2016 In Memoriam

As the year nears its end, we at Village Media would like to take pause and remember those the world lost in 2016.

Here are just some of the entertainers, innovators, news makers and people of note that left us this year (in no particular order):

David Bowie (January 10) - Musician, singer, songwriter and actor who enjoyed a five-decade career. Known for continuously reinventing himself, he was one of the world’s biggest selling artists, selling more than 140 million records world-wide. He released 11 number-one albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Blackstar, his final album released just two days before his death, is widely considered one of the best of his career. As an actor, Bowie appeared in The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Absolute Beginners, Labyrinth, The Last Temptation of Christ, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, The Hunger, Zoolander, The Prestige, and many others. He received wide critical acclaim for his Broadway portrayal of Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man.

Robert-Ralph Carmichael (July 16) - Artist whose image of the common loon adorns the Canadian one-dollar coin. In 1992, a monument representing the coin was placed in Echo Bay where Carmichael lived. His artwork is included in a number of collections, including the Government of Ontario and the Canada Council Art Bank.

Michael Galeota (January 10) - Disney Channel star, appearing as Nick Lighter in The Jersey.

Scotty Moore (June 28) - Guitar player and long-time collaborator with Elvis Presley. He's credited with popularising power chording for the first time on Jailhouse Rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Moore 29th on their list of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time in 2011. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Keith Richards cites Moore as a major influence on his style.

Ronnie Corbett (March 31) - Scottish comedian, actor and broadcaster best known for the BBC sketch show The Two Ronnies.

Angus Scrimm (January 9) - Actor best remembered as the creepy Tall Man in the Phantasm movie franchise.

Larry Drake (March 17) - Comedian and actor. Known for playing Benny Stulwicz in the TV series L.A. Law, Robert G. Durant in the Darkman franchise, and was the voice of Pops on Johnny Bravo.

Matt Roberts (August 20) - Lead guitarist and original member of Three Doors Down. He co-wrote a number of the band’s hits, including Kryptonite and When I’m Gone.

Nick Menza (May 21) - Former drummer for Megadeth.

Dr. Henry Heimlich (December 17) - Medical researcher and thoracic surgeon responsible for creating the Heimlich maneuver.

Pat Harrington Jr. (January 6) - Actor best known for portraying Dwayne Schneider on One Day At A Time for which he won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Joe Santos (March 18) - Actor, played Angelo Garepe in The Sopranos and Dennis Becker in The Rockford Files.

Zsa Zsa Gabor (December 18) - Actor and Hollywood socialite whose film career began in 1952. She was known for her charm, glamour and grace, and for collecting nine husbands throughout her 50-year career.

Keo Woolford (November 28) - Actor, producer and director, best remembered as Sergeant Detective James Chang on Hawaii Five-O.

Muhammad Ali (June 3) - Boxer and activist, widely considered one of the most influential and celebrated athletes of all time. He perfected his ‘rope-a-dope’ fighting strategy during the infamous Rumble in the Jungle against George Forman in 1974. Ali was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century, and the BBC Sports Personality of the Century. He was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Janet Reno (November 7) - The first woman to serve as Attorney General of the United States and second-longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and served until 2001.

Keith Emerson (March 11) - Musician, composer and founding member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, one of the most commercially successful and best known progressive rock groups of the 1970s.

Greg Lake (December 7) - Musician, singer, songwriter, producer and founding member of both King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Gwen Ifill (November 14) - Journalist, newscaster and author. She was the first African-American woman to host a nationally televised public affairs program, Washington Week in Review, which began in 1999. She was the co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour, and moderated both the 2004 and 2008 vice-presidential debates. In 2008, she received a Peabody Award for her work on Washington Week, and authored the best-selling book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

Joe Alaskey (February 3) - Comedian, impressionist and voice actor, voicing numerous characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, and many others.

Garry Marshall (July 19) - Producer, director and writer known for creating Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and Mork and Mindy. He directed the feature films Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries, Beaches, and Frankie and Johnny, among others.

