Alex Traub
Posts
Betty Halbreich, World’s ‘Most Famous Personal Shopper,’ Dies at 96
She was a local New York secret before gaining wider renown as the dressing-room companion of rich, powerful women. A dark past lay beneath her...
Jerry Fuller, Writer of ‘Young Girl’ and Other Hit Songs, Dies at 85
He located a musical sweet spot between the romantic and the risqué for Ricky Nelson, Johnny Mathis and most famously Gary Puckett and the Union...
Remo Saraceni, 89, Dies; Inventor of the Walking Piano Seen in ‘Big’
His keyboard, which became famous after Tom Hanks melodiously hopped on it, displayed Mr. Saraceni’s vision of technology powered by “people energy.”
John Koerner, Bluesman Who Inspired a Young Bob Dylan, Dies at 85
A spindly guitarist nicknamed Spider, Mr. Koerner was Mr. Dylan’s first friend in the scruffy world of Minneapolis bohemia where he learned about folk music.
Bernard Hill, Actor in ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Dies at 79
With a stout frame, bushy whiskers and a weathered visage, he embodied men of authority facing down danger with weary stoicism.
Martin Greenfield, Tailor to Sinatra, Obama, Trump and Shaq, Dies at 95
He dressed six presidents, coached designers and made thousands of suits for TV shows and movies. But his beginnings were dismal: He learned to sew...
Sydell L. Miller, Self-Made Eyelash and Hair Care Mogul, Dies at 86
She and her husband, Arnold, made it big in the beauty industry by giving new skills, products and dignity to the workaday salon hairdresser.
Buddy Duress, Who Came Off the Streets to Find Stardom, Dies at 38
He was a homeless heroin dealer when the Safdie brothers put him in their movies, and the critics raved. But the recklessness that gave his...
Marlena Shaw, Venerable Nightclub Chanteuse, Dies at 84
She sang jazz (with Count Basie, among others) and later funk and disco, frequently in intimate venues, where she regaled audiences with tales of old...
John Bailey, Oscars President at a Time of Strife, Dies at 81
A respected cinematographer, he guided the motion picture academy at the height of the #MeToo movement and dealt with infighting around the Oscar ceremony.