IOPList.Org

NOVEMBER




Donna Jean Godchaux
of the Grateful Dead

Donna Godchaux, the first and only female vocalist for rock band the
Grateful Dead, died on Nov. 2. She was 78. Born Donna Jean Thatcher
in Alabama on Aug. 22, 1947, she began her career as a backup singer.
She soon became an in-demand session singer in Muscle Shoals, Ala.,
where she contributed to hits like Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman"
and Elvis Presley’s "Suspicious Minds." She also added her voice to songs
by Duane Allman, Cher, Neil Diamond, and Boz Scaggs. She joined the
Grateful Dead in 1972 after marrying band member and keyboardist
Keith Godchaux. As the group's first and only female singer, Godchaux is
considered pivotal in shaping the band's sound with her harmonies and
artistic expression. She eventually departed the group alongside her husband,
a few months after the release of 1978’s Shakedown Street. The couple
formed a new group, the Heart of Gold Band, but Keith was killed in a
car accident a few days after their first gig. Godchaux is survived by
their son, Zion "Rock" Godchaux.






Diane Ladd
in 2015 in New York City

Diane Ladd, the thrice Oscar-nominated star of generation-defining films
like Chinatown, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Wild at Heart, and
who was the mother of actress Laura Dern, died at the age of 89 on Nov. 3.
Ladd first broke out as a theater star, and even remarked in 2015 that
she thought she would only know a life on the stage. But Hollywood had
other plans: Uncredited parts in the sensational 1961 Carroll Baker thriller
Something Wild and Norman Jewison's nightclub comedy 40 Pounds of
Trouble a year later, led to major roles in some of the landmark films of
the latter half of the century, also including The Reivers (1969),
The Rebel Rousers (1970), The Steagle (1971), and White Lightning (1973).
Her resume also included All Night Long (1981),
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), Black Widow (1987),
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), A Kiss Before Dying (1991),
The Cemetery Club (1993), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Primary Colors (1998),
28 Days (2000), Charlie’s War (2003), and Joy (2015). On the TV side,
credits included The Detectives, Naked City, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason,
Hazel, The Fugitive, Grace Under Fire, Touched by an Angel, and Dr. Quinn,
Medicine Woman — the latter three of which landed her Emmy nominations.
Ladd worked steadily through her sixth decade in show business, appearing
within the last five years on The Big Bang Theory spinoff series Young Sheldon
and in the coming-of-age drama Gigi & Nate.

NOVEMBER 2025




Former Vice President Dick Cheney
at the Sunshine Summit opening dinner
Nov. 12, 2015

Dick Cheney, the former vice president and polarizing political figure whose life
inspired the 2018 Oscar-winning film Vice, died Nov. 3. He was 84. After beginning
his major political career as Gerald Ford's deputy chief of staff in 1974, Cheney held
several positions as a rising star in the Republican party, from Wyoming congressman
to becoming George H.W. Bush's secretary of defense who helped lead American
forces during the Persian Gulf War. He later returned to the Bush political dynasty
under the elder Bush's son, George W. Bush,
serving as VP under the president from 2001 until 2009.






Kimberly Hébert Gregory
on 'Vice Principals'

Sally Kirkland, the legendary star of films like Anna, JFK, and Bruce Almighty,
  died on Nov. 11. She was 84. Kirkland started off as a model before acting in
numerous off-Broadway productions, opposite actors like James Earl Jones
and Sam Waterston. Kirkland also frequented artist Andy Warhol's studio,
The Factory, in the '60s and even appeared in one of his famed screen tests.
In the next decade, Kirkland put in some of the best work of her career, culminating
in a Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination for the 1987 film Anna. The actress
went on to rack up appearances on dozens of the most beloved TV shows,
including Kojak, Three’s Company, Roseanne, Felicity, and Days of Our Lives.
Kirkland suffered from several health woes, and her friends launched a fundraiser
last year to cover expenses. "For those who know Sally personally, she has been
a limitless source of generosity, kindness, and unwavering spirit,” Kirkland’s friends
wrote at the time.






Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III.


Cleto Escobedo III, longtime friend and bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel Live, died
Nov. 11 at 59. Escobedo first formed the band Cleto and the Cletones in 1995,
playing the alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones as well as occasionally lending
his vocals to sets. Other members of the group include his father, Cleto Escobedo Sr.,
as well as keyboardist Jeff Babko, guitarist Toshi Yanagi, bassist Jimmy Earl, and
drummer Jonathan Dresel. In addition to his gig on Jimmy Kimmel Live,
Cleto and the Cletones also toured with Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, and Earth,
Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey.





Daniel McGrath.

