Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
UPDATED: 5:00 PM EST March 13, 2025
While death is an inevitable part of life, it’s never easy when someone we love, admire, or even look up to dies.
So far, in 2025, we’ve had to say goodbye to some notable Black people.
Junior Bridgeman, Louisville basketball legend and successful Black entrepreneur, died this week after suffering a medical emergency at the Galt House Hotel.
According to Kentucky’s WAVE, Bridgeman was attending an event at the Galt House in downtown Louisville on March 11 when he grabbed his chest and said he thought he was having a heart attack. The room was cleared as medical personnel attempted to intervene in the medical emergency. Later that day, the Al J. Schneider Company, which owns the Galt House, confirmed his death his death with the Courier-Journal.
“Junior Bridgeman was an integral part of our community. From his athletic impact to his philanthropic efforts, he will be deeply missed,” said Lance George, Chief Marketing Officer. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bridgeman family during this time.”
As reported by our family over at CassiusLife, Bridgeman was a beloved member of the basketball community after getting his start at the University of Louisville, where he led the Cardinals to the NCAA Final Four in 1975. From there, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, and after nine years, he went to the Los Angeles Clippers for a bit before ultimately retiring with the team that drafted him.
As CEO and president, he led his own Bridgeman Foods Inc., and later, through his Bridgeman Sports and Media company, he bought iconic black media companies Ebony and Jet. Then, just last year, his business career had a full circle moment as he purchased a 10% stake in the Bucks, which is evaluated in its entirety at $4 billion.
______________
The Jazz and Soul music legend Roy Ayers has passed at the age of 84.
According to Variety, the Jazz vibraphonist’s family confirmed that he passed away on Tuesday, March 4, after a “long illness.”
“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer, and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4, 2025, in New York City after a long illness,” reads the Ayers family’s statement. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. A celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
According to HipHopWired, Ayers was best known for his song “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” from his 1976 album of the same name, which has been sampled countless times by Hip-Hop and R&B musicians. Ayers often credited Mary J. Blige’s 1994 “My Life,” which liberally samples the aforementioned song, with reviving his career and enriching his bank account.
Also a composer and record producer, Ayers’ deep and rich catalog of music has long been mined for samples that got flipped into new beats that hipped a new generation of listeners to his grooves. Some of those recognizable songs include “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby,” “Searching,” and “Running Away,” which were in turn chopped and massaged into new works from the likes of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Mos Def, Kendrick Lamar. A Tribe Called Quest and many, many more. Also notable was Ayers’ crafting of the soundtrack to the Blaxploitation classic Coffy, which stars Pam Grier.
Here is a list of notable Black people who died so far in 2025. Their impact on the culture will forever be missed.
MORE: Notable Black People Who Died By Suicide
Post a Comment
0 Comments