Scores of notable people around the globe passed away in 2019. They came from all corners and all walks of life.
Here are their stories.
Daryl Dragon, 76: The cap-wearing “Captain” of Captain & Tennille teamed with then-wife Toni Tennille on several easy-listening hits; Jan. 2
Bob Einstein, 76: The actor and comedian appeared on several TV shows and gained fame for his stuntman character, Super Dave Osborne; Jan. 2
Blake Nordstrom, 58: The longtime president of Nordstrom, the upscale department store chain, was the public face of the company; Jan. 2
Gene Okerlund, 76: The famed wrestling announcer specialized in interviewing the biggest, loudest professional grapplers in the business; Jan. 2
Herb Kelleher, 87: The longtime Southwest Airlines CEO helped the company revolutionize air travel by practically inventing the low-cost, low-fare airline; Jan. 3
John Bogle, 89: The founder of Vanguard Group proselytized on behalf of patient, long-term investing in a diversified group of well-run companies; Jan. 15
Carol Channing, 97: The three-time Tony-winning musical comedy star was best known for playing Dolly in “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway and beyond; Jan. 15
John Coughlin, 33: The former figure skater was a two-time pairs national champ who went on to be a coach and TV announcer; Jan. 18
Chris Brown, 48: The former pro surfer won several titles and competed at Mavericks, among other notable tournaments; Jan. 19
Tony Mendez, 78: The former CIA officer orchestrated the 1980 rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran and was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning film “Argo”; Jan. 19
Florence Knoll Bassett, 101: The influential architect and designer changed the look and feel of corporate offices with a “total design” concept through open floor plans and aesthetic simplicity; Jan. 25
Alan Canter, 82: The longtime restauranteur was owner of Canter Deli, a landmark Los Angeles restaurant; Jan. 25
Michel Legrand, 86: The French composer had more than 200 screen credits, and won Oscars for “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “Summer of ’42” and “Yentl”; Jan. 26
James Ingram, 66: The Grammy-winning singer was a master of duets with other top artists; Jan. 29
Wade Wilson, 60; The former NFL quarterback played for 17 seasons and served as a quarterback coach for the Dallas Cowboys; Feb. 1
Kristoff St. John, 52; The actor was best known for his longtime role on “The Young and the Restless”; Feb. 3
John Dingell Jr., 92: The lawmaker from Michigan was the longest serving member of Congress in U.S. history; Feb. 7
Albert Finney, 82: The acclaimed British actor starred in scores of movies and was nominated for an Oscar five times; Feb. 7
Frank Robinson, 83: The Baseball Hall of Famer had a storied career and made history by becoming MLB’s first African-American manager, with the Cleveland Indians; Feb. 7
Jan-Michael Vincent, 74: The film and TV actor was best known for playing the lead role in the 1980s series “Airwolf”; Feb. 10
Lyndon LaRouche Jr., 96: The political activist who ran for president eight times built a worldwide following based on conspiracy theories, economic doom, anti-Semitism and racism; Feb. 12
Lee Radziwill, 85: The younger sister of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had a varied career as a fashion tastemaker, interior decorator and actress; Feb. 15
George Mendonsa, 95: The former Navy sailor won fame after being photographed kissing a nurse on V-J Day in New York in 1945; Feb. 17
Karl Lagerfeld, 85: The fashion designer was the longtime creative director at Chanel and dressed celebrities such as Princess Diana and Claudia Schiffer; Feb. 19
Don Newcombe, 92: The MLB pitcher was a star for the Brooklyn Dodgers and won Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young awards; Feb. 19
Jackie Shane, 78; The black transgender soul singer moved to Toronto in the 1960s and packed nightclubs for years with her electrifying shows; Feb. 21
Peter Tork, 77: The blues and folk musician who became a music and TV sensation as a member of the Monkees; Feb. 21
Stanley Donen, 94: The former dancer became an acclaimed director who helmed some of Hollywood’s greatest musicals, including “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “On the Town”; Feb. 22
