2020 Celebrity Deaths

Who’s Living Longer: Musicians, Businessmen, or Politicians?

2020 was a year when death was frequently on our minds and in the news.

R.I.P. 2020: Remembering the Newsmakers Who Died

Of all the places the story of 2020 has been told, one of the most poignant has been the obituary pages. Journalists around the country have observed that obituary writing has been more personal, more emotional, and more meaningful this year as communities everywhere had to grieve under difficult pandemic circumstances. That's been true for everyday Americans, and it's also been true for the national newsmakers whose deaths made headlines. Join us now in this look back at some of the most honored celebrities who died in 2020.

Wilford Brimley (1934–2020), star of "Cocoon" and Quaker Oats ads

Wilford Brimley was a character actor known for his gruff and grumpy persona in movies including “Cocoon” and "The Natural," television shows such as “The Waltons” and “Our House,” and commercials for Quaker Oats and Liberty Medical’s supplies for diabetes patients.

Michael Brooks (1983–2020), podcast host and political commentator

Michael Brooks was a political commentator who cohosted the award-winning podcast “The Majority Report with Sam Seder” and hosted his own podcast, “The Michael Brooks Show.”

Zizi Jeanmaire (1924–2020), French ballerina danced in Hollywood films

Zizi Jeanmaire was a French modernist ballerina who won international acclaim for her sexually suggestive dancing in the ballet “Carmen,” choreographed by her husband, Roland Petit. She later appeared in the Hollywood films “Hans Christian Andersen” (1952) with Danny Kaye, and “Anything Goes” (1956) with Bing Crosby. She was billed simply as Jeanmaire.

John Lewis (1940-2020), civil rights legend & U.S. Rep. from Georgia

John Lewis , the long-serving U.S. representative from Georgia who was one of the most prominent leaders of the American civil rights movement, died Friday, July 17, his family announced in a statement.

Tony Taylor (1935–2020), MLB All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies

Tony Taylor was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Detroit Tigers.

Travell Mazion (1995–2020), WBC-NABF super welterweight boxing champion

Travell Mazion was the current champion for the WBC-NABF super welterweight division. He had an undefeated record of 17-0.

Grant Imahara (1970–2020), host of “MythBusters,” “White Rabbit Project”

Grant Imahara was an electrical engineer and roboticist who was best known for hosting “MythBusters” and “White Rabbit Project.”

Naya Rivera (1987–2020), actress who starred as Santana Lopez in “Glee”

Naya Rivera was an actress best known for her role as Santana Lopez in the hit musical TV series “Glee.”

Kelly Preston (1962–2020), “Jerry Maguire” star

Kelly Preston was an actress known for roles in movies including “Jerry Maguire,” “Twins,” and “Sky High.” She was actor John Travolta’s wife.

Charlie Daniels (1936–2020), “Devil Went Down to Georgia” singer

Charlie Daniels was the legendary country rocker known for the hit song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”  

Ennio Morricone (1928–2020), Oscar-winning composer of movie soundtracks

Ennio Morricone was an Oscar-winning composer of movie soundtracks whose iconic music was the backdrop to films including “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

Carl Reiner (1922–2020), legendary comedy writer, director, and performer

Carl Reiner was a legendary comedy writer and performer who created "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and directed films including "The Jerk.”

Linda Cristal (1931–2020), starred as Victoria Cannon in “The High Chaparral”

Linda Cristal was an actress who starred as Victoria Cannon in the popular Western series “The High Chaparral” from 1967 to 1970.

Freddy Cole (1931–2020), Grammy-nominated jazz singer and pianist

Freddy Cole was a jazz singer and pianist who was nominated for several Grammy Awards, including in 2019 for Best Jazz Vocal Album. He was Nat King Cole’s younger brother.

Joel Schumacher (1939–2020), “Batman,” “The Lost Boys” director

Joel Schumacher was the legendary director whose movies included two “Batman” movies along with “The Lost Boys” and St. Elmo’s Fire.”

Jim Kiick (1946–2020), Miami Dolphins running back who won two Super Bowls

Jim Kiick was a running back who played for the Miami Dolphins during their 1972 perfect season.

Ian Holm (1931–2020), British star played Bilbo in "Lord of the Rings"

Sir Ian Holm was a British actor whose many roles included the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the android Ash in "Alien" (1979).

Vera Lynn (1917–2020), singer known for WWII hit “We’ll Meet Again”

Vera Lynn was a singer, songwriter, and actress known for the wartime hit songs “We’ll Meet Again” and “White Cliffs of Dover.”

Jean Kennedy Smith (1928–2020), last surviving Kennedy sibling

Jean Kennedy Smith was the last surviving sibling of President and a diplomat who helped with the effort toward peace in Northern Ireland.

Bobby Lewis (1925–2020), “Tossin’ and Turnin’” singer

Bobby Lewis was an R&B singer who had a No. 1 hit in 1961 with “Tossin’ and Turnin’.”

Vicki Wood (1919–2020), record-setting woman NASCAR driver

Vicki Wood was a NASCAR driver who broke gender barriers in the sport during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960 she set a speed record of 150.375 mph on a one-way drive down the sand at Daytona Beach. She also set speed records for women at the Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta International Speedway. During her career she claimed to have collected 48 racing trophies. She competed with male drivers until 1963 when some men made it clear they would rather strike than face teasing when they lost to a woman. She retired rather than return to racing exclusively against other women drivers.

