Detroit jazz musician, journalist Luther "Badman" Keith has died
Luther "Badman" Keith died unexpectedly Wednesday, his friends confirmed to CBS Detroit.
He was a jazz musician who had worked for decades at The Detroit News as a columnist and editor.
Keith had been an icon in Detroit for many in the journalism business, jazz and also those with ARISE Detroit!, a nonprofit promoting volunteerism and community activism.
He was a great musician, a legendary journalist, and above all one of the best men people have come to know.
He was a kind human with many talents.
His friends called him a great guy with a prideful personality and shining spirit.
According to his biography on his website, Keith went to The University of Detroit in the 1970s, earned a journalism degree and later landed a job as a reporter and columnist for The Detroit News. He would go on to become the first African American newsroom editor at The Detroit News in 1982.
He made an incredible impact on this community.
"This one is hitting a lot of people really hard just because the guy was so generous and just a real spirit about him that really got to people," said communications professor at University of Michigan Dearborn Tim Kiska, who knew Keith for years.
All over social media, people are giving Keith nothing but absolute love.
The man deserves his flowers for all he did for his community from journalism to the blues.
"It's a huge loss for us in the community and we just pray someone can carry the torch that Luther held for so long and lit so bright for so many people," said friend of Keith's, Aaron Amos.
Keith picked up the blues later in life but excelled at it. He produced 4 CDs and more than 50 songs. He even won an award for Outstanding Blues Songwriter.
Despite his late start, he never gave up on his passion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New sculpture honoring Lost Creek Settlement dedicated in Deming Park
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— Art Spaces is having their new sculpture honoring the Lost Creek Settlement dedicated in Deming Park on June 12. The piece, titled 'A View from the Porch,' was created by artist Reinaldo Correa Díaz. The dedication program will begin at the park at 5:15 p.m. and will include opening remarks from Art Spaces, state and local officials, the Indiana Arts Commission, Díaz, and descendants of the Lost Creek. The program will take place at the sculpture located past the stone bridge but before the large pond. The sculpture will be the 22nd in Art Spaces' collection and the fourth on what they call the Cultural Trail. The trail was established in 2008 and honors individuals, groups, and icons who have had a lasting impact on the community and beyond through works of art. The Lost Creek Settlement was formed in the early 1800s by a small group of free African Americans who came from Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina and settled into what is now Vigo County to escape racial violence and systemic oppression in the pre-Civil War South. For generations, these individuals owned and farmed their lands and established a community with churches, cemeteries, general stores, blacksmiths, and schools. They also employed their own teachers and gave them supplies when it was forbidden to educate African American students in Indiana public schools. For more information on the project or if you need accommodations, you can contact Art Spaces at 812-235-2801 or email them at info@ The event is free and open to the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Thousands turnout for Grayslake wine, art and performance event; ‘We're showcasing our town'
Approximately 2,500 people experienced visual and performance art on Saturday at this year's Arts Festival and Wine Tasting in downtown Grayslake. Adults could sample varieties of wine from several wineries to the sounds of live music on what turned out to be a nice day, weather-wise. Wine-tasting enthusiast Judith Mason of Niles said, 'I love Lake County. One of my best friends lives up here, so I'll spend the whole day up here. I come up probably once a month, easily. It's like a little vacation.' The Grayslake Chamber of Commerce presented the event, which featured 34 booths and food available for purchase. 'It brings people into the town so they can see what we have here in the Village Center,' chamber executive director Maribeth Hamm said. 'We're showcasing our town and all of our businesses.' Kelcie and Colleen Keith of Grayslake were delighted to find the festival while on a morning bike ride with children Lachlan, 5, and Lorelai, 3. 'It's magical,' Colleen Keith said. The Keith family viewed artist tents with inventory ranging from framed still images to jewelry and handmade crochet plushies. 'I, personally, am really into photography, nature-based art,' Keith said. 'Very thankful stuff like this gets put on.' Sarah Ratschan of Buffalo Grove said Grayslake is 'a great community with a great downtown, and lots to do. Very family friendly.' The Ratschan siblings reacted with surprise to the artwork shown at the shared booth of Painter Kelsie Morway of Round Lake Beach, and her father, Bill of Antioch, shared a booth featuring bright masks he had made. 'Because I have an artistic daughter, I just started doing these masks about six or seven months ago as a wintertime hobby,' he said. 'It's a therapeutic, enjoyable thing for me.' A performance by the Spotlight Company of the Dance Connection Grayslake school drew a large audience. Company members are, 'the community outreach ambassadors for the studio,' according to Bridget Blake, the owner of Dance Connection Grayslake. 'Throughout the year, we perform at festivals like this, but we also perform in the winter … perform at nursing homes and retirement communities,' she said. 'What I love about, especially Grayslake, is this kind of familiarity everybody has with one another … this comfort and connection with community.' Visitors also included a meet-up group with participants from Winthrop Harbor, Grayslake, Volo, Woodstock, Winthrop Harbor, Round Lake, Mount Prospect and Round Lake Beach. 'These are all my peeps,' meetup organizer Sue Weller of Grayslake said. 'There's a lot to do in Lake County … a lot of great festivals.' Participants in the meetup sampled wine, she said, but also did 'a little shopping, and (looked) for some jewelry, or some artwork.' 'I love to see all the talent,' group member Cindy Hohoff of Woodstock said. 'There's so much talent in these art fairs.' Ellen Russell of Round Lake, who was also part of the meetup, said, 'I'm going to be visiting some friends back East, so I'm looking for some gifts to take along that are from the area. It's a very pleasant little event.' Jeff Trager, a wine consultant from Wauconda, poured wine samples from vineyards including South Africa and Provence, France for Louis Glunz Wines. The Glunz company has a Grayslake tasting room and a Lincolnshire warehouse. 'The whole family grew up in Grayslake,' Trager said about the Glunz family, which also maintains a Paso Robles, California, vineyard. 'Wine to me is food; it really is,' he said. 'Wine adds to your meal. Wine adds to your experience. 'When you're eating, you're with family, you're with friends, you're smiling, you're laughing,' Trager added. 'Wine just brings that out. It's good for you. It's good for your soul. It makes life happier.'
American Military News
6 hours ago
- American Military News
Holy Schnikes! 30 years of 'Tommy Boy' to be celebrated in Sandusky
Sandusky, Ohio, will celebrate 30 years of the Chris Farley comedy classic 'Tommy Boy' this summer at Tommy Boy Fest, Aug. 7-9, organizers have announced. The three-day event will feature a car show, concerts, a scavenger hunt and outdoor screenings of the 1995 movie, which took place in Sandusky, home to the movie's fictional brake pad manufacturer, Callahan Auto Parts. Director Peter Segal is scheduled to attend the event, along with the restored 1967 Plymouth Belvedere II GTX convertible used in the movie, according to a press release. The fest will also host a photo op for anyone local named either Tom or Tommy. 'Tommy Boy' stars Farley as Tommy Callahan III and David Spade as Richard Hayden, a pair of salesmen selling car parts on the road throughout the Midwest in an effort to help save Callahan's family business after the death of his father. It also stars Brian Dennehy, Dan Aykroyd, Bo Derek and an uncredited Rob Lowe. The film was released in March 1995 and grossed $32 million at the North American box office. It has since achieved cult status as a fan favorite, especially after the death of Farley, who died in 1997 at age 33. Paramount Pictures, the film's distributor, released a 30th anniversary edition of the film on 4K earlier this year. Sandusky, which is home to Cedar Point, is a roughly two-hour drive from Detroit. More information on the festival is available at ___ © 2025 The Detroit News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
