Celebrity deaths since 2002 that upset you most?

[lost4life]

MCA. Futurama made me believe the Beastie Boys would live forever. While I certainly miss Johnny Cash, he had a full ass life. Adam Yauch was only 47 but still seemed like a kid.

[Spoke]

Alex Chilton

Probably best known to the masses as the lead singer on The Letter (recorded, amazingly enough, when he was 16), but to hipsters, he was the voice of Big Star:

Thirteen - Big Star
In the Street - Big Star

Anyhow, he was living and playing in Athens, GA when I was a student there, so I felt some connection to the guy, and some sadness when he died.

[edwards_beard]

Originally Posted by Loach

Again as I said I take upset to be much stronger than saddened. I fell sad whenever I hear about the death of someone I enjoy. But it rarely upsets me. But you did remind me of this. I'm a big fan of the Opie and Anthony show on XM. Patrice was on so often it felt like I lost a friend. So young and just about to hit it big. Just about the most consistently funny guy I knew. He would just be sitting in on the show and be able to be hilarious about any subject that came up. This weekend on the channel they are commemorating the 1 year anniversary with all his best appearances.

I'm thinking pretty much the same thing...not many really affect me, but Patrice did. Partly because he was on the show so much I felt like I knew him a lot more than just a random actor or singer. The other (bigger) part is the day they came on and Jim Norton told the story about going to the hospital to see him for the last time, followed by all the big name comics that came on/called in to give their personal stories...made it feel so much more personal. I teared up quite a few times during those shows. (Also teared up at the end of Norton's latest special that ended with a shot of Patrice's hat)

With that being said, have to also mention Dimebag Darrel whose death was just utterly shocking.

[Truman Burbank]

Doug Hopkins from the Gin Blossoms. Suicided just as the band was breaking big, having been fired for alcoholism. Most of their best songs were written by him, and most of his best songs have substance abuse referenced in them.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

Captain Beefheart. It wasn't unexpected--he had been sick for years--but he was a real hero to me and it was a sad loss.

[Spoke]

Originally Posted by Truman Burbank

Doug Hopkins from the Gin Blossoms. Suicided just as the band was breaking big, having been fired for alcoholism. Most of their best songs were written by him, and most of his best songs have substance abuse referenced in them.

He died in 1993, Van Winkle.

[terentii]

The weird thing about Leslie Nielsen's death was that just a day or two before he passed away, TAC TV (a Canadian thing, I guess) aired a brief bio of him that looked like an obituary (it was actually just a 60-second filler item). My daughter turned and asked me "Is he dead, then?" I said "Not so far as I know." That was probably on a Sunday, while we were watching "Perry Mason"; by Tuesday or Wednesday, Leslie was gone!

It felt so strange! Like, e.g., Neil Armstrong, James Doohan, Bob Denver, George Carlin, and (pre-2002) Steve Allen, DeForest Kelley, and Gene Roddenberry, it seemed he was someone who would be around forever.

[PandaBear77]

I cried (a little) when Jerry Orbach died.

I was sad when Brittany Murphy died, too.

[Truman Burbank]

Originally Posted by Spoke

He died in 1993, Van Winkle.

Well then, from 2002 on, I guess I'm good! (I can't believe it has been that long...)

"and if you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down..."
Thanks, Spoke.

[fighting ignorant]

Bo Schembechler

[Ruffian]

Steve Irwin. His enthusiasm was genuine and infectious, and I, as a lifelong wildlife enthusiast, loved watching his shows. The death was so flukish, so cruel.

I watched the memorial on live TV, and man, the tears just poured. Poured. Granted, I was postpartum hormonal, but still. Seeing his wife's agonized expression while holding their young son, and then listening to Bindi read her letter about how her dad was the best dad just stabbed at the heart...gah. Still pains me.

Animal Planet has a memorial page dedicated to him.

No other celebrities impacted me like that, but I will say that I was saddened hearing about the deaths of Brittney Murphy, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston.

