'7 Habits' author Stephen Covey dead at 79
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/16/us/obit-stephen-covey/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9
(CNN) -- Author Stephen Covey, whose "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" sold more than 20 million copies, died Monday at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was 79.
Covey's family issued a statement, reported by CNN affiliate KSL, saying he died from residual effects of an April bicycle accident.
"In his final hours, he was surrounded by his loving wife and each one (of) his children and their spouses, just as he always wanted," the statement said, according to KSL.
Covey was "one of the world's foremost leadership authorities, organizational experts and thought leaders," according to a biography posted on the website of his 2011 book, "The 3rd Alternative."
Other best-sellers by Covey include "First Things First," "Principle-Centered Leadership," and "The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness," according to the biography.
"The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People" has been named one of the most influential management books by several organizations, including Time and Forbes magazines. The audio book is the best-selling nonfiction audio in history, according to the website.
Once named one of Time magazine's 25 most influential Americans, according to the biography, Covey "made teaching principle-centered living and principle-centered leadership his life's work."
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert released a statement saying he was "saddened" to hear of the death of Covey, a "good friend."
"His combination of intellect and empathy made him a truly unique and visionary individual," Herbert said. "The skills he taught, and importantly, the personal example provided by the life he led, will continue to bless the lives of many. Our hearts go out to his beloved wife Sandra and the entire Covey family."
Covey held a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Utah, a master's in business administration from Harvard and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. He also received 10 honorary doctorate degrees, his biography said.
He founded Covey Leadership Center, which in 1997 merged with Franklin Quest to create FranklinCovey Co. The company is a "global consulting and training leader in the areas of strategy execution, leadership, customer loyalty, sales performance, school transformation and individual effectiveness," with 44 offices in 147 countries, according to the website.
In 2010, Covey joined Utah State University's Jon M. Huntsman School of Business faculty as a tenured full professor, the biography said.
Covey and his wife, Sandra, lived in Provo, Utah. He was a father of nine, a grandfather of 52 and a great-grandfather of two, according to the website.
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Kitty Wells, country music's first female superstar, dies
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Singer Kitty Wells, whose hits such as "Making Believe" and "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" made her the first female superstar of country music, died Monday. She was 92.
The singer's family said she died peacefully at home after complications from a stroke.
Her solo recording career lasted from 1952 to the late 1970s and she made concert tours from the late 1930s until 2000. That year, she announced she was quitting the road, although she performed occasionally in Nashville and elsewhere afterward.
Her "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952 was the first No. 1 hit by a woman soloist on the country music charts and dashed the notion that women couldn't be headliners. Billboard magazine had been charting country singles for about eight years at that time.
She recorded approximately 50 albums, had 25 Top 10 country hits and went around the world several times. From 1953 to 1968, various polls listed Wells as the No. 1 female country singer. Tammy Wynette finally dethroned her.
In 1976, she was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and 10 years later received the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music. In 1991, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences — the group that presents the Grammy Awards.
Her 1955 hit "Making Believe" was on the movie soundtrack of "Mississippi Burning" that was released 33 years later. Among her other hits were "The Things I Might Have Been," "Release Me," "Amigo's Guitar," "Heartbreak USA," "Left to Right" and a version of "I Can't Stop Loving You."
In 1989, Wells collaborated with Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn and k.d. lang on the record "The Honky Tonk Angels Medley."
"I never really thought about being a pioneer," she said in an Associated Press interview in 2008. "I loved doing what I was doing."
Her songs tended to treasure devotion and home life, with titles like "Searching (For Someone Like You)" and "Three Ways (To Love You)." But her "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" gave the woman's point of view about the wild side of life.
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Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord dies at 71
Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 71.
Lord was diagnosed with a tumor in his pancreas in 2011, and he headed to Israel in February to undergo treatment. He was due to make his return in Hagen, Germany, earlier this month, but had to postpone the gig due to poor health.
A statement released at the time read, "Jon wishes to assure everyone that this is not a matter for concern, but it is a continuation of his regular treatment that has just taken longer than anticipated. He and the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra hope to be able to reschedule the concert for later in the year."
However, Lord's condition took a turn for the worse, and he passed away Monday at a private hospital in London.
A post on his official website states, "It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jon Lord, who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism today, Monday 16th July at the London Clinic, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon was surrounded by his loving family."