STAR-SPANGLED COFFIN
US political satirist Mark Russell has died aged 90. The bowtied funnyman hosted many a PBS special from the 70s to the aughts, where he played jaunty tunes on a flag-draped piano skewering the politicians of the day. His longtime association with parody (his songs were typically retoolings of Great American Songbook canon) saw him align with rap group 2 Live Crew when they were in legal hot water over their parody of “Oh, Pretty Woman”. The unlikely alliance ultimately prevailed in court. He retired days before Trump won, which has “Tom Lehrer retiring after Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize” energy. Russell was a unique for Captain Hemlock’s Twenty.
Mark Russell
23 August 1932 – 30 March 2023, aged 90
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