Originally published at: Farewell to Mac Writers John Martellaro and Chuck La Tournous - TidBITS
It has been a tough few weeks for Mac writers. On 26 March 2026, John Martellaro died, followed by Chuck La Tournous on 3 April 2026. I didn’t know either one well, although John wrote what he subsequently told me was his first-ever industry piece for TidBITS back in 1996 (see “Dream to be Different,” 9 September 1996). It captures some of the idealism of Apple’s early days while bemoaning how Apple had lost its way, trading inspiration and wonder for price-cutting. It’s a reminder of how we have long built up Apple as a paragon of virtue, only to be disappointed when the company acts like, well, a company.
John went on to write numerous pieces for The Mac Observer, which also counted Chuck among its contributing editors. Tonya and I knew Chuck mostly as the bass player in the Macworld All-Star Band, which brought together an eclectic collection of Mac writers to play at Macworld Expo parties. John was likely in his late 70s or early 80s, while Chuck was only 64—a particularly tragic loss for his family and the community.
Bryan Chaffin, who was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Mac Observer, has written touching remembrances of both John and Chuck, the latter of which points to a pair of pandemic-era videos from the Macworld All-Star Band. Let’s all listen in and raise a toast to their memory.