Dan McGrath, a comedy writer for series like Saturday Night Live and King of the Hill
who won an Emmy for his work on The Simpsons, died on Nov. 14 at the age of 61.
Born in Brooklyn in 1964, McGrath graduated from the prestigious Regis High School
in Manhattan to attend Harvard University, where he became vice president of the
famed humor publication The Harvard Lampoon. Joining the likes of Conan O'Brien,
John Belushi, and future collaborator Greg Daniels, McGrath leapt straight from the
Lampoon to Saturday Night Live, where he provided sketches on season 16 and joined
the writer's team on season 17. He then segued into animation, where he remained
the rest of his career. McGrath won an Emmy for his work on the fourth season of
The Simpsons, remaining on through season 6 and eventually writing for series like
Muppets Tonight, King of the Hill, and Sammy. He is survived by his mother, Eleanor;
his sister, Gail; and his brothers, Michael and Peter.







Alice and Ellen Kessler
pictured in 1959

Twin sisters Alice and Ellen Kessler, famous for their performances with Frank Sinatra,
Sammy Davis Jr., Fred Astaire, and others, died Nov. 17 in their home near Munich,
according to German newspaper Bild. They were 89. The Kesslers began performing
as children, and came to fame in the 1950s and '60s. The singers and dancers, who
toured the United States and Europe, appeared on popular Italian TV shows, such as
Giardino d’inverno and Studio Uno. In the United States, they also made appearances
on The Red Skelton Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Dean Martin Show.
The accomplished duo opted to die by medical aid, which is legal in Germany.








Gary Mounfield of The Stone Roses

Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, a founding member and bassist for Stone Roses, who later joined
Primal Scream, has died. He was 63. Born on Nov. 16, 1962, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England,
Mounfield left school at 16 to help form the psychedelic indie-rock band the Stone Roses.
Alongside bandmates Ian Brown, John Squire, and Alan "Reni" Wren, Mounfield was at the
forefront of the "Madchester" music scene of the late 1980s and early '90s. Their self-titled
debut album, which hit shelves in 1989, was a breakthrough success, featuring such classic
hits as "I Wanna Be Adored," "She Bangs the Drums," and "I Am the Resurrection." Their
follow-up, Second Coming, came five years later and rocketed to the top 5 in the U.K.
despite mixed reviews. The band split in 1996 and Mani joined Scottish rock band
Primal Scream. He stayed with the group through 2012, when the Stone Roses reformed,
toured, and released two new singles. Mounfield's death comes after his wife,
Imelda Mounfield, died in November 2023, three years after she was diagnosed with
bowel cancer. The couple have twin boys, who were born in 2013.






John Eimen

John Eimen, the former child actor who appeared on TV shows like Leave It to Beaver,
Petticoat Junction, and The Twilight Zone, died Nov. 21, at 76. Born in Chicago on
Oct. 2, 1949, Eimen was discovered by a talent agent — the best friend of his first-grade
teacher — after the family moved to the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles. He
appeared as a classmate of Jerry Mathers' Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver on the pilot episode
of Leave It to Beaver and went on to appear in several of the most popular sitcoms,
Westerns, and other series of his generation, including The Untouchables, Bachelor Father,
Wagon Train, Going My Way, and The Lloyd Bridges Show. Beyond Hollywood, Eimen wrote
and recorded music, taught English in Japan,
and worked as a flight attendant for more than two decades.






Jellybean Johnson
at the 2017 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
on Feb. 11, 2017.

Jellybean Johnson, the drummer for the Prince-shepherded Minneapolis funk group
the Time, died Nov. 21. He was 69. Born in 1956 in Chicago, Johnson moved to
Minneapolis as a child, and began playing drums and guitar as a teenager. He drummed
for the band Flyte Tyme, from which Prince recruited members for his new funk-pop
group the Time. The band released three albums in the 1980s on which Prince played
almost every instrument, and the group opened for Prince on multiple tours in the
early '80s and appeared in his 1984 film, Purple Rain. Several members of the group
later reformed into the Family, and the original Time lineup reunited for the 1990 album
Pandemonium. After disbanding once more, they reunited as the Original 7ven to
release 2011's Condensate. Johnson produced Janet Jackson's 1990 hit single
"Black Cat" as well as other hits, like New Edition's "Crucial" and Mint Condition's
"Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)." Johnson released his first solo album,
Get Experienced, in 2021.






Jimmy Cliff in 2010

Charismatic reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff has died at 81, his wife announced on Nov. 24.
A Jamaican native born in St. James Parish in 1948, Cliff was at the forefront of reggae
music, paving the way for the expanding genre alongside the likes of Bob Marley
and Toots Hibbert. He found success with his debut single "Hurricane Hattie,"
followed by hits like "Vietnam," "Many Rivers to Cross," and an iconic cover of
Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now." Cliff additionally earned acclaim as the
lead star of 1972's The Harder They Come, a pivotal Jamaican thriller with a celebrated
soundtrack. The singer went on to earn seven Grammy nominations and two wins:
Best Reggae Recording in 1986 for Cliff Hanger and Best Reggae Album in 2013 for Rebirth.
He was later honored for his contributions to Jamaican music and culture in October 2003,
when he was awarded the nation's prestigious Order of Merit.




