HAGERSTOWN (CelebrityAccess) – The sports and entertainment industries said goodbye to some remarkable names in 2024. CelebrityAccess (CA) remembers those we’ve lost this year.
This list is incomplete as it would be impossible to list every person who left us and do them justice based on their achievements, performances, or character. Still, CA wanted to celebrate the happiness, joy, sadness, or nostalgia they made us feel once more.
Rest in Peace.
In Memoriam 2024
January
Glynis Johns, 100, is known for playing Mrs. Winifred Banks in the Disney Film Mary Poppins. Jan. 4. Natural Causes.
James Kottak, 61, former Scorpions and Kingdom Come Drummer. Jan. 9. Not Disclosed.
Annie Nightingale, 83, First Female BBC Radio 1 DJ. Jan. 11. Short Illness.
Mike Taylor, Age Unknown, former Managing Director of Universal Music Australia. Jan. 11. Cancer.
Jose “Luis” Vasquez, aka Soft Moon, 44, electronic music singer, songwriter and producer and DJ John “Juan” Mendez, aka Silent Servant, 46, Techno DJ. Jan. 19. Fentanyl Overdoses.
Gary Dean Smith, 77, Pollstar co-founder. Jan. 20. Not Disclosed.
Dick Waterman, 88, Legendary Blues music promoter. Unknown date of death in January. Not Disclosed.
Chita Rivera, 91, Tony award-winning actor, dancer and singer. Jan. 30. Brief Illness.
February
Martin Kirkup, 75, co-founder of Direct Management Group and one-time manager of singer Katy Perry. Not Disclosed.
Toby Keith, 62, Country music singer/songwriter, activist and actor. Feb. 5. Stomach Cancer.
Eleanor Collins, 104, Canadian Jazz icon. March 3. Not Disclosed.
Richard Lewis, 76, Actor and comedian. Feb. 28. Heart Attack.
March
Jim Beard, 63, Steely Dan Keyboardist. March 2. Complications from sudden illness.
Britt Turner, 57, drummer for Blackberry Smoke. March 5. Brain Cancer.
Vince Power, visionary concert promoter. Mar. 11. Not Disclosed.
Charlie Bird, 74, Journalist, advocate and former RTE Broadcasting correspondent. March 12. Motor Neurone Disease.
Lichelle Marie Laws, aka Bo$$, 54, Def Jam rapper. Not Disclosed.
Pegi Cecconi, 70, was an executive in the Canadian music industry. March 28. Long Illness.
Frank Pestello, 57, CelebrityAccess team member and owner/creator of (F’n) WikkedLidz. March 28. Not Disclosed.
April
Horst Franz, 60, German rock music promoter. Serious illness.
OJ Simpson, 76, former NFL star, accused murderer and actor. April 10. Cancer.
Dickey Betts, 80, singer, songwriter and co-founder of The Allman Brothers. Cancer and pulmonary disease.
Mike Pinder, 82, English rock music keyboardist, songwriter and original member of The Moody Blues. April 24. Dementia.
May
Roger Corman, 98, B-movie director, producer and actor. May 9. Not disclosed.
David Sanborn, 78, Grammy-winning Saxophonist. May 12. Complications from prostate cancer.
Jon Wysocki, 53, founding drummer of rock band Staind. May 18. Liver complications.
Charlie Colin, 58, former Train bassist and founding member. Not disclosed. Fall.
Morgan Spurlock, 54, Supersize Me director. May 23. Unspecified cancer.
Richard M. Sherman, 95, Disney songwriter and composer. May 25. Age-related illnesses.
Johnny Wactor, 37, former General Hospital and Siberia actor. May 24. Fatally shot.
June
Mark D. Ross, aka Brother Marquis, 58, 2 Live Crew rapper. June 3. Not Disclosed.
C. Gambino, 25, is an Award-winning Swedish rapper. June 4. Fatally shot.
Mark James, 83, songwriter – best known for “Always on my Mind,” June 8. Not Disclosed.
Willie Mays, 93, “Say Hey Kid” baseball legend. June 18. Not Disclosed.
Donald Sutherland, 88, stage and screen actor. June 20. Not Disclosed.
Seth Brooks Binzer, aka Shifty Shellshock, Crazy Town’s lead singer. Not Disclosed. Drug Overdose.
Tony Knight, 54, UK comedian. Date Not Disclosed. Struck by a falling tree.
July
Joe Egan, 77, Stealers Wheel co-founder. July 6. Not disclosed.
Joe Bonsall, 76, Tenor vocalist and member of The Oak Ridge Boys. July 9. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Shannen Doherty, 53, actress and activist. July 13. Cancer.