Gordie Tapp (December 18) - CBC radio and television personality. He hosted the radio series Main Street Jamboree and the television show Country Hoedown. He later wrote for and performed on the popular CBS program Hee Haw.

Ryan Jimmo (June 26) - Canadian MMA fighter and competitor in the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. He was a former MFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Bernard Fox (December 14) - Welsh actor best remembered as Dr. Bombay in Bewitched, and also appeared in Titanic, Hogan's Heroes, The Mummy, and much more.

Van Williams (November 28) - Actor and star of The Green Hornet, as well as Bourbon Street Beat and Surfside 6.

Prince (April 21) - Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and multi-award winner including seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award for Purple Rain. Throughout his career, he released 39 studio albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year he was eligible.

Antonin Scalia (February 12) - Supreme Court Justice (1986-2016) appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

Rob Ford (March 22) - The 64th Mayor of Toronto whose career was surrounded by controversy and scandal.

Rene Angelil (January 14) - Music producer, manager, and husband of Celine Dion.

Alan Rickman (January 14) - English actor and director of both stage and screen. Was Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, Hans Gruber in Die Hard; also appeared in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sense and Sensibility, Alice in Wonderland (voice), etc.

Joseph Medicine Crow (April 3) - Author and historian of the Crow Nation of Native Americans. He was highly regarded for his work and lectures concerning the Battle of Little Bighorn. He was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Ralph Stanley (June 23) - Bluegrass musician who, with his brother Carter, formed the Stanley Brothers. He also fronted the Clinch Mountain Boys. His song O Death which was featured on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack earned him a Grammy Award in 2002.

Jane Little (May 15) - Classical double bass player who performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for 71 years. She holds the Guinness World Record for the longest tenure with a single orchestra. At age 87, she collapsed on stage as the orchestra performed an arrangement of There's No Business Like Show Business. Little died later that day.

Andrew Sachs (November 23) - British actor best remembered as Manuel in Fawlty Towers (for which he was nominated for a BAFTA) and Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.

Glenn Frey (January 18) - Singer, songwriter, musician, and founding member of The Eagles, writing most of the bands’ material with fellow frontman Don Henley. He sang lead vocals on a number of the band's hits including Take It Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Tequila Sunrise, Already Gone, Lyin' Eyes, Heartache Tonight, and others. He also enjoyed great success as a solo artist with the hits The One You Love, Smuggler's Blues, The Heat Is On, You Belong to the City, and more.

Patty Duke (March 29) - Actress of stage, screen and television who first became known for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. She won an Academy Award at the age of 16 for that performance.

Nancy Reagan (March 6) - Wife of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Her major initiative as First Lady was the ‘Just Say No’ drug awareness campaign.

Merle Haggard (April 6) - Singer, songwriter, and fiddle and guitar player. Credited with creating the Bakersfield sound with fellow musician Buck Owens. Received numerous honours, including a Kennedy Center Honour in 2010, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a BMI Icon Award in 2006. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994.

Janet Wright (November 14) - Canadian actor best remembered as Emma Leroy on the sitcom Corner Gas.

Garry Shandling (March 24) - Comedian, actor, producer and writer best known for It’s Gary Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show. He wrote for Sanford and Son and Welcome Back Kotter, and was a frequent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Joseph Mascolo (December 7) - Actor best known as supervillain Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives.

Rick Steiner (November 3) - Tony Award winning Broadway producer whose work includes The Producers, Hairspray and Jersey Boys.

Prince Buster (September 8) - Jamaican singer and songwriter. He shaped ska and rocksteady, and was one of the first Jamaican artists to break world-wide in the 60s. His work later influenced and was recorded by Madness, The Specials, The Beat and many others.

Richard Adams (December 24) - British author known for penning Watership Down, Shardik, and The Plague Dogs.

Gene Wilder (August 29) - Actor, screenwriter and director, known for his collaborations with Mel Brooks including The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Portrayed Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He’s also known for his work with fellow comedian Richard Pryor; Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, and others.