DECEMBER 2025




Criscilla Anderson
in Los Angeles in 2017

Criscilla Anderson, a dancer, choreographer, reality star, and the ex of the country musician
Coffey Andereson, died on Dec. 2 after a battle with colon cancer. She was 45. Anderson
was a choreographer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, appearing in the 2024 Netflix
docuseries America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. A prodigious hip-hop dancer,
Anderson danced backup for acts like Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Snoop Dogg. She married
Coffey in 2009 and the couple had three children - Ethan, Emmarie, and Everleigh, as well
as raised Savannah, Criscilla's daughter from a previous marriage. The family starred on the
2020 Netflix series Country Ever After, which chronicled Criscilla's journey treating a
2018 colon cancer diagnosis. Upon her death, friend and photographer Lindsey Villatoro
shared a pre-written statement from Criscilla, which read in part, ......
"Please don't stay in the darkness of this moment.
I fought hard and I loved deeply.
I am not gone...
I'm Home."

DECEMBER 2025




American guitarist Steve Cropper


Steve Cropper, two-time Grammy winner and Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Stax Records
guitarist, died at 84 on Dec. 3. As the legendary guitarist for the Stax Records house band,
Cropper is considered an architect of their sound. The record company famously backed
artists including the likes of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas,
Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Neil Young, many of which he served as a producer
for. He was instrumental in crafting some of the most enduring songs in music history,
including “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Soul Man,” “Knock on Wood,” and
“In the Midnight Hour.” In total, Cropper was nominated for seven Grammys throughout
his career, but his first win came in 1968 for Best Rhythm and Blues Song for
"(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay." It wasn't until 1994 that he'd win his second and
final Grammy: Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Cruisin'." Other honors for Cropper
include being a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a Songwriters Hall of Fame honoree,
among others.






Mike Holmes and Frank Cozzolino

Frank Cozzolino, an electrician who appeared on HGTV shows like Holmes on Homes,
died at 56 in Toronto on Dec. 4. Born in the Junction neighborhood of Toronto, Cozzolino
relocated to the nearby community of Malton in Mississauga, Ontario, and worked several
jobs before founding his electrical contracting business, Solutions Electrical. Cozzolino
worked with Mike Holmes in 29 episodes of Holmes on Homes between 2003 and 2009.
He went on to appear alongside Holmes in subsequent shows like Holmes Inspection,
Holmes Makes It Right, and Holmes Family Rescue. Holmes remembered Cozzolino in an
Instagram post. "Frank made us better," he wrote. "His impact will live on in every home
he helped. Frank could walk into the toughest electrical disaster, crack a joke in his style,
and suddenly the whole room felt lighter. That’s just who he was."






Camryn Magness


Camryn Magness, a rising star musician known as the opening act on tours by bands like
One Direction and Fifth Harmony, died on Dec. 5 at the age of 26. Magness began her
music career at only 8 years old, breaking out in 2011 at just 12 by providing the title
track for Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer and going on tour with Cody Simpson
and Greyson Chance. By 18, Magness added dates with One Direction and Fifth Harmony
to her resume, and continued to release new music through 2021. She was remembered
in her official obituary as a "vibrant, fearless, and deeply loved young woman whose
compassion, humor, and bright spirit touched every person blessed to know her."





Rory MacLeod
performing in Charlestown, R.I. in 2012

Rory Macleod, the Grammy-nominated blues musician and past member of the
swing revival group Roomful of Blues, died on Dec. 6 at the age of 70. Macleod
was a highly regarded bass player with a prolific output, beginning his tenure
with Roomful of Blues in the 1980s, and going on to release solo albums and
collaborate with acts like Duke Robillard and Jack Smith & the Rockabilly Planet.
He was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2012. Macleod was
mourned by the remaining members of Roomful of Blues in a solemn Facebook
post that paid tribute to "his diverse musical contributions as well as being a
wonderful and gentle soul. There are no words for such an immense loss."







Rachael Carpani

Australian actress Rachael Carpani, best known for playing Jodi Fountain on the
Australian series McLeod's Daughters and appearing on NCIS: Los Angeles,
died on Dec. 7 after a long battle with a chronic illness. She was 45. Carpani
was best known for her role on McLeod's Daughters from 2001 to 2009, but she
also appeared in several U.S. shows and films, including The Rachels, If There
Be Thorns, The Glades, Lifetime's Against the Wall, and The Way Back,
Ben Affleck’s 2020 basketball movie. She also starred in the 2009 movie Triangle
alongside Liam Hemsworth. Most recently, she had a recurring role on Home and Away,
the long-running Channel 7 soap opera.








