Photo: Violetta Wallace | By Nardine Saad, LA Times | Voletta Wallace, the mother of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. who worked to elevate his short-lived but influential career to hip-hop greatness, has died. She was 78.
“We suffered a tremendous loss today. Our mother, our matriarch, the woman who dedicated herself to uplifting her son, Christopher Wallace, and preserving his legacy has passed,” Wallace’s family said Friday on her Facebook page. “It is with immense sadness that we share this news with you, and ask that you give our family the space and time needed to grieve this monumental loss. Thank you for your continued outpouring of love, prayers and condolences in this difficult time.”
Wallace died Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Penn., the Monroe County coroner, Thomas Yanac, confirmed to the Associated Press. She died of natural causes in hospice care at home, he said. Yanac did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment.
Wallace’s son, who was also known as Biggie, was gunned down in 1997 following a music industry party in the Mid-Wilshire district, just two weeks before his seminal album “Life After Death” was released. His mother worked to safeguard the “Hypnotize” rapper’s legacy and pass on his wealth to her grandchildren, “Notorious” star Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace and daughter T’yanna Dream Wallace. The family also filed a number of lawsuits alleging wrongful death and conspiracy.
She and her family also sued the city of Los Angeles, alleging that officials covered up police involvement in the rapper’s slaying. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in 2010 after lawyers on both sides said they had reached an agreement allowing for the lawsuit to be filed at a later date. The family brought several other lawsuits stemming from the killing, which remains unsolved.
Wallace, a Jamaican immigrant, worked as a preschool teacher and was a single mother. Her son, who was 24 when he died, was killed just six months after rival rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas. The Brooklyn emcee and “Big Poppa” rapper, born Christopher Wallace, was among the most successful acts launched by embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Six months after his death, his mother took the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards to accept the prize for rap video (“Hypnotize”) on his behalf.
“I know if my son was here tonight, the first thing he would have done is say, ‘Big up to Brooklyn,'” she said.
Two years later, she and Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur, put on a united front at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards to “stand united as mothers preserving their [sons’] legacies.
“The fact that we are even standing here shows what the power of faith, friends, family, loved ones and fans can do to bring us all closer,” Wallace said.
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Read more on Ms. Wallace and her work here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/voletta-wallace-mother-of-rapper-notorious-b-i-g-and-steward-of-his-legacy-dies-at-78/
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-02-21/voletta-wallace-dead-notorious-big-mother
Photo: Violetta Wallace
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=28956266000625272&set=a.507821479229771
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Jerry Butler, Impressions Singer Known as the Iceman, Dies at 85
By KiMi Robinson, USA Today | Jerry Butler, cofounder of the Impressions and baritone singer/songwriter known for hits such as “For Your Precious Love” and “Only The Strong Survive,” has reportedly died. He was 85.
The soul musician, who earned two Grammy nods in his lifetime, died Thursday at his Chicago home, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, The New York Times and The Washington Post. The Post and the Sun-Times cited Butler’s family members, while the Times received confirmation from his assistant. They reported he had been living with Parkinson’s disease.
A representative for Illinois’ Cook County, which includes Chicago, mourned the passing of the “dedicated public servant,” who served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners for three decades.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jerry ‘The Iceman’ Butler, a legendary artist, dedicated public servant, and beloved member of our Cook County community,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Friday. His “contributions to music and public service are immeasurable. As a founding member of The Impressions, his distinguished voice helped shape the sound of R&B and soul, leaving an indelible mark on American music.
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Read more on the very impressive life of Mr. Butler and how he inspired Bruce Springsteen here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/jerry-butler-impressions-singer-known-as-the-iceman-dies-at-85-reports/
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jerry Butler, Impressions singer known as the Iceman, dies at 85:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/02/21/jerry-butler-the-impressions-dead-at-85/79456197007/