Pete Burns (October 23) - British singer best remembered as the androgynous frontman for and founder of the 80s pop band Dead or Alive whose biggest hit was 1985’s You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).

Eddie Harsch (November 4) - Canadian keyboard player who performed as a member of The Black Crowes from 1991 to 2006.

Arnold Palmer (September 25) - Legendary professional golfer who’s widely considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, he amassed 95 professional wins including 62 PGA Tour titles.

Madeleine Sherwood (April 23) - Canadian actor featured in both the film and Broadway productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Also portrayed Reverend Mother Placido in The Flying Nun.

Sharon Jones (November 18) - American soul and funk singer, front woman of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. She broke through rather late in life, releasing her first record when she was 40 years old. She received her first Grammy Award nomination in 2014.

Elie Wiesel (July 2) - Author, professor at Boston University, political activist, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate. He authored more than 55 books, including Night based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

Abe Vigoda (January 26) - Actor, best known as Phil Fish on Barney Miller and Fish. Also portrayed Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather franchise and appeared on Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, Santa Barbara, MacGyver, Law & Order, Mad About You, and many others.

Tony Burton (February 25) - Actor, boxer and football player, best known as Tony ‘Duke’ Evans in the Rocky movie franchise. Also appeared in Stir Crazy, Assault on Precinct 13, The Shining, Hook, Twin Peaks, and The A-Team.

John Glenn (December 8) - American Aviator, engineer and astronaut. He became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. He was elected a US Senator in 1974, serving until 1999. In 1998, he became the oldest person to fly into space. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

Ron Lester (June 17) - Actor best known for his roles in Varsity Blues, Not Another Teen Movie, and the TV series Popular.

Fidel Castro (November 25) - Maxist-Leninist and Cuban nationalist, he served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then as President until 2008. From 1961 until 2011, he served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Michael Cimino (July 2) - Producer, author and director known for The Deer Hunter, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Silent Running, Year of the Dragon, and Heaven’s Gate.

Maurice White (February 4) - Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and founder of Earth, Wind and Fire. Nominated for a total of 20 Grammy Awards (winning seven), he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Leonard Cohen (November 7) - Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, poet, novelist, and painter. Recipient of numerous awards and honours, including multiple Juno and Grammy Awards, Officer of the Order of Canada in 1991, Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 1993, induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Glenn Gould Prize in 2011. His extensive list of songwriting credits includes Suzanne, Bird on a Wire, I'm Your Man, Everybody Knows, and Hallelujah.

Robert Vaughn (November 11) - Actor best remembered as Napoloeon Solo in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Also appeared in Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Trapper John MD, The A-Team, Hunter, Murder She Wrote, Law & Order, Coronation Street, and many others.

Michael Massee (October 20) - Actor remembered as Funboy in 1994’s The Crow, as Ira Gaines in the first season of 24, and as The Gentleman in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Also had appearances in Se7en, Lost Highway, Carnivale, Alias, Supernatural, Rizzoli & Isles, and more.

Anna Dewdney (September 3) - Children’s author and illustrator whose most popular work was the highly acclaimed Llama Llama series of books, all of which were New York Times best sellers.

George Kennedy (February 28) - American actor who appeared in more than 200 film and television productions. He’s best remembered as Dragline in Cool Hand Luke and Joe Patroni in Airport. Also appeared in McHale’s Navy, The Dirty Dozen, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and the Naked Gun franchise.

Victoria Wood (April 20) - British comedian, actor, singer, screenwriter and director. She won a number of BAFTA TV Awards, including those for Victoria Wood As Seen on TV, An Audience with Victoria Wood, and Housewife 49. She was awarded six British Comedy Awards and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1997.

Daniel Gerson (February 6) - Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios screenwriter whose contributions include Monsters Inc., Big Hero Six, Cars, Up, Inside Out, and Zootopia, among others.

