2016 has shredded our hearts in ways no other year before has. Maybe it was because we started the year mourning Natalie Cole and searching for Craig Strickland or maybe it was simply that each month added a larger list of what we felt were monumental deaths.
Some of our beloved stars are at peace after long illnesses like David Bowie, Patty Duke and Alan Rickman, while some lived into their 90s or 100s like Douglas Slocombe, best known for Indiana Jones, who was 103.
Then there were stars that just came back in the spotlight. Alan Thicke, best known for Growing Pains in the 80s, made appearances on new TV shows, so he was once again more than Robin Thicke's dad. Carrie Fisher had reprised her role as Princess Leia in the new Star Wars trilogy and added a bright light to the premiere circuits last year with her honesty on losing weight for the role.
The deaths of singers Prince and George Michael will be felt for years to come as the impact they each made will continue to flow through the music industry.
Our hearts still break for what could have been for Christina Grimmie (22), who was murdered while signing autographs and Anton Yelchin (27), who was killed in a single car accident in his driveway. We lost them both in June.
The gifts that each of them gave us are with us forever in music, film, television, politics, journalism, sports and more. Celebrate their lives and accomplishments while we hope 2017 brings health and well being to all.
We present our list of those we lost in 2016:
JANUARY
Vilmos Zsigmond, Cinematographer - age 85
Craig Strickland, Musician - age 29
Robert Stigwood, Entertainment Manager – age 81
Pat Harrington Jr., Actor – age 86
Taylor Negron, Actor -age 57
Troy Shondell, Musician– age 76
Kitty Kallen, Musician– age 94
Angus Scrimm, Actor – age 89
David Bowie, Musician – age 69
Michael Galeota, Actor - age 31
David Margulies, Actor – age 78
Brian Bedford, Actor – age 80
Alan Rickman, Actor – age 69
René Angélil, Musician/Manager – age 73
Dan Haggerty, Actor – age 74
Noreen Corcoran, Actress – age 72
Dale Griffin, Musician - age 67
Sheila Sim, Actress - age 93
Glenn Frey, Musician – age 67
Jimmy Bain, Musician - age 68
Abe Vigoda, Actor – age 94
Paul Kantner, Musician – age 74
Mike Minor, Actor – age 75
Jaques Rivette, Filmmaker - age 87
FEBRUARY
Bob Elliott, Comedian – age 92
Maurice White, Musician / songwriter – age 74
Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut - age 85
Angela "Big Ang" Raiola, Reality Star/Mob Wives - age 55
Joe Alaskey, Voice Actor - age 63
Joe Dowell, Musician – age 76
Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court Justice – age 79
George Gaynes, Actor – age 98
Daniel Gerson, Scriptwriter - age 49
Vanity, Actress/Musician – age 57
Harper Lee, Novelist – age 89
Yolande Fox, Musician– age 87
Sonny James, Musician – age 87
Lennie Baker, Musician – age 69
Douglas Slocombe, Cinematographer - age 103
Tony Burton, Actor – age 78
George Kennedy, Actor – age 91
Gil Hill, Police Commander/Actor – age 84
Frank Kelly, Actor - age 77
MARCH
Lee Reherman, Football player/actor - age 49
Joey Martin Feek, Musician – age 40
Tony Dyson, Builder of R2-D2 - age 68
Pat Conroy, Author - age 70
Nancy Reagan, First Lady of the U.S.(1981-1989) – age 94
Sir George Martin, Producer for the “Beatles” albums – age 90
Michael White, Producer - age 80
Robert Horton, Actor– age 91
Keith Emerson, Musician – age 71
Adrienne Corri, Actress – age 85
Frank Sinatra Jr., Musician– age 72
Larry Drake, Actor – age 66
Joe Santos, Actor – age 84
Peter Brown, Actor – age 80
Richard Bradford, Actor – age 81
Phife Dawg, Musician – age 45
David Smyrl, Actor/Sesame Street - age 80
Joe Garagiola, Baseball Player/TODAY show – age 90
Ken Howard, Actor – age 71
Erin Storm, Reality Star - age 41
Earl Hamner, Jr., Writer/Producer – age 92
Garry Shandling, Comedian – age 66
James Noble, Actor – age 94
Ronnie Corbett, Comedian/Actor, age 85
Patty Duke, Actress/Musician – age 69
APRIL
Erik Bauersfeld, Actor - age 93
Merle Haggard, Musician – age 79
Keith Hefner, Hugh Hefner brother - age 87
Daisy Lewellyn, Reality Star - age 36
David Gest, Music Producer/ex-husband to Liza Minnelli - age 62
Anne Jackson, Actress – age 90
Doris Roberts, Actress – age 90
Victoria Wood, English Comedian/Actress – age 62
Chyna, WWE wrestler – age 46
Prince, Musician – age 57
Lonnie (Mack) McIntosh, Guitarist – age 74
Madeleine Sherwood, Actress – age 94
Billy Paul, Musician – age 81
MAY
Afeni Shakur Davis, Black Panther/mother of Tupac - age 69
Emilio Navaira, Musician - age 53
