Does anyone remember Shel Silverstein? When he died I was at the age where I pretended not to care, but really I felt as though part of my childhood had died as well.
sniff
I cried when Divine, Gilda Radner and Richard Amsel died—three of the most upsetting deaths of the 1980s. And Lillian Gish, because she was a friend of mine.
And I’d be upset when Anita Page goes, as she’s also a friend. And Zsa Zsa Gabor—I don’t know her, but I just cannot picture a world without Gabors.
Gotta go with Jim Henson. Seconded by Princess Diana. I leanrned about both from the internet (a VERY short time after they died) and the public outpouring was unprecidented.
I recall two very big moments in my life, staying up til the middle of the night to watch Di’s wedding, and staying up til the middle of the night to watch her funeral.
Hartman and Chris Farley, because both were so unexpected. I didn’t cry, but I was pretty sad.
It makes me pretty sad to think that Johnny Cash only has a few years left.
Tim
I’ll be pretty sad to see Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong go because I admire them personally so much.
There’s a few actors as well, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman and Robert DeNiro that I’ll surely be very very sad to lose.
Sydney Portier
Ronald Reagan
Paul Simon. His music has lifted and comforted me all through my life, right from earliest childhood. I hate the thought of a world without him in it.
Sir David Attenborough. Best teacher, broadcaster, and naturalist ever; and the perfect gentleman to boot.
George MacDonald Fraser. Best writer ever.
Mel Blanc and Chuck Jones.
You can add one more for Jim Henson
**Bob Newhart
Alex Trebek
Harry Turtledove**
I cried when the great Joe Williams died.
Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. I’ll be sad sad sad to see him go.
I’ve never cried over a celebrity’s death, but I was in absolute and utter shock when I heard that John Lennon was murdered. Part of me still doesn’t want to believe it.
Bob Newhart, Jim Henson, Phil Hartman.
And I will weep for Paul Simon, Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving and Margaret Atwood.
(i have a friend who spoke ill of John Candy just before he died, and she has never forgiven herself, nor spoken that ill of anyone again. I only hope the people in this thread don’t start dropping off !)
When Nicholas Colasanto, who played Coach, died in 1985 the cast and crew of “Cheers” took a portrait he had of Sitting Bull hanging in his dressing room and hung it on the set, leaving it there as a memorial to him for the remainder of the series.
Near the end of the final “Cheers” episode, as Sam is walking towards the back of the bar, he pauses near the Sitting Bull portrait and gingerly straightens it, a wonderful and loving gesture that still puts a lump in my throat all these years later.
Not perhaps what the OP intended but it’s the closest I could come up with.
When Douglas Adams died, I was close to tears. I’ve read all his books so many times; he was an amazingly funny writer. I’ve read all the books again and again and parts can still make me laugh. I just couldn’t believe reports of his death, I refused to, even when confirmations began pouring in on various newsgroups.
He was such a talented man, and he was younger than my dad when he died. It still makes me feel scared and sad, like there is something drastically wrong with the world that this could happen.
I agree. I keep an eye on the obituary pages, just in case, but I will be very, very unhappy when that sad day arrives. At least he has had a good life, and told us about it!
Same here. And it’s still difficult for me to listen to any music from the Double Fantasy album. There is NO way I can listen to “Happy Christmas/War is Over” without wanting to cry.
Stephen King’s death will hit me hard. Richard Laymon’s death was very hard, because I knew him and it was so unexpected.
I agree with others who mentioned Phil Hartman, Jim Henson and Princess Diana.
I’m not sure who i’d hate to see go, but Princess Dianas funeral will always remain in my mind since it was my birthday and i wasn’t allowed to be happy. I’d be very sad to loose either Richard or Judy from the daytime tv show This Morning, I’ve become somewhat attatched to those guys
Oh BTW, i was about 9 years old the year Diana died, just incase i sounded pathetic in that last post…
I’m still getting over Joe Strummer’s death. And Screamin’ Jay Hawkins hit me pretty hard. The ones I’m dreading, though probably not as much as the celebrities are, include:
J. P. Donleavy
Hugh Kenner
Janeane Garofalo
Frank Black
…and some others I can’t think of right now. Several of these are pretty young, and I don’t expect them to go for a good while. But it will upset me when they do.