2017 Celebrity Deaths
by John Doe
by John Doe
6 min readThough these famous figures have died, their legacies live on and continue to inspire and delight us. Join us as we remember celebrities who died in 2017.
Jeanne Moreau (1928–2017)
Getty Images / Hulton Archive
An acclaimed French actress, Moreau starred in director Francois Truffaut’s “Jules and Jim.”
Keely Smith (1928–2017)
Getty Images / Hulton Archive
The jazz and pop singer had a popular music and comedy act with then husband Louis Prima.
Rose Marie (1923–2017)
Getty Images
The actress starred as Sally Rogers on "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
Dick Enberg (1935–2017)
Getty Images / NBC
The legendary sportscaster was known for his signature call "Oh, my!"
Heather Menzies-Urich (1949–2017)
Everett Collection
The actress starred as Louisa von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" and later married actor Robert Urich.
View Heather Menzie-Urich's obituary
Reggie Ossé aka Combat Jack (1969–2017)
Getty Images / D Dipasupil
Host of the popular hip-hop podcast "The Combat Jack Show."
Heather North (1945–2017)
Getty Images / NBC / Fred Sabine
She was the voice of Daphne on the popular cartoon "Scooby-Doo."
David Cassidy (1950–2017)
Getty Images / ABC
Starred on "The Partridge Family" and sang lead vocals on hit songs such as "I Think I Love You."
Pat DiNizio (1955–2017)
Getty Images / Ezra Shaw
DiNizio was the baritone lead singer and principal songwriter for The Smithereens, a 1960s influenced power pop band from New Jersey.
Kevin Robinson (1971–2017)
Getty Images / Cindy Ord
The BMX rider won four gold medals at the X Games and set the Guinness World Record for the longest power assisted bicycle backflip.
View Kevin Robinson's obituary
Simeon Booker (1918–2017)
The first full-time African-American reporter at the Washington Post, his brave reporting shed light on the civil rights movement.
Jim Nabors (1930–2017)
Getty Images / CBS
Nabors starred as naive, lovable Gomer Pyle on "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." and "The Andy Griffith Show."
Rance Howard (1928–2017)
Getty Images / WireImage / Ron Galella
The longtime actor was the father of director Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard.
Della Reese (1931–2017)
Getty Images / CBS / Cliff Lipson
Beloved for her role as wise angel Tess on "Touched by an Angel," Reese first found fame as a singer and toured with Mahalia Jackson.
Mel Tillis (1932–2017)
Getty Images / Harry Langdon
The country music singer had many classic hits including "Heart Over Mind" and "Good Woman Blues."
Ann Wedgeworth (1934–2017)
Getty Images / ABC
Wedgeworth starred as flirty divorcee Lana Shields on "Three's Company."
View Ann Wedgeworth's obituary
Malcolm Young (1953–2017)
Getty Images / Micheal Ochs Archives / Larry Hulst
Young was the rhythm guitarist for and founding member of hard rock band AC/DC.
John Hillerman (1932–2017)
Getty Images / Michael Ochs Archives / Donaldson Collection
The actor was best known for playing the stuffy Higgins opposite Tom Selleck on "Magnum, P.I."
View John Hillerman's obituary
Roy Halladay (1977–2017)
Getty Images / Nick Laham
An 8-time All Star, he pitched a perfect game during his career with the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies.
Fats Domino (1928–2017)
Getty Images / Corbis Historical / Hulton Deutsch
One of the architects of rock and roll, Domino had hits with "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame." He influenced many musicians including Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
Liz Smith (1923–2017)
Getty Images / WireImage / Joe Kohen
The legendary gossip columnist was called "The Grand Dame of Dish."
Paul Weitz (1932–2017)
Getty Images / SSPL
The NASA astronaut commanded the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger and also piloted the Skylab in the early 1970s.
Robert Guillaume (1927–2017)
Getty Images / Moviepix / Michael Ochs Archives
Guillaume won two Emmys during a television career that included starring roles on "Soap," "Benson," and "Sports Night." He also provided the voice of Rafiki in Disney's original animated "The Lion King."
View Robert Guillaume's obituary
George Young (1946–2017)
Getty Images / Redferns / K & K Ulf Kruger OHG / Gunter Zint
As a member of the Easybeats, he co-wrote international hit "Friday on My Mind." He also produced the first five albums for his younger brothers Malcolm and Angus Young and their band AC/DC.
Gord Downie (1964–2017)
Downie was the charismatic lead singer for beloved Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip.
John Dunsworth (1946–2017)
Getty Images / NBC / Syfy / Michael Tompkins
The Canadian actor played Jim Lahey on "Trailer Park Boys."
View John Dunsworth's obituary
Roy Dotrice (1923–2017)
AP Photo / Richard Drew
The veteran British character actor played Leopold Mozart in the film "Amadeus" and also appeared in "Game of Thrones."
Elizabeth Baur (1947–2017)
Getty Images / NBC
Baur played Officer Fran Belding on the popular TV crime drama series "Ironside."
View Elizabeth Baur's obituary
Tom Petty (1950–2017)
Getty Images / Daniel Boczarski
The beloved rock and roll star will be remembered for timeless songs such as "American Girl" and "Free Fallin."
Ralphie May (1972–2017)
Getty Images / Robin Marchant
The comedian was known for his appearances on "Last Comic Standing."
Donald Malarkey (1921–2017)
AP Photo / Franck Prevel
Malarkey was the last surviving member of World War II's "Easy Company" who were portrayed on the HBO series "Band of Brothers."
View Donald Malarkey's obituary
Monty Hall (1921–2017)
Getty Images / NBC / Herb Ball
The legendary host of the classic TV game show "Let's Make a Deal."
Hugh Hefner (1926–2017)
Getty Images / AFP / Gerard Julien
The legendary founder of Playboy Magazine.
Anne Jeffreys (1923–2017)
Getty Images / NBC
The glamorous actress and singer starred on classic sitcom "Topper" and soap opera "General Hospital."
Bernie Casey (1939–2017)
Getty Images / FilmMagic / Araya Diaz
NFL player, artist, and actor known for films such as "Revenge of the Nerds" and "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka."
Jake LaMotta (1922–2017)
Getty Images / NY Daily News Archive / Richard Corkery
The colorful boxing champion was portrayed by Robert De Niro in the movie "Raging Bull."
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (1944–2017)
One of the most popular personalities in professional wrestling.
Harry Dean Stanton (1926–2017)
Getty Images / WireImage / Ron Galella
The character actor was known for the cult classic "Repo Men" and starred on HBO's "Big Love."
View Harry Dean Stanton's obituary
Grant Hart (1961–2017)
The co-founder, co-songwriter, drummer and vocalist for the highly influential indie rock band Husker Du.
Frank Vincent (1939–2017)
TAGS
