Celebrity Deaths 2017

by Michael RichComment — Updated January 12, 2024

The Fiftiesweb is grateful to Paula Valenzuela for her very gracious help with compiling Celebrity Deaths 2017!

Celebrity Deaths 2017 Miquel Ferrer
Miguel Ferrer
Mary Tyler Moore died 2017
Mary Tyler Moore
John Hurt 2017
John Hurt
Mike Connors 2017 celebrity death
Mike Connors
Barbara Hale celebrity died 2017

Barbara Hale
Richard Hatch died

Richard Hatch
Bill Paxton died

Bill Paxton
Chuck Berry died 2017

Chuck Berry
Lola Albright died

Lola Albright
Don Rickles 2017

Don Rickles
Erin Moran died in 2017

Erin Moran
Powers Boothe dead in 2017

Powers Boothe
Dina Merill has died

Dina Merill
Roger Moore died 2017

Roger Moore
Roger Smith deaths 2017

Roger Smith
Adam West celebrity death 2017

Adam West
Martin Landau celebrity death 2017

Martin Landau
Glen Campbell died in 2017

Glen Campbell
Jerry Lewis 2017

Jerry Lewis
Richard Anderson died 2017

Richard Anderson
Hugh Hefner died

Hugh Hefner
Monte Hall 2017

Monte Hall
Fats Domino died 2017

Fats Domino
Celebrity Deaths 2017

Robert Guillaume
Celebrity Deaths 2017

John Hillerman
Della Reese 2017

Della Reese
David Cassidy death 2017

David Cassidy
Celebrity death 2017 Jim Nabors

Jim Nabors
celebrity deaths 2017 - Rose Marie

Rose Marie

Gone But Not Forgotten – 2017

Celebrity Deaths 2017

JANUARY

01 – Stuart Hamilton, Canadian pianist/opera singing coach – Artistic Director Emeritus of Opera in Concert – age 87

02 – Richard Machowicz, Actor/Navy Seal – host of TV show Future Weapons – age 51

05 – Paul Goble, Children’s Books Writer – “The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses” – age 83

05 – Jill Saward, Activist/Campaigner for tougher sexual battery laws in the UK – age 51

06 – Francine York, Actress – Sabrina Kincaid in “The Doll Squad” (1973) – age 80

06 – Om Puri, Actor – Papa in “The Hundred-Foot Journey” (2014), Dr. Vijav Alezais in “Wolf” (1994) – age 66 (heart attack)

07 – Sylvester Potts, Singer – Motown group The Contours, “Do You Love Me” (1962) – age 79

07 – Eddie Kamae, Singer/Composer – founder of The Sons of Hawaii, Ukulele Hall of Fame Inductee – age 89

08 – Peter Sarstedt, English Singer/Songwriter – “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?” – age 75

08 – Rod Mason, Jazz Musician – founded Hot Five Band and extensively toured in Europe – age 76

10 – Clare Hollingworth, Journalist – was first reporter to report the start of World War II – age 105

10 – Buddy Greco, Jazz Singer – “The Lady Is a Tramp” – age 90

11 – Tommy Allsup, Musician – toured with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson see story – age 85

12 – Larry Steinbachek, Musician – original member of Bronski Beat (1983) – age 56

12 – Graham Taylor, English Football manager – managed England national football team (1990 -’93) – age 72 (heart attack)

12 – William Peter Blatty, Writer/Filmmaker – wrote both the novel and screenplay for “The Exorcist” – age 89 (multiple myeloma)

13 – Dick Gautier, Actor – Hymie the Robot in TV series “Get Smart” (1965-’70) – age 85

13 – Lord Snowdon, Royal/Photographer – Vogue, Vanity Fair, and The Daily Telegraph magazines – age 86

14 – Zhou Youguang, Linguist & supercentenarian – romanized Mandarin Chinese – age 111

14 – Mahi Beamer, Singer – inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame for his falsetto tenor hula type singing – age 88

15 – Jimmy Snuka, Wrestler – WWF Hall of Fame in 1996 – age 73

15 – Richie Ingui, Musician/singer – original member of Soul Survivors (1965) – age 70

16 – Eugene Cernan, NASA astronaut – Gemini 9A (1966), Apollo 10 (1969), Apollo 17 (1972) last man on the moon – age 82

16 – Steve Wright, Musician/bass guitarist – The Greg Kihn Band

18 – Mike Kellie, Musician – played with Spooky Tooth and the Only Ones – age 69

19 – Miguel Ferrer, Actor – Bob Morton in “Robocop” and Owen Granger in NCIS:LA – age 61

20 – Joey Powers, Singer – “Midnight Mary” (1964) (his only hit) – age 82

21 – Maggie Roche, Singer/Songwriter – three sisters singing group The Roches – age 65

23 – Bobby Freeman, Musician/Singer – top 10 R&B hits: “Do You Want to Dance” (1958), “C’mon and Swim” (1964) – age 76

23 – Gorden Kaye, Actor – René Artois in TV show ‘Allo ‘Allo! – age 75

24 – Butch Trucks, Musician/drummer – original member of The Allman Brothers Band (1969) – age 69

24 – Ron ‘Bingo’ Mundy, Musician/singer – with group The Marcels, hit “Blue Moon” – age 76

25 – John Hurt, Actor – John Merrick in “The Elephant Man” (1980) – age 77

25 – Mary Tyler Moore, Actress – Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Show (1970-1977) age – 80

26 – Mike Connors, Actor – Joe Mannix in TV show “Mannix” (1967-1975) – age 91

26 – Barbara Hale, Actress – Della Street on TV show “Perry Mason” (1957-1966) – age 94

27 – Bob Holiday, Stage Actor – portrayed Superman in “It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman” – age 84

