2020 has seen the tragic passing of some of the biggest stars in the world of entertainment.
But there has also been a long list of wildly talented, yet less recognizable famous faces
who have joined them. These are the celebs that you may not know died in 2020.
On January 18th, 2020, folk singer David Olney died during a performance. Olney grew silent
and slumped on his stool at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida. The audience, as well
as his accompanying musicians, reportedly believed at first that Olney was simply pausing,
until his fellow performers realized what had happened. Musician Amy Rigby, who was
performing alongside Olney at the time, wrote on Facebook:
"Olney was in the middle of his third song when he stopped, apologized, and shut his
eyes...I just want the picture to be as graceful and dignified as it was, because it at first
looked like he was just taking a moment."
Rigby added that there were attempts to revive Olney, but they sadly failed.
Over the span of his career, Olney recorded 20 albums, and had a number of other music
legends cover his songs, including Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and his own former roommate
Steve Earle. He first gained popularity as a member of The X-Rays, opening for iconic
artists like Elvis Costello, before going solo. Olney was 71 years old when he died.
On February 5th, 2020, actor Kevin Conway died at the age of 77, after suffering a heart
attack. The New York City native's first breakthrough role was as Roland Weary in Slaughterhouse
Five in 1972, but he went on to score dozens of film and television credits throughout
his career.
Conway had an illustrious stage career as well, winning a Drama Desk Award for an off-Broadway
performance in When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? in 1974. He appeared in Indians with Stacy
Keach and Raul Julia on Broadway in 1970, starred opposite James Earl Jones in Of Mice
and Men on Broadway in 1975 and featured alongside Philip Anglim in The Elephant Man in 1979.
Conway's most famous role, however, was in the 1993 film Gettysburg.
"What matters, colonel, is justice."
His final credit, strangely enough, was as the voice of Daniel Webster in an upcoming
documentary titled The Gettysburg Address.
Comedian and actor Orson Bean died on February 7th, 2020 after a tragic traffic incident
in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 91 years old. TMZ reported that Bean
was allegedly jaywalking when he was clipped by one vehicle and then struck by another.
The incident is reportedly currently under investigation, but the outlet reports that
it's unlikely the drivers will be charged, as no actual illegal activity occurred.
Bean had more than 100 film and screen credits to his name, as well as more than 200 appearances
on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson and Jack Parr years. Bean lived a colorful
life off-screen, too. His father had been a founding member of the American Civil Liberties
Union, and during Hollywood's blacklist era, Bean was forced out of the industry for a
year because he began dating a communist. He turned to theater during this time to make
ends meet, but eventually resumed his career in the 1970s after moving to Australia.
Bean was married to actress Alley Mills, best known for playing mom Norma Arnold on The
Wonder Years. They had been together for 27 years until his tragic passing.
Lynn Cohen, famous for her role of Miranda Hobbes' housekeeper Magda in Sex and the City,
died on February 14th, 2020. She was 86 years old.
Cohen was a Kansas City native who eventually became a Broadway regular. In addition to
being nominated for the Drama League and Lucille Lortel Awards, the actress also won several
awards during her stage career, including the New Dramatists' Bowden Award, Fox Fellow
Award, Lilly Award, and the Richard Seff Award from Actor's Equity Association.
Known for her spritely sense of humor, Cohen joked in a 2014 CBS News interview about working
with "It girl" Jennifer Lawrence and hunks Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth on Catching
Fire.
"Those three beautiful people, it was so hard. I could hardly stand it. I was on his back
for four months, it was just terrible."
Lynn is survived by her husband, Ronald Cohen.
M*A*S*H star Kellye Nakahara died on February 16th, 2020 at the age of 72. Her son told
the outlet that the actress had suffered a short battle with cancer and passed away while
surrounded by her loved ones at her home in California.
