Gone But Not Forgotten: The Entertainment Notables We Lost in 2020
From Kobe Bryant to Andre Harrell to Chadwick Boseman, here are the entertainers from the worlds of sports, music, acting, and more we lost in 2020.
Rocky Johnson
Aug. 24, 1944 - Jan. 15, 2020
Cause of death: Pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot
Claim to fame: WWE Hall of Famer, one-half of the wrestling team Soul Patrol, father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Jimmy Heath
Oct. 26, 1926 - Jan. 19, 2020
Cause of death: Natural causes
Claim to fame: Legendary tenor saxophonist who played with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, received the title of Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2003
Kobe Bryant
Aug. 23, 1978 - Jan. 26, 2020
Cause of death: Helicopter crash with 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others
Claim to fame: Prolific scorer in the NBA, had a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakes, five-time NBA champion, four-time MVP All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP
Esther Scott
April 25, 1957 - Feb. 14, 2020
Cause of death: Heart attack
Claim to fame: Actor who appeared in Boyz N the Hood, Birth of a Nation, Dreamgirls, Martin, and Sister, Sister
Nikita Pearl Waligwa
2005 - Feb. 15, 2020
Cause of death: Brain tumor
Claim to fame: Actor who appeared in Disney’s Queen of Katwe, opposite Madina Lawanga
Ja’Net DuBois
Aug. 5, 1932 - Feb. 17, 2020
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest
Claim to fame: Actor known for her iconic role Willona Woods in Good Times, co-wrote and sang The Jeffersons theme song — “Movin’ On Up,” two-time Emmy Award winner, also appeared in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and several TV sitcoms
Pop Smoke
July 20, 1999 - Feb. 19, 2020
Cause of death: Fatally shot during a home invasion
Claim to fame: His songs “Dior,” “Welcome to the Party,” and “Christopher Walking” redefined new-era Brooklyn Rap
B. Smith
Aug. 24, 1949 - Feb. 22, 2020
Cause of death: Alzheimer’s
Claim to fame: Wilhemina model who became the first Black model and second Black woman to cover Mademoiselle, restaurateur, household name
Katherine Johnson
Aug. 26 1918 - Feb. 24, 2020
Cause of death: Natural causes
Claim to fame: Known as the “human computer” whose complex calculations were integral to NASA landing men on the moon, completed high school at age 14, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama
Barbara Neely
Nov. 30, 1941 - March 2, 2020
Cause of death: Heart ailment
Claim to fame: Crime writer and author of the Black female detective series based on character Blanche White, named the 2020 Grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America
McCoy Tyner
Dec. 11, 1938 - March 6, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: American Jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader known for his melodic harmonies and playing on My Favorite Things, Coltrane Jazz and Coltrane Plays the Blues, last surviving member of the John Coltrane Quartet
Roger “Black Mamba” Mayweather
April 24, 1961 - March 17, 2020
Cause of death: Diabetes
Claim to fame: Held the title of world champion boxer in two weight classes, best known as trainer to nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Manu Dibango
Dec. 12, 1933 - March 24, 2020
Cause of death: Complications from COVID-19
Claim to fame: French-Cameroonian saxophonist who played with Herbie Hancock and whose 1972 song “Soul Makossa” has been sampled by Michael Jackson, Akon, and Rihanna
Fred “Curly” Neal
May 19, 1942 - March 26, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: Played more than 6,000 games in 97 countries with the Harlem Globetrotters from 1963 to 1985
Bob Andy
Oct. 28, 1944 - March 27, 2020
Cause of death: Cancer
Claim to fame: Created socially-conscious Reggae, topped the U.K. charts with “Young, Gifted and Black” with Marcia Griffiths, worked at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong
Bill Withers
July 4, 1938 - March 30, 2020
Cause of death: Cardiopulmonary arrest
Claim to fame: Sang inspiring classics “Lean on Me,” “Just the Two of Us,” “Lovely Day,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
Don Campbell
Jan. 7, 1951 - March 30, 2020
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest
Claim to fame: Break dancing pioneer and founding father of locking, creator of the Campbellock dance
Ellis Marsalis Jr.
