Alex Traub
Posts
Chris Strachwitz, Who Dug Up the Roots of American Music, Dies at 91
Traveling the nation to discover little-known performers for the Arhoolie label, which he founded in 1960, he earned a nickname: El Fanático.
Vida Blue, Pitching Sensation for Champion A’s Teams, Dies at 73
In his rookie season in 1971, he was an unstoppable fastball pitcher. Then he had a fight with the owner of the Athletics that left...
Leon Levine, Who Made a Billion One Dollar at a Time, Dies at 85
He created the discount chain retailer Family Dollar, which found success, and criticism, by catering to the poor.
Bobbi Ercoline, Whose Hug Became a Symbol of Woodstock, Dies at 73
Embracing her boyfriend, a blanket around them, she appeared on the cover of the ubiquitous soundtrack album of “Woodstock,” the 1970 documentary film about the...
Dick Fosbury, 76, Whose ‘Flop’ Transformed the High Jump, Is Dead
His back-first, neck-down leaping style struck competitors and onlookers as a novelty act. After he won an Olympic gold in 1968, it came to dominate...
Melinda Dillon, 2-Time Oscar Nominee, Is Dead at 83
She was a Broadway star at 23 and then quit acting, but later re-emerged in films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “A...
Gregory Allen Howard, Screenwriter of ‘Remember the Titans,’ Dies at 70
After the success of the movie, he established a brand for writing Hollywood movies about inspiring episodes in Black history.
Sal Bando, Captain of Championship Oakland Athletics, Dies at 78
He was a calming presence on a volatile squad, one of the few teams in baseball history to win the World Series three years in...
Gerrie Coetzee, 67, Afrikaner Boxing Champ Who Fought Apartheid, Dies
He won the World Boxing Association title in 1983, became a symbol of racial comity and showed a surprising gentleness in public.
Edie Landau, Film Producer Who Was Ahead of Her Time, Dies at 95
She and her husband invented a model for faithfully adapting acclaimed literature, illuminating an alternate path for independent cinema.