*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
|
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
|
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
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!