Nakahara was an Oahu, Hawaii native, who started as an extra on M*A*S*H, but had a memorable
turn in a 1982 episode when her character, Lt. Nurse Kellye Yamato, revealed her crush
on Hawkeye. In the end, the actress appeared in 185 episodes of the series, including the
record-shattering series finale.
Nakahara's M*A*S*H co-star Loretta Swit told Fox News in a statement:
"She radiated sparkle and goodness and joy. The light that her presence brought will be
deeply and forever missed."
Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye on the show, also expressed his condolences, telling the
outlet:
"Nakahara was a beautiful person and a natural as an actor. She was adorable and brilliant
in the part. But you couldn't beat what she was as a person, funnier and warmer and kinder
than most people I've known. We all loved her on M*A*S*H, and we're all heartbroken
to know she's gone."
Most famous for her role as Willona on Good Times, legendary TV star Ja'Net DuBois died
on February 17th, 2020. The New York Times reports that DuBois' family listed her age
as 74, but that she may have actually been older. DuBois also performed and co-wrote
"Movin' On Up," the theme song to The Jeffersons. DuBois' daughter, Kesha Gupta-Fields, said:
"She wrote that song as a promise to her mother, that when she obtained a certain level of
stardom, that her dream was to essentially have her mom live in a deluxe apartment."
DuBois grew up in Philadelphia, before moving to Brooklyn. She had an illustrious Broadway
career, and ran a young actors' workshop before moving to Los Angeles. After Good Times, DuBois
kept acting, most notably turning to an Emmy-nominated performance as Mrs. Avery on The PJs.
Many of DuBois' contemporaries took to social media to mourn the loss of their friend and
colleague. Janet Jackson, who co-starred on Good Times, wrote on Instagram that she was
"so very saddened" over DuBois' death. Jackson added:
"I saw first hand how she broke stereotypes and changed the landscape for Black women
in entertainment. I'm grateful in recent years I had a chance to see her and create more
lasting memories."
Norman Lear, creator of Good Times, tweeted:
"Ja'Net DuBois was all light and will be missed. I love that she wrote the theme song for her
passing, 'Movin' on Up.'"
Former NASCAR racer Candace Muzny was found dead in her Oklahoma City home on February
17th, 2020. She was just 43 years old. ABC 13 reported that police initially declared
Muzny's death as suspicious, though a later report claimed that her cause of death was
"an accidental drowning."
Muzny competed in NASCAR's Late Model Divisions and K&N Pro Series, among other top-level
competitions. She had also been released from prison just a month before her death. In January
2020, Muzny was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault
and battery on a police officer after getting into an altercation at a nail salon.
Muzny was accused of slapping a manicurist for speaking Vietnamese to a colleague, as
well as punching another salon worker in the face and threatening him with a pocket knife
when he called police. When a responding officer tried to arrest Muzny, her dog allegedly attacked
him and Muzny allegedly hit him with her pocket knife, cutting him near his ear. In an interview
with Heavy, Muzny denied striking the officer but snapped:
"[The manicurist] needs to get back to Vietnam. If she wants to live in America and serve
Americans, she needs to speak the language they speak."
Muzny also said in the interview:
"I'd give my last five dollars for anybody. I'm a very good person. I think all people
have good and bad in them."
Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner died on March 6th 2020, at 81 years old, his family
announced in a statement via Twitter. They wrote:
"McCoy was an inspired musician who devoted his life to his art, his family, and his spirituality.
McCoy Tyner's music and legacy will continue to inspire fans and future talent for generations
to come."
A Philadelphia native, Tyner first began playing piano when he was 13, performed in an R&B
band when he was in high school, and, by age 21, began performing with John Coltrane's
quartet.
"He was an inspiration to me, you know very serious, very creative, and I think that the
quartet really made its mark on the world."
In 1961, Coltrane spoke about Tyner to The New York Times, saying:
"He's sort of the one who gives me wings and lets me take off from the ground from time
to time."
