Gone but not Forgotten
Pamalicious on Oct 11th 2007 06:50 am
Black Celebrities who’ve died with little or no fanfare
R&B duo “Damian Dame” (pictured above) consisted of Debra Jean Hurd aka “Deah Dame,” and Bruce Edward Brodus aka Damian. They were the first act signed to the “LaFace,” label by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “L.A.” Reid. They were famous for the following hits, “Exclusivity,” “Right Down To It,” and “Gotta Learn My Rhythm.” Deah would die in an car accident on June 27, 1994. She was 35 years old. Damian would die on the same day (June 27th) two years later of colon cancer.
Singer Richard “Dimples” Fields (pictured above) was famous for the songs, “If It Ain’t One Thing, It’s Another,” and “She’s Got Papers On Me.” Fields would die of an massive stroke on Jan. 12th, 2000. He was 58 years old.
Edmund Sylvers (pictured above) was the lead singer of the group “The Sylvers.” At age 47, he would succumb to lung cancer in 2004, following a 10-month illness. The Sylvers hits include: “Boogie Fever,” and “Hot Line.”
Renee Diggs (pictured above) was the lead vocalist for the group “Starpoint.” Their big hit was “Object Of My Desire.” Diggs died last year of heart-related complications and she also suffered from multiple sclerosis. Miss Diggs was 50.
Singer Gwen Guthrie is best known for her hit, “Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent,” in 1986. Guthrie started her career by moonlighting as a singer of commercial jingles, sometimes with her friend Valerie Simpson (of Ashford & Simpson fame). A songwriting partnership with Patrick Grant resulted in Ben E. King’s comeback single, “Supernatural Thing,” and “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” covered by numerous artists. She was also the writer of Roberta Flack’s “God Don’t Like Ugly,” and she contributed to the Sister Sledge album, “Circle Of Love.” Miss Guthrie died of uterine cancer on February 3, 1999 at the age of 48.
Wylie Draper, the actor who portrayed Michael Jackson in the mini-series, “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” died a year after the program aired. Draper died from a rare form of leukemia.
Theodore “Teddy” Wilson (pictured on the bottom half of the above photo with the mustache) was an character actor best known for his recurring role as Sweet Daddy Williams on the CBS sitcom Good Times from 1976 until 1979. Wilson also played the role of Al Dunbar in a popular two-part episode of the 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!!. In the conclusion of the two-parter, Wilson’s character gets arrested for bootlegging a Doobie Brothers concert. Wilson was married to actress Joan Pringle. He died from AIDS-related complications on July 21, 1991 at the age of 47 in Los Angeles, California.
Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939–March 7, 2004) was an Academy Award-nominated television and film actor. Winfield was openly gay in his private life, but remained discreet about it in the public eye. He was best known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film “Sounder,” and as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the television miniseries “King.” Winfield also narrated the show “City Confidential,” on the A&E channel. Winfield died of a heart attack in 2004; he was 64. His long-time partner of 30 years, architect Charles Gillan Jr., preceded him in death in 2002.
Franklyn Seales (pictured above, far left, back row) was born in St. Vincent, Caribbean Islands. His movie appearances include “The Onion Field,” and “Star Trek.”
TV appearances for Mr. Seales include three 1982 episodes of “Hill Street Blues,” one episode of “Wiseguy,” one “Growing Pains” episode, and the TV sitcom Amen as Lorenzo Hollingsworth during the 1986-1987 season. He also had a role in the mini-series Beulah Land.
Seales is most famous for his role on “Silver Spoons.” He played Dexter Stuffins, business manager and family friend of the Strattons, starting in Season 2. He also did some artwork as a painter. He died in Brooklyn, New York of AIDS in 1990.
All Information courtesy of PANACHE REPORT (A really interesting site - check it out) To See More Celebrities and Information CLICK HERE.
Finally - I am so devasated to hear this one right here that all I want to do is go in a corner and suck my thumb. WHYYYYYYY WHYYYYYY:
FOSTER SYLVERS IS A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER:
Foster Sylvers 45, (above) the youngest member of the “Sylvers” singing group (Boogie Fever, Hotline) who once produced tracks for Janet Jackson-is now a registered sex offender. The above mug shot and the nature of his crime is featured on a National Sex Offender Website connected to Megan’s Law, The Attorney General & the Department Of Justice. His crime is listed as follows: Oral Copulation: Victim unconscious of the nature of the act.
Filed in Throwback Thursdays, Hollylicious | Comments (6)
wow this was interesteing.
I didnt know Winfield was gay.
Sweet daddy…dont know why I didnt know he was dead but to die of AIDS related complications??? WOW
Guthrie? Wow that’s my jam too. Got that as my answer tone for “certain” dudes.
Renee Diggs went to school with my mom. I didnt know she was dead. When i was a kid and saw her in moms yearbook I use to think wow, mom went to school with somebody famous
Wow! An interesting walk down a musical memory lane - I don’t think I knew about any of the deaths, though. So many of them were so young!
Oh man! Foster Sylvers? My goodness! I am crushed…*sigh*
I saw these same articles on another site (except Foster) DAMN SHAME! Anyhoo… there were so many other brotha actors and singers that died of aids! I mean ALOT! I am shocked and sicken about the demise is our black men. If it ain’t drugs, or shooting, its AIDS… ladies beware!
Are you sure Teddy Wilson died from complications of the AIDS virus, because on the website Wikipedia it reports that was a popular rumor. It saids in reality he died from heart complications. I wonder what source to believe? “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Wilson”
Hi
Is it possible if you can give me a full list of all of the black celebrities who have died, including actors, rappers and singers.
just a few weeks ago, I looked at a website similar to this, and it contained much more black celebirities who have died in the past. I now don’t know what has happened to that website, as I find it difficult to track down that information. I believe that the information was about 30-40 pages long.
I would be grateful if you can email me the information, as I’m very interested in, and have limited knowledge of whether these celebs are dead or still alive.
Thanks!