Raul Malo
performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
on April 30, 2017

Raul Malo, the lead singer of the Latin-country band the Mavericks,
died Dec. 8 at 60. Born in Aug. 7, 1965 in Miami to Cuban immigrant parents,
Malo co-founded the Mavericks alongside drummer Paul Deakin and
bassist Robert Reynolds, mixing rock, country, and the Latin rhythms
of South Florida. They released their self-titled debut album a year later,
bringing Latin flavor and lively rock vibe to country music in the 1990s.
Malo co-wrote many of the band's most popular songs, including their hit
"Here Comes the Rain," which earned the group their sole Grammy win,
for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. The group
released their 13th and final studio album in 2024 with Moon & Stars,
an album filled with previously unrecorded songs. Malo was diagnosed
with colon cancer in 2024 and, a year later, he announced that he had
developed leptomeningeal disease, a cancer that affects the brain and
spinal cord. He was hospitalized the week before his death, forcing him
to miss tribute shows staged in his honor at the Ryman Auditorium,
where he was honored with the American Eagle Award from the
National Music Council of the United States.






Jubilant Sykes
arrives at the 2006
Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame

Jubilant Sykes, a Grammy-nominated baritone opera singer, was fatally stabbed
in his Santa Monica home on Dec. 8. He was 71. As a singer, Sykes performed
at some of the world’s most well-known opera venues, including Carnegie Hall,
the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, and the
Barbican Center in London. He also tackled the role of Jake in Porgy and Bess
at the famed Metropolitan Opera in 1990. Throughout his career, he collaborated
with artists including Julie Andrews, Terence Blanchard, John Beasley, Renée Fleming,
Josh Groban, Christopher Parkening, Patrice Rushen, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Warren,
and Brian Wilson. He was also named “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone Magazine
for his recording of Leonard Bernstein‘s Mass, for which he was also nominated for
best classical album at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2009. In addition to opera,
Sykes also employed his vocal talents in the gospel and jazz genres. Sykes' credits
beyond opera also include acting for film and stage: He made his film debut in
2014 Cuba Gooding Jr.-starring Freedom, playing the African slave Ozias. He also
played Markus in the 2023 thriller film The Descent and performed onstage as
Pompey in the musical Bloomer Girl and Henry Richard Lee in the musical 1776.






English author Sophie Kinsella
attends a photo call at Edinburgh International Book Festival
at Charlotte Square Gardens on Aug. 14, 2016
in Edinburgh, Scotland

Madeleine Sophie Wickham, the British author behind the beloved Confessions
of a Shopaholic book series, died Dec. 9 at 55. Born in London in 1969,
Madeleine Sophie Townley began her career as a financial journalist before
making the pivot to writing fiction. Under the pen name Sophie Kinsella,
she became a literary sensation with the release of her 2000 novel The
Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, which was renamed Confessions of a
Shopaholic in the United States. Wickham would go on to pen over 30 novels,
including 10 installments of the Shopaholic series, under both her pen name
and real name. Her first two Shopaholic novels were adapted into a 2009 film
starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy. Her 2003 standalone novel,
Can You Keep a Secret?, also received the big-screen treatment in 2019.
In 2024, Wickham announced that she'd been privately battling brain cancer
since 2022. She released her final novel, the semi-autobiographical
What Does It Feel Like?, that same year.








Jeff Garcia;
Sheen from 'Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'

Jeff Garcia, the stand-up comedian who voiced Sheen Estévez on
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, died at 50 on Dec. 10.
Born in 1975, Garcia began his career as a stand-up comedian in the
early 1990s. After briefly appearing on episodes of Caroline in the City
and Dangerous Minds and playing a small role in the 2000 comedy film
3 Strikes, Garcia found his breakout role in Sheen Estévez, the
empty-headed, UltraLord-obsessed buddy of whiz kid Jimmy Neutron
in the 2001 animated film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. He reprised the
role on the movie's spinoff series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron,
Boy Genius and a subsequent spinoff show, Planet Sheen. Other credits
include Barnyard, Back at the Barnyard, Happy Feet, Rio, and Mr. Box Office.






Actor Jim Ward
arrives for the Premiere Of 'I Know That Voice'
held at American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre
on November 6, 2013 in Hollywood, California

Jim Ward, a prolific voice actor whose credits include beloved children’s shows
like Fairly Oddparents and video games like the Ratchet & Clank series,
died Dec. 10 at 66 following complications from advanced Alzheimer's disease.
Born in New York City in 1959, Ward landed his first voice actor credit on
the 1988 cartoon Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures and made his video
game debut five years later as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 1993
Sega CD version of Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin. He is perhaps best known
for his voicing newscaster Chet Ubetcha and Doug Dimmadome, owner
of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome, on the Nickelodeon series The Fairly OddParents
and Captain Qwark in the Ratchet & Clank franchise. In addition to his
voice acting career, Ward was also a cohost on the syndicated talk radio program
The Stephanie Miller Show from 2004 until 2017.






Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner

Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead at their
Brentwood home on Dec. 14 in an apparent double homicide. TMZ reported
that their deaths are attributed to lacerations consistent with a knife.
Reiner’s career in Hollywood spans more than five decades, both in front
of and behind the camera. He first rose to fame in the 1970s as
Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family,
becoming a familiar face during one of television’s most influential eras.
He made his directorial debut with 1984’s seminal mockumentary
This Is Spinal Tap, following it up with a string of classics: Stand by Me,
The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, and A Few Good Men.






