Venu Nagavally, Indian actor and screenwriter.died he was , 61

 Venu Nagavally (Malayalam: വേണു നാഗവള്ളി) was an Indian actor, screenwriter and director of Malayalam cinema died he was , 61.^[1][2] Son of late writer, commentator, and broadcaster Nagavally R. S. Kurup, Venu has acted in about 50 films and directed a dozen-odd movies. Venu Nagavally died at Thiruvananthapuram on 9 September 2010. He is survived by his wife and son Vivek.^[3]
 

(16 April 1949 – 9 September 2010)

Biography

Venu Nagavally was born on 16 April 1949 as the son of the noted play writer Nagavally R. S. Kurup and Rajamma.^[4] He completed his education from Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Thiruvananthapuram and University College Trivandrum. He had a bachelors degree in Politics and a Diploma in journalism.

Venu started his career as an announcer in Akasavani. He later sung a song in the movie Chottanikkara Amma (1976) but was noticed only in 1978 when he acted in the movie Ulkkadal directed by K. G. George, thus starting his acting career in movies.^[5] His noted movies as an actor are Shalini Ente Koottukari, Meenamasathile Sooryan, Pakshe, and Chillu.
Venu's first movie as a director was Sukhamo Devi (1986) which he himself describes as his own tragical love story. Later he directed the superhit movies Lal Salam, Aey Auto, Aayirappara etc. Venu has also written scripts for a few movies including the Priyadarshan directed blockbuster movie Kilukkam.^[6] His first movie as a script writer was Ee Ganam Marakkumo.
The movies for which he has sung songs include Chillu, Ente Ammu, Ninte Thulasi, Avarude Chakki, Oru Painkilikatha out of which the song Kochu chakkarachi pettu from the movie Ente Ammu, Ninte Thulasi, Avarude Chakki became quite popular.

Filmography

Actor

• Bhagyadevatha (2009) .... Anto
• Roudram (2008) .... Doctor
• Anchil Oral Arjunan (2007) .... Padmanabhan
• Baba Kalyani (2006) .... V. Ninan
• Photographer (2006)
• Pathaka (2006) .... Shekharji
• Pauran (2005) .... Chief Minister
• Deepangal Sakshi (2005) .... Advocate
• Kaazhcha (2004) .... Magistrate
• Sathyam (2004) .... Chief Minister
• Wanted (2004/I) .... Krishnadas
• Harikrishnans (1998) .... Vishwambharan
• Minnaram (1994)... Baby (Bobby's elder brother)
• Pakshe (1994) .... Unniyettan
• Devadas (1989) .... Devadas
• Vartha (1986) ....Devan
• Oru Katha Oru Nunnakkatha (1986)
• Sunil Vayassu 20 (1986) .... Jayakumar
• Adhyayam Onnu Muthal (1985) .... Rameshan Nair
• Ente Ammu Ninte Thulasi Avarude Chakki (1985) .... Shakthi
• Meenamasathile Sooryan (1985) .... Matathil Appu
• Uyarukm Njan Nadaake (1985)
• Arante Mulla Kochu Mulla (1984) .... Joy
• Adaminte Variyellu (1983) .... Gopi
• April 18 (1983).....Advocate Thomachan
• Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983)
• Prasnam Gurutharam (1983) .... Venu
• Omanathinkal (1983)
• Chillu (1982) .... Ananthu
• Ithiri Neram Othiri Karyam (1982)
• Yavanika (1982) .... Joseph Kollapally
• Kolangal (1981) (as Venu Nagavally)
• Archana Teacher (1981)
• Aniyatha Valakkal (1980) .... Ravi Shankar
• Shalini Ente Koottukari (1978) .... Prabha
• Ulkkadal (1978) .... Rahulan( First film)