Clark Gable III, 30: The aspiring actor hosted several seasons of the reality show “Cheaters” but was best known as the grandson of actor Clark Gable; Feb. 22
Katherine Helmond, 89: The Emmy-nominated actress was best known for her roles on “Soap” and “Who’s the Boss?”; Feb. 23
Edward Nixon, 88: The youngest brother of President Richard Nixon was an active participant in his sibling’s presidential library in Yorba Linda; Feb. 27
Andre Previn, 89: The musical polymath began composing for Hollywood at 16 and won 4 Oscars, and had additional careers as a jazz piano phenomenon and symphonic conductor; Feb. 28
Janice Freeman, 33: The singer was a contestant on Season 13 of the reality show “The Voice”; March 2
King Kong Bundy, 61: The wrestler rose to fame as a rival to WWF champion Hulk Hogan in the mid-1980s; March 4
Keith Flint, 49: The British musician sang lead vocals for The Prodigy on such hits as “Firestarter” and “Breathe”; March 4
Luke Perry, 52: The longtime actor was best known for his roles in “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Riverdale”; March 4
Hal Blaine, 90: The legendary drummer performed on scores of hit records during the ‘60s and ‘70s as a member of the “Wrecking Crew,” Hollywood’s elite squad of studio musicians; March 11
Frank Cali, 53: The reputed boss of the Gambino crime family made him a figure of influence and power in both New York and Sicily; March 11
Birch Bayh, 91: The former Indiana senator was the author of two constitutional amendments as well as Title IX legislation that improved women’s rights in classes and on athletic fields; March 14
Dick Dale, 81: The longtime musician was a pioneer of surf rock and was known as the “King of the Surf Guitar”; March 16
Justin Carter, 35: The Army veteran was an up-and-coming country singer; March 16
Bernie Torme, 66: The veteran hard rock guitarist played with Ozzy Osbourne and Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan as well as his own solo bands; March 17
Kenneth To, 26: The record-breaking swimmer had his sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; March 18
Scott Walker, 76: The American singer attained massive success as a pop star in England, then later veered into avant-garde music; March 25
Agnès Varda, 90: The Oscar-nominated filmmaker was called the “godmother of the French New Wave” for works that influenced directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and Alain Resnais; March 29
Tania Mallet, 77: The actress and model was best known for her role in the James Bond film “Goldfinger”; March 30
Nipsey Hussle, 33: The Grammy-nominated rap star also was an entrepreneur who owned and operated several businesses in Los Angeles; March 31
Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, 97: The longtime lawmaker from South Carolina served as governor and later as a U.S. senator for 38 years; April 6
Charles Van Doren, 93: The Ivy League scholar was a central figure in an answer-rigging scandal after a run as a contestant on the game show “Twenty One” in the 1950s; April 9
Ian Cognito, 60: The British stand-up comic was considered “a true maverick”; April 11
Georgia Engel, 70: The Emmy-nominated actress was best known for her roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”; April 12
John Havlicek, 79: The Basketball Hall of Fame guard won eight championships with the Boston Celtics; April 25
Richard Lugar, 87; The longtime senator from Indiana was a noted voice on U.S. foreign policy; April 28
John Singleton, 51: The noted film producer, screenwriter and director was the youngest-ever Oscar nominee for best director for “Boyz N the Hood”; April 29
Peter Mayhew, 74: The 7-foot-3 actor was best known for playing Chewbacca in seven “Star Wars” films; May 2
Silver King, 51: The longtime lucha libre star and WCW wrestler also appeared in the movie “Nacho Libre”; May 11
Peggy Lipton, 72: The award-winning actress was best known for her roles on “The Mod Squad” and “Twin Peaks”; May 11
Doris Day, 97: The beloved singer and actress, whose work in movie musicals and comedies in the 1950s and ’60s made her a box-office draw, later gained acclaim for her work in animal welfare; May 13.
