Barry White (28)

Barry White
1944-2003
Walrus of Love
Cause of Death: Kidney failure resulting from hypertension
Wearing White: After 40 years of lushly orchestrated come-ons, White remains the alpha and omega of low-register seduction. Upon his demise, the mammoth loverman immediately entered the textile pantheon reserved for hip-hop's fallen heroes, receiving his place on T-shirts alongside Tupac, Biggie and Tony Montana. Puffy kicked this off by taking the stage at MTV's 2003 Video Music Awards in a T-shirt emblazoned with White's name.
Mo' Money, Mo' Problems: With nine children, an estranged wife and a longtime girlfriend, White's estate was destined for a legal quagmire. Soon after his death, White's girlfriend of seven years filed a child-support claim against his estate, alleging that the singer had sired her month-old daughter; a year later she offered to drop the case in exchange for a house.Glodean, White's estranged wife, retained control of the estate and musical catalogue. Peer Plaudits: Always a favorite source for samplers, White remains an ironclad musical cue for everyone from G-Unit songstress Olivia to Polish MC Kosman. Even the Pillsbury Doughboy shilled to the strains of Barry in a 2005 television spot.