Missouri

Mike Brewer (1944–2024), One Toke Over the Line singer

Mike Brewer was half of the folk-rock duo Brewer & Shipley, best known for their 1971 hit song, “One Toke Over the Line.” 

Ken Page (1954–2024), voice of Oogie Boogie

Ken Page was a cabaret singer and Broadway star known for playing Old Deuteronomy in “Cats,” as well as for his work in “Ain't Misbehavin'” and “The Wiz” and for voicing Oogie Boogie in the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Screamin’ Scott Simon (1948–2024), Sha Na Na pianist

Screamin’ Scott Simon was a pianist best known for his decades of work with the popular doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na, with whom he performed from 1970 to 2022.

Patrick Gottsch (1953–2024), founder of RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel

Patrick Gottsch was a media executive who helped shine a spotlight on rural, western American life via RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel, both of which he founded.

C. Gordon Bell (1934–2024), helped bring computers into homes

C. Gordon Bell was an electrical engineer who worked on some of the world’s first small-profile computers and, as a result, helped usher in the era of the home PC.

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

Ken Holtzman (1945–2024), pitcher for Cubs, A’s 

Ken Holtzman was a pitcher who threw two no-hitters with the Chicago Cubs and won three World Series with the Oakland A’s.

Antoine Predock (1936–2024), award-winning Southwest architect 

Antoine Predock was an architect known for his landscape-inspired buildings in the American Southwest and around the world.

Kent Melton (1955–2024), animation sculptor for Aladdin and Mulan 

Kent Melton was an animation sculptor best known for working on such high-profile movies as “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Mulan,” “Coraline,” and “The Incredibles.” 

Jean Carnahan (1933–2024), Missouri’s first female U.S. senator

Jean Carnahan represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate and was the former first lady of Missouri.

Kenny DeForest (1986–2023), stand-up comedian 

Kenny DeForest was a stand-up comedian known for appearances on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Comedy Central, and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.

Guy Stern (1922–2023), Holocaust refugee and WWII intel operative

Guy Stern was a German refugee who fled the Nazis in the 1930s and became a military intelligence operative for the U.S. during World War II as part of the elite group known as the Ritchie Boys.

John Bailey (1942–2023), Academy Awards president during #MeToo

John Bailey was a former film cinematographer who worked on such movies as “Ordinary People” and “Groundhog Day,” before becoming president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Oscars, during the #MeToo era.

Mike Henderson (1953–2023), co-founder of the SteelDrivers 

Mike Henderson was a Grammy Award-winning country singer-songwriter who co-founded the SteelDrivers and frequently collaborated with country superstar Chris Stapleton, Henderson’s former SteelDrivers bandmate. 

Marcia DeRousse (1953–2023), True Blood actress

Marcia DeRousse was an actress best known for appearing in three seasons of HBO’s “True Blood” as Dr. Patricia Ludwig. 

Ray Hildebrand (1940–2023), Paul & Paula singer 

Ray Hildebrand was a singer and songwriter better known as “Paul” in the 1960s pop duo Paul & Paula, who had a hit with “Hey Paula.”

Richard O. Simpson (1930–2023), U.S.'s first consumer safety chief

Richard O. Simpson was an American businessman and entrepreneur who became the first chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Robert “Beatle Bob” Matonis (1953–2023), St. Louis music superfan 

Robert “Beatle Bob” Matonis was a St. Louis man known widely for his enthusiastic dancing at concerts he attended every day for decades.

Mike Shannon (1939–2023), longtime St. Louis Cardinals’ broadcaster 

Mike Shannon was a former third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals who went on to become the team’s broadcaster for nearly 50 years.

Joe Pepitone (1940–2023), colorful Yankees All-Star

Joe Pepitone was a colorful three-time All-Star for the New York Yankees. He joined the team at the end of one of its most dominant periods, and became one of its most entertaining – and sometimes controversial – players of the day. He would go on to an equally colorful post-Yankees career, which included an infamous stint as a professional player in Japan and adult modeling.

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.

Betty Bushman (1931–2020), pioneering baseball announcer

Betty Bushman became one of the first women to broadcastaMajor League Baseballgamewhen she joined the radio crew for the Kansas City Ae28099sin 1964.

Lou Brock (1939–2020), St. Louis Cardinals legend

Lou Brock was a legendary outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals known for his base stealing that led the Cardinals to two World Series victories.  

Branson Tour Boat Accident Victims (2018)

17people died after a tour boat capsized and sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri.

Neal Boyd (1975 – 2018), "America's Got Talent" winner…

Won the contest in 2008 along with a $1 million prize…

William H. T. Bush (1938 - 2018), brother and uncle to presidents

William H. T. Bush, a wealthy investor and the brother and uncle of presidents, died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, according to The Associated Press. He was 79.

Chuck Berry (1926–2017), the Father of Rock and Roll

Chuck Berry, the singer-songwriter and guitarist who was one of the architects of rock 'n' roll, died Saturday, March 18, 2017. He was 90.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Real Little House on the Prairie

On Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 150th birthday, we take a modern-day look at a few of the places she described in her books.

Tommy Allsup (1931–2017), guitarist for Buddy Holly

The guitarist avoided the Buddy Holly plane crash by losing a coin flip.

Doris Roberts (1925 - 2016), Everybody Loves Raymond star

Doris Roberts, the Emmy Award-winning actress known best for her performance as Marie Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died at the age of 90.

Yogi Berra (1925–2015), iconic Yankees catcher

New York Yankees catcher and cultural icon.

Langston Hughes: 10 Facts

Harlem Renaissance leader, poet, activist, novelist and playwright Langston Hughes died May 22, 1967. We're remembering Hughes with a look at 10 key facts about his life and career.

Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie defined success as getting what you want, and happiness as wanting what you get.

Mom and Pop Shops

For National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, we're celebrating folks who ran family businesses.

Politicos of the Past

As Election Day 2010 gets underway, we take a look back at a few notable politicians who died earlier this year.

Rose Wilder Lane, Pioneer of Liberty

We take a look back at Libertarian pioneer Rose Wilder Lane.