28 – Geoff Nicholls, Musician – keyboardist for Black Sabbath (1979-2004) – age 68

28 – Guitar Gable, Musician/Songwriter – swamp pop & blues song This Should Go On Forever – age 79

28 – Ken Hartle, WWII Navy Diver – recovered sailors who perished in the attack on Pearl Harbor 1941 (Please read this story) – age 103

30 – Doris Lockness, Pioneering American aviator – she flew in WWII with the Women Air Force Service Pilots – age 107

31 – John Wetton, Musician/bassist – played with Asia, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, and Wishbone Ash – age 67

31 – Frank Pellegrino, Actor – Johnny Dio in movie Goodfellas – age 72

FEBRUARY

05 – Sonny Geraci, Musician – played with The Outsiders (“Time Won’t Let Me”), and Climax (“Precious and Few”) – age 69

05 – David Axelrod, Jazz musician – released 13 albums between 1968 and 2004 – age 85

06 – Alec McCowen, Actor – ‘Q’ Algy in “Never Say Never Again” (1983) – age 91

06 – “Professor” Irwin Corey, Actor/Comedian – frequent guest on game and talk shows for four decades – age 102

07 – Richard Hatch, Actor – Captain Apollo in “Battlestar Galactica” (1978-80) – age 71

10 – Mike Ilitch, Entrepreneur – founder of Little Caesars Pizza, owned Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers – age 87

10 – LTG Hal Moore, United States Army lieutenant general – commanded actual battle in Vietnam memorialized in movie “We Were Soldiers” – age 94

12 – Al Jarreau, Jazz Singer – 7 Grammy Awards, “We’re in This Love Together”, “After All” – age 76

12 – Alice Ludes, Singer – with her band The Music maids appeared in musicals “Meet Me in St. Louis” – age 104

16 – George Steele, Professional Wrestler – WWF Wrestler (1967-88) known as “The Animal – age 79

17 – Warren Frost, Actor – Billy Lewis on “Matlock” (1986-1995) – age 91

19 – Larry Coryell, Jazz Musician – “Godfather of Fusion” – age 73

19 – Chris Wiggins, Actor (CA) – played Jack Marshak on TV series “Friday the 13th” (1987-’90) – age 86 (Alzheimer’s disease)

21 – Joy Hruby, Australian Actress – Joy’s World TV show – age 90

25 – Ron Savage, News Correspondent – Fox Ch.2 Detroit, Mich; also a firefighter in Milford – age 62

25 – Neil Fingleton, Actor – tallest British-born man 7’7″; “47 Ronin”, “Jupiter Ascending” – age 36

25 – Bill Paxton, Actor – “Aliens”, “Predator 2”, “True Lies”, “Apollo 13”, “Twister” – age 61

26 – Joseph Wapner, Judge – L.A. County Superior Court and TV show “The Peoples Court” (1981-93) – age 97

MARCH

01 – Paula Fox, Author – writer of children’s books, winner of Hans Christian Andersen Award; “A Place Apart”, “Slave Dancer” – age 93

03 – Míriam Colón, Actress – Mama Montana in Scarface (1983), Rosa in Sabrina (1995) – age 80

06 – Robert Osborn, Film historian – host of Turner Classic Movies and The Movie Channel – age 84

09 – Robert James Waller, Author – The Bridges of Madison County (1993) – age 77

09 – Ann Beach, Actress – Sonia Barrett on the ITV comedy “Fresh Fields” – age 78

09 – Jane Freeman, Actress – Ivy on BBC sitcom “Last of the Summer Wine” – age 81 (lung cancer)

10 – Tony Haygarth, Actor – PC Wilmot in “Rosie” (1977-81) – age 72

10 – John Forgeham, Actor – Frank Laslett in ITV series Footballers’ Wives – age 75

10 – Joni Sledge, Singer – with two sisters founded R&B group Sister Sledge “We Are Family” – age 60

13 – Kim Jong-nam, Older brother of Kim Jong-un, ruler of N.Korea, exiled and assassinated for disagreeing with the government – age 45 (poisonous gas attack)

17 – Lawrence Montaigne, Actor – “The Great Escape” (1963), “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975) – age 86

17 – Derek Walcott, Poet – “Omeros” (1990) for which he won a Nobel Prize in Literature – age 87

18 – Chuck Berry Singer/Songwriter – 1950s rock & roll pioneer, “Maybellene” (1955), “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) – age 90

18 – Bernie Wrightson, Artist/illustrator – co-creator of the DC comics character and TV series “Swamp Thing” – age 68 (brain cancer)

20 – David Rockefeller, Banker – patriarch of the Rockefeller family and CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank – age 101

21 – Chuck Barris, Game Show Host/Creator – “The Gong Show” (1977-80), the “Dating Game” and “The Newlywed Game” – age 87

21 – Colin Dexter, Novelist (UK) – Inspector Morse crime novels (1975-1999) and ITV TV show (1987-2000) – age 86

22 – Tomas Milian Actor – Raphael in “The Agony and the Ecstasy” (1965) – age 84

22 – Sib Hashian, Musician – Drummer for “Boston” (1975-83), songs; “More Than a Feeling”, “Rock & Roll Band” – age 67

23 – Lola Albright Actress – Edie Hart (Peter’s girlfriend) in “Peter Gunn” – age 92

24 – Peter Shotton, Musician – played with John Lennon & Paul McCartney in The Quarrymen – age 75

26 – Darlene Cates, Actress – played the obese mother in the movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993) – age 69

27 – David Storey, Novelist/Screenwriter – wrote both the book and movie screenplay for “This Sporting Life” (1963) – age 83

27 – Chelsea Brown, Actress – one of the regular troupe on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In – age 69 (pneumonia)

30 – Rosie Hamlin, Singer/Songwriter – fronted for Rosie and the Originals, she wrote “Angel Baby” – age 71

