2020 was a year filled with both uncertainty and unprecedented tragedy, which included losing some of the most beloved stars on the planet.
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As we put 2020 behind us, let’s remember all of the celebrities we lost this past year.
Kobe Bryant
For fans who loved Kobe Bryant while he was here and those who just admired his incredible career from afar, this loss still seems unreal. The Lakers legend was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26. He was 41 years old. The crash also killed his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the 7 others onboard.
Kobe Bryant was drafted into. the NBA at just 18, one of the youngest players in the league’s history. He went on to become a five-time NBA champion during his 20 years as a Laker before retiring in 2016. Two years later, he won an Oscar for Best Animated Short for the film Dear Basketball.
Chadwick Boseman
Fans were shocked by the news of Chadwick Boseman’s death on August 28. The actor died at the age of 43 following complications from colon cancer, which he battled privately for 4 years.
Boseman built his career portraying iconic Black characters, including baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42, music icon James Brown in Get on Up, and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. In his most recognizable role, he appeared as T’Challa in The Black Panther and various Avengers films. Most recently, he starred in the crime drama 21 Bridges and Spike Lee’s war drama Da 5 Bloods.
Naya Rivera
Actress Naya Rivera was found dead on July 13 after going missing during a boat trip with her son on a lake in Southern California. She was 33 years old.
The Glee star was reported missing on July 8 after spending the afternoon on Lake Piru in a rented pontoon boat with her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey. The young boy was found alone on the drifting boat, telling investigators that he and his mom were swimming together but she never got back into the boat.
Andre Harrell
Andre Harrell died on May 8 at the age of 59.
The veteran music executive is known for founding the popular hip-hop label Uptown Records and is a longtime associate of Diddy. Harrell was a popular and influential figure in the music industry, helping catapult the careers of such artists as Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G.
“Everyone in the REVOLT family is devastated by the loss of our friend, mentor and Vice Chairman,” Revolt CEO Roma Khanna said in a statement. “Andre’s impact on Hip Hop, the culture and on all of us personally has been immeasurable and profound. May he Rest In Peace.”
John Lewis
Congressman John Lewis died at the age 80 on July 17. He passed seven months after revealing that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The civil rights icon was known as the “conscience of the U.S. Congress,” continually representing Georgia’s 5th Congressional District since taking office in 1987.
“John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation,” Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “From the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years.”
Little Richard
Little Richard died on May 9 at the age of 87. He died after a years-long battle with bone cancer.
As one of the foremost originators of rock and roll, Little Richard’s flamboyant performance style single-handedly paved the way for generations of popular music entertainers, from the Beatles to Elton John to Prince. His hit singles in the mid-’50s include songs like “Long Tall Sally,” “Tutti Frutti,” “Slippin & Slidin,” and “Jenny, Jenny.”
Alex Trebek
About 8 months after announcing his diagnosis with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Alex Trebek died on November 8 at the age of 80.
“This is an enormous loss for the Jeopardy! staff, crew, and all of Alex’s millions of fans,” said Jeopardy! Executive Producer Mike Richards. “He was a legend of the industry that we were all lucky to watch night after night for 37 years. Working beside him for the past year and a half as he heroically continued to host Jeopardy! was an incredible honor.”
Tommy “Tiny” Lister
Tommy “Tiny” Lister, known his role as the neighborhood bully Deebo in the Friday movies, died at the age of 62 on December 10. Lister’s other TV and film credits include The Players Club, Posse, The Dark Knight, Little Nicky, Jackie Brown, and The Fifth Element.
While his cause of death still hasn’t been announced, Lister had reportedly been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms in the days leading up to his death.
Ashley “Ms. Minnie” Ross
Little Women: Atlanta star Ashley Ross died in a car crash in Georgia on April 27. She was 34 years old. She was involved in a “hit-and-run accident” that took place on Old National Highway in the City of South Fulton on April 26. She was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died the following day.
Natalie Desselle-Reid
Following a private battle with colon cancer, Natalie Desselle-Reid passed away on December 7 at the age of 53.
Throughout her illustrious career, the actress had major roles in everything from Set It Off to Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family. Not only was she a part of the groundbreaking cast in Cinderella starring Brandy, Desselle-Reid’s role in B.A.P.S is widely considered also one of the earliest instances of a plus-size female lead in a comedy with a significant romantic storyline.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
On September 18, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at the age of 87 from complications of metastatic pancreas cancer.
After getting appointed to the court by President Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg was only the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a longtime legal champion of gender equality. RBG reportedly told her granddaughter Clara Spera days before her death, “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
Kelly Preston
Following a 2-year battle with breast cancer, Kelly Preston died on July 12 at the age of 57.
Preston, who was married to John Travolta , was known for such films as Jerry Maguire, For Love of the Game, Twins, What a Girl Wants, and more. Her final role was 2018’s Gotti, in which she appeared as the wife of Mafia boss John Gotti, who was played in the film by her real-life husband, Travolta.
Sean Connery
On October 31, Sean Connery died in his sleep while in the Bahamas. He was 90 years old.
The Scotland-born actor was the first star to play James Bond and became one of the franchise’s most iconic stars. Other notable roles for Connery include Indiana Jones, Goldfinger, Dr. No, Thunderball, The Untouchables, and Entrapment.
Rocky Johnson
Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson, the legendary pro wrestler and father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died at the age of 75 on January 15.
He made WWE history in 1983 along with Tony Atlas — collectively known as the Soul Patrol — as the first African-Americans to be crowned World Tag Team Champions. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.
Jas Waters
Jas Waters died on June 9 at 39 years old.
