Celebrity Deaths 2020

*Editor note – You will notice quite a few deaths listed on this page due to COVID-19. Please, please take heed of this. Stay at home and listen to the recommendations from your State officials. Stay safe – please!

JANUARY

Edd Byrnes

Jim Lehrer

Kobe Bryant

01 –Marty Grebb, Musician – played with The Buckinghams (1960’s) and with Bonnie Raitt for 25 years – age 74

03 – Christopher Beeny, Actor/dancer (UK) – played Edward Barnes on ITV series “Upstairs, Downstairs” (1971-’75) – age 78

03 – Robert Blanche, Actor – played Lt. Bonanno on TV show Leverage (2008-’12) – age 58

07 – Neil Peart, Drummer/lyricist – the drummer for the rock band “Rush” (1974-’18), Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2013 – age 67 (glioblastoma)

08 – Edd Byrnes, Actor – played Kookie on “77 Sunset Strip” also had a hit song “Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)” with Connie Stevens – age 89

08 – Buck Henry, (Henry Zuckerman) Actor/director/screenwriter – wrote “The Graduate” (1968) and directed “Heaven Can Wait” (1979) – age 89

09 – Bobby Comstock, Singer/musician – band was Bobby Comstock and the Counts, “Tennessee Waltz” (1959) and “Let’s Stomp” (1963) – age 78

11 – Stan Kirsch, Actor/director/acting coach – played Richie Ryan on TV show “Highlander – The Series” (1992-’97) – age 51 (suicide by hanging)

14 – Steve Martin Caro, Singer – lead singer for The Left Banke (1965-’68), “Walk Away Renée”, “Pretty Ballerina” – age 72

18 – David Olney, Folk Singer/song writer – his songs were covered by and co-written with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Young and more – age 71 (on stage while performing)

21 – Terry Jones, Actor/writer/director (UK) – as part of the Monty Python comedy team he wrote for directed or acted in (sometimes all three) all Monte Python TV shows and movies – age 77 (frontotemporal dementia)

22 – John Karlen, Character actor – played numerous characters on TV show “Dark Shadows” (1966-’71) and Lacey’s husband Harvey on TV show “Cagney & Lacey” (1982-’88) – age 86 (heart failure)

23 – Jim Lehrer, Journalist/novelist – co-anchored The MacNeil/Lehrer Report on PBS (1975-’11) and moderated twelve presidential debates (1988-’12) – age 85 (peacefully at home)

26 – Kobe Bryant, Professional basketball player – played his entire 20 year NBA career with the LA Lakers, five NBA championships, an 18-time All-Star and a basketball gold medalist at the 2008 & 2012 Summer Olympics- age 41 (helicopter crash)

26 – Bob Shane, Folk/pop singer – founding member of The Kingston Trio; “Scotch and Soda (1958), “Tom Dooley” (1958) eight gold records and two Grammy Awards – age 85

27 – Jack Burns, Comedy actor/writer/producer – 1/2 of comedy team with Avery Schreiber also played deputy Warren Ferguson on “The Andy Griffith Show” (1965) – age 86 (respiratory failure)

28 – Marj Dusay, Actress – played Alexandra Spaulding on “Guiding Light” (1993-’09) – age 83

28 – Bob Nave, Musician – member of the rock group The Lemon Pipers, biggest hit “Green Tambourine” (1968) – age 75

30 – Fred Silverman, Television executive/producer – highly successful programing executive for CBS, ABC and NBC, launched many of the most successful shows and mini-series in the 1970’s and ’80’s – age 82 (cancer)

31 – Mary Higgins Clark, Novelist – wrote 51 best selling mystery/suspense novels; “Where Are the Children?” (1975), “A Cry in the Night” (1982) – age 92

31 – Adam Schlesinger, Singer/songwriter/guitarist – wrote many songs for popular movies for which he won three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and the ASCAP Pop Music Award – age 52 (Covid-19)

FEBRUARY

Kirk Douglas	Orson Bean	Robert Conrad
Ja’net Dubois

01 – Kirk Douglas, Actor/producer/director/author – appeared in over 90 films here are a few of his movies “Champion” (1949), “Bad & the Beautiful” (1952), “Lust for Life” (1956); his awards are too numerous to list so please click here for the list – age 103

