Margalit Fox's Blog, page 14

Isao Tomita, Widely Considered the Father of Japanese Electronic Music, Dies at 84

Mr. Tomita’s work was reported to have influenced musicians around the world, among them Stevie Wonder and the Japanese techno-pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Ursula Mamlok, Avant-Garde Composer, Dies at 93

Ms. Mamlok, a German who fled the Nazis and became a fixture of the New York music scene, was known for chamber music, piano pieces and vocal works.

Philip Kives, Pitchman Who Perfected ‘As Seen on TV’ Infomercials, Dies at 87

Mr. Kives’s company, K-tel, saturated airwaves for decades with ads for gadgets like the Veg-O-Matic and compilation albums like “Hit Machine.”

Les Waas, Adman, Dies at 94; Gave Mister Softee a Soundtrack

His jingle, a herald of summer in the city, and of the ice cream man down the block, is the textbook embodiment of an earworm: once heard, never forgotten.

Les Waas, Mister Softee’s Songwriter, Dies at 94

His jingle, a herald of summer in the city, and of the ice cream man down the block, is the textbook embodiment of an earworm: once heard, never forgotten.

Papa Wemba, Congolese King of ‘Rumba Rock,’ Is Dead at 66

A supple tenor who sang danceable fusions of African pop and world music, Papa Wemba performed in his native Lingala and in French.

You’ve Read the Obits, Now See the Movie

Margalit Fox, a Times obituary writer, on the genesis of the recently-released documentary that chronicled life on the “dead beat.”

Brian Asawa, Celebrated Countertenor and Pathbreaker at the Met, Dies at 49

Mr. Asawa was one of only a handful of countertenors to enjoy international renown.

Doris Roberts, Mother on ‘Everybody Loves Raymond,’ Dies at 90

The Emmy-winning character actress was best known for her role as Ray Romano’s tart-tongued, interfering mother on the hit CBS series.

James Cross Giblin, 82, Wide-Ranging Author of Books for Children, Dies

Knives and forks, windows, milk, Hitler, George Washington and AIDS were just some of Mr. Giblin’s subjects.