George Michael’s sudden death took the world by storm after news broke that the 53-year old pop icon passed away in his sleep Christmas morning from apparent heart failure. According to his publicist, he had not been ill prior to his demise.
Born Georgios Panayioton, Michaels first gained fame as half of the pop duo Wham with school chum Andrew Ridgley back in the 1980’s, before venturing out on a successful solo career. He ended up selling well over 100 million albums worldwide, and recorded duets with Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Luciano Pavarotti, among others. Openly gay, Michaels became almost as well known for his penchant for risky sex and drug use, as well as his music. His death also comes during a year in which an exceptional roster of celebrities (major and minor) passed away, many far too soon.
In fact, the deaths never seemed to stop coming throughout 2016, with more and more reported every week, running the gamut from Muhammed Ali in June at the age of 74, to 99-year old Zsa Zsa Gabor earlier this month. Other deaths since the beginning of December have also included beloved TV Actor and songwriter Alan Thicke (69), who dropped dead from a ruptured aorta while playing hockey with his son on Dec. 13; trail-blazing fashion model China Machado (86); Spanish art director Gil Parrondo (95), who won Oscars for “Patton” and “Nicholas and Alexandra;” Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp (94), best known for his work as a writer and performer on the country music comedy series “Hee Haw,” and Joseph Bassolino (49), better known to fans of the “Howard Stern Show” as “Joey Boots.”
Michaels’s death bookends a year that began with the death of 2 other legends in the music industry, David Bowie (69) January 10th, followed almost immediately by The Eagle’s Glenn Frye (57) on January 18th, just months before the band was inaugurated into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. We also lost Greg Lake (69), founder of Emerson, Lake and Palmer on December 1 following a long battle with cancer.
Nothing, however, was more shocking than the sudden death of Prince (57) on April 21, brought on by an overdose of pain meds. Prince’s death came just 2-weeks after country music legend Merle Haggard Died on his 79th birthday, April 6th from complications of pneumonia. Meanwhile revered composer Leonard Cohen (82) left us on November 10.
Other icons who passed away in 2016 ran the gamut from Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner Elie Weisel (95) to American hero astronaut and Ohio state senator John Glenn (95); former first lady Nancy Reagan (94); and America’s first woman to serve as U.S. attorney general, Janet Reno (78), who died in November from complications from Parkinson’s disease ; as well as golfing great Arnold Palmer (87). Agnes Nixon (93) creator of soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,”died September 28th, from a combination of Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia.
Versatile English actor Alan Rickman (who went from playing Shakespeare to “Harry Potter” villain of sorts Severus Snape died of cancer on 14 January 2016 at the age of 69. Patty Duke passed away at the age of 60 on March 29th.“Everybody Loves Raymond: mom Doris Roberts (80) died April 17. Celebrated TV producer Garry Marshall was 81 when he passed away July 19th. John McLaughlin, host of the McLaughlin Report for 32-years died at the age of 86, August 16th. Comedic actor Gene Wilder, who had long suffered from Alzheimer’s issued his last laugh August 29th. He was 83. Transgender actress Alexis Arquette died of AIDs at the age of 47 on September 11th.
While many of those who died this year managed to live into their 90’s, such as Alan Young (96), best known for playing Wilbur Post who conversed with his talking horse on “Mr, Ed,” others died far too young. These included “Star Trek’s” Anton Yeltsin (27), who died tragically when run over by his own car on July 19; “Voice” contestant Christina Grimmie, shot while performing in a Florida mall June 10; female wrestling champ Chyna (46), April 20; “Saturday Night Live” director Matt Villines (39) July 39; and Keo Woolford of “Hawaii 5-0″ (49) from a stroke on November 28.
Other losses this year include rapper Phife Dawg, Grammy winning singer-songwriter Guy Clark; “Me and Mrs. Jones” soul singer Billy Paul; Beatles producer George Martin; comedian Garry Shandling; Congolese singer Papa Wemba; actor Jack Riley; singer and founder of the band “Dead or Alive,” Pete Burns; actor Ken Howard; PBS news anchor Gwen Ifill; singer Sharon Jones; and a host of other stars who will be sorely missed by their many fans. With just one week left to go for 2016, we hope this list does not continue to get longer.
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