Tragedy seemed to strike the music industry in particular repeatedly throughout 2016, but singers and musicians were only among some of the legends lost in 2016. These are some of the most notable deaths so far this year.
David Bowie died Jan. 10, two days after his 69th birthday, after an 18-month secret battle with cancer. The music legend was well-known for his fashion, movie roles, Ziggy Stardust and hit songs like "Space Oddity," "Fame" and "Let's Dance."
Rene Angelil, husband and manager of Celine Dion, died Jan. 14 of cancer at age 73. The "My Heart Will Go On" singer's brother Daniel Dion died two days later.
Alan Rickman, "Harry Potter" actor and "Die Hard" villain, died of cancer at 69 on Jan. 14.
Glenn Frey, The Eagles guitarist and co-founder, died at 67 on Jan. 18. Frey co-wrote hits like "Hotel California" with Don Henley.
Abe Vigoda, character actor in "The Godfather" and "Barney Miller," died at 94 on Jan. 26.
Sir Terry Wogan, BBC radio and television personality and Eurovision Song Contest commentator, died Jan. 31 at 77.
Joe Alaskey, a voice actor originally from Troy, N.Y., died from cancer at age 63 on Feb. 4. He was the principal voice of multiple Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird, after Mel Blanc's death in 1989 and voiced Yosemite Sam in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
Maurice White, a founding member of disco-funk group Earth, Wind & Fire, died Feb. 3 at 74.
Dave Mirra, a Central New York native who rose to fame as a BMX biker at the X-Games, had his own video games and hosted an MTV reality show, died Feb. 4 of an apparent suicide at 41.
Daniel Gerson, co-writer of "Monsters, Inc." and "Big Hero 6," died Feb. 6 of brain cancer at 49.
George Gaynes, who starred on "Punky Brewster" and played Commandant Lassard in all seven "Police Academy" movies, died Feb. 15 at 98.
Angela "Big Ang" Raiola of "Mob Wives" died at 55 on Feb. 18 after a battle with throat, brain and lung cancer.
Harper Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "To Kill a Mockingbird," died Feb. 19 at age 89.
Douglas Slocombe, Oscar-nominated cinematographer for three "Indiana Jones" movies, died Feb. 22 at age 103.
George Kennedy, tough-guy character actor best known for "Cool Hand Luke" and the "Naked Gun" movies, died Feb. 28 at 91.
Lee Reherman, former Cornell football star best known for playing Hawk on "American Gladiators," died March 1 at 49.
Joey Feek, who performed with her husband as country duo Joey + Rory, died March 4 of cancer at age 40.
Pat Conroy, author of "The Prince of Tides" and "The Great Santini," died March 4 at age 70.
George Martin, the "Fifth Beatle" best known as a producer for The Beatles, died March 8 at 90.
Frank Sinatra Jr., singer and son of Ol' Blue Eyes, died March 16 of cardiac arrest at 72.
Lee Andrews, '50s doo-wop singer and father of The Roots drummer Questlove, died March 16 at age 79.
Daryl Coley, Grammy-nominated gospel singer, died the week of March 16 at age 60.
Joe Santos, "The Rockford Files" and "The Sopranos" actor, died March 18 at 84.
Phife Dawg, Grammy-nominated A Tribe Called Quest rapper, died March 22 of diabetes at 45.
Joe Garagiola, former baseball broadcaster and "Today" show host, died March 23 at 90.
Ken Howard, "White Shadow" actor and SAG-AFTRA president, died March 23 at 71.
Garry Shandling, comedian and 'The Larry Sanders Show' star, died March 24 at 66.
Earl Hamner Jr., "The Waltons" creator and "Twilight Zone" writer, died March 24 at 92.
Jim Harrison, "Legends of the Fall" author, died March 26 at age 78.
David Baker, Grammy-nominated jazz composer and Pulitzer Prize nominee, died March 26 at 84.
James Noble, "Benson," "10" actor and Broadway veteran, died March 28 at 94.
