71 Celebrity Deaths of 2016 in Chronological Order
1.
Pat Harrington Jr., 86, the actor and comedian who in the 1950s got attention as a member of Steve Allen's fabled TV comic troupe and decades later as Dwayne Schneider, the cocky handyman on the long-running sitcom "One Day at a Time," died on Jan. 6.
2.
David Bowie, 69, the other-worldly musician who broke pop and rock boundaries with his creative musicianship that spanned six decades, striking visuals and a genre-spanning persona he christened Ziggy Stardust, died on Jan. 10.
3.
Alan Rickman, 69, the classically-trained British stage star and sensual screen villain in the "Harry Potter" saga, "Die Hard" and other films, died on Jan. 14.
4.
Dan Haggerty, 74, the rugged, bearded actor who starred in the film and TV series "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams," died on Jan. 15.
5.
Maurice White, 74, the Earth, Wind & Fire founder whose horn-driven band sold more than 90 million albums, died on Feb. 3.
6.
Dave Mirra, 41, a legend of BMX racing who held the record for the most career medals in the X Games for many years and hosted MTV's "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" for two seasons, died on Feb 4.
7.
George Gaynes, 89, who portrayed an irritable foster parent on the '80s sitcom "Punky Brewster," the bewildered commandant in seven "Police Academy" films and a soap opera star with a crush on Dustin Hoffman's character in drag, in the hit feature comedy "Tootsie," died on Feb. 15.
8.
Angela "Big Ang" Raiola, 55, the raspy-voiced bar owner who gained fame on the reality TV series "Mob Wives," died on Feb. 18.
9.
Abe Vigoda, 94, the character actor whose leathery, sad-eyed face made him ideal for playing the over-the-hill detective Phil Fish in the 1970s TV series "Barney Miller" and the doomed Mafia soldier in "The Godfather," died on Jan. 26.
10.
Tony Burton, 78, who played Apollo Creed's inspirational boxing trainer in the "Rocky" franchise after his own glory days as a young prizefighter, died on Feb. 25.
11.
Glenn Frey, 67, the rock 'n' roll rebel who co-founded the Eagles and helped write such hits as "Hotel California" and "Life in the Fast Lane," died on Jan. 18.
12.
Vanity - Denise Katrina Matthews, 57, better known as Prince protege Vanity who sang in girl band Vanity 6 and appeared in the films "The Last Dragon" and "Action Jackson," died on Feb. 15.
13.
Rob Ford, 46, the pugnacious, populist former mayor of Toronto whose career crashed in a drug-driven, obscenity-laced debacle, died on March 22.
14.
Antonin Scalia, 79, an influential conservative and most provocative member of the U.S. Supreme Court, died on Feb. 13.
15.
George Kennedy, 91, the hulking, tough-guy actor who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a savage chain-gang convict in the 1960s classic "Cool Hand Luke," died on Feb. 28.
16.
Lee Reherman, 49, the former Ivy League football star who shot to fame as the towering, muscular Hawk on the popular 1990s television show "American Gladiators," died on March 1.
17.
Nancy Reagan, 94, an actress who became one of the most high-profile and influential first ladies of the 20th century as the wife of President Ronald Reagan, died on March 6.
18.
Joe Garagiola, 90, the former former TODAY anchor and baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and New York Giants, died on March 23.
19.
Garry Shandling, 66, the actor and comedian who masterminded a brand of phony docudrama with "The Larry Sanders Show," died on March 24.
20.
Mother Mary Angelica, 92, the folksy Roman Catholic nun who used a monastery garage to begin the Catholic TV powerhouse EWTN, died on March 27.
21.
Pat Conroy, 70, the author of "The Great Santini," ''The Prince of Tides" and other best-sellers, whose novels drew upon his bruising childhood and the vistas of South Carolina, died on March 4.
22.
Phife Dawg, 45, the lyricist whose witty wordplay was a linchpin of the groundbreaking hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, died on March 22.