As a write on This Is Us, the news of her passing was confirmed by her family from the series on June 10. In addition to writing for the hit NBC drama, Waters also worked on shows including Kidding, Hood Adjacent With James Davis, and The Breaks.
Chi Chi DaVayne
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Chi Chi DeVayne died on August 20 at the age of 34. She had been hospitalized with suspected kidney failure.
DeVayne — the stage name of Zavion Davenport — was an accomplished entertainer who competed season 8 of Drag Race and returned for All-Stars 3. DeVayne had a small part on season 1 of the Apple TV+ anthology dramedy Little America, appeared on fellow Drag Race alum Yuhua Hamasaki’s Bootleg Opinions YouTube series
Ronald “Khalis” Bell
Ronald “Khalis” Bell, a founding member of Kool & the Gang, died at the age of 68 on September 9. A cause of death was not announced.
Bell formed the group with his brother Robert “Kool” Bell, Dennis “D.T.” Thomas, Robert “Spike” Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West in 1964. He was co-writer, arranger and producer on some of the group’s most famous songs, including “Ladies’ Night,” “Get Down on It,” and the No. 1 single “Celebration.”
Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash, the singer and songwriter best known for his 1972 hit “I Can See Clearly Now,” died from natural causes at his home on October 6. He was 80 years old.
The Houston native began his music career in the 1950s and made his major-label debut with the 1957 single “A Teenager Sings the Blues.” Other notable songs from Nash include “Hold Me Tight,” “You Got Soul,” “Rock Me, Baby,” and covers of Doris Day’s “A Very Special Love” and Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World.
Bill Withers
Bill Withers, the singer-songwriter behind beloved ’70s soul hits including “Lean On Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” died on March 30 of heart complications. He was 81 years old.
“Ain’t No Sunshine” won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, an award Withers would win two more times throughout his career.
Eddie Van Halen
After a long battle with cancer, rock legend Eddie Van Halen died on October 6. He was 65 years old. He was first treated for tongue cancer in 2000 and was declared cancer-free in 2002. In 2019, David Lee Roth confirmed that his former Van Halen bandmate had been battling throat cancer for the last five years.
“I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” his son, Wolfgang Van Halen, wrote on social media at the time. “He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, pop.”
Nick Cordero
Broadway star Nick Cordero died on July 5 from coronavirus complications after battling the illness for over 90 days in the hospital. He was 41 years old.
The actor was one of the earliest, most serious cases of COVID-19 to be documented so publicly, thanks to his wife. Before his death, he has previously gotten his leg amputated after being placed in a medically induced coma. Cordero earned a Tony nod for his role in Bullets Over Broadway.
Fred Willard
On May 15, comedian and actor Fred Willard died at the age of 86 from natural causes.
The comedy legend is best known for his performances in Christopher Guest’s many mockumentaries and other roles on Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Anchorman, and more.
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Regis Philbin
Legendary talk show host Regis Philbin died on July 24 at the age of 88.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about,” his family said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. “We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”
Georgia Dobbins, the co-writer of Motown’s first No. 1 hit “Please Mr. Postman,” died from cardiac arrest on September 18. She was 78 years old.
While the singer only spent a short time with The Marvelettes, which she helped found in the early 1960s, it was thanks to “Please Mr. Postman” that record executive Berry Gordy, Jr. gave the group a contract at Motown Records.
Malik B
Rapper Malik B, a founding member of The Roots, died at the age of 47 on July 29. No cause of death has been announced.
Malik’s cousin, Don Champion confirmed the news on Twitter, writing, “Mourning my beloved cousin today. He was so talented and had a huge heart. I still remember when he and The Roots were starting out. He’d give me and my dad their cassette tapes to listen to. I miss you already, Mailk.”
Anthony Chisholm
Anthony Chisholm died on October 16 at 77 years old.
As a veteran actor of stage, film, and television, Chisholm appeared in such films as the cult classic Putney Swope and Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq. He also played Burr Redding on HBO’s Oz for three seasons. On stage, he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Wilson’s Radio Golf.
Esther Scott
Esther Scott, a veteran character actress who appeared in films and TV shows including Boyz N the Hood, Dreamgirls, Transformers, and Beverly Hills, 90210, died on February 14 after suffering a heart attack. She was 66 years old.
Clifford Robinson
18-year NBA veteran Clifford Robinson died from lymphoma at the age of 53 on August 29.
Robinson played eight seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Beginning in 1989, he helped the team reach the finals in 1990 and 1992 and the playoffs all eight years. After retiring in 2007, he was a contestant on the 28th season of Survivor.
Betty Wright
Legendary soul and R&B singer Betty Wright died on May 10. She was 66 years old. Her cause of death was not announced.
The Miami native had been singing since the age of 2, performing with her siblings as part of the gospel group Echoes of Joy. The Grammy Award winner wrote hits for herself and others including Gloria Estefan, Joss Stone, and Jennifer Lopez.
Raymond Allen
Raymond Allen, who appeared in Good Times and Sanford and Son, died from respiratory issues not related to COVID-19 on August 10. He was 91 years old.
Jerry Stiller
Jerry Stiller died of natural causes on May 11. He was 92.
The comedian and actor comprised half of the beloved husband-and-wife comedy team with Anne Meara. He went on to have an impressive late-career run playing TV dads on shows including Seinfeld and The King of Queens. His son, Ben Stiller, announced the sad news on social media.
Grant Imahara
Mythbusters star Grant Imahara died on July 13 following suffering from a brain aneurysm. He was 49 years old.
The engineer joined the Discovery Channel series in season 3 and quickly became a beloved member of the Build Team. After leaving MythBusters in 2014, he reunited with former costars Kari Byron and Tory Belleci on Netflix’s science-based series White Rabbit Project two years later.