As Director

Year	Date	Film	Language	Starring	Other notes
1986		Sukhamo Devi	Malayalam	Shankar, Mohanlal, Urvashi, Geetha
1987		Sarvakalashala	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Sukumaran, Sandhya, Seema
1988		Ayitham	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Sukumaran, Ambika, Radha
1989		Swagatham	Malayalam	Jayaram, Nedumudi Venu, Ashokan, Parvathi, Urvashi
1989		Lal Salam	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Geetha, Murali, Urvashi
1990		Aye Auto	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Rekha, Murali, Sreenivasan
1991		Kizhakkunarum Pakshi	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Shankar, Rekha, Murali
1993		Kalippattam	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Urvashi, Jagathy Sreekumar, Thilakan
1993		Aayirappara	Malayalam	Mammootty, Urvashi, Madhu, Narendra Prasad
1995		Agni Devan	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Revathi, Rohini Hattangadi, Captain Raju, Devan
1998		Rakthasakshikal Sindabad	Malayalam	Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Murali, Sukanya
2009	27th Feb	Bharya Swantham Suhruthu	Malayalam	Jagathy Sreekumar, Urvashi, Mukesh, Padmapriya

Writer

• Bharya Swantham Suhruthu (2009) (screenplay)
• Vishnu (1994) (screenplay and dialogue)
• Aayirappara (1993) (writer)
• Kalippattam (1993) (writer)
• Kilukkam (1991) (writer)
• Kizhakkunarum Pakshi (1991) (screenplay and dialogue)
• Aye Auto (1990) (writer)
• Ardham (1989) (writer)
• Sarvakalasala (1987) (screenplay and dialogue)
• Sukhamodevi (1986) (writer)
• Ee gaanam marakkumo

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Eddie Phillips, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals). died he was , 80

Howard Edward Phillips was a pinch runner in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1953 season  died he was , 80. Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., he was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.^[1]

(July 8, 1930 – September 9, 2010)


A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Eddie Phillips was one of four sons born to Raymond and Estella (née Schaffer) Phillips. He grew up in Hannibal, approximately 100 miles (160 km) northwest of St. Louis, after his father, a railroad engineer, was transferred here. Phillips was an all-around athlete at Hannibal High School, where he played baseball, basketball and football, in addition to competing in running track. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals after graduation in 1949 and was allocated to Class-D West Frankfort in 1950.^[1][2][3]
Phillips had the ability to play well at all three outfield positions, mainly at center field, and also was a competent third baseman. In his first minor league season, he hit .297 with a slugging percentage of .423 in 117 games, while stealing 36 bases and scoring 119 runs. He was promoted to Class-C St. Joseph in 1951, ending with a .307 average and 28 stolen bases while leading Western Association hitters with 14 triples.^[2][3]
In 1952, Phillips played for Class-A Omaha and captured the Western League batting crown with a .320 average in 145 games. The next season he batted .306 in 107 games for Double-A Houston Buffaloes, dividing his playing time between the Buffaloes and Triple-A Columbus Red Birds in 1954. That year he hit a combined .255 average in 123 games before joining the big team in late September.^[2][3]
Phillips appeared in nine games with the Cardinals as a pinch runner. He never batted or fielded a ball in the majors, but scored four runs.^[1]
In each of the next two seasons, Phillips was invited to the Cardinals’ spring training, but he wound up being assigned to Class AAA. It happened during the era of Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Ray Jablonski, Enos Slaughter and Rip Repulski, and it was tough to replace those legendary players out of a job. Phillips stuck it out in the minors until 1960, playing for eight different teams in the Cardinals, White Sox, Orioles, Braves and Phillies farm systems. He then left baseball, realizing he would never be called to the majors again. In an 11-season career, he was a .273 hitter (1121-for-4109) in 1268 games, including 166 doubles, 55 triples, 85 home runs and 90 stolen bases, driving in 313 runs while scoring 329 times.^[2][3]
Following his baseball career, Phillips went to work for the American Cyanamid plant in Hannibal, retiring as a foreman after 25 years of service. In his spare time, he loved to golf at the American Legion Course, volunteering and helping to care for the golf course. He also enjoyed to fish and was a member of Arch United Methodist Church. He married to Joyce Easley in 1959, and they had one son, a daughter and five grandchildren.^[2]
Phillips died in his home of Hannibal at the age of 80.^[2]

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Jenny Alpha Martinique-born French actress and singer died she was ,100,

Jenny Alpha was a Martinique-born French actress and singer, who appeared in more than a hundred theatre productions and movies.

