A tribute to the iconic Casey Kasem.
Remembering Amy Winehouse: Two Years After Her Death
When news broke two years ago today that Amy Winehouse had died at the age of 27 , it was less shocking than it was just sad . After all, Amy was a singer who burst on the scene in 2007 and created an immediate buzz with “ Rehab ,” a song that would later go on to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year (she won four other awards that year as well). That song seemed to tell you everything you needed to know about Amy, a troubled performer who had problems with drugs, drinking, and the law: “They tried to […]
Blerd Appreciation: Whitney Houston
The Popblerd staff pays tribute to the incomparable Whitney Houston, who passed away yesterday at the age of 48.
Blerd Appreciation: J. Dilla
Every music producer has their own signature style, especially in hip hop, where a simple scratch, tone or sound can in many cases let you know exactly who is behind the boards. On February 10th 2006 the world lost one of the most prolific and creative artists not just in Hip Hop, but in all of music: James Yancey, a.k.a. Jay Dee, a.k.a. J Dilla. Hailing out of Detroit, Michigan, Dilla is often best known as a member of Slum […]
R.I.P. Heavy D.
We say goodbye to hip-hop superstar Heavy D, who passed away unexpectedly earlier today.
R.I.P. Amy Winehouse
As soon as I heard the news of Amy Winehouse’s passing at about noon yesterday, there was no doubt in my mind that I would write and post something about it on this blog. The question I had to ask myself was whether I should make this a news piece with very little opinion, stick to the music only, or talk about how her image, issues and passing affected me. I’m self-aware enough to realize that we live in a […]
Somethin’ Stupid: An Appreciation of Ryan Dunn
The death of Jackass co-star Ryan Dunn may not have packed the kind of shock and grief that Clarence Clemons’ passing certainly did. But the news that Dunn, the guy best known for driving a golf cart into a pig statue in the first Jackass film, was killed earlier this morning after crashing his car in Pennsylvania is rather tragic. Dunn, a longtime associate of pro skater Bam Margera and a great presence on MTV’s Viva La Bam and the underrated Homewrecker, probably deserves a lot more credit […]
Blerd Appreciation: Clarence Clemons
I may not be as big a Bruce Springsteen fan as, say, my buddy Dave Lifton . But over the years, I’ve become as big a fan of The Boss as anyone else-it’s kinda hard to avoid if you grow up in the tri-state area. Even if I wasn’t a Springsteen fan, though, I think I’d understand why people are so devoted to The E Street Band. Even with bands that have been around for decades, you don’t always get the feeling […]
R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron
Poet, singer, activist and proto-rapper Gil Scott-Heron passed away yesterday in New York City. He was 62. Best known for the track “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, Scott-Heron’s booming, authoritative voice often decried the struggles of black people as we advanced through the Civil Rights movement in the Seventies and Eighties. His recitative style has been imitated by everyone from (name your person at a poetry slam here) to Kool Moe Dee, Chuck D and 2Pac. Also blessed with […]
Blerd Appreciation: Nate Dogg
Who was the go-to hook singer for just about anyone who made a rap record for about a decade starting in 1994? Nate Dogg. Born Nathaniel Hale, the monotone crooner with the most expressionless face in pop music history went from being a classmate and groupmate of Snoop Dogg and Warren G. in 213 to a man that was capable of challenging Mary J. Blige for most appearances singing the chorus of rap records. Starting with his first truly memorable […]