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sheetsadam1 — 1 month ago(February 02, 2026 11:19 PM)
https://apnews.com/article/woodie-king-jr-dies-e772bbc62b139f815f30bc968a817d7b
Woodie King Jr., an actor, director and producer who founded the New Federal Theatre to give voice and employment to Black playwrights, actors, directors, designers and young people entering the American theater, has died. He was 88.
His off-Broadway theater company said King died Thursday at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City of complications from emergency heart surgery.
King was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2012 and received the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 2020.
“We have lost a giant,” said Emmy Award-winning actor and educator Erin Cherry on Instagram. “I am here because of Woodie King Jr. My very first introduction to the Black theater scene was the play ‘Knock Me a Kiss’ produced by New Federal Theatre. It changed my life. I’m forever grateful.”
The New Federal Theatre produced such key works as “Black Girl” by J.E. Franklin, “The Taking of Miss Janie” by Ed Bullins — which jumped to Lincoln Center and won the Drama Critics Circle Award — and “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange, which landed on Broadway in 1976 and was nominated for the best new play Tony Award.
The New Federal Theatre was a springboard for many playwrights, including Charles Fuller — later to win the Pulitzer Prize for “A Soldier’s Play” — who premiered two plays — “In My Many Names and Days” and “The Candidate.” David Henry Hwang premiered “The Dance and the Railroad” at the New Federal and would later win the Tony for “M. Butterfly.”
Some performers who got early career boosts thanks to the company include Chadwick Boseman, Debbie Allen, Morgan Freeman, Phylicia Rashad, Denzel Washington, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson and Issa Rae.
King was born in Alabama, raised in Detroit and earned his bachelor’s degree from Lehman College and later his master’s from Brooklyn College. He served as the cultural director of Mobilization for Youth for five years, before founding New Federal Theatre in 1970.
King is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Van Dyke, and his three children, Geoffrey King, Michael King and Michelle King Huger, whom he shared with ex-wife Willie Mae Washington, as well as five grandchildren.
Tyler Fauntleroy, an actor who has toured in “Hamilton,” took to Instagram to recall working at the New Federal in 2019 on a show called “Looking for Leroy” that would change his career. “His belief in me came at a time when my own was at an all time low. What a champion he was for Black artists. It was an honor to witness. Thank you, sir and rest easy.”
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AnthonySocksss — 7 months ago(August 26, 2025 07:27 AM)
Another dead sopranos cast member
Melton1 Wanted for Pedophilia:
https://i.ibb.co/6cnPmJVr/IMG-0830.jpg
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Zjxk307CND0 -
AnthonySocksss — 7 months ago(August 26, 2025 02:44 PM)
Just a kid!
Melton1 Wanted for Pedophilia:
https://i.ibb.co/6cnPmJVr/IMG-0830.jpg
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Zjxk307CND0 -
cryptoflovecraft — 2 weeks ago(March 14, 2026 03:36 PM)
Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell dies aged 64
BBC Wales
The rock guitarist Phil Campbell has died peacefully aged 64, his family have said.
Born in Pontypridd, Campbell was Motörhead's guitarist from 1984 until 2015, when the heavy metal group disbanded following the death of frontman Lemmy Kilmister.
In a statement on Facebook, Campbell's family said he had died after a "long and courageous battle in intensive care following a complex major operation".
They described him as a "devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as 'Bampi'."
"He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely," his family added.
"His legacy, music and the memories he created with so many will live on forever."
Motörhead were the authors of heavy metal anthems including the Ace of Spades.
Campbell went on to tour with his own band, alongside his three sons, and recently performed a "sell-out" show at the Muni arts centre in his hometown of Pontypridd.
"All at Y Muni are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Campbell," the arts centre said.
"Phil was a huge influence on the music industry and will be remembered fondly."
The German heavy metal singer Doro Pesch said she was "at a loss for words", adding that it had been an honour to call Campbell her friend.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/motörhead-guitarist-phil-campbell-dies-aged-64/ar-AA1YBUSI?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=69b57bffff3b45d2b064566c6b151fa1&ei=39 -
sheetsadam1 — 1 month ago(February 08, 2026 12:01 AM)
https://wchstv.com/news/local/prominent-wva-filmmaker-longtime-wvsu-professor-danny-boyd-has-died
Danny Boyd, a prominent West Virginia filmmaker, writer and longtime professor in the Kanawha Valley, has died.
Boyd, 69, spent more than three decades as a professor of media studies at West Virginia State University. In his professional career, he produced multiple award-winning films and documentaries that have since been distributed internationally.
The West Virginia International Film Festival shared news of his passing on social media Saturday morning.
Several former students, collaborators and friends shared their condolences on social media throughout the day.
"While he wore many hats over the years, storytelling was at the heart of everything Danny did," Huntington's Foundry Theater said in a social media post. "His voice was singular, his perspective fearless, and his generosity with fellow artists unmistakable."
A graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Arkansas, Boyd began his professional filmmaking career in the early 1980s. His first feature film,
Chillers
, was released in 1988 and was awarded a Silver Scroll for excellence from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, according to his website.
His next two feature films,
Strangest Dreams
and
Paradise Park
, also saw success. The first premiered on USA Network in 1991 and remains in distribution internationally. The latter earned Gold Awards at the Houston International Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival.
A National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities fellow, Boyd has also won awards in documentary, horror, comedy and dramatic filmmaking, as well as screenwriting, his website said. He was named “Filmmaker of the Year” by the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival in 2003.
Boyd, who also taught around the world as a Fulbright Scholar, was known for actively involving his students in his professional projects. He retired from teaching at WVSU after 33 years in 2016.
He is credited with being an influential figure in West Virginia's filmmaking community during the 1980s and 90s.
In addition to his work in film, Boyd also made a mark elsewhere, writing and photographing as a freelance contributor for numerous publications, authoring illustrated novels and children’s books and contributing to local theater productions, according to his website.
His children’s books –
The Adventures of Wandala, Miss Dirt Turtle’s Garden Club, Tavey’s First Hunt
, and
WrestleDreamia
– have also won multiple awards.
His most recent book,
God’s Pool in Particle Park
, was released in September.
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