People we lost in the arts and culture in 2020, Part 1
In a year defined by a devastating pandemic, the world lost some legendary entertainers and pop-culture giants who helped define their genres — and us.
Here is a roll call of some of the figures in arts, entertainment and popular culture who died in the first half of 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available). Look for the second half of the list in Thursday’s Green Sheet, and a complete list at jsonline.com/life/green-sheet.
January
Neil Peart, 67. The renowned drummer and lyricist from the influential Canadian band Rush. Jan. 7.
Buck Henry, 89. “The Graduate” co-writer who as screenwriter, character actor, “Saturday Night Live” host and cherished talk-show and party guest became an all-around cultural superstar of the 1960s and 70s. Jan. 8.
Terry Jones, 77. A founding member of the anarchic Monty Python troupe. Jan. 21.
Jim Lehrer, 85. The longtime host of the nightly PBS “NewsHour.” Jan. 23.
February
Kirk Douglas, 103. The actor reigned for decades as a Hollywood maverick and patriarch. Feb. 5.
Orson Bean, 91. The witty actor and comedian who enlivened the game show “To Tell the Truth” and played a crotchety merchant on “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.” Feb. 7. Hit by a car.
Robert Conrad, 84. The rugged, contentious actor who starred in the hugely popular 1960s television series “Hawaiian Eye” and “The Wild Wild West.” Feb. 8.
Lyle Mays, 66. Pianist and composer from Wausaukee who co-founded the innovative jazz-fusion band the Pat Metheny Group. Feb. 10.
Joseph Shabalala, 78. The founder of the South African multi-GrammyAward-winning music group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Feb. 11.
Barbara “B.” Smith, 70. She was one of the nation’s top Black models who went on to open restaurants, launch a successful home products line and write cookbooks. Feb. 22.
March
James Lipton, 93. The longtime host of “Inside the Actors Studio.” March 2. Cancer.
Max von Sydow, 90. The actor known to art-house audiences through his work with Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and later to
moviegoers everywhere when he played the priest in the horror classic “The Exorcist.” March 8.
Lyle Waggoner, 84. He used his good looks to comic effect on “The Carol Burnett Show” and was the first centerfold for Playgirl magazine. March 17.
Kenny Rogers, 81. The Grammywinning balladeer with such hits as “Lucille,” “Lady” and “Islands in the Stream.” March 20.
Manu Dibango, 86. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music. March 24. Coronavirus.
Joe Diffie, 61. A country singer who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like “Home” and “Pickup Man.” March 29. Coronavirus.
Bill Withers, 81. He wrote and sang a string of soulful songs that have stood the test of time, including “Lean on Me.” March 30.
Tom Every, 81. As Dr. Evermor, metal artist who created the giant Forevertron sculpture park outside Baraboo. March 30.
April
Ellis Marsalis Jr., 85. The jazz pianist, teacher and patriarch of a New Orleans musical clan. April 1. Coronavirus.
Adam Schlesinger, 52. An Emmy and Grammy-winning musician and songwriter known for his work with his band Fountains of Wayne and on the TV show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” April 1. Coronavirus.
Honor Blackman, 94. The potent British actress who took James Bond’s breath away in “Goldfinger” and who starred as the leather-clad, judo-flipping Cathy Gale in “The Avengers.” April 5.
John Prine, 73. The singer-songwriter of “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There” and scores of other songs. April 7. Coronavirus.
Brian Dennehy, 81. The burly actor who started in films as a macho heavy and later in his career won plaudits for his stage work in plays by William
Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller. April 15.
Irrfan Khan, 54. A veteran character actor in Bollywood movies and one of India’s best-known exports to Hollywood. April 29.
May
Little Richard, 87. He was one of the chief architects of rock ’n’ roll who irrevocably altered popular music while introducing Black R&B to white America. May 9. Bone cancer.
Betty Wright, 66. The Grammywinning soul singer and songwriter whose influential 1970s hits included “Clean Up Woman” and “Where Is the Love.” May 10.
Jerry Stiller, 92. For decades, he teamed with wife Anne Meara in a beloved comedy duo and then reached new heights in his senior years as the high-strung Frank Costanza on the classic sitcom “Seinfeld.” May 11.
Phyllis George, 70. The former Miss America who became a female sportscasting pioneer on CBS’ “The NFL Today” and served as the first lady of Kentucky. May 14.
Fred Willard, 86. The comedic actor whose improv style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films like “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Best In Show” and “Anchorman.” May 15.
Ken Osmond, 76. On TV’s “Leave It to Beaver,” he played two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell, a role so memorable it left him typecast and led to a second career as a police officer. May 18.
Larry Kramer, 84. The playwright whose angry voice and pen raised theatergoers’ consciousness about AIDS and roused thousands to militant protests in the early years of the epidemic. May 27. Pneumonia.
June
Bonnie Pointer, 69. She convinced three of her church-singing siblings to form the Pointer Sisters, which would become one of the biggest acts of the 1970s and ’80s. June 8. Cardiac arrest.
Vera Lynn, 103. The endearingly popular “Forces’ Sweetheart” who serenaded British troops during World War II. June 18.
Ian Holm, 88. An acclaimed British actor whose long career included roles in “Chariots of Fire” and “The Lord of the Rings.” June 19.
Rudolfo Anaya, 82. A writer who helped launch the 1970s Chicano Literature Movement with his novel “Bless Me, Ultima,” a book celebrated by Latinos. June 28.
Carl Reiner, 98. The ingenious and versatile writer, actor and director who rose to comedy’s front ranks as creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” June 29.