Frank Riessman, 79, a social psychologist and...

Frank Riessman, 79, a social psychologist and leading advocate of the self-help movement who was also the editor of the journal Social Policy, died March 1 at a nursing home in New York City. The cause of death was Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, family members told Associated Press.

Born in Manhattan, Riessman graduated from what is now City College of the City University of New York. He served in the Army after World War II and, after his discharge, earned his master’s degree and PhD in social psychology from Columbia.

In the early 1970s, Riessman helped found and edit Social Policy, a quarterly journal focusing on issues surrounding participatory reform and uniting advocates of social change. A few years later, he founded the National Self-Help Clearinghouse, whose goal was to facilitate access to self-help groups and increase the awareness of mutual support.

In an article in the July 2000 issue of Social Change, Riessman noted that “as people live longer and tensions of social and cultural stresses take their toll on health, we need more of what might be called supportive, nonprofessional treatment ... to complement the systematic knowledge of professionals.”

Riessman wrote or edited 16 books, including “The Self-Help Revolution” and “Redefining Self-Help.”

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Gene Allison, 69, whose 1957 recording “You Can Make It if You Try” was a top five single on Billboard’s R&B; chart, died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville on Feb. 28. The cause of death was liver and kidney failure.

Versie Eugene Allison was born in Pegram, Tenn., and moved to Nashville as a child, where he started singing in church choirs. While still in high school, he performed as part of the gospel quartet the Fairfield Four.

Ted Jarrett, an entrepreneur and songwriter who produced dozens of Allison’s songs, including “You Can Make It if You Try,” told the Nashville Tennessean that Allison’s studio performances were emotional enough to draw tears.

“He has such beautiful phrasing,” Jarrett said. “He could take a note, drag it out and make it sound so pretty.”

Two other singles by Allison, “Have Faith” and “Everything Will Be All Right,” ended up in the R&B; Top 20. During the 1960s, Allison recorded for some independent labels but had no hits with those projects.

In 1964, “You Can Make It if You Try” was recorded by the Rolling Stones on their first album.

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Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, 71, a pianist, composer and conductor who worked in a variety of musical genres including jazz and classical as well as film scores, died of cancer March 9 in Chicago.

Born in New York City, Perkinson earned his bachelor’s degree in music at the Manhattan School of Music and his master’s in composition from the same school.

He composed and arranged for a variety of jazz and popular artists including Harry Belafonte, Donald Byrd and Marvin Gaye.

He arranged Gaye’s first platinum album, “I Want You,” on the Motown label. He also played piano with the Max Roach Jazz Quartet from 1964 to ’65.

His film work included the score for the 1973 movie “A Warm December,” which was directed by and starred Sidney Poitier.

From 1965 to 1970, he was co-founder and associate conductor of the Symphony of the New World, and served as its acting musical director during the 1972-73 season.

During his career, he served as music director or composer-in-residence for the Negro Ensemble Company, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company and the Dance Theater of Harlem.