Carl Carlton

The son of Carl Carlton, funk and R&B singing legend best known for the hits
"She's a Bad Mama Jama" and "Everlasting Love," announced the death of his
father on Dec. 14. He was 72. Carlton was born May 21, 1953, in Detroit, Mich.,
where he began his career in the mid-1960s as "Little Carl" Carlton. It was in 1974
that Carlton dropped his first major hit, a disco remake of Robert Knight's
"Everlasting Love." The song peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100
and number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart, and has proven to be a long-lasting
success, reaching over 25 million streams on Spotify. His second major hit came
in 1981, with the Leon Haywood-written single "She's a Bad Mama Jama
(She's Built, She's Stacked)." The song became an instant club favorite, peaking
at number 2 on the soul chart and earning Carlton a Grammy Award nomination
for Best R&B Vocal Performance at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards. The
accompanying album, Carl Carlton, went gold in the same year. Carlton released
several more albums in the 1980s with moderate success, and briefly went into
hiatus after the release of Private Property in 1985. He subsequently released
two more albums: Main Event in 1994 and God Is Good in 2010. The latter
earned Carlton a Detroit Music Award nomination for
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Vocalist.

DECEMBER 2025




Anthony Geary

Anthony Geary, the actor who portrayed Luke across five decades of General Hospital
and earned eight Daytime Emmy Awards during his tenure, died Dec. 14 in the Netherlands
following an operation three days earlier. He was 78. Born Tony Dean Geary in
Coalville, Utah, Geary originated the role of antihero Lucas Lorenzo Spencer on
General Hospital in 1978. Despite what was supposed to be a 13-week run,
audiences responded well to the complexity of the character and writers
scrapped plans to kill off Luke to capitalize on the popularity of the pairing
between Luke and Laura Webber (Genie Francis). The role earned Geary eight
Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, a record that still
remains in that category. Geary had a love-hate relationship with the character
of Luke, initially exited the show in 1984 to pursue other opportunities and
resuming the role in 1993 through 2015 — though he did take a few hiatuses
from the show during that time. Geary's final onscreen episode of General Hospital
aired July 27, 2015, with the character existing almost exclusively off screen
until his official death in Jan. 3, 2022. In the shocking episode, Luke's widow
Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliott) reveals to his former and eternal flame Laura
that Luke's been killed in a cable car "accident" in Austria.

DECEMBER 2025




Gil Gerard
as Captain William 'Buck' Rogers


Actor Gil Gerard, known for his starring role as Capt. William "Buck" Rogers on the TV series
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, died Dec. 16 of cancer, his wife, Janet Gerard, announced.
He was 82. In addition to his signature series, which aired on NBC from 1979 to 1981,
Gerard’s TV credits included popular shows such as Little House on the Prairie, CHiPs, Baretta,
and Hawaii Five-0, as well as soap operas The Doctors, on which he played Dr. Alan Stewart
for more than 300 episodes, and Days of Our Lives. He was cast alongside Jack Lemmon and
Olivia de Havilland in the 1977 movie Airport '77, and one of his final credits was the 2016
buddy comedy The Nice Guys, which starred Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.





James Ransone
in Los Angeles in 2019.

James Ransone, the prolific character actor and star of series like The Wire and films like Sinister
and It Chapter Two, died on Dec. 19 at the age of 46. Born in Baltimore on June 2, 1979, Ransone
got his big break in Larry Clark's controversial erotic drama Ken Park, which released in 2002.
The following year he made his hometown proud by starring in season 2 of David Simon's seminal
urban odyssey The Wire as Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka, an immature and erratic dock worker.
Ransone went on to star in several more projects by Simon, including the military drama
Generation Kill and the New Orleans-set series Treme. He was tapped for memorable roles
in projects by American masters like Spike Lee (Inside Man), John Waters (A Dirty Shame),
and Sean Baker (Tangerine). Over the last decade, he carved out a new niche in horror,
landing roles in modern classics like Sinister, The Black Phone, and It Chapter Two.






Chris Rea
performs in Paris in 2017.


Chris Rea, the influential British rock and blues singer-songwriter, died on Dec. 22 at 74.
Known for his distinctive gravelly voice and slide guitar playing, Rea recorded 25 solo albums
throughout his career, two of which topped the U.K. albums chart. He also enjoyed a string
of hits including "Auberge," "On the Beach," and "Road to Hell." Though he never toured
in the United States, his 1978 single "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" reached No. 12 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy nod for Best New Artist. Rea notably cemented
himself in the holiday music pantheon with his 1986 release, "Driving Home for Christmas,"
which tracks a weary traveller making his way home in the midst of heavy traffic.






Kevin Arkadie in 2017.

