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Image: Luke Perry Portrait Session 1991

Pop Culture

In memoriam: Remembering the celebrities we lost in 2019

Luke Perry and Valerie Harper were some of the many stars we lost from film, television, music and more.

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Actor Albert Finney

Albert Finney

British actor Albert Finney charmed moviegoers in blockbuster hits that spanned more than six decades. A five-time Oscar nominee, Finney had a knack for disappearing into every character he played, whether it was Ebenezer Scrooge (“Scrooge”), Daddy Warbucks (“Annie”), Agatha Christie’s famous sleuth Hercule Poirot (“Murder on the Orient Express”) or Julia Roberts’ surly lawyer boss in “Erin Brockovich.” He died Feb. 7 at age 82.

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Comedy Central's Roast Of Charlie Sheen - Arrivals

Beth Chapman

Reality TV star Beth Chapman won legions of fans appearing alongside her husband, Duane “Dog” Chapman, for eight seasons in "Dog the Bounty Hunter" and later in the spinoffs "Dog and Beth: On the Hunt” and “Dog’s Most Wanted.” She died June 26 at age 51 of complications from throat cancer.

Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic
Cameron Boyce Visits Young Hollywood Studio

Cameron Boyce

Cameron Boyce was best known for playing Luke Ross in the Disney Channel’s series “Jessie, ” and for playing Carlos, the son of the villainous Cruella de Vil, in the television movie franchise “Descendants.” Boyce died July 6 at age 20 of complications from epilepsy.

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Solo shot of judge Carl Ruiz as seen on Guy's Grocery Games season 21.

Carl Ruiz

Celebrity chef Carl Ruiz was best known as a judge on the Food Network shows "Guy's Grocery Games" and "Guy's Ranch Kitchen" hosted by his close friend Guy Fieri. Ruiz launched the New York City restaurant La Cubana just months before he died Sept. 21 of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was 44.

Food Network
Image: Carol Channing Framing Face with Hands

Carol Channing

Legendary Broadway star Carol Channing won raves starring in the hit musicals “Hello, Dolly” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The three-time Tony Award winner also recorded popular albums, appeared frequently on TV and in movies, including 1967’s “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” for which she earned an Oscar nomination. Channing died of natural causes at age 97 on Jan. 15.

 

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Project Runway - Season 4

Chris March

Fashion designer Chris March became a fan favorite when he competed on season four of Bravo's "Project Runway" from 2007 to 2008 and on "Project Runway: All Stars" in 2014-2105. He went on to host his own Bravo series, "Mad Fashion," in 2011. His outrageous, avant-garde style won him celebrity clients including Madonna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. A devastating 2017 accident in his home left March paralyzed in both legs from the knees down. He died of a heart attack on Sept. 5 at age 56.

Bravo
News anchor Cokie Roberts.

Cokie Roberts

Legendary ABC News journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts was one of the first female broadcast reporters to cover the highest levels of U.S. government. She began her career in radio as a foreign correspondent for CBS in the 1970s, started covering Capitol Hill for NPR in 1978, and joined the staff of ABC News in 1988. Roberts co-anchored ABC’s "This Week" with Sam Donaldson from 1996 to 2002. She died Sept. 17 at age 75 because of complications from breast cancer.

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The Captain And Tennille Promotional Photo For 'The Captain And Tennille'

Daryl Dragon

Daryl Dragon made his musical mark as The Captain, a keyboard player who partnered with then-wife Toni Tennille in the pop duo Captain & Tennille. Dragon, who memorably wore a sea captain hat during the band’s public appearances, teamed with Tennille on a string of hits in the 1970s including “Love Will Keep Us Together” and “Muskrat Love.” The pair also headlined their own television variety show from 1976-77. Dragon died of renal failure Jan. 2. He was 76.

 

 

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Denise Nickerson

Denise Nickerson was best known for playing sassy, bubblegum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 Hollywood classic “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” The former child star also performed in notable roles on “The Electric Company” and “Dark Shadows” before retiring from show business in the late 1970s. Nickerson’s health declined after she suffered a stroke in 2018. She died July 10 after her family removed her from life support. She was 62.

Warner Bros.
Image: Portrait Of Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll made television history as the star of the 1960s NBC sitcom "Julia," the first television series to have a black professional woman as its protagonist. Carroll began her career as a singer and went on to dazzle onscreen and onstage, winning a Tony Award for her performance in the 1962 musical "No Strings." She won a new generation of fans in the 1980s playing Dominique Deveraux on ABC’s “Dynasty.” Carroll died Oct. 4 of complications from breast cancer. She was 84.