23.
Keith Emerson, 71, founder and keyboardist of the progressive-rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, died on March 11.
24.
Frank Sinatra Jr., 72, who carried on his father's legacy with his own music career and whose kidnapping as a young man added a bizarre chapter to his father's legendary life, died on March 16.
25.
Patty Duke, 69, who won an Oscar as a teen for playing Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker," then maintained a long career while battling personal demons, died on March 29.
26.
Erik Bauersfeld, 93, who turned three words from a minor acting role — "It's a trap!" — into one of the most beloved lines of the "Star Wars" series, died on April 3.
27.
Merle Haggard, 79, the country giant who rose from poverty and prison to international fame through his songs about outlaws, underdogs and an abiding sense of national pride in such hits as "Okie From Muskogee" and "Sing Me Back Home," died on April 6.
28.
David Gest, 62, a music producer, reality TV star and former husband of Liza Minnelli, died on April 12.
29.
Chyna, 46, the tall, muscle-bound, raven-haired pro-wrestler who rocketed to popularity in the 1990s and later made the rounds on reality TV, died on April 20.
30.
Prince, 57, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times with hits including "Little Red Corvette," ''Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry," died on April 21.
31.
Kimbo Slice, 42, the bearded street fighter who parlayed his Internet popularity into a mixed martial arts career, died on June 6.
32.
Theresa Saldana, 61, the "Raging Bull" actress who survived a stalker's brutal attack to become a crime victims' advocate and reclaimed her entertainment career with "The Commish" and other TV shows, died on June 6.
33.
Gordie Howe, 88, known as "Mr. Hockey," the rough-and-tumble Canadian farm boy whose blend of talent and toughness made him the NHL's quintessential star, died on June 10.
34.
Christina Grimmie, 22, the singer-songwriter and YouTuber who gained greater popularity on "The Voice," died on June 10.
35.
Doris Roberts, 90, who played the tart-tongued, endlessly meddling mother on "Everybody Loves Raymond," died on April 17.
36.
Ron Lester, 45, who played no. 69 — the oversized offensive guard Billy Bob — in the 1999 high school football flick "Varsity Blues," died on June 17.
37.
Muhammad Ali, 74, the silver-tongued boxer and civil rights champion who famously proclaimed himself "The Greatest" and then spent a lifetime living up to the billing, died on June 3.
39.
Anton Yelchin, 27, charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, died on June 19.
40.
Garry Marshall, 81, the legendary writer and director who created the wildly popular television programs "Happy Days," "The Odd Couple," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy," died on July 19.
41.
David Huddleston, 85, a character actor best known for portraying titular roles in "The Big Lebowski" and "Santa Claus: The Movie," died on Aug. 2.
42.
Barry Jenner, 75, the veteran character actor who rocketed into space as an admiral on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and made dozens of other TV appearances during a 40-plus year career, died on Aug. 8.
43.
Kenny Baker, 81, who played the lovable droid R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, achieving cult status and fans' adulation without showing his face or speaking any lines, died on Aug. 13.
44.
John McLaughlin, 89, the conservative commentator and host of a long-running television show that pioneered hollering-heads discussions of Washington politics, died on Aug. 16.
45.
Pat Summitt, 64, the winningest coach in Division I college basketball history who uplifted the women's game from obscurity to national prominence during her 38-year career at Tennessee, died on June 28.
46.
Lou Pearlman, 62, the band boy mogul who launched the hit groups Backstreet Boys and 'NSync but was later sentenced to prison for a $300 million Ponzi and bank fraud scheme, died on Aug. 19.
47.
Youree Del Cleomill Harris, 53, an actress who became famous playing the Jamaican psychic Miss Cleo, claiming to know callers' futures in ubiquitous TV infomercials and commercials, died on July 26.
48.
Michael Cimino, 77, the Oscar-winning director whose film "The Deer Hunter" became one of the great triumphs of Hollywood's 1970s heyday and whose disastrous "Heaven's Gate" helped bring that era to a close, died on July 2.
