A saxophonist whose sounds helped birth international dance music. An actress who learned alongside one set of Hollywood legends then told the life stories of…
A saxophonist whose sounds helped birth international dance music. An actress who learned alongside one set of Hollywood legends then told the life stories of others. A musician who went from pop-rock bassist to show-tune song stylist. In the second installment in a series, The Associated Press takes a look at prominent figures in arts, entertainment and culture who have died after contracting the coronavirus in the global pandemic.
MANU DIBANGO, MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER, CAMEROON AND FRANCE
Manu Dibango’s saxophone sounds and funky African rhythms were revolutionary in his 1970s heyday, and their spirit rings through songs still today.
The Cameroon-born Dibango’s 1972 song “Soul Makossa” brought him international fame and helped him become one of the most influential figures in the nascent world of international dance music.
The song was constantly imitated, so much so that he would later sue both Michael Jackson and Rihanna, saying they had reused its hooks. The lawsuit against Jackson was settled out of court, and a judge dismissed the suit against Rihanna.
Dibango died March 24 in a hospital in the Paris region, according to his music publisher Thierry Durepaire. He was 86.
ADAM SCHLESINGER, MUSICIAN AND SONGWRITER, UNITED STATES
Adam Schlesinger had two musical careers, both overflowing with harmony and humor.
In the first, he played bass, co-wrote songs and sang sunny backup harmonies for Fountains of Wayne, the New York band behind the popular 1996 song “Radiation Vibe” and the 2003 hit “Stacy’s Mom.”
In the second, he was a composer of endlessly clever songs sung on stage and screen by Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert and the stars of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” the CW musical comedy series to which he regularly contributed songs.
Schlesinger won a Grammy and three Emmys for his songwriting, and was nominated for an Academy Award for writing “That Thing You Do,” the title song of the 1996 Tom Hanks-directed film.
