Lillian Schwartz (1927–2024), pioneer of computer-generated art

Lillian Schwartz was a groundbreaking digital artist whose computer-assisted work in the 1960s and ‘70s pre-dated personal home computers and mainstream digital art by many years.

Audrey Flack (1931–2024), acclaimed photorealist artist

Audrey Flack was an acclaimed photorealist artist whose paintings and sculpture earned worldwide accolades.

Faith Ringgold (1930–2024), artist known for quilts 

Faith Ringgold was an artist and author known for her quilts, paintings and children’s books depicting Black American life.

Chita Rivera (1933–2024), Broadway star of West Side Story

Chita Rivera was a Broadway star who won two Tony Awards and originated such roles as Anita in “West Side Story” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago.”

Colette Maze (1914–2023), world’s oldest recording pianist 

Colette Maze was a French pianist whose recording career began in her 80s and continued throughout her life, with her most recent album released just this year.

Tina Howe (1937–2023), Coastal Disturbances playwright 

Tina Howe was a playwright whose “Coastal Disturbances” was nominated for the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play.0

Pamela Blair (1949–2023), actress in A Chorus Line, Loving 

Pamela Blair was an actress, singer, and dancer who originated the role of Val in “A Chorus Line” on Broadway and appeared on such soap operas as “Loving.” 

Glenda Jackson (1936–2023), Oscar-winning actress and politician 

Glenda Jackson was a British actress who won Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances in “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class” before being elected to Parliament.

Françoise Gilot (1921–2023), artist and muse to Picasso

Françoise Gilot was a renowned French artist whose 1964 memoir, “Life with Picasso,” told the story of her years as the muse and lover of Pablo Picasso.

Paula Rego (1935–2022), award-winning artist

Paula Rego was a Portuguese-British artist known for her feminist paintings.

Samella Lewis (1923–2022), “Godmother of African American Art”

Samella Lewis was an artist and art historian known for her influential support of fellow Black artists.

Lyubov Panchenko (1938–2022), influential Ukrainian artist

Lyubov Panchenko was a Ukrainian artist and designer known for her influence on Ukrainian culture.

Carmen Herrera (1915–2022), abstract artist who became famous late in life

Carmen Herrera was an abstract artist who made her first sale at the age of 89 and went on to great fame in the art world.

Sally Ann Howes (1930–2021), “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star

Sally Ann Howes was a British actress best known for starring as Truly Scrumptious in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

Marjorie Tallchief (1926–2021), pioneering ballerina

Marjorie Tallchief was a Native American ballerina and the sister of acclaimed ballerina .

Ann Reinking (1949–2020), Tony-winning star of “Chicago”

Ann Reinking was a choreographer, dancer, and actress known for productions including “Chicago” – both the original Broadway show and the 1996 revival.

Constance Weldon (1932–2020), pioneering tuba player

Constance Weldon was a pioneering tuba player believed to be the first woman to play the tuba in a major American orchestra when she joined the Boston Pops in 1955.

Sue Nichols Maciorowski (1965–2020), Disney animation artist on “Hercules,” “Mulan”

Sue Nichols Maciorowski was an animation artist who worked on beloved Disney films including “The Lion King,” “Mulan,” and “Hercules.”

Olivia de Havilland (1916–2020), Oscar-winning “Gone With the Wind” star

Olivia de Havilland was an Oscar-winning actress who played Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With the Wind" and won two Academy Awards for Best Actress.

Annie Ross (1930–2020), jazz singer known for “Twisted”

Annie Ross was a jazz singer with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, best known for her 1952 song “Twisted.”

Glenna Goodacre (1939–2020), sculptor who created the Vietnam Women’s Memorial

Glenna Goodacre was a sculptor best known for creating the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and designing the Sacagawea dollar coin.

Bonnie MacLean (1939–2020), pioneering rock poster artist

Bonnie MacLean was a poster artist who created swirling, psychedelic imagery in her concert posters for San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium. One of the only women working as a rock poster artist, MacLean was the Fillmore’s in-house artist from 1967 to 1971, creating posters for concerts including the Doors, the Yardbirds, Pink Floyd, and Cream. Some of her posters are worth thousands of dollars to collectors. MacLean was married to Bill Graham, the Fillmore’s concert promoter, during the 1960s and ‘70s.

Jessye Norman (1945–2019), Grammy-winning opera singer

Jessye Norman was an operatic soprano known for her matchless voice and for her signature roles including Strauss’ Ariadne. She made her debut on the operatic stage in 1969, portraying Elisabeth in Wagner’s “Tannhauser” in Berlin. Inspired as a girl by listening to performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on the radio, Norman made her debut at the Met in 1983, singing the part of Cassandre in “Les Troyens” by Berlioz. She would go on to sing at the Met more than 80 times. Norman performed at the second inaugurations of presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and she sang at England’s celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th birthday as well as at the bicentennial of the French Revolution. She won five Grammy Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1997, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2009.