Following a number of creative differences, Tyner parted ways with Coltrane's band on
good terms, and released his own works from the 1970s through 1990s, including some tributes
to Coltrane himself.
Of his work with Coltrane, Tyner said in a 2001 interview:
"The thing is, sometimes when you are in the middle of something, you don't realize the
sort of impact it is having on the world. I knew that our band was very very special,
and I knew it from the response we were getting from the public. But when I look back in retrospect,
after I heard it, I remember saying to myself, 'That is really amazing!'"
Prolific playwright Terrence McNally died on March 24th, 2020, from coronavirus complications.
He was 81 years old. McNally reportedly also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary
heart disease for years before his passing. The Broadway icon wrote some of the world's
best-loved and long-running productions.
McNally was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and grew up in Corpus Christi, before moving
to the Big Apple. He studied journalism at Columbia University before he began writing
plays, and went on to win four Tony Awards throughout his dazzling career, beginning
with And Things That Go Bump In The Night in 1965, Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1995,
and Master Class in 1996. He won a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1982, the same year
that Broadway hosted a revival of his play Frankie And Johnny At The Clair De Lune.
The stage icon is survived by his husband, Tom Kirdahy.
Andrew Jack, a dialect coach and an actor in the Star Wars franchise, passed away from
complications from coronavirus on March 31st, 2020, at 76 years old.
Jack appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and served as
a dialect coach for the British star John Boyega in the films. Jack also provided his
linguistic talents to a long list of blockbuster films, including Avengers: Endgame, Lord Of
The Rings, and the upcoming The Batman movie, which was still in production when Jack died.
Jack was reportedly a master of not only Western dialects, but also of Japanese and Chinese
dialects as well.
Jack's agent, Jill McCullough, told Deadline:
"He loved his work and was funny, charming, and a joy to be around...Dialect coaching
isn't just about being good at accents, you need to make your actors feel safe and confident,
and Andrew's actors absolutely adored him."
Meanwhile, Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO in Star Wars, tweeted:
"He was a joy to be with on the new trilogy. As dialect coach, he helped the cast get it
right through his talent and humour. As an actor, his distinguished features made him
stand out in any scene."
Legendary jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis died at age 85 on April 1st 2020, from complications
from coronavirus. Marsalis was a musical patriarch, father to a number of jazz icons, including
Wynton Marsalis, a renowned trumpeter and Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner. In 2011,
Ellis and his sons were each named Jazz Masters by the National Endowment for the Arts, the
first time the title was awarded to a group and not an individual.
In addition to cultivating his sons' talents, Ellis was also a prolific music teacher, instructing
greats such as Harry Connick Jr. and Terrence Blanchard. After his passing, New Orleans
Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted:
"Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans
jazz."
Meanwhile, son Branford Marsalis told The New York Times:
"My dad was a giant of a musician and teacher, but an even greater father. He poured everything
he had into making us the best of what we could be."
He later told WBUR he was still having a hard time processing his father's passing, but
reflected on what Ellis taught him:
"In your life, all you can do at any given time is the best that you can do at that time,
and it is not a reflection on how you will be later. And that was the best lesson that
he could have ever given us for music and for our lives."
John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli died on April 1st, 2020, shortly after testing positive
for COVID-19. He was 94 years old.
Pizzarelli was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and first played music professionally when
he was just 17 years old, as a member of Vaughn Monroe's band. Throughout his career as a
backing guitarist, Pizzarelli featured on Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind," Ben E.
King's "Stand By Me" and Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini."
He served as an NBC staff musician in the early 1950s, playing for The Tonight Show
until Johnny Carson moved the show to California. Pizzarelli later performed live with a number
of legends, including Miles Davis, Paul McCartney, and Frank Sinatra. By the 1980s, Bucky had
begun collaborating with his son, John, and those efforts would be his most famous.
"When it clicks, the sparks start flying around. And that's what we like."
Both Bucky and his son were known for playing seven-string guitars instead of the usual
six. In 1997, Bucky said of performing live with John:
"He got his baptism of fire…with me giving him dirty looks when he played a wrong chord."
