50+ Stars We Lost in 2016

In 2016, we had to say goodbye to a large group of famous figures, including legendary musicians Prince and David Bowie, Hollywood icons Alan Rickman and Carrie Fisher, and iconic boxing champion Muhammad Ali. While we all hope 2017 will be a little brighter, look back on the stars we lost last year.

Prince
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Prince

The legendary musician was found dead at his Paisley Park Estate in Chanhassen, MN, in April. He was 57 years old.

Muhammad Ali
Getty | Anwar Hussein

Muhammad Ali

After battling Parkinson's disease for more than three decades, the 74-year-old boxing legend passed away in June. The tragic death came as a result of complications due to a respiratory issue.

George Michael
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George Michael

The English singer-songwriter passed away at his home on Christmas Day due to heart failure, according to his manager. His publicist gave the following statement to the BBC: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period."

David Bowie
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David Bowie

The iconic rock singer died in January at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

Zsa Zsa Gabor
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Zsa Zsa Gabor

The legendary Hollywood actress died at age 99 in December. After TMZ reported that the star suffered from a heart attack and was later pronounced dead at the hospital, her rep confirmed the heartbreaking news to Variety.

Debbie Reynolds
Getty | Dan MacMedan

Debbie Reynolds

The Singin' in the Rain actress passed away at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in LA in December after suffering a stroke. Her passing came just one day after the death of her daughter, Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher. Debbie was 84.

Florence Henderson
Getty | Jason LaVeris

Florence Henderson

The iconic star of The Brady Bunch passed away at 82 years old due to heart failure on Nov. 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA. She is survived by her children, Barbara, Joseph, Robert, and Lizzie, and her five grandchildren.

Alan Thicke
Getty | Alberto E. Rodriguez

Alan Thicke

The star died at the age of 69 in December. The actor — who was best known for his role as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains — passed away from a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter. He is survived by his wife Tanya and his three sons, Robin, Brennan, and Carter.

Gene Wilder
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Gene Wilder

The beloved actor, who charmed audiences in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Blazing Saddles, died in August at the age of 89.

Alexis Arquette
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Alexis Arquette

The Wedding Singer's Alexis Arquette died in September at the age of 47. Alexis passed away from a heart attack following a bacterial infection; it was also revealed that Alexis had been battling HIV for 29 years.

Anton Yelchin
Getty | Paul Redmond

Anton Yelchin

The Star Trek actor died at the age of 27 following a fatal car accident in June.

Lisa Lynn Masters
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Lisa Lynn Masters

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actress passed away in November after an apparent suicide. She was reportedly found dead inside the closet of her hotel room in Lima, Peru. She was 52.

Alan Rickman
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Alan Rickman

The English actor, best known for portraying the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, passed away in January at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer.

Patty Duke
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Patty Duke

The famed stage and screen actress died in March of sepsis from a ruptured intestine. She was 69.

Ricky Harris
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Ricky Harris

The actor and comedian, who was known for his controversial stand-up and appearances on shows like Everybody Hates Chris, passed away in December due to unknown causes. He was 54.

Christina Grimmie
Getty | Jason LaVeris

Christina Grimmie

The Voice singer tragically died after being shot at her concert in Orlando, FL, in June. She was 22 years old.

Doris Roberts
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Doris Roberts

The Emmy-winning actress, who was best known for her role on Everybody Loves Raymond, passed away in April. She was 90.

Garry Marshall
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Garry Marshall

Garry Marshall, creator of Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and The Odd Couple, died in July of complications from pneumonia following a stroke. The director of Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries was 81.

Angela "Big Ang" Raiola
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Angela "Big Ang" Raiola

The Mob Wives star was 55 when she died of cancer in February.

Juan Gabriel
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Juan Gabriel

Mexican music legend Juan Gabriel passed away in August at the age of 66. He suffered a heart attack after a concert at the LA Forum.

Pete Burns
Getty | Gareth Cattermole

Pete Burns

The "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" singer died at 57 following a "massive cardiac arrest" in October. His management team released a statement on his Twitter page, saying, "All of his family and friends are devastated by the loss of our special star. He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul, and he will be missed by all who loved and appreciated everything he was and all the wonderful memories he has left us with."

Nancy Reagan
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Nancy Reagan

Former first lady Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure in March. She was 94.

Keo Woolford
Getty | Darryl Oumi

Keo Woolford

The Hawaii Five-0 actor died at a hospital in Hawaii after suffering a stroke in November. He was 49.

Lou Pearlman
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Lou Pearlman

Music producer Lou Pearlman passed away in prison in August at the age of 62. A handful of Lou's former artists — including Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, and AJ McLean — took to social media to share thoughts about his passing.

Robert Vaughn
Getty | Mark Davis

Robert Vaughn

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. star died in November after a short battle with acute leukemia. He was 83.

Frank Sinatra, Jr.
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Frank Sinatra, Jr.

The singer and son of Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato, died of a heart attack in March. He was 72.

Tommy Ford
Getty | Amy Graves

Tommy Ford

The Martin star died at the age of 52 on Oct. 12 after his family made the decision to take him off life support. He entered the hospital for a ruptured aneurysm in his abdomen just days before.

Joanie Laurer
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Joanie Laurer

Former WWE star Joanie Laurer — aka Chyna — was found dead at her home in Redondo Beach, CA, in April.