03 – Gene Reynolds, Actor,writer,director,producer – co-wrote,produced or directed “Tales of Wells Fargo” (1957-’62), M*A*S*H (1972-’83), “Lou Grant” (1977-’82) – age 96 (heart failure)

06 – Lynn Evans, Singer – part of the a cappella singing group The Chordettes (1946-’63), hit songs – “Mr. Sandman”, “Lollipop” – age 95

07 – Orson Bean, Comedian/actor/writer – appeared frequently on TV game shows (1960’s-’80’s) was a regular on “To Tell the Truth” and appeared on “The Tonight Show”over 200 times – age 91 (struck by two cars while walking across a street)

08 – Robert Conrad, Actor/stuntman/producer – played James West in TV Western “The Wild Wild West” (1965-’69) and Pappy Boyington in TV show “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1976-’78) – age 84 (heart failure)

08 – Paula Kelly, Actress/dancer/singer – played Liz William on TV show Night Court (1984-’92)and Theresa on TV mini-series The Women of Brewster Place – age 76

10 – Marge Redmond, Actress/singer – played Sister Jacqueline in TV show “The Flying Nun” (1967-’70) – age 95

11 – Joseph Shabalala, Musician/singer (ZA) – founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo – age 79

12 – Paul English, Drummer – Willie Nelsons drummer (1966-present) and debt collection enforcer – age 87

14 – Lynn Cohen, Actress – played Magda in the TV show “Sex and the City” (2000-’04) and both movies also Mags in the movie “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013) – age 86

16 – Kellye Nakahara Wallett, Actress – played Lt. Nurse Kellye Yamato on TV show M*A*S*H (1972-“83) – age 72 (cancer)

17 – Ja’net DuBois, Actress/songwriter/singer – played Willona Woods on TV show Good Times (1974-’79) also wrote and sang theme song “Movin’ on Up” to The Jefferson’s – age 74 (natural causes)

20 – Claudette Nevins, Actress – played Constance Fielding on TV show “Melrose Place” (1992-’98), also Pam Albrightin movie “The Mask” (1961) – age 82

24 – Diana Serra Cary, Child actress (Baby Peggy) – the last living film star of the Silent Era of Hollywood; discovered” at the age of 19 months she went on to make over 150 short comedt silent films – age 101

24 – Ben Cooper, Actor – Films include: Thunderbirds, Johnny Guitar, Duel at Apache Wells (1956) as well as numerous TV western shows – age 86 (dementia)

24 – Clive Cussler, Novelist/ocean explorer – wrote over 80 books with 20 of them becoming New York Times Best Sellers, founded National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) which discovered 60 shipwrecks – age 88

24 – Katherine Johnson, Mathematician – did manual flight and reentry calculations for many NASA space fights, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal; movie “Hidden Figures” (2016) was about her – age 101

24 – Diana Serra Cary, Child actress – known as Baby Jane

26 – Michael Medwin, Actor(UK) – played Don Satchley in BBC TV series “Shoestring” and Cpl. Springer in “The Army Game” (1957-’61) – age 96

27 – Gene Dynarski, Actor – played Richard Dreyfus’s supervisor in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” – age 86

MARCH

James Lipton	Stuart Whitman	Lyle Waggoner
Kenny Rogers

02 – James Lipton, Actor/acting coach/writer – dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and host/producer of TV talk show Inside the Actors Studio (1994-’18) – age 93 (bladder cancer)

03 – Roscoe Born, Actor – appeared on several TV soap opera’s, biggest role was as Mitch Laurence on “One Life to Live” (1985-’12) – age 69 (suicide)

04 – Barbara Martin, Singer – one of the original members of The Supremes (1960-’62), “(He’s) Seventeen”,”Your Heart Belongs to Me” – age 76

08 – Max von Sydow, Actor(SE) – played Jesus Christ in “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965), Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Minority Report (2002) – age 90

08 – Johnny Yune, Actor/comedian – starred in They Call Me Bruce? (1982) and They Still Call Me Bruce (1987) – age 85 (dementia)