Patty Duke, Oscar and Emmy-winning actress, former child star and mother of "Lord of the Rings" actor Sean Astin, died March 29 of sepsis from a ruptured intestine at 69.
Leon Haywood, '70s soul singer best known for "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" (sampled by Dr. Dre for "Nothin' But a G Thang"), died April 5 at 74.
Merle Haggard, country music legend who had more than 30 No. 1 hits, died April 6 on his 79th birthday.
Blackjack Mulligan, a former New York Jets player, '70s WWE star and father of pro wrestlers Barry Windham, Kendall Windham and former SU wrestler Mike Rotunda (a.k.a. Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S.) and grandfather of Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas, died April 7 at 73.
David Gest, a producer, Michael Jackson collaborator, reality TV star and ex-husband of Liza Minelli, died April 12 at 62.
Doris Roberts, Emmy-winning actress on "Everybody Loves Raymond," died April 18 at 90.
Les Waas, songwriter for nearly 1,000 jingles include the Mister Softee ice cream truck song, died April 19 at 94.
Pearl Washington, Syracuse basketball legend who popularized the crossover and "shake and bake" moves, died April 20 at 52.
Joanie "Chyna" Laurer, WWE wrestling legend and Rochester native, died April 20 at 46.
Prince, music legend behind hits "Purple Rain," "When Doves Cry," "Batdance," "1999," "Kiss" and others, died April 21 at 57.
Lonnie Mack, blues guitar great who inspired everyone from Eric Clapton and Keith Richards to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Bonamassa, died April 21 at 74.
Michelle McNamara, True Crime Diary writer and wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, died in her sleep April 21 at age 46.
Papa Wemba, world music star and "the king of Congolese rumba," died April 23 at 66 after collapsing on stage at an Ivory Coast concert.
Afeni Shakur, film/music producer and mother of rapper Tupac Shakur, died May 2 at 69.
Nick Lashaway, actor in "Girls," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "The Last Song" and "The X-Files," died in a car crash May 8 at 28.
Tonita Castro, actress in "Funny People," "Go On" and "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," died May 8 at 63.
Gene Gutowski, Roman Polanski collaborator and producer for the Oscar-winning movie "The Pianist," died May 10 at 90.
Julius La Rosa, pop singer famously fired on the Arthur Godfrey show in 1953, died May 12 at 86.
Jane Little, Atlanta Symphony bassist who held the Guinness World Record for the longest professional tenure with a single orchestra, died May 15 at 87 after after collapsing on stage during a performance.
Emilio Navaira, Tejano music legend, died May 16 at 53.
Guy Clark, Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter, died May 17 at 74.
Morley Safer, CBS News correspondent, died at 84 on May 19, days after retiring from "60 Minutes."
John Berry, original Beastie Boys member, died May 19 at 52 after a long struggle with dementia.
Alan Young, star of TV's "Mister Ed" and the voice of Scrooge McDuck on "Duck Tales," died May 19 at 96.
Nick Menza, former Megadeth drummer, died May 21 after collapsing on stage at age 51.
Jeanne Parr, former CBS correspondent and mother of "Sex and the City" star Chris Noth, died May 23 at 92.
Burt Kwouk, 'Goldfinger' and 'The Pink Panther Strikes Again' actor, died May 24 at 85.
Beth Howland, who played Mel's Diner waitress Vera on 'Alice,' died Dec. 31, 2015. Her husband Charles Kimbrough announced the death May 24, 2016, in accordance with her wishes.
Angela Paton, who played the innkeeper in "Groundhog Day," died May 26 at age 86.
Jan Crouch, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, died May 30 at 78.
Muhammad Ali, the boxing legend born Cassius Clay, died June 3 at 74 after a long battle with Parksinson's disease.
Johnny "The Greek" Karagiorgis, who appeared on "Real Housewives of New Jersey" with his wife Penny Drossos-Karagiorgis, died June 4 after a heart attack.
Bobby Curtola, former Canadian teen idol and singer, died June 4 at age 73.
