UV’s 2011 Unforgettable Deaths






2011 marked the year of the deaths of many influential individuals. From the untimely death of Heavy D, to Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win a noble peace prize. Check out our list of unforgettable people who died in year 2011. Hover over the "i" to read the description.

UV Important American Deaths for 2011

[img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_nate-dogg-dead.jpg]10Nathaniel Hale
Nathaniel D. Hale, a singer known as Nate Dogg whose mellow baritone provided soul and swagger to gangsta rap in the 1990s and 2000s, died March 15 of complications from a series of strokes at a care facility near Long Beach, Calif. He was 41. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_gty_vesta_williams_jef_110923_wg-600x337.jpg]10Vesta Williams
R&B diva Vesta Williams, best-known for her 1980s hits "Don't Blow a Good Thing" and "Congratulations," was found dead of a possible drug overdose in a Southern California hotel room on Sept. 22. She was 53. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_187516-heavy-d.jpg]10Dwight Myers aka Heavy D
Dwight Myers aka Heavy D, known as the "overweight lover", died Nov. 8 in Los Angeles at age 44 of a pulmonary embolism. In the 90s, Heavy D was one of the most influential rappers in hip-hop having massive hits including “Now That We Found Love.” He also wrote and performed the theme song for “In Living Color” and appeared as an actor in the movie “Life. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_troydavis_0.jpg]10Troy Davis
Troy Davis, who was convicted of a 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Ga., was executed on Sept. 21. Davis’s death sentence struck a nationwide debate on the death penalty, after facts surfaced following his conviction that put his guilt in question. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles did not grant Davis clemency in light of the evidence that could have potentially exonerated him. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_sylvia-robinson-1992-getty-al-pereira-278x400.jpg]10Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Robinson, 75, a singer who performed rhythm-and-blues hits in the 1950s and later found resounding success as a producer who nurtured the birth of a new musical genre, hip-hop, died Sept. 29 at a hospital in Secaucus, N.J. The Associated Press reported that she had congestive heart failure.Robinson is known in the hip-hop community for taking a sample of “Good Times” with the help of the Sugar Hill gang, and turned into the classic “Rapper’s Delight”. She also produced “The Message” by Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_joe-frazier.jpg]10Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier, a one-time heavyweight champion whose epic battles with Muhammad Ali in the 1970s spilled from the boxing ring into a decades-long war of words, died Nov. 7 of liver cancer at age 67. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_gil-scott-heron1.jpg]10Gil Scott Heron
Gil Scott-Heron, 62, a musician who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalist percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” died May 27 at a New York City hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_patriceoneal.jpg]20Patrice O'Neal
The comedian, known for his sharp and often shocking social commentary, died after complications from a stroke at age 41. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_m-3126.jpg]10Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth
Shuttlesworth is among the iconic figures honored in the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. King once called Shuttlesworth “the most courageous civil rights fighter in the South". He was 89 [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_nick_ashford_1978414c.jpg]10Nick Ashford
Nick Ashford and his wife, Valerie Simpson, penned chart-topping R&B hits for others, then went on to become singers themselves in the 1970s and 1980s as Ashford & Simpson. Ashford died Aug. 22 in New York of throat cancer. He was 70. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_charicetaylor01.jpg]10Clarice Taylor
Clarice Taylor, who played Dr. Cliff Huxatable’s mother, passed away at the age of 93. She succumbed to heart failure and was surrounded by family when she passed. Taylor earned an Emmy Award for her role as Anna Huxtable on the Cosby Show in 1986. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_clarenceclemons.jpg]10Clarence Clemons
Legendary saxophonist Clarence Clemons died today of complications from a stroke he suffered on June 12. He was 69. Clemons, known to fans as the Big Man, was the most famous member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. His stand out work could be heard on songs like “Born To Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and “Dancing In The Dark” … along with countless others [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_bubba-smith-slide.jpg]10Charles Aaron
The football player turner actor (Police Academy) passed away of an acute use of the diet drug phentermine. He also suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure. He was 66 years old. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_manning.jpg]10Manning Marable
Manning Marable, director of the Institute of African American Studies at Columbia University, He died April 1, 2011. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_08-12-18_divines_tate103.jpg]20Howard Tate
Soul singer Howard Tate has died in his New Jersey apartment a decade after a career resurrection that followed years of tragedy and obscurity. He was 72. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_dj-megatron-thumb-473xauto-8028.jpg]20Corey McGriff
The host of the show "What's Good?", was shot while heading to a store near his home in Staten Island, New York. Police found him on an early Sunday morning with a gun wound to his chest. He was 32 years old. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_mia_amber_davis_article_big.jpg]20Mia Amber Davis
