Dick Clark
Iconic TV host and producer, who left an indelible mark on the entertainment world by way of American Bandstand and his annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (just to name a few), died of a massive heart attack. America's oldest teenager was 82.
Mike Wallace
Legendary newsman, best known for his years as a hard-hitting reporter on CBS' 60 Minutes, passed away at the age of 93. During his illustrious career, Wallace earned more than 20 Emmys.
Mike Hossack
Longtime drummer of classic rock band The Doobie Brothers died of cancer at the age of 65 at his home in Dubois, Wyoming. Hossack was part of a pair of rhythm men keeping time for the Doobies during their heyday in the early '70s when they scored such hits as "China Grove" and, after 13 years break, rejoined the lineup in 1987.
Jimmy Ellis
Vocalist for famed Philadelphia disco band the Trammps, best known for their hit "Disco Inferno," which earned them a Grammy after its inclusion on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, died of complications from Alzheimers. He was 74.
Ronnie Montrose
The guitarist and bandleader (pictured on the left), who famously fronted an eponymous group in the 1970s that featured future Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar on vocals, died of cancer at 64. He also appeared on Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey and St. Dominic's Preview albums and did session work with Boz Scaggs and Herbie Hancock, among others.
Ralph McQuarrie
The celebrated conceptual designer behind Star Wars died at 82 in his Berkeley, Calif., home. He also worked on the visuals for E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and in 1986 he won an Academy Award for visual effects for Cocoon.
Davy Jones
The singer, who became the breakout heartthrob of The Monkees, died after suffering a heart attack. He was 66. While the band's '60s TV series was short-lived, their songs, like "Daydream Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville," can still be heard on the radio today.
Whitney Houston
The 48-year-old singer and multi Grammy-winning artist ironically died on the eve of the musical award show that had meant so much to her over the years. Her unexpected death Feb. 11, 2012, caused an avalanche of tributes in the press and social media from friends, family, coworkers and fans.
Ben Gazzara
The prolific stage and screen actor, whose credits ranged from playing Brick in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to costarring with Patrick Swayze in 1989's Road House, died of pancreatic cancer at 81. He also collaborated often with director John Cassavetes and won an Emmy in 2003 for the HBO movie Hysterical Blindness.
Leslie Carter
The sister of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and one-time star of E!'s reality show House of Carters tragically passed away at her father's upstate New York home. According to a police report obtained by E! News, the 25-year-old aspiring singer died as a result of an overdose, with three prescription drugs found near her body
Don Cornelius
At 75, the Soul Train creator and host shockingly committed suicide at his home in Sherman Oaks, Calif., after police found him with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. Cornelius helped further the careers of such legendary performers as Barry White, Smokey Robinson, James Brown and Aretha Franklin when they appeared on the weekly show.
Ian Abercrombie
British stage and screen actor best known for playing Elaine Benes' eccentric boss, Mr. Pitt, on Seinfeld, died Jan. 26 from complications of kidney failure after being diagnosed with lymphoma. He was 77.
Robert Hegyes
The actor, best known for playing Juan Epstein—one of Gabe Kaplan's "star" pupils—in Welcome Back, Kotter, died after an apparent heart attack at the age of 60. Hegyes, who was divorced at the time of his death, was married three times. His survivors include two children, two step-children and three siblings.
Nicol Williamson
The Scottish actor and musician, described by playwright John Osborne as the greatest actor since Marlon Brando, died in Holland shortly before Christmas 2011 of oesophageal cancer. Best known for playing Merlin in Excalibur, he was 73.
James Farentino
The prolific actor, who's perhaps best known for costarring with Kirk Douglas in the 1980 sci-fi flick The Final Countdown as well as playing George Clooney's estranged dad on ER, died Jan. 24 in Los Angeles of heart failure. He was 73.
Etta James
Two weeks after the "At Last" singer's doctor announced she was terminally ill, the 73-year-old jazz and R&B legend passed away in a Riverside, Calif., hospital due to complications from leukemia. She is survived by her husband, Artis Mills, and sons Donto and Sametto, both musicians.
Johnny Otis
The rhythym-and-blues pioneer, who produced the original version of "Hound Dog" for Big Mama Thornton and had a huge solo hit with "Willie and the Hand Jive," died Jan. 17 at his L.A. home after being in poor health for several years. He was 90.