Page 920 - Composer News Today

>> mitchell: pianist roger williams died today of pancreatic cancer at his home in los angeles.

Working at disney land when he first heard that sound that seemed an invitation to the impossible. >> and my ear was just transfixed by the sound of the banjo. and i got one, as soon as i could. >> reporter: famous group, the dillards, played on "the andy griffith show." and on the radio, the master. with some help from a high school friend, steve martin taught himself to play the songs of earl scruggs. >> i would get records by earl scruggs, 33 rpm. and you could slow them down to 16 1/4, i thi...

>> reporter: but martin gathered up a band, writing the songs himself. only the banjo, he says, can go all the way from hilarity to heartbreak. on one of his two albums, he wrote a melody for nancy short, who died a year ago. >> i dedicated it to my friend marty shorts -- sorry. ill play it for you. ♪ >> reporter: its called "the great remember." and steve martin has proved every doubter wrong. believe it or not, just last week, he won the biggest award in bluegrass. he and the band named ente...

Countless innovations that enrich and improve all our lives. the world is immeasureably better because of steve. now, we last saw steve jobs at an apple conference here in san francisco back in june. he was looking extremely thin as he heads for six or seven years now, but he did look vibrant and almost had the life he did as a young man, appearing at these apple conferences. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: in his signature blue jeans and black turtle neck, steve jobs became familiar as app...

Learning how to quite. >> reporter: the first macintosh computer in 1984 see doused customers with technology that was stylishly designed and easy to use. >> innovations really are driving the technology right into the strf our lives. >> what? jorz jobs was involve hd the movies too, hype the an i makes company, pixar which produced hit such as toy story. in 2009, after a six-mon medical leave from apple, jobs made an uncharacteristicly personal announcement. >> as some of you may know, about fi...

>> okay. >> not hardly. and the country this shape is in, you know, theyre the enemy. theyre the enemy. >> reporter: espn, part of abcs parent company disney, quickly pulled williams song, explaining, "we are extremely disappointed with his comments." williams reportedly went fishing today, but issued this statement. "i have always been very passionate about politics and sports and this time it got the best or worst of me. the thought of the leaders of both parties juking and high-fiving on a go...

Theater world in new york had a blockbuster idea, one thats now making a difference. our report from nbcs anne thompson. ♪ >> reporter: 7-year-old evans piano lessons widened his world narrowed by autism. with limited communication and social skills he has a tendency to scream when stressed. his parents thought going to a broadway show like "the lion king" would be one more joy autism presented. >> he sleeps with simba. so he really likes it. >> reporter: this week, evan, his sister grace and ...

our pentagon xpont barbara star has more on the air strike that killed al-awlaki. >> reporter: this is important. this man posed a direct threat to the united states had inspired him by all accounts ordered attacks against the u.s. now this apparently is the result of a two-year effort between the u.s. intelligence community and the people to go after him to find him, target him and take him out. very controversial as he is an american born citizen. killed for his activities in another...

militant group that may be as big a threat to the united states in afghanistan as al qaeda or the taliban. the obama administration appears ready to formally call the haqqani network what so many people believe it is, a terrorist organization. our foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is at the state department, shes been digging on this story. what are you learning? >> wolf your know, the political pressure here in the united states has been building to put the haqqani network ...

is he eating? is she sleeping? >> well, you know, its been very tough for her. you know, especially these last three hearings. its been, you know, everything against her. so, you know, with literally her life hanging in the balance of what the decision is in the courtroom, its very tough to sleep. she has been thinning down a bit too. >> were you, kurt, in court today when that lawyer called your daughter a sex-loving she-devil? >> yeah. you know, it was -- this particular lawyer, you ...