Kevin Arkadie, a TV writer and producer on series like The Shield and NYPD Blue, and the
co-creator of the police procedural New York Undercover, died on Dec. 17 at the age of 68.
Born on Dec. 10, 1957, and raised in Washington, D.C., Arkadie broke ground for casting
multiple actors of color in lead roles on New York Undercover, which ran for four seasons on
Fox. He created the series alongside Law & Order boss Dick Wolf, who credited the creative
with bringing "the voice of the next generation to cop shows." Arkadie was also nominated
for two Emmys for his work on Chicago Hope in 1996 and NYPD Blue in 1998.
He is survived by his wife, Rayluca Constantinescu, mother, Mary Arkadie, and brother
and sister, Devre and Christine Arkadie.







Imani Dia Smith

Imani Dia Smith, who as a child starred as Young Nala in Broadway's The Lion King,
died on Dec. 21 from multiple stab wounds. She was 25. Her boyfriend was later
arrested and charged in connection with her death. Smith starred as the young
lioness in the Tony-winning Broadway production of the Disney hit for a year
between 2011 and 2012, according to Playbill.







Adam the Woo
was found dead Dec. 22.

YouTuber David Adam Williams, known as Adam the Woo, was found dead Dec. 22
at his home in Celebration, Fla. He was 51. Williams was known for his posts about
travel, especially to Disney parks. In the official description of his channel, which
had 749,000 followers, he wrote that he planned "to find something new and
exciting to film on a regular basis." He noted that he had created content for the
channel every day for five years, before stepping back somewhat. He was mourned
by loved ones including Justin Scarred, who wrote, "The world has lost a giant,
and I have lost a friend closer to me than blood."






Perry Bamonte
in 1992.

Perry Archangelo Bamonte, the London-born musician best known as a member of
the Cure, has died, per the group's website. Bamonte, who began his association
with the quintessential "goth" rock band in 1984 as a keyboard and guitar tech,
then as lead singer Robert Smith's personal assistant, later joined as a full-time
member in 1990. He initially played keyboards, then shifted primarily to guitar,
but he also played bass and percussion. The first Cure album that featured
Perry Bamonte as a full-time member was 1992's Wish, which featured the song
"Friday I'm In Love," one of the group's most lasting hits. The Cure's announcement
described Bamonte as "quiet, intense, intuitive, constant, and hugely creative."
They added that "Teddy" was "a warm hearted and vital part of The Cure story."






Mickey Lee in 2025.

Big Brother alum Mickey Lee, who competed on season 27 of the CBS competitive
reality series this past summer, died on Christmas Day, days after her family revealed
she had been hospitalized and was in "critical condition" after suffering a
"series of cardiac arrests" stemming from flu-related complications. She was 35.
The event curator was from Jacksonville, Fla., but had been based in Atlanta.
"A vibrant, strategic, and unforgettable personality, Mickey captured the attention
of fans with her energy, authenticity, and bold gameplay," read a GoFundMe page
set up on Lee's behalf days before her death. "She brought charm and fierce competition
to the Big Brother house as an event curator and creative force." Lee made it to day
59 on Big Brother before being evicted and finishing in 10th place, one day before
franchise fan favorite Rachel Reilly was sent home.





9

Brigitte Bardot

The French actress Brigitte Bardot, who became one of the most popular screen icons to
come out of the French New Wave, died on Dec 28 at 91. Born in Paris, France, on Sept. 28, 1934,
Bardot studied ballet at the Conservatoire de Paris, and by 15, she was modeling and
landing magazine covers such as Elle. She went on to star as the troubled but charming
schoolgirl in the musical Naughty Girl before gaining more mainstream fame as the star
of director and her eventual husband Roger Vadim's directorial debut, And God Created Woman.
Bardot soon became one of the most notable sex symbols of the ‘50s and ‘60s, owed to
her tendency to play sensual, sexually promiscuous characters, including roles in
Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt and Masculin Féminin, two of the French New Wave’s most
acclaimed films. She announced her retirement in 1973, and from then on, Bardot was
known as a fierce animal rights activist. She also became a controversial figure in her
later years, due to her criticisms of the #MeToo movement and several instances
of "inciting racial hatred."

JANUARY 2026




Victoria Jones with dad Tommy Lee Jones
at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014..

Actress Victoria Jones, the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones,
was found dead in a San Francisco hotel room on Jan. 1. She was 34. The actress
appeared in her father's films Men in Black II, The Homesman, and The
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, as well as the Robin Wright-starring Sorry,
Haters, and an episode of the TV series One Tree Hill.





Sidney Kibrick
in 'Our Gang' circa 1935.

Former Our Gang child star Sidney Kibrick died Jan. 3. He was 97.
Kibrick appeared in dozens of Little Rascals shorts in the 1930s
and 1940s, first as unnamed children before turning up regularly
as the character Woim, the sidekick of Tommy Bond's bully Butch.
He retired from Hollywood as a teenager.





Elle Simone Scott in 2022.


America's Test Kitchen host Elle Simone Scott died on Jan. 5
after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 49. In addition
to serving as the first Black woman to be a regular host of the
hit PBS show, Scott authored bestselling cookbooks and
hosted The Walk-In podcast.






Béla Tarr at the Filmoteca de Catalunya in 2024.

Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, known for films like Sátántangó and Damnation,
died on Jan. 6 at age 70. Recognized as a pioneer of the slow cinema movement,
Tarr wrote and directed nine feature films throughout his career, beginning with
his 1979 feature debut Family Nest, which won the Grand Prix at the
Mannheim Film Festival, to 2011's The Turin Horse.






Nickelodeon composer Guy Moon.

Emmy-nominated composer Guy Moon, who wrote music for Nickelodeon hits like
The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, and SpongeBob SquarePants, died on Jan. 8
from injuries sustained in a car accident. He was 63. Moon also served as a
music writer for Big Time Rush, Back at the Barnyard, and The Grim Adventures
of Billy & Mandy. On the big screen, he composed scores for The Brady Bunch Movie
and its sequel, and contributed to the soundtracks for Minority Report, Fight Club,
and Mystic Pizza.







Bob Weir
performing with the Grateful Dead in 1981.

Legendary Grateful Dead co-founder and rock guitarist Bob Weir died on Jan. 10
due to underlying lung issues after previously beating cancer, according to his daughter.
He was 78. Weir and fellow guitarist Jerry Garcia formed the legendary jam band
in 1965 with bassist Phil Lesh, keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and
drummer Bill Kreutzmann. Weir wrote or co-wrote the lyrics to some of the band's
most famous tunes, including "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "Cassidy," and "Throwing Stones."
He spent the next six decades touring, including three with the Dead,
who became one of the highest-grossing American touring acts.






Cartoonist Scott Adams
poses with a life-sized cutout of his Dilbert character in 2014.

Cartoonist and Dilbert creator Scott Adams died on Jan. 13 after a battle with
prostate cancer. He was 68. Adams created his defining comic strip in 1989,
satirizing white collar work life. After finding mainstream success throughout
the 1990s, Dilbert was dropped from newspapers across the U.S. in 2023
after its creator's racist comments, calling Black people a "hate group"
and advising white people to "get the f--- away" from them.






Siouxsie & the Banshees members
Steve Severin, Siouxsie Sioux, John McKay, and Kenny Morris.

Drummer Kenny Morris, a member of Siouxsie and the Banshees,
died on Jan. 15. He was 68.
Morris played on the influential goth rock band's first two albums.







Kianna Underwood on 'All That'.

Former child actress Kianna Underwood, best known for costarring on Nickelodeon's All That,
died on Jan. 16, after being struck in a hit-and-run in New York. She was 33. Underwood
appeared on the 10th season of the Nickelodeon kids' sketch show that originally starred
Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson. She also appeared in 1999's The 24 Hour Woman,
was cast in the original national tour of Hairspray, and did voice work on Bill Cosby's
animated show Little Bill and 2001 TV movie Santa, Baby.

JANUARY 2026




Roger Allers in 2023.

Animator, screenwriter, and filmmaker Roger Allers died on Jan. 17. He was 76.
Allers co-directed 1994's animated blockbuster The Lion King, and later co-wrote
the libretto for the movie's Broadway musical adaptation, which was nominated
for Best Book of a Musical at the 1998 Tony Awards. He also worked on films like
Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Lilo & Stitch as an animator,
storyboard artist, and story editor.





Rob Hirst of Ghostrighters and Midnight Oil
performs in 2007.

Midnight Oil co-founder and drummer Rob Hirst died on Jan. 20 after a battle with
pancreatic cancer. He was 70. Hirst helped write many of the Aussie band's hit songs,
including "Beds Are Burning," "Blue Sky Mine," "Forgotten Years," "The Dead Heart,"
and "King of the Mountain."





Defensive lineman Kevin Johnson
played with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995.


Former NFL player Kevin Johnson was found dead on Jan. 21 from blunt head trauma
and stab wounds. He was 55. Johnson played as a defensive lineman for the
Philadelphia Eagles and the then-Oakland Raiders in the 1990s.






Jardyn 'Pee Wee' Walker.

Former reality TV star Jardyn Walker was found shot to death in Missouri on Jan. 21.
He was 23. Under the nickname "Pee Wee," Walker was a contestant on Zeus Network
reality dating series Two Ways With Erica Mena, featuring Love & Hip Hop: New York
and Atlanta alum Erica Mena looking for love. Walker placed fourth
overall on the competition in 2025.






Francis Buchholz and Rudolph Schenker
of Scorpions in 1984.

Bassist Francis Buchholz, a member of German rock band Scorpions,
died on Jan. 22 of cancer. He was 71. Buchholz played with the band
behind hits like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "Wind of Change"
for nearly two decades.







Sly Dunbar in 1984.

Sly Dunbar, a Grammy-winning reggae drummer, died on Jan. 26 at 73.
As one half of the duo Sly & Robbie, along with late bassist Robbie Shakespeare,
the Jamaican musicians created reggae rhythms used by the likes of
Bob Marley, Mick Jagger, and Bob Dylan.






Catherine O'Hara
at the Emmy Awards in 2024.