31 – Linda Lee, Disc Jockey – C&W station WYCD/Detroit, 2017 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee – age 55

APRIL

05 – Paul O’Neill, Music Producer/Songwriter – creative force behind the Trans-Siberian Orchestra – age 61 (chronic illness)

06 – Don Rickles, Comedian/Actor – comedic style was “King of the insults”, starred in C.P.O. Sharkey (1976-78) – age 90 (kidney failure)

07 – Tim Pigott-Smith, Actor – Ronald Merrick in English TV series “The Jewel in the Crown” – age 70

07 – Glenn O’Brien, Writer – “The Style Guy” for GQ magazine – age 70 (complications from pneumonia)

10 – Linda Hopkins, Blues Singer – performed with Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis and others – age 92

10 – Margaret Towner, Actress (UK) – Jira in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

11 – J. Geils, Musician – J. Geils Blues Band, “Centerfold”, “Freeze Frame” – age 71 (natural causes)

12 – Charlie Murphy, Actor/Comedian – regular on ‘Chappelle’s Show’, Eddie Murphy’s brother – age 57 (leukemia)

14 – Bruce Langhorne, Folk Musician – he was the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s song “Mr. Tambourine Man” – age 79 (stroke)

15 – Clifton James, Actor – Sheriff J.W. Pepper in Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) – age 96 (complications of diabetes)

15 – Sylvia Moy, Songwriter – “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”, “My Cherie Amour” for Stevie Wonder – age 78 (complications from pneumonia)

15 – Allan Holdsworth, Guitarist/Composer – released 12 studio albums, very influential guitar player – age 70 (heart attack)

19 – Dick Contino, Accordionist/Singer – the heartthrob of accordionists, signature song “Lady of Spain” – age 87

20 – Cuba Gooding Sr., Singer – R&B group The Main Ingredient – “Everybody Plays the Fool” (1972), “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely” – age 72 (found in a parked car)

22 – Erin Moran, Actress – Joanie Cunningham on “Happy Days” and “Joanie Loves Chachi” – age 56 (stage 4 cancer)

23 – Chris Bearde, Writer/Producer – wrote for “Laugh In“, developed “The Gong Show” – age 80 (heart attack)

23 – Kathleen Crowley, Actress – 81 television appearances including 8 on Maverick – age 87

24 – Don Gordon, Actor – played Lieutenant Hank Bertelli in “The Blue Angels” (1960-61) – age 90

26 – Jonathan Demme, Filmmaker/director – “Silence of the Lambs” (1991), “Philadelphia” – age 73 (esophageal cancer)

30 – Clifford Brewer, Physician/Surgeon – operated on over 1000 soldiers in the D-Day invasion (1944)- age 104

MAY

03 – Daliah Lavi, Israeli actress – Matt Helm film “The Silencers” (1966) – age 74

06 – Beryl Te Wiata, Actress – mainly worked mainly in New Zealand, Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys – age 92

06 – Val Jellay, Actress – worked in Australia and the UK, Mabel Morgan in “The Prisoner” – age 89 (pneumonia)

09 – Christopher Boykin, Entertainer – co-star on Rob & Big TV show on MTV – age 45 (heart attack)

09 – Michael Parks, Actor – star of “Then Came Bronson” (1969-70) and sang the theme song “Long Lonesome Highway” – age 77

09 – Robert Miles, Music composer/DJ – known for his trance and electronica music, biggest hit “Children” – age 47 (stage 4 metastatic cancer)

10 – Geoffrey Bayldo, Actor (UK) – lead role in the ITV children’s series Catweazle (1970–71) – age 93

14 – Jean Fritz, Author Children’s Books – “121 Pudding Street” (1955), “The Cabin Faced West” (1958) – age 101

14 – Powers Boothe, Actor – Jim Jones in “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones” – age 68 (in his sleep)

17 – Roxcy Bolton, Women’s rights activist – helped form Florida’s National Organization for Women and founded Women in Distress shelters – age 90

17 – Chris Cornell, Singer/Songwriter – front man for Soundgarden, won two Grammy’s – age 52 (possible suicide)

18 – Roger Ailes, former Chairman and CEO of Fox Television Stations Group & Fox News – age 77 (excessive bleeding from a fall)

20 – Lisa Spoonauer, Actress – Caitlin Bree in the movie “Clerks” (1994) – age 44 (undisclosed chronic illness)

22 – Dina Merrill, Actress/heiress – “Desk Set (1958), army nurse in “Operation Petticoat” (1959) – age 93 (dementia)

23 – Sir Roger Moore, Actor – Simon Templer in “The Saint” (1962-’69), James Bond in seven films (1973-’89) – age 89 (cancer)

24 – Juliana Young Koo, Chinese/American diplomat – her husband a Chinese diplomat was executed by the Japanese during WWII – age 111

24 – Jared Martin, Actor – Dusty Farlow on “Dallas“, Dr. Blackwood on “War of the Worlds” – age 75 (pancreatic cancer)

26 – Laura Biagiotti, Fashion Designer – owner of the largest fashion house in Italy and the first Italian fashion designer – age 73

27 – Jim Bunning, Athlete/ Politician – Pro baseball pitcher, U.S. Congressman (1987-’99) U.S. Senate (1998-2009) – age 85 (stroke)

27 – Gregg Allman, Muscian – The Allman Brothers Band, “Midnight Riders”, “Ramblin Man” – age 69 (liver cancer)

28 – John Noakes, TV Host – Presented BBC children’s TV show “Blue Peter’ – age 83

29 – Manuel Noriega, Military dictator – strong man ruler of Panama (1983-89), removed and arrested by a U.S. invasion 1989 – age 83 (complications from brain surgery)

