In MemoriamArtists, friends remember bluegrass pillar Al JespersonLuke Taylor • Jan 7, 2022A longtime talent booker and a founding member of the Middle Spunk Creek Boys, Jesperson leaves an indelible mark, and a significant hole, in the local bluegrass scene.
In MemoriamSesame Street composer Stephen Lawrence has died at 82Elizabeth Blair • Jan 3, 2022Emmy Award-winning composer Stephen Lawrence, who co-wrote songs for "Sesame Street" and "Free to Be... You and Me," died on December 30 at age 82.
News and InterviewsDJ Disco T leaves legacy of inspirationJay Gabler • Jan 3, 2022Tredis Adams, known professionally as Disco T, had an influential four-decade career as a DJ in the Twin Cities. He has died two years after being diagnosed with cancer.
Listen to LoochRemembering writer Joan DidionMary Lucia • Dec 29, 2021Reflecting on the life of writer Joan Didion — one of Mary Lucia’s personal heroes — Mary recommends the documentary ‘Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,’ available on Netflix and directed by Didion's nephew, Griffin Dunne.
In MemoriamDrakeo the Ruler, a rising force in West Coast rap, has died at age 28Hazel Cills • Dec 19, 2021The rapper was hailed as "the most original West Coast stylist in decades." He was reportedly stabbed at the Once Upon a Time in LA music festival.
In MemoriamDelta 5's Julz Sale had complete controlLoren DiBlasi • Dec 16, 2021With her ferocious voice and a cutting sense of humor, singer and guitarist Sale — who died in September — helped Delta 5 craft a high-voltage sound that still rings true today.
In MemoriamMichael Nesmith — considerably more than a Monkee — dies at 78Petra Mayer and Elizabeth Blair • Dec 10, 2021Nesmith rose to fame as one of the Pre-Fab Four — but he had a long and influential career after the Monkees. He helped invent the format that became MTV, and produced the cult film Repo Man.
News and Interviews2021 Remembered: Minnesota musicians we lostJay Gabler • Dec 9, 2021As 2021 comes to a close, we’re looking back to honor the legacies of members of the Minnesota community who died this year.
In MemoriamBarry Harris, beloved jazz pianist devoted to bebop, dies at 91Mark Stryker • Dec 8, 2021Barry Harris, one of the leading musicians to emerge from Detroit's modern jazz explosion in the 1940s and '50s, died Wednesday.
In MemoriamGreg Tate, a powerful chronicler and critic of Black life and culture, has died at 64Andrew Limbong • Dec 7, 2021Tate was a longtime staff writer at The Village Voice, where he documented Black art and culture. He eventually became a leading figure in cultural criticism.