D. Boon, Punk Eclecticist

On Dec. 22, 1985, rock music lost one of its true originals when Minutemen guitarist and vocalist D. Boon died in a car accident.

The Michael Jackson 5

The King of Pop was wildly successful both as a solo artist and with his brothers, churning out some of the best-selling and most critically-acclaimed albums of all time. But he also lent his incredible talent to others’ music, guest singing with many musicians over the years. Whether they were his sisters and brothers, his friends, or big groups coming together for worthy causes, the recording stars of the 1980s and '90s knew their songs would turn out even better with a little help from MJ.

5 Times When We Fell in Love with Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson, the musical superstar known better simply as Prince, . Though he'd been ill for weeks prior, the 57-year-old's death came as a shock to fans worldwide. Below, we revisit five times when The Purple One won our hearts.

Prince (1958–2016), legendary musician

Prince Rogers Nelson, the musical superstar known better simply as Prince, died April 21. He was 57.

Steve Julian (1958 - 2016), California radio host

Broadcaster Steve Julian, who served as the longtime morning edition host for Southern California’s National Public Radio affiliate 89.3 KPCC, died April 24, according to multiple news sources. He was 57. Julian died of complications of brain cancer, according to the radio station’s vice president of content, Melanie Sill. He was diagnosed with the cancer in November 2015. Since 2000, the smooth-voiced host provided listeners in Southern California with the news, traffic, and weather.

Margo Chase (1958–2017), Chase Design Group founder

Chase Design Group founder worked on Target, Pepsi, Nestle branding…

Ted Christopher (1958 - 2017), NASCAR short track champ

Champion racer was known for his hard driving style…

Tommy Keene (1958 – 2017), singer-songwriter was a favorite among power pop rock fans

Critically acclaimed musician released 12 solo albums…

Kevin Mahogany (1958 – 2017), jazz singer renowned for his rich baritone

Kevin Mahogany, renowned baritone jazz singer, died Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, according to The Associated Press. He was 59.

Cyrille Regis (1958–2018), pioneering black soccer player in England

Paved the way for a generation of young black players in England.

Bob Smith (1958 – 2018), groundbreaking gay comedian

First openly gay male comedian to star in his own HBO special…

Reg E. Cathey (1958 - 2018), Emmy-winning "House of Cards" actor

Reg E. Cathey, the Emmy-winning actor who appeared in “House of Cards” and “The Wire,” died Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, according to multiple news sources. He was 59.

Thomas Billington (1958–2018), wrestling legend known as “Dynamite Kid”

One half of former WWE tag team champions The British Bulldogs.

Johnny “Lam” Jones (1958–2019), track star played in NFL

Johnny “Lam” Jones won an Olympic gold medal in the 4x100 relay at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. A star wide receiver at the University of Texas, he went on to play in the NFL for the New York Jets. Jones was a legendary athlete in Texas, a star sprinter who set records in high school and college, winning a gold medal at the age of 18. He was drafted in the first round by the Jets in 1980 but never lived up to expectations, becoming known for dropping passes. He admitted to drug and alcohol issues but later turned his life around.

Ian Cognito (1958–2019), comedian died on stage during stand-up routine

The British comic had been compared to Lenny Bruce.

Mike Stefanik (1958–2019), nine-time NASCAR champion

Mike Stefanikwas a champion of NASCAR whose nine total championship wins made him one of the two drivers with the most championships in NASCAR history.

Jimmy Spicer (1958–2019), pioneering rapper recorded “Adventures of Super Rhyme”

Jimmy Spicer was a pioneering rapper whose 1980 single “Adventures of Super Rhyme (Rap)” was one of the earliest hip-hop songs. Released not long after the Sugar Hill Gang made history with their “Rapper’s Delight,” “Adventures of Super Rhyme” was a 15-minute storytelling epic, the first of its kind and an influence on later storytelling hip-hop. The song got him signed with Russell Simmons’ Rush Management, and Spicer released further singles including “Money (Dollar Bill Y’all)” and “The Bubble Bunch.” Soon-to-be legendary producers including Rick Rubin and Jellybean Benitez produced singles for Spicer, who worked for Rush Management and opened a recording studio in later years.

Marie Fredriksson (1958–2019), Roxette singer and keyboardist

Marie Fredriksson was the lead singer and keyboardist for Roxette, the Swedish pop duo that had 1980s and ‘90s hits including “The Look” and “It Must Have Been Love.”

David Roback (1958–2020), Mazzy Star co-founder

David Roback  was a co-founder of the dream pop band Mazzy Star that had a hit song in 1994 with “Fade into You.” Guitarist Roback started the band with vocalist Hope Sandoval in the late 1980s. Roback composed the music while Sandoval wrote the lyrics. They released three critically-acclaimed albums. The single “Fade into You” reached No. 3 on the modern rock charts and a video for the song was in regular rotation on MTV. The band released a new single in 2011 followed by the album “Seasons of Your Day” in 2013 and an EP in 2017. In the 1980s, Roback was in the bands Rain Parade and Opal, part of Southern California’s psych rock revival known as the Paisley Underground.

William Dufris (1958–2020), original voice of Bob the Builder

William Dufris was a voice actor best known as the original voice of Bob the Builder on the children’s animated series. He was also an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer.

