RIP Ed
November 9, 2006 9:51 AM   Subscribe

Ed Bradley has passed away. We are seriously mourning his loss at NPR. He was the ultimate professional, sharp as a nail, and a damn good friend.
posted by bluedaniel (82 comments total)
 
Hard to say more on this now. 'Still in shock. But I know many of you admired him here.
posted by bluedaniel at 9:52 AM on November 9, 2006


Not only did I like Bradley quite a bit on his own terms, he was also part of my favorite Hunter hompson headline of all time:
"Ed Bradley and the Stigma of Bull Worship."
posted by COBRA! at 9:56 AM on November 9, 2006


Was working on a post for this: A man many of us grew up with. Also heard on NPR's Jazz From Lincoln Center broadcasts.

He'll be very much missed.

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posted by moonbird at 9:56 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by TedW at 10:01 AM on November 9, 2006


I used to work on West 57th Street (not for CBS, but in the same building with a lot of CBS offices) and saw Mr. Bradley around all the time, and even spoke with him occasionally about jazz recordings. He was an incredibly nice man, in my limited experience of interacting with him, and insanely knowledgeable about music.

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posted by enrevanche at 10:03 AM on November 9, 2006


Just saw him on TV the other night while flipping by. Can't remember whom he was interviewing because all I could think of was how weak he sounded.

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posted by hal9k at 10:06 AM on November 9, 2006


As might be expected, CBS has a more detailed obit.
posted by TedW at 10:06 AM on November 9, 2006


I am surprised that as a journalist, he did not reveal he had leukemia -- like Sam Donaldson had done with his skin cancer.

A good journalist heads to heaven.
posted by parmanparman at 10:07 AM on November 9, 2006


Well shucks....

Basil Pouledouris too. Bad day.
posted by elendil71 at 10:07 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by cass at 10:09 AM on November 9, 2006


Wow, that's terrible. Obviously just a TV watcher here, but he struck me as an incredibly classy guy it was always a pleasure to watch.
posted by selfnoise at 10:09 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by ameliajayne at 10:10 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by padraigin at 10:12 AM on November 9, 2006


A great loss.


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posted by eyeballkid at 10:12 AM on November 9, 2006 [1 favorite]


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posted by bshort at 10:15 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:15 AM on November 9, 2006


I was at a club late night at Jazzfest several years ago, maybe around '99 or '00, and he was there dancing like a maniac with a pretty young lady, loving life.

On a sidenote, I found his head to be enormous, and I don't mean his ego. Like, physiologically, he had a big head.
posted by poppo at 10:17 AM on November 9, 2006 [1 favorite]


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I hope he saw the news yesterday. I think he would have been pleased.
posted by anastasiav at 10:19 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:22 AM on November 9, 2006


Can't remember whom he was interviewing because all I could think of was how weak he sounded.

And how gaunt he looked. I also wondered what was wrong with him, and whether I had missed some news that he was ill.

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posted by pardonyou? at 10:24 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by fungible at 10:30 AM on November 9, 2006



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posted by matteo at 10:33 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by space2k at 10:34 AM on November 9, 2006


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(and another "." for Pouledouris... Thanks for the heads up, elendil71. I love his score for Starship Troopers.)
posted by brundlefly at 10:34 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by amberglow at 10:35 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:35 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by drezdn at 10:38 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by evilcolonel at 10:43 AM on November 9, 2006


This took me by surprise. Very sad, and exactly the sort of loss that American journalism can't afford.
posted by washburn at 10:43 AM on November 9, 2006


While I hated the allusion to Bradley being "the first black White House correspondent..." (black...White???), I will miss him. When Walter Cronkite goes, I shall tear up my press pass and find a hole to cry in.
posted by rotoman at 10:45 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Duncan at 10:48 AM on November 9, 2006


He was the only guy who looked good with an earring. Now we can finally ban it.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:49 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Dr. Twist at 10:50 AM on November 9, 2006


o

(for his earring)
posted by Guy Smiley at 10:56 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by tristeza at 10:57 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by scody at 10:58 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by black8 at 11:03 AM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Token Meme at 11:06 AM on November 9, 2006


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I grew up listening to him on 60 minutes. Wow, what a journalist. He will be missed.
posted by about_time at 11:14 AM on November 9, 2006


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What a tremendous talent lost. Godspeed.
posted by scblackman at 11:23 AM on November 9, 2006


I saw him at an experimental play once. He seemed a genuinely hip smart cerebral gentleman. Earring and all.

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posted by Skygazer at 11:28 AM on November 9, 2006


Damn.
posted by mistermoore at 11:37 AM on November 9, 2006



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posted by mosk at 11:42 AM on November 9, 2006


Ed Bradley made Sixty Minutes most watchable.
posted by Cedric at 11:46 AM on November 9, 2006


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Ed Bradley was one of the greats; this is a terrible blow to journalism.

