2008 is a year that we will always remember. During this leap year, we witnessed one of our brightest moments in history with the election of the United States’ first president of African descent. And unfortunately within those same 365 days, we mourned the losses of some of our greatest achievers. They inspired and touched the lives of us all.
Proud family man, devout husband and comedic genius, Bernie Mac’s side-splitting humor was brash and brutally honest. Unapologetic in his approach, he weaved his own extended family of adopted children, sibling drug use and domestic upheavals into an almost-intimate stage show, on the big screen and in our living rooms. Bernie was a part of our family.
James Paschal, 88, died from complications after heart surgery in Atlanta.
As co-owner of Paschal’s Restaurant with his brother Robert, legendary Atlanta restaurateur James Paschal provided the unofficial headquarters of the Civil Rights Movement. Frequented by civil rights soldiers Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Hosea Williams, Ralph David Abernathy and A. Philip Randolph, the restaurant was more than a place for a heaping plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes, it also provided nourishment for the soul–a place for prayer, planning and strength.
Isaac Hayes, 65, died of a stroke in Memphis.
From his deep, bass-filled vocals to his tall, dark frame and muscular build, Academy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and musician Isaac Hayes was the epitome of a strong, black male. As one of the main creative forces behind Stax Records, he supplied the soundtrack to southern soul music during the mid-1960s and early 1970s. His timeless catalogue of soul-stirring compositions crossed over generations as scores of hip-hop producers sampled his music.
Norman Jesse Whitfield, 68, died from diabetes complications in West Los Angeles.
More than just a Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger and songwriter, Norman Jesse Whitfield was the beating heart that pumped life into Berry Gordy’s Motown Records label during the 1960s. Born in Harlem and partly reared in Detroit, he is credited with creating the sound of an unforgettable era in American music and gave depth to Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Gladys Knight and Rose Royce’s lyrics.
Rudy Ray Moore, 81, died from complications of diabetes in Akron, Ohio.
Arguably the most vulgar, crude and explicit, comic to touch a microphone, Rudy Ray Moore took his acts even further than Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor. Moore cultivated an enduring fan base from the chitlin’ circuit through his dirty storytelling style, gritty, self-produced films and vivid skits delivered in rhyme. Although his raunchy material kept him off television and major films, Moore developed the business blueprint of independence that so many hip-hop entrepreneurs follow today.
Bo Diddley, 79, died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla.
Born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, Miss., Bo Diddley introduced the same driving rhythms and hard, piercing guitar strokes that are still prevalent in music today. Known as “The Originator” because he was a key figure in the transition from the blues to rock & roll, he used a plethora of rhythms that range from back beat to pop ballads to doo-wop and influenced the likes of Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
MC Breed, 37, died of kidney failure in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Precursor to Kanye West, Twista and Common, Flint, Mich.-based rapper Eric “MC” Breed was the only voice in hip-hop from the Midwest during the 1990s. Best known for hit singles “Ain’t No Future in Yo Frontin” and the Tupac-assisted “Gotta Get Mine,” Breed was the first commercially successful rapper to ascend from the northern independent market and officially staked claim to an un-chartered region in hip-hop.
Eartha Kitt, 81, died of colon cancer in Weston, Conn.
Most known for her scowling purr and “Catwoman” role in the 1960s “Batman” series, this sultry sex kitten rose from the cotton fields of South Carolina to become the symbol of feminine empowerment. Born Eartha Mae Keith the child of a sharecropper, this Emmy award-winning diva gave gold diggers pick axes and shovels and laid down the law with her sugar daddy via her biggest pop hit, a Christmas anthem titled “Santa Baby.”
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. 63, died of pancreatic cancer in Lake Tahoe.
A beast on the field in his guard position as an Oakland Raider guard and NFL Hall of Famer, Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was just as monstrous in his role in creating a better situation for players as executive director for the National Football League Players’ Association. Known as Uptown Gene to fans, teammates and fellow administrators, Upshaw stood firm for player’s rights.
Miriam Makeba, 76, died of a heart attack in Italy.
Selfless in her fight for civil rights, this South African-born singer put her career in jeopardy time after time for her strong beliefs. Her album An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba exposed the plight of black South Africans under the evils of apartheid. But her South African passport was revoked after testifying against apartheid before the United Nations. Her worldwide efforts, however, gained the Grammy Award-winning artist adornment across the globe and honorary citizenship in 10 countries.
While the flesh may no longer be with us, the memories of their immeasurable contributions to our daily lives live forever. We will always remember the ways they made us laugh, cry, dance and overcome obstacles. Their triumphs were victories for us all. As we mourn, their passes are losses for us all. Rest in peace.
Odetta Holmes, 77, American folk singer and human rights activist
Michael “VL” Mike, 30, New Orleans-based rapper
Terrance “Sporty T” Vine, 39, New Orleans-based rapper
Shakir Stewart, 34, Def Jam executive
Cedella Booker, 81, mother of Bob Marley
Madelyn Dunham, 86, President-elect Barack Obama’s maternal grandmother
Dock Ellis, 63, All-Star pitcher
Stephen “Static Major” Ellis Garrett, 33, R&B singer-songwriter, producer
Gil Heron, 87, Jamaican footballer
Johnny “J” Jackson, 39, multi-platinum songwriter, producer and writer
Sean LeVert, 39, R&B singer
DeWayne McKinney, 47, entrepreneur
Levi Stubbs, 72, singer (Four Tops)
Camu Tao aka Tero Smith, 30, rapper and producer
Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, 58, Ohio Congresswoman
Delia Mae “Dee Dee” Warwick, 63, soul singer
Eric “O.G. Styles” Woods, 37, Houston-based rapper