(22 April 1910 – 8 September 2010) 



Born in Fort-de-France, Martinique in 1910, Alpha moved to Paris in 1929 to pursue a career in teaching but became sidetracked due to her passion for theatre.^[1]

As well as appearing in theatre, she displayed a variety of talent and became a successful singer, appearing alongside the likes of Duke Ellington and Joséphine Baker.

During the war she played an active role in the French Resistance before meeting her husband Noël Villard, a prominent French poet. Late in life, in 2005, she appeared in the film Monsieur Étienne,^[2] and in 2008 recorded a final album, La sérénade du muguet.^[1]
On 1 January 2009 she was granted the title of Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur by the French government, and in 2010 Alpha celebrated her 100th birthday.^[3] She died on 8 September 2010.^[1]
To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Hadley Caliman, American jazz saxophonist, died from liver cancer he was 78

Hadley Caliman ,^[1] was an American bebop saxophone and flute player died from liver cancer he was  78.

(January 12, 1932 – September 8, 2010)

After studying at the Jefferson High School with trumpeter Art Farmer and fellow saxophonist Dexter Gordon,^[2] Caliman performed or recorded with Carlos Santana,^[2] Joe Henderson, Earl Hines, Freddie Hubbard,^[3] Jon Hendricks,^[1] Earl Anderza,^[4] Patrice Rushen^[5] and several other jazz notables.



In the late 1960s, he was briefly a member of a jazz-rock fusion group led by Ray Draper. He recorded his first solo album in 1971.

In 2009, Caliman was still active leading a quartet and quintet in the Seattle area.^[6]
He died in September 2010, at the age of 78.^[7]

Discography

• 1971: Hadley Caliman (Mainstream Records)
• 1972: Iapetus – Hadley Caliman (Mainstream)
• 1972: Bayeté: Worlds Around the Sun - Todd Cochran (Prestige Records)
• 1972: Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!
• 1972: Dos – Malo (Warner Bros)
• 1974: Bridge into the New Age - Azar Lawrence (Prestige)
• 1974: Prelusion – Patrice Rushen
• 1976: Projecting – Hadley Caliman (Catalyst Records)
• 1977: Knucklebean – Bobby Hutcherson (Blue Note)
• 1980: Skagly – Freddie Hubbard (Wounded Bird Records)
• 2008: Gratitude (Origin Records)
• 2010: Straight Ahead (Origin Records)
• 2010: Reunion - Hadley Caliman & Pete Christlieb (Origin Records)

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Rich Cronin, American pop singer and songwriter (LFO), died from stroke related to acute myelogenous leukemia. he was , 36

Richard Burton "Rich" Cronin  was an American singer and songwriter died from stroke related to acute myelogenous leukemia. he was , 36. He was the lead singer and primary songwriter for the pop group Lyte Funky Ones or LFO.
 

(August 30, 1974[1] – September 8, 2010)

 Early life

Cronin was raised in Kingston, Massachusetts and attended Sacred Heart High School, graduating in 1993. He also attended Bridgewater State College and was working part-time in a Blockbuster video store.^[2] He was of Irish and Swedish descent. His brother, Mike Cronin, was a manager for the pop group O-Town.

LFO

Cronin was the founding member of the pop group LFO. The group started out in Germany on BMG in 1997 with member, Brian Gillis aka "Brizz". In the spring of 1998 the group opened up for *NSYNC and by this time were signed to BMG/Logic Records in the US. They were labeled as the "bad boys of pop" citing influences: The Beastie Boys and New Edition. They released two singles: "Sex U Up (The Way You Like It)" and "Can't Have You" with original member, Brian Gillis. Brian left the group frustrated with the direction of the group and lack of success.
Devin "Harold" Lima was added to the group to replace Brian Gillis 6 months before the hit "Summer Girls", was released. By this time, the group had transtioned from Logic Records to Arista Records. With executive, Clive Davis, mentoring and working closely with Cronin on the group's debut release, LFO.
The group's breakout hit "Summer Girls", was written by Cronin in 1999, hit #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales chart for six weeks. The single also went platinum in the US with sales of over 1,000,000 units.
The group's second album, "Life is Good", was released on Davis' new label, J Records with Cronin writing or co-writing each song on the album. The group had success with the album's first single, "Every Other Time."
The group disbanded in 2002.