And rotoman, you should know Uncle Walt can't die. Right? :(
posted by keswick at 12:01 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by luminous phenomena at 12:03 PM on November 9, 2006


Damn. I always thought he was very sexy for an older man.
posted by figment of my conation at 12:15 PM on November 9, 2006


Ed Bradley and Jazz from Lincoln Center kept me company on those cold and wet winter days I spent in my basement, polishing up my bikes and hoping for spring.
posted by fixedgear at 12:19 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by LeeJay at 12:30 PM on November 9, 2006


RIP Mr. Bradley.

This paragon of journalism constantly reminded me of the utter inanity of charlatans such as Bill O, Hannity,Carlson,
posted by Neiltupper at 12:31 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Jikido at 12:34 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by contessa at 1:09 PM on November 9, 2006


Gosh. What a shocker. It feels like it was only yesterday that he and I were seated next to each other at the Thelonious Monk festival in Washington, DC, with Nellie Monk sitting to his right. As we listened to some of the gifted young musicians jam on stage, I got control of the armrest early. In fact, my forearm covered our entire shared space, and I was about to let my body rest to the beautiful cover of Epistrophy that a young quartet from Arthur Avenue was performing in front of us. No sooner had I begun to slump down in my seat, however, Bradley hit me with a piercing elbow between the third and fourth rib, right in the sensitive part of my lats, behind the back of my arm. I leapt out of my seat at the sharp jab and even made an audible yelp, which everyone around us noticed. When I turned and looked over at Ed, he slapped Nellie on the thigh and flashed me that trademark crooked grin as he shook his head and said, to the tune of the bridge in Epistrophy, "you're not going to take my armrest, Ronald." I was rubbing my side from the sting of that boney elbow, but I had to laugh because Ed's face was so funny, and the three of us laughed so loudly together that the quartet nearly stopped in the middle of the set laughing along with us. Needless to say, he will be missed.
posted by esquire at 1:26 PM on November 9, 2006 [1 favorite]


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posted by Thorzdad at 1:49 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by PHINC at 2:32 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by cookie-k at 2:55 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Smedleyman at 3:33 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Parannoyed at 3:55 PM on November 9, 2006


I remember that night, esquire. I laughed so hard, Kitty Carlisle Hart left me there without a ride. And by "ride," I mean... well, this isn't the time or the place. Needless to say, he will be missed.
posted by Superfrankenstein at 3:55 PM on November 9, 2006


Yeah, Ed Bradley. He asked serial liar Kathleen Willey if the Clenis had a hard on when he was, according to Willey, forcing himself on her.
posted by wrapper at 4:03 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by alteredcarbon at 4:09 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by snsranch at 4:12 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by Smart Dalek at 4:36 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by msali at 4:42 PM on November 9, 2006


Very sorry to hear this.
posted by puddinghead at 4:52 PM on November 9, 2006


"Ed kicks ass. He is cool. He is also a Charter Member of the Woody Creek Rod & Gun Club, which is super-naturally cool. Take my word for it, folks: I am the executive Director of the Woody Creek A.C., as they say in less-informed circles."

-- a repeatable excerpt from the aforementioned post by Hunter S Thompson.
posted by grabbingsand at 5:06 PM on November 9, 2006


My dad used to always bitch about my earring thinking it was fey and no grown man should wear one. He also never missed an episode of 60 Minutes. One day years ago we were watching together, and I coulda swore I saw a little gleam in Bradley's ear. I can still remember getting up and walking right over to the screen while dad looked on, confused. As Bradley's image came and went on the screen I insisted to my dad that he had an earring and was wearing it, now, during this interview. Dad harrumphed and grumbled his no ways, but when the camera locked on, it was indisputable. If 60 Minutes host Ed Bradley could wear an earring, so could I.

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posted by vito90 at 5:46 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by SteveTheRed at 6:09 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by rougy at 6:29 PM on November 9, 2006


Gee, that's too bad - he is one who will be very missed,
posted by madamjujujive at 6:31 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by zardoz at 6:47 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by WaterSprite at 7:52 PM on November 9, 2006


and :-(
posted by WaterSprite at 7:53 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by mewithoutyou at 8:31 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by kosher_jenny at 8:59 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by mrbula at 9:30 PM on November 9, 2006


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(and I wouldn't even dot for elvis, john wayne or sonny bono.)
posted by isopraxis at 9:33 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by grrarrgh00 at 9:45 PM on November 9, 2006


I grew up watching this guy, and it was a pleasure watching the fruits of his investigation / interviewing. What a bummer.
posted by exlotuseater at 10:32 PM on November 9, 2006


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posted by readery at 5:20 AM on November 10, 2006


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posted by paulus andronicus at 2:30 PM on November 10, 2006


CBS Owes Ed Bradley an Apology: The network may have paid ample tribute when the newsman recently passed away, but that doesn’t make up for shelving his hard-hitting report in 2004 about how the country was misled into war.
posted by homunculus at 12:18 PM on November 22, 2006


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