30 – Molly Peters, Actress/Model – Bond girl in “Thunderball” – age 75 (stroke)

30 – Elena Verdugo, Actress – nurse Consuelo Lopez in TV show “Marcus Welby, M.D.” – age 92

JUNE

01 – Roy Barraclough, Actor – Alec Gilroy in “Coronation Street” (1986-’98) on ITV – age 81

01 – Viviane Gauthier, Dancer – teacher of Haitian folkloric dance and culture – age 99

01 – José Greci, Italian Actress – was Virgin Mary in “Ben-Hur” (1959) – age 76

02 – Jack O’Neill, Entrepreneur – credited with inventing the wetsuit and owner of O’Neil brand surf gear – age 94

02 – Peter Sallis, Actor – played Norman “Cleggy” Clegg in “Last of the Summer Wines” (1973-2010) – age 96

04 – Roger Smith, Actor – detective Jeff Spencer in “77 Sunset Strip” (1958-’62) – age 84 (complications from Parkinson’s)

05 – Andy Cunningham, Actor/Puppeteer – creator and star of BBC TV show “Bodger & Badger” – age 67

05 – Danny Dias, Actor – star of MTV’s ‘Road Rules’ (2004) – age 34 (drugs involved but cause is TBA)

05 – Marilyn Hall, Television and theater producer/writer (CAD) – wrote for TV show “Love American Style” married to Monte Hall – age 90

08 – Glenne Headly, Actress – Janet Colgate in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, Iris Holland in “Mr. Holland’s Opus” – age 62 (pulmonary embolism)

09 – Adam West, Actor – Bruce Wayne on “Batman” (1966-’68) – age 88 (Leukemia)

11 – Eroll Christie, Professional Boxer – European amateur champion in 1983 – age 53 (small-cell lung cancer)

12 – Sam Beazley, Actor (UK) – Everard in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” – age 101

12 – Charles P. Thacker, IT Pioneer – co-invented the ‘Graphical User Interface and Ethernet LAN for Xerox – age 74

12 – Jim Galton, Publisher – CEO of Marvel Entertainment Group (1975-1991) – age 92

12 – Ray Phiri, Musician – collaborated with Paul Simon on “Graceland” and “Rhythm of the Saints” albums – age 70 (lung cancer)

13 – Anita Pallenberg, Italian Actress – starred in “Barbarella” (1968), “Candy” (1968) – age 73

15 – Bill Dana, Actor/Comedian – portrayed the character José Jiménez on many variety shows 1950s & 60s) – age 92

16 – Stephen Furst, Actor – Dr. Elliot Axelrod on “St. Elsewhere”, Flounder in “Animal House” – age 63 (type II diabetes complications)

19 – Brian Cant, Actor – Presenter of “Play School” (1964-1983) on BBC 2 – age 83 (Parkinson’s disease)

20 – Albert Johnson (Prodigy), Rapper – he was one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep with Havoc – age 42 (sickle-cell anemia)

23 – Gabe Pressman, Journalist – reporter for WNBC-TV, New York (1954 till his death) won a Peabody and 11 Emmys – age 93

25 – Skip Homeier, Actor – played character roles in films and TV; “Halls of Montezuma” (1950), “Fixed Bayonets” (1951) – age 86 (spinal myelopathy)

27 – Michael Bond, Writer – the Paddington Bear series of 20 books (1958-2014) – age 91

27 – Michael Nyqvist, Actor (Swedish) – Kurt Hendricks (villian) in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – age 56 (lung cancer)

28 – Gary DeCarlo, Singer – “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Good Bye” (1969) – age 75 (cancer)

JULY

01 – Sir Nicholas Winton, Humanitarian (UK) – saved 669 Jeish children from the Nazi’s in occupied Czechoslovakia – age 106

03 – Joe Robinson, Pro Wrestler/Actor – Thor and the Amazon Women (1963), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – age 90

04 – Carol Lee Scott, Actress – star of “Grotbags” children’s television show on ITV (1991-’93) – age 74

04 – Ji-Tu Cumbuka, Actor – Roots miniseries (1977), Mandingo (1975) – age 77

04 – John Blackwell, Drummer – played with Prince’s band The New Power Generation (2000-2012) – age 43 (brain tumor)

06 – Joan Boocock Lee, Model – married, for 69 years, to Stan Lee comic book writer and publisher of Marvel – age 95 (stroke)

08 – Nelsan Ellis, Actor – played Lafayette Reynolds in “True Blood” on HBO – age 39 (heart failure from alcohol withdrawal)
08 – Elsa Martinelli, Model/Actress – starred in “The Indian Fighter” with Kirk Douglas (1955) – age – 82

13 – John Bernecker, Stuntman – Olympus Has Fallen, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Logan – age 33 (fell 25′ on set of Walking Dead)

13 – Fresh Kid Ice, Hip Hop artist – founding member of 2 Live Crew – age 53 (stroke?)

15 – Martin Landau, Actor – “Mission: Impossible” (1966 -1973), “Space: 1999” (1976-’77) – age 89

16 – George A. Romero, Filmmaker – “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), “Dawn of the Dead” (1978) – age 77 (lung cancer)

16 – Trevor Baxter, Actor/Playwright – Professor George Litefoot on the BBC TV show “Doctor Who” – age 84

17 – Evan Helmuth, Actor – played the priest in horror movie “The Devil Inside” – age 40 (complications from a stroke)

17 – Harvey Atkin, Actor – Sergeant Ronald Coleman in TV show “Cagney & Lacey” – age 75 (cancer)

18 – Red West, Stuntman/Actor – Red Webster in “Road House” and Andy Micklin on TV show “Baa Baa Black Sheep” – age 79 (aortic aneurysm)

19 – Ralph Regula, Politician – U.S. Congressman from Ohio who served 18 consecutive terms (1973-2009) – age 92

