DJ Clark Kent (1966–2024), producer who helped discover Jay-Z

DJ Clark Kent was a music insider and hip-hop producer who played a role in the rise of some of the genre’s biggest stars, including Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G.

Jennifer Leak (1947–2024), The Young and the Restless actress 

Jennifer Leak was an actress known for roles in such movies and TV shows as “Yours, Mine and Ours” and “The Young and the Restless.” 

Conny Van Dyke (1945–2023), singer and Dixie Dancekings actress

Conny Van Dyke was an actress and singer who signed with Motown Records and is known for films such as “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” and “Framed.”

Sam Zell (1941–2023), billionaire real estate tycoon 

Sam Zell was a billionaire real estate investor who was nicknamed “the Grave Dancer” for his tactic of acquiring distressed companies.0

Jean Landis (1918–2022), World War II WASP pilot

Jean Landis served with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II, flying crucial non-combat missions.

Kenneth Stumpf (1944–2022), Medal of Honor recipient 

Kenneth Stumpf was an Army Sergeant who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1968 for his heroism during the Vietnam War.

Ralph Ahn (1926–2022), actor known for “New Girl”

Ralph Ahn was an actor best known for playing the mostly silent grandfather figure Tran on “New Girl.”

Charley Taylor (1941–2022), Hall of Fame wide receiver

Charley Taylor was a legendary Washington wide receiver who caught over 600 passes during his Hall of Fame career.  

Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2022), legendary Indian playback singer

Lata Mangeshkar was a legendary Indian playback singer whose voice was lip synced by actresses in countless Bollywood movies.

Bill Owens (1935–2021), songwriter who was Dolly Parton’s uncle and mentor

Bill Owens was a country music songwriter who was Dolly Parton’s uncle and mentor.

Grant Jackson (1942–2021), pitcher for the 1979 World Series-winning Pirates

Grant Jackson was an MLB pitcher who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series.

Nikki McKibbin (1978–2020), “American Idol” season one finalist

Nikki McKibbin was a finalist in the 2002 debut season of “American Idol,” placing third after Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini.

Suzanne Whang (1962–2019), former host of “House Hunters”

Suzanne Whang was the host of HGTV’s “House Hunters” from the show’s debut in 1999 through 2007. She was also an actress and comedian, and she had a recurring role as Polly Nguyen on “Las Vegas.” Whang played Carol Cheng on “General Hospital” and made appearances on shows including “Criminal Minds,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “Boston Legal.” She won the Best Up & Coming Comedian Award at the 2002 Las Vegas Comedy Festival and the Andy Kaufman Award at the 2004 New York Comedy Festival. She had been battling breast cancer for 13 years.

Donald Hall (1928–2018), former U.S. poet laureate

Prolific poet won numerous awards.

Ed Sullivan: Civil Rights Trailblazer

For more than 20 years, most Americans knew what they were doing on Sunday nights: watching "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS, eager to see which new talent or old favorite it's host would bring to the stage that week. Ed Sullivan, who died Oct. 13, 1974, 40 years ago, introduced more than 10,000 acts between 1948 and 1971.