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Image: Doris Day

Doris Day

Legendary actress and singer Doris Day made a career of playng the girl next door. The irrepressibly sunny Day is best known for co-starring with Rock Hudson in several romantic comedies in the 1960s, including "Pillow Talk," which earned her an Oscar nomination. She also starred in the musical "Calamity Jane" and in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "The Man Who Knew Too Much." She retired from show business in the early 1970s to devote herself to animal activism. Day died May 13 at age 97.

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***FILE PHOTO*** Eddie Money Has Passed Away At 70 Years Of Age. Eddie Money Credit: 491849_Globe Photos/MediaPunch /IPX

Eddie Money

Rocker Eddie Money enjoyed success in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a string of hits including "Two Tickets to Paradise," "Baby Hold on to Me" and "Take Me Home Tonight," which featured legendary Ronettes singer Ronnie Spector. Money, whose real name was Edward Joseph Mahoney, revealed in August that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. He died Sept. 13 at age 70.

Image: Top Chef - Season 15

Fatima Ali

New York City-based chef Fatima Ali won fans' hearts as a finalist on season 15 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She was first diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, in 2017. Though she was declared cancer-free in the spring of 2018, Ali, revealed in an emotional essay later that year that the cancer had returned. She died of the disease on Jan. 25 at age 29.

Bravo
Image: GEORGIA ENGEL-October 2, 2007-Portrait of Georgia Engel, former star of Mary Tyler Moore show, now a

Georgia Engel

Georgia Engel charmed viewers of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” playing Ted Baxter’s sweetly naïve girlfriend and eventual wife, Georgette Franklin. The actress earned two Emmy nominations for her work on the landmark sitcom. She remained a television staple for years to come, earning three more Emmy nods for her role as Pat MacDougall, the mother-in-law of Brad Garrett’s character, Robert, on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Engel died April 12 at age 70.

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Image: Vogue 1968

Gloria Vanderbilt

Heiress, socialite and fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt was the great-great-granddaughter of financier Cornelius Vanderbilt and the mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who announced her death on the air. In the spotlight since birth, Vanderbilt created a fashion empire in the 1970s with her namesake jeans and blouses. She had been suffering from advanced stomach cancer in her final years and died June 17 at age 95.

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Image: Build Presents The Cast Of \"Snowfall\"

John Singleton

John Singleton made Oscar history in his 20s when he became the first African American filmmaker to be nominated for a Academy Award for best director for his 1991 debut film “Boys N the Hood.” He went on to direct “Poetic Justice,” “Shaft,” “2 Fast 2 Furious,” among other Hollywood blockbusters, and to co-create the FX crime drama “Snowfall.” Singleton died April 28, after his family took him off life support more than a week after he suffered a stroke. He was 51.

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Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld appears at the end of the presentation of Chanel's Spring-Summer 2017 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented Tuesday, Oct.4, 2016 in Paris. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Karl Lagerfeld

Luxury fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was instantly recognizable in his trademark white ponytail, dark sunglasses and high-collared white shirts. The German-born Lagerfeld famously revived Chanel when he became the fashion house’s creative director in 1983. He also worked as a creative director for Fendi and his own Karl Lagerfeld line. He died Feb. 19 at age 85.

Francois Mori / AP
KATHERINE HELMOND

Katherine Helmond

Seven-time Emmy nominee Katherine Helmond charmed television viewers as feisty Mona Robinson on the ABC sitcom “Who’s The Boss?” and as the lovably dimwitted Jessica Tate on ABC”s brilliant soap operate satire “Soap.” She also appeared in films, including “Brazil,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and the animated “Cars” movies (as the voice of Lizzie). Helmond died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease on Feb. 23 at age 89.

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Image: Kristoff St. John

Kristoff St. John

Kristoff St. John was a beloved star of “The Young and The Restless,” playing the character of Neil Winters for more than 30 years. The role earned him eleven Daytime Emmy Award nominations, two Emmy Awards and ten NAACP Image Awards. St. John died at home Feb. 3 at age 52.

CBS
Luke Perry Portrait Session 1991

Luke Perry

Luke Perry shot to stardom in the early 1990s playing sensitive bad boy Dylan McKay on Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210.” His television career continued with memorable roles on “Oz,” “John From Cincinnati,” and on his final series, “Riverdale,” where he played Archie Andrews’ father, Fred. He also appeared in several feature films including “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.” Perry died March 4 after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.

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MAX WRIGHT, ALF, ALF, 1986

Max Wright

Max Wright was best known for playing Willie Tanner, the mild-mannered family patriarch who forms an unlikely friendship with a wisecracking alien on the NBC sitcom “ALF.” After the series wrapped in 1990, Wright returned to working on the Broadway stage, earning a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance in Chekov’s “Ivanov.” Wright died June 26 at age 76 of complications from cancer.