Tim Conway, 85: The Emmy-winning actor was best known for his hilarious work on “The Carol Burnett Show”; May 14
Grumpy Cat, 7: The Internet-famous cat had millions of social media followers, appeared on several TV shows and even had her own Lifetime holiday movie; May 14
Bob Hawke, 89: The former Australian labor leader became a left-wing lawmaker and served as prime minister from 1983 to 1991; May 16
I.M. Pei, 102: The world-famous architect was noted for such projects as the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; May 16
Herman Wouk, 103: The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer was known for such novels as “The Caine Mutiny,” “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance”; May 17
Niki Lauda, 70: The legendary race car driver was a three-time winner of the Formula One championship; May 20
Claus von Bulow, 92: The Danish-born socialite avoided a 30-year prison sentence in the 1980s after he was retried and acquitted of attempting to murder his wealthy wife; May 25
Bart Starr, 85: The NFL Hall of Famer was a legendary quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships; May 26
Bill Buckner, 69: The Major League Baseball star was best known for a critical error in the 1986 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets; May 27
Thad Cochran, 81: The longtime Mississippi senator was driving force behind more than $100 billion in funding to help Gulf Coast states recover from Hurricane Katrina; May 29
Leon Redbone, 69: The singer-songwriter specialized in old-school vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley-style music; May 30
Dr. John, 77: The legendary New Orleans musician collaborated with numerous top-tier rockers, won multiple Grammy awards and was a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; June 6
Bushwick Bill, 52: The rapper was best known for his work with the Houston-based trio Geto Boys; June 9
Pat Bowlen, 75: The former owner of the Denver Broncos was the most successful sports team owner in Colorado history; June 13
Gloria Vanderbilt, 95: The famed heiress and artist reigned during the 1970s and ’80s as a designer jeans pioneer; June 17
Judith Krantz, 91: The writer of such romance novels as “Scruples” and “Princess Daisy” engrossed readers with her steamy tales of the rich and beautiful, selling millions of books; June 22
Manuel Real, 95: The longtime U.S. district judge desegregated schools in Southern California in 1970; July 1.
Lee Iacocca, 94: The famed auto executive put the Mustang in Ford’s lineup in the 1960s and became a corporate folk hero when he resurrected Chrysler 20 years later; July 2
Arte Johnson, 90: The Emmy-winning actor, best known for his work on the sketch comedy “Laugh-In,” appeared on several TV shows and did voice work for several cartoons; July 3
Christopher Cline, 61: The coal tycoon, who started out working in the mines, was a self-made billionaire; July 4
Cameron Boyce, 20: The actor was best known for his role as the teenage son of Cruella de Vil in the Disney Channel franchise “Descendants”; July 6
João Gilberto, 88: The Brazilian musician and composer was a giant of bossa nova and is often credited with helping develop the sound of the genre that brought Brazilian music to the world; July 6
Rosie Ruiz, 66: The runner gained notoriety for being the first to cross the finish line of the 1980 Boston Marathon but was later disqualified for cheating; July 8
H. Ross Perot, 89: The self-made Texas billionaire founded Electronic Data Systems Corp. and twice ran for president as an outsider; July 9
Rip Torn, 88: The award-winning actor was known for scores of roles in theater, film and TV, including “Men in Black” and “The Larry Sanders Show”; July 9
Jerry Lawson, 75: The musician was the lead singer of the eclectic cult-favorite a cappella group the Persuasions; July 10
Pernell Whitaker, 55: The boxer, who won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, was a champion in four different divisions and was regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters ever; July 14
John Paul Stevens, 99: The longtime Supreme Court justice stood for the freedom and dignity of individuals, be they students or immigrants or prisoners; July 15
Rutger Hauer, 75: The Dutch actor, best known for his role in the 1982 science fiction classic “Blade Runner,” appeared in more than 100 movies; July 19