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, known for her roles in Home Alone,
Beetlejuice, Schitt's Creek, and several Christopher Guest mockumentaries,
died on Jan. 30. She was 71. After beginning her comedy career as a
member of Second City Television (SCTV) — and passing on starring on
Saturday Night Live, O'Hara further made a name for herself with roles in
After Hours, Heartburn, stepmother Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice and its sequel,
Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration,
and, of course, the Home Alone movies. She most recently appeared in the
action film Argylle, and TV shows The Last of Us and The Studio.





Demond Wilson,
Lamont on ‘Sanford and Son,’ Dies at 79

Demond Wilson, who starred alongside Redd Foxx and answered to “Hey, Dummy” for six seasons on the wildly popular
1970s NBC sitcom Sanford and Son, has died. He was 79. Wilson died Friday of complications from cancer at his home in
Palm Springs, his son Demond Wilson Jr. told TMZ. On the strength of his performance on the 1971 All in the Family episode
“Edith Writes a Song” — he and Cleavon Little are burglars from Harlem who hold the Bunkers hostage in their home — Wilson
was hired as Lamont Sanford, the son of aging widower Fred G. Sanford,
proprietor of Sanford and Son Salvage at 9114 South Central Ave. in Watts.

“After learning about the series format, I was doubtful about my involvement in the project. I thought about it long and hard
and decided to take a chance,” Wilson says in the 2011 book Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story. “Redd and I thought we
could grab some quick cash, plus notoriety, then move on to the next project.” Developed by All in the Family executive producer
Bud Yorkin and based on the British TV comedy Steptoe and Son, the show debuted on Jan. 14, 1972, as a midseason replacement
for the Robert Conrad-starring The D.A. Airing Friday nights at 8 p.m., Sanford and Son was soon clobbering CBS’
The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and ABC’s The Brady Bunch in the ratings. It reached No. 2 in 1972-73 and 1974-75
and was a top-10 hit in each of its last five seasons.

In 1974, Wilson kept the show humming after Foxx walked off in a salary dispute
(the writers sent Fred to St. Louis to attend the funeral of his cousin). However, Foxx was gone for good after the 1976-77 season,
quitting to host his own (short-lived) ABC variety show. Wilson turned down an offer to go it alone, then signed what he called a
“million-dollar contract” to star in CBS’ Baby … I’m Back. In another midseason replacement, he played a man who abandons his
family but returns seven years later when he discovers his wife (Denise Nicholas) is about to remarry (Kim Fields played one of their kids).
That sitcom, however, lasted just 13 episodes.

Foxx was back as Fred in 1981 on a new NBC series titled Sanford, but Wilson and Lamont were missing, and it was done after a season.
Later, Wilson played Kenneth Miles, the father of Persia White’s character, on UPN’s Girlfriends and wrote a 2009 book, Second Banana:
The Bitter Sweet Memories of the Sanford & Son Years.

He married stewardess turned model Cicely Johnston in May 1974, and they had six children.

FEBRUARY 2026




Fred Smith
performing with Television at the
Hammersmith Odeon in London
in May 1977.

Fred Smith, the bassist for the rock band Television and a founding member of Blondie,
died at 77 on Feb. 5. Smith was the original bassist in the first Blondie lineup, which also
included Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Billy O'Connor, in 1974. He left the group less than
a year later to replace Richard Hell in Television, who were already a mainstay at New York's
CBGB club with members Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, and Billy Ficca. He provided bass and
backing vocals on all three of Television's studio albums: 1977's Marquee Moon, 1978's Adventure,
and 1992's Television.





Brad Arnold
of 3 Doors Down performs at the
Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in
Sterling Heights, Mich., on Aug. 7, 2021.

Brad Arnold, the lead singer and longest-tenured founding member of the
hard rock band 3 Doors Down, died at 47 on Feb. 7 following a battle with
cancer. Arnold wrote the group's biggest single, "Kryptonite," during
algebra class in his senior year of high school. The track helped launch
the band's debut album The Better Life to massive success in 2000.
3 Doors Down went on to release five more albums between 2002 and 2016,
with two of them reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.





James Van Der Beek
in 2020.

Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
He was 48. Van Der Beek played the lead role of Dawson Leery in the teen drama for six seasons,
from 1998 to 2003, alongside Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson. On television,
he later played a fictionalized version of himself Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, and made
memorable appearances on shows like How I Met Your Mother, One Tree Hill, Mercy, Friends With
Better Lives, Pose, andOvercompensating. He also competed on Dancing With the Stars and
The Masked Singer. The father of six also starred in the films Varsity Blues, The Rules of Attraction,
Texas Rangers, and Downsizing, Bad Hair, plus cameos in Scary Movie and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.





Robert Duvall in 1981.

Robert Duvall, the legendary actor who starred in films like Apocalypse Now and TV series like
Lonesome Dove, died Feb. 15 at the age of 95. His wife, Luciana Pedraza, announced the news
via social media, writing that the actor "passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by
love and comfort." Duvall received numerous accolades for his work, including an
Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globes.