20 – Chester Bennington, Musician/Singer – was the front man for Linkin Park (2000-2012), Stone Temple Pilots (2013-’15) – age 41 (suicide by hanging)

20 – Claude Rich, Actor (French) – “The Grand Maneuver” (1955) – age 88

21 – Deborah Watling, Actress – Victoria Waterfield companion # 2 on BBC show “Dr. Who” (1967-68) – age 69 (lung cancer)

21 – John Heard, Actor – Father in “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2” – age 72 (complications from back surgery)

25 – Barbara Sinatra, Performer/model – married Frank Sinatra (1976-1998) – age 90 (natural)

25 – Michael Johnson, Singer/Songwriter – “Bluer Than Blue” (1978), “Give Me Wings” (1986) – age 72

25 – Lyle Smith, College Football Coach – Boise State University (1947-1967) impressive record of ‘156–26–6’ – age 101

26 – June Foray, Voice Actress – voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel from TV show “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” – age 99

26 – Leonard Landy, Actor – Percy on “Our Gang” (1938-1941) – age 84

26 – Patti Deutsch, Actress – a regular panelist on “Match Game” and “Tattletales” also guest spots on “Laugh In” – age 73 (cancer)

27 – D. L. Menard, Cajun Muscician – called the “Cajun Hank Williams” biggest hit was “La Porte En Arrière” – age 85

27 – Sam Shepard, Actor/Playwright/Author – Chuck Yeager in “The Right Stuff” (1983) – age 73 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)

31 – Jeanne Moreau, Actress (French) – “Seven Days… Seven Nights” (1960), “Viva Maria!” (1965) – age 89

31 – Chuck Loeb, Jazz musician – played with Stan Getz and was guitarist for the group Four Play – age 61 (cancer)

AUGUST

01 – Mariann Mayberry, Actress – “Under the Influence” (1994), Chelsea Trotman in TV show Since You’ve Been Gone (1998) – age 52 (ovarian cancer)

02 – Ara Parseghian, College Football Coach – legendary head coach at Note Dame (1964-’74) coaching record: 170–58–6 – age 94

03 – Robert Hardy, Actor – played Alec Stewart in BBC show “The Troubleshooters” – age 91

03 – Ty Hardin, Actor – Bronco Layne in TV western series “Bronco” (1958-’62) – age 87

05 – Mark White, Politician – 43rd Governor of Texas (1983-’87) – age 77 (heart attack)

06 – Dick Locher, Cartoonist – editorial cartoonist at Chicago Tribune (1973-2013), won a Pulitzer Prize for “Dick Tracy” – age 88

06 – Darren Daulton, Pro Baseball Player – Catcher for Philadelphia Phillies (1983-1997)- age 55 (brain cancer)

07 – Haruo Nakajima, Actor – played Godzilla in 12 movies (1954 – 1972) – age 88

08 – Barbara Cook, Broadway Actress – won a Tony Award for “The Music Man” (1957) – age 89 (respiratory failure)

08 – Glen Campbell, Singer/Songwriter – “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman”; nominated for 21 Grammys and won 10 – age 81 (Alzheimer’s disease)

11 – Yisrael Kristal, the oldest living Holocaust survivor at his death, also the oldest living man in 2016 – age 113, 330 days

13 – Victor Pemberton, TV writer/producer (UK) – Doctor Who, The Slide and The Adventures of Black Beauty – age 85

13 – Joseph Bologna, Actor – Nick Foley in TV show “Rags to Riches” (1987-88) – age 82 (pancreatic cancer)

14 – Joi “SJ” Harris, Stunt Driver – first professional African American Road Racer – age 25 (crashed during a stunt for the move Deadpool 2)

17 – Sonny Landham, Actor/Stunt man – tracker Billy Sole in “Predator” (1987) – age 76 (congestive heart failure)

18 – Sir Bruce Forsyth, TV Game Show Host – The Generation Game (1971-’77), Play Your Cards Right (1980-’87) – age 89

18 – Sonny Burgess, Rockabilly musician – “We Wanna Boogie” (1956) – age 88

19 – Brian Aldiss, Sci-Fi Writer – “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” (1969) – age 92

19 – Janusz Głowacki, Playwright/screenwriter – The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play for “Antigone in New York” (1994) – age 78

19 – Dick Gregory, Comedian / civil rights activist – first African American standup comedian – age 84

19 – Bea Wain, Singer – sang with Larry Clinton and His Orchestra “Heart and Soul” (1938) – age 100

20 – Sir Colin Meads, Rugby Player (New Zealand) – played for national team, the All Blacks
(1957-’71) – age 81

20 – Jerry Lewis, Comedian/Actor/Humanitarian – “The Bellboy” (1960), Nutty Professor (1963), Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon (1966-2010) – age 91

21 – Thomas Meehan, Writer – wrote books that were adapted for plays for “Annie”, “The Producers”, and “Hairspray” – age 88

21 – Felo Ramírez, Announcer – Spanish language announcer for the Miami Marlins (1993-2017) – age 94 (complications from a fall)

22 – Tom Pritchard, Cricketer (New Zealand) – played first-class cricket in England for Wellington – age 100

24 – Jay Thomas, Actor – Remo DaVinci on “Mork & Mindy” (1979–’81), Eddie LeBec on “Cheers” (1987–’89) – age 69 (cancer)

25 – Jeannie Rousseau, Intelligence agent – worked as a translator in occupied France during World War II feeding valuable intel to the Allies – age 98

26 – Bernard Pomerance, Playwright – wrote the Tony Award winning “The Elephant Man” (1977) – age 76 (cancer)

26 – Tobe Hooper, Horror Films Writer/Director – “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974) and “Poltergeist” (1982) – age 74

