Died September 9

Mitchell Wiggins (1959–2024), Houston Rockets shooting guard

Mitchell Wiggins was a shooting guard for such NBA teams as the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls, as well as the father of current Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins.

John Cassaday (1971–2024), noted X-Men, Planetary comic book artist

John Cassaday was a comic book artist best known for his work with Joss Whedon on “Astonishing X-Men" and as the co-creator of “Planetary.” 

James Earl Jones (1931–2024), the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa

James Earl Jones was the acclaimed actor whose deep, rich voice was featured as Darth Vader in several “Star Wars” films and as Mufasa in “The Lion King.”

Shelby Jordan (1952–2022), former Patriots offensive lineman

Shelby Jordan was a former NFL offensive lineman for the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Raiders.  

Mark Miller (1924–2022), “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies” star  

Mark Miller was an actor best known for starring in the 1960s NBC sitcom “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.” 

“Kentucky” Chris Ellis (1980–2020), star of Discovery’s “Street Outlaws”

“Kentucky” Chris Ellis was an auto mechanic who was featured in several seasons of the Discovery Channel reality series “Street Outlaws.”

Shere Hite (1942–2020), author of Hite Reports on female sexuality

Shere Hite was a sex educator and feminist who issued the groundbreaking Hite Reports that explored human sexuality and focused on women’s experiences.

Stevie Lee (2020), “Jackass” star

Stevie Lee was a wrestler and actor whostarred in the movie c293Jackass 3De2809d and on TV in c293American Horror Story: Freak Show.e2809d

Ronald Bell (1951–2020), co-founder of Kool & the Gang

Ronald Bell was a musician who co-founded Kool & the Gang and wrote and composed songs including their 1980 No. 1 hit, “Celebration.”

Fred McLeod (1952–2019), beloved Cleveland Cavaliers announcer

Longtime Detroit Pistons broadcaster moved to the Cavaliers in 2006.

Neiron Ball (1992–2019), former Raiders linebacker

Neiron Ball was a former linebacker for the Oakland Raiders who had a standout football career at the University of Florida. Ball was diagnosed with a rare blood vessel disorder called arteriovenous malformationin 2011 which is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels in the brain. He was able to return to playing football for the Gators and was a fifth round draft choice of the Raiders in 2015. Nicknamed cWeezyc by his teammates, Ball played one season for the Raiders before being released. He suffered a brain aneurysm in 2018 and had been living in a nursing facility.

Michael Friedman (1975–2017), Composer for “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”

Composer and lyricist for the rock musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.”

Carrie DeKlyen (2017), chose to give birth to baby over her own cancer treatment

Carrie DeKlyen died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, just days after giving birth to her daughter, surrounded by family, according to MLive.com and the Detroit Free Press. She was 37.

Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass

Bill Monroe, the "Father of Bluegrass," was born September 13, 1911. Today we're remembering his musical career – it's a seminal one, as he's one of the only musicians who could say he created an entire genre almost single-handedly.