After LFO

In 2007, Cronin was a cast member for the VH1 Reality Show Mission: Man Band. The show also starred Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees and Bryan Abrams of Color Me Badd. The four former pop stars came together in Orlando, Florida to hit the music scene. Recording with producer Brian Michael Cox, performing and pitching their new music to major record labels, VH1 chronicled their month long endeavor in eight episodes.
In 2008, Cronin released his first solo album Billion Dollar Sound on May 16, 2008. He made an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in January 2009.
Cronin also formed a rap duo with Doug Ray (formerly of Bad Ronald) called Loose Cannons. They released one album entitled Life Goes On. The band performed shows from 2006 until 2008.

2009 reunion tour with LFO

On June 3, 2009, LFO posted a blog entitled "LFO IS BACK" on their official MySpace page which announced that they had reunited and were going on tour beginning July 9, 2009, with Rookie of the Year, Go Crash Audio, and Kiernan McMullan. A new song titled "Summer of My Life" was also announced in associated with the reunion.^[3] In September 2009, however, they announced that they had again broken up.

Illness and death

In March 2005, Cronin went to the hospital after suffering from constant headaches. He was diagnosed with a form of leukemia known as acute myelogenous leukemia. He was given chemotherapy at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. In January 2006 he went into remission. He started his own foundation called the Rich Cronin Hope Foundation for Leukemia to raise awareness about the deadly disease; making it his mission to educate people about the urgent need for donating blood, and even more so, bone marrow.
In the summer of 2010, his condition worsened, and he was admitted for further treatment at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. On the afternoon of September 8, 2010, Rich Cronin died in the hospital after suffering a stroke, at the age of 36.^[4]

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Bharath Murali, Indian Tamil actor, died from a heart attack he was 46,

Murali (Tamil:  was a Tamil film actor who appeared in the leading and supporting roles throughout his career.^[1] Murali has acted with many stars including Vijaykanth, Prabhu, Sathyaraj, Prabhu Deva, Surya, Parthiban, Sarath Kumar, Mammootty and Sivaji Ganesan. In the 1990s, He has also acted with famous heroines including Simran, Roja, Devayani, Laila and Rambha. His son, Adharvaa, debuted as an actor in the 2010 Tamil film Baana Kaathadi.

முரளி) (May 19, 1964 – September 8, 2010)

Early life

Murali is the son of Kannada director Siddalingaiah and started acting in Tamil films since 1984.^[2]

Career

Murali started his acting career in 1984 with the Kannada film "Prema Parva",directed by his father director Siddhalingaiah. Ajeya,Prema Gange,Thayikotta Thali,Sambhavami Yuge Yuge, Ajay-Vijay are the Kannada movies he did before entering into Tamil film industry. Poovilangu was his first Tamil movie.^[3]. He earned a good name with that film. He then acted in Pagal Nilavu, along with actress Revathi. The movie introduced the director Mani Ratnam to the Tamil film industry. Though this movie garnered Murali great recognition he could not his success much longer. His movies started failing at the Box Office one after another^[4].Interestingly,the angry young man image that Murali portrayed in his first few films disappeared after Pagal Nilavu and he appeared more as a soft natured,turning violent only when required (which is a basic requirement for any hero in Indian cinema), in his subsequent films. He did a lot of romantic drama roles and was remarkably subtle -something distinctly different from his first film - Poovilangu or even Pagal nilavu. Many of these movies were small and moderate successes and he continued as hero in a number of films every year. Then came 'Idhayam' - the movie where he portrayed the soft romantic hero pining and longing to reveal his love to his lady. This character appeared perfectly consistent with his image and many remember him as hero of this movie (the movie had hit songs which remind many of Murali) much more than the angry young man of Poovilangu. In 1990, he starred in Vikraman's Puthu Vasantham along with Sithara and Anand Babu. where he played one among four friends who find themselves unexpectedly saddled with a young woman. The movie was such a big hit that it re-wrote Tamil movie history, sparking a whole range of "friendship" films and also propelling his career^[5].

