Notable deaths in the entertainment world in 2021

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January

Jan. 4: actress Tanya Roberts, “Charlie’s Angels,” “That ’70s Show,” age 65; actor Gregory Sierra, “Barney Miller,” age 83

Jan. 7: filmmaker Michael Apted, “Up,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” age 79; rapper Deezer D, 55;

Jan. 8: soap opera actress Diana Millay, 85

Jan. 9: soap opera actor John Reilly, 86

Jan. 11: jazz musician Howard Johnson, 79

Jan. 16: music producer and convicted killer Phil Spector, 81

Jan. 18: singer Jimmie Rogers, “Honeycomb,” “Kisses Sweeter than Wine,” 87

Jan. 21: character actor Anthony Dawes, 92

Jan. 23: actor Hal Holbrook, 95; talk show host Larry King, 87

Jan. 27: actress Cloris Leachman, 94

Jan. 28: actress Cicely Tyson, 96

Jan. 30: rapper Double K, 43

February

Feb. 1: actor Dustin Diamond, played Screech on “Saved by the Bell,” age 44

Feb. 3: Jim Weatherly, wrote “Midnight Train to Georgia,” age 77

        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        

 

Feb. 5: actor Christopher Plummer, age 91

Feb. 8: singer Mary Wilson, original member of Supremes, 76

Feb. 9: jazz musician Chick Corea, 79

Feb. 10: Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, 78

Feb. 14: singer-songwriter Ari Gold, 47

Feb. 16: fashion designer Jessica McClintock, 90

Feb. 18: rapper Prince Markie Dee, 52

Feb. 27: actress Erica Watson, 48

March

March 2: reggae singer Bunny Wailer, 73

March 9: opera director James Levine, 77

March 14: actor Henry Darrow, 87

March 15: actor Yaphet Kotto, 81

March 18: actor Richard Gilliland, 71

March 23: actor George Segal, 87

March 24: actress Jessica Walter, 80

March 25: actor muMs da Schemer, 52; author Larry McMurtry, 84

March 26: author Beverly Cleary, 104

        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        

 

April

April 1: actor Biff McGuire, 94

April 2: R&B singer Quindon Tarver, 38

April 3: actress Gloria Henry, 98

April 5: actor Paul Ritter, 54

April 7: actor James Hampton, 84; former “Saturday Night Live” writer Anne Beatts, 74

April 9: rapper DMX, 50

April 16: actress Helen McCrory, 52

April 17: rapper Black Rob, 52

April 19: songwriter Jim Steinman, 73

April 20: Les McKeown, former lead singer of Bay City Rollers, 65

April 22: rapper Shock G, 57

April 24: opera singer Christa Ludwig, 93

April 28: spy novelist Jason Matthews, 69

April 29: actress Billie Hayes, 96

May

May 1: Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis, 89

May 2: dancer Jacques d’Amboise, 86

May 3: Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame singer Lloyd Price, 88

May 6: Pervis Staples, member of the Staple Singers, 85

May 7: model/actress Tawny Kitaen, 59

May 11: actor Norman Lloyd, 106

May 18: actor Charles Grodin, 86

May 19: comedian Paul Mooney, 79; folk singer and activist Alix Dobkin, 80; “The Office” actor Mark York, 55

May 23: children’s book writer/illustrator Eric Carle, 91

May 25: children’s book writer/illustrator Lois Ehlert, 86

May 27: prima ballerina Carla Fracci, 84

May 29: actor Gavin MacLeod, 90; singer B.J. Thomas, 78

June

June 4: actor Clarence Williams III, 81

June 13: actor Ned Beatty, 83

June 15: actress Lisa Barnes, 65

June 16: actor Frank Bonner, 79

June 26: “Cops” creator John Langley, 78

June 29: actor Stuart Damon, 84; hard rock singer John Lawton, 74

July

July 5: film director Richard Donner, 91; actor William Smith, 88

July 6: actress Suzzanne Douglas, 64

July 7: film director Robert Downey Sr., 85; actor Dilip Kumar, 98; actor Chick Vennera, 74

