Sylvester Turner (1954–2025), freshman congressman from Texas

Sylvester Turner was the mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024, then briefly served in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Chauncy Glover (1985–2024), Emmy-winning news anchor

Chauncy Glover was a news anchor at KCAL in Los Angeles and KTRK in Houston, where he was known for his philanthropy and mentorship.

Allen Aldridge (1972–2024), Denver Broncos Super Bowl champion

Allen Aldridge was an NFL linebacker who won Super Bowl XXXII with the Denver Broncos and played for the Detroit Lions.

Sheila Jackson Lee (1950–2024), 30-year congresswoman from Texas

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was a 30-year congresswoman from Texas best known for her advocacy of progressive causes.

Jewel Brown (1937–2024), Houston jazz legend

Jewel Brown was a Houston jazz legend who for years performed with the band of jazz icon Louis Armstrong.

Mark James (1940–2024), songwriter of Hooked on a Feeling

Mark James was a songwriter who wrote a string of major hits performed by artists like Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson, including “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “Always On My Mind.”

Rev. Bill Lawson (1928–2024), civil rights leader who worked with MLK

Rev. William “Bill” Lawson was a Houston civil rights leader who helped peacefully integrate his city and worked alongside

Robert Reid (1955–2024), Houston Rockets star in the 1980s

Robert Reid was a 13-year NBA veteran best known for his long tenure with the Houston Rockets, with whom he went to two NBA Finals.

Jack Burke Jr. (1923–2024), two-time major-winning golfer 

Jack “Jackie” Burke Jr. was a PGA Tour golfer and winner of both the Masters and PGA Championship in 1956 who won 16 PGA Tour events overall during his career.

D.J. Hayden (1990–2023), Raiders, Jaguars cornerback 

D.J. Hayden was a cornerback for such NFL teams as the Oakland Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Big Pokey (1974–2023), longtime Houston rapper

Big Pokey was a longtime rapper in the “chopped and screwed” scene out of Houston and a founding member of the Screwed Up Click collective.

Fito Olivares (1947–2023), Tejano musician known for Juana La Cubana

Born Rodolfo Olivares, musician Fito Olivares began playing the saxophone at 12 and by 16 was performing professionally. He soon began writing his own compositions, establishing himself as an artist who embraced new directions in Mexican cumbia music as adeptly as he adhered to the traditional. He is best known for his hit songs “Juana La Cubana” and “El Colesterol,” which are mainstays at weddings and quinceañeras.

Walter Cunningham (1932–2023), NASA astronaut on Apollo 7

Walter Cunningham  was a NASA astronaut who flew to space on Apollo 7.

Takeoff (1994–2022), rapper with Migos

Takeoff was a rapper with the hip hop trio Migos, known for hits including “Bad and Boujee.”

Ken Starr (1946–2022), Clinton Whitewater prosecutor

Ken Starr was a lawyer best known as the independent counsel who led the investigation of the Whitewater controversy that led to President Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

Snootie Wild (1985–2022), rapper known for “Yayo”

Snootie Wild was a rapper known for songs including his 2013 hit “Yayo.”

Astroworld Festival Victims (2021)

Eight people died, and dozens more were injured, at the Astroworld Festival at Houston’s NRG Park on Friday.

George Floyd (1973–2020), whose death in Minneapolis sparked U.S. protests

George Floyd, a resident of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, died Monday, May 25, 2020 at the age of 46 while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers, which sparked nationwide protests against police brutality. He was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and grew up in Houston, Texas, where he graduated from Jack Yates High School in 1992. He was a member of the basketball team and the state title-winning football team there. At the time of his death, he worked as a security guard at Conga Latin Bistro.

Bob Watson (1946–2020), first black MLB general manager to win a World Series

Bob Watson was a Major League Baseball player and general manager who became, with the New York Yankees in 1996, the first black general manager to win a World Series.

Jimmy Wynn (1942–2020), former Houston Astros All-Star

Jimmy Wynn was a center fielder for the Houston Astros and other Major League Baseball teams from 1963 to 1977. Nicknamed “The Toy Cannon” for his powerful hit and short stature, Wynn was a three-time All-Star.

Fred “Curly” Neal (1942–2020), Harlem Globetrotters legend

Fred “Curly” Neal  was a legend, delighting crowds for 22 years with his ball handling skill and big smile. Neal played basketball at Johnson C. Smith University, averaging 23 points a game. He played on the Globetrotters from 1963 until 1985 and was a fan favorite. He would dribble through the other team, daring them to steal the ball and was a dead-on shooter. He was nicknamed “Curly” after the bald headed member of the Three Stooges. He appeared in the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon in the 1970s and a TV movie with the cast of “Gilligan’s Island.” His number 22 was retired and hung in the rafters at Madison Square Garden in 2008.  

Kenny Rogers' Best

Country music icon Kenny Rogers left all of us fans with so many memorable songs. We remember his greatest here.

Holocaust Survivors Tell Their Stories

This International Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27, 2020, marks 75 years since those held prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp were liberated. The , who emerged from a nightmare and managed to put together the pieces of a new life, have grown to old age in the 21st century. Those with the most vivid memories, who were adults during World War II, are mostly gone, and those few who are left are in the last years of their lives. Many, as they leave this life, take one last chance to tell their stories — via their obituaries.

Azellia White (1913–2019), pioneering Black female pilot

Pilot Azellia White (1913–2019)helped pave the way for black women in aviation. White trained in Tuskegee where her husband was stationed during World War II as a mechanic with the famed Tuskegee Airmen. She received her pilotfs license on March 26, 1946.

Chris Kraft (1924–2019), NASA’s visionary first flight director

Chris Kraft was NASA’s visionary first flight director, who guided astronauts as they orbited Earth and landed on the Moon.

Edith Irby Jones (1927–2019), pioneering doctor

The first African American to attend and graduate from the University of Arkansas Medical School.

Bushwick Bill (1966–2019), rapper with the Geto Boys

Bushwick Bill was a member of the iconic Houston based rap trio the Geto Boys. Real name Richard Shaw, he was born in Kingston, Jamaica with dwarfism. He first joined the Geto Boys as a dancer and then became a rapper alongside Willie D and Scarface. The trio were pioneers of southern hip-hop and horrorcore. Bushwick Bill was featured on the Geto Boy’s hit songs, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” and “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta.” He also released multiple solo albums.

Owen Garriott (1930–2019), Skylab and space shuttle astronaut

NASA astronaut Owen Garriott spent a total of 70 days in space.

Billy Cannon (1937–2018), legendary LSU running back

Won the 1959 Heisman Trophy.

John Young (1930–2018), astronaut walked on the Moon

Legendary astronaut John Young walked on the moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight.

How to Help During a Natural Disaster

With Hurricane Harvey and vast flooding dominating the news, it’s easy to feel helpless in the wake of such personal tragedy. In this technology-driven world, we’re witnessing breaking news; reading, seeing and hearing first-hand how these disasters personally impact individuals and communities. Who can forget the faces of the heroes, carrying children through the flooded streets or rescuing the elderly and those trapped in flooded homes and apartments? Those interviewed after losing their loved ones, homes, schools and places of employment break our hearts.

Leon Haywood (1942–2016), R&B singer-songwriter

Velvety-voiced R&B singer-songwriter Leon Haywood was known best for his 1970s single "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You."

Maggie Blye (1942 - 2016)

Maggie Blye, the actress who starred in the original “The Italian Job,” has died at the age of 73, according to Variety.