Celebrities We Lost in 2018

The "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin passed away at her Detroit home on Aug. 16.

Franklin sold over 75 million records in her career, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time. She would also win a total of 18 Grammys, and in 1987, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She has been named by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. 

The frontwoman of Irish rock band The Cranberries became an international star in the 1990s with hits like "Linger," "Zombie" and "Dreams.” Her band shared the news of her death after she was found unresponsive in a London hotel room Jan. 15.
 

Celebrity chef and food journalist Anthony Bourdain was found dead on June 8 in a French hotel room by his close friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert. The 61-year-old, born in New York City, was known for his travel shows, including CNN's "Parts Unknown," which he was filming at the time of his death.

Celebrated designer and handbag maven Kate Spade was found dead of an apparent suicide on June 5 in her home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The 55-year-old from Kansas City, Missouri, left behind her husband, Andy, and daughter, Frances Beatrix Spade.

Barbara Bush was a U.S. second lady, first lady and the mother of a president. She made literacy her central cause during her time in the White House and is remembered for her directness and wit in addition to her position as matriarch of one of America's best known political dynasties. She died April 17.

John Young, who walked on the moon in 1972, passed away on Jan. 5 at the age of 87.

Young became the ninth person ever to walk on the moon during the Apollo 16 mission. He later flew missions on the Space Shuttle Columbia and spent more than 40 years with NASA before retiring in 2004.

Audiences adored English-American actor’s portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane’s cantankerous father on the long-running "Cheers" spin-off series "Frasier." He died Feb. 4 in Chicago due to complications from throat cancer.

Actor Reginald Cathey became a household staple for his turn in the beloved HBO series "The Wire" before returning to the hearts of critics and fans for his role in "House of Cards," for which he won the 215 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Cathey died Feb. 18 in New York City following a battle with cancer.

The actor and younger brother of fellow comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke died Jan. 5 of heart failure. Van Dyke was best known for his role in '90s sitcom "Coach," but he also made appearances on his brother’s hit series, "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

The guitarist for beloved English rock band Motorhead died Jan. 10 in a hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia. 

Tracey was one of the original Mouseketeers who appeared on the Mickey Mouse Club starting in 1955. She died in a Thousand Oaks, Calif. Hospital Jan. 10 at the age of 74.

Zarin was the husband of "Real Housewives of New York" star Jill Zarin and together they ran a successful designer fabric store. He died Jan. 13 after a long battle with cancer.

Malone, who was among the last surviving actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood, won the 1956 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in "Written on the Wind." The native Texan also appeared in the ABC series "Peyton Place." She died Jan. 19.
 

The actress was best known for her award-winning turn as Matilda Moore in the groundbreaking TV mini-series "Roots." She died at her home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on Jan. 19 following a heart attack.
 

The Kinks bassist was also a member of another English rock group, The Zombies, and the two positions more than cement his place in music history. He died Jan. 20 "after a fall on the stairs," his bandmates said.

The co-founder of the Weather Channel, Coleman was also the original weatherman on Good Morning America far before the ubiquitous cable TV presence hit the airwaves. He passed away Jan. 20 in Las Vegas.

Le Guin’s tomes can typically be found in the sci-fi section but her writing is generally perceived as having transcended genre fiction with its deeply feminist themes that often shone a light on darker aspects of contemporary life. She died Jan. 22 at her Oregon home after months of ill health.

Taylor was one of the meteorologists on Discovery Channel's reality series "Storm Chasers" who put his life on the line to share the awe of extreme weather with viewers. He died Jan. 23 while on a Caribbean cruise following a likely drug overdose.

Smith was a singer-songwriter who led British post-punk group The Fall starting in 1976 until his death Jan. 24. Smith reportedly suffered from lung and kidney cancer leading up to his passing. 

Zorich portrayed Paul Reiser’s characters dad on the NBC comedy "Mad About You" from 1993 to 1999 but was a familiar presence elsewhere on television, film and on the stage. He died at his home in New York City Jan. 30, leaving behind his wife and fellow thespian, Olympia Dukakis, as well as three children. 