July 9: drummer Andy Williams, 49

July 10: fiddler Byron Berline, 77

July 11: actor Charlie Robinson, 75

July 16: rapper Biz Markie, 57; children’s book author and illustrator Floyd Cooper, 65

July 17: Robert Steinhardt, former member of band Kansas, 71

July 24: comedian Jackie Mason, 93

July 26: Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, 46

July 28: ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, 72; infomercial king Ron Popeil, 86; meringue icon Johnny Ventura, 81; actor Saginaw Grant, 85

July 31: actor Alvin Ing, 89

August

Aug. 3: jazz pianist Robert Ringwald, 80

Aug. 7: actress Markie Post, 70; actress Jane Withers, 95; Dennis Thomas, founding member of Kool & the Gang, 70

Aug. 12: actress Una Stubbs, 88

Aug. 13: folk singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith, 68

Aug. 19: grid portrait artist Chuck Close, 81

Aug. 20: country singer/songwriter Tom T. Hall, 85

Aug. 21: singer/musician Don Everly, one half of the Everly Brothers, 84

Aug. 24: Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, 80

Aug. 29: actor Ed Asner, 91

Aug. 31: actor Michael Constantine, 94

September

Sept. 4: “Today” show weatherman Willard Scott, 78

Sept. 5: singer Sarah Harding, 39

Sept. 6: actor Michael K. Williams, 54; actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, 88; comedian Anthony Johnson, 55

Sept. 13: jazz impresario George Wein, 95

Sept. 14: comedian Norm McDonald, 61

Sept. 16: actress Jane Powell, 92

Sept. 20: singer Sarah Dash, co-founder of Labelle, 76

Sept. 21: actor Willie Garson, 57; filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, 89

October

Oct. 4: “Late Show with David Letterman” announcer Alan Kalter, 98

Oct. 5: “Chopped Jr.” competitor Fuller Goldsmith, 17

Oct. 13: writer Gary Paulsen, 82

Oct. 16: actress Betty Lynn, 95

Oct. 17: Lorli Von Trapp Campbell, second daughter of Maria von Trapp, 90

Oct. 21: cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42; former CSO conductor Bernard Haitink, 92

Oct. 22: actor Peter Scolari, 66

Oct. 24: actor James Michael Tyler, 59

Oct. 26: comedian Mort Sahl, 94

November

Nov. 2: Ronnie Wilson, founding member of the GAP Band, 73

Nov. 4: actor Lionel Blair, 92

Nov. 5: singer Marília Mendonça, 22

Nov. 6: Peter Aykroyd, Emmy-nominated actor/writer and brother of Dan Aykroyd, 66

Nov. 7: actor Dean Stockwell, 85

Nov. 9: actor Jerry Douglas, 88

Nov. 11: drummer and Moody Blues co-founder Graeme Edge, 80

Nov. 17: rapper Young Dolph, 36

Nov. 22: Joanne Shenandoah, Native American singer-songwriter, 63

Nov. 26: Broadway composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, 91

Nov. 27: actor Eddie Mekka, 69

Nov. 28: fashion designer Virgil Abloh, 41

Nov. 29: actress Arlene Dahl, 96; actor David Gulpilil, 68

December

Dec. 4: Grand Ole Opry singer Stonewall Jackson, 89

Dec. 9: Mexican TV actress Carmen Salinas

Dec. 10: The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith, 78; Lina Wertmueller, first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for directing, 93

Dec. 11: best-selling novelist Anne Rice, 80

Dec. 12: Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez, 81

Dec. 14: producer Ken Kragen, who helped organize “We are the World,” 85

Dec. 18: hip-hop artist Kangol Kid, 55

Dec. 19: Il Divo member Carlos Marin, 53; actress Sally Ann Howes, 91