Darren (Bo) Taylor, a former Los Angeles gang member who became a peacekeeper respected by street toughs as well as by law enforcement and community activists struggling to reduce inner-city violence, died of cancer Monday in San Diego. He was 42. After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Taylor founded Unity One, a grass-roots organization that attacked gang violence through life-skills training as well as through conflict resolution on the front lines. Taylor was a consummate mediator whose years as a Crip gave him credibility and insight into problems that had divided street toughs and law enforcement into warring camps.
Lee Young, a jazz drummer who served as Nat King Cole's musical director for nearly a decade and broke barriers as one of the first black musicians hired for a staff position with a Hollywood studio orchestra, died July 31 in Los Angeles. He was 94. The multi-talented Young, who played on scores of recordings, was also a successful bandleader and mentor of young talent, including alto saxophonist Art Pepper.
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