Nov. 14, 1934 - April 1, 2020
Cause of death: Complications from COVID-19
Claim to fame: Legendary Jazz pianist who was the patriarch of his New Orleans Jazz family
Timothy Brown
May 24, 1937 - April 4, 2020
Cause of death: Dementia
Claim to fame: Former Philadelphia Eagles running back who appeared in both the *M*A*S*H** film and TV series
Bobby Mitchell
June 6, 1935 - April 5, 2020
Cause of death: Leukemia
Claim to fame: First Black person to sign with the Washington Redskins, 1983 Football Hall of Fame inductee
Chynna Rogers
Aug. 19, 1994 - April 8, 2020
Cause of death: Accidental drug overdose
Claim to fame: Model and rapper
Tony Allen
July 20, 1940 - April 30, 2020
Cause of death: Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Claim to fame: Nigerian-born drummer who played with Fela Kuti, dubbed the “Father of Afrobeats” for creating new sounds that shaped the popular global genre
Millie Small
Oct. 6, 1946 - May 5, 2020
Cause of death: Stroke
Claim to fame: Jamaican singer whose 1963 “My Boy Lollipop” sold six million copies, bringing Ska music worldwide
Sept. 26, 1960 - May 7, 2020
Cause of death: Heart failure
Claim to fame: Founder of Uptown Records which created the sound of Hip-Hop and R&B during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, cultivated the careers of Heavy D, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, and others
Little Richard
Dec. 5, 1932 - May 9, 2020
Cause of death: Bone cancer
Claim to fame: Considered one of the architects of Rock and Roll, combined Gospel, Rock ’N’ Roll, and R&B into a unique sound, known for his vocal range and flamboyant style
Betty Wright
Dec. 21, 1953 - May 10, 2020
Cause of death: Cancer
Claim to fame: Iconic music artist known for the Grammy-winning song “Where is the Love?”, released music over 50 years
Shad “Da Beast” Gaspard
Jan. 13, 1981 - May 17, 2020
Cause of death: Drowned while saving 10-year-old son
Claim to fame: WWE wrestler and one-half of the Cryme Tyme tag team duo, appeared in Get Hard with Kevin Hart
Jimmy Cobb
Jan. 20, 1929 - May 28, 2020
Cause of death: Lung cancer
Claim to fame: Legendary drummer who played on Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, last surviving member of the First Great Sextet, which included Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Cannonball Adderly
Wes Unseld
March 14, 1946 - June 2, 2020
Cause of death: Pneumonia and other health complications
Claim to fame: NBA MVP and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honoree, one of two players to be Rookie of the Year and MVP in a single season, helped the then-Washington Wizards win its lone championship
Bonnie Pointer
July 11, 1950 - June 8, 2020
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest
Claim to fame: One of the original singers of the Grammy Award-winning Pointer Sisters, who are known for ‘80s dance hits “I’m so Excited,” “He’s So Shy,” and “Jump (For My Love)”
Jas “JasFly” Waters
Oct. 21, 1980 - June 9, 2020
Cause of death: Suicide
Claim to fame: This Is Us writer, author, TV personality, and former columnist for Vibe
Huey
Sept. 12, 1987 - June 25, 2020
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds
Claim to fame: Rap song “Pop Lock & Drop It” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2007
Earl Cameron
Aug. 8, 1917 - July 3, 2020
Cause of death: Pneumonia
Claim to fame: Considered Britain’s first leading Black actor and holds the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his work in drama, broke barriers in Britain’s film industry when he appeared in Pool of London
Naya Rivera
Jan. 12, 1987 - July 8, 2020
Cause of death: Drowning while saving son
Claim to fame: Actor who appeared in TV series like Family Matters as a child and Glee as an adult
Galyn Görg
July 15, 1964 - July 14, 2020
Cause of death: Lung cancer
Claim to fame: Actor who appeared in Robocop 2, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and M.A.N.T.I.S.
