The summer is coming to an end, meaning that there’s only four months left out of the year. 2013 has been a sad one for fans of Hollywood, since we have lost plenty of legends throughout the year. From film critic Roger Ebert to Broadway legend Julie Harris - who died just days ago - legends have left us.
The list below only includes a few of them, but there have been several more losses this year. They say that celebrities die in threes - well celebrities have died in larger groups than that in 2013.
Some of these deaths have been shocking - no one saw the death of Cory Monteith or Lee Thompson Young, two rising stars - coming. James Gandolfini’s death left Hollywood and fans in mourning for days. As the year moves on, we’ll add to this list, but hopefully there will not be too many more. These are stars we should not forget and continue to enjoy through the work they left us.
Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times legendary film critic died in April at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer. He died just days after he told his readers that he had a recurrence and was positive that he would be able to write again. “So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies,” were the last words he ever published.
Karen Black, the Oscar nominated actress who appeared in Five Easy Pieces and Private Benjamin, died earlier this month at age 74. She played a key role in the late 1960s/early 1970s New Hollywood movement, playing roles in Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. She had also battled cancer.
Lee Thompson Young was just 29 years old when he committed suicide earlier this month. The actor starred on the Disney Channel’s Famous Jett Jackson and was one of the rare child stars who found roles as an adult. He starred on TNT’s hit crime drama Rizzoli & Isles.
Ray Manzarek, the keyboardist for The Doors, died in May. He was 74. While Jim Morrison may be the best-known member of the “Light My Fire” group, Manzarek was partly responsible for the iconic sound behind Morrison.
Legendary comedian Jonathan Winters died in April at age 87. He was the king of improvisational comedy and appeared in several films, including It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Richie Havens died at age 72, also in April, which was a really tough month. The guitarist gave an emotional performance at Woodstock that is still remembered by music fans over 40 years later.
Annette Funicello, one of the original Mouseketeers, died at age 70. She appeared in countless iconic Disney movies in the ‘60s as she grew up and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987.
Julie Harris, the star of both stage and screen, died this month and 87. She was one of the most decorated Broadway actresses in history and also appeared with James Dean in East of Eden.
Cory Monteith, the Glee star, died last month. He was just 31-years-old and died of an overdose. His death has had reverberations around Hollywood, as Glee is entering its fifth season. The show will pay tribute to him during its third episode.
While its hard to call the death of one person more shocking than another’s, James Gandolfini’s death in June was a shocker. The former Sopranos star changed the face of television forever with his performance as Tony Soprano. He was just 51-years-old and died of a heart attack while vacationing in Italy. He can be seen in Enough Said with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Other stars we’ve lost include George Jones, Esther Williams, Chris Kelly and Lisa Robin Kelly.