Rolling Obituary Thread 2026

The thread of the dead.

James Grauerholz, William S. Burroughs' longtime assistant/manager/editor/everything else. When I called Burroughs in Kansas to request an interview as a high school student, I spoke to Grauerholz. (Didn't get the interview.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3atJxdNJGc

(xpost)

Legendary Japanese psych-rock guitarist Munehiro Narita (High Rise, etc.).

Damn shame I never saw him live.

co-founder of Sega Games David Rosen, 95
(also a pilot in the Korean War!)

Andrew Bodnar, bassist for (Graham Parker &) the Rumour who also appeared on Nick Lowe's "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" with Bob Andrews (both got a co-writing credit), Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives," The Pretenders' Learning to Crawl, and a few of Garland Jeffreys's best records.

correction, he played on the Pretenders' cover of "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," not the entire album

Molly Parkin, painter novelist and journalist, 93

Andrew Bodnar was a favorite of mine, RIP :( Glad I got to see one of the Rumour reunion shows.

biographer/author Michael Schumacher, aged 75

i’d forgotten all about molly parkin. i used to have some sort of vague ongoing connection with her - it must have been back when i worked in a bookshop.

Béla Tarr

Only 70, I had assumed he was quite a bit older

Dunno why you would associate him with longevity

Bye bye Béla

damn, one of the greats imo. RIP Bela

RIP Béla, I will endeavour to actually watch Sátántangó this year in your honour. I've only had it on DVD for what, ten years?

RIP

RIP, Werckmeister Harmonies would be in my top 10 films of this century. One of these days I'll rewatch Sátántangó too.

I've got the Curzon box and have been trying to motivate myself enough to crack it open. Guess this is it.

i had about half the curzon box on £5 dvds from fopp so i didn't bother, but there's a lot of non-feature extras and it's a bump in quality. expensive though.

So did I but mine was a present so yay for me I guess.

Extremely sad news to wake up to. I'm glad he lived long enough to see his all of his work return to circulation in spectacular quality - it used be so difficult to see his films and even more difficult to do so in decent quality. (One of my most memorable filmgoing experiences was seeing Sátántangó in 35mm at Lincoln Center, years after the DVD fell out-of-print and years before it was finally restored in 4K.)

Only 70, I had assumed he was quite a bit older

I saw him at his last NYC appearance 16 months ago, and I was stunned how unhealthy he looked. In 2011, he was at the NYFF to present his final film, and on that gorgeous, unseasonably warm October afternoon, he walked onstage and said "what are you doing here? It's beautiful outside!" He looked great striding along with the ponytail and the shades on his head.

In fact, you can see him here at the free talk he gave at the festival (maybe even the same day):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxHNl2H8IO0

Now flash forward to June 2023, and he looked frail and physically unsteady, hunched over and tremoring while using a cane. I would've guessed he was easily in his 70s, maybe in his 80s. (He was 68.)

But he was still as sharp as ever and still had the same fire - when someone asked about making a film, he got worked up, whipped out his iPhone and basically said: "You have THIS in your pocket. You don't need anything else, just fucking make your movie and don't let anyone else tell you that you can't."

Afterwards he sat outside, smoking another cigarette (I'm guessing he never cut back) and when people asked him to sign their DVD's, he agreed while saying "promise not to sell this, I already saw one script I signed yesterday on fucking eBay."

He was never going to make another movie, but he was dedicated to mentoring and teaching new and uncompromising filmmakers. An Elephant Sitting Still is perhaps the best film made from one such filmmaker, though sadly the same person committed suicide before it ever saw release.)

(IIRC that free talk was probably the same day and before his film was scheduled to play - he probably gave the talk and walked over to Alice Tully afterwards. The NYFF's schedule is usually packed pretty tight that way.)

Martin Chivers, footballer.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/07/martin-chivers-former-tottenham-england-southampton-striker-dies-aged-80

Aldrich Ames, CIA agent who spied for the Soviet Union - died in prison, aged 84

The NYT obituary for Ames is a very entertaining read in its vociferousness. RIP to all those people Ames exposed

Michael Reagan

Rest In Piss

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the city's paper of record.