Famous plus size model and actress from the movie Road Trip passed away after routine knee surgery. Autopsy revealed that she had suffered from a pulmonary thrombo-embolism. She was 35. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_dwayne_mcduffie_jpg_650x10000_q85.jpg]20Dwayne McDuffie
Creator of the television series Static Shock was an American comic book artist. Cause of death still remains unknown, he was 49 years old. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_sam-rivers.jpg]20Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers, an internationally-known jazz musician who played with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. He was 88. He started his career in Boston, where he performed with Herb Pomeroy’s big band in an ensemble that included future music producer Quincy Jones. In 1964, he moved to New York and was hired by Davis. He played with a diverse group of musicians there that included Gillespie, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_claraluper-thumb-400xauto-19926.jpg]20Clara Luper
was a civic leader, retired schoolteacher, and a pioneering leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. She is best known for her leadership role in the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-in Movement, as she, her young son and daughter, and numerous young members of the NAACP Youth Council successfully conducted nonviolent sit-in protests of downtown drugstore lunch-counters which overturned their policies of segregation. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_jessy-dixon.jpg]20Jessy Dixon
Famous for introducing his energetic style to gospel music. He died in Chicago at the age of 73. The family said that he had been sick but declined any further details. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_dariel-pulliam.jpg]20Dariel Pulliam
Dariel Pulliam was a celebrity stylist and make- up artist to the stars. The stylist was often seen with his most famous Atlanta-area clients, including Neffe Pugh, Keyshia Cole's sister and star of BET’s “Frankie & Neffe” reality show. He was 29. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_mackey.jpg]20John Mackey
Pro football Hall Of Fame recipient who played 10 seasons for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was 69 years old and had been suffering from dementia for many years. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_r-walt-hazzard-dead-large570.jpg]20Walter Hazzard
A basketball star at UCLA and in the NBA . He was also UCLA team head coach for many years during the 1980s. He died from complications to a previous heart surgery. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_willie-big-eyes-smith-1.jpg]20Willie, Big Eyed, Smith
Famous for being a Grammy award winning blues musician. He passed away at age 75 from a stroke. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_ob-main-dukes001_1323470161.jpg]20Offield Dukes
Dukes was a prominent Washington, D.C., public-relations executive who represented major civil-rights figures and entertainers and who helped focus support for a national holiday honoring MLK. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_houston-antwine-topps-trading-card-thumb-400xauto-27814.jpg]20Houston Antwine
Former NFL defensive end, played with the New England Patriots and Houston Oilers. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_m-bone-1.jpg]20Montae M Bone Talbert
Famous for being 1/4 of the group Cali Swag District that became known last year for their hit "Teach Me How To Dougie". He was killed in a drive-by shooting by a liquor store in his native Inglewood, California. He was 22. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_pirithomas_1019-thumb-640xauto-4452.jpg]20Piri Thomas
Piri Thomas, the author known for the best-selling book “Down These Mean Streets” died on October 17, 2011. He was 83. In his best-selling autobiography, “Down These Mean Streets”, Thomas describes his struggle for survival as a Puerto Rican/Cuban and raised in the barrios of New York. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_47931.jpg]20Jonas Bevacqua
Jonas Bevacqua, one of the founders of the urban clothing company LRG was found dead in his Laquana Beach, CA home. He was 34. He is survived by his fiance, son, and siblings. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_amy_winehouse_449411918.jpg]20Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse quickly rose to fame in 2006 after releasing the album “Back to Black” whose blend of blend of jazz, soul, rock, and classical rock was a commercial hit. It won five Grammy’s, making Winehouse a household name. But her personal life, inflicted with drug abuse, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and destructive relationships soon out weighed her career. She was 27. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_ronlyle.png]20Ron Lyle
Heavyweight contender Ron Lyle, who fought Muhammad Ali for the title in 1975 and later battled George Foreman, died in Denver at age 70. Lyle died from complications from a sudden stomach ailment says Salvation Army Official. Ron McKinney. At the present time, details weren’t immediately available. [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_wangari-maathai-006.jpg]20Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai, was the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari died after a long battle with cancer, sources said. She was 71 [img src=http://www.unheard-voices.com/wp-content/flagallery/2011s-prominent-african-american-deaths/thumbs/thumbs_248136_10150259994731660_502786659_8879775_3505293_n.jpg]20Maurice Murrell
Maurice was one of the first cover models of the re-launched CLIK in January 2006. That cover launched a career in modeling and film. The New Jersey- and New York City-based model appeared in numerous magazines, calendars, two coffee table books and the cover of Lee Hayes’ Flesh to Flesh anthology. Maurice also appeared in the film Finding Me and its new sequel Finding Me: Truth. Besides the CLIK cover, Maurice Murrell will be emembered by a generation of young gay men for his role in the film Finding Me and its new sequel Finding Me: Truth directed by Roger S. Omeus.


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