Jas Waters (1980–2020), writer for “This Is Us,” “Kidding”

Jas Waters was a writer who worked on TV shows including “This Is Us” and “Kidding,” as well as writing a column for Vibe magazine.

Tyrone Proctor (1953–2020), legendary “Soul Train” dancer who pioneered waacking

Tyrone “The Bone” Proctor was a dancer and choreographer who became known as a regular dancer on “Soul Train,” where he popularized the dance style waacking.

Bonnie Pointer (1950–2020), Pointer Sisters singer

Bonnie Pointerstarted the legendary R&B group The Pointer Sisters with her sisters June and Anita in 1969. She left the group in 1977 for a solo career.

Ken Riley (1947–2020), legendary Bengals cornerback

Ken Riley is a legendary former cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals who is No. 5 all-time in NFL interceptions.

Kurt Thomas (1956–2020), first U.S. male gymnast to win gold at World Championships

Kurt Thomas was the first American male gymnast to win gold at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Chris Trousdale (1985–2020), member of former boy band Dream Street

Chris Trousdale was a singer with the late 1990s early 2000s boy band Dream Street.

Johnny Majors (1935–2020), legendary Tennessee, Pittsburgh football coach

Johnny Majors was the legendary head football coach at Tennessee and Pittsburgh. He led the Pittsburgh Panthers to an undefeated season and the national championship in 1976.  

Wes Unseld (1946–2020), legendary Washington Bullets center

Wes Unseld was a legendary Hall of Fame center for the Washington Bullets who was one of only two players in NBA history to win rookie of the year and MVP in the same season.

Pat Dye (1939–2020), legendary Auburn football coach

Pat Dye was the legendary head football coach at Auburnfrom 1981 until 1992 who led the Tigers to four SEC Championshipwins.

Larry Kramer (1935–2020), playwright and AIDS activist

Larry Kramer was an influential playwright and AIDS activist whosebest-knownplay isThe Normal Heart, which was about theearly days of the AIDScrisis.

Jerry Sloan (1942–2020), Hall of Fame Utah Jazz head coach

Jerry Sloan was one of the winningest head coaches in NBA history. He coached the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons, from 1988 to 2011 with a roster including future hall-of-famers John Stockton and Karl Malone. His impressive record as a coach included 15 consecutive playoff appearances, highlighted by consecutive NBA Finals against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

Shad Gaspard (1981–2020), former WWE star

Shad Gaspardwas a former WWE star who was a member of the tag teamCrymeTyme.

Ken Osmond (1943–2020), Eddie Haskell on “Leave It to Beaver”

Ken Osmond played smart aleck Eddie Haskell, best friend of Wally Cleaver, on the classic sitcom “Leave It to Beaver.”

Phyllis George (1949–2020), groundbreaking sportscaster, Miss America, first lady of Kentucky

Phyllis George, who during her remarkable career was one of the first female sportscasters in American television as well as Miss America and the first lady of Kentucky, died Thursday at the age of 70.

Fred Willard (1933–2020), comic actor who starred in “Best in Show”

Fred Willard was a comic actor beloved for roles in films including “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” and “This Is Spinal Tap.” During his long career he also appeared in several TV shows, including "Fernwood 2 Night," "Real People," "Roseanne," "Murder, She Wrote," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and "Modern Family." His final recurring role was as Steve Carell's father in the upcoming Netflix series "Space Force."

Frank Bielec (1947–2020), "Trading Spaces" designer

Frank Bielec was a designer who appeared on TLC’s reality home improvement show “Trading Spaces.” He participated in every season from 2000 to 2008 and returned for the show’s 2018 revival.

Astrid Kirchherr (1938–2020), Beatles’ friend and photographer

Astrid Kirchherr was a close friend and photographer of the Beatles who was once engaged to former Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe.

Corey La Barrie (2020), YouTube star

Corey La Barriewas a YouTube star and Instagram influencer who attracted a large following for his comedic posts.

Andre Harrell (1960–2020), Uptown Records founder discovered Diddy

Andre Harrell was a hip-hop and R&B visionary who started Uptown Records and discovered Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Betty Wright (1953–2020), Grammy-winning soul and R&B singer

Betty Wright was a soul and R&B singer known for songs including “Clean Up Woman,” “Tonight Is the Night,” and “Where Is the Love.”

Jerry Stiller (1927–2020), comedian who played Frank Costanza on “Seinfeld”

Jerry Stiller was a comedian and actor best known for playing Frank Costanza on “Seinfeld.”

Little Richard (1932–2020), one of the founding fathers of rock & roll

Little Richard, the flamboyant father of rock ‘n’ roll whose “Tutti Frutti” changed the world, died Saturday at the age of 87.

Roy Horn (1944–2020) of Siegfried & Roy, tiger-wrangling magician

Roy Horn was an internationally renowned illusionist whose duo with Siegfried Fischbacher, famed for sharing the stage with lions and tigers, was the most popular show in Las Vegas for more than a decade.

Florian Schneider (1947–2020), Kraftwerk co-founder

Florian Schneider was a co-founder of Kraftwerk, the highly influential German electronic band.

Millie Small (1946–2020), “My Boy Lollipop” singer

Millie Small was a Jamaican singer who had a hit in 1964 with “My Boy Lollipop,” which is considered to be the first international ska hit.

Gale Halderman (1933–2020), original Ford Mustang designer

Gale Halderman was the original designer of the iconic Ford Mustang.