Dr Collin Tukuitonga pays tribute to his mentor, Dr Joe Williams, who passed away yesterday after a battle with Covid-19. I have a lot for which to be thankful to Dr Joe Williams, or Papa Joe as we call him in the Pasifika Medical Association family. I was a refugee from the military coup in … Read more
Jonny Potts leaves a message for one of the musicians that mattered to him most: David Berman of the Silver Jews, who died this week. Hi David. I know that’s a bit familiar. Sorry, I guess. So, I’d just got out from seeing the shrink when I checked my phone and saw the Pitchfork tweet. … Read more
Activist, actor and advocate Anzac Wallace has passed away yesterday at the age of 74. Anzac Wallace (Ngāpuhi) is lying in state at Ngā Whare Waatea marae in Māngere, the urban marae he helped build in the 1980s. Ngā Whare Waatea chairman, Minister Willie Jackson paid tribute to Matua Zac Wallace last night, describing him … Read more
David Cohen remembers a man admired and loved by his colleagues in the media, in politics, and beyond. Journalists and other public figures spent Wednesday expressing their sadness amid the news that Rob Hosking, a senior political reporter and wry commentator for the NBR and other news outlets, had died of cancer. Rob, a former … Read more
In 2018, rapper Mac Miller passed away from a drug overdose. James Roque writes about his passing, and the effect Miller’s music had on him growing up. This post was first published 8 September 2018. This morning the world awoke to the tragic news of the passing of artist Mac Miller. I found out after … Read more
Kiran Dass remembers Pete Shelley, co-founder and co-songwriter of the Buzzcocks, who died this week. After we’d heard that co-founder of punk group the Buzzcocks Pete Shelley had died of a heart attack aged 63 at home in Estonia, one of my friends pointed out that one of the great things about the Buzzcocks, whose … Read more
Aretha Franklin has died. Sam Brooks remembers the Queen. She wasn’t just the Queen of Soul. Hell, if you applied the label, Queen of R&B to her, you wouldn’t be wrong there either. Queen of Gospel? Sure. Queen of Pop? Of a certain era, absolutely. But what Artha was outside of these things is a … Read more
Biddy Fraser-Davies of Cwmglyn Farmhouse Cheese passed away on 13 July, aged 76. Her friend, cheesemonger Calum Hodgson, pays tribute. I would call cheesemaker Biddy Fraser-Davies on my commutes home from Auckland CBD to Whangaparāoa. I’d been making these calls to Biddy every other day now for the last three years, discussing everything from Eketahuna’s … Read more
Alan Holt remembers Celia Patel, better known as Celia Mancini of King Loser, who died yesterday. Last night I learned that my friend Celia Patel had passed away. If you do not know Celia she is best known as one of the driving forces behind the band King Loser. She was a force of nature, … Read more
Chuck Berry died this weekend, aged 90. Nabeel Zuberi remembers the rock pioneer’s personal and musical influence. I was nine years old in 1972 when I was first conscious of hearing or seeing Chuck Berry. His novelty tune ‘My Ding-A-Ling’ was No. 1 on the UK singles charts for what seemed an eternity. I saw … Read more