Notable filmography

Year	Movie	Role	Language	Notes
1984	Prema Parva		Kannada
1984	Poovilangu	Pandian	Tamil
1984	Ingeyum Oru Gangai	Kathamuthu	Tamil
1984	Puthiyavan	Manohar	Tamil
1985	Pagal Nilavu	Selvam	Tamil
1985	Geetanjali		Tamil
1989	Thangamani Rengamani		Tamil
1990	Puthu Vasantham	Balu	Tamil
	Paalam		Tamil
	Vetri Malai		Tamil
	Silambu		Tamil
	Naanum Indha Ooruthan		Tamil
	Nangal Pudhiyavargal		Tamil
	Sirayil Sila Ragangal		Tamil
	Pudhiya Katru		Tamil
	Namma Ooru Puvatha		Tamil
1991	Sami Potta Muduchu		Tamil
	Idhayam	Raja	Tamil
	Kurumbukkaran		Tamil
1992	Thanga Manasukkaran		Tamil
	Chinna Pasanga Naanga		Tamil
	Thangarasu	Thangarasu	Tamil
	Endrum Anbudan		Tamil
	Thaali Kattiya Rasa		Tamil
1993	Manikkuyil		Tamil
	Thanga Kili		Tamil
1994	Manju Virattu		Tamil
	Atharmam		Tamil
	En Asai Machan	Subramani	Tamil
	Sathyavan		Tamil
1995	Aahaya Pookal		Tamil
	Thondan		Tamil
1996	Poomani		Tamil
1997	Kalamellam Kadhal Vazhga		Tamil
	Porkkalam	Manikkam	Tamil
	Roja Malare	Kannan	Tamil
1998	Kaadhale Nimmadhi	Mohan	Tamil
	Dhinamdhorum		Tamil
	Veera Thalattu		Tamil
	Rathna	Rathna, Muthuvel	Tamil	Dual roles
	Poonthottam		Tamil
	En Aasai Rasave		Tamil
	Unnudan		Tamil
	Desiya Geetham		Tamil
1999	Poovasam		Tamil
	Kanave Kalaiyadhe	Anand	Tamil
	Ooty	Balu	Tamil
	Iraniyan	Iraniyan	Tamil
2000	Vetri Kodi Kattu	Sekhar	Tamil
	Manu Needhi	Murali	Tamil
2001	Kanukku Kannaga	Dharma	Tamil
	Sonnal Thaan Kathala	Murali	Tamil
	Aanandham	Madhavan	Tamil
	Samuthiram	Thangarasu	Tamil
	Alli Thandha Vaanam	Madhavan	Tamil
	Kadal Pookkal	Karuthayya	Tamil	Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
2002	Sundhara Travels	Gopikrishna	Tamil
	Kamarasu	Kamarasu	Tamil
	Namma Veettu Kalyaanam	Ravi	Tamil
2003	Kadhaludan	Kalyan	Tamil
2004	Arivumani	Arivumani	Tamil
2006	Pasa Kiligal	Sevathayya	Tamil
2009	Enga Raasi Nalla Raasi	Vijay	Tamil
	Nee Unnai Arindhal	Gopal	Tamil
2010	Baana Kaathadi		Tamil	Cameo appearance

Death

He died in his sleep on September 8, 2010 from a sudden massive heart attack in Chennai.^[6] He was survived by his wife Shobha, daughter Kaavya and sons Adharvaa and Akash.

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Irwin Silber, American writer and journalist, died from complications of Alzheimer's disease he was 84,

Irwin Silber  was an American journalist, editor, publisher, and political activist died from complications of Alzheimer's disease he was  84.