Malik B.
Nov. 14, 1972 - July 29, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: Lyrical rapping abilities helped launch The Roots to worldwide fame
Bob Ryland
June 16, 1920 - Aug. 2, 2020
Cause of death: Pneumonia
Claim to fame: First Black American to play professional tennis and was one of the first to compete in the NCAA men’s tennis tournament
James Harris
May 28, 1950 - Aug. 19, 2020
Cause of death: COVID-19
Claim to fame: Played the role of Kamala “The Ugandan Giant” in the -then-World Wrestling Federation
Raymond Allen
March 5, 1929 - Aug. 10, 2020
Cause of death: Respiratory issues
Claim to fame: Entertained audiences as Uncle Woody in Sanford and Son and as Ned the Wino in Good Times, also appeared on The Jeffersons, The Love Boat, and What’s Happening
Quinn Coleman
1989 - Aug. 16, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: DJ and A&R executive, worked for Capitol Records, Warner Bros. Records and Sirius XM, son of former BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee
Chi Chi DeVayne
Sept. 24, 1985 - Aug. 20, 2020
Cause of death: Kidney issues
Claim to fame: Starred in the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and All Stars 3 spin-off
Chadwick Boseman
Nov. 29, 1976 - Aug. 28, 2020
Cause of death: Colon cancer
Claim to fame: Forever remembered for inspiring generations with his portrayal of T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther and other MCU films, and also amplifying Black voices and stories as James Brown in the biopic Get On Up, as Jackie Robinson in 42, and in Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Cliff Robinson
Dec. 16, 1966 - Aug. 29, 2020
Cause of death: Lymphoma
Claim to fame: Played in the NBA for 18 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors, and the Detroit Pistons
John Thompson
Sept. 2, 1941 - Aug. 30, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: First Black coach to win an NCAA championship as head coach of Georgetown University and completed his tenure with 596 NCAA wins, mentored and recruited Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Allen Iverson, who all went onto the NBA
Lou Brock
June 18, 1939 - Sept. 6, 2020
Cause of death: Cancer
Claim to fame: Baseball outfielder who had 19 years in the big leagues and was known for stealing bases, 1985 MLB Hall of Fame inductee
Bruce Williamson
Sept. 29, 1970 - Sept. 6, 2020
Cause of death: Complications of COVID-19 after contracting pneumonia
Claim to fame: Joined The Temptations in 2007
Ronald “Khalis” Bell
Nov. 1, 1951 - Sept. 9, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: A self-taught musician who co-founded Kool & the Gang with brother Robert “Kool” Bell
Toots Hibbert
Dec. 8, 1942 - Sept. 11, 2020
Cause of death: Complications of COVID-19
Claim to fame: Fused R&B and Soul with Reggae, lead singer of Toots and the Maytals, released his last album in, Got to Be Tough, in August 2020
Jeremy Hutchins
Nov. 22, 1982 - Sept. 15, 2020
Cause of death: Unconfirmed
Claim to fame: Veteran TV producer who worked on The View and 106th and Park, was showrunner for Entertainment Weekly’s Quibi series, Last Night’s Late Night
Steve Carter
Nov. 7, 1929 - Sept. 15, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: Playwright whose work addressed complex themes and nuances, as well as untold narratives, within the Black- and Caribbean-American communities
Stanley Crouch
Dec. 14, 1945 - Sept. 16, 2020
Cause of death: Complications of a long, unspecified illness
Claim to fame: Columnist for the Village Voice and New York Daily News, founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center, mentor to Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant
Pamela Hutchinson
1958 - Sept. 18, 2020
Cause of death: Health challenges
Claim to fame: Part of the Grammy Award-winning group Emotions, who are known for “Best of My Love”
Georgia Dobbins Davis
May 5, 1942 - Sept. 18, 2020
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest
