Born December 12

Wings Hauser (1947–2025), Vice Squad actor

Wings Hauser was a character actor whose many roles spanned decades and included parts in “Vice Squad,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Roseanne,” and many other productions.

Evan Wright (1964–2024), Generation Kill author 

Evan Wright was a writer and journalist whose work often explored dark themes, most notably in his 2004 book on the Iraq War, “Generation Kill,” which was adapted into an HBO miniseries.

Wally Dallenbach Sr. (1936–2024), influential Indy car racer

Wally Dallenbach Sr. was an Indy car champion and Hall of Fame racer who, as Chief Stewart of Competition for Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) for more than 20 years, pushed for new safety reforms still used today.

Dickey Betts (1943–2024), Allman Brothers Band guitarist and singer

Dickey Betts was a guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as one of the founding members of the iconic classic rock act the Allman Brothers Band and the writer of classics like “Ramblin’ Man,” “Blue Sky” and “Jessica.”

Russell Batiste Jr. (1965–2023), renowned funk drummer 

David Russell Batiste Jr. was a New Orleans-based funk drummer who played for the Funky Meters, Nuclear Rhythms, Papa Grows Funk, and Vida Blue, among others.

Terry Kirkman (1939–2023), singer and songwriter with the Association 

Terry Kirkman was a singer and songwriter with the Association, known for such 1960s hits as “Cherish” and “Never My Love.” 

Bob Barker (1923–2023), longtime host of The Price Is Right

Bob Barker was the Emmy Award-winning host of the long-running game show “The Price Is Right.”

Jeff Gladney (1996–2022), Arizona Cardinals cornerback

Jeff Gladney was a cornerback for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals who was a star in college at TCU.   

Tony Hsieh (1973–2020), longtime Zappos CEO

Tony Hsieh was the longtime CEO of Zappos, who built the online shoe retailer into a billion-dollar business.

Phyllis Somerville (1943–2020), “The Big C” actor

Phyllis Somerville was an actor0known for her role as Marlene in The Big C.

Manu Dibango (1933–2020), jazz musician, died of COVID-19

Manu Dibango was a saxophonist, vibraphonist, and songwriter from Cameroon who was known for mixing traditional African music with jazz and funk. His 1972 song “Soul Makossa” was an international hit.

Anne V. Coates (1925–2018), award winning editor

Pioneering film editor won an Oscar for “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Bob Dorough (1923–2018), “Schoolhouse Rock” musician

Wrote and performed songs like “Three Is a Magic Number.”

Otto Warmbier (1994–2017), U.S. student imprisoned in North Korea

American student who was imprisoned in North Korea for more than 17 months.