16 – Stuart Whitman, Actor – starred in movies; The Comancheros (1961), The Longest Day (1962); TV shows Highway Patrol (1955–1957), Cimarron Strip (1967) – age 92 (skin cancer)

17 – Lyle Waggoner, Actor – a cast member on “The Carol Burnett Show” (1967-’74) and Steve Trevor on “Wonder Woman” (1975-’79) – age 84

17 – Alfred Worden, NASA Astronaut – was with NASA 1966-’75, Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 15 lunar mission (1971) – age 88 (stroke)

20 – Kenny Rogers, C&W singer/songwriter/actor – sang with The First Edition – “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” (1969) and solo won a Grammy Award for “The Gambler”, also starred in movies and TV shows and – age 81

24 – Terrence McNally, Playwright – Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992),Ragtime (1996),The Full Monty (2000); inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters – age 81 (Covid-19)

26 – Mark Blum, Actor – played Richard Mason in movie “Crocodile Dundee” (1986) and Denny Gordon in “Blind Date” (1987) – age 69 (Covid-19)

26 – Curly Neal, Pro Basketball Player – played with the Harlem Globetrotters (1963-’85) as their chief ball handler in 6,000 games in 97 countries – age 77

28 – John Callahanon, Actor – played Edmund Grey on TV soap opera “All My Children” (1992-’05) and Dr. Richard Baker on “Days of Our Lives” (2008-’10) – age 66 (stroke)

28 – David Schramm, Actor – played Roy Biggins the rival airline owner on TV series “Wings” (1990-’97) – age 73

29 – Joe Diffie, C&W Singer – a few of his #1 hits: “Home”, “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)” and “Third Rock from the Sun” – age 61 (Covid-19)

29 – Alan Merrill, Singer/songwriter – started the group Arrows, biggest hit “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – age 69 (Covid-19)

30 – Bill Withers, Singer/songwriter/musician – wrote and performed “Ain’t No Sunshine” (1971), “Lean on Me” (1972) won 3 Grammy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2015) – age 81 (heart disease)

31 – Andrew Jack, Actor – had various parts in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and GoldenEye (1995) – age 76 (Covid-19)

APRIL

James Drury

Brian Dennehy

Honor Blackman

01 – Ellis Marsalis Jr., Jazz pianist/educator – father to Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason; inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame – age 85 (Covid-19)

02 – Logan Williams, Child actor (CA) – played young Barry Allen in “The Flash” (2014-’15) – age 16

04 – Timothy Brown, NFL player/actor – played for a decade with the Philadelphia Eagles, also played Dr. “spear chucker” Jones in TV series “M*A*S*H”

04 – Forrest Compton, Actor – played Mike Karr attorney on TV show “The Edge of Night” (1970-’84) – age 94

04 – Tom Dempsey, NFL Football player – was a placekicker for numerous teams, held record for longest field goal, 63 yards which held for 43 years (1970-’13) – age 73 (Covid-19)

05 – Honor Blackman, Actress – played Bond girl Pussy Galore in the movie “Goldfinger” (1964) and Cathy Gale in british series “The Avengers” – age 94 (natural causes)

05 – Lee Fierro, Actress – played Mrs. Kintner in the “Jaws” movie franchise – age 91 (Covid-19)

06 – James Drury, Actor – had the title role in TV show “The Virginian” as the ranch foremen (1962-’71) – age 85 (natural causes)

06 – Al Kaline, Pro Baseball player – played for Detroit Tigers entire career (1953-’74) batted 3007 hits, Baseball Hall of Fame 1980 – age 85 (natural)

07 – John Prine, Country folk singer/songwriter – popular songs: “Angel from Montgomery” and “Paradise”, won 3 Grammy Awards nominated for 12 – age 73 (Covid-19)

12 – Tim Brooke Taylor, Actor/comedian (UK) – cast member in “The Goodies” (1970-’82) and a panellist on “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” – age 79 (Covid-19)

15 – Brian Dennehy, Actor – played Sheriff Will Teasle in movie “First Blood” (1982) and Cocoon (1985) – age 81 (cardiac arrest)

