Tag: obituary

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Music

Remembering Bobby Caldwell

 “What You Won’t Do For Love” singer dies at 71

The R&B music scene has lost one of its stars. American singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell passed away on March 14, 2023 at the age of 71.

Caldwell, who’s known best for his hit “What You Won’t Do For Love,” died in his sleep at his home in New Jersey, according to one of his representatives.

While no cause of death was provided, his wife Mary Caldwell announced on Twitter that the cause of death was due to long-term complications related to antibiotics.

“Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years,” she wrote.

Over his four-decade-long career, Caldwell experimented with various genres ranging from R&B, soul, soft rock and jazz. He dropped his signature song “What You Won’t Do For Love” in 1978 which propelled his career and landed as number 9 on Billboard’s Top 100. The hit song was covered by numerous artists, such as Boyz II Men, Snoh Aalegra and Michael Bolton.

Caldwell’s label at the time, TK records, tried to hide the fact that he was a white singer in order for the hit to succeed on the R&B radio stations. To further hide his race, they decided to silhouette him on the cover of his self-titled album. Nevertheless, once Caldwell began making public appearances, his adoration from his Black audience only grew.

Not only did Caldwell compose his own music, he also wrote for many other artists, such as Roy Ayers, Chicago, Natalie Cole and even Neil Diamond. He also wrote the classic “The Next Time I Fall” for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera which became a Billboard number one hit in 1986.

Surprisingly, Caldwell received most of his recent success from hip-hop artists, like Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar and Notorious B.I.G. who sampled his songs. 

Caldwell was a major contributor to the world of R&B and will be greatly missed and remembered for his contribution to the music industry.

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Music

Remembering David Crosby, a folk-rock legend

David Crosby passed away at 81

The Laurel Canyon pioneer is the reason why a lot of artists you know and love are even around 

If you felt a little blue within the past week, I don’t blame you. David Crosby, one of the music industry’s most influential musicians passed away on Jan. 18. He was 81 years old. While they were notified about Crosby’s death through an intimate sourve, “they did not disclose a cause,” according to Rolling Stone.

The folk rock icon was most known for his albums If I Could Only Remember My Name, and Oh Yes I Can, Crosby was a founding member of the band The Byrds — founded in 1964. The Byrds played for almost four decades until their retirement in 2000. Crosby was also a part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, which was formed in 1968 by Graham Nash and David Crosby in Canadian Folk legend Joni Mitchell’s living room in Laurel Canyon, no less!  

To top all that off, he also juggled a third project: his solo career, which spanned nine studio records along with three live records. Crosby even collaborated with the likes of legendary folk artist Joan Baez, ’80s hit savant Kenny Loggins (“Danger Zone”), Carole King, and of course the neo-jazz group Snarky Puppy. 

He has had a controversial music career, often blurting things out without fully explaining them, which has caused a couple other musicians to fire back at him, like Phoebe Bridgers. On more than one occasion, Bridgers has used profanity against Crosby through twitter, one example in response to his disdain for smashing her electric guitar on SNL. In 2016, CSN (Crosby, Stills, and Nash) disbanded after Crosby and Nash had a bad fight. “I won’t tell anyone about that, but I will say that the damage between us is irreparable” said Graham Nash.

He is survived by his friends and family; his wife Jan Dance, and six children Beckett Cypher, Django Crosby, James Raymond, Bailey Jean Cypher, Donovan Crosby, and Erika Keller Crosby. His fellow colleagues and musicians who played with him over the years have shared their grievances through Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms. “It is with a deep and profound sadness that I learnt my friend David Crosby has passed,” said Graham Nash from CSN. American songwriter Brian Wilson shared his thoughts, saying “I’m heartbroken to hear about David Crosby.”

If you have the time, listen to some David Crosby today — trust me, you won’t regret it.  

Below is a list of songs that I recommend:

  • “Cowboy Movie” 
  • “The Us Below”
  • “Laughing”
  • “Orleans”
  • “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)”
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Music

 Remembering Takeoff

 A sad day for the trap community

Takeoff tragically passed away on Nov. 1 after being shot in Houston, Texas. He was 28 years old. He was one of the most influential and unique artists to debut over the last 10 years. 

Takeoff was born Kirshnik Khari Ball on June 18, 1994, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He was the youngest member of the trap trio Migos. The other members Quavo (his uncle), and Offset (his cousin), had been active since 2008. Their first mixtape, Juug Season, was released in 2011, and they had their big break in 2013 when the single “Versace” came out. Since then, they’ve released 12 full-length albums including the three Cultures, No Label II, and Yung Rich Nation.   

Takeoff also had a career outside of Migos. He made his solo LP The Last Rocket, which was released in Nov. 2018. It reached the top four in both the Billboard 200 and the R&B/hip hop charts. Earlier in October, he and Quavo put out an LP as a duo called Only Built For Infinity Links.           

Rest in peace, Takeoff. You will be missed.

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Music

Remembering Coolio

 The hip-hop community mourns the loss of “Gangsta‘s Paradise” rapper Coolio, who passed away at the age of 59 on Sept. 28. 

Coolio passed away in Los Angeles, California on Sept. 28. The cause of his death was determined to be cardiac arrest. Foul play was not suspected, but questions were still raised amongst his friends and family. According to NY Post, it turns out that he suffered from severe asthma, which troubled him for years. 

The rapper, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania on Aug. 1, 1963. When he was 11 years old, his parents divorced, meaning he and his mom moved from Monessen to live in Compton, LA

He first got into the rap scene in 1987 when he met with members of the hip hop group WC and the Maad Circle. Networking with them got him on their 1991 debut album Ain’t A Damn Thang Changed. 

Coolio had released five studio albums and three compilation LPs. His most recent work was a collaboration with Teddi Gold on “The Floor is Lava” single which was released earlier this year. 

In 1995 he released the infamous “Gangsta’s Paradise” which sampled Stevie Wonders’s “Pastime Paradise,” which came out in 1976. Since then it has been on the list of iconic rap songs and is loved by many.

Since his passing, many newcomers and loyal fans alike have been listening to his first album It Takes a Thief, seeing as the debut track “Fantastic Voyage” has over 18 million listens more than the other 15 tracks on Spotify. Celebrities like Ice Cube, MC Hammer, and LL Cool J mourned his passing by posting pictures of the late rapper on social media and sharing their condolences.      

He is succeeded by his six children, his girlfriend Mimi Ivey, and his timeless music that greatly impacted the rap scene. You’ll be greatly missed, Coolio. 

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News

Concordia professor Nadia Chaudhri dies at 43, leaving a historic legacy

Amid her fight against ovarian cancer, the neuroscientist inspired hundreds of thousands on the internet

Dr. Nadia Chaudhri, an award-winning neuroscientist, Concordia professor, and beloved mother and wife, passed away on Oct. 5 due to ovarian cancer. While dealing with a terminal diagnosis during the pandemic, Chaudhri demonstrated nothing but courage and inspiration to an audience of over 150,000 on Twitter.

Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Chaudhri attended Franklin & Marshall College in the U.S. from the age of 17, where she was recognized for outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements. With a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Chaudhri has taught at Concordia University since 2010.

The professor had become a role model for the representation of women and minorities in neuroscience research — a cause for which she raised over $630,000 from thousands of donors, setting a record-breaking fundraiser at Concordia. Much of this support had emerged from Chaudhri’s popularity on social media, achieved by inspiring thousands with her personal stories about her fight against cancer, including the highs and lows of her difficult journey.

“Truth time! I can’t get out of bed without help anymore. But I’m gathering my strength for one more Shuffle down the palliative care floor tomorrow. I know I’ve got one more in me,” Chaudhri tweeted on Sept. 11 in an effort to raise funds for the Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award.

“I am not afraid,” Chaudhri added two days later, while spending her final weeks of life at the McGill University Health Centre.

For Dr. Alexandra Chisholm, now a postdoctoral fellow at New York’s Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Chaudhri played a key motivational role in the early stages of her career.

Chisholm shared with The Concordian that Chaudhri provided exemplary guidance and support when she began teaching the fundamentals of animal learning to undergraduate students in the Department of Psychology at Concordia. The neuroscientist also sent a warm congratulations email to Chisholm for her PhD thesis defense in experimental psychology — which Chaudhri could not attend as cancer complications had already begun.

