In memoriam: Entertainment figures we lost in 2017
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Comedian Jerry Lewis, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie and K-pop sensation Kim Jong-hyun are among the entertainers who died in 2017.
Here’s a look at some of the notable musicians, actors, artists and entertainers we lost over the past year.
Om Puri
Om Puri, a Bollywood legend who also starred in English-language films such as The Reluctant Fundamentalist and The Hundred-Foot Journey, died after a heart attack at age 66 Jan. 6. (Vito Amati/Getty Images for Icon)
A legend in Hindi cinema, whether playing a stern father or comic foil, Om Puri starred in dozens of well-known Bollywood hits such as Singh is Kinng, Hera Pheri and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. He also successfully crossed over into English-language films such as The Reluctant Fundamentalist with Riz Ahmed, The Hundred-Foot Journey alongside Helen Mirren and Charlie Wilson’s War with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Puri died on Jan. 6 after suffering a heart attack, at the age of 66.
John Hurt
British actor John Hurt, known for his role in The Elephant Man, died Jan. 25. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)
The Oscar-nominated British actor starred in more than 200 films and TV series during his career. John Hurt was best known for his role in The Elephant Man and his supporting role in Midnight Express. He died on Jan. 25 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 77.
Bill Paxton
Actor Bill Paxton died Feb. 25 due to surgery complications at age 61. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Critics’ Choice Television Awards)
Known for his roles in Twister, Apollo 13, Titanic, Tombstone and The Terminator, Bill Paxton was a familiar face on film screens. He died on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles, following complications from surgery. Paxton was 61.
Neil Fingleton
Game of Thrones actor Neil Fingleton died at the age of 36 on Feb. 25. (Geoff Caddick/Associated Press)
Recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2007 as the U.K.’s tallest man, Neil Fingleton played giant Mag the Mighty on Game of Thrones. He died of heart failure on Feb. 25 at the age of 36.
Chuck Berry
Johnny B. Goode singer Chuck Berry died Mar. 18. (Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)
Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene and Roll Over Beethoven are just some of the tunes that made Chuck Berry a household name in the 1950s. His sound laid the groundwork for the future of rock ‘n’ roll music while his lyrics about teenage life and consumerism spoke to generations of fans and musicians. Berry died on Mar. 18 at age 90 in his home state of Missouri.
Erin Moran
Actress Erin Moran of Happy Days fame died at age 56 on Apr. 22. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi star Erin Moran died on Apr. 22 at age 56, likely from complications due to cancer. While she was best known for her role as Joanie Cunningham, she also made appearances on Diagnosis: Murder, Murder, She Wrote and The Love Boat.
Chris Cornell
Musician Chris Cornell, seen at the Toronto Film Festival in 2011, was 52 years old when he died. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
Chris Cornell, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Soundgarden, and as one of the originators of Seattle grunge music, was found dead in a Detroit, Mich., hotel room on May 18. His death was ruled a suicide but his widow insists prescription drugs played a key role in his mindset.
Roger Moore
British actor Roger Moore, known for playing James Bond, died at age 89 May 23. (Eric Gaillard/Reuters)
The British actor starred in seven James Bond films, including Live and Let Die, Octopussy and A View to a Kill. He died on May 23 at the age of 89 in Switzerland, after battling cancer.
Greg Allman
Southern rocker Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band died on May 27. (Evan Agostini/The Associated Press)
The Southern rock pioneer known for performing with the Allman Brothers Band died on May 27 at age 69 from liver cancer complications. He wrote many of the group’s most popular songs, including Whipping Post and Midnight Rider.
Adam West
Batman star Adam West died at age 88 June 9.
Adam West became a pop culture icon with his deadpan portrayal of Batman in the campy 1960s TV series and a 1966 feature film. He died June 9 at the age of 88 after battling leukemia.