16 – Gene Deitch, Animator/comics artist – created animated cartoons Munro and Tom Terrific, worked on Popeye and Tom and Jerry – age 95

17 – Matthew Seligman, Bass guitarist (UK) – played with The Soft Boys and the Thompson Twins – age 64 (Covid-19)

20 – Tom Lester, Actor – played Eb Dawson on TV series “Green Acres” (1965-’71) and “Return to Green Acres” – age 81 (Parkinson’s disease)

22 – Shirley Knight, Actress – appeared in movies, TV and theater; Nominated for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and won three Emmy Awards – age 83 (natural causes)

24 – Harold Reid, C&W Singer – original member of The Statler Brothers (1955-’02), “Flowers on the Wall” (1966) won three Grammy Awards and three AMA Awarde – age 80 (kidney failure)

28 – Bobby Lewis, R&B Singer – biggest hits: “Tossin’ and Turnin'” and “One Track Mind” – age 95

29 – Jill Gascoine, Actress(UK) – played Detective Maggie Forbes in the ITV series “The Gentle Touch” (1980-’84) and “C.A.T.S. Eyes” (1985-’87) – age 83 (Alzheimer’s disease)

30 – Sam Lloyd, Actor/singer – played attorney Ted Buckland on TV show “Scrubs” – age 56 (metastatic lung cancer)

MAY

Little Richard

Jerry Stiller

Fred Willard

03 – John Ericson, Actor – played Sam Bolt in TV detective series “Honey West” – age 93

04 – Don Shula, NFL player and coach – head coach Miami Dolphins (1970-’95) two Superbowls and the only perfect season in NFL history (1972) also Baltimore Colts head coach (1963-’69) – age 90

06 – Brian Howe, Singer – lead vocalist for the English rock group “Bad Company” (1986-’94) – age 66 (cardiac arrest)

08 – Roy Horn, Magician – one half of the duo Siegfried & Roy who featured white lions and white tigers in their act, in 2003 Horn was attacked by a tiger effectively ending his career – age 75 (Covid-19)

09 – Little Richard, Singer/songwriter – known as the Father of rock & roll he also influenced R&B and soul. “Tutti Frutti” (1955), “Long Tall Sally” (1956), rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1986) – age 87 (bone cancer)

11 – Jerry Stiller, Comedian/actor – pe93rformed as Stiller and Meara with his wife, played Frank, George Costanza’s father on TV show “Seinfeld” (1993-’98) and Arthur Spooner on “King of Queens” (1998-’07) – age 92

14 – Phyllis George, News Anchor/sportscaster/pageant winner – Miss America (1971), CBS Sports and CBS Morning News, First Lady of Kentucky (1979-’83) – age 70 (Polycythemia)

15 – Fred Willard, Comedian/actor – played Lt. Bob Hookstratten in “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984), and Ron Albertson in “Waiting for Guffman” (1996) – age 81 (natural)

18 – Ken Osmond, Actor/LA Police Officer – played Eddie Haskell on TV show “Leave It to Beaver” (1957-’63) and “The New Leave It to Beaver” (1983) – age 76 (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

19 – Annie Glenn, Advocate for people with disabilities – wife of Astronaut/Senator John Glenn, strongly advocated for people with speech impairments – age 100 (Covid-19)

26 – Richard Herd, Actor – played John, the Visitors’ Supreme Commander on TV sci-fi miniseries “V” (1983) and “V: The Final Battle” (1984) – age 87

26 – Anthony James, Character actor – played Ralph, the diner counterman in movie “In the Heat of the Night” (1967) – age 77

31 – Christo, Artist – worked with his wife Jeanne-Claude on large scale projects visually impressive, and controversial, often taking years and sometimes decades – age 84

JUNE

Sir Ian Holm

Carl Reiner

02 – Mary Pat Gleason, Actress – played Jane Hogan on TV show “Guiding Light” (1983-’85) and Mary in “Mom” (2014-’19) – age 70 (cancer)

08 – Bonnie Pointer, Singer – part of the group, The Pointer Sisters who dressed and sang in a 1940s style; “Yes We Can Can” and solo “Heaven Must Have Sent You” – age 69 (cardiac arrest)

