Remembering the most notable celebrity deaths of 2019 – MLive.com

AP file photos

From a literary giant to a rising rap star to one of the most memorable voices from 50 years of Sesame Street, 2019 saw its share of celebrity losses.

As 2019 comes to a close, we’re looking back at celebrities who died this year, including actors, musicians, politicians, and even a puppeteer. These are just a few of the celebrities we lost; the list is part of a larger compilation published by the Associated Press. See more names here.

AP Photo/Richard Drew

Carol Channing

Channing is remembered as the musical comedy star who starred in almost 5,000 performances as the irrepressible Dolly Levi in “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway. She died at age 97 on Jan. 15.

AP photo

Doris Day

In the 1950s and ’60s, this actress and singer became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars — and a symbol of wholesome American womanhood. Day died at age 97 on May 13.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Peter Fonda

The son of a Hollywood legend who became a movie star in his own right, Fonda wrote and starred in counterculture classics like “Easy Rider.” He died at the age of 79 on Aug. 16.

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Valerie Harper

Actress Valerie Harper scored laughs and broke through TV taboos as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and its spin-off, “Rhoda.” She died Aug. 30 at the age of 80.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Nipsey Hussle

Music fans were shocked when news spread that rap artist Nipsey Hussle, then 33 years old, had been shot and killed outside of his L.A. clothing store in March. In November, the late rapper’s song “Racks In the Middle” was nominated for a Grammy for best rap performance and best rap song, while “Higher,” a collaboration with DJ Khaled and John Legend, was nominated for best rap/sung performance.

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

Peter Mayhew

Seven-foot-tall actor Peter Mayhew forever cemented his name in the “Star Wars” pantheon by playing the role of the towering character Chewbacca in the sci-fi franchise’s original trilogy and two other films. Mayhew died April 30.

AP Photo/Thibault Camus

Toni Morrison

Writer Toni Morrison was a pioneer and giant of modern American literature; her legacy endures in “Beloved,” “Song of Solomon” and other works. The Nobel laureate died Aug. 5 at age 88.

AP Photo/S. Brennan

H. Ross Perot

Texas businessman H. Ross Perot will be remembered as the self-made billionaire who rose out of Depression-era poverty and went on to pursue an outsider campaign for president — twice. He died July 9.

AP Photo/Jeff Christensen

Luke Perry

Actor Luke Perry skyrocketed to heartthrob status in the 1990’s as the wealthy rebel Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210.” He died from a stroke at the age of 52 on March 4.

Matt Rourke

Cokie Roberts

A longtime political reporter and analyst at ABC News and NPR, Robert’s lauded Washington journalism career spanned from the Carter administration all the way up to that of Donald Trump. She died Sept. 17 at age 75 from complications of breast cancer.

AP Photo/Reed Saxon

Caroll Spinney

For nearly five decades, puppeteer Caroll Spinney brought to life several of the most beloved and enduring characters on Sesame Street — including Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird. Spinney died Dec. 8 at age 85.

AP Photo/Danny Johnston

John Paul Stevens

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens was the bow-tie-wearing, Republican-nominated justice who unexpectedly emerged as the Supreme Court’s leading liberal. He died at the age of 99 on July 16 after suffering a stroke.

AP Photo

Gloria Vanderbilt

An artist, heiress, actress, socialite and fashion designer who, in the 1930s, was the subject of a high-profile child custody battle that the press dubbed “the trial of the century.” Vanderbilt is also known for having been a pioneer in designer blue jeans, and is the mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Vanderbilt died on June 17 at the age of 95.

Photos courtesy of the Associated Press, Bebeto Matthews, Andy Kropa

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