Jones could be most recently recognized from his role on FX series Justified, but the character actor popped up in many TV and film roles over the last several decades, including his recurring role on 90’s sitcom Home Improvement. He died Feb. 7 after a long illness.

Known as “America’s Pastor” in part because of his relationships with U.S. presidents, Graham had a hugely successful career as an evangelical preacher with his massive revival “Crusades” that were attended by thousands in world cities. He died Feb. 21.

Fabray’s indomitable personality was her hallmark but her acting skills won her accolades. The star of stage and screen was both a Tony winner for her 1949 performance in "Love Life" and an Emmy winner for work on "Caesar’s Hour" with Sid Caesar. She died at her home in Palos Verdes Feb. 22.

Stiers was known best for his role of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on "M*A*S*H," for which he received multiple Emmy nods. He guest starred on numerous TV series throughout the '80s and '90s and found work as a voice-over artist into the 2000s. He died March 3 following a battle with bladder cancer.

Hawking was regarded as one of the world's most brilliant theoretical physicists. He also managed to somehow remain a presence in popular culture up until his death March 14, which came an astonishing half-century after the doctors who diagnosed his ALS gave him just months to live back in 1962.

Charles Lazarus, founder of Toys R Us, was affectionately known as the "Toy King." He died March 22.

Steven Bochco was the creative force behind such memorable TV hits as "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue" and "Doogie Howser, M.D." He died April 1 after a battle with cancer.

The wife of the late South African president Nelson Mandela was herself an anti-apartheid campaigner and was jailed for her own role in the movement. "In the face of exploitation, she was a champion of justice and equality," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address following news of her April 2 death.

Harry Anderson, best known for his portrayal of Judge Harry Stone in the hit sitcom "Night Court," passed away on April 16 in his North Carolina home. He was 65.

Richard Harrison, famously known as "Old Man" on the History channel reality series "Pawn Stars," died at 77. Harrison’s cause of death was not immediately clear. His appearances on the popular show, which first aired in 2009, had grown few and far between over the last few years.

"It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the passing of Richard Benjamin Harrison (known as "The Old Man" to "Pawn Stars" fans the world over this morning," a statement from the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop said. "He was surrounded by loving family this past weekend and went peacefully."

DJ Avicii (nee Tim Bergling) took his life while vacationing in Muscat, Oman. His body was found on April 20, and authorities said he bled to death from a self-inflicted wound.

The Swedish-born DJ and producer was behind the hit song "Levels." His death came just days after his nomination for a Billboard Music Award for top Dance/Electronic Album for his EP “Avicii (01).”

Verne Troyer, an actor comedian and stunt performer, died on April 21. He was 2 feet, 8 inches tall and one of the shortest men in the world. The cause of death was alcohol poisoning. Troyer had been open in the past about his battles with depression and alcoholism.

He was best known for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films. He also appeared in the films "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "The Love Guru."

Eunice Gayson, the first to play the now-ubiquitous role to of the "Bond Girl" in a James Bond film, died June 8 at the age of 90. She dazzled alongside Sean Connery as Sylvia Trench in both "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love" in the early 1960s and is the only woman to play a bond girl in the same role twice.

Jahseh Onfroy, known as rapper XXXTentacion, was shot to death as he sat in his BMW in South Florida on June 18. 

Onfroy was a rising rap star whose sophomore album "?" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in March. His previous release, called “17,” landed at No. 2. His YouTube channel has more than 5 million subscribers. 

"Worse thing comes to worse, and I f***ing die ... I at least want to know that the kids perceive my message and were able to make something of themselves," he said in an undated Instagram Live video posted ahead of his death.

Former WWE wrestler Vader, whose real name was Leon White, died on June 20 after a two-year-battle with congestive heart failure. Vader had open-heart surgery in March and was reportedly doing fine but his health suddenly began to deteriorate.

Vader, who launched his wrestling career in 1985, was a household name in America and Japan before becoming a marquee figure in the WCW in the early 90s, becoming a three-time heavyweight champ.  Vader also appeared on episodes of "Boy Meets World" and “Baywatch” in the 90s.

Joe Jackson, father and manager of Michael, Janet and the rest of the star-studded Jackson family, died June 27, 2018 after a battle with terminal cancer, according to multiple reports. Jackson tweeted just days before his passing: "I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes."