17 – Jean Kennedy Smith, Diplomat/activist/humanitarian – U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1993-’98), sister to JFK, RFK, Ted Kennedy and Eunice Kennedy Shriver – age 92

18 – Vera Lynn, Singer/songwriter (UK) – performed for the troops during WWII, “We’ll Meet Again”, “The White Cliffs of Dover” released an album on her 100th birthday – age 103

19 – Sir Ian Holm, Actor (UK) – played Bilbo Baggins in movies, “The Lord of the Rings”, “The Hobbit” and Father Vito Cornelius in “The Fifth Element” – age 88 (parkinson’s disease)

27 – Linda Cristal, Actress – played Victoria Cannon in TV western “The High Chaparral” – age 89

29 – Carl Reiner, Comedian/actor/director/screenwriter – creator, producer, writer, and actor on “The Dick Van Dyke Show“, partnered with Mel Brooks to make movies and comedy tours, father of Rob Reiner – age 98

29 – Benny Mardones: American pop/rock singer-songwriter best known for his hit “Into the Night,” which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 and again charted in 1989. Mardones struggled with substance abuse but continued to create music throughout his life. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2000, ultimately passing away due to complications from the illness – age 73.

JULY

Hugh Downs	Kelly Preston	Naya Rivera
Regis Philbin	Olivia de Havilland

01 – Hugh Downs, Radio and television broadcaster/announcer/host/news anchor – Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957-’62),Today Show (1962-’71),Concentration (1958-’69), 20/20 (1978-’99) – age 99

05 – Nick Cordero, Actor (CA)- stage roles in: “Bullets Over Broadway”, “Waitress”, “A Bronx Tale” – age 41 (COVID 19 after 95 days in the hospital)

06 – Charlie Daniels, Singer/songwriter/musician – played Southern rock, country, and bluegrass music #1 hit was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – age 83 (stroke)

06 – Ennio Morricone, Film Composer (IT) – composed scores for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966), “Once Upon a Time in the West” – age 91

08 – Naya Rivera, Actress/singer/model – played Santana Lopez on TV show “Glee 2009-’15) – age 33 (drowning)

12 – Kelly Preston, Actress – had starring roles in “Mischief” (1985), “Jerry Maguire” (1996), married to John Travolta for 30 years – age 57 (breast cancer)

13 – Grant Imahara, Actor/host/roboticist – was a judge on TV show “BattleBots” and host of “MythBusters” – age 49 (ruptured brain aneurysm)

18 – John Lewis, Civil rights leader – served 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from Geogia (1987-’20), led the Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In an incident in which Lewis was injured became known as Bloody Sunday – age 80

23 – Jacqueline Scott, Actress – guest starred in over 100 TV shows, played played the sister of Dr. Richard Kimble in TV series “The Fugitive” (1964-’67) – age 89 (lung cancer)

24 – Regis Philbin, TV personality/singer/actor – held the Guinness Record for most hours on TV, his shows included Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee (1988-’01), Live with Kelly (2001-‘2011), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Million Dollar Password, and America’s Got Talent – age 88

25 – Dame Olivia de Havilland, Actress – appeared in 49 feature films (1935-’88) , including “Gone With the Wind” (1939), “Captain Blood” (1935), “To Each His Own” (1946) – age 104

25 – Peter Green, Singer/songwriter (UK) – founder of the English band Fleetwood Mac, “Black Magic Woman” (1968), “Man of the World” (’69), Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee 1998 – age 73

25 – John Saxon, Actor/martial artist – played with Bruce Lee in “Enter the Dragon” (1973), “Joe Kidd” (1972) – age 83 (pneumonia)

31 – Bill Mack, C&W Songwriter, DJ – won an Emmy for the LeAnn Rimes hit “Blue” – age 88 (Covid-19)

AUGUST

Wilford Brimley

Chadwick Boseman

01 – Wilford Brimley, Actor/singer – played Ben Luckett in movie “Cocoon”(1985), and Pop Fisher in “The Natural”(1984) – age 85 (kidney condition)

01 – Reni Santoni, Actor – played Poppie on TV show “Seinfield” and Chico González in movie “Dirty Harry”(1971) – age 82 (cancer)