Prodigy
Mobb Deep’s Prodigy died at age 42 after being hospitalized for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. (Mark Lennihan/Associated Press)
Rapper Prodigy, a member of the New York hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, died on June 20 at the age of 42 after being hospitalized in Las Vegas for complications caused by sickle cell anemia. In addition to his music career, Prodigy also published a cookbook based on recipes from prison, after he did time for weapons possession.
Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington of the rock group Linkin Park died July 20. (Jordan Strauss/Invision for MTV/Associated Press)
The Linkin Park lead singer died by suicide on July 20 at his home near Los Angeles, at age 41. He had battled substance abuse for many years.
John Heard
Actor John Heard attends a film screening’ on Aug. 2, 2013, in Los Angeles, Calif. Heard died earlier this year. (Mark Davisé/Getty Images)
John Heard was known for his roles in the films Awakenings, Big, Beaches and Home Alone and also starred in the long-running TV show The Sopranos. He was briefly married to Canadian actress Margot Kidder. The actor died July 21 from cardiac arrest at a California hotel at age 71.
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard, the famed playwright, director and actor, died July 27 at age 73. (Charles Sykes/Associated Press)
The esteemed playwright, director and actor won a Pulitzer Prize for Buried Child in 1979 and an Oscar nomination for The Right Stuff in 1984. He died at age 73 on July 27 from Lou Gehrig’s disease complications.
Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell died Aug. 8 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)
The Rhinestone Cowboy singer died at age 81 on Aug. 8 in Nashville, Tenn., after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. His lengthy career spanned pop and country music as well as movies and television.
Jerry Lewis
Actor and comedian Jerry Lewis died at age 91 Aug. 20. (Dan Steinberg/The Associated Press)
The comedy legend, whose fundraising telethons became as famous as his movies, died of natural causes at age 91 on Aug. 20. Lewis was 20 when his pairing with Dean Martin made them international stars. He went on to make The Bellboy, The Nutty Professor and was featured in Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, among other films.
Shelley Berman
Comedian Shelley Berman died at the age of 92. (Shea Walsh/The Associated Press)
Comedian Shelley Berman won gold records and appeared on top TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s, with clever monologues describing the mundane annoyances of everyday life. He died at his California home from Alzheimer’s complications at the age of 92 on Sept. 1.
Harry Dean Stanton
Character actor Harry Dean Stanton died at the age of 91 Sept. 15. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)
The character actor was known for his roles in films such as Godfather II, Alien, Pretty in Pink and The Green Mile. One of his last appearances on screen was in Twin Peaks: The Return, the 2017 continuation of David Lynch’s TV series from 1990-91. Harry Dean Stanton died at the age of 91 on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles.
Hugh Hefner
Playboy founder and businessman Hugh Hefner died Sept. 27 at the age of 91. (Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press)
The founder of Playboy transformed the publishing industry by combining sexual and mental stimulation in mainstream media. He was seen as a women’s liberator by some and oppressor by others. Hugh Hefner died peacefully at the famous Playboy mansion in Los Angeles at the age of 91 on Sept. 27.
Tom Petty
I Won’t Back Down singer Tom Petty, seen here at the L.A. premiere of the 2007 documentary Runnin’ Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, died Oct. 2 after a cardiac arrest. (Chris Pizello/Associated Press)
Free Fallin‘ rocker Tom Petty suffered a cardiac arrest at his Malibu, Calif., home at age 66 and died Oct. 2. The legendary singer leaves behind decades of memorable songs, including Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Learning to Fly and I Won’t Back Down. The latter was credited on Sam Smith’s 2014 smash hit Stay With Me after a copyright dispute.
Gord Downie
Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie, performing here with band members Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay and Rob Baker during their Man Machine Poem tour, died October 17 after battling brain cancer. (REUTERS/Kevin Light)
The Tragically Hip frontman embarked on a farewell Canadian tour in 2016 that moved the nation, after being diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. Performing classics such as Ahead by a Century, Bobcaygeon, and the hauntingly fitting Courage, the tour culminated in an emotional hometown gig in Kingston, Ont., that summer. He died the following year on Oct. 17 at the age of 53, surrounded by friends and family.