Jackson Odell, an actor and singer-songwriter, was found unresponsive on June 8 at a California sober living facility in Tarzana.

He appeared in the 2011 film "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" with Heather Graham. He was best known for his role as Ari Caldwell in the ABC series "The Goldbergs." Odell began his show business career at age 12 and also wrote songs for the 2018 romantic comedy "Forever My Girl."

Tab Hunter, a 1950s heartthrob-turned-cult move star died July 8 in Santa Barbara, California. His spouse, Allan Glaser, confirmed he died from a heart attack after a clot in his leg moved to his lung.

Hunter appeared in several 1950s movies and became a teenage idol. His acting skills were routinely panned and he made a series of TV appearances during the 1960s trying to prove he had depth as an actor. He then dropped out of Hollywood life, reemerging in John Waters' 1981 campfest "Polyester." For decades, he kept his homosexuality a secret, admitting it publicly in his autobiography.

Tom Wolfe, who pioneered "New Journalism" and wrote such literary masterpieces as "The Right Stuff" and "Bonfire of the Vanities," died at age 88 on May 14. He had been hospitalized with pneumonia before his death.

Nancy Barbato Sinatra, the first wife of legend Frank Sinatra, died at age 101 in Beverly Hills home on July 13. She and Sinatra were married in 1939 and divorced in 1951, but remained lifelong confidantes. During their marriage they had three children, Frank Jr., Nancy, and Tina. After their marriage broke up, he married three more times but she never wed again.

Novelist Philip Roth, who received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2011 (pictured), died of heart failure on May 22. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author was 85.

Jonathan Gold was a beloved food critic whose Pulitzer Prize win was a first in his field. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer July 21 after being diagnosed that same month. The LA native made a career out of shining a light on his city's lesser known eateries, holes-in-the-wall, and street food purveyors.

Model Annabelle Neilson passed away in London on July 12 after suffering a heart attack. She was 49.

Neilson, whose family had royal connections, was a close friend and muse to the designer Alexander McQueen. In 2014, she joined the cast of reality TV show, "Ladies of London," and in 2015, she released a children's book series called "The Me Me Me's."

Smoke Dawg, a 21-year-old rapper was shot and killed in his home town of Toronto on June 30. Three people were shot outside the Cube Nightclub in the city's Entertainment District, according to police. Dawg was the only fatality. The shooting caused chaos, with tourists running for cover and drivers trying to escape the area. Mustafa the Poet, a spoken word artist and friend of Dawg, wrote "Smokey is gone, may our prayers follow him to heaven." 

Singer Timmy Matley was part of a UK-based group called The Overtones. Matley, who was from Ireland, was 36 when he died on April 9.

He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 but it was reported he died in a fall.

Influential heavy metal drummer Vinnie Paul passed away in his Las Vegas home of a heart attack on June 22. 

Paul, along with his guitarist brother “Dimebag” Darrell, formed the heavy metal band Pantera in 1981. The band broke up in 2001 and the brothers formed the group Damageplan. During a 2004 concert in Ohio, Paul witnessed his brother get shot and killed by a fan. Following the death of his brother, Paul formed the band Hellyeah. He played in the band until his own death.

Political columnist Charles Krauthammer passed away of small intestine cancer inside an Atlanta, Georgia hospital. 

Krauthammer was known for his conservative views and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for his column in The Washington Post. He contributed to Fox News, The Weekly Standard and was a regular on the PBS program “Inside Washington.” In 2017, he stopped writing and appearing on television due to his battle with cancer. 
 

Actress Margot Kidder was best known for her roles as Lois Lane starring opposite Christopher Reeve in the original “Superman” franchise. 

Kidder, who was an activist, was born in Canada and became a U.S. citizen in 2005. She passed away in her sleep insider her Livingston, Montana, home in May. Her cause of death has not been released. 
 

Czech-American filmmaker Milos Forman died inside his Warren, Connecticut home in May at 86, due to an undisclosed illness. 

Forman was born in Czechoslovakia and was a theater producer and screenwriter before he immigrated to America in 1968. He went on to become a successful filmmaker, directing Academy Award-winning movies like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest," and "Amadeus." Both earned him Best Director Oscars. His last film was 2011’s “Beloved.”
 