(Actually, it won't officially die until May 3.)

Just read about Bob Pulford, a Leaf mainstay when I was a kid and watched hockey:

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2026/01/06/bob-pulford-the-engine-of-the-maple-leaf-dynasty-in-the-1960s/

In the HOF, too. 16 seasons, never more than 30 goals, never fewer than 10.

Terry Yorath, ex dirty Leeds scum

I used to deal with him when I worked in the bookies when he was Jacko's assistant. He was such a rude, arrogant glowering presence. If you knocked him back on a price that had gone his puce bald head would start glowing an even brighter shade of puce. Horrible guy. tbh.

So RIP then?

Looked like a serious boozer to me.

peace was not a word to associate with Tel!

oh he was a boozer, in fact he was let go during his last period at Town for a drink driving incident

Actually from late 2025:

Marcia Rodd, actress who was very memorable (actually unbelievable) in Alan Arkin's Little Murders (1971) which was her film debut after doing Broadway, and was also acclaimed for her work in Jonathon Demme's Handle with Care, aka Citizens Band (1977), 87.

Yorath's son died in front of him aged 15 and he, being an unreconstructed man of a certain age, decided on drinking rather than counselling (according to a clip I just saw there).

Gabby Logan is his daughter and that's why she disappeared in the middle of MOTD last night.

Marcia Rodd also played Maude's daughter Carol in the All In The Family episode that was a backdoor pilot for Maude, but quit after the show was picked up for series and was replaced by Adrienne Barbeau.

I used to deal with him when I worked in the bookies when he was Jacko's assistant. He was such a rude, arrogant glowering presence. If you knocked him back on a price that had gone his puce bald head would start glowing an even brighter shade of puce. Horrible guy. tbh.

― calzino, Thursday, 8 January 2026 11:17 (seven hours ago)

So RIP then?

― Wilfried Nuance (Tom D.), Thursday, 8 January 2026 11:25 (seven hours ago)

Rest in puce, surely?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/movies/bahram-beyzaie-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.DVA.y69j.Vha3CKOF6pCF&smid=nytcore-ios-share

RIP Bahram Beyzaie, pioneer in Iranian film and theatre

T.K. Carter, best known for playing Nauls in The Thing

Bob Weir

British character actor Derek Martin.

Lovely memory here from The Curious Orange.

Farewell Derek Martin. R.I.P.

Derek once came in to do a Fat Fighters sketch. Marjorie introduces him to the group, "he plays a character from EastEnders, but not one of the main ones". Derek roared with laughter. He was a really good sport & top bloke.https://t.co/6zozl0Da6R

— Paul Putner (@RealPaulPutner) January 11, 2026

92! I had not idea he was that old.

The thumbnail made me think Matt Lucas had died and was somehow 92.

erich von däniken (90)

https://childofatlantis.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/img_0141.png

RIP ;_;

jeez that one is unexpected :-(

wtf!!

aw fuck

i'm glad she was able to have that incredible role in Schitt's Creek to cement her legacy even further, and showing up in The Studio last year was just the cherry on top.

Always loved her.

Friend just said she was supposed to be on a panel about The Studio a couple of weeks back but noticed she didn't show up.

(her sister mary margaret o'hara is a strange and beguiling singer worth checking out)

Just finished The Studio last week and especially loved her in the final episode.

And yeah, Mary Margaret O'Hara's fantastic.

I'm shocked, did not see this coming at all, RIP

I actually gasped when I saw the news.

fuck. Amazing career and such a great series of roles recently, just more and more legendary.

we just watched Best in Show over the holidays because we thought our 8 year old, who loves dog shows, would love it. We forgot just how raunchy it was, but most of that went over her head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oueIcGZUR9I

wow. she was having a career resurgence, too

Greatest comedic actor of her generation imo, RIP

Just hearing her laugh clears out whatever head trip you're on. Greatest comedic actor - full stop.

oh my god! she was excellent in everything and one of the world’s funniest humans

noooooo

Second City Television (Cdn precursor to SCTV) was my Monty Python equivalent in middle school. They were all heroes to me and damn, her passing hurts.

