Hillel Italie, Associated Press

Barrett Strong was one of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters, singing lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want),” and collaborated on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”

His talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal.

Trained as a librarian, Cleary didn’t start writing books until her early 30s when she wrote “Henry Huggins,” published in 1950.

The country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate is by far the youngest of the poets who have read at presidential inaugurations since Kennedy invited Robert Frost in 1961.

None of Singleton’s subsequent movies received the acclaim of “Boyz N the Hood” and he was criticized at times for turning characters into mouthpieces for political and social messages.

Glenn Frey, who co-founded the Eagles and with Don Henley became one of history's most successful songwriting teams with such hits as "Hotel California" and "Life in the Fast Lane," has died.

An emphatic ally and inspired foe, Christopher Hitchens stood by friends in trouble and against enemies in power. His list of heroes included Thomas Paine and Gore Vidal; those he shamed included Sarah Palin and Michael Moore.