Robert Leo Hulseman (December 21) - Inventor of the infamous Red Solo Cup.

Tony Dyson (March 4) - Robotics engineer most notable for creating the R2-D2 droid for the Star Wars franchise.

Kenny Baker (August 13) - Actor best known as R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise. Also appeared in The Elephant Man, Time Bandits, Amadeus, Labyrinth, and Willow.

Alexis Arquette (September 11) - Actor, cabaret performer and transgender rights activist born Robert Arquette. Sibling of Rosanna, Richmond, Patricia and David Arquette. She had numerous roles in low budget and independent films, but also appeared in Pulp Fiction, Bride of Chucky, The Wedding Singer, and Lords of Dogtown, as well as two episodes of Friends.

Leon Russell (November 13) - Songwriter and musician who worked and collaborated with dozens of best-selling artists, including The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, BB King, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Elton John who referred to Russell as a mentor and inspiration. He was a member of the infamous Wrecking Crew.

Anton Yelchin (June 19) - Film and television actor most recognized for his portrayal of Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot franchise. Also appeared in Along Came a Spider, Taken, Terminator Salvation, and Green Room.

George Martin (March 8) - Record producer, engineer and musician. Long-time Beatles producer. He’s often referred to as the fifth Beatle referencing his extensive work on the band’s original recordings.

Zaha Hadid (October 31) - British architect, and the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize. In 2012, she was named Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to architecture.

Alan Thicke (December 13) - Canadian actor, singer and television personality known for portraying Jason Seaver on Growing Pains, and for his talk shows The Alan Thicke Show and Thicke of the Night. He also composed a number of TV theme songs, including those for Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, The Wizard of Odds, The Joker’s Wild, and the Wheel of Fortune. Throughout his career, he hosted the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Universe Pageant, and appeared in The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, Hope and Gloria, Married With Children, JPod, The Bold and The Beautiful, How I Met Your Mother, and many others

Dale Griffin (January 17) - Drummer, record producer and founding member of Mott the Hoople.

Pete Huttlinger (January 15) - Studio musician and touring guitar player for John Denver, LeAnn Rimes and many others.

David Gest (April 12) - Music producer, comedian, and television personality. He was a close personal friend to Michael Jackson and former husband of Liza Minnelli. He was the first American to have three prime time series in the UK.

Frank Sinatra Jr. (March 16) - Singer, songwriter and son of the legendary Frank Sinatra. In a widely publicized incident, he was kidnapped in December 1963 at the age of 18, and released two days later after his father paid the demanded $240,000 ransom.

Gordie Howe, AKA Mr. Hockey (June 10) - Canadian hockey legend who played 26 seasons in the NHL, 25 of those with the Detroit Red Wings. Undeniably one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game, he was a 23-time NHL All Star and held numerous scoring records until Wayne Gretzky broke them in the 1980s. He remains second for total league goals (801), ninth for assists (1049), and fourth for overall points (1850). He still holds the record for most seasons played in the NHL and the most games played (1767). A well-rounded player, his style of play inspired the term ‘The Gordie Howe Hat Trick’ – a goal, an assist, and a fight. He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1971, and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee, Golden Jubilee, and Diamond Jubilee medals.

Jack Riley (August 19) - Actor and comedian best known as Elliot Carlin on The Bob Newhart Show and for voicing Stu Pickles in Rugrats. He was also a regular on The Tim Conway Show and appeared in St. Elsewhere, M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, Spaceballs, Seinfeld, Friends, That ‘70s Show, and others.

John McLaughlin (August 16) - Political commentator and television personality; creator, producer and host of The McLaughlin Group which aired from 1982 until the time of his death in 2016.

Ron Glass (November 25) - Actor best known as Detective Ron Harris in Barney Miller, and Derrial Book in Firefly and Serenity. Also appeared in Sanford and Son, All in the Family, The Bob Newhart Show, Good Times, Designing Women, Friends, and many others.