[Accidental Martyr]

Warren Zevon-One of the greatest and most underrated songwriters of all time (and the inspiration for my screen name.) Probably affected me more than any other celebrity death.
Joe Strummer
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Douglas Adams

[PapSett]

Originally Posted by Ruffian

Steve Irwin. His enthusiasm was genuine and infectious, and I, as a lifelong wildlife enthusiast, loved watching his shows. The death was so flukish, so cruel.

I watched the memorial on live TV, and man, the tears just poured. Poured. Granted, I was postpartum hormonal, but still. Seeing his wife's agonized expression while holding their young son, and then listening to Bindi read her letter about how her dad was the best dad just stabbed at the heart...gah. Still pains me.

Animal Planet has a memorial page dedicated to him.

No other celebrities impacted me like that, but I will say that I was saddened hearing about the deaths of Brittney Murphy, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston.

Thank you for that link, Ruffian. I have it bookmarked now.

He shared so much of his life on his shows, I felt- and still feel- like I had lost a friend rather than a celebrity.

[Rib Eye]

Another for Dio. Still dealing with that one.

[suranyi]

It doesn't fit this thread exactly, but I was heartbroken when Isaac Asimov died in 1992.

[Sateryn76]

Dan Wheldon. I'm a huge IndyCar fan, and when the accident happened in Vegas last year, I was glued to the TV for the three or so hours while everyone just...waited. When they showed Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan coming out of the conference center, and then cut to the press conference, I just knew it was The End for him.

So, so, so sad. Cried that day and cried the following week when they broadcast a memorial for him. Still makes me sad every time I think of it...

Probably the one that effected me the most, besides HST.

[Spoke]

I'm gonna ditto Joe Strummer, too. That one hit me hard.

[Mtgman]

It's hard to say. I tend not to get upset often, I'm a pretty laid back person. There have certainly been some people who have passed who left the world a bit darker for the loss of their light. There have been people whose passing was surrounded by tragedy, either self-inflicted or imposed on them. Promising young lives have been destroyed by war, famine, and revolution. All of these things upset me to a certain degree.

I think the ones that came closest to meeting the criteria from the OP were the ones I felt I needed to share the news when I heard it. It's a pretty short list to cover a decade.

Sally Ride
Neil Armstrong
Bea Arthur
Bobby Fisher
Dan Fogelberg
The crew of Columbia

Enjoy,
Steven

[SaharaTea]

Rue McClanahan, because she was my favorite Golden Girl.

Michael Jackson. His music was a huge part of my childhood, and it was so sudden and shocking.

MCA, because the Beastie Boys will always be about 21 years old in my mind.

[James Otto Sweet Heart]

I read just last night that actress Deborah Raffin (Aunt Julie of my favorite drama 7th Heaven) lost her year long battle with Lukemia on November 21st which was the day before Thanksgiving.

God bless you and her family always!!!

Holly

P.S. I lost a wonderful cousin in my family to all sorts of cancer on that very same day last year, may she and Deborah both be with the Lord now.

[Happy Lendervedder]

Tim Russert.

I think the reason people get sad at the passing of a famous person (other than basic human empathy) is 1) we'll never again be graced with whatever it is they have to offer (music, commentary, humor, acting, etc) or 2) they remind us of a special time in our lives, and their passing reminds us that those times are past.

[catnoe]

Heath Ledger - he'd just had several roles that moved him from gorgeous boy with talent to young man with range.

Johnny Cash - a new audience reached. But I must say he survived longer than I thought he would after his wife's death... June Carter Cash also makes the list.

Both shuttle accidents though only one fit's the time range. I never watched launches or landings after the Challenger explosion, just too traumatic.

Tim Russert - I started paying more attention to politics because he explained things so well... now I'm lost again.

Natasha Richardson - so sudden. Makes you realize that a concussion is more than just a bump to the head.

Hector Comacho - Wrong place, wrong time. A big personality in or out of the ring.

David Carradine - One of several celebrity suicides in the last decade but likely the best known.

