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| John Singleton passed away. |
He passed away at the age of 51.
An icon in Black cinema is gone.
The famed director who was best known for the Oscar nominated movie Boyz 'N The Hood suffered a massive stroke last week. His family announced he will be taken off life support.
"It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton will be taken off life support today," a spokesman for the family said today. "This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John's doctors."
John Singleton is a prolific, ground-breaking director who changed the game and open doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up.
John grew up in South Central L.A. with a love of cinema that showed itself early on. He went on to become one of the most lauded graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Within months og graduating, John returned to South Central to shoot his debut feature, Boyz N The Hood. The movie, which was unusually shot in sequence, masterfully captured a story of friendship, youth and the peril of hard choices in a community marred by gang violence. The film earned special honors at its debut at Cannes and Singleton went onto become the youngest director and first African-American writer-director nominated for the Academy Award.
"We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time," the statement continued.
Singleton was known also for the movies Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Baby Boy, Shaft, Four Brothers, Abduction and Rosewood. He also had production in Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan, and Illegal Tender.
He has directed for television shows like Snowfall, American Crime Story, Empire and Rebel.
Singleton quietly struggled with hypertension. According to Deadline, more than 40% of African American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe.
The famed director leaves behinds his mother Shelia Ward, his father Danny Singleton and his children, Justice, Maasai, Hader, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis and Seven.
Singleton gave Tupac Shakur, Tyrese, Snoop Dogg, Taraj P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson, Regina King, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Michael Rapaport, Tyra Banks, Janet Jackson, Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr. a chance. They performed to their best.
He will be missed by many. Especially if you're a fan of Black cinema.
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