Deaths elsewhere

Gene Puerling, leader of the innovative vocal quartet the Hi-Lo's and a noted vocal arranger whose sophisticated harmonies influenced the sound of other groups, including the Beach Boys, died March 25. He was 78. Puerling, a longtime resident of San Anselmo, Calif., died of complications from diabetes at a San Francisco Bay Area hospital.

Formed in Hollywood in 1953, the Hi-Lo's were "frighteningly talented" and "could flawlessly execute seemingly impossible vocal leaps," according to an appreciation on the website All About Jazz.

Their rich sound sprang from Puerling arrangements that could make other performers swoon. Jazz pianist and TV host Steve Allen is said to have called the Hi-Lo's "the best vocal group of all time." Singer Bing Crosby reportedly said: "These guys are so good they can whisper in harmony."

In addition to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, other groups have cited the Hi-Lo's as an influence. They include the Mamas and the Papas, the Gatlin Brothers, Take Six and Manhattan Transfer, according to biographical sources.

Angus Fairhurst, one of the group of Young British Artists who stormed the international art scene in the 1990s, died Saturday. He was 41. Fairhurst committed suicide during a walk in a remote part of Scotland, spokeswoman Erica Bolton said.

Born in 1966 in Penbury, England, Fairhurst studied at London's Goldsmiths College in the 1980s, where his contemporaries included Damien Hirst, Gary Hume and Sarah Lucas. They and their work -- first exhibited in the 1988 exhibition "Freeze" -- were central to the group of provocative and playful young artists dubbed the Young British Artists. Patronage by collector Charles Saatchi and intense media attention brought riches and fame to several of the group, notably Hirst and Tracey Emin.

Fairhurst had a lower profile, but his paintings, sculptures and installations were exhibited around the world. His work was included in the 2000 "Apocalypse" exhibition at the Royal Academy and in 2004, Fairhurst, Lucas and Hirst collaborated on the "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" show at Tate Britain.

He was a 37-year-old assistant classics professor when he became Princeton's 16th president in 1957. During his tenure, which lasted until his retirement in 1972, the university first admitted women, increased its ethnic and racial diversity and expanded its commitment to research while its annual budget quadrupled.

Goheen was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as U.S. ambassador to India, serving from May 1977 through December 1980.

Sean Levert, a third of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, died Sunday after falling ill while serving a jail term. He was 39. Authorities said that an autopsy was inconclusive but that foul play was ruled out.

Levert was sentenced last week to one year and 10 months in jail for failing to pay $89,025 in child support. He died at Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland, less than an hour after he was taken there from the jail, said coroner Frank Miller.

His brother Gerald Levert, who had success as a solo artist after leaving their trio, died in 2006 at age 40 of an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

"Casanova" was nominated for a Grammy in 1988 for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal. It was also nominated for best R&B song.