04 – Brent Carver, Stage Actor (CA)- won a Tony for playing Molina in “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, also Leo Frank in “Parade” both on Broadway – age 68

11 – Trini Lopez, Singer/musician/actor – biggest hits: “If I Had a Hammer”,”Lemon Tree”, “I’m Comin’ Home” – age 83 (complications of Covid-19)

11 – Sumner Redstone, Businessman/media magnate – owner and CEO of National Amusements theater chain and CBS/Viacom – age 97

14 – Linda Manz, Actress – most recognized roles in in “Days of Heaven” (1978), “Out of the Blue” (1980), and “Gummo” (1997) – age 58 (lung cancer)

18 – Ben Cross, Actor (UK) – played Harold Abrahams in “Chariots of Fire” (1981) and as Sarek in “Star Trek” (2009) – age 72

23 – Lori Nelson, Actress – played Greta Hanson in TV series “How to Marry a Millionaire” (1957-’59) and the 3D movie “Revenge of the Creature” – age 87 (Alzheimer’s disease)

26 – Col.Gerald Carr, NASA astronaut – Commander of Skylab 4 (1973), crewed the final visit to the Skylab Orbital Workshop (’74-’74) – age 88

28 – Chadwick Boseman, Actor – starred in four Marvel Universe movies as The Black Panther, also as Jackie Robinson in ’42” (2013) and James Brown in Get on Up (2014) – age 43 (colon cancer)

30 – John Thompson, Basketball player/coach/commentator – head coach at Georgetown for 27 seasons (1972-’99) also US team at 1988 Summer Olympics, Basketball Hall of Fame – age 78

31 – Tom Sever, MLB Pitcher – 12-time All-Star, Baseball Hall of Fame, three NL Cy Young Awards, 1969 World Series – age 75 (Lewy body dementia and COVID-19)

SEPTEMBER

Diana Rigg	Ruth Bader Ginsburg	Helen Reddy
Mack Davis

06 – Lou Brock, MLB baseball player – mostly with St. Louis Cardinals, Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, National League (NL) stolen base leader 8 times, joined the 3000 club in his final season – age 81

06 – Kevin Dobson, Actor – played Det.Bobby Crocker in TV show “Kojak” (1973–’78) and Mack MacKenzie on “Knots Landing” (1982–’93) – age 77 (heart attack)

09 – Ronald Bell, Singer/songwriter – co-founding member of Kool & the Gang, “Ladies’ Night”, “Celebration” – age 68

10 – Dame Diana Rigg, Actress(UK) – played Emma Peel in the TV show “The Avengers” also Olenna Tyrell in “Game of Thrones” – age 82

11 – Toots Hibbert, Reggae musician/songwriter – founded Jamaican reggae group Toots and the Maytals, helped establish some of the fundamentals of reggae music – age 77

18 – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jurist/Judge – associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1993-’20), nominated by President Clinton she usually voted on the liberal side of issues – age 87 (pancreatic cancer)

21 – Tommy DeVito, Musician/singer – founding member of the Four Seasons (1962-’70) ; “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man” – age 92 (Covid-19)

23 – Gale Sayers, NFL Player – played with the Chicago Bears (1965-’71), Pro Football Hall of Fame, wrote a book which was made into the movie “Brian’s Song” about Brian Piccolo – age 77

26 – Jimmy Winston, Musician/actor (UK) – original member and keyboardist of the rock band Small Faces (1965-’66) – age 75

28 – Bonni Lou Kern, Actress – one of the original “Mouseketeer’s” on The Mickey Mouse Club (1955-’56), also a muppeteer on “The Muppet Show” – age 79

29 – Mac Davis, Singer/songwriter/actor – wrote for Elvis “In the Ghetto”, Nancy Sinatra and others, wrote/performed “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” – age 78

29 – Helen Reddy, Singer/actress/activist (AU)- biggest hit, “I Am Woman” (1971) for which she won a Grammy also “Delta Dawn”, and “Angie Baby” – age 78 (Addison’s disease)