Joe Diffie (1958–2020), country music star

Joe Diffie  was a country music star who charted five No. 1 hit country singles in the 1990s. Some of his most popular songs were “Pickup Man,” “Bigger Than the Beatles,” and “Home.” The Tulsa native moved to Nashville to be a country music singer and picked up a job at Gibson Guitars. His demos found his way to CBS Nashville who signed him to a contract. Many of his songs were recorded by other country music artists including Tim McGraw and Alabama.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister (1958–2020), starred in 'Friday'

Tommy "Tiny" Lister was an actor known for his roles in 'Friday' and 'The Dark Knight.'

Dianna Ortiz (1958–2021), nun who survived kidnapping and founded anti-torture group

Dianna Ortiz was a Catholic nun who was abducted and tortured while serving as a missionary in Guatemala, and later foundedtheTorture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International(TASSC).

Mark Pavelich (1958–2021), “Miracle on Ice” star

Mark Pavelich was an NHL player who was a star of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, who beat the Soviet Union in an upset known as the “Miracle on Ice.”

Linda Thurston (1958–2021), activist who worked to abolish the death penalty

Linda Thurston was an activist who served as the director of Amnesty International’s Program to Abolish the Death Penalty.

Johnathan Szeles (1958–2022), comedian and magician known as The Amazing Johnathan

Johnathan Szeles was a comedian and stage magician known as The Amazing Johnathan, a longtime headliner in Las Vegas.

Scott Hall (1958–2022), pro wrestler known as Razor Ramon

Scott Hall was a star of pro wrestling best known for his heel character, Razor Ramon, and as part of World Championship Wrestling’s (WCW) New World Order.

Urvashi Vaid (1958–2022), influential LGBTQ+ activist  

Urvashi Vaid was an influential activist for LGBTQ+ rights who was a former executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Lenny Von Dohlen (1958–2022), “Twin Peaks” actor

Lenny Von Dohlen was an actor who played Harold Smith in “Twin Peaks.”

Denise Dowse (1958–2022), “Beverly Hills, 90210” actress

Denise Dowse was a longtime character actress who starred as vice principal Yvonne Teasley on “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Uma Pemmaraju (1958–2022), original Fox News anchor

Uma Pemmaraju was one of the original anchors when Fox News launched in 1996.

Douglas McGrath (1958–2022), Oscar-nominated actor and filmmaker

Douglas McGrath was an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker who directed movies including the 1996 adaptation of “Emma.”

Louis Orr (1958–2022), former NBA player and college basketball coach   

Louis Orr was a college basketball star at Syracuse University who played in the NBA and was a college basketball head coach.

Charles White (1958–2023), 1979 Heisman Trophy winner

Charles White was a football player who won the 1979 Heisman Trophy while playing for the University of Southern California and went on to an NFL career.

Greg Foster (1958–2023), world champion hurdler 

Greg Foster was an American hurdler. He is the only person to win three consecutive World Championship titles in the sport.

Vincent Stewart (1958–2023), Defense Intelligence Agency director 

Vincent Stewart was the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the first Black man and first Marine to hold that position.

Julian Sands (1958–2023), star of A Room with a View, Warlock

Julian Sands was a British actor known for roles in movies including “A Room with a View,” “Warlock,” and “Arachnophobia.”

Johnie Cooks (1958–2023), Super Bowl champ with the Giants 

Johnie Cooks was a Mississippi State University football legend and won Super Bowl XXV as a linebacker with the New York Giants.

Johnny Hardwick (1958–2023), voice of Dale on King of the Hill 

Johnny Hardwick was a stand-up comedian, writer, and voice actor who played Dale Gribble, Hank Hill’s conspiracy-theorist friend on the animated TV show "King of the Hill."

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958–2023), poet, author, and Peaky Blinders actor

Benjamin Zephaniah was a celebrated British poet, author and playwright who regularly appeared on the period crime drama “Peaky Blinders.” 

Amp Fiddler (1958–2023), musician who worked with George Clinton

Joseph “Amp” Fiddler was a keyboardist, producer, singer, and songwriter known for his collaborations with George Clinton’s Parliament and Funkadelic bands, as well as the R&B and soul band Enchantment.

James McCaffrey (1958–2023), Rescue Me, Max Payne actor 

James McCaffrey was an actor who was a regular on the firefighter dramedy “Rescue Me” and the voice of Max in the popular “Max Payne” video game series.

Laura Lynch (1958–2023), Dixie Chicks founding member

Laura Lynch was a founding member of the Dixie Chicks, playing bass and providing vocals as part of the original line up. 

Donald M. Payne Jr. (1958–2024), six-term U.S. Congressman from N.J.

Donald M. Payne Jr., was a second-generation United States congressman from New Jersey who served six terms in office, following in the footsteps of his namesake congressman father.

Eddie Gossage (1958–2024), president of Texas Motor Speedway

Eddie Gossage was a race promoter and president of Texas Motor Speedway, credited with helping bring NASCAR back to Texas after its long absence. 

Donnell Thompson (1958–2024), longtime Colts defensive end 

Donnell Thompson was a longtime defensive end for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, who later became a community-minded business owner.

Paul Di’Anno (1958–2024), former Iron Maiden vocalist

Paul Di’Anno was a rock singer-songwriter best known as an early frontman for the legendary band Iron Maiden, performing on their debut and “Killers” albums, as well as co-writing the latter’s title track.

Rickey Henderson (1958–2024), MLB’s all-time stolen base leader

Rickey Henderson was a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer who still holds the records for most runs and most stolen bases more than 20 years after his retirement.

Craig Wolfley (1958–2025), Steelers player and broadcaster

Craig Wolfley was a 12-year NFL veteran who spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, then became a broadcaster for the team.