Lady Chablis (September 8) - Actor, author and drag performer who was featured in the both the book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Natalie Cole (December 31) - Singer, Songwriter and daughter of celebrated musician Nat King Cole. A multi-Grammy Award winner who rose as an R&B artist in the 70s, re-emerged as a pop singer in the 80s, and enjoyed great success in the 90s after recording some of her father’s standards including the hit single Unforgettable.

Peter Vaughan (December 6) - British actor known for his appearances in Porridge, Citizen Smith, Chancer, and Remains of the Day. Most recently, he was seen as Maester Aemon in HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Morley Safer (May 19) - Reporter, broadcast journalist and CBS correspondent. He was the longest-serving reporter on 60 Minutes. During a career that spanned 60 years, he received 12 Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards. In 1961, he was the only western reporter in East Berlin when construction of the Berlin Wall began.

Paul Kantner (January 28) - Singer, songwriter, guitar player and co-founder of Jefferson Airplane which lead the psychedelic rock movement of the 1960s. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Phife Dawg (March 22) - American rapper and founding member of A Tribe Called Quest. His work is cited as having an influence on The Roots, Kanye West, Common and many others. The Low End Theory is considered one of the greatest hip hop releases of all time.

Doris Roberts (April 17) - Actor, author and philanthropist widely known as Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond. During her six-decade career, she received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and also appeared in Desperate Housewives, The Middle, Grey’s Anatomy, Dream On, Walker Texas Ranger, Murder She Wrote, Remington Steele, The Love Boat, and many others.

Carrie Fisher (December 27) - Actor, author, screenwriter, producer and public speaker best remembered for portraying Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. She authored a number of books, including Postcards From the Edge from which she also adapted the screenplay for the film of the same name. At the time of her death, Fisher was on a tour promoting her memoir The Princess Diarist. She became known for speaking openly and publicly about her own mental health and addiction issues, earning her a Harvard College Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism earlier this year. Additional acting credits include Shampoo, The Blues Brothers, Hannah and Her Sisters, When Harry Met Sally, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Sex and the City, Family Guy (voice), Big Bang Theory, and many others.

Debbie Reynolds (December 28) - Actor, singer, humanitarian, film historian, and mother of Carrie Fisher. She became a household name after her first lead role at age 19 in the 1952 film Singin' In The Rain. Other numerous film credits include Bundle of Joy, The Singing Nun, Divorce American Style, Mother, In & Out, Charlotte's Web (voice), How the West Was Won, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and the Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2016. Also in 2016, a documentary about her life was released – Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher nad Debbie Reynolds.

Christina Grimmie (June 10) - Season 6 star on The Voice, placing third.

Bill Cunningham (June 25) - New York Times fashion photographer, working with the publication from 1978 to 2016. In 2009 he was named a ‘living landmark’ by the New York Landmarks Conservancy due to his street photography style of capturing fashion, and received the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence in 2012.

Robert Stigwood (January 4) - Music entrepreneur and film producer, best known for managing Cream and the Bee Gees. He produced Broadway productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as the massively successful films Grease and Saturday Night Fever.

Chyna (April 20) - WWE wrestler and the only female to hold the WWF Intercontinental Championship, which she did twice. She was also the first female to participate in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring events.

Steven Hill (August 23) - Actor best known as District Attorney Adam Schiff on Law & Order, and team leader Dan Briggs in the CBS series Mission: Impossible. He also appeared in The Firm, Columbo, Thirtysomething, Yentl, The Fugitive, and many others.

Fritz Weaver (November 26) - Actor best recognized from his film debut Fail Safe, as well as Marathon Man, Creepshow, and The Thomas Crown Affair. He also had appearances in Night Gallery, The Twilight Zone, Magnum P.I., Law & Order, The X-Files, and Deep Space Nine.

Bob Krasnow (December 11) - Music industry executive and entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

George Michael (December 25) - Multi award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s with the pop duo Wham! His song Last Christmas quickly became a holiday classic and was re-recorded by countless artists world-wide. He was one of the UK's best selling artists of all time, selling more than 100 million records across the globe. HIs hits include Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Careless Whisper, I Want Your Sex, Faith, Freedom 90, Praying For Time, and Fastlove.

