We had to say goodbye to many people in 2024 from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics and beyond.
Among the untimely deaths in 2024 was actor Carl Weathers. The actor best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise died on February 1 at the age of 76.
Toby Keith was another major death in 2024. The country star died on February 1 at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer. Countless artists from the country world shared tributes to Keith. Among them was Reba McEntire, who shared, “Toby and I are both from Oklahoma and very proud of our Oklahoma heritage. Toby worked very hard to make a mark in the country music business and did a great job doing that. I am very proud of him, and I hope he rests in peace. I was very honored to get to work with Toby and be a part of the era of country music he was in. We’ll sure miss him.”
Another heartbreaking loss this year was Maggie Smith. The acclaimed British actress died at age 89. Her incredible career earned her numerous awards, including two Academy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Shannen Doherty was another big loss in 2024. Doherty died at age 53 following a public battle with cancer. She, of course, starred in Beverly Hills, 90210, which is still considered one of the most iconic teen television shows of all time.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the musicians, celebrities and other cultural figures we’ve lost in 2024.
Quincy Jones
ShareLegendary producer/composer Quincy Jones died on November 3 at age 91. Considered by many to be a musical genius, Jones' career is filled with credits ranging from film score work to producing some of the most iconic music of all time, including Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.
Maggie Smith
ShareMaggie Smith died on September 27 at age 89. The acclaimed British actress best known for her performances in 'Downton Abbey' and the 'Harry Potter' franchise.
Donald Sutherland
ShareLegendary actor Donald Sutherland died on June 20 at age 88. His decades-long career was filled with numerous acclaimed credits including 'The Dirty Dozen,' 'M*A*S*H,' 'Klute,' 'Animal House,' 'Ordinary People,' 'Six Degrees of Separation,' and 'The Hunger Games' franchise.
Carl Weathers
ShareWeathers died on February 1. He was 76. Weathers was best known for playing Apollo Creed in the 'Rocky' franchise. Other notable credits included 'Predator,' 'Happy Gilmore,' 'Arrested Development' and 'The Mandalorian.'
Kris Kristofferson
ShareKris Kristofferson died on September 28 at age 88. His legendary music career influenced generations of country music artists and other singer-songwriters. He also had a very successful acting career including 'A Star is Born' and the 'Blade' trilogy.
John Amos
ShareJohn Amos died on August 21 at age 84. He was best known for his roles on 'Good Times,' 'Roots,' and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show.'
Liam Payne
ShareLiam Payne died on October 16 at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne was best known for being a member of popular boy band One Direction.
Glynis Johns
ShareJohns passed away on January 4. She was 100. The British actress's career spanned over 60 years. Johns won a Tony Award in 1973 for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in 'A Little Night Music.' She famously played Winifred Banks in the classic 1964 film 'Mary Poppins.'
Shannen Doherty
ShareShannen Doherty died on July 13 at age 53 following a long battle with cancer. She was best known for her performance in 1988's 'Heathers,' 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Charmed.'
James Earl Jones
ShareJames Earl Jones died on September 9 at age 93. Jones's remarkable career on stage, screen and television spanned eight decades. He received numerous honors, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, the National Medal of the Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and various lifetime achievement awards.
Pete Rose
ShareIconic baseball player and manager Pete Rose died on September 30 at age 83. While he still holds a number of Major League Baseball records, Rose was famously banned from being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame due to him betting on baseball games while he was a manager for the Cincinnati Reds.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
ShareDr. Ruth Westheimer died on July 12 at age 96. Westheimer was a renowned sex counselor/radio/talk show host.
Richard Lewis
ShareLewis died on February 27 at age 76 from a heart attack. He was an iconic stand-up and comedic actor best known for his role on HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.'
Phil Donahue
ShareGroundbreaking talk show host Phil Donahue died on August 18 at age 88. Donahue was best known for his nationally syndicated talk show, aptly named The Phil Donahue Show, which was later renamed to Donahue. The talk shows ran from November 1967 to September 1996.
Richard Simmons
ShareRichard Simmons died on July 13 at age 76. Simmons was a fitness icon known for his flamboyant energy, outfits, and incredible compassion.
Toby Keith
ShareKeith died on February 5 following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62. Keith's career spanned three decades and yielded many hits. Among them were "How Do You Like Me Now?!," "I Love This Bar," "Red Solo Cup" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."
Shelley Duvall
ShareShelley Duvall died on July 11 at age 75. In addition to her performance in 'The Shining,' Duvall notably worked with director Robert Altman in seven different films: 1970's 'Brewster McCloud'; 1971's 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller'; 1974's 'Thieves Like Us'; 1975's 'Nashville'; 1976's 'Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'; 1977's '3 Women'; and 1980's 'Popeye'.
Louis Gossett Jr.
ShareGossett Jr. died on March 29 at age 87 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The accomplished actor had countless credits. Gossett Jr. won an Emmy Award for his performance in the iconic TV miniseries 'Roots.' He also became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in 1982's 'An Officer and a Gentleman.'
