Junior Bridgeman (1953–2025), Milwaukee Bucks co-owner

Junior Bridgeman was a former NBA player who went on to become a successful entrepreneur, owner of Ebony and Jet magazines, and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wilhelmenia Fernandez (1949–2024), acclaimed operatic soprano

Wilhelmenia Fernandez was an operatic soprano who toured the world and starred in the cult classic 1981 film “Diva.” 

James Kottak (1962–2024), drummer with Scorpions, Kingdom Come 

James Kottak was a rock drummer who spent 20 years with the band Scorpions and a founding member of Kingdom Come.

Les McCann (1935–2023), jazz great known for “Compared to What”

Les McCann was a soul-jazz pioneer who helped turn jazz into protest music through “Compared to What,” and was later sampled by hip-hop artists like Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Cody Dorman (2005–2023), 17-year-old who bonded with a racehorse

Cody Dorman was a boy from Kentucky with a rare genetic disorder, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. He bonded with a young foal named in his honor, Cody’s Wish, which went on to win two consecutive Breeders' Cup races.

Roy Kidd (1931–2023), Hall of Fame college football coach

Roy Kidd was a Hall of Fame college football coach who led the Eastern Kentucky Colonels to over 300 wins and two championship wins.

Denny Crum (1937–2023), Hall of Fame Louisville basketball coach 

Denny Crum was the longtime head basketball coach for the University of Louisville, leading the Cardinals to two NCAA championships.

Kentucky Bank Shooting (2023) 

At least five people were killed in a shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday morning, April 10, 2023.

Fort Campbell helicopter crash (2023) 

Nine people were killed on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, when two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed in southwestern Kentucky.

John Y. Brown Jr. (1933–2022), former KFC owner and Kentucky governor

John Y. Brown Jr. was a businessman and politician who built KFC into a fast-food empire and went on to be elected governor of Kentucky.

Loretta Lynn (1932–2022), country music superstar

Loretta Lynn was a groundbreaking country singer and songwriter whose hits included the controversial “The Pill” and the autobiographical “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Kentucky Flooding (2022)

At least 37 people have died in flooding in eastern Kentucky. Many others are missing, and rescue and recovery efforts are underway.

Joe B. Hall (1928–2022), former Kentucky Hall of Fame basketball coach

Joe B. Hall was a legendary basketball head coach at Kentucky, leading the team to a national championship victory in 1978.

December 2021 Tornado Victims

At least 90 people are confirmed dead after a series of tornadoes across the South and Midwest on Friday and Saturday, December 10 and 11.

Miguel Mena (1986–2021), Churchill Downs jockey

Miguel Mena was a jockey at Churchill Downs who rode in the Kentucky Derby and won 16 stakes races at the track.

Tom Kennedy (1927–2020), legendary TV game show host

Tom Kennedy wasa legendaryTV game show hostknown for Name That Tune and Split Second.

Phyllis George (1949–2020), groundbreaking sportscaster, Miss America, first lady of Kentucky

Phyllis George, who during her remarkable career was one of the first female sportscasters in American television as well as Miss America and the first lady of Kentucky, died Thursday at the age of 70.

Wally Chambers (1951–2019), former Bears defensive star

Wally Chambers was a star defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears. He was the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 1973 and was a 3-time Pro Bowl selection. Chambers was drafted by the Bears in the first round of the 1973 draft out of Eastern Kentucky University. He recorded an unofficial 14 sacks during the 1976 season. He injured his knee before the 1977 season which greatly affected his abilities. Chambers finished his career with the Tampa Bay Bucaneers in 1979. He became a coach for various college football teams and the New York Jets.

Jared Lorenzen (1981–2019), former New York Giants quarterback

The University of Kentucky star holds the school record for most passing yards.

Damon Keith (1922–2019), federal judge promoted equality

Damon Keith was a federal judge with a long and prolific career, serving on the U.S. Court of the Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for more than 40 years. Presiding over courts in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee, Keith never retired, serving until his death at 96. His most notable decision was in a 1971 case regarding the Nixon Administration. Nixon's Justice Department was wiretapping people suspected of conspiring to bomb a CIA office, and they were doing it without court orders. Keith ordered them to cease wiretapping without warrants. The Justice Department appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld Keith's decision 8-0. Keith was also known for a 1971 order to desegregate schools in Pontiac, Michigan via bussing, as well as for upholding the affirmative action policy in the Detroit Police Department.

Jeffersontown Kentucky Shooting Victims (2018)

Mourning two grandparents murdered at a grocery store.

2018 Kentucky School Shooting Victims

Two teens were killed in a shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky.

Jim Bunning (1931 - 2017), MLB Hall of Famer

MLB Hall of Famer formerly served in U.S. Congress…

Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), boxing legend & cultural icon

Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated magazine, died June 3, 2016. He was 74.

Update: Dozens Honor Kentucky's Oldest WWII Veteran

When 107-year-old WWII veteran Roscoe Cassidy died, he was afraid that since he had outlived his friends and comrades, no one would be left to attend his funeral.

WWII Vet Dies at 107

The men and women who fought in World War II are disappearing, and this week saw the death of one of the war’s oldest combatants.

Rosemary Clooney, Too Marvelous for Words

Rosemary Clooney's first and biggest hit was a song she couldn't stand...

Lionel Hampton's Good Vibes

Born April 20, 1908, Lionel Hampton was one of the first jazz vibraphonists, and his cheery vibes are hard to resist...

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.

Thomas Merton, In and Out of Solitude

We look at the life and work of Thomas Merton, one of the most influential Catholic writers of the 20th century.