Howard Marks (April 10) - Drug smuggler and author with alleged connections to the IRA, MI6, the CIA and the Mafia. After being released from prison, he published the best-selling autobiography Mr. Nice in 1996.

Jim Harrison (March 26) - Author and poet, best known for his novella Legends of the Fall. His work was often compared to that of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.

Dan Haggerty (January 15) - Actor best known for his title role in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.

Sylvia Anderson (March 15) - English voice actor, producer and writer, best known as the voice of Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds.

George Gaynes (February 15) - Actor and comedy performer, best known as Commandant Eric Lassard in the Police Academy franchise. Also appeared in Columbo, Quincy M.E., Punky Brewster, Chicago Hope, and many others.

Jose Fernandez (September 25) - Pitcher and MLB star with the Miami Marlins. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2013.

Bobby Vee (October 24) - Pop singer and teen idol best known for Take Good Care of My Baby, Run To Him, and The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.

Anita Brookner (March 10) - British author and art historian. Author of The Rules of Engagement and Hotel du Lac for which she was awarded the Booker Prize in 1984.

Florence Henderson (November 24) - Actor and singer, best known as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch. Later in her career, she hosted The Florence Henderson Show and Who’s Cooking with Florence Henderson.

Clarence Reid, AKA Blowfly (January 17) - R&B musician, rapper, producer, working with the likes of Sam and Dave, Bobby Byrd and KC and the Sunshine Band. His own material was known for his sexually explicit and profane lyric style.

Sir Terry Wogan (January 31) - Irish radio and television presenter. He was the BBC’s commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest from 1971 to 2008.

Dave Broadfoot (November 1) - Canadian comedian and satirist best known for his work with The Royal Canadian Air Farce. He was a full time member of the radio cast from 1973 through 1993, and continued to make numerous guest appearances once the series moved to television, including the series finale in 2008.

Paul Daniels (March 17) - British magician and television personality who gained international success with The Paul Daniels Magic Show which aired from 1979 through 1994.

Michelle McNamara (April 21) - Author and wife of comedian Patton Oswalt.

James Noble (March 28) - Actor best known as Governor Eugene Gatling on Benson. Also appeared in The Doctors, Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat, and Perfect Strangers.

Erik Bauersfeld (April 3) - Voice actor best known as Admiral Ackbar in the Star Wars franchise.

Denise Matthews, AKA Vanity (February 15) - Canadian singer, model, and actor who gave up her career for evangelism. She lead the female trio Vanity 6, and appeared in the films The Last Dragon, 52 Pick-Up and Action Jackson.

Bernie Worrell (June 24) - Keyboardist and founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic. Also remembered for his work with The Talking Heads. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with his Parliament-Funkadelic bandmates in 1997.

Ann Morgan Guilbert (June 14) - Actor best remembered as Millie Helper on The Dick van Dyke Show and Yetta Rosenberg on The Nanny.

Don Calfa (December 1) - Character actor known for his roles in The Return of the Living Dead and Weekend at Bernie’s. Also appeared in Me Myself and Irene, Running Scared, The Man Who Wasn’t There, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and many others.

Lee Andrews (March 16) - Soul singer, fronting Lee Andrews and the Hearts, and father of The Roots’ Questlove.

Estelle Balet (April 19) - Swiss snowboarder and two-time World Champion.

Harper Lee (February 19) - Author of To Kill a Mockingbird for which she was awarded the 1961 Pulitzer Prize. The book enjoyed immediate success and was her only published work. She was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 for her contribution to literature. Controversy surrounded the author in July 2015 as Go Set a Watchman was released by her agent as a sequel to Mockingbird. It was later determined that the Watchman manuscript was actually an early draft of Lee’s iconic novel, and was never intended for publication.