“She was always the first to volunteer her help and expertise because she genuinely cared about her students’ development, wanted us to feel supported and wanted to push the limits of our critical thinking skills,” said Chisholm. “She helped me to build the confidence I now have today as a course instructor.”

Besides inspiring and funding her students for their success in neuroscience, Chaudhri also raised awareness about ovarian cancer through Twitter. She shared her early symptoms, which were not diagnosed correctly until six months later, in order to help her followers detect any potential complications of their own sooner rather than later. She highlighted how crucial it is to listen to one’s own body, while also stressing the need to fund cancer research as current chemotherapy treatments do not always manage to save lives.

“[Dr. Chaudhri] enriched us. Our entire community grieves her death and offers deeply heartfelt condolences to her son, Reza, and husband, Moni — whom she lovingly called her Sun and Moon — her family, friends, colleagues and the thousands of supporters to the Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award who embraced her cause,” said Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Graham Carr for a Concordia article.

On Oct. 7, the University lowered its flags to half-mast to commemorate Chaudhri. Despite an early end to her inspiring journey, Chaudhri’s contributions to neuroscience and cancer awareness will not be forgotten by the Concordia community and her international supporters.

 

Photo courtesy of Nadia Chaudhri’s six-year-old son.

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News

Journalism professor Ross Perigoe dies of cancer

Ross Perigoe, a fixture of the Concordia journalism department, died from a brain tumour on the evening of Jan. 3.

Perigoe, better known to his students as “Coach”, taught at Concordia University for 25 years and was the longest-serving professor in the journalism department. He also lectured in the journalism department at Loyola International College.

Perigoe was known best for his odd nature and infectious enthusiasm by the undergraduates he taught. He viewed himself as a coach rather than a professor, only answering to that nickname, and acted as a guide in his students’ education.

Mitch Gallo, a recent Concordia journalism graduate, credited Perigoe for helping him focus his career direction. Now a sports anchor for TSN Radio, Gallo described Perigoe as a man who was always fully prepared and took an active effort to help his students.

“I don’t think anyone could possibly match his enthusiasm when it came to teaching,” Gallo explains. “You could tell in his eyes that when he was listening to every single student he was so focused and enthused and he just wanted to help everyone get to wherever they wanted to get to. It really stood out with Ross.”

Gallo remembered the pride he felt when his mentor Perigoe asked him to write a letter of recommendation for the Michael Monty Memorial Award. The award, presented by the Radio Television News Directors Association, is given to broadcast educators nominated by students. Perigoe would go on to win the award in 2009.

No matter how loved he was by his students, his working relationship on the other hand, wasn’t a fairy tale. Elias Makos, a former technical instructor in the journalism department, described the man as being marginalized by some co-workers.

“There’s no doubt that he was kind of an oddball,” says Makos. “It’s difficult to talk about. I think the sad but best way of putting it is that at times I think that he was bullied by others in the department.”

Leo Gervais, undergraduate program director and lecturer in the department, agreed that Perigoe was often at ends with some co-workers, that he wasn’t afraid to speak up or shake up the status quo. “He had ideas that other people didn’t agree with. He wasn’t always in the mainstream of thought. He would often go on the banks of the mainstream,” says Gervais.

Gervais, one of Perigoe’s former students, described Perigoe as full of ideas, and having the energy of “a kid in a candy store.”

“[Perigoe] always had the best interest of the student at heart. He cared a lot about the students. He would follow up with them, push them and encourage them.”

At the age of 20, Perigoe was a producer for CBC national radio programming. He was a broadcast reporter and producer in Canada and the United States for 15 years, eventually earning a PhD at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. Perigoe was interested in the representation of visible minorities, and his PhD thesis, which he was rewriting for publication, studied the depiction of Muslims in The Gazette after the September 11 attacks.

He began teaching at Concordia in 1985, long before some of his more recent students were born.

Friends agreed that Perigoe’s memory will live on through the students who have taken and will take the advanced radio course at Concordia, a class he was integral in developing and continually evolving.

Perigoe is survived by his wife, Christina, and two sons, one of whom attends Concordia. He loved long runs, an activity that let him clear his mind.

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