Paul Newman - It's not like I expected him to make any more movies but I will miss those blue eyes.

Nina Simone - Had only discovered her voice shortly before she died.

Michael Clark Duncan - A great presence and awesome voice.
It's the young or sudden deaths that catch me most of guard, I guess it does the same for anyone. They are more shock than anything then sadness. The older folks you expect to die, that's they way things are suppose to work. But there is still sadness at their passing

[elfkin477]

Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy, and Bea Arthur. The first two were talented and about my age. And Bea Arthur...I know I'm not the only thirty-something who watched The Golden Girls back in the 80s.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Leaffan

George Carlin. I miss that guy.

This is probably the only celebrity death that has ever saddened me.*


mmm


*well, to a lesser degree, Johnny Carson as well

[sparky!]

Originally Posted by catnoe

Heath Ledger - he'd just had several roles that moved him from gorgeous boy with talent to young man with range.

Johnny Cash - a new audience reached. But I must say he survived longer than I thought he would after his wife's death... June Carter Cash also makes the list.

Both shuttle accidents though only one fit's the time range. I never watched launches or landings after the Challenger explosion, just too traumatic.

Tim Russert - I started paying more attention to politics because he explained things so well... now I'm lost again.

Natasha Richardson - so sudden. Makes you realize that a concussion is more than just a bump to the head.

Hector Comacho - Wrong place, wrong time. A big personality in or out of the ring.

David Carradine - One of several celebrity suicides in the last decade but likely the best known.

Paul Newman - It's not like I expected him to make any more movies but I will miss those blue eyes.

Nina Simone - Had only discovered her voice shortly before she died.

Michael Clark Duncan - A great presence and awesome voice.
It's the young or sudden deaths that catch me most of guard, I guess it does the same for anyone. They are more shock than anything then sadness. The older folks you expect to die, that's they way things are suppose to work. But there is still sadness at their passing

Wait, suicide? That wasn't suicide!

[Amateur Barbarian]

Originally Posted by Mahaloth

Richard Biggs - Stephen Franklin from Babylon 5...

Funny, when I saw the title of this thread, he was the one who jumped into mind. Very surprised to see him in the OP... B5 is getting pretty obscure in the larger scheme. I have at least some resonance with most of the names in this thread - Carlin, Adams, Armstrong, Ride standing out - but if there are any deaths that really bothered me, it has been the Babylon 5 cast... because it meant any chance of further material diminished to the point where even JMS threw in the towel.

Richard Biggs, 2004
Andreas Katsulas, 2006 (also a favorite from Max Headroom)
Tim Choate ("Zathras"), 2004
Jeff Conaway, 2011
Michael O'Hare, 2012

and, not B5-related, but a Max Headroom regular and a terribly sad suicide...

Charles Rocket, 2005.

[catnoe]

Sorry sparky! Accidental death.

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

This is probably the only celebrity death that has ever saddened me.*


mmm


*well, to a lesser degree, Johnny Carson as well

Not John Lennon? I know it's out of this thread's scope, but John Lennon? I didn't cry or anything, but there is not another celebrity death that even comes within a mile of how I felt about John Lennon's demise. I'm pretty sure I went through the whole 5 stages of grief in a day or two. I was absolutely floored. I was numb.

And strangely enough, Johnny Carson hit me too.

[Sam Stone]

Definitely Warren Zevon.

[toast pakora]

After this past weekend, I thought about Junior Seau. That was truly sad and such a waste.

[Gyrate]

One that surprised me by how much it affected me: John Peel

Between his championing of new music (genuinely new music, not this studio-spewed pablum you usually get; people would send him their EPs and tapes directly) and his other radio work he was a real presence on the airwaves. I used to lie in bed on a Sunday morning and listen to Home Truths on Radio 4. It was a real blow when he died suddenly of a heart attack, and I was moved to tears by the report of his funeral at which the crowd of over a thousand spontaneously broke into "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end of it.

[Khadaji]

Mostly they don't upset me at all. But I was a little saddened when Dr. Seuss and Charles Shultz died. I think I was grieving for my youth as much as anything.

