This is Beirut - Obituary

Prunella Scales, Star of Britain’s 'Fawlty Towers', Dies Peacefully at 93

This is Beirut, 28/10 15:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Television Prunella Scales Obituary UK actress Britain Culture

Actress Prunella Scales, best known for her role as the long-suffering Sybil in the British TV comedy classic Fawlty Towers, has died aged 93, her family said Tuesday. The actress died "peacefully at home in London" on Monday, her sons Samuel and Joseph said. "She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died," they said in a statement on ...

Bjorn Andresen, Remembered for 'Death in Venice', Dies After Cancer Battle

This is Beirut, 27/10 15:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Obituary Bjorn Andresen Sweden Actor Culture

Bjorn Andresen, a Swedish actor known for his performance in Luchino Visconti's award-winning Death in Venice (1971), has died at the age of 70, an associate told AFP Monday. At the age of 15, Andresen was approached by the Italian director, who was searching for an actor to play Tadzio, a beautiful adolescent who composer Gustav von Aschenbach, ...

Nasser Taghvai, Iranian Cinema Pioneer and Longtime Regime Critic, Passes Away

This is Beirut, 14/10 12:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Filmmaker Nasser Taghvai Obituary Anti-censorship Iran Culture

Prominent Iranian filmmaker Nasser Taghvai, widely known for his long struggle against censorship, Taghvai has died at the age of 84, his wife said Tuesday. "Nasser Taghvai, an artist who chose the difficulty of living freely, has earned his liberation," his wife, actor Marzieh Vafamehr, wrote on Instagram. Taghvai was born on July 13, 1941 in ...

Farewell to John Lodge: 'The Moody Blues' Soul and Sound

This is Beirut, 10/10 16:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Music Obituary John Lodge The Moody Blues Britain Culture

British singer and guitarist John Lodge, a longtime member of the band The Moody Blues, has died at the age of 82, his family announced on Friday. Lodge, a bass player, vocalist and songwriter who joined the English rock band two years after its 1964 formation, died "unexpectedly" surrounded by loved ones, relatives said. "It is ...

Joan Kennedy, Matriarch in Political Dynasty, Dies at 89

This is Beirut, 08/10 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Obituary Politics Boston US Joan Kennedy

Joan Kennedy, the poised and private former wife of Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, died Wednesday at her home in Boston. She was 89. Her death was confirmed by Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, the New York Times reported.. Marrying into one of America’s most visible political dynasties, Ms. Kennedy often ...

UK Author Jilly Cooper, Bestselling Queen of Romantic Fiction, Dies Aged 88

This is Beirut, 06/10 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Literature Jilly Cooper Obituary Britain Culture

Jilly Cooper, who has died aged 88, was the best-selling British writer whose racy novels were famously filled with sex, snobbery and fun. With suggestive titles such as Tackle!, Mount! and Score!, Cooper's books were publishing sensations, selling 11 million copies in the UK alone. Her agent Felicity Blunt said Monday that "she will ...

Famed 'Sponge Cities' Chinese Architect Kongjian Yu Dead in Brazil Plane Crash

This is Beirut, 25/09 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Obituary Architect Kongjian Yu Accident China Brazil Culture

Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu, known for his so-called nature-mimicking "sponge cities," has died in a small plane crash in Brazil with two filmmakers documenting his work, police said Wednesday. The 62-year-old was considered a leading figure in sustainable urban planning; his "sponge cities" replace concrete surfaces with natural ...

Claudia Cardinale, Iconic Italian Actress and Muse of Fellini and Visconti, Dies at 87

This is Beirut, 24/09 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Obituary Claudia Cardinal Icon Film Italy France Culture

Sixties screen siren Claudia Cardinale, who died on Tuesday aged 87, entranced audiences across the globe with the sultry gaze that made her the muse of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini. With her fierce beauty and husky voice, Cardinale not only captivated Italy's greatest filmmakers, but she also played opposite most of the leading men of ...

Maestro Christoph von Dohnányi Dies in Munich Aged 95

This is Beirut, 08/09 13:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Music Obituary Christoph von Dohnanyi Conductor Germany Culture

German conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, hailed as one of the greats of his generation, has died aged 95, public broadcaster NDR said Monday. Dohnanyi, who was long music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, died in Munich "a few days before his 96th birthday", which would have been Monday, NDR said. Dohnanyi was principal conductor of the NDR ...

From Kyoto to the UN: Tea Ambassador Sen Genshitsu Dies at the Age of 102

This is Beirut, 14/08 18:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Obituary Sen Genshitsu Tea Gastronomy Tradition Culture

Sen Genshitsu, who was originally destined to serve as a kamikaze pilot but eventually became a grand master of the Japanese tea ceremony, preparing bowls of matcha for royalty and world leaders died on Thursday at the age of 102, Japanese media reported. With the motto "Peace through a bowl of tea," the grand master of the ancient Urasenke ...

Farewell to a Giant: Latin Music Legend Eddie Palmieri Dies at 88

This is Beirut, 07/08 11:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Obituary Eddie Palmieri Music Legend United States Culture

Eddie Palmieri, who revolutionized Latin music and played a major role in the salsa explosion in New York City, passed away Wednesday at the age of 88, according to the artist's official social media account. The "legendary pianist, composer, bandleader, and one of the most influential figures in Latin music history, passed away in his New Jersey ...

British Opera Tenor David Rendall Dies Aged 76

This is Beirut, 22/07 18:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Opera David Rendall Obituary Britain Culture

Renowned British tenor David Rendall, who performed in some of the world's most famous opera houses during a decades-spanning career, has died aged 76, his family said Tuesday. His death, while surrounded by relatives in southern England on Monday, follows a long illness, their announcement noted. Rendall graced the stages of London's Royal ...

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