OCTOBER

Eddie Van Halen

Conchata Ferrell

Sean Connery

02 – Bob Gibson, MLB Baseball player – played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975),nine-time All-Star, 2 World Series, Baseball Hall of Fame – age 84 (pancreatic cancer)

03 – Armelia McQueen, Actress – on Broadway: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978–1982, 1988–1989), on TV: Adventures in Wonderland (1992–1994) – age 68

06 – Johnny Nash, Singer/song writer – biggest hit “I Can See Clearly Now” (1972), primarily known for singing reggae and pop – age 80

06 – Eddie Van Halen, Musician/guitarist/songwriter – lead guitar for he and his brothers rock group Van Halen, “Jump”, “Hot for teacher”; Top 100 Gutarist of all Times – age 65 (throat cancer)

07 – Tom Kennedy, Game Show Host – hosted Split Second, Name That Tune, Password Plus and You Don’t Say! amoung others – age 93

08 – Whitey Ford, MLB Baseball player – pitched for the NY Yankees (1950-’67), ten-time All-Star and six-time World Series champion, Baseball Hall of Fame – age 91

11 – Joe Morgan, MLB Baseball player/Announcer – played second basemen for the Cincinnati Reds where he won two World Series and was MVP seven times, Baseball Hal of Fame – age 77 (leukemia)

12 – Conchata Ferrell, Actress – played Berta on TV show “Two and a Half Men” (2003-’15) and Attorney Susan Bloom on TV show “LA Law” – age 77 (cardiac arrest)

12 – Roberta McCain, Socialite & heiress – Wife of Four-star Admiral John McCain Jr. and Mother of Senator John McCain III, age 108

14 – Rhonda Fleming, Actress – movies include: The Golden Hawk (1952), Cry Danger (1951), Serpent of the Nile (1953) – age 97

19 Spencer Davis, Musician – founder the beat band the Spencer Davis Group (1960-’69) and then had a solo career – age 81 (pneumonia)

20 – James Randi, Magician (CA) – besides performing stag magic he was co-founder of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) – age 92

21 – Marge Champion, Actress/dancer – was a dance model for Walt Disney Studios animated films as well as performing in scores of dance movies (1930-’01) – age 101

23 – Jerry Jeff Walker, C&W Singer/songwriter – best known for writing the song “Mr. Bojangles” – age 78 (throat cancer)

28 – Bobby Ball, Actor/comedian/singer (UK) – was half of the comic duo Cannon and Ball, TV show “The Cannon and Ball Show” (1979-’88) – age 76 (COVID-19 complications)

31 – Sir Sean Connery, Actor/producer (SCT) – played James Bond in seven Bond films (1962-’83) won one Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes – age 90

NOVEMBER

Alex Trebek

Norm Crosby

Diego Mardonna

01 – Carol Arthur, Actress – appeared in many Mel Brooks films including playing school teacher Harriett Johnson in “Blazing Saddles”, married to Dom DeLuise – age 85 (Alzheimer’s)

01 – Eddie Hassell Actor – played Phil Nance on TV sci-fi show “Surface” and Clay in movie “The Kids Are All Right” – age 30 (shot while being carjacked)

05 – Len Barry, Singer/songwriter – founding member of the Philadelphia group ‘The Dovells’, biggest hits: “Bristol Stomp”, “Hully Gully Baby”, and “You Can’t Sit Down” – age 78 (cancer of the bone marrow)

05 – Geoffrey Palmer, Actor (UK) – played Lionel Hardcastle in UK sitcom “As Time Goes By” (1992–’05) also Ben Parkinson in “Butterflies” (1978–’83) – age 93

07 –Norm Crosby, Stand-up comedian – appeared in many Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, co-hosted the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon (1982-’10) – age 93

08 – Alex Trebek, Game Show Host (CA) – hosted “High Rollers” (1974–’76 and 1978–’80)and finally “Jeopardy!” (1984-his death) – age 80 (pancreatic cancer)

13 – Paul Hornung, NFL player – played with the Green Bay Packers (1957-’66), won four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl – inducted into College and Pro Halls of Fame – age 84

23 – Abby Dalton, Actress – played Joey Bishop’s wife on The “Joey Bishop Show” (1962-’65) and Julia Cumson on “Falcon Crest” (1981-’90) – age 88

