John Robinson (1935–2024), coach who led L.A. Rams to championships

John Robinson was a football coach who had success at both the college and professional levels, leading USC to four Rose Bowl wins and coaching the Los Angeles Rams to two championship games.

Peter Schickele (1935–2024), composer known as P. D. Q. Bach

Peter Schickele was a composer and humorist best known for his comedic musical compositions, released under his persona, P. D. Q. Bach.

Ralph Lee (1935–2023), puppeteer who created SNL’s Land Shark 

Ralph Lee was a puppeteer whose creations included the mask for the recurring Land Shark sketch on “Saturday Night Live.”  

Ed Bullins (1935–2021), playwright of the Black Arts Movement

Ed Bullins was a playwright known for works including “The Taking of Miss Janie” and “In New England Winter.”

Ei-ichi Negishi (1935–2021), top scientist revolutionized drug-making, made OLED TVs possible

Dr. Ei-ichi Negishi was a scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work, which paved the way for new medicines and OLED televisions.

David Prowse (1935–2020), original Darth Vader actor

David Prowse, the English actor who appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy as Darth Vader, has died at the age of 85, his agent announced early Sunday morning.

Sergei Khrushchev (1935–2020), Nikita Khrushchev’s son who became a U.S. citizen

Sergei Khrushchev was the son of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and he became known for becoming a U.S. citizen and speaking about the Cold War.

Sleepy LaBeef (1935–2019), rockabilly musician

Sleepy LaBeef  was a rockabilly musician with a strong fan following over his long career. LaBeef (born Thomas LaBeff) released his first singles in 1957 at the height of rockabilly music. He was nicknamed “Sleepy” for a lazy eye. He recorded for Mercury, Columbia and Rounder records and had a minor hit in 1968 with the straight-up country song “Every Day.” He was known for his constant touring and energetic live performances including a series of dates in 2019.

Ken Kercheval (1935–2019), J.R.’s rival on “Dallas”

Actor played oil tycoon Cliff Barnes on the primetime soap Dallas.

Barbara Harris (1935–2018), starred in “Nashville” and “Freaky Friday”

Versatile actress was a co-founder of Second City.

James Cotton (1935–2017), blues harmonica player

Grammy Award-winning blues harmonica player James Cotton, aka Mr. Superharp, backed some of the greatest blues artists of his time.