The Fiftiesweb is grateful to Paula Valenzuela for her very gracious help with compiling Celebrity Deaths 2017!
Miguel Ferrer |
Mary Tyler Moore |
John Hurt |
Mike Connors |
Barbara Hale |
Richard Hatch |
Bill Paxton |
Chuck Berry |
Lola Albright |
Don Rickles |
Erin Moran |
Powers Boothe |
Dina Merill |
Roger Moore |
Roger Smith |
Adam West |
Martin Landau |
Glen Campbell |
Jerry Lewis |
Richard Anderson |
Hugh Hefner |
Monte Hall |
Fats Domino |
Robert Guillaume |
John Hillerman |
Della Reese |
David Cassidy |
Jim Nabors |
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)