Leonard Cohen
Getty | Paul Butterfield

Leonard Cohen

The singer-songwriter passed away in November at the age of 82. His label, Sony Music Canada, released a statement on his Facebook page, writing, "It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away. We have lost one of music's most revered and prolific visionaries. A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. The family requests privacy during their time of grief." A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Bobby Vee
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Bobby Vee

The "Take Good Care of My Baby" '60s teen idol died on Oct. 24 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 73.

Franca Sozzani
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Franca Sozzani

The Italian Vogue editor of 28 years died in December after a long illness. She passed away in Milan with her son Francesco by her side.

Sonia Rykiel
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Sonia Rykiel

Beloved French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel died in August at the age of 86.

Alice Drummond
Getty | Jim Spellman

Alice Drummond

The actress passed away in early December after complications from a fall she sustained two months prior. She was 88.

Arnold Palmer
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Arnold Palmer

The golf great passed away in September after suffering heart complications. He was 87.

Ken Howard
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Ken Howard

The actor and president of SAG-AFTRA died at his home in LA in March. He was 71.

Vanity
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Vanity

Vanity (neé Denise Matthews) was a singer, actress, and one-time prodigy of Prince. She died in February at the age of 57, just months before her mentor.

René Angélil
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René Angélil

The music producer and longtime husband to singer Celine Dion passed away in January after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.

Merle Haggard
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Merle Haggard

Country music legend Merle Haggard died in April at the age of 79.

Abe Vigoda
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Abe Vigoda

Hollywood actor Abe Vigoda passed away in January at the age of 94.

Phife Dawg
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Phife Dawg

Phife Dawg — née Malik Izaak Taylor — was a famous rapper and member of A Tribe Called Quest. He died in March at the age of 45 after suffering complications from diabetes.

Garry Shandling
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Garry Shandling

Comedy titan Garry Shandling passed away in March at the age of 66. In December, his cause of death was revealed as a blood clot, according to a Los Angeles County Coroner's Office autopsy report obtained by TMZ.

Kenny Baker
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Kenny Baker

Star Wars actor Kenny Baker, who famously played R2-D2, suffered from a long-term illness and passed away in August at the age of 81.

Ron Glass
Getty | Jon Kopaloff

Ron Glass

The actor best known for his roles in Firefly and Barney Miller died in late November of respiratory failure. He was 71.

David Gest
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David Gest

The entertainer and former husband to Liza Minnelli was found dead in a London hotel in April. He was 62.

Joey Feek
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Joey Feek

In March, Joey Feek — one half of the country and gospel duo Joey + Rory — lost a battle with cancer. She was 40.

Leon Russell
Getty | Gary Gershoff

Leon Russell

The musician died in his sleep at his home in Nashville in November. He was 74.

Gwen Ifill
Getty | Andrew Toth

Gwen Ifill

The PBS NewsHour coanchor died of cancer at the age of 61 in mid-November. WETA President and CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller confirmed the news to her staff in an email that reads, "I am very sad to tell you that our dear friend and beloved colleague Gwen Ifill passed away today in hospice care in Washington. I spent an hour with her this morning and she was resting comfortably, surrounded by loving family and friends.”

Sharon Jones
Getty | Roger Kisby

Sharon Jones

The Dap-Kings singer died in November after a long struggle with cancer. Her rep confirmed the sad news in a statement to Us Weekly, saying, "We are deeply saddened to announce that Sharon Jones has passed away after a heroic battle against pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including the Dap-Kings." Sharon was 60.

Don Calfa
Getty | Albert L. Ortega

Don Calfa

The Return of the Living Dead actor died in December at the age of 76. His death was confirmed by his rep on his Facebook page in a message that read, "Don passed away today – please keep him and his family in your prayers RIP."

Margaret Whitton
Everett Collection

Margaret Whitton

The Major League star passed away in December after losing her battle to cancer. She was 67.

Peter Vaughan
Getty | Dave Hogan

Peter Vaughan

The British actor, who was well-known for his recent role as Maester Aemon Targaryen in Game of Thrones, passed away in December at the age of 93. His agent, Sally Long-Innes, confirmed the news to BBC News, saying, "This is to confirm that very sadly Peter Vaughan passed away at approximately 10:30 this morning." She added that he "died peacefully with his family around him."

Rashaan Salaam
Getty | Kevin Mazur

Rashaan Salaam

The former NFL running back was found dead in December. His body was discovered in a parking lot in Colorado and there were no signs of foul play. He was 42.

Joseph Mascolo
Getty | Vivien Killilea

Joseph Mascolo

The Days of Our Lives star died on Dec. 7 after battling Alzheimer's disease. He was 87.

Carrie Fisher
Getty | Paul Archuleta

Carrie Fisher

The actress, best known for her role as Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars franchise, passed away on Dec. 27 after suffering from a heart attack on Dec. 23. Her family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement on behalf of her daughter, Billie Lourd, saying, "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." She was 60.

Maurice White
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Maurice White

Maurice, who founded the soul and funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, died in his sleep from the effects of Parkinson's disease in February. He was 74.

Glenn Frey
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Glenn Frey

The Eagles guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee passed away in January at the age of 67. A statement from the band confirmed that Glenn "succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia."