Lucian Piane, RuPaul’s Drag Race songwriter and judge, dies at 46

• Lucian Piane, who contributed to multiple seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race as a songwriter and guest judge, died on Monday, 12 October
• The Glendale Fire Department confirmed they responded to a pedestrian collision at approximately 4:15 a.m. and pronounced the patient deceased at the scene
• Piane was Grammy-nominated and co-wrote some of RuPaul's biggest hits, including 'Cover Girl' and 'Sisssy That Walk'

Lucian Piane, the songwriter and producer whose fingerprints were all over RuPaul's Drag Race, died on Monday, 12 October. He was 46 years old.

Records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed his death, with TMZ first breaking the news.

According to the Glendale Fire Department, emergency services responded to a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian on San Fernando Road at Harvard Street at around 4:15 a.m. local time. Despite efforts to save him, Piane was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Glendale Police Department later told PEOPLE that the pedestrian had been walking in the road at an intersection when a vehicle struck him.

Responding officers found no evidence of speeding, a red light violation, or drunk driving, and the incident is believed to have been an accident. The pedestrian carried no identification at the time.

Piane's legacy on Drag Race

Piane's contributions to *RuPaul's Drag Race* spanned several of its early seasons and left a lasting imprint on the show's cultural identity. He was the creative force behind standout musical numbers including

"The Baddest Bitcches in Herstory" from All Stars Season 2, "Shade: The Rusical," "Glamazonian Airways" and "Rucapella," as well as multiple finale songs. Among them were Bob the Drag Queen's "I Don't Like to Show Off," Naomi Smalls' "Legs" and Kim Chi's "Fat, Fem & Asian" from Season 8.

He also wrote and produced some of RuPaul's most enduring solo tracks, including "Cover Girl," "Sisssy That Walk," "Jealous of My Boogie," "Peanut Butter," "Born Naked" and "Champion," among many others. Piane also worked on the iconic *Drag Race* theme song.

A career that stretched far beyond drag race

Piane held a Bachelor of Music in Composition from New York University, which he earned in 2003. Early in his career, he collaborated with composer Marc Shaiman on projects including Hairspray, Team America* and the 76th Annual Academy Awards. His Grammy nomination came from his work on the *Hairspray* film soundtrack.

Beyond that, Piane scored and contributed original songs to films including Sorority Row, Making The Boys and Pretty Ugly People.

His writing credits also included productions for Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus and the children's programme Sid The Science Kid on PBS. He additionally worked with artists including Sia during his career.

DJ Exmax dies as Seyi Shodimu mourns

Legit.ng reported that Nigerian singer Seyi Shodimu took to Instagram to mourn the passing of his close friend, DJ Exmax, whose real name was Chris Adeniyi.

The late DJ was widely celebrated as a legendary figure in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) Nigerian party scene and an early pioneer of the global Afrobeats movement, helping to promote Nigerian music and culture to audiences abroad.

Following news of his passing, friends, colleagues, and fans flooded social media with heartfelt tributes, remembering DJ Exmax for his contributions to the music scene and his impact on the Nigerian community in the diaspora.

Source: Legit.ng