23 – Hal Ketchum, C&W Musician – biggest hits: “Small Town Saturday Night”, “Past the Point of Rescue”, and “Hearts Are Gonna Roll” – age 67 (early-onset Alzheimer’s disease)

25 – Diego Maradona, Football player/manager(AR) – won FIFA Player of the 20th Century award, he was an Argentine national hero nicknamed “the golden boy” – age 60 (heart attack)

28 – David Prowse, Actor/bodybuilder(UK) – physically portrayed Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977) and the Green Cross Code Man, a UK safety superhero (1971-’91) – age 85

30 – Betty Bobbitt, Actress – played Judy Bryant in Australian cult TV series Prisoner known as Prisoner: Cell Block H” in the US (1980-’85) – age 81 (stroke)

DECEMBER

David Lander

Charlie Pride

Dawn Wells

02 – Warren Berlinger, Actor – played Radioman 2nd class A.J. Sparks in movie “The Wackiest Ship in the Army” – age 83

02 – Pamela Tiffin, Actress – appeared in Summer and Smoke (1961) and One, Two, Three (1961) both she was nominated for Golden Globes – age 78

03 – David Lander, Actor – played Squiggy on the TV show “Laverne & Shirley” also was the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society – age 73 (multiple sclerosis)

07 – Chuck Yeager, USAF Officer/pilot/ace/hero – during WWII he shot down 11.5 enemy aircraft in a P-51, later as test pilot he was first human to break the speed of sound in an experimental plane the X-1 (1947) – age 97

10 – Tom Lister Jr., Actor/wrestler – played President Lindberg in movie “The Fifth Element” (1997) – age 62 (complications from COVID-19 after having recovered from the virus)

10 – Carol Sutton, Actress – appeared in a supporting roles in TV shows and movies; Steel Magnolias, Monster’s Ball, and Ray – age 76 (Covid-19)

10 – Dame Barbara Windsor, Actress (UK) – appeared in nine “Carry On” films (1964-’77) and as Peggy Mitchell in “EastEnders” (2003-’10) – age 83 (Alzheimer’s disease)

12 – John le Carré, Author (UK) – wrote spy fiction novels based on his experiences working with MI-5 and MI-6 in Britan, “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” (1963) – age 89

12 – Charley Pride, C&W Singer/guitarist – between 1966-’87 he had 30 # 1 hits songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, biggest hit “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'” – age 86 (complications from Covid-19)

12 – Ann Reinking, Actress/dancer/choreographer – appeared in films All That Jazz (1979), Annie (1982), and Micki & Maude (1984) – age 71

17 – Jeremy Bulloch, Actor (UK) – played bounty hunter Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – age 75 (Parkinson’s disease)

20 – Chad Stuart, Singer/actor (UK) – with Jeremy Clyde, formed the 1960s singing duo, Chad and Jeremy; “A Summer Song” (1964), “Willow Weep for Me” – age 79

21 – K. T. Oslin, C&W singer/songwriter – “80s Ladies” (1987), “Do Ya” and “I’ll Always Come Back”, Grammy Award winner – age 78 (Parkinson’s & Covid-19)

25 – Tony Rice, luegrass musician – played with group The New South which included Ricky Skaggs, Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee – age 69

28 – Phyllis McGuire, Singer – lead singer and last surviving member of the McGuire Sisters, famous for their harmonizing in the 1950’s & ’60’s – age 89

29 – Pierre Cardin, Fashion Designer – founded his own fashion house in 1950, was the first couturier designer to sell a ready to wear line, designed many trend setting styles in the 1960’s – age 98

30 – Aldo Andretti, Race car driver – twin brother of Mario Andretti, both brothers raced in various classes of cars including Forula One – age 80

30 – Dawn Wells, Actress – played Mary Ann on TV show “Gilligan’s Island” (1964-’67) plus three reunion movies – age 81 (Covid-19)

30 – Alto Reed, Musician/saxophonist – a long-time member of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band,Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Seger’s band – age 72 (colon 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

The Fiftiesweb is grateful to Paula Valenzuela for her very gracious help with compiling Celebrity Deaths 2020!