MILES DAVIS

One would have to go back hundreds of years to find a monarch who reigned longer than Queen Elizabeth II.

With London’s stages closed for much of the pandemic, Mark Rylance — one of the theater’s most soulful actors — made six films.

Betty Davis, a bold and pioneering funk singer, model and songwriter of the 1960s and '70s who was credited with inspiring then-husband Miles Davis’ landmark fusion of jazz and more contemporary sounds, has died.

They both carved out sterling reputations as military and political leaders over years of public service.

A library devoted to Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s writings, scrapbooks and record collection opens next week in Tokyo for research, cultural exchange and a gathering spot for his fans.

George Wein, one of the great impresarios of 20th century music who helped found the Newport jazz and folk festivals and set the template for gatherings everywhere from Woodstock to the south of France, has died at 95.

Scott Smith, a correspondent for The Associated Press who traveled across Venezuela to document personal stories of desperation and hope in the troubled country, has died.

Former CBS Records boss Walter Yetnikoff has died at age 87.

FILE - Jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea poses for a portrait in Clearwater, Fla., on Sept. 4, 2020, to promote his new double album "Plays." Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. (Mike Carlson/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Chick Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He recorded and performed classical music, standards, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to great jazz pianists. In addition to his Grammy wins, Corea also had four Latin Grammy wins.

Tyson's death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Cicely Tyson was active to the end, in the middle of promoting her memoir “Just As I Am” when she died at age 96. Many media outlets this week had been celebrating Tyson and her memoir. AdIn the days before her death, Tyson was also a guest on The Bakari Sellers Podcast, where she talked about her acting choices, injustices and her marriage to late jazz great Miles Davis. In an NPR interview, Tyson said she came to acting so that she “could speak through other people,” after being naturally drawn to observing other people as a shy child.

In 2019, it was purchased by the Detroit Sound Conservancy with a plan to renovate the property. PREVIOUS: Detroit Sound Conservancy works to restore iconic jazz club Blue Bird InnHowever, the group soon learned that it was on Detroit’s demolition list. But the group was able to get the Blue Bird Inn designated as a local historic district, sparing it from demolition. The Detroit Sound Conservancy said the next step is to install a new roof on the building. WATCH BELOW: Detroit Sound Conservancy works to restore iconic jazz club Blue Bird Inn

The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.

AP reporter Pete Yost, shown in this Oct. 2007 file photo. Yost, a retired Associated Press investigative reporter with a fierce, determined style of interviewing that contrasted with his low-key, modest personality, has died at age 73. (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Pete Yost, a retired Associated Press investigative reporter with a fierce, determined style of interviewing that contrasted with his low-key, modest personality, died Tuesday night at the age of 73. “I remember thinking when I joined the bureau that Pete was exactly the kind of character I expected to find in a Washington newsroom,” said Julie Pace, the AP's Washington bureau chief. “In 48 years as an AP journalist, I had never seen a reporter as determined as Pete Yost.

In this 2019 photo provided by Smoke Sessions Records, musician Jimmy Cobb poses for the release of his album "This I Dig of You" in New York City. (Courtesy of Smoke Sessions Records via AP)Jimmy Cobb, a percussionist and the last surviving member of Miles Davis 1959 Kind of Blue groundbreaking jazz album which transformed the genre and sparked several careers, died Sunday. But Cobbs role as a drummer on the Kind of Blue jam session headed by Davis would forever change his career. It has sold more than 4 million copies and remains the best selling jazz album of all time. Cobb released his last album, This I Dig of You, with Smoke Sessions Records in August 2019.