Fats Domino
Fats Domino, a legendary New Orleans musician, died Oct. 24 at age 89. (AFP/Getty Images)
The legendary New Orleans musician, referred to as a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll, died of natural causes at age 80 on Oct. 24. He was one of the first RB artists to become popular with white audiences, which some argue eventually contributed to breaking down segregation barriers in the U.S.
Robert Guillaume
Actor Robert Guillaume died Oct. 24, 2017 in Los Angeles at age 89. Guillaume’s widow Donna Brown Guillaume said he had been battling prostate cancer. (Chris Martinez/Associated Press)
Best known as the quick-witted butler in the 1970s and ’80s on the sitcom Soap and its spinoff Benson, Robert Guillaume died at age 89 in Los Angeles on Oct. 24. The Emmy award-winning actor rose from poverty as a child to help break barriers for African-Americans during his career on screen.
Azzedine Alaïa
Franco-Tunisien celebrity fashion designer Azzedine Alaia died at age 77 on Nov. 18. (Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images)
The Tunisia-born celebrity fashion designer became known as the “king of cling” for his form-fitting clothing. Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Rihanna are just some of the high-profile women who have worn his designs. He died in Paris on Nov. 18 at age 77. (Some reports suggest he was actually 82, and often gave a date of birth that suggested he was five years younger.)
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young of the Australian rock band AC/DC died Nov. 18 at age 64. (Getty Images)
AC/DC co-founder and guitarist Malcolm Young died Nov. 18 at age 64 after suffering from dementia, his bandmates said. He helped create some of the Australian rock band’s greatest head-banging tracks such as Highway to Hell, Hells Bells, Thunderstruck and Back in Black.
Earle Hyman
Earle Hyman, a veteran actor of stage and screen who was widely known for playing Russell Huxtable on The Cosby Show, died at the age of 91. (Ron Frehm/The Associated Press)
He was a veteran actor on stage, and in television and film, but Earle Hyman’s fame came playing a warm grandfather, Russell Huxtable, on The Cosby Show. He died at age 91 on Nov. 17 in Englewood, N.J.
Della Reese
Singer-actress Della Reese died Nov. 19 at age 86. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for The Salvation Army)
Della Reese was an actress and gospel-influenced singer who found her greatest fame mid-career as Tess, the wise angel in the long-running television drama Touched by an Angel. She died peacefully at age 86 on Nov. 19 at her home near Los Angeles.
David Cassidy
David Cassidy died Nov. 21 at age 67 after being hospitalized in Florida. (Dan Steinberg/Associated Press)
David Cassidy skyrocketed to fame playing the eldest child and lead singer on The Patridge Family. He became a teen heartthrob in the 1970s. The singer-actor suffered organ failure and was admitted to a Florida hospital before he died on Nov. 21 at the age of 67.
Kim Jong-hyun
Kim Jong-hyun, a member of the popular South Korean boyband SHINee, died at age 27 on Dec. 18. (Starnews/AFP/Getty Images)
The lead singer of the successful Korean pop group SHINee, Kim Jonghyun had a huge fan base. Fans came out in droves to pay tribute to the star, who died at the age of 27 on Dec. 18 in Seoul. His death was ruled a suicide. K-pop has a ubiquitous reputation for being extremely demanding and strict with its talent — celebrities are often not allowed to be seen dating or embroiled in scandal.
Heather Menzies-Urich
Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa von Trapp in the Sound of Music, died Dec. 24 at age 68. (Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
The Toronto-born actress was best known for portraying the third-eldest child of the von Trapp family, Louisa, in the 1965 classic film The Sound of Music. She died on Dec. 24 at age 68 in Frankford, Ont. According to her son, she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Rose Marie
Actress and comedian Rose Marie of The Dick Van Dyke Show died Dec. 28 at age 94. (Nick Ut/Associated Press)
Rose Marie was famous for her role as Sally Rogers on the Dick Van Dyke Show, with a career that spanned several decades as an actress, singer and comedian. She died on Dec. 28 at the age of 94 in Los Angeles.
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