27 – Helli Stehle, Actress (Switz) – stage actress, radio presenter, poet and newscaster – age 109

27 – Syd Silverman, Publisher – owner of the show business newspaper “Variety” from 1950-1987 – age 85

28 – Melissa Bell, Singer (UK) – fronted the groups, Soul II Soul and Soul Explosion – age 53 (complications from kidney failure)

31 – Richard Anderson, Actor – Oscar Goldman on TV shows The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman – age 91

SEPTEMBER

01 – Shelley Berman, Actor/Comedian – his movies include: “Divorce American Style” (1967), “Meet the Fockers” (2004) – age 92 (Alzheimer’s disease)

01 – Novella Nelson, Actress – Jean in “An Unmarried Woman” (1978), Madame St. Clair in “The Cotton Club” – age 77

01 – Mick Softley, Folk Singer (UK) – “The War Drags On”, “Strange Fruit” he usually played at clubs for free – age 77

03 – Walter Becker, Musician/Songwriter – co-founder and songwriter for Steely Dan – age 67

03 – Dave Hlubek, Musician – guitarist and front man for Molly Hatchet – age 66 (heart attack)

05 – Hansford Rowe, Actor – portrayed Arthur Dupres in the TV mini-series “V” (1883) and sequel “V: The Final Battle” – age 93 (car accident)

05 – Rick Stevens, Singer – front man and lead singer for R&B group The Tower of Power – age 77 (cancer)

06 – Peter Luck, TV journalist (AU) – “This Fabulous Century” a 37 episode documentary series – age 73 (cancer)

06 – Kate Millett, Author/Teacher – wrote on feminist subjects “Sexual Politics” (1970) – age 82 (cardiac arrest)

07 – Jeremiah Goodman, Illustrator – worked with Lord & Taylor (1952-’84) also Interior Design magazine (1949-’64) – age 94

08 – Troy Gentry, C&W Musician – part of the duo Montgomery Gentry; “If You Ever Stop Loving Me”, “Roll with Me” – age 50 (helicopter crash)

08 – Blake Heron, Actor – Marty Preston in movie “Shiloh” (1996) also Specialist Galen Bungum in “We Were Soldiers” – age 35 (drugs)

08 – Don Williams, C&W Singer/Songwriter – “You’re My Best Friend” (1976), “I Believe in You” (1980) – age 78 (emphysema)

10 – Len Wein, Comic book editor/writer – co-creating DC Comics’ Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics’ Wolverine – age 69 (heart disease)

11 – Mark LaMura, Actor – Mark Dalton on “All My Children” (1977-’89) – age 68 (lung cancer)

12 – Terence Harvey, Actor (UK) – prosecution counsel in “The Execution of Gary Glitter” – age (not announced)

12 – Jessi Zazu, Singer/Songwriter – led the Nashville indie rock pioneers Those Darlins – age 28 (cervical cancer)

13 – Frank Vincent, Actor – Salvy in “Raging Bull” (1980), as himself in “The making of the Mob” – age 80 (heart attack)

15 – Harry Dean Stanton, Actor – Tramp in “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), Private Willard in “Kelly’s Heroes” – age 91

16 – Ted Christopher, NASCAR Driver – won 40 races and the championship in the Whelen Modified Tour – age 59 (plane crash)

19 – Bernie Casey, Pro Football Player/Actor – Detective Arch in “Sharky’s Machine”, U.N. Jefferson in “Revenge of the Nerds” (1984) – age 78

19 – Jake LaMotta, Professional Boxer – World Middleweight Champion and inspitation for the film “Raging Bull” (1980) – age 95

20 – Sir Teddy Taylor, Politician (UK) – member of parliament (MP) (1964-’79)(1980-2005) also received a knighthood in 1991 – age 80

21 – Liliane Bettencourt, Heiress – inherited a majority stake in L’Oréal Cosmetics making her the richest woman in the world ($44.3 billion) – age 94

21 – William G. Stewart, Game Show Host (UK) – hosted and produced “Fifteen to One” (1988-2003) – age 82

22 – Rick Shaw, Radio Personality – was the top DJ in the Miami, FL radio market (1960-2007) – age 78

22 – Ammon Tharp, Musician – drummer and vocals for The Rhondels, “I’ve Been Hurt”, “What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)” – age 75

23 – Charles Bradley, Funk/Soul Singer – recorded with the Menahan Street Band, “Changes” (2016) – age 68 (liver cancer)

25 – Tony Booth, Actor (UK) – played Mike Rawlins in the BBC show “Till Death Us Do Part” (1965-’75) – age 85 (Alzheimer’s)

25 – Elizabeth Dawn, Actress (UK) – played Vera Duckworth in BBC show “Coronation Street” (1974-2008) – age 77 (COPD)

25 – Bobby Knutt, Actor/Comedian (UK) – Albert Dingle in “Emmerdale”, garage boss Ron Sykes in “Coronation Street” – age 71

25 – Jan Triska, Actor (Czech) – Captain Henry Wirz in TV movie “Andersonville” – age 80 (fall off a bridge)

26 – Barry Dennen, Actor/Singer – played Pontius Pilate in the movie version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973) – age 79

27 – Hugh Hefner, Publisher – editor-in-chief and publisher of Playboy magazine (1953 – present) – age 91

27 – Anne Jeffreys, Actress/Singer – played Marion Kerby in TV series “Topper” (1953-’55), Amanda Barrington in “General Hospital” (1984-2004) – age 94

28 – Benjamin Whitrow, Actor (UK) – played Mr. Bennet in the BBC TV production of “Pride and Prejudice” (1995) – age 80

30 – Monty Hall, Game Show Host (CA/US) – hosted and produced “Let’s Make a Deal” (1963 – 1991 incl syndication) – age 96 (heart failure)