49.
Matt Roberts, a guitarist and founding member of the rock band 3 Doors Down, died on Aug. 20.
50.
Toots Thielemans, 94, the Belgian harmonica player whose career included playing with jazz greats like Miles Davis and whose solos have figured on numerous film scores, died on Aug. 22.
51.
Gene Wilder, 83, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in "The Producers," the mad scientist of "Young Frankenstein," and the title character in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," died on Aug. 28.
52.
Florence Henderson, 82, the Broadway star who became one of America's most beloved television moms in "The Brady Bunch," died on Nov. 24.
53.
Jon Polito, 65, the raspy-voiced actor whose 200-plus credits ranged from "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Modern Family" to the films "Barton Fink" and "The Big Lebowski," died on Sept. 1.
54.
Greta Zimmer Friedman, 92, the woman in an iconic photo shown kissing an ecstatic sailor celebrating the end of World War II by smooching a nurse in Times Square, died on Sept. 8.
55.
Alexis Arquette, 47, the pioneering transgender actress and member of the prominent Hollywood family, died on Sept. 11.
56.
Arnold Palmer, 87, the golfing great who brought a country-club sport to the masses with a hard-charging style, charisma and a commoner's touch, died on Sept. 25.
57.
Tommy Mykal Ford, 52, best known for his role as Tommy on the hit '90s sitcom "Martin," died on Oct. 12.
58.
Janet Reno, 78, the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney general and the epicenter of several political storms during the Clinton administration, including the seizure of Elian Gonzalez, died on Nov. 7.
59.
Robert Vaughn, 83, the debonair, Oscar-nominated actor whose many film roles were eclipsed by his hugely popular turn in television's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," died on Nov. 11.
60.
Fidel Castro, 90, the cigar-chomping Cuban revolutionary leader and dictator who defied U.S. efforts to topple him for five decades, died on Nov. 25.
61.
Ron Glass, 71, the veteran television and film actor known for his Emmy-nominated role as NYPD Det. Ron Harris on the classic cop sitcom "Barney Miller," and later the deeply religious preacher Derrial Brook on the cult sci-fi show "Firefly," died on Nov. 25.
62.
Carrie Fisher, 60, best known for her portrayal of the tough-talking Princess Leia who defies the Evil Empire in "Star Wars," died on Dec. 27.
63.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99, the Hungarian beauty queen-turned-nine-times-married Hollywood icon who once served three days in jail for slapping a cop, died on Dec. 18.
64.
George Michael, 53, the pop heartthrob whose career began with the hit duo Wham! in the 1980s and went on to have a hit solo career beginning with the chart-topping album "Faith," died on Dec. 25.
65.
Bill Nunn, 62, a veteran character actor who broke through in movies in the late 1980s, first in Spike Lee's "School Daze," then as the ill-fated Radio Raheem in the Oscar-nominated "Do the Right Thing," as well as appearing in the "Spider-Man" movie franchise, died on Sept. 24.
66.
Debbie Reynolds, 84, the actress and singer who rose to fame opposite Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain," died on Dec. 28, one day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
67.
Carlos Walker, 40, an Atlanta rapper known by the stage name Shawty Lo who was named MySpace Music Rookie of the Year at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards, died on Sept. 21.
68.
John Glenn, 95, the all-American hero who was the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth before being propelled into a long career in the U.S. Senate, died on Dec. 8.
69.
José Fernández, 24, the Miami Marlins pitcher who won the National League's Rookie of the Year award in 2013, died on Sept. 25.
70.
Leonard Cohen, 82, the baritone-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter who blended spirituality and sexuality in songs like "Hallelujah," ''Suzanne" and "Bird on a Wire," died on Nov. 7.
71.
Alan Thicke, 69, the versatile performer who gained his greatest fame as the beloved dad on the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on Dec. 13.
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