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Image: A Music Collaboration Unveiling Event

Nipsey Hussle

Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was as famous for his community work in his hometown of South Los Angeles as he was his music. Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, earned the respect of former President Barack Obama, who penned a tribute to the late rapper that was read at his memorial service. Hussle died in a shooting in Los Angeles on March 31. He was 33.

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PEGGY LIPTON. w5415(Credit Image: (C) Guy Webster/Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com)

Peggy Lipton

Actress, singer and model Peggy Lipton found fame starring in the counterculture police series “The Mod Squad” in the late 1960s. The four-time Emmy nominee married legendary music producer Quincy Jones in 1974, and left show business to raise their children, actresses Rashida and Kidada Jones. Lipton returned to television in 1989 in David Lynch’s cult series “Twin Peaks.” She died of cancer on May 11 at age 72.

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Image: Dragon*Con - Day 2

Peter Mayhew

Peter Mayhew played Han Solo’s lovable Wookiee companion Chewbacca for decades in the “Star Wars” movie series, beginning in the original 1977 film all the way through 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” George Lucas, the franchise’s creator, described the British actor, who stood 7 feet 3 inches, as "the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature … and I learnt to always let him win.” Mayhew died April 30 at age 74.

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Peter Tork Of The Monkees

Peter Tork

Peter Tork found fame in the 1960s playing a sweetly daffy version of himself on the NBC sitcom “The Monkees.” A respected singer-songwriter on the Greenwich Village folk scene, Tork wrote or co-wrote many of the made-for-TV band's songs. Tork continued performing music for the rest of his life. In 2009, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma, on his tongue. He died Feb. 21 at age 77.

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Image: Easy Rider

Peter Fonda

Peter Fonda brought the counterculture to the mainstream as the star and co-writer of the 1969 hippie road drama “Easy Rider." A member of one of Hollywood most famous families — Fonda was the son of actor and director Henry Fonda, the brother of actress Jane Fonda and the father of actress Bridget Fonda -- he earned two Oscar nominations during his long career, one for co-writing "Easy Rider" and a second for his performance in 1997's "Ulee's Gold." He died of lung cancer on Aug. 16 at age 79.

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Ric Ocasek Portrait Session

Ric Ocasek

Ric Ocasek was the co-founder and lead singer of the new wave band The Cars, which scored more than a dozen Top 40 hits in the 1970s and '80s, including "Just What I Needed," "Shake It Up" and "Drive." The band, which broke up in the late 1980s, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Ocasek was found dead in his New York townhome on Sept. 15 at age 75. A medical examiner said his death was caused by high blood pressure and heart disease.

 

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\"Yours, Mine and Ours\" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals

Rip Torn

Rip Torn’s acting career spanned seven decades and included memorable roles on both stage and screen. He was nominated for nine Emmys, winning in 1996, for playing Artie the gruff but loyal producer on HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show.” He was also nominated for an Oscar for 1983’s “Cross Creek.” Torn died July 9 at age 88.

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GSN Presents Celebrity Blackjack - May 22, 2004

Shelley Morrison

Shelley Morrison made “Will & Grace” fans laugh as Karen Walker’s sharp-tongue Salvadoran maid Rosario. She was originally supposed to appear in just one episode of the sitcom, but Rosario proved so popular with fans, she became a recurring character. Morrison began her stage career in Los Angeles before landing the role of Sister Sixto on “The Flying Nun” in the late 1960s. She appeared as a guest on dozens of TV shows throughout her long career. She died Dec. 1 at age 83.

Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic, Inc
Tim Conway

Tim Conway

Legendary comedian and actor Tim Conway was best known for his hilarious high jinks on “The Carol Burnett Show” in the 1970s. The six-time Emmy winner also appeared in the 1960s World War II comedy “McHale’s Navy,” starred in several beloved Disney films, hosted his own TV variety show (twice!) and voiced the character of Barnacle Boy in “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Conway died May 14 at age 85 after a long illness.

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Image: Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, author of the classic novels "Beloved," "The Bluest Eye," "Sula" and "Song of Solomon," became the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Morrison's work, which also garnered a National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize, explored black identity in America throughout history, particularly the experiences of black women. She died Aug. 5 at age 88.

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Image: Valerie Harper In Rhoda

Valerie Harper

Valerie Harper will be forever remembered for playing Mary Richards' best friend and neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern on the classic CBS sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Fans loved Harper's portrayal of brash, wisecracking Rhoda so much, the character earned her own spin-off, "Rhoda," which ran from 1974-78. The four-time Emmy winner revealed in 2013 that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer. She died Aug. 30 at age 80.

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