The Last Supper (2025)

The Last Supper

5.2

Grandfather Ezequiel

2025

 

The Slave (2022)

The Slave

Alhaj Ben Omar

2022

 

Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain in The Forgiven (2021)

The Forgiven

6.1

Abdellah Taheri

2021

 

Yto (2018)

Yto

Short

HAy Britel

2018

 

Fatima Herandi Raouya, Leila Hadioui, Fatima Bouchain, Souad Hassan, Mina Touraf, and Mohamed Bousfiha in The Pilgrims (2017)

The Pilgrims

7.1

Lkhamamsi

2017

 

Tears of Satan (2016)

Tears of Satan

7.4

Le Colonel

2016

 

Ghoul (2016)

Ghoul

5.1

TV Series

2016

4 episodes

 

Tut (2015)

Tut

7.0

TV Mini Series

Priest of Sobek (as Sam Kanater)

2015

3 episodes

 

Nicole Kidman in Queen of the Desert (2015)

Queen of the Desert

5.7

Hayil Gate Keeper (as Sam Kanater)

2015

 

Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Honorable Woman (2014)

The Honorable Woman

7.9

TV Mini Series

Palestinian Authoriy Senior Education Minister (as Sam Kanater)

2014

1 episode

 

Adam Rayner, Ashraf Barhom, and Moran Atias in Tyrant (2014)

Tyrant

7.7

TV Series

Doctor (as Sam Kanater)

2014

1 episode

 

Femme écrite (2011)

Femme écrite

4.9

Naim (as Ismail Kanater)

2011

 

The End (2011)

The End

7.8

Daoud (as Ismail Kanater)

2011

 

Terminus des anges (2010)

Terminus des anges

7.0

Mr. Jabra (as Ismail Kanater)

2010

 

Courte vie (2010)

Courte vie

6.8

Short

Pre De Zhar (as Ismail Kanater)

2010

 

David & Fatima (2008)

David & Fatima

4.4

Imam (as Ismail Kanater)

2008

 

Kiefer Sutherland, Reiko Aylesworth, Carlos Bernard, Jude Ciccolella, Glenn Morshower, and Mary Lynn Rajskub in 24 (2001)

24

8.4

TV Series

General Mohmar Habib (as Sam Kanater)

2007

1 episode

 

Oded Fehr and Michael Ealy in Sleeper Cell (2005)

Sleeper Cell

7.9

TV Series

Yemeni Imam (as Ismail Kanater)

2006

1 episode

 

Beyond the Fence

7.5

Short

Old Farmer (as Ismail Kanater)

2006

 

Stay Awake

7.3

Short

Gregor (as Ismail Kanater)

2006

 

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo (2005)

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo

7.2

Video Game

Al-Kamil SarwatAdditional Morocco AO Voices (as Ismail Kanater)

2005

 

SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs (2005)

SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs

7.2

Video Game

Al-Kamil SarwatAdditional Morocco AO Voices (as Ismail Kanater)

2005

 

Nicki Aycox, Lizette Carrion, Keith D. Robinson, and Josh Henderson in Over There (2005)

Over There

7.8

TV Series

Iraqi father (as Ismail Abou-el Kanater)

2005

1 episode

 

Stephanie Vogt in Fear Within (2004)

Fear Within

8.5

Short

Cab Driver (as Ismail Kanater)

2004

 

Jennifer Garner in Alias (2001)

Alias

7.6

TV Series

Contact (as Ismail Abou-El-Kanater)

2004

1 episode

 

Out for Blood (2004)

Out for Blood

4.1

Video

Vampire Leader (as Ismail Kanater)

2004

 

Passage

8.0

Short

Driver (as Sam Kanater)

2003

 

Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs, Jerry Doyle, and Andreas Katsulas in Babylon 5 (1993)

Babylon 5

8.4

TV Series

Brakiri Salesman (as Ismail Kanater)

1998

1 episode

 

Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (1994)

Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man

7.7

TV Series

(voice, as Ismail Kanater)

1996

1 episode

 

Production Department

New

Sex Appeal (1986)

Sex Appeal

4.3

production assistant (as Ismial Kanater)

1986