Kimbo Slice, the MMA fighter and UFC star born Kevin Ferguson, died June 6 at 42.
Theresa Saldana, "Raging Bull" and "The Commish" actress who became an advocate for stalker victims, died June 6 at 61.
Gordie Howe, the four-time Stanley Cup champion and NHL legend known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at 88.
Christina Grimmie, "The Voice" singer who finished third on season six in 2014, died June 11 at 22 after being shot at an Orlando concert.
Michu Meszaros, the "smallest man on Earth" who starred on "ALF" and appeared in the circus, "Big Top Pee-wee," and Michael Jackson ads, died June 13 at 76.
Fred Caruso, "The Big Gay Musical" creator, died June 13 at 41 of an apparent suicide.
Henry McCullough, former Wings guitarist who played with Paul McCartney on "Live and Let Die" and contributed to "Jesus Christ Superstar," died June 14 at 72.
Ann Morgan Guilbert, "The Nanny" and "Dick Van Dyke Show" actress who also appeared on "Seinfeld" and "Life in Pieces," died June 14 at 87.
Lois Duncan, YA author behind "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Hotel for Dogs," died June 15 at 82
Ron Lester, actor best known for playing Billy Bob in "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at 45 from liver and kidney problems.
Rubén Aguirre, best known for playing Profesor Jirafales on Mexico's "El Chavo del Ocho," died June 17 at 82.
Alejandro "Jano" Fuentes, who sang on the Mexican version of "The Voice," died June 18 at 45 after being shot in Chicago.
Anton Yelchin, actor in "Star Trek," "Terminator Salvation" and "Charlie Bartlett," died June 18 at 27 after being hit by his own car at his home.
Michael Herr, acclaimed author of Vietnam War memoir "Dispatches," died June 23 at 76.
Bernie Worrell, masterful Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist, died June 24 at his home at age 72.
Bill Cunningham, famed New York Times fashion photographer, died June 25 at 87.
Pat Summit, legendary University of Tennessee women's basketball coach, died June 28, 2016 after battling early onset dementia. She was 64.
Rob Wasserman, founding member of RatDog, died June 29 at age 64 after being hospitalized.
Michael Cimino, Oscar-winning "The Deer Hunter" director, died July 2 at 77.
Noel Neill, original Lois Lane actress and "The Adventures of Superman" TV star, died July 3 at 95.
Garry Marshall, legendary writer, director and actor whose credits include "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Pretty Woman," died July 19 at 81.
Marni Nixon, 'The Sound of Music' singer best known dubbing vocals for Hollywood stars in 'The King and I,' 'My Fair Lady' and 'West Side Story,' died July 24 at 86.
Miss Cleo, the famed TV psychic born Youree Harris, died July 26 at age 54 after a cancer battle.
Dave Schwartz, The Weather Channel meteorologist, died July 30 at 63 after a stomach cancer battle.
David Huddleston, "The Big Lebowski" and "Santa Claus: The Movie" actor, died Aug. 2 at 85.
Barry Jenner, actor who played Admiral William Ross on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," died Aug. 8 at 75.
John Saunders, longtime ESPN sportscaster, died Aug. 10 at 61.
Glenn Yarbrough, founding member of folk trio The Limeliters, died Aug. 11 at 86.
Ruby Wilson, blues, soul and gospel singer known as "The Queen of Beale Street," died Aug. 12 at 68.
Kenny Baker, "Star Wars" actor who played R2-D2, died Aug. 13 at 81.
James Woolley, former Nine Inch Nails keyboardist, died Aug. 15 at 49 from neck-related injuries after falling off a ladder.
John McLaughlin, political commentator and host of "The McLaughlin Group," died Aug. 16 at 89.
Jack Riley, 'The Bob Newhart Show' actor and voice of Stu Pickles on 'Rugrats,' died of pneumonia Aug. 19 at 80.
Lou Pearlman, creator of Backstreet Boys and NSync, died in prison Aug. 19 at age 62.