(October 17, 1925 – September 8, 2010)

Biography

Early years

Irwin Silber was born October 17, 1925 in New York City to ethnic Jewish parents.^[1]
As a young man, Silber joined the Young Communist League, the youth section of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), moving later to membership in the adult party.^[1] Silber ultimately severed his ties with the CPUSA in 1955.^[1]
Silber attended Brooklyn College, where he was instrumental in establishing the American Folksay Group.^[1] Through his involvement with folk music, Silber made the acquaintance of Pete Seeger, Alan Lomax, and others influential in that music scene.^[1]

Activist and author

The co-founder, and former long-time editor of Sing Out! magazine from 1951 to 1967,^[2] Silber was perhaps best known for his writing on American folk music and musicians until he left Sing Out! and began writing for the radical left wing newspaper The Guardian.^[1] His creation of Oak Publications was responsible for a large portion of the folk music material available in print during the growth of the revival.

On the occasion of his 80th birthday an interview with Mr. Silber was published giving details on his role in the progressive folk music circles of the 40s, 50s and 60s as well as his appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s.^[3]
After leaving Sing Out! in 1968, Silber became cultural editor of the independent radical newsweekly, the Guardian and also its film critic. He began to write on more directly political subjects, specializing in analysis of both national and international developments and developing a broad and appreciative readership. He became the Guardian's executive editor in 1972 and led it into the milieu of the New Communist Movement.^[4] Factional disagreements led to a split within the Guardian staff, and Silber left the newspaper in 1979, moving to California to join the leadership of a current within US Marxism known as the "rectification movement." ^[5]
Silber and blues/folk singer/fellow activist Barbara Dane became a couple in 1964. Among other collaborations, they established the independent recording company Paredon to distribute and document the music being created by the liberation movements of the 1970s. Dane produced nearly 50 lps, and Silber handled the promotion and distribution. To insure availability of the material, in the mid-1980s they donated the label to Smithsonian Folkways, which distributes the collection on CD and digitally.
Among Silber's most important political writing is Socialism; What Went Wrong, an examination of the theoretical and practical events in the USSR leading up to its collapse. His only non-political book in the last 20 years is A Patient's Guide to Hip and Knee Replacement based on his own experience with these operations. Silber's most recent book, Press Box Red, tells the story of sports editor Lester Rodney, whose decade-long campaign in the pages of the Daily Worker helped pave the way for the racial integration of major league baseball.
In the December 24, 2007 issue of Newsweek magazine Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion fame was asked to name his five most important books. His #2 choice (after the Acts of the Apostles) is The Folksinger's Wordbook by Irwin Silber, a huge collection of "hymns, blues, murder ballads, miner's laments-the whole culture."

The open letter to Dylan

In the November 1965 edition of Sing Out!, Silber wrote an article called "Open Letter To Bob Dylan."

"I saw at Newport how you had somehow lost contact with people ... some of the paraphernalia of fame were getting in your way".[1]

Dylan did not like being told how to perform or how to write, and he didn't really like any criticism much either. He replied by telling his manager Albert Grossman that his songs were no longer available for publication in Sing Out!.
Eventually, in 1968, Silber retracted his criticism in the Guardian:

"Many of us who did not fully understand the dynamics of the political changes...felt deserted by a poet." "Dylan is our poet – not our leader...Dylan...is communicating where it counts."

The words quoted above are from page 314 of No Direction Home: the Life and Music of Bob Dylan, by Robert Shelton.
In Chronicles Volume One (2004), Bob Dylan commented:

"I liked Irwin, but I couldn't relate to it. Miles Davis would be accused of something similar when he made the album Bitches Brew...what I did to break away was to take simple folk changes and put new images and attitudes into them."

Bibliography

• Lift Every Voice, Foreword by Paul Robeson (1953)
• Songs of the Civil War, Columbia University Press (1960)
• Songs of the Great American West, Macmillan (1967), Dover (1995)
• Hard-Hitting Songs for Hard-Hit People, edited and produced by Irwin Silber, compiled by Alan Lomax, foreword by John Steinbeck, notes by Woody Guthrie, music transcription by Pete Seeger; Oak Publications (1967), Univ. Nebraska Press (1999)
• Vietnam Songbook, (with Barbara Dane); Guardian [2] (1969)
• Songs America Voted By, Stackpole (1971)
• Songs of Independence, Stackpole (1973)
• Afghanistan - The Battle Line is Drawn, Line of March Publications [3] (1980)
• Socialism: What Went Wrong? – An Inquiry into the Theoretical and Historical Roots of the Socialist Crisis, Pluto Press (1994)
• A Patient's Guide to Knee and Hip Replacement, Simon & Schuster (1999)
• Folksingers Wordbook, (with Fred Silber); Music Sales Corporation (1973, reissued 2000)
• Press Box Red: The Story of Lester Rodney, the Communist Who Helped Break the Color Line in American Sports, Temple University Press, 2006; ISBN 1-56639-974-2