Cesar Pelli, 92: The noted architect designed some of the tallest buildings in the world, including Salesforce Tower in San Francisco; July 19
Paul Krassner, 87: The author was a political activist on the front lines of 1960s counterculture and helped tie together his prankster group by naming them the Yippies; July 21
Russi Taylor, 75: The actress gave voice to Minnie Mouse for more than three decades; July 26
Nick Buoniconti, 78: The Pro Football Hall of Famer was a member of the storied 1972 Miami Dolphins and later became a leader in the effort to cure paralysis; July 31
Hal Prince, 91: The Tony-winning Broadway legend was a producer and director of such theatrical smashes as “The Phantom of the Opera,” “West Side Story” and “Fiddler on the Roof”; July 31
Saoirse Kennedy Hill, 22: The Kennedy family scion was the granddaughter of Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy; Aug. 1
Toni Morrison, 88: The Nobel laureate was known for such novels as “Beloved,” ”Song of Solomon” and “The Bluest Eye”; Aug. 5
Dango Nguyen, 48: The former firefighter also was actor who appeared on “The Walking Dead”; Aug. 10
Peter Fonda, 79: The Oscar-nominated actor was a member of a legendary Hollywood family and was best known for writing and starring in “Easy Rider”; Aug. 16
Kathleen Blanco, 76: The former governor of Louisiana led her state through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath; Aug. 18
Celso Pina, 66: The Mexican musician was known as “the rebel of the accordion” for mixing eclectic styles with traditional Colombian cumbia; Aug. 21
David Koch, 79: The billionaire businessman was a co-owner of the second-largest private company in the U.S. and an activist who funded many conservative causes; Aug. 23
Jessi Combs, 36: The race-car driver hosted the TV show “All Girls Garage” and appeared in several other programs; Aug. 28
Valerie Harper, 80: The award-winning actress was best known for her roles on “Rhoda” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; Aug. 30
LaShawn Daniels, 41: The Grammy-winning songwriter composed hits for such singers as Beyonce and Lady Gaga; Sept. 3
Kylie Rae Harris, 30: The singer was a rising country music star; Sept. 4
Robert Mugabe, 95: The longtime leader of Zimbabwe took rule after white minority rule ended in 1980, but was forced to resign in 2017; Sept. 6
T. Boone Pickens, 91: The famed oil tycoon expanded his wealth through a series of corporate takeover attempts and, late in life, became a champion of renewable energy; Sept. 11
Eddie Money, 70: The rocker, who spent many years in the Bay Area, had several big hits in the 1970s and ’80s; Sept. 13
Azellia White, 106: The aviation pioneer was one of the nation’s first black female pilots; Sept. 14
Ric Ocasek, 75; The musician was the lead singer for The Cars; Sept. 15
Cokie Roberts, 75: The pioneering journalist covered politics for NPR and ABC News; Sept. 17
Suzanne Whang, 56: The TV personality was best known as the first host of “House Hunters”; Sept. 17
Barron Hilton, 91; The hotel magnate expanded his father’s chain and was a founding owner in the American Football League; Sept. 19
Sid Haig, 80: The actor worked on scores of films but was best known for his known for his role in the “House of 1000 Corpses” trilogy; Sept. 21
Carl Ruiz, 44: The celebrity chef owned several restaurants, including La Cubana in New York, and made frequent appearances on the Food Network; Sept. 21
Jacques Chirac, 86: The former president of France opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003; Sept. 26
José José, 71: The Mexican singer and songwriter was a musical icon across Latin America for more than 50 years; Sept. 28
Jessye Norman, 74: The international opera star won four Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honor; Sept. 30
Barrie Masters, 63: The musician was the lead singer for Eddie and the Hot Rods; Oct. 2
Kim Shattuck, 56; The singer-songwriter was a member of several bands, including the Muffs, the Pixies and the Pandoras; Oct. 2
Diahann Carroll, 84: The trail-blazing actress, best known for her roles on TV’s “Julia” and “Dynasty,” also was a Tony winner and an Oscar nominee; Oct. 4
Ginger Baker, 80: The legendary rock drummer was a member of Cream, among several other bands; Oct. 5
Rip Taylor, 88: The madcap mustached comedian was a TV game show mainstay in the 1970s; Oct. 5
Alexei Leonov, 85: The legendary Soviet cosmonaut became the first human to walk in space; Oct. 11
