Obituaries: June 29th, 2014

Source: TRB

Our brief tributes to two lost legends of the film and music industries.
It is with deep grief that we must report the tragic passings of Eli Wallach and Bobby Womack, both of whom left us over the course of this week. Since these disheartening losses occurred in such close proximity to one another, we have elected to compile our tributes to both of these iconic pioneers of their respective industries and genres into one comprehensive piece.

Without further ado or expression of the greatly demoralizing effects of these events, then, let's remember Eli and Bobby for their innumerable successes and for their unquestionably sustainable legacies:

• RIP ELI WALLACH (1915-2014)- Unlike the countless screen stars these days whose careers last barely any longer than it takes for a match to burn itself out, Eli Wallach refused to rob Hollywood of his presence for more than sixty years, starring in countless commercially and critically groundbreaking projects such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven and even the original Adam West Batman TV show. That the man managed to live his life for a whopping 98 years is fittingly representative of the enduring nature of his prolonged filmography, and we have no doubt whatsoever that his ever-loyal fanbase must have struggled to come to terms with the news that he passed away on Tuesday, June 24th.
• RIP BOBBY WOMACK (1944-2014)- Known across the globe for his plentiful contributions to the R&B and soul musical genres, Bobby Womack left us on Friday, June 27th after an elongated battle with afflictions such as prostate cancer and pneumonia. We've said it before in the case of other celebrity passings and we'll say it again here - though Bobby's work admittedly launched before our time, that's no great excuse for us to ignore it, and indeed, with the singer having recently passed away, perhaps now represents the most significant opportunity for us to cherish the works he left us with and to honour his memory whilst his family and followers grieve over their terrible loss.

Much as it may be ultimately impossible to summarize the extent of Eli and Bobby's impact upon their respective viewerships in the space of a single YouTube video, we do believe that we can at least begin to do the latter musician justice by including one of his most acclaimed compositions, "Lookin' For a Love", below. Be sure to leave your comments and/or memories of this iconic pair's esteemed work on our Facebook page or via the usual social networking domains.

Rest In Peace, Eli and Bobby.