Obituaries in the news

By The Associated Press

updated 11:21 p.m. ET July 15, 2009

Michael Klenfner

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Klenfner, a former Atlantic Records music executive who helped transform the Blues Brothers from a "Saturday Night Live" skit into Grammy Award-nominated recording artists, died Tuesday. He was 62.

Klenfner died in New York City from complications of congestive heart failure, said daughter Kate Klenfner.

In the 1970s, Klenfner helped comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi take their "SNL" act about an American blues and soul revivalist band to the top of the charts. The Blues Brothers' songs include "Rubber Biscuit" and "Soul Man."

Klenfner later helped steer Cher's comeback with her 1998 hit "Believe."

He promoted hundreds of other musicians in a career spanning more than 30 years.

___

Earl Haig

LONDON (AP) — Earl Haig, who developed his gift for painting as a prisoner of war in World War II, died Friday. He was 91.

Haig died at Borders General Hospital in Melrose, Scotland, his family said. The cause of death was not announced.

Art helped Haig move out of the shadow of his father, Field Marshal Douglas Haig, whose command of British troops in the war of attrition on World War I's Western Front has been sharply criticized by some — and strongly defended by his son.

Serving as a second lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, Haig was captured by Italian troops in North Africa in 1942 and eventually was held at Colditz Castle in Germany. In captivity, he revived a childhood interest in art.

His father died when he was 10 but the field marshal's reputation weighed heavily on Haig, who titled his autobiography "My Father's Son." His father commanded troops at the 1916 Battle of the Somme, which cost 420,000 British casualties in four months of stalemate. His determination to take on the German army in the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 produced more enormous casualties.

Earl Haig, who inherited his title from his father, the first earl, was a staunch defender of his father whenever those tactics were questioned.

Haig retired from the army in 1951, freeing him to study art intensively.

One of his earliest patrons was Queen Mother Elizabeth, who bought a landscape at Haig's first exhibition. Queen Elizabeth II appointed Haig to the Royal Fine Art Commission in 1958.

___

Nelson Munsey

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nelson Munsey, who played six seasons for the Baltimore Colts in the 1970s, has died of heart disease. He was 61.

The Anderson-Ragsdale mortuary confirmed the death on Wednesday.

A cornerback for the Colts from 1972-77, Munsey had seven interceptions in his final three seasons. In 1975, he started all 14 games for Baltimore, helping the Colts win the AFC East Division before losing to Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

In the final game of the regular season that year, Munsey picked off a pass by New England's Steve Grogan and returned it 30 yards to seal the Colts' 34-21 win.

Born July 2, 1948, Munsey played for Uniontown Area High School before going to the University of Wyoming. He wasn't drafted, but signed with the Colts as a free agent in 1972.

Munsey's younger brother, Chuck Muncie, was a star running back in the NFL and finished second to Archie Griffin in Heisman Trophy voting in 1975. Muncie played nine seasons for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers.