In Memoriam
Remembering Sandra Schultz Newman
I’m gutted by the news that Sandra Schultz Newman has died. Sandy (I always called her Sandy, and she let me) was a force of […]
Dan McQuade Got Philly Like No One Else
Nobody understood Philadelphia, and Philadelphians, like Dan McQuade, who died this week at 43. I had the pleasure and indeed the honor of being Dan’s […]
Muhammad Ali Is Dead; His Biggest Fight Continues
On June 7th, four days after Muhammad Ali passed, I was on Facebook when I saw it: a meme posing as a promotional ad for […]
Funeral This Weekend for Former Police Chief Willie Williams
Funeral services for former Police Commissioner Willie Williams will be held this weekend in North Philadelphia, according to a statement from the Philadelphia Police Department.
Creator of the Mister Softee’s Jingle Dies
The high-pitched chime of Mister Softee’s ice cream truck is one of the first signs that summer has reached Philadelphia. The upbeat, instantly recognizable notes awaken […]
Willie Williams, Philly’s First African-American Police Commissioner, Has Died at 72
Sylvester Johnson‘s memories of Willie Williams stretch back 50 years, to a time when both men were young Philly cops, working for a Police Department that wasn’t […]
Philly to Say Goodbye to Late Art Legend Joseph Tiberino on Tuesday
Philadelphia artist Joseph Tiberino passed away on Friday, February 19, 2016 in his Powelton Village compound, an oasis of artistry nestled in West Philadelphia. He […]
Harry Jay Katz, Philadelphia’s Playboy, Has Died
Harry Jay Katz — the wealthy Philadelphia playboy whose reputation as a libertine and raconteur brought him both attention and much criticism during his heyday […]
Oscar-Winning Rocky Producer Robert Chartoff Dies
Robert Chartoff, the Oscar-winning producer of Rocky and a slew of other iconic films from the mid-’70s and ’80s, passed away yesterday at his home […]
LISTEN: B.B. King’s “Philadelphia” With TSOP
Legendary blues man B.B. King passed away this morning at the age of 89. You’ll find moving profiles on him all around the web, including […]
Standing Room Only at Craig Drake’s Memorial Service
“He’s a character out of a Tom Wolfe story.” That’s how a friend of mine describes Craig Drake, who died on March 15th at age […]
Singer Joe Cocker Dead at 70
British singer-songwriter Joe Cocker has passed away at the age of 70. The Huffington Post reports that he died after a long battle with lung […]
Gloria Casarez Passes Away at 42
It’s a terribly sad day in gay Philadelphia. The incomparable Gloria Casarez, the City’s first director of the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and […]
Trailblazing Transgender Activist Lily McBeth Dies at 80
Lily McBeth, a transgender activist and substitute school teacher who fought to keep her job in the Ocean City school district after transitioning, died on September […]
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Dr. Walter P. Lomax Jr.
A version of this story ran last October. On October 10, 2013, at 8:30 a.m., 81-year-old Dr. Walter P. Lomax Jr. passed away. “So what?” […]