Claim to fame: An original member of the Marvelettes who had to leave the group for family reasons, but is credited with co-writing Motown’s first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 “Please Mr. Postman”
Gale Sayers
May 30, 1943 - Sept. 23, 2020
Cause of death: Dementia
Claim to fame: Known as one of the NFL’s greatest running backs, youngest person inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Bob Gibson
Nov. 9, 1935 - Oct. 2, 2020
Cause of death: Pancreatic cancer
Claim to fame: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, two-time winner of the Cy Young Award and twice-named World Series MVP
Thomas Jefferson Byrd
June 25, 1950 - Oct. 3, 2020
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds
Claim to fame: Actor who appeared in several Spike Lee Joints, including Chi-Raq, Red Hook Summer, He Got Game, and Clockers
Armelia McQueen
Jan. 6, 1952 - Oct. 3, 2020
Cause of death: Brief illness
Claim to fame: Enjoyed a 30-year career in entertainment, including starring in Ain’t Misbehavin’ on Broadway and acting in Ghost
Johnny Nash
Aug. 19, 1940 - Oct. 6, 2020
Cause of death: Natural causes
Claim to fame: Singer of the classic “I Can See Clearly Now,” helped launch Bob Marley’s career
Anthony Chisholm
April 9, 1943 - Oct. 16, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: Vietnam veteran and actor known for appearing in the plays of August Wilson, was nominated for a Tony Award for his work in Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle series, earned the NAACP Theatre Award
Bert Belasco
? - Nov. 8, 2020
Cause of death: Aneurysm
Claim to fame: Actor in BET’s Let’s Stay Together and Fox’s Pitch
Marguerite Ray
March 18, 1931 - Nov. 18, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: First Black woman regularly featured on The Young and the Restless
Arnie Robinson Jr.
April 7, 1948 - Dec. 1, 2020
Cause of death: COVID-19 complications
Claim to fame: Won Bronze at the 1972 Olympics and Gold at the 1976 Olympics for the long jump
Rafer Johnson
Aug. 18, 1934 - Dec. 2, 2020
Cause of death: Stroke
Claim to fame: An Olympic Decathlon Gold medalist and the first Black captain of a U.S. Olympic team at the 1960 Rome games, the first Black athlete to carry the US flag at the opening ceremonies
Eric Jerome Dickey
July 7, 1961 - Dec. 3, 2020
Cause of death: Long illness
Claim to fame: New York Times bestselling author whose novels captured the nuances of Black life, love, family, and sexuality
Natalie Desselle-Reid
July 12, 1967 - Dec. 7, 2020
Cause of death: Colon cancer
Claim to fame: Actor known for memorable roles in B*A*P*S,* Roger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella*, and* Eve*
Tommy “Tiny” Lister
June 24, 1958 - Dec. 10, 2020
Cause of death: Natural causes
Claim to fame: Character actor known fro his role as neighborhood bully Deebo in Friday and Next Friday
Carol Sutton
Dec. 3, 1944 - Dec. 10, 2020
Cause of death: Coronavirus complications
Claim to fame: Actor who made her acting debut in the 1960s and appeared in Lovecraft Country, Monster’s Ball, Ray, Queen Sugar, and Steel Magnolias
Charley Pride
March 18, 1934 - Dec. 12, 2020
Cause of death: COVID-19
Claim to fame: Country Music Hall of Famer, Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year in 1971, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient at the 2020 Country Music Awards
John “Ecstasy” Fletcher
June 7, 1964 - Dec. 23, 2020
Cause of death: Undetermined
Claim to fame: One-third of the iconic Hip-Hop group Whodini, whose hits include “Friends,” “Freaks Come Out at Night,” and “Five Minutes of Funk”
K.C. Jones
May 25, 1932 - Dec. 25, 2020
Cause of death: Alzheimer’s
Claim to fame: Tough and relentless point guard and legendary coach for the Boston Celtics
Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones
May 11, 1955 - Dec. 30, 2020
Cause of death: Unknown
Claim to fame: Dancer, choreographer, and locking pioneer who starred in the Breakin’ films, founding member of the Lockers, who helped push the Hip-Hop dance style into the mainstream