I have to wonder, once again, if that reunion doc that Scorsese apparently filmed pre-COVID is ever going to come out. Both Joe Flaherty and now O'Hara have passed since then.

this one is real tough (o’hara) esp 71 is young these days

DJ Michael "5000" Watts, Houston Hip Hop Pioneer & Co-founder of Swishahouse Records

https://www.chron.com/culture/music/article/michael-watts-swishahouse-dead-21325159.php

(her sister mary margaret o'hara is a strange and beguiling singer worth checking out)

― Andy the Grasshopper, Saturday, January 31, 2026 2:39 AM (nine hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yes, and they did perform together...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdp3qdhCfmM

71 made me realize she was only around 40 making Waiting for Guffman.

..and mid-30s for Beetlejuice & Home Alone!

Demond Wilson, the son in Sanford & Son.

https://www.mensjournal.com/news/sanford-and-son-star-dies-at-79

Lamont! Aw RIP dummy.
We did a watch of Sanford & Son recently. Him & Redd made a great team.
And his fits! some of those threads were awesome

Haven't seen it since it first aired, but I still remember the affectionate way he'd say "Pop."

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-than-200-killed-coltan-mine-collapse-east-congo-official-says-2026-01-30/

jesus thats horrific

The fact that Demond Wilson's first name was Grady makes all kinds of sense. RIP, Lamont. Thanks for the laughs.

Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night

https://variety.com/2026/music/obituaries-people-news/chuck-negron-dead-three-dog-night-singer-joy-to-the-world-1236650439/

RIP! They had SO many good songs

Jazz clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowksi:
https://open.substack.com/pub/leemergner/p/ken-peplowski-heres-to-his-life

Dave Harper of the band Five or Six, as posted by Dorothy Max Prior (Rema Rema, Psychic TV)

Many of you will know of him as the legendary The Monochrome Set road manager and driver (never daunted by a One-Way or No Entry sign) turned PR person for 4AD, Cherry Red / Goldfrapp manager and loads more. But before all that, he was also a Cherry Red artist, with the legendary Five or Six.

This from the FB post from his partner:

'It is unbearable to write this but our lovely, funny, kind Harper, Harps, David, Dad, Dave, Roy Gold died last night. He’d begun recovering from cancer and cancer treatment last year but life took a cruel turn last November with a series of infections and falls.

He died peacefully, in hospital but with the windows open and the lights down watching an electrical storm over Jerez, holding my hand, having just seen the family the week before. All of us are just devastated...'
RIP dear Harper. You lived one hell of a life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaeuO_nSWfY

Longtime music publicist Tracy Zamot, 55

I didn't know her personally, but had professional interactions with her over the years. Her husband died in 2015, which leaves her teenage daughter an orphan.

John Virgo, 79

!!!

I'll be snookering you tonight ... in heaven

RIP. Even though his shtick got increasingly irritating.

enabler of Jim Davidson, though he did do some cool trick shots

Camshaft King Ed Iskendarian, 104

https://www.hotrod.com/news/the-passing-of-a-legend-rest-in-peace-ed-iskendarian

Up, Up and Away: Fifth Dimension vocalist LaMonte McLemore, 90

RIP :(

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/03/multimedia/03Oliver--01-ljvh/03Oliver--01-ljvh-videoLarge.jpg

Virginia Oliver, a feisty, salty-tongued lobster boat skipper who fished off the New England coast wearing earrings, hot-pink lipstick and an occasional scowl for more than 80 years, until she was 103, died on Jan. 21 in Rockport, Maine. She was 105.

RIP Television bassist Fred Smith.

Oh no! RIP Fred!

also briefly in Blondie RIP

Aw fuck no, I saw Richard Lloyd share a recent photo of them together and since he looked fine, didn't think anything had happened.