Russi Taylor (1944–2019), voice of Minnie Mouse and “Simpsons” characters

Russi Taylor was the voice of Minnie Mouse for more than 30 years, as well as providing many other cartoon voices including “The Simpsons” characters Martin, íœter, and twins Sherri and Terri.

Ashley Massaro (1979–2019), WWE superstar

The wrestler also appeared on “Survivor: China.”

Beth Carvalho (1946–2019), Brazilian "godmother of samba"

Beth Carvalho was Brazil's "godmother of samba," an exuberant singer who fought for women's place in the traditionally male-dominated genre.

Norma Miller (1919–2019), the “Queen of Swing”

Dancer helped popularize the Lindy Hop.

Fay McKenzie (1918–2019), actress whose career spanned 100 years

Fay McKenzie had an acting career that spanned from her first appearance in a 1918 silent film at just 10 weeks old to a final cameo in the yet to be released "Kill a Better Mousetrap."

Kim English (1970-2019), gospel and house music singer

Kim English was a gospel and house music singer who topped the Billboard dance charts eight times in the 1990s and 2000s.

Maxine Brown Russell (1931–2019), country music hall of famer

Member of chart topping trio The Browns.

Penny Marshall (1943–2018), filmmaker and “Laverne and Shirley” star

Penny Marshall (1943–2018) was the star of the popular sitcom, “Laverne and Shirley.” She later moved behind the camera to become an acclaimed director, helming the hit movies “Big,” “Awakenings,” and “A League of Their Own.”

Katherine MacGregor (1925 - 2018), Harriet Oleson on “Little House on the Prairie”

Played the gossipy neighbor of the Ingalls family.

Kitty O’Neil (1946–2018), pioneering deaf Hollywood stuntwoman

Legendary daredevil set the land speed record for female drivers.

Barbara Harris (1935–2018), starred in “Nashville” and “Freaky Friday”

Versatile actress was a co-founder of Second City.

Aretha Franklin (1942–2018), the "Queen of Soul"

Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) was affectionately called “the Queen of Soul.” Blessed with an incredible voice, she was a giant of soul music. Franklin’s signature song was her version of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” released in 1967. Her many hit songs included “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Freeway of Love,” and “Rock Steady.”

Legend Is Too Small a Word for Aretha Franklin

“Legend” becomes a small word when applied to someone like . Her influence on music is so profound, it is as if she has always been with us, her gospel-tinged siren call both able to kick off a house party or send someone on their loving way into the afterlife. Once she was crowned “the Queen of Soul” fifty-plus years ago, no other artist could assume the mantle, ever. Even after her death, time will likely prove that any attempt to transfer the title will be met by ridicule.

Yvonne Staples (1937–2018), member of The Staple Singers

Yvonne Staples, member of the gospel/soul family singing group The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 80, according to the . 

DuShon Monique Brown (1968–2018), “Chicago Fire” actress

CHICAGO (AP) — Actress DuShon Monique Brown, who played a secretary in the NBC show "Chicago Fire," has died at age 49.

Dolores O'Riordan (1971–2018), lead singer of Irish band The Cranberries

The band was known for their hit song “Zombie.”

Darlanne Fluegel (1953–2017), stunning star of 1980s crime dramas

Darlanne Fluegel, the stunning star of 1980s crime dramas, died after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Rose Marie (1923–2017), starred as Sally Rogers on "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

She had a nine decade career in Hollywood.

Remembering Ella Fitzgerald (video)

Ella Fitzgerald has been called “The First Lady of Song,” and with good reason. Hailed by critics and peers as the best female jazz singer of all time, she had great technique as well as the ability to convey the perfect emotion for each song in her repertoire. From her first nursery rhyme-inspired hit “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” to her series of “Songbook” albums where she recorded definitive versions of songs by composers like Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and , Ella sang her heart out.

Linda Hopkins (1924–2017), actress and gospel singer

Linda Hopkins, the actress and gospel singer who won a Tony Award in 1972 for her show-stopping performance in the musical "Inner City," died Monday, April 10, 2017, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to multiple news sources. She was 92.

Rosie Hamlin (1945–2017), Angel Baby singer

Songwriter Rosie Hamlin composed and sang the classic song "Angel Baby."

Famous Girl Scouts in History (video)

A video tribute to some famous former Girl Scouts.

Nine Great American Women (video)

A video tribute to American women and their great accomplishments.

Miriam Colon (1936–2017), Scarface actress

Miriam Colon, the Puerto Rican star of stage and screen who was featured in “Scarface,” died of a lung infection Friday, March 3, 2017, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to The Associated Press. She was 80.

14 Mighty Women Whose Bold Lives Will Inspire You

The basketball player who led the U.S. to victory over the Soviet Union. The top-secret flight engineer who helped write NASA's Planetary Flight Handbook. The journalist who shone a spotlight on President Nixon's corruption during the Watergate hearings. These women may not have marble monuments marking their accomplishments, but wow: They got stuff done .

Mary Tyler Moore (1936 - 2017), beloved actress

Mary Tyler Moore, the vivacious actress known best for roles on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. She was 80.