# Who is the most famous person killed by covid-19 so far? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 22, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987 "2020-03-22T00:02:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/21 "2020-03-29T13:53:26Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Is the fact that this thread remains so barren an illustration that access to excellent medical care generally leads to positive outcomes? Given the lengthy list of rich and/or famous folks who have tested positive, and the death rate, one would think that we’d have at least a handful of very famous folks in the death count. There aren’t that many famous people. One study says an average person can recognize [5000 people’s faces](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/average-person-can-recognize-5000-faces-180970527/). I don’t know if we recognize more people by face or by name, but let’s assume it’s the same. That means an average person recognize 1 in 1.5 million people of the world. Or if that’s 5000 people in the US, that’s still one in 65,000. So 65,000 Americans might die before anyone you recognize dies. Right now the death toll is around 30,000 worldwide and 2200 Americans. Of course the rich & famous are getting infected at a higher rate than the average population, because they meet more people & travel more. But they are probably tested early, and some may still die. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/22 "2020-03-29T15:33:18Z")
I’m not sure there will be a “Rock Hudson” of this pandemic - not because I think famous and wealthy people won’t die , but because I don’t think “fame” is what it used to be. Rock Hudson died in 1985 and even people who had never seen one of his movies would have heard of him from his TV show in a time where there were basically three networks, not hundreds of cable stations. I mean, looking at that list one of the notable people is someone who won “Top Chef Masters” - has anyone who is not a fan of that show ever heard of him? I don’t know - but lots of people who never watched Julia Child on TV had heard of her in 1985. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/23 "2020-03-29T16:17:20Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I’m not sure there will be a “Rock Hudson” of this pandemic - not because I think famous and wealthy people won’t die , but because I don’t think “fame” is what it used to be. There are plenty of people who are famous. Again, nobody really famous has died yet because very few people have died so far. By the time Rock Hudson died of HIV/AIDS, over 10,000 Americans had died of it. (He died in October 1985; cumulative death toll by end of 1985 was 13,278 according to [this page](https://www.factlv.org/timeline.htm)). COVID-19 has “only” killed ~2200 Americans so far. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/24 "2020-03-29T16:29:46Z")
Rock Hudson was a totally different thing because it was about the revelation that he was gay. It was a shock to people that they couldn’t just tell themselves “only perverts and weirdos can get it, so it has nothing to do with me.” Rock Hudson was part of a huge shift in how we thought about AIDS and how we thought about gayness. By that measure, the answer to this question is Tom Hanks. He didn’t die, but his announcement that he had CORVID-19 made a lot of people realize “oh shit, this is real” and “this could impact me and people I love”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/25 "2020-03-29T16:47:56Z")
As a sports fan, the count among the athletes that I recognize (at least by team or club) is pretty high, perhaps even approaching triple figures. Admittedly, these are mostly athletes that are young and in incredible shape, which certainly helps their chances. But we are also hearing of numerous young people with no pre-existing conditions perishing from COVID. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/26 "2020-03-29T20:41:46Z")
Country singer Joe Diffie died today at the age of 61. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/27 "2020-03-29T21:00:45Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > There’s this [guy](https://thegedsection.com/pastor-who-claimed-covid-19-hysteria-was-an-anti-trump-plot-dies-of-covid-19): a pastor who claimed Covid was just a plot to bring down Trump. > > Although when I googled “pastor dies of Covid who claimed it was a hoax”, turned out there was [more than one](https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/pastor-dies-from-covid-19-after-claiming-coronavirus-was-a-mark-of-the-beast-conspiracy/)! > > They may not have been famous before. Perhaps they will be now. > [@](#): > > “Now, here’s a theory,” said Hampton. “It was brought to my attention that this virus thing, people die from the flu more than they’ve died from this virus. Effectively, the lies from the right-wing bullshit machine, including Fox News likely killed this guy, and probably will kill a few others in his church. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/28 "2020-03-29T23:23:12Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Country singer Joe Diffie died today at the age of 61. [Here’s a Joe Diffie for Joe Diffie](https://youtube.com/watch?v=KTQJy-scAU8). ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/29 "2020-03-29T23:26:42Z")
Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/30 "2020-03-30T00:30:15Z")
John Prine is in critical condition :(. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/31 "2020-03-30T00:53:15Z")
Ken Shimura just died of COVID-19. He was a major, major star of comedy in Japan and basically my personal favorite of any entertainer there. This is going to fuck up Japan bigtime. I am crushed. Fucking, fucking sucks. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/32 "2020-03-30T01:29:05Z")
Jackson Browne. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/33 "2020-03-30T01:33:03Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Jackson Browne. It’s confirmed that he died? I don’t see that online. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/34 "2020-03-30T01:36:51Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > It’s confirmed that he died? I don’t see that online. No. Tested positive, in isolation at home. Some of the entries were just people who had it and I misunderstood the thread. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/35 "2020-03-30T13:59:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Country singer Joe Diffie died today at the age of 61. Hopefully I won’t need to avoid [jukeboxes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMiEFyTuuh8) in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/36 "2020-04-05T04:11:13Z")
British comedian [Eddie Large](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52136768), from the double act [Little and Large](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_and_Large). Famous in UK in the 1970s and 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/37 "2020-04-05T04:50:20Z")
Possibly [Ellis Marsalis.](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/arts/music/ellis-marsalis-dead-virus.html) Or [Adam Schlesinger,](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/arts/music/adam-schlesinger-dead-coronavirus.html) singer from Fountains of Wayne and film and stage composer. Sadly though, this is just the beginning. There will be others and one of them is likely to be even more famous. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/38 "2020-04-05T05:06:49Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Jackson Browne. > [@Aeschines](#): > > It’s confirmed that he died? I don’t see that online. He’s running on empty. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/39 "2020-04-05T05:49:46Z")
Bill Withers. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987/40 "2020-04-05T06:02:07Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Bill Withers. Wasn’t due to coronavirus. He had heart problems. > **[‘Lean On Me,’ ‘Lovely Day’ singer Bill Withers dies at 81](https://apnews.com/article/health-music-wv-state-wire-us-news-ap-top-news-e19138ee60f29a319e45bcfba3e39331)** > > Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including “ Lean on Me, ” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” has died from heart complications, his family said in a statement to The... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-person-killed-by-covid-19-so-far/849987.md?page=3)