Robert Forster, 78: The longtime film and TV star was known for many roles, including his Oscar-nominated turn in “Jackie Brown”; Oct. 11
James Stern, 55: The black activist took control of one of the nation’s largest neo-Nazi groups — and pledged to dismantle it; Oct. 11
Harold Bloom, 89; The author of “The Anxiety of Influence” wrote more than 20 books and prided himself on making scholarly topics accessible to the general reader; Oct. 14
Sulli, 25: The former child actor from South Korea became a K-Pop star; Oct. 14
Elijah Cummings, 68; The longtime civil rights champion was a congressman from Maryland; Oct. 17
Paul Barrere, 71; Musician was the guitarist and singer for the rock group Little Feat; Oct. 26
Robert Evans, 89: The legendary movie executive produced “Chinatown” and “Urban Cowboy,” among many films; Oct. 26
John Conyers, 90; The longtime lawmaker from Detroit was the longest-serving black member of Congress; Oct. 27
Kay Hagan, 66: The lawmaker from North Carolina served as a U.S. senator from 2009 to 2015; Oct. 28
John Witherspoon, 77: The actor and comedian was best known for his role in the “Friday” movies and his appearances on “Late Night With David Letterman”; Oct. 29
Walter Mercado, 88: The television astrologer was a star in Latin media and a cherished icon for gay people in most of the Spanish-speaking world; Nov. 2
Brian Tarantina, 60; The actor was best known for roles in “Gilmore Girls” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”; Nov. 2
Robert Norris, 90: The rancher and philanthropist was best known for being the original “Marlboro Man”; Nov. 3
Laurel Griggs, 13; The Broadway actress also had several TV and film credits; Nov. 5
Jake Burton Carpenter, 65: The snowboarding pioneer revolutionized the sport and the business; Nov. 20
Goo Hara, 28: The K-Pop star was also a South Korean TV celebrity; Nov. 24
Harry Morton, 38: The restaurant mogul was the son of the Hard Rock Cafe chain co-founder and grandson of the Morton’s The Steakhouse founder; Nov. 24
Godfrey Gao, 35: The former Louis Vuitton model also acted in several Chinese-language TV shows; Nov. 27
Shelley Morrison, 83: The longtime character actress was best known for her role on “Will & Grace”; Dec. 1
Lil Bub, 8: The cat with the little tongue that stole the hearts of the internet was a spokescat for Animal Planet and helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for animals with special needs; Dec. 2
René Auberjonois, 79; The prolific character actor was best known for his roles on the TV shows “Benson” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and in the 1970 film “M.A.S.H.”; Dec. 8
Juice WRLD, 21; The rapper was a streaming juggernaut and later rose to the top of the charts with the Sting-sampled hit “Lucid Dreams”; Dec. 8
Carroll Spinney, 85: The legendary puppeteer portrayed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street” for nearly 50 years; Dec. 8
Paul Volcker, 92: The Federal Reserve chairman tamed U.S. inflation in the 1980s and, decades later, inspired tough Wall Street reforms in the wake of the global financial crisis; Dec. 9
Pete Frates, 34: The former college baseball player suffered from ALS and became the inspiration for the viral Ice Bucket Challenge; Dec. 9
Marie Fredriksson, 61: The Swedish singer had several solo hits before teaming up with Per Gessle to form Roxette; Dec. 9
Philip McKeon, 55: The actor was best known for his childhood role on the TV show “Alice”; Dec. 10
Danny Aiello, 86: The longtime character actor had scores of film roles and received an Oscar nomination for his role in “Do the Right Thing”; Dec. 12
Anna Karina, 79: The French New Wave actress became an icon of the cinema in the 1960s; Dec. 14
Baba Ram Dass, 88: The 1960s counterculture spiritual leader experimented with LSD, but was best known for the spiritual primer “Be Here Now”; Dec. 22
Lee Mendelson, 86: The noted TV producer was best known for his work on the “Peanuts” television specials, including “A Charlie Brown Christmas”; Dec. 25
Jerry Herman, 88: The award-winning theater legend was the composer of such musicals as “Hello, Dolly!,” “Mame” and “La Cage aux Folles”; Dec. 26
Sue Lyon, 73: The actress was best known for playing the title character in director Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 film “Lolita”; Dec. 26
Don Imus, 79: The longtime radio star’s career was made and then undone by his acid tongue; Dec. 27