Matt Roberts, founding guitarist for 3 Doors Down, died Aug. 20 at 38.
Juan Gabriel, superstar Mexican singer-songwriter, died Aug. 28 at 66.
Mr. Fuji, famed wrestler and WWE manager born Harry Fujiwara, died Aug. 28 at 82.
Darrell Ward, "Ice Road Truckers" reality TV star, died in a plane crash Aug. 28 at 52.
Gene Wilder, comedy legend who starred in classic movies like "Young Frankenstein" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," died Aug. 28 at age 83.
Jon Polito, character actor best known for roles in "Barton Fink" and "The Big Lebowski," died Sept. 1 at 65.
Kacey Jones, singer-comedienne best known for "I'm the One Mama Warned You About," "Donald Trump's Hair," and an appearance on "America's Got Talent," died Sept. 2 at 66.
Jerry Heller, former N.W.A manager and Ruthless Records co-founder, died Sept. 2 at 75.
Anna Dewdney, "Llama Llama" children's author, died Sept. 3 after a battle with brain cancer.
The Lady Chablis, a transgender performer best known for her role in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," died of pneumonia Sept. 8 at 59.
Alexis Arquette, transgender activist and "The Wedding Singer" actress, died Sept. 11 at 47.
Don Buchla, electronic music instruments inventor who helped develop the first line of modular synthesizers, died Sept. 14 at 79.
W.P. Kinsella, author whose book "Shoeless Joe" was adapted into the movie "Field of Dreams," died Sept. 16 at 81.
Curtis Hanson, Oscar-winning "L.A. Confidential" and "8 Mile" director, died Sept. 20 at 71.
Shawty Lo, "Dey Know" rapper and member of "Laffy Taffy" hip-hop group D4L, died Sept. 21 in a hit-and-run crash at age 40.
Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," died Sept. 24 at 63.
Jean Shepard, Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member, died Sept. 25 at 82.
Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins baseball pitcher, died Sept. 25 in a boating accident at age 24.
Arnold Palmer, golf legend known as "The King," died Sept. 25 at 87.
Agnes Nixon, creator of soap operas 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live,' died Sept. 28 at 93.
Gary Glasberg, "NCIS" showrunner, died in his sleep Sept. 28 at age 50.
Rod Temperton, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" songwriter and Heatwave member, died in September at 66.
Neville Marriner, British conductor behind Oscar-winning "Amadeus" soundtrack, died Oct. 2 at 92.
Joan Marie Johnson, The Dixie Cups singer known for 'Chapel of Love' and 'Iko Iko,' died Oct. 3 at 72.
Tommy Ford, best known for playing Tommy on TV's "Martin," died Oct. 12 at 54 after an aneurysm.
Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards, The Intruders singer best known for 1968 hit "Cowboys to Girls," died Oct. 15 at 74.
Michael Massee, "24" and "Se7en" actor best known for accidentally killing "The Crow" co-star Brandon Lee when a prop gun was improperly loaded, died Oct. 26 at 61.
Eddie Harsch, former Black Crowes keyboardist, died Nov. 4 at 59.
Jean-Jacques Perrey, electronic music pioneer, died Nov. 4 at 87.
Janet Reno, first woman to serve as U.S. attorney general, died Nov. 7 at 78 after a battle with Parkinson's disease.
Leonard Cohen, singer-songwriter behind 'Hallelujah,' died Nov. 7 at 82.
David Mancuso, DJ and New York nightlife pioneer who popularized breaking new music in clubs via a "record pool," died Nov. 14 at 72.
Gwen Ifill, "PBS NewsHour" anchor and vice presidential debate moderator, died Nov. 14 at 61 after a battle with cancer.
George Michael died Dec. 25 at the age of 53 outside London.
Carrie Fisher died at the age of 60 on Dec. 27. She was famous for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films.
Debbie Reynolds died at the age of 84 on Dec. 28, the day after her daughter Carrie Fisher. Reynolds was Hollywood royalty starring in Singin' in the Rain.
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