Obituaries

Former NFL star Aldon Smith has died at age 36 after being found unresponsive in a truck in California.

Peabo Bryson, the Grammy-winning R&B legend with a career spanning six decades, is receiving medical care following a recent stroke.

Few figures have shaped Black media like Cathy Hughes. Recognized among the industry’s most influential Titans, the Urban One founder continues to set the standard for media ownership, representation, and cultural impact. From building a single radio station into the nation’s largest Black-owned media company to creating opportunities for generations of storytellers, Hughes’ legacy remains […]

Former NBA player Jason Collins has died at the age of 47 after a battle with brain cancer.

As we’ve come to understand year after year, day after day, death is an inevitable part of life—a universal truth that spares no one. Yet, despite its certainty, the weight of loss never becomes easier to bear, nor does the act of processing its impact. For those within Black culture, where community and shared experiences […]

Although it is hard to see Luther Vandross taking a back seat to anyone, he did have to pay his dues as a background vocalist.

Kiki Shepard, Beloved Host of ‘Showtime at the Apollo,’ Dies at 74 Kiki Shepard, the iconic co-host of the long-running variety show Showtime at the Apollo, passed away on Monday at the age of 74. Her family confirmed that she died of a heart attack. A Legacy on the Apollo Stage From 1987 to 2002, Shepard […]

Colorado QB Dominiq Ponder Dies in Single-Car Crash at 23 The Colorado football community is mourning the tragic loss of quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who died early Sunday morning in a single-car crash. According to the Colorado State Patrol, Ponder, just 23 years old, was driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3 when he lost control on […]

Demond Wilson, the actor who brought Lamont Sanford to life on the iconic 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, has died at the age of 79. Wilson passed away on Friday, January 30, 2026, at his home in Palm Springs, California, due to complications from cancer, as confirmed by his son, Demond Wilson Jr. Wilson’s portrayal of […]

R&B icon Stephanie Mills has been inducted as an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., joining a legacy of trailblazing women.

Apollonia Kotero files new documents in her lawsuit against the Prince Estate to protect her name and trademarks, claiming the late music icon supported her use of the name.

Harold’s Chicken Shack has long been a staple of Chicago food, with Kristen Pierce-Sherrod managing the chain since her father died in 1988.