Bill Withers, legendary singer of classics such as "Lean On Me," "Just The Two Of Us,"
"Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day," died on April 3rd 2020, at 81 years old.
Withers' studio career was surprisingly short for the length and depth of his legacy, with
his last album having been recorded in 1985. His first album, Just As I Am, dropped in
1971, spawning the Grammy-winning hit "Ain't No Sunshine" — which was initially a B-side.
In 1972, he released a handful more hits, including "Lean On Me," "Who Is He (And What
Is He To You)," and "Use Me."
Withers' career petered out in the late 1970s after his label, Sussex Records, was folded
into Columbia Records, although he won another Grammy for "Just The Two Of Us" in 1981, a
duet with Grover Washington Jr.
Withers' family told the Associated Press:
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. A solitary man
with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke
honestly to people and connected them to each other...In this difficult time, we pray his
music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones."
Shirley Douglas, Canadian actress and mother of actor Kiefer Sutherland, died on April
5th, 2020. Douglas was 86 years old, and passed away from complications from pneumonia, Sutherland
announced on Twitter, noting that her illness was not related to COVID-19.
Among many other films, Douglas starred in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita, and made a number
of television appearances including in Wind At My Back. Her stage work included a 1997
run alongside Sutherland in The Glass Menagerie. Douglas was also an avid activist, protesting
the Vietnam War, and supporting both the civil rights movement and Friends of Black Panthers.
Sutherland tweeted:
"My mother was an extraordinary woman who led an extraordinary life. Sadly she had been
battling for her health for quite some time and we, as a family, knew this day was coming.
To any families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly to the coronavirus, my heart breaks for you.
Please stay safe."
Honor Blackman, one of the most famous Bond girls ever, died from natural causes on April
6th, 2020. She was 94 years old.
Blackman was most famous for starring in Goldfinger, but also known for playing Cathy Gale in the
1960s spy TV series The Avengers and Hera in Jason and the Argonauts. Her stage work
included roles in productions of My Fair Lady, Cabaret, and The Sound Of Music. In a statement,
her family said:
"With an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess, along with her
unique voice and a dedicated work ethic, she achieved an unparalleled iconic status in
the world of film and entertainment."
NFL Hall of Fame star Willie Davis died on April 15th 2020, at 85 years old. He passed
away peacefully after being hospitalized for kidney failure for a month in Santa Monica.
Davis was first drafted to the NFL in 1956, but didn't actually start playing until two
years later, because he was serving in the Army. He played for the Cleveland Browns in
1958 before trading to the Packers in 1960. He became the first African American Packers
defense co-captain in 1965 and the first solo defensive captain in 1966. He led the Packers
to victory in the first two Super Bowls and was both a five-time Pro Bowler and Associated
Press All-Pro. Davis was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975, before entering
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
In a statement, Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy highlighted Davis' work beyond
the field, saying:
"He also was a great role model for our players, having gone on to a very successful career
after football and serving on the Packers Board of Directors. We extend our deepest
condolences to Willie's wife, Carol, and his family and friends."
Sadly, these aren't the only celebs who have left us in 2020 so far. Here are some of the
other stars who enhanced our lives before leaving us all too soon.
Norma Michaels
Edd Byrnes
John Karlen
Esther Scott
Marj Dusay
Robert Conrad
Paula Kelly
Claudette Nevins
Bobbie Battista
Roscoe Born
Stuart Whitman
Lyle Waggoner
David Schramm
Genesis P-Orridge
Lee Fierro
Patricia Bosworth
James Drury
Dieter Laser
Julie Bennett
Danny Goldman
Hilary Heath
Allen Garfield
Tom Lester
Howard Finkel
Harold Reid
Brian Howe
Geno Silva
Frank Bielec
Phyllis George
Ken Osmond
Richard Herd
Mary Pat Gleason