Guy Clark, Musician - age 74
William Schallert, Actor – age 93
Julius La Rosa, Musician – age 86
Morley Safer, Journalist for CBS News – age 84
Alan Young, Actor – age 96
John Berry, Musician - age 52
Nick Menza, Musician - age 51
Burt Kwouk, Actor – age 85
Mike Barnett, Musician – age 89
JUNE
Muhammad Ali, Professional Boxer – age 74
Gordie Howe, Hockey player for Detroit Red Wings – age 88
Christina Grimmie, Musician – age 22
Michu Meszaros, Actor / Circus Performer – age 76
Johnny ‘The Greek’ Karagiorgis, RHONJ - age 42
Ann Guilbert, Actress – age 87
Ronnie Claire Edwards, Actress – age 83
Ron Lester, Actor – age 45
Anton Yelchin, Actor – age 27
Ryan Jimmo, UFC fighter - age 34
Ralph Stanley, Musician/bluegrass - age 89
Bernie Worrell, Musician/P-Funk - age 72
Bill Cunningham, NYT Photographer - age 87
Mack Rice, Songwriter – age 82
Scotty Moore, Guitarist – age 84
Buddy Ryan, NFL Football Coach – age 85
Pat Summitt, NCAA Basketball Coach– age 64
JULY
Michael Cimino, Writer/Director – age 77
Elie Wiesel, Jewish Writer/political activist – age 87
Teddy Rooney, Actor/Musician – age 66
Caroline Aherne, Comedienne/Actress – age 52
Noel Neill, Actress – age 95
Danny Smythe, Musician – age 67
Bonnie Brown, Musician – age 77
Garry Marshall, Writer/Producer/Actor – age 81
Miss Cleo (Youree Del Cleomill Harris), Psychic - age 53
Alan Vega, Musician/Electronic Punk - age 78
James Nederlander, Broadway icon- age 94
Jerry Doyle, Actor– age 60
Gloria DeHaven, Actress/Musician – age 91
Marni Nixon, Voice Actress - age 86
AUGUST
B. E. Taylor, Musician -age 65
David Huddleston, Actor – age 85
Ricci Martin, Entertainer – age 62
Pete Fountain, Jazz Musician – age 86
Barry Jenner, Actor - age 75
Glenn Yarbrough, Musician – age 86
Kenny Baker, Actor – age 81
Fyvush Finkel, Actor – age 93
John McLaughlin, TV host – age 89
Lou Pearlman, Boy Band Founder (Backstreet Boys and 'NSync) - age 62
Matt Roberts, Musician - age 38
James Woolley, Musician – age 49
Jack Riley, Actor – age 80
Steven Hill, Actor – age 94
Sonia Rykiel, Fashion Designer - age 86
Jeanne Martin, Model/ex-wife Dean Martin – age 89
Marvin Kaplan, Actor – age 89
Gene Wilder, Actor – age 83
SEPTEMBER
Jon Polito, Actor – age 65
Jerry Heller, West Coast Rap - age 75
Greta Zimmer Friedman - "The Kiss," WWII Photo - age 92
Alexis Arquette, Actress/Transgender - age 47
Edward Albee, Playwright - age 88
Curtis Hanson, Actor - age 71
Shawty Lo, Rapper - age 40
Hugh O’Brian, Actor – age 91
James Stacy, Actor– age 79
Charmian Carr, Actress – age 73
Bill Nunn, Actor – age 62
Jean Shepard, Musician – age 82
Agnes Nixon, TV Writer - age 93
José Fernández, Baseball player for Miami Marlins – age 24
Arnold Palmer, Golfer – age 87
OCTOBER
Rod Temperton, Songwriter -age 66
Thomas Ford, Actor – age 52
Steve Dillon, Comic Book Artist/"The Punisher" - age 54
Kevin Meaney, Comedian – age 60
Pete Burns, Musician – age 57
Bobby Vee, Musician– age 73
Tammy Grimes, Stage Actress – age 82
NOVEMBER
Kay Starr, Musician– age 94
Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States 1993-2001 – age 78
Leonard Cohen, Poet / Songwriter – age 82
Robert Vaughn, Actor – age 83
Leon Russell, Musician / Songwriter – age 74
Gwen Ifill, Journalist for “Washington Week” and “PBS NewsHour” on PBS – age 61
Holly Dunn, Musician– age 59
Sharon Jones, Musician – age 60
Lisa Masters, Actress - age 52
Florence Henderson, Actress – age 82
Fidel Castro, Prime Minister of Cuba – age 90
Ron Glass, Actor – age 71
Fritz Weaver, Actor – age 90
Van Williams, Actor – age 82
Keo Woolford, Actor – age 49
Grant Tinker, Television executive/Chairman and CEO of NBC (1981-’86) – age 90
DECEMBER
Joseph Mascolo, Actor - age 87
Don Calfa, Actor – age 76
Billy Chapin, Actor – age 72
Greg Lake, Musician – age 69
Joseph Mascolo, Actor– age 87
John Glenn, WWII & Korean War Fighter Pilot. Marine Colonel. NASA Astronaut. Senator from Ohio (1974-99) – age 95
Jim Lowe, Musician – age 93
Alan Thicke, Actor – age 69
Bernard Fox, Actor – age 89
Craig Sager, Sports Reporter – age 65
Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian Actress and Socialite – age 99
Peter Vaughan, Actor - age 93
Gordie Tapp, Entertainer – age 94
Michèle Morgan, French Actress – age 96
Rick Parfitt, Musician/Songwriter – age 68
Liz Smith, Actress – age 95
Richard Adams, Author – age 96
George Michael, Musician – age 53
Rickey Lopez, Actor – age 54
George S. Irving, Actor – age 94
Ricky Harris, Actor – age 54
Richard Adams, Author - age 96
Barbara Tarbuck, Actress - age 74
Carrie Fisher, Actress – age 60
Debbie Reynolds, Actress – age 84