This week: a legendary jazz producer, a celebrated rock climber and two best-selling authors
THE jazz and pop producer Tommy LiPuma, who has died aged 80, won Grammys for collaborations with Natalie Cole and George Benson in a career spanning six decades. LiPuma's productions won five Grammys in all and were nominated for 28 more, and saw sales of 75 million.
His collaborating partners also included Sir Paul McCartney, and singer-keyboardist Diana Krall.
Krall said that, just a few weeks ago, she and LiPuma had put the finishing touches to her newest album, Turn Up The Quiet, a record of jazz and American popular song. "He understood the importance and challenges of where one could be as an artist," Krall said.
The pair won a Grammy for Krall's 2002 album Live In Paris. He also won Grammys for Benson's 1976 single This Masquerade, Cole's 1991 album Unforgettable ... With Love and McCartney's 2012 concert DVD Live Kisses.
His last album with Krall will be released on May 5.
LiPuma died in New York after a brief illness, according to the Decca/Verve Label Group, where he had served as chairman.
THE legendary rock climber Royal Robbins, who has died aged 82, made many ascents that were once considered impossible and was part of the Golden Age of Yosemite, a time from roughly 1955 to 1970, when a vagabond group of climbers lived in Yosemite National Park in California and devoted their lives to climbing. He was also a major promoter of clean climbing techniques and equipment to avoid rock damage.
In 1967, Robbins and his wife, Liz made the first ascent of the Nutcracker route in the Yosemite Valley using only removable gear for protection. It was the first climb of its kind in the United States. Afterwards, Robbins advocated using removable equipment rather than damaging pitons into the granite cracks. His advocacy of clean climbing influenced generations of climbers since.
His first ascents include El Capitan's Salathe Wall and North American Wall and Chamonix's American Direct on the Dru and he continued to climb well into his 70s.
He was also a prolific writer. His instruction manuals Rockcraft and Advanced Rockcraft provided climbers with a manual on climbing ethics. He also published a three-part autobiographical series, My Life: Royal Robbins.
AUTHOR Robert James Waller, who has died aged 77, was best known for his 1992 novel The Bridges Of Madison County, which was turned into a hit movie starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood as well as a Broadway musical.
In Bridges, which Waller famously wrote in just 11 days, a photographer spends four days romancing a war bride from Italy who is married to a no-nonsense Iowa farmer.
Waller's novel reached the top of the New York Times best-seller list and stayed on it for more than three years.
The 1995 movie, which was also directed by Eastwood, grossed £150 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the film.
WRITER Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who has died of ovarian cancer aged 51, was the author of more than 30 books and was particularly known for her colourful children's stories including Uni the Unicorn and Duck! Rabbit! She was also known for her short films and YouTube videos.
A native of Chicago, she worked in advertising for several years before she had what she called a McEpiphany. She was with her children at McDonald's when she promised herself that she would leave advertising and become a writer.
Rosenthal more than kept her word. Starting in the late 1990s, she regularly published at least a book a year, and sometimes three or four. She had completed seven more picture books before her death, including a collaboration with her daughter, Paris, called Dear Girl.
Rosenthal also loved experimenting with different media, and blending the virtual and physical worlds. One of her favourite projects was a YouTube video, 17 Things I Made, featuring everything from books she had written to a peanut butter sandwich.
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