Celebrity Deaths 2012

by Michael RichComment — Updated August 3, 2023

The Fiftiesweb is grateful to Paula Valenzuela for her very gracious help with compiling this list!

Etta James
Etta James
January 20
James Farentino
James Farentino
January 24
Robert Hegyes
Robert Hegyes
January 26
Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
February 3
Peter Breck
Peter Breck
February 6
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
February 11
Davy Jones
Davy Jones
February 29
Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace
April 7
Jonathan Frid
Jonathan Frid
April 7
Dick Clark
Dick Clark
April 18
George Lindsey
George Lindsey
May 6
Donna Summer
Donna Summer
May 17
Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
May 20
Kathryn Joostin
Kathryn Joostin
June 2
Richard Dawson
Richard Dawson
June 2
Don Grady
Don Grady
June 27
Andy Griffith
Andy Giffith
July 3
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
July 8
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
July 15
Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Hemsley
July 24
Chad Everett
Chad Everett
July 25
Ron Palillo
Ron Palillo
August 14
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller
August 20
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
August 25
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Sept. 03
Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy McGuire
Sept. 07
Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Sept. 25
Alex Karras
Alex Karras
October 10
Gary Collins
Gary Collins
October 13
George McGovern
George McGovern
October 21
Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Nov. 23
Jack Klugman
Jack Klugman
Dec. 24
 Charles Durning
Charles Durning
Dec. 24

Gone But Not Forgotten – 2012

January 17 – Johnny Otis, Singer/Songwriter – “Willie and the Jive Hand” also wrote “Every Beat of My Heart” – age 90

January 20 – Etta James, Singer – Jazz/Blues singer “Dance With Me”, “At Last” won 6 Grammy Awards – age 73

January 22 – Joe Paterno, College football coach – Penn State head coach for 46 years – age 85

January 24 – James Farentino, Actor – “The Bold Ones” (1967-72) “The Final Countdown” (1980) – age 73

January 26 – Ian Abercrombie, Actor – Mr. Pitt on “Seinfield” also Alfred Pennyworth in “Birds of Prey” – age 77

January 26 – Robert Hegyes, Actor – Epstein on “Welcome Back Kotter” (1975-79) – age 60

February 01 – Don Cornelius, TV Host & Producer – creator of “Soul Train” tv dance show – age 75

February 03 – Ben Gazzara, Actor – “Run for Your Life” (1965-68), villain in “Road House” – age 81

February 06 – Peter Breck, Actor – Nick Barkley in “Big Valley” (1965-69) – age 82

February 08 – John Fairfax, Adventurer – first person to row across an ocean solo (Atlantic Ocean in 1969)- age 74

February 11 – Whitney Houston, Singer/Actress – “I Will Always Love You”, “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All” – age 48

February 24 – Jan Berenstain, Writer – Co-created with her husband “The Berenstain Bears” series of children’s books – age 88

February 29 – Davy Jones, Singer/Actor – Lead singer in “The Monkees” also “Monkees” tv show – age 66

March 03 –    Steve Bridges, Comedian – did a George W Bush impression – age 48

March 08 –    Jimmy Ellis, Singer/Song Writer – sang with The Trammps, “Disco Inferno” – age 74

March 28 –    Earl Scruggs, Musician/Banjo player – performed theme song to “The Beverly Hillbillies” called “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” – age 88

April 07 –     Mike Wallace, Journalist – original correspondent on “60 Minutes” for 40 years (1968 – 2008) age – 93

April 14 –     Jonathan Frid, Actor – Barnabas Collins on TV show “Dark Shadows” (1969 – ’71) age – 87

April 18 –     Dick Clark, radio and television personality – American Bandstand 1957 -’87, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (1972 – 2011) – age 82

May 06 –      George Lindsey, Actor – Goober on “Andy Griffith Show” and “Hee Haw” age – 83

May 10 –      Caroll Shelby, Automotive Designer – Shelby Cobra & Shelby Mustang – age 89

May 17 –      Donna Summer, Singer/Songwriter – “Last Dance”, “Bad Girls”, “Hot Stuff” – age 63

May 20 –      Robin Gibb, Singer/Songwriter – with his three brothers formed The Bee Gees – age 62

May 24 –      Janet Carroll, Actress – played Tom Cruise’s mother in “Risky Business” – age 71

June 02 –     Richard Dawson, Actor – “Family Feud” Host (1976-’85) & “Hogans Heroes” (1965-’71) – age 79

June 02 –     Kathryn Joostin, Actress – Karen McCluskey in “Desperate Housewives” won 2 Emmy’s – age 72

June 04 –     Herb Reed, Muscian/ Singer – founding member of The Platters (1953) – age 83

June 05 –     Ray Bradbury, Writer – science fiction – “Martian Chronicles”, “Fahrenheit 451” – age 91

June 07 –     Bob Welch, Singer/ Songwriter – with Fleetwood Mac (1971 – ’74) – age 65

June 08 –     Frank Cady, Actor – store owner Sam Drucker on “Green Acres” (1965 – ’71) – age 96

June 19 – Richard Lynch, Actor – King Cromwell in The Sword and the Sorcerer – age 72

June 26 –     Nora Ephron, Writer/ Director/ Producer – “Sleepless in Seattle”, “When Harry Met Sally” – age 71

June 26 –     Doris Singleton, Actress/ Singer – Carol Appleby on “I Love Lucy” also “My Three Sons” – age 92

June 27 –     Don Grady, Actor – Robbie Douglas on “My Three Sons” also a Mouseketeer – age 68