[Drain Bead]

Amy Winehouse. What a waste of an amazing talent.

Layne Staley. I was a huge AiC fan, always hoping he'd get his shit together so they could put out more music. To find out that he was dead in his apartment for days before anyone even found him was just awful. Plus, he died on my birthday.

[Filbert]

Originally Posted by Gyrate

One that surprised me by how much it affected me: John Peel

Between his championing of new music (genuinely new music, not this studio-spewed pablum you usually get; people would send him their EPs and tapes directly) and his other radio work he was a real presence on the airwaves. I used to lie in bed on a Sunday morning and listen to Home Truths on Radio 4. It was a real blow when he died suddenly of a heart attack, and I was moved to tears by the report of his funeral at which the crowd of over a thousand spontaneously broke into "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end of it.

I was just about to post this one too- I was in holiday in New Zealand at the time, and three people messaged me to tell me.

I used to listen to his Radio 1 show in the dark, after I was supposed to be in bed in my teens. I still listen to Galactic Symposium in memory

[Helena330]

Originally Posted by NitroPress

Funny, when I saw the title of this thread, he was the one who jumped into mind. Very surprised to see him in the OP... B5 is getting pretty obscure in the larger scheme. I have at least some resonance with most of the names in this thread - Carlin, Adams, Armstrong, Ride standing out - but if there are any deaths that really bothered me, it has been the Babylon 5 cast... because it meant any chance of further material diminished to the point where even JMS threw in the towel.

Richard Biggs, 2004
Andreas Katsulas, 2006 (also a favorite from Max Headroom)
Tim Choate ("Zathras"), 2004
Jeff Conaway, 2011
Michael O'Hare, 2012

and, not B5-related, but a Max Headroom regular and a terribly sad suicide...

Charles Rocket, 2005.

I've been re-watching B5 and the work of these wonderful actors who are gone.

Peter Jennings.

[Trom]

Nobody has mentioned Elliott Smith.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by Leaffan

Not John Lennon? I know it's out of this thread's scope, but John Lennon? I didn't cry or anything, but there is not another celebrity death that even comes within a mile of how I felt about John Lennon's demise.

To me, George Harrison's death eclipsed John Lennon's, because George Harrison died such a mundane death. An old man's death. And that's why it floored me - how could the Beatles ever grow old?

The passing of Walter Cronkite, Johnny Carson, Steve Jobs, and Neal Armstrong all shook me hard, too. They were all such iconic people. (And the thought of living in a world where no living person has ever walked on the moon horrifies me, and that day's not to far off.)

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by artemis

To me, George Harrison's death eclipsed John Lennon's, because George Harrison died such a mundane death. An old man's death. And that's why it floored me - how could the Beatles ever grow old?

The passing of Walter Cronkite, Johnny Carson, Steve Jobs, and Neal Armstrong all shook me hard, too. They were all such iconic people. (And the thought of living in a world where no living person has ever walked on the moon horrifies me, and that day's not to far off.)

mmm hasn't responded, but his username is obvious, so I thought he might have something more to say, but perhaps he has a 10 bob note up his nose.

[ThelmaLou]

David Rakoff

I've listened to his audio books over and over-- love his humor and his worldview.

[vislor]

I think I have one that wasn't mentioned.

Michael Crichton

I was shocked at this but like others, it wasn't personal because I didn't know him. But the thought of no more of his books was sad. (Same for Douglas Adams.)

The cast of B5 also touches me as that's one of my favorite shows.

Lis Sladen as I like Dr Who. (Most of the Dr Who people who have died.)

I also thought that Brittany Murphy's was sad as she was just coming into her own. Same for Heath Ledger. Again, like Crichton, it's more that I miss what they would have done that I could see.

I think the one that shocked me most was Christopher Reeve. I kept hearing how well his recovery was going, that I expected him to walk again. And then he was gone.

[Alex from CB]

Paul Newman. He could eat 50 eggs.