Here is my combined remembrance of two entertainers we lost this weekend:

Remembering Joe Negri 1926-2026

Musician Joe Negri has died at 99 (just days away from his 100th birthday). He was a jazz guitarist and educator. Between 1968 and 2001, he appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as Handyman Negri. It was a PBS children's show I loved as a kid and all his series regulars (both people and puppets) added a bit to the fun!

Negri in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe

The link above is the obit from EW.

Remembering Ronald LaPread 1950-2026

Musician Ronald LaPread has died at 75. He was a founding member in Alabama R&B group the Commodores. He was the bassist from 1970 to 1986, playing on such hits as "Machine Gun" (later featured in a montage in Boogie Nights and sampled by The Beastie Boys for "Hey Ladies"), "Easy" (later covered by Faith No More), "Brick House" (which he co-wrote), "Three Times a Lady", and "Nightshift" (later covered by Bruce Springsteen for Only the Strong Survive) to name a few.

LaPread on bass (far right) with the Commodores circa late 70s

Ronald LaPread, a founding member and former bassist of the Commodores who performed on the group’s hits including “Brick House, “Three Times a Lady,” and “Easy,” has died. He was 75, his daughter confirmed the news on Saturday via social media. “It is with very heavy heart that I must announce that my Father Ronald LaPread has passed,” she posted. NZ Herald reports that the bassist died in…