July 03 –     Andy Griffith, Actor/Director/Producer/Singer – “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-’68), “Matlock” (1986-’95) – age 86

July 08 –     Ernest Borgnine, Actor – Won Academy Award for “Marty”, also “McHales Navy” (1962-’68), “Airwolf” (1984-’86)- age 95

July 13 –     Richard Zanuck, Producer – Academy Award for “Driving Miss Daisy” also “Jaws”, “Cocoon”, “The Sound of Music” – age 77

July 13 –     Ginny Tyler, Actress – Mouseketeer (1963) on “Mickey Mouse Club” – age 86

July 15 –     Celeste Holm, Actress – Academy Award for “Gentleman’s Agreement” also in “All About Eve” – age 95

July 16 –     Kitty Wells, C&W Singer – 1952 hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” – age 92

July 23 –     Sally Ride, Physicist, Astronaut – First woman in space aboard the Shuttle Challenger in 1983 – age 61

July 24 –     Sherman Hemsley, Actor – George Jefferson on “The Jeffersons” (1975-’85) age – 74

July 25 –     Chad Everett, Actor – Dr. Joe Gannon in “Medical Center” (1969-’76) age – 75

July 27 –     Tony Martin, Singer – “To Each His Own” (1946),did radio and film musicals – age 98

July 31 –     Gore Vidal, Author /Playwright/ Activist – wrote “Myra Breckenridge” and 1000’s of others – age 86

August 01 – Marvin Hamlisch, Composer – won 3 Oscars, 4 Grammys, 4 Emmys, 1 Tony, 3 Golden Globes – “The Way We Were” – age 68

August 07 – Judith Crist, Film Critic – Today Show (1964-’73) also for TV Guide, New York Magazine and others – age 90

August 13 – Helen Gurley Brown, Author, Publisher – Editor of Cosompolitan Magazine (1965 -’97) – age 90

August 14 – Ron Palillo, Actor – Horshack on “Welcome Back Kotter” (1975 – ’79) – age 63

August 14 – Phyllis Thaxter, Actress – Ma Kent in “Superman” movie (1978) – age 92

August 15 – William Windom, Actor – played a doctor on “Murder, She Wrote” – age 88

August 18 – Scott McKenzie, Singer / Songwriter – “Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair” – age 73

August 19 – Tony Scott, Film Director – “Top Gun”, “Beverly Hills Cop II”, “The Last Boy Scout” and others – age 68

August 20 – Phyllis Diller, Comedienne / TV Personality – known for her wild hair, long cigarette holder and self-deprecating humor – age 95

August 24 – Steve Franken, Actor – Chatsworth Osborne Jr. on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis – age 80

August 25 – Neil Armstrong, Astronaut – 1st man to ever step foot on the moon, a true American hero – age 82

September 01 – Hal David, Song Writer – with partner Burt Bacharach “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” – age 90

September 03 – Michael Clarke Duncan, Actor – “Armageddon”, “The Green Mile” – age 54

September 05 – Joe South, Songwriter – won a Grammy for “Games People Play” – age 72

September 07 – Dorothy McGuire, Singer – one of three sisters that formed The McGuire Sisters,in the 1960s and ’70s – age 84

September 11 – Johnny Perez, Drummer / Song Writer – Sir Douglas Quintet, biggest hit, “She’s About a Mover” – age 69

September 16 – John Ingle, Actor – Edward Quartermaine on “General Hospital” from 1993 – 2004 – age 84

September 25 – Andy Williams, Singer / Entertainer – biggest hit was “Moon River”, weekly variety show (1959-1971) – age 84

September 27 – Frank Wilson, Songwriter / Producer – “Love Child” for Supremes, “Castles In the Sand” for Stevie Wonder – age 71

October 10 –  Alex Karras, Athlete / Actor – Detroit Lions (1958-1970), starred in “Webster” (1983–87), “Blazing Saddles” (1974) – age 77

October 13 –  Gary Collins, Actor – host Miss America Pageant, The Sixth Sense, The Wackiest Ship in the Army” (1965-66) – age 74

October 14 –  Arlen Specter, Politician – Senator from Pennsylvania (1980-2011), known as a outspoken moderate – age 82

October 21 –  George McGovern, Politician – liberal Senator from South Dakota and Democratic Party presidential nominee in 1972 – age 90

November 17 – Bonnie Lynn Fields, Actress / Dancer – A Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer, season three (1957-58) – age 68

November 21 – Art Ginsburg, Writer / Chef – “Mr Food” syndicated ninety second tv cooking spots, “Ooh! It’s so good!” – age 81

November 23 – Larry Hagman, Actor – JR Ewing on “Dallas” (1978 -’91)& (2012) and Major Tony Nelson on “I Dream of Jeannie” (1965 – ’70)- age 81

November 29 – Susan Luckey, Actress – “Carousel” (1956) and Zaneeta Shinn in “The Music Man” (1962) – age 74

December 13 – Jack Hanlon, Child Actor – played in two “Our Gang” films (1927) retired at sixteen – age 96

December 17 – Daniel Inouye, Politician – Senator from Hawaii (1963-death), Medal of Honor recipient – age 88

December 24 – Jack Klugman, Actor – Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple” (1970 – ’75), “Quincy, M.E.” (1976 -’83) – age 90

December 24 – Charles Durning, Actor – “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, “Tootsie”, Big Daddy in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” – age 89

December 27 – Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, Soldier – commanded coalition forces in the first Persian Gulf War, “Desert Storm” – age 78

December 27 – Harry Carey, Jr., Character Actor – appeared in many big budget western movies, and a regular role as Bill Burnett on “Spin

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