OCTOBER

?? – Harry Landers, Actor – played Dr. Ted Hoffman on TV show “Ben Casey” (1961-’66) age – 96

02 – Tom Petty, Singer/Songwriter – Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers: “I Won’t Back Down”, “Free Fallin”, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (2002) – age 66 (sudden heart attack)

06 – Terry Downes, Professional Boxer (UK) – World middleweight champion (1961-’62) – age 81

06 – Hervé L Leroux, Fashion Designer (FR) – founder of Hervé Leger making dramatic draped and gauze dresses – age 60

06 – Ralphie May, Standup Comedian – he made 7 comedy albums and Comedy Central specials – age 45 (cardiac arrest)

06 – Bunny Sigler, R&B Singer/Songwriter – his cover of the hits “Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good” rose to #20 on the R&B charts – age 76 (heart attack)

07 – Jimmy Beaumont, Singer – founded The Skyliners; “Since I Don’t Have You” (1959), “Pennies from Heaven” (1960) – age 76

08 – Y. A. Tittle, Pro football quarterback – played for several teams (1948-1964), inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 1971 – age 90

10 – Robert Schiller, Television Screenwriter – “I Love Lucy” (1955–1957), “All in the Family” (1977–1979) – age 98

12 – Joan Blos, Writer – advocate for children’s literature, wrote “A Gathering of Days” (1979) – age 88

15 – Sean Hughes, Actor/ stand-up comedian (Irish) – created and starred in the TV show “Sean’s Show” (1992-’93) – age 51 (cirrhosis of the liver)

16 – Roy Dotrice, Actor (UK) – Leopold Mozart in the movie “Amadeus” (1984) – age 94

16 – John Dunsworth, Actor (CAN) – drunk trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey on TV show “Trailer Park Boys” (2001-’07) – age 71

17 – Gord Downie, Musician (CAN) – lead singer for the band The Tragically Hip (1984-his death) – age 53 (glioblastoma brain cancer)

17 – Danielle Darrieux, Actress (FR) – she acted for 80 years; “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” (1955), “Rich, Young and Pretty (1951)” – age 100

18 – Brent Briscoe, Actor – played Scooter Hodges in “Sling Blade” (1996), and JJ in the TV show “Parks and Recreation” (2011-15) – age 56

20 – Judith McGrath, Actress (AUS) – Colleen Powell in soap opera “Prisoner” (1979–1984), Von Ryan in “All Saints” (1998–2009) – age 70

21 – Rosemary Leach, Actress (UK) – “That’ll Be the Day” (1973) and “A Room with a View” (1986) – age 81

22 – Scott Putesky (Daisy Berkowitz), Musician – played lead guitar with Marilyn Manson’s band, “White Knuckles”, “Cake and Sodomy” – age 49 (colon cancer)

22 – George Young,, Musician (AUS) – played with the Easybeats, charted with “Friday on My Mind” and “Love Is in the Air” – age 70

23 – Paul J. Weitz, Naval Officer/NASA Astronaut – stayed in space for 28 days on Skylab 2 (1973) and commanded the first Challenger mission (1983) – age 85 (myelodysplastic syndrome)

24 – Fats Domino, Singer/Songwriter – “Ain’t That a Shame” (1955), “Blueberry Hill” (1956), he sold over 65 million records – age 89

24 – Robert Guillaume, Actor – Benson on the TV-series “Soap” (1977-’81) and “Benson” (1979-’86) – age 89 (prostate cancer)

24 – Patricia Llewellyn, TV producer (UK) – developed the cooking shows “Two Fat Ladies”, “The Naked Chef”, “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” – age 55 (cancer)

25 – Jack Bannon, Actor – Art Donovan on TV show “Lou Grant” (1977-’82) – age 77

NOVEMBER

01 – Katie Lee, Folk Singer – albums “Folk Songs of the Colorado River” (1964), “Colorado River Songs” (1997) – age 98

05 – Nancy Friday, Author – wrote feminist erotic books; “My Secret Garden” (1973), “Forbidden Flowers” – age 84 (Alzheimer’s disease)

05 – Robert Knight, Singer – “Everlasting Love” (1967), “Free Me” (1961) – age 72

06 – Richard F. Gordon Jr, Captain USN & NASA Astronaut – Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 12 mission to the moon – age 88

07 – Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay, MLB Pitcher – in 2010 he threw 2 no-hitters in the same season, won the Cy Young award in both the AL and NL – age 40 (one person plane crash)

07 – Brad Harris, Actor/Stuntman – “Samson” (1961), “The Fury Of Hercules” (1962) – age 84

07 – Pat Hutchins, Childrens Books Author (UK) – “Rosie’s Walk” (1968), “The Wind Blew” (1974) – age 75

09 – John Hillerman, Actor – played Jonathan Higgins II on Magnum, P.I. (1980-88), won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award – age 84

12 – Liz Smith, Journalist/Gossip Columnist – “The Grand Dame of Dish”, wrote for New York Daily News and Cosmopolitan – age 94

15 – Gustav Åhr, Rapper – known as”Lil Peep”, songs “White Wine”, “Benz Truck” released on You Tube – age 21 (drug overdose)

15 – Keith Barron, Actor (UK) – Gregory Wilmot in “Upstairs, Downstairs”, “The Odd Man” (1960-63) – age 83

16 – Earle Hyman, Actor – Cliff’s Huxtable’s father, Russell Huxtable in the “Cosby Show” (1984-92) – age 91

16 – Ann Wedgeworth, Actress – Lana Shields in “Three’s Company”, Merleen Elldridge in “Evening Shade” (1990-94) – age 83

18 – Malcolm Young, Musician/Guitarist (AUS) – co-founder of rock group ACDC; “Back In Black”, “Highway to Hell” – age 64 (early onset Alzheimer)

