Connect with us

Obituaries

In Memoriam : Paul Mooney (1941 – 2021)

Paul Mooney, an empowering figure in the comedy world, has died at the age of 79.

Published

on

Paul Mooney dies
Paul Mooney

Paul Mooney, a legend in the comedy world, has died. He was 79.

Paul Mooney dead at 79

Mooney’s representative confirmed he died at his home in Oakland, Calif., after suffering a heart attack.

Mooney’s Twitter account also shared the news on Wednesday morning, posting “Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts…To all in love with this great man.”

Legendary comedian and writer

In addition to performing his own material, Mooney was a prolific writer who lent his talents to sitcoms such as Sanford and Son and Good Times.

Mooney was the head writer for the first year of Fox’s In Living Color, and is said to have inspired Damon Wayans’ signature character Homey D. Clown.

But Mooney was famously a writer for the late comedian Richard Pryor.

Mooney worked with the late comic legend on the The Richard Pryor Show and co-wrote some of Pryor’s material on several of his comedy albums and his “Saturday Night Live” sketches.

A long time veteran, Mooney was introduced to a whole new generation of fans when he appeared multiple times on The Chappelle Show.

Mooney played the recurring character Negrodamus, a Black version of the philosopher Nostradamus who specialized in answering questions like “Why do white people love Wayne Brady so much?”

(Answer: “Because Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X”).

As an actor, Mooney appeared in movies such as The Buddy Holly Story, where he played Sam Cooke; Bustin’ Loose; Hollywood Shuffle; Spike Lee’s Bamboozled; and most recently Meet the Blacks in 2016. In 2004, he starred in his own comedy series, Judge Mooney.

Paul Mooney was a comic genius whose social criticism brought a keen and thought-provoking humor to the subject of race relations.

In 2007, he published a memoir titled Black Is the New White, in which he discussed his relationship with Pryor and some of his most iconic and controversial comedy sets.

Rest in power.


----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube

Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.

Unheard Voices is an award-winning news magazine that started in 2004 as a local Black newsletter in the Asbury Park, Neptune, and Long Branch, NJ areas to now broaden into a recognized Black online media outlet. They are the recipient of the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and CV Magazine's Innovator Award for Best Social Justice Communications Company.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Obituaries

O.J. Simpson, football Hall of famer, dies at 76 after cancer battle

O.J. Simpson, the football hall of famer and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend, has died. He was 76.

Published

on

O.J. Simpson dies at 76
O.J. Simpson (Photo Credit: Gerald Johnson • Public domain)

O.J. Simpson, the football hall of famer and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of murder charges, has died.

He was 76.

Family announces passing

The family announced on Simpson’s official X account that Simpson passed Wednesday after battling prostate cancer. He died in Las Vegas, officials there said Thursday.

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the family posted on Simpson’s X account.

Life of ups and downs for O.J. Simpson

Simpson was a former NFL star, actor, and broadcaster whose athletic achievements and fame were eclipsed by his 1995 trial in the slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

The infamous case

Simpson assembled a “dream team” defense for the trial.

He didn’t testify, but the prosecution asked him to try on the gloves in court. He struggled to squeeze them onto his hands and spoke his only three words of the trial: “They’re too small.”

His attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. told the jurors, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”

Acquitted

Simpson was acquitted of murder for both his ex-wife and Goldman.

The proceedings captivated the country, with tens of millions of viewers tuning in at home and at work and sparked heavy debates on race.

Though acquitted of murders, in 1997, a civil trial jury unanimously deemed Simpson liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages.

Served time

Years later at 61, Simpson served about nine years in prison for an unrelated case involving a memorabilia robbery in Las Vegas. He was released in 2017 on parole.

Football career

After graduating from high school, Simpson enrolled at City College of San Francisco for a year and a half before transferring to the University of Southern California for the spring 1967 semester to play football.

At USC, Simpson dominated the collegiate football and received the Heisman trophy in 1968.

NFL

Simpson went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL, nine of them with the Buffalo Bills, where earning him the moniker “The Juice” and ran behind an offensive line known as “The Electric Company.”

He won four NFL rushing titles, rushed for 11,236 yards in his career, scored 76 touchdowns and played in five Pro Bowls. His best season was 1973, when he ran for 2,003 yards, the first running back to accomplish breaking the 2,000-yard rushing mark.

O.J. Simpson’s Legacy

Simpson leaves behind five children. He shared three children, Arnelle, Jason and Aaren, with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, and welcomed two kids, Sydney and Justin, with his second wife Nicole Brown Simpson.


----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube

Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.

Continue Reading

Obituaries

Legendary DJ Mister Cee passes away

Mister Cee, the legendary New York City radio DJ, has died. He was 57 years old.

Unheard Voices Magazine

Published

on

DJ Mister Cee dies at 57
Mister Cee (Facebook/Wikimedia)

Calvin LeBrun, the legendary New York City radio DJ known as Mister Cee, has died. He was 57 years old.

DJ Mister Cee passes

Cee, who grew up in Brooklyn,was a prominent figure in the hip-hop scene in New York City.

He got his start as a DJ and producer for Big Daddy Kane, taking part in Kane’s debut album. Cee is also often credited with discovering another pillar of Brooklyn hip-hop, the Notorious B.I.G. He also played a role in launching the careers of  Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, 50 Cent, Drake among others.

Cee’s long-running “Throwback at Noon” show became one of the most listened to programs in NYC radio at Hot 97. At the time of his death, he was working for Audacy’s 94.7 The Block in New York.

“We have lost the iconic Mister Cee. I listened to him yesterday and am in complete shock. He was a dear friend to all of us, a wonderful man, and one of the most important and impactful DJs of all time. I love you Cee”, Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg said.

No cause of death has been revealed.


----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube

Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.

Continue Reading

Obituaries

Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis dies at 35

Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis was found dead in a Florida mansion, police said Monday. He was 35. No cause of death was revealed.

k covin

Published

on

Vontae Davis dies at 35
Vontae Davis (Photo Credit: FanDuel • CC BY 3.0)

Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis has died at the age of 35.

Passing details

Davis was found by police Monday at his home in Southwest Ranches, Fla., reports NBC.

Officers were disparched Monday morning to a residence in the 6000 block of SW 178th Avenue by the house assistant, who discovered Davis’ body, the Davie Police Department said in a statement.

“Preliminary information suggests that foul play is not involved,” the department said.

The details of Davis cause of death were not released.

Vontae Davis NFL Career

A native of Washington, D.C., Davis was selected by Miami as the 25th pick in the first round of the 2009 draft. He played college football at the University of Illinois.

Davis spent 10 seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills, achieving a record of 22 interceptions and made the Pro Bowl twice.

He had one of the most memorable retirements. At halftime in 2018 with the Bills, he hung up his pads and walked off the field.

In a statement about the retirement mid-game, Davis said: “This isn’t how I pictured retiring from the NFL. But today, on the field, reality hit me hard and fast. I shouldn’t be out there anymore. … I meant no disrespect to my teammates or coaches.”

Life after retirement for Vontae Davis

After retirement, Davis co-wrote a children’s book about overcoming a tough upbringing and becoming an NFL superstar.

He also operated a wellness spa, Vzone, that specialized in oxygen treatments. According to Davis’s LinkedIn profile, he was chief executive of Davis Family Hospitality Group, described as “a comprehensive support system encompassing mentorship and safeguarding for athletes.”

Vontae’s older brother is former NFL star Vernon Davis.


----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube

Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.

Continue Reading

Facebook

Archives

Tags

unheard voices shop
unheard voices on google play
unheard voices on itunes

Trending