By David Steffen

Anyone visiting Paris in the late 1970s, and looking for the city’s great architectural landmarks—Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, etc—would be forgiven if they offered a shocked double-take upon seeing the newly opened Pompidou Center. Built over a parking garage in a red-light district of Paris, architect Richard Rogers’ design created a building that was seemingly inside out and upside down. Rogers died in 2021 at age 88.

Michael Nesmith died in December at the age of 78. As a member of the made-for-TV band The Monkees, Nesmith went from struggling songwriter and performer to immediate success driven by the two-year run of the somewhat ground-breaking show. Nesmith’s post-Monkees success included songs like “Joanne” and “Rio”. More significant was his early support for video, which was to become a force in popular music (see MTV). NOTE: Search for Nesmith’s video album “Elephant Parts” on YouTube. It’s worth a watch. Nesmith clearly traveled to the beat of a different drum.

Of all of the things for which we’ll remember Bob Dole—Kansas dust bowl roots, wounded veteran of World War II, Republican Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate, he appears to be the last decent member of the GOP. He was 98 when he died in December.

The lights on Broadway got a little dimmer in November with the death of Stephen Sondheim. At age 91, he was still writing, still working, and while I am not a devotee of Broadway musicals (although I’ve been to some very good ones) I will always remember and be grateful to Sondheim for “Send in The Clowns”.

Desmond Tutu helped bring major change on the international stage; first as leader of the South African Council of Churches, and later becoming Anglican archbishop of Cape Town. After Nelson Mandella (who was imprisoned for 27 years), Archbishop Tutu was the most significant voice to the world in bringing change to South Africa. Tutu earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts against apartheid. He died in December at age 90.

George Wein, the dynamo who created the seemingly simple idea of a Jazz festival, died in September. His legacy is about music and musicians, and of course, the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk festivals. He was 95.

During a mid-1970s visit to Detroit (while working for A&M Records,) I was introduced to one of the most powerful women in radio. Beginning in the late 1960s, Rosalie Trombley spent the better part of two decades at radio station CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, just across the river from Detroit. The station’s signal was so powerful, and the station's programming so dynamic, that at one point CKLW was rated as the number one station in Detroit, the number two station in Cleveland, and number three in Toledo. Trombley died at 82.

I saw drummer Charlie Watts in 2002, performing with some other musicians (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards.) The group billed themselves as The Rolling Stones. Watts died at age 80. Other musical names lost in 2021 and worth remembering include Jay Black (Jay and the Americans), Don Everly, Nancy Griffith, Dusty Hill (Z Z Top), Biz Markie, B.J. Thomas, Lloyd Price, Chick Corea, Mary Wilson (Supremes), Jimmie Rodgers, Gerry Marsden (Gerry & the Pacemakers), and the producer and songwriter Phil Spector. Many will remember Steve Bronski, who died in December at age 61. He was part of the British group Bronski Beat, whose songs often directly addressed gay themes and issues in a way few other pop music acts were doing.

For those who seek to analyze the roots of just what created today’s GOP, they need only look back to the Georgia senate election of 2002. The incumbent Democratic senator Max Cleland was running for re-election a year after the 9/11 attacks. Republicans created a (disgraceful) 30-second television spot showing images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein behind a voiceover questioning Cleland’s commitment to homeland security. Any images of Cleland in the spot were essentially headshots so they could avoid reminding voters that the Senator lost both legs and one arm in Vietnam. Cleland was 79.

Colin Powell died in 2021, having spent a large part of his last 15 years repenting for helping sell the 2003 Iraq war to the American people, the United Nations and the world while a member of the George W. Bush Administration. (Note: the 2019 film “Official Secrets” is worth a look for how George Bush and Tony Blair invented a rationale to go to war in Iraq.)

Larry King died this year. I had a chance conversation with him in the early ‘90s at JFK, waiting for a flight from New York to Los Angeles. What struck me most was his voice. In person, a couple of feet apart, or on the radio or CNN, it could be no other than Larry King. He was 87. And speaking of voices, Mort Sahl, who might tell us of his comedic style, “sardonic is an understatement” died at age 94.” SNL alumnus Norm Macdonald died at 61. Melvin van Peebles, the groundbreaking filmmaker died at age 89, and Tony Hendra, British-American comedian and writer (“This Is Spinal Tap”) died at 79.

Two members of the Milwaukee Braves died this year. Hank Aaron (86) and Del Crandall (91). In 1957, the Braves had an all-star team to themselves: Aaron, Crandall, Johnny Logan, Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, Joe Adcock, Eddie Matthews, Red Schoendienst. For a young boy in Milwaukee, a trip to County Stadium was an adventure. And speaking of baseball, Tommy Lasorda died at age 93. I wasn’t a big Dodger fan, but I enjoyed an occasional trip to Dodger Stadium. And having access to the company’s season tickets, Dolly and Caitie (8 mo. old) and I actually happened to be at Dodger Stadium on October 15, 1988 for game one of the World Series. Yes, the Kirk Gibson, walk off homerun game. Luck of the draw to be there that day.

Lawrence who? Your clues are: poet, publisher, political iconoclast, bookstore owner, supporter of writers like Allen Ginsberg and, “godfather of the beat movement.” Lawrence Ferlinghetti died this year at age 101.

Ron Popeil died in 2021 at age 86. Admit it. You have one of his infomercial gadgets somewhere in your home.

Clarence Williams III, “Linc” in televisions “Mod Squad”, was 81. Ned Beatty died at 83. “Love Boat” captain (and newswriter on “Mary Tyler More Show”) Gavin MacLeod died at 90. Johnny Crawford, teen idol and “Mark McCain” on “The Rifleman” died at 75. George Segal (87), Hal Holbrook (95), Cloris Leachman (94), Christopher Plummer (91) all passed in 2021, as did director Michael Apted (79).

And let's say goodbye to Sen. Harry Reid (82) and everyone's favorite Golden Girl, Betty White. She was 99 when she died this week.