Terri Garr
ShareTerri Garr died on October 29 at age 79 after battling multiple sclerosis for over 20 years. The Oscar-nominated actress best known for roles in 'Tootsie', 'Young Frankenstein', and 'Friends'.
O.J. Simpson
ShareSimpson died on April 10 at age 76 following a battle with cancer. Despite his legendary football career, Simpson's legacy will be as the defendant in one of the most high-profile murder cases of all time.
Phil Lesh
SharePhil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, died on October 25 at age 84. A cause of death was not confirmed. However, Lesh was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006. Shortly after announcing his diagnosis, Lesh had successful prostate surgery. In 2015, Lesh underwent surgery for bladder cancer, which was also successful.
Dickey Betts
ShareBetts was the co-founder, guitarist, singer and songwriter for the Allman Brothers Band. He died on April 18 at ago 80 from cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Susan Buckner
ShareSusan Buckner was best known for playing Patty Simcox in the classic 1978 movie musical 'Grease.' She died on May 2 at age 72. A cause of death wasn't disclosed.
Morgan Spurlock
ShareDocumentarian Morgan Spurlock died on May 23 at age 53 from cancer. He's best known for his 2004 documentary 'Super Size Me.'
David Soul
ShareSoul died on January 4. He was 80. He's best known for playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the TV series 'Starsky & Hutch.' Soul also had a music career and had a number one hit song in 1977 with "Don't Give Up on Us."
Jesse Jane
ShareJane died on January 24 of a suspected drug overdose. She was 43. Born Cynthia Ann Howell, Jane was a popular adult film star. She retired from the industry in 2017 and briefly returned in 2019.
Aston Barrett
ShareBarrett died on February 3 from heart failure. He was 77. Barrett was the bass player and musical director for the Wailers. He famously had the nickname "Family Man" due to fathering 41 children.
Wayne Kramer
ShareKramer died on February 2. He was 75. His cause of death was pancreatic cancer. The influential guitarist was a co-founder of the MC5 along with Fred "Sonic" Smith.
Leon Wildes
ShareWildes died on January 8. He was 90. Wildes was best known for representing John Lennon and Yoko Ono when they were facing potential deportation. He proved Lennon and Ono were being targeted by the Nixon administration due to their political leanings.
Joyce Randolph
ShareRandolph died on January 13. She was 99. The actress was best known for playing Trixie Norton on classic 1950s sitcom 'The Honeymooners.' Randolph was the last surviving main cast member from the series.
Mary Weiss
ShareWeiss (middle) died on January 19. She was 75. Weiss was the lead singer of the '60s girl group The Shangri-Las. The group topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964 with "Leader of the Pack."
Shifty Shellshock
ShareCrazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock died on June 24 at age 49 from an accidental overdose. Crazy Town was best known for their hit 2000 single "Butterfly."
Norman Jewison
ShareJewison died on January 20. He was 97. The acclaimed director helmed a number of beloved films, including 'In the Heat of the Night,' 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'Moonstruck.' Jewison was nominated for Best Director by the Academy Award for each of those aforementioned films.
Dexter Scott King
ShareKing died on January 22. He was 62. His cause of death was due to prostate cancer. King was one of four children of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. He was the longtime chairman of the King Center.
Paul Di’Anno
SharePaul Di'Anno was the original singer of Iron Maiden. He died on October 21 at age 66 following years of failing health.
Melanie
ShareMelanie died on January 23. She was 76. The singer-songwriter famously performed at Woodstock in 1969. She is best known for the songs "Brand New Key" and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," which was inspired by her experience at Woodstock.
Melinda Wilson
ShareWilson died on January 30. She was 77. Wilson was the wife/manager of music legend Brian Wilson. They were married in 1995. Brian Wilson said in a statement following her death, "Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor."
Mike Pinder (R)
SharePinder was a co-founder and keyboardist for the Moody Blues. He died on April 24 at age 82 from complications from dementia. Pinder was the last surviving member of the original Moody Blues lineup.
JD Souther
ShareJD Souther died on September 17 at age 78. He co-wrote songs for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. Souther has co-writing credits on Eagles classics like "Heartache Tonight," "Best of My Love," "New Kid in Town" and "Victim of Love." (Despite being asked to join the Eagles, Souther famously refused.) Souther made a number of contributions to Ronstadt's career, from co-producing her fourth album, 1973's Don't Cry Now, to writing songs for her, including "Faithless Love," "Prisoner in Disguise" and "White Rhythm and Blues." Souther and Ronstadt also many duets together, including the 'Urban Cowboy' soundtrack song "Hearts Against the Wind."
Tito Jackson
ShareTito Jackson died on September 15 at age 70. In the legendary Jackson family, Tito was the third child born to Joe and Katherin Jackson. He was famously a member of The Jackson 5 alongside his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The group signed with Motown Records in 1968. Over the course of five years, The Jackson 5 scored 17 top-40 hits, including four No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There."
Steve Albini
ShareAlbini died on May 7 from a heart attack. He was best known for his engineering work with a number of major rock artists including Nirvana ('In Utero'), Jimmy Page & Robert Plant ('Walking into Clarksdale'), and Pixies ('Surfer Rosa').