Pro wrestler and former WWE Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino passed away in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania due to heart issues. 

Sammartino was born in the Abruzzo region of Italy and lived part of his childhood hiding in a cave during World War II. When he was a teenager, he immigrated to Pittsburgh where he was picked on because of his skinny size. The bullying inspired him to work out and become as strong as possible and he eventually became a legend in the wrestling circuit. He became a household name in the 1980s as a pro wrestler. 

Professional wrestler Brian Lawler, who was better known as Brian Christopher, was found unresponsive on June 28 after he had apparently tried to take his own life inside a Tennessee jail cell. He had been arrested in July for DUI and evading police.

He was rushed to a hospital, and died the following day after being taken off life support. He was 46 years old.

Professional wrestler Josip Peruzovic, known as Nikolai Volkoff, also died on June 29. He passed away in his Maryland home after a recent hospital stay. He was 70.

Peruzovic was a mainstay in the ring during the 1980s, as his Russian character served as a literal punching bag at the height of Cold War anxiety in the U.S. Peruzovic was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Professional wrestler Frederick Seawright was the third wrestler to lose his life on June 29. Better known in the ring as Brickhouse Brown, Seawright died after losing his battle with prostate cancer. He was 57. 

Seawright rose to prominence in the 1980s and remained active until his cancer diagnosis last year. 

“No false finishes … no more swerves … no more kickouts,” former wrestler Luke Graham wrote in a Facebook post confirming Seawright’s death. “After a hard fight ... he has left us."

Charlotte Rae, an actress whose career on stage, the silver screen and television spanned decades, died Aug. 5. She was 92. 

Rae was best known for her role as housekeeper Edna Garrett, first on “Diff’rent Strokes” and then on its spin-off, "The Facts of Life."

Rae was diagnosed with bone cancer last year. Loved ones confirmed she passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at her home in Los Angeles. 

V.S. Naipaul, a British writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001, died Aug. 11 at the age of 85. Altogether, he published more than 30 books, some fiction, some nonfiction. 

He was just a week shy of his 86th birthday when he passed away.

Kofi Annan died in Switzerland surrounded by family, per an announcement released by his foundation Aug. 18. 

Annan held the position of UN Secretary General from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006. A native of Ghana, he was the first black African to ever rise to the intergovernmental organization's top job.

During his tenure, he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" host Robin Leach died on Aug. 24 at 76.

Leach suffered a stroke in November and had been hospitalized since. A colleague at the Las Vegas Journal-Review, where he was still employed as a celebrity columnist, tweeted that the TV personality had suffered another stroke in the week before he passed away. 

Sen. John McCain died Aug. 25 at age 81 following a battle with cancer. 

He had recently announced his decision to discontinue treatment. 

Neil Simon, lauded playwright who was regarded as the Great White Way's king of comedy for churning out hit after hit, died Aug. 26. He was 91. 

According to reports, Simon was taken off of life support after a struggle with multiple health issues, including severe kidney disease and dementia.

Though perhaps best known for the Broadway hit "The Odd Couple," for which he won one of his three Tony awards, Simon was tremendously prolific.

Over his lifetime, he penned more than 30 plays. And while he started out in comedy, he proved to have an equal talent for drama.

Burt Reynolds, the celebrated star of numerous films that included "The Cannonball Run" and "Smokey and the Bandit," died Sept. 6. He was 82. 

Reynolds was last seen publicly in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, where he was helped onto the red carpet by Robert De Niro.

At times struggling to walk, Reynolds was given a chair on the celebrity walkway so he could speak to a limited number of reporters about his film "Dog Years."

"Great to see Mr. De Niro, who I love, and ... you know, all the people that I know," he said. "It's very sweet."

Rapper Mac Miller was found dead of an accidental drug overdose on Sept. 7. The 26-year-old dated singer Ariana Grande for two years before they split earlier in 2018. 

His body was found inside his San Fernando Valley home.

Legendary Chicago blues guitarist Otis Rush died at 84. 

The musician's longtime manager, Rick Bates, told The Associated Press that Rush died on Sept. 29 following complications from a stroke he suffered in 2003. 

