Tribute to Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016

On Jan. 10, musician and cultural icon David Bowie died at 69 years of age in his New York apartment. Born to a waitress and a charity officer in South London, Bowie’s eccentricism emerged early in his love for dance, fighting and early rock-and-roll. This appreciation for the performance and stagecraft of pop led to his development as a master chameleon of idiosyncrasies and a man of many names: Ziggy ...

The late and great Alan Rickman, also commonly known as Professor Severus Snape, left us much too soon, shortly following Bowie on Jan. 14. The legend passed at age 69 from terminal pancreatic cancer, which he had kept private from the public. In his early life, Rickman studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and later served as a member in the Royal Shakespeare Company. Rickman also studied g...

Phife Dawg was the founder of the world famous jazz rap crew “A Tribe Called Quest." Phife was their brave leader, and an artist that the whole rap world looked up to. We looked at him endearingly and called him many loving nicknames: The Phifer, Phife Diggy, The Trini Gladiator, The Donald, The Five-Foot Assassin, and much more. When he first put out music with Quest, it was like nothing the world h...

Another notable figure lost in 2016 was Cassius Clay -- a man more widely recognized as Muhammad Ali. Born, raised, and buried in Louisville, Kentucky, Clay was an American boxer and activist. He changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam, claiming that Cassius Clay was his “slave name.” As a descendent of slaves, Ali grew up surrounded by racial segregation, which motivated hi...

Florence Henderson was an American actress and singer with a promising career. She is best known for her role as the matriarch Carol Brady it the widely popular 70’s sitcom “The Brady Bunch.” Leaving the world at an old age of 82, Henderson died of congestive heart failure on Nov. 24. Henderson started her career on the stage performing in musicals, such as the touring production of Oklaho...

In 1959, Fidel Castro led the overthrow of military dictator Fulgencio Batista and established Cuba as the first communist country in the Western hemisphere. He ruled until 2008, when he handed his power over to his younger brother. He died on Nov. 25. Castro caused panic when he came to power during the Cold War. His close relationship with the Soviet Union and communist views struck fear into the hear...

On Dec. 8, America lost one of its greatest pioneers: John Glenn. The engineer, astronaut, and aviator not only made history as a trailblazer, but would also hold a successful political career as a U.S. Senator. As the first astronaut to ever orbit the Earth in 1962, Glenn was seen as an inspiration for risk taking and the development of space travel. President Obama commented on John’s accomplis...

Alan Willis Thicke was born March 1, 1947 and died Dec 13. in Burbank, California. He was a Canadian actor, singer, songwriter, and game/talk show host. He is most famously known for his role as Jason Seaver in a television series called Growing Pains. He is the father of actor Brennan Thicke, and of singer Robin Thicke. In 2013, he was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame. He died of of type-A a...

Singer/songwriter George Michael passed on Dec. 25. He was well known in the '80s and ‘90s for his hit singles “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Carless Whisper” and “Last Christmas” (all released in 1984). At first, Michael was in a duo called Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley. “Careless Whisper” was Michael’s first attempt at a single. Throughout his career, Michael sold more than 100 mill...

Near the end of 2016, Carrie Fisher passed on. She died on Dec. 27, eerily close to the release date of Rogue One: a Star Wars Story (Dec. 16). Although Fisher herself did not appear in Rogue One, she starred as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy (1977 - 1983), as well as in the most recent addition to the saga, The Force Awakens (2015). Although Princess Leia was Fisher’s most notabl...

Arnold Palmer was one of the greatest golfers and athletes of all time, leaving us on Sep. 25. Very few have ever rivaled his brand. 2016 took him from us, and golf will never be the same. Many athletes paid tribute to, "The King," and recognized his extremely distinguished resume. A 2-time PGA Player of the Year, a 4-time Masters Tournament Winner, Won a US Open, a 2-time winner of the The Open C...