Richard Simmons, 76, Fitness guru. July 13. Natural Causes.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 96, was an internationally known sex therapist. July 12. Not disclosed.
Ayres Sasaki, 35, Brazilian rock star. July 13. Electrocution while performing live.
Larry Vallon, not disclosed, AEG concert executive. July 14. Not disclosed.
Bob Newhart, 94, comedian and actor. July 19. Short illness.
Abdul “Duke” Fakir, 88, founding member of The Four Tops. July 22. Heart Failure.
Chris York, 55, UK concert promoter and team member at SJM Concerts. July 25. Long illness.
August
Susan Wojcicki, 56, former YouTube CEO and Google executive. August 9. Non-small cell lung cancer.
Theresa Chambers, 54, NYC music venue booker and promoter. August 11. Long illness.
Maxie Solters, 37, writer, actor and publicist. August 15. Not disclosed.
Jack Russell, 63, founding member and former lead singer of the rock band Great White. August 15. Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.
Phil Donahue, 88, talk show host. August 18. Long illness.
Jason Hobdy, 40, talent manager with MBK Entertainment. August 30. Illness while returning home on a flight from Tokyo.
Isaac Freeman III, aka Fatman Scoop, 53, was a rapper and radio personality. August 30. Collapsed on stage.
September
Jack Long, 95, founder of Canadian music retailer Long & McQuade. Sept. 4. Not disclosed.
Dequantes Lamar, aka Rich Homie Quan, 33, Atlanta rapper. The date of death was not disclosed. Possible overdose.
Herbie Flowers, 86, British bassist and session musician. Sept. 5. Not disclosed.
James Earl Jones, 93, was a voice, stage and screen actor best known as the voice of Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader. The date of death was not disclosed. Not disclosed.
Bill Kitchen, 65, promoter, producer and Machias Town manager. Sept. 9. Not disclosed.
Frankie Beverly, 77, singer, songwriter and founder of the R&B group Maze. Sept. 11. Not disclosed.
Michelle Kerr, Not disclosed, Cosa Nostra Public Relations co-founder. Sept. 14. Cancer.
J.D. Souther, 78, musician and songwriter. Sept. 17. Not disclosed.
Kris Kristofferson, 88, singer, songwriter and actor. Sept. 28. Not disclosed.
Pete Rose, 83, Major League Baseball’s all-time hit king and Cincinnati Reds icon. Sept. 30. Not disclosed.
Dikembe Mutombo, 58, NBA legend and humanitarian. Sept. 30. Brain tumor.
October
Cissy Houston, 95, Grammy-winning Gospel singer and mother of late pop star Whitney Houston. Oct. 7. Alzheimer’s disease.
Johnny Neel, 70, singer, songwriter, musician and former member of the Allman Brothers Band. The date of death was not disclosed. Not disclosed.
Gonzo Lubel, 34, Red Light Management artist manager. Oct. 8. Not disclosed.
Jack Revill, aka Jackmaster, 38, Scottish DJ and producer. Oct. 12. Accidental head injury.
Kaseem Ryan, aka Ka, 52, Brooklyn rapper, advocate and humanitarian. Oct. 14. Unexpected death.
Liam Payne, 31, singer and former member of One Direction. Oct. 16. Fall from Buenos Aires hotel balcony.
Paul Di’Anno, 66, former Iron Maiden vocalist. Oct. 21. Not disclosed.
Phil Lesh, 84, Grateful Dead bassist. Oct. 25. Not disclosed.
Teri Garr, 79, comedian actor of stage and screen. Oct. 29. Multiple sclerosis.
November
Quincy Jones, 91, legendary music producer, arranger, composer and musician. Nov. 3. Not disclosed.
Roy Haynes, 99, Grammy-winning musician, drummer, and band leader. The date of death was not disclosed. Short illness.
December
Bob Bryar, 44, former drummer of the rock band My Chemical Romance. Nov. 26. Not disclosed.
Zakir Hussain, 73, Grammy-winning musician and Tabla player. Dec. 15. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Paul Roper, 45, President of Dualtone Music Group. Dec. 17. Cancer.
David Farrell, 73, was a preeminent music trade journalist. Dec. 19. Cancer.
Stanley Booth, 81, Music historian and writer. Dec. 19. Not disclosed.
Richard Perry, 82, Legendary record producer. Dec. 24. Cardiac arrest.
Linda Lavin, 87, is an actress on stage and screen. Dec. 29. Complications from lung cancer.
James Carter, 100, 39th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Dec. 29. Cancer.