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

John Karl "Jack" Kershaw was an American attorney best known for challenging the official account of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. died he was 97

John Karl "Jack" Kershaw  was an American attorney best known for challenging the official account of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  died he was 97 , claiming that his client James Earl Ray was the innocent patsy of a mystery man named Raul who masterminded the conspiracy to kill the civil rights leader. Kershaw was also a Southern secessionist and segregationist who helped found the League of the South. In 1998 he sculpted a monument to Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest.



(October 12, 1913 – September 7, 2010)

Early life

Kershaw was born on October 12, 1913 in Missouri. He moved to the Old Hickory section of Nashville, Tennessee with his family in his youth. He attended Vanderbilt University, where he played on the school football team and earned a degree in geology. He was awarded a law degree at the Nashville Y.M.C.A. Night Law School.^[1]

James Earl Ray case

Starting in 1977, Kershaw represented James Earl Ray, who had been sentenced to 99 years in prison for his role in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charged with firing the shot that killed Dr. King on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, Ray had pleaded guilty to the crime in 1969 at the suggestion of his attorney Percy Foreman; Ray would have faced an automatic death sentence had he been convicted of the assassination by a Tennessee state court. Ray claimed that he had been coerced into entering a plea, and Kershaw helped his client push the claim that Ray was not responsible for the shooting, which was said to have been the result of a conspiracy of an otherwise unidentified man named "Raul" whom Ray had met in Montreal. With the claim that he was "partially responsible without knowing it" as part of what Ray "thought was a gun-smuggling operation", Kershaw and his client met with representatives of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations and convinced the committee to run ballistics tests — which ultimately proved inconclusive — that would show that Ray had not fired the fatal shot.^[1]
Ray was one of a group of five inmates who escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in June 1977, which Kershaw claimed was additional proof that Ray had been involved in a conspiracy that had provided him with the outside assistance he would have needed to break out of jail. Kershaw convinced Ray to take a polygraph test as part of an interview with Playboy. The magazine said that the test results showed "that Ray did, in fact, kill Martin Luther King Jr., and that he did so alone". Ray fired Kershaw after discovering that the attorney had been paid $11,000 by the magazine in exchange for the interview, and hired conspiracy theorist Mark Lane to provide him with legal representation.^[1] Ray died in prison in 1998.^[2]

Secessionist and segregationist

In 1994, Kershaw was one of the founders of the League of the South, a group that supports Southern secession and defends the practice of slavery in the United States. He remained a board member until 2009. He was also a past chairman of the League's Cultural and Educational Foundation. Kershaw was previously active in the Nashville chapter of the White Citizens' Council and the Tennessee Federation for Constitutional Government, both segregationist groups.^[2]
Kershaw sculpted an equestrian monument to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Confederate Army general and founder of the Ku Klux Klan, which was unveiled to the public in July 1998.^[3] The 25-foot-high^[2] statue was constructed on private land facing Interstate 65. It was accompanied by an array of 13 Confederate battle flags and was lit up at night.^[4] Kershaw justified the memorial by saying, "Somebody needs to say a good word for slavery".^[5] Kershaw also created a similarly large statue of Joan of Arc.^[2]
Kershaw died at age 96 on September 7, 2010, in Nashville. His wife, the former Mary Noel, had died in 1989, and Kershaw left no other immediate survivors.^[1] In a post following his death to the "Hatewatch" website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Kershaw was called "one of the most iconic American white segregationists of the 20th century".^[2]

To see more of who died in 2010 click here