19 – Warren “Pete” Moore, Singer/Songwriter – original member of The Miracles R&B Group “The Tracks of My Tears” – age 78 (died on his birthday)

19 – Della Reese, Singer (multi genre)/Actress – Tess in TV show “Touched by an Angel” (1994-2003); as a singer “Don’t You Know?” (1959) – age 86

19 – Mel Tillis, C&W Singer/Songwriter – “I Ain’t Never”, “Good Woman Blues”; CMA Entertainer of the Year 1976 – age 85

20 – Terry Glenn, NFL Football player – with New England Patriots he held the most receptions in a single season – age 43 (single car accident)

21 – Rodney Bewes, Actor (UK) – Bob Ferris in BBC TV series “The Likely Lads” (1964–66) and “Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?” (1973–74) – age 79

21 – Wayne Cochran, Soul Singer – a/k/a The White Knight of Soul, biggest hit “Goin’ Back To Miami” – age 78

21 – David Cassidy, Actor/Singer – portrayed Keith Partridge in TV series “The Partridge Family” (1970-74) – age 67 (cirrhosis of the liver)

22 – Buzz Belmondo, Comedic actor – portrayed Buzz on “Out of This World” (1987-’91) – age 70 (blood cancer)

22 – Jon Hendricks, Jazz musician/Singer – known for his scat singing and vocalese – age 96

24 – Wesley L. Fox, Colonel USMC (retired) – 43 years of service (1950–1993), Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Vietnam – age 86

24 – Mitch Margo, Muscian/writer – was member of musical group “The Tokens”, hits: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Portrait of My Love” – age 70

25 – Rance Howard, Actor – played the Announcer Al Fazin in “Cinderella Man”(2005) Father of Director Ron Howard – age 89

25 – Julio Oscar Mechoso, Actor – played Detective Ruiz in “Bad Boys” and “Blue Streak” – age 62 (heart attack)

29 – Heather North,Voice Actress =- Daphne Blake in the Scooby-Doo TV series and movies – age 71 (cardiopulmonary arrest)

30 – Jim Nabors, Actor/Singer – Gomer Pyle on TV shows; “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Gomer Pyle USMC” – age 87

DECEMBER

02 – Mundell Lowe, Jazz Musician/producer – Produced and scored themes for movie “Billy Jack” and TV show “Starsky & Hutch” – age 95

04 – Christine Keeler, Model/Socialite (UK) – married yet notorious for her affairs, with a Russian diplomat which led to the discrediting of Harold Macmillan’s party (1963) – age 75

05 – Ron Meyer, College and Pro Football Coach – New England Patriots (1982-85) Indianapolis Colts (!986-91) – age 76

05 – Vera Shlakman, College Professor – fired from Queens College in 1952 for refusing to testify to the McCarran Committee if she was a communist – age 108

06 – Conrad Brooks, Actor – Patrolman Jamie in the movie “Plan 9 from Outer Space” – age 81 (complications from sepsis)

07 – Steve Reevis, Actor – a native American himself, played Shep Proudfoot in the movie “Fargo” (1996) – age 55

10 – Bruce Brown, Filmmaker – surf movie “The Endless Summer” (1966), “The Endless Summer II” (1994) – age 80

10 – Charles Marvin Green Jr, Internet actor – he had two YouTube shows “TheAngryGrandpaShow” and “Grandpa’s Corner” had over 627 million views – age 67 (cirrhosis)

11 – Keith Chegwin, Television Host (UK) – Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Cheggers Plays Pop (1976-86) – age 60 (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis)

12 – Edwin Mah Lee, Politician/Attorney – current Mayor of San Francisco, he was the first Asian American to hold that office – age 65 (heart attack)

12 – Pat DiNizio, Singer/Songwriter – founding memberof band The Smithereens – age 62 (complications from a fall)

13 – Warrel Dane, Musician – lead singer for the metal band Sanctuary – age 56 (heart attack)

13 – Lou Elias, Stuntman/Actor – had several stunt and acting roles on the TV series “Star Trek” and many others – age 84

15 – Bernard Sherman, Entrepreneur/Pharmaceutical CEO (CAN) – Empire Laboratories and Barr Pharmaceuticals – age 75 (hanging along side of his wife)

16 – Keely Smith, Jazz Singer – won a Grammy for “That Ol’ Black Magic,” also charted with “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – age 89

17 – Bob Glidden, Drag Racer – most wins in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005 – age 73

18 – Terence Beesley, Actor (UK) – played Derek Branning in BBC One show “East Enders” – age 60 (died in November ’17 but not announced)

18 – Kim Jong-hyun, Singer/Songwriter – lead singer for South Korean boy band “Shine” – age 27 (suicide)

21 – Dick Enberg, Sportscaster – did play by play reporting for most sports for most major networks from the mid 1960s till 2016 – age 82

21 – Bruce McCandless II, Capt, USN, Ret – was the youngest NASA astronaut (1966-1990), made the first ever untethered space walk in 1984- age 80

23 – Jeannette Clift George, – Actress – played Corrie ten Boom in “The Hiding Place” (1975) – age 92

24 – Heather Menzies, Actress/Model – played Louisa von Trapp in the film “The Sound of Music” (1965) – age 68 (brain cancer)

27 – Curly Seckler, Bluegrass Musician – played with Foggy Mountain Boys (1949-’62) and Nashville Grass band (1979-’94) – age 98

28 – Sue Grafton, Author – wrote the Kinsey Millhone “alphabet series” detective novels – age 77 (cancer)

28- Rose Marie, Actress/Singer – played Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66) – age 94

29 – Danny Breen, Producer/Actor – wrote for and produced the “Wayne Brady Show” (2002-04) also wrote for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” – age 67 (cancer)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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