Rush gained world renown after his 1956 “I Can’t Quit You Baby” hit No. 6 on the Billboard R&B charts.

He helped create the modern urban blues sound and counted greats including Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon among his contemporaries.

Later acts such as Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin--now legends in their own right--found an early influence in Rush.

Known for his role on AMC's "The Walking Dead," Scott Wilson died at 76.

Wilson's rep confirmed the sad news after it was first revealed on the AMC series' official Twitter on Oct. 6.

Calling Wilson "a national treasure" and "a calm voice and a gentle spirit to everyone who came into contact with him," rep Dominic Mancini said the cause was complications from leukemia.

The Georgia native's credits stretch back to the 1960s and include a role as a murder suspect in 1967's "In the Heat of the Night" alongside screen legend Sidney Poitier.

Wilson also appeared over the years in films including "Femme Fatale," "G.I. Jane" and "Pearl Harbor" among dozens of others.

Wilson was survived by his wife of 40 years, Heavenly Wilson. 

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Seattle Seahawks, died Oct. 15, shortly after it was reported his non-Hodgkin lymphoma had returned. He was 65 years old.

“My brother was a remarkable individual on every level," Allen's sister, Jody, said in a statement. "While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us he was a much loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend."

Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics co-creator, died Nov. 12 at the age of 95.

Lee, the mind behind well-known superheroes like Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and Black Panther, was born Stanley Martin Lieber to parents Celia and Jack Lieber on Dec. 28, 1922. As a child, he was heavily influenced by books and movies, especially those starring Errol Flynn. 

He became publisher of Marvel Comics in 1972. Lee could often be counted on to appear at comic book conventions and his cameos in films adapted from his comic books were the stuff of legends. He was also heavily involved in charity work, founding the Stan Lee Foundation in 2010. The nonprofit focuses on improving access to literacy resources, education and the arts while also promoting diversity.

Even as he reached his 90s, Lee was spry and traveled around the world to greet fans at appearances and comic conventions.

He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 70 years, Joan Clayton Boocock, who was 95 years old when she died from complications of a stroke on July 6, 2017.

William Goldman, the famed Hollywood screenwriter behind classics including "The Princess Bride" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," died Nov. 16 at the age of 87.

His family confirmed he passed away due to complications from cancer and pneumonia. 

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the undersea series "SpongeBob SquarePants," died from ALS on Nov. 26.

“We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS. He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family,” Nickelodeon said in a statement at the time.

President George H.W. Bush died late Nov. 30. He was 94, giving him the distinction of being the longest-living U.S. president.

His son, George W. Bush, released a statement on behalf of his children, saying they were "saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died."

"George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for," he continued. "The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41's life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens."

Bush passed away just eight months after his wife, Barbara Bush, died earlier this year.

Penny Marshall, who played Laverne on "Laverne & Shirley," died in her Hollywood Hills home on Dec. 17 from diabetes-related complications. She was 75.

After starring in the hit show between 1976 and 1983, Marshall moved behind the camera, breaking ground as a female director in a male-dominated industry. She became the first female director to gross $100 million with “Big” in 1988, repeating her success for “A League of Their Own” in 1992.

“What an extraordinary loss," her "Laverne & Shirley" co-star, Cindy Williams, said in a statement after news of Marshall's death. “My good friend, Penny Marshall is gone—one in a million. Oh what fun we had. Can't describe how I’ll miss her."

Richard Overton, the nation's oldest World War II veteran and reportedly America's oldest man, died on Dec. 27 at the age of 112. He passed away at a rehab facility in Austin, Texas, after a battle with pneumonia, a family member said.

Overton was born on a farm just outside Austin in 1906. He enlisted in the Army during WWII and served in the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He served in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, traveling to Iwo Jima, Guam, Hawaii and Okinawa. While he saw enemy fire, he returned home without a scratch.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Overton "an American icon and Texas legend."

"With his quick wit and kind spirit he touched the lives of so many, and I am deeply honored to have known him," Abbott said. "Richard Overton made us proud to be Texans and proud to be Americans. We can never repay Richard Overton for his service to our nation and for his lasting impact on the Lone Star State."