Top 10 Celebrities Who Died in 2016

2016 was a tragic year for Hollywood, as it lost a few good men and women who had made huge names for themselves and had created their own following. There are several famous celebrities who have gone to their final resting place this year. Here is a quick rundown of the ten celebrities, personalities, and pop icons that we have lost in 2016. May they all rest in peace.

10. Natalie Cole

Equally famous as her late father Nat King Cole, Natalie succumbed to death on the very first day of January of 2016 due to congestive heart failure. She has had heart disease as a complication of a kidney transplant done to her. She was also suffering from Hepatitis C, which on the other hand, was caused by her past history with substance abuse. Natalie Cole can be best remembered for her powerful vocals, as shown in her songs such as “Starting Over Again,” “Miss You Like Crazy,” “Inseparable,” and “Someone I Used to Love.” She was 65 years old.

9. David Bowie

January 10, 2016 was a very sad day for a lot of rock star fans. David Bowie, the legendary rock icon, expired on the said date due to cancer, a condition that he has been battling for many years.  Aside from his numerous chart-topping hits such as “Modern Love,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Space Oddity,” Bowie was also remembered for his role in Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth.” He was 69 years old.

8. Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman died on January 14, 2016, and he is most remembered for his role as Professor Severus Snape of the famed Harry Potter film series. He was suffering from cancer all along, and he had successfully hidden that detail from the general public. The other movies credited to his name include “Die Hard,” “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” “Love Actually,” and “Truly, Madly, Deeply.” Like David Bowie, he was also 69 years old at the time of his death.

7. Nancy Reagan

Before becoming one of the most famous first ladies of the United States, Nancy Reagan, like her husband, former US president Ronald Reagan, was an actress. She starred in more than a dozen films and TV shows before fully retiring from the limelight. Her work includes “Hellcats of the Navy,” “The Next Voice You Hear,” “Donovan’s Brain,” and “East Side, West Side.” She died on March 6, 2016, a good 12 years after his husband’s death in 2004. From the time of the president’s death, she has been an avid supporter of stem cell research.  She died at the ripe age of 95 years old.

6. Patty Duke

Award-winning film actress Patty Duke died from a ruptured intestine on March 29, 2016. She was 69 years old. Duke was remembered as one of the youngest Oscar winners of all time. She won the Academy Award for her role as Heller Keller in the moving drama “The Miracle Worker” at 16 years old. After being successful in the movies, she went on to star in her own TV sitcom, which was simply entitled “The Patty Duke Show.” Aside from winning an Oscar, she also has three Emmy awards to her name.

5. Prince

2016 has also seen the passing of another legendary musician, Prince. Prince was found dead in his Minnesota estate on the fateful day of April 21, 2016. The singer was known for creating his own genre of music, as he beautifully blends R&B, funk, pop, soul, disco, and rock all together. He rose to fame in 1978 after the release of his first album “For You.” After which, he went on to record 39 very successful studio albums. He also won seven Grammy awards. Because of his huge success in the music industry, he was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. It was said that Prince suffered the flu for weeks until he succumbed to his disease. He was 58 years old.

4. Muhammad Ali

When legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was reported dead on June 3, 2016, the news rocked the entire sporting word. Reports have it that he was suffering from respiratory illness for a very long time. Ali is one of the most popular heavyweight boxers in history, after defeating the likes of George Foreman and Sonny Liston. Born as Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name in the wake of the Vietnam War, which he protested strongly against.  He went on to live 74 good, colorful, and memorable years.

3. Gene Wilder

A legendary character actor, Gene Wilder died on August 29, 2016 due to the different complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was best remembered as the original Willy Wonka. He first played the reprised in the “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” film of 1971. He also starred in “Young Frankenstein”, “The Producers,” and “Blazing Saddles.” He died at the ripe age of 83.

2. George Michael

The former The Wham! front runner was reported to have died peacefully in his sleep on Christmas Day, December 25, 2016. It was the saddest Christmas for all his fans, indeed. As a solo artist, this 80s pop icon has sold several million records in London and across the world. His chart-topping hits include “Faith” and “Careless Whisper.” Reports have it that he could have suffered a heart attack in his sleep. He was 53 years old.

1. Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher was pronounced dead on December 27, 2016 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, four days after she suffered from a massive heart attack during a transatlantic flight. She was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the very successful movie franchise, “Star Wars.” She was also a producer, screenwriter, author, and speaker. She was 60 years old.

These stars were the leaders of a pop culture in their own right. They had once brought laughter and tears to their followers, fans, and the general public. These celebrities will be remembered now and for many years to come.