Harry Carey Jr.

(1921-2012)

SANTA BARBARA | Character actor Harry Carey Jr., who starred in "Gremlins" and "Back to the Future Part III," has died in California at the age of 91.

His daughter, Melinda Carey, says he died Thursday, December 27th of natural causes at a hospice facility in Santa Barbara.

Carey's career spanned more than 50 years and included such John Ford films as "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "The Searchers." He also appeared in such Westerns as "3 Godfathers" and "Wagon Master."

[ READ MORE: Harry Carey Jr., Character Actor, Dead at 91 ]

(Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

(1934-2012)

WASHINGTON | Truth is, retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf didn't care much for his popular "Stormin' Norman" nickname. The seemingly no-nonsense Desert Storm commander's reputed temper with aides and subordinates supposedly earned him that rough-and-ready moniker. But others around the general, who died Thursday, December 27th in Tampa, Fla., at age 78 from complications from pneumonia, knew him as a friendly, talkative and even jovial figure who preferred the somewhat milder sobriquet given by his troops: "The Bear."

That one perhaps suited him better later in his life, when he supported various national causes and children's charities while eschewing the spotlight and resisting efforts to draft him to run for political office.

[ READ MORE: Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Dead at 78 ]

(Photo by KEVIN LARKIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Fontella Bass

(1940-2012)

ST. LOUIS | Fontella Bass, a U.S. soul singer who hit the top of the R&B charts with "Rescue Me" in 1965, has died. She was 72.

Bass died Wednesday night, December 26th at a St. Louis hospice of complications from a heart attack suffered three weeks ago, her daughter, Neuka Mitchell, said. Bass had also suffered a series of strokes over the past seven years.

"She was an outgoing person," Mitchell said. "She had a very big personality. Any room she entered she just lit the room up, whether she was on stage or just going out to eat."

"Rescue Me" has been covered by many top artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Melissa Manchester and Pat Benatar. Franklin eventually sang a form of it, as "Deliver Me" in a Pizza Hut TV ad in 1991.

[ READ MORE: "Rescue Me" Soul Singer Fontella Bass Dead At 72 ]

(credit: Gabe Palacio/ImageDirect/Getty Images)

Charles Durning

(1923-2012)

NEW YORK CITY, NY | The two-time Oscar nominee who was dubbed the king of the character actors has died in New York. Charles Durning was 89.

Durning’s agent and friend, Judith Moss, says he died Monday, December 24th of natural causes at his New York City home.

He portrayed everyone from blustery public officials to put-upon everymen to Big Daddy in a Broadway revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” It won him a Tony award in 1990.

[ READ MORE: Charles Durning, ‘King Of Character Actors,’ Dies At 89 ]

(Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

Jack Klugman

(1922-2012)

LOS ANGELES | Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's "The Odd Couple" and the crime-fighting coroner in "Quincy, M.E.," died Monday, December 24th, a son said. He was 90.

Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side.

"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.

[ READ MORE: 'Odd Couple' Star Jack Klugman Dies At 90 ]

(Photo by Steven Henry/Getty Images)

Ben Williams

(1927-2012)

OAKLAND (CBS 5) — Ben Williams, a retired KPIX-TV staffer who was one of the first African-American television reporters in the nation, has died at the age of 85.

Williams passed away on Monday, December 17th, his daughter-in-law told CBS 5.

Williams spent his entire broadcast career at KPIX before retiring in the 1980s; he got his start as a reporter at the San Francisco Examiner before moving to television.

[ READ MORE: KPIX’s Ben Williams, One Of Nation’s 1st African-American Reporters, Dead At 85 ]

(credit: The Williams Family)

Sen. Daniel Inouye

(1924-2012)

WASHINGTON | Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the second-longest serving senator in U.S. history, has died at the age of 88, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced early Monday evening (December 17th) on the Senate floor.

[ READ MORE: Hawaii Sen. Inouye Dies At Age 88 ]

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Ravi Shankar

(1920-2012)

NEW DELHI | Ravi Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over a 10-decade career, died Tuesday, December 11th. He was 92.

A statement on the musician's website said he died in San Diego, near his Southern California home. The musician's foundation issued a statement saying that he had suffered upper respiratory and heart problems and had undergone heart-valve replacement surgery last week.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also confirmed his death and called Shankar a "national treasure."

Labeled "the godfather of world music" by George Harrison, Shankar helped millions of classical, jazz and rock lovers discover the centuries-old traditions of Indian music.

He also pioneered the concept of the rock benefit with the 1971 Concert For Bangladesh. To later generations, he was known as the estranged father of popular American singer Norah Jones.

[ READ MORE: Indian Music Legend Ravi Shankar Dead At 92 ]

(credit: Last.FM)

Jenni Rivera

(1969-2012)

Jenni Rivera, the U.S.-born singer whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles made her a Mexican-American superstar, was killed in a plane crash in northern Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Monday, December 10th.

Born in Long Beach, Calif., Rivera was at the peak of her career as perhaps the most successful female singer in grupero, a male-dominated regional style influenced by the norteno, cumbia and ranchero styles.

A 43-year-old mother of five children and grandmother of two, the woman known as the "Diva de la Banda" was known for frank talk about her struggles to give a good life to her children despite a series of setbacks.

[ READ MORE: Jenni Rivera Confirmed Dead In Mexican Plane Crash ]

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Dave Brubeck

(1920-2012)

(CBS NEWS) - Jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck, whose pioneering style in pieces such as "Take Five" caught listeners' ears with exotic, challenging rhythms, has died. He was 91.

Brubeck died Wednesday morning, December 5th of heart failure after being stricken while on his way to a cardiology appointment with his son Darius, said his manager Russell Gloyd. Brubeck would have turned 92

[ READ MORE: Jazz Composer & Pianist, Dave Brubeck Dies ]

(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Larry Hagman

(1931-2012)

The man best known for his role as J.R. Ewing on the television show “Dallas” died Friday, November 23rd. CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reports…

Sources confirm Larry Hagman, a North Texas native, died in a Dallas hospital, at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer.
[ READ MORE: Larry Hagman Dead At The Age of 81 ]

(Photo credit: CHRISTIAN ALMINANA/AFP/Getty Images)

Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho

(1962-2012)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico | Boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho, who grew up in East Harlem, died after being taken off life support in Puerto Rico, CBS New York reports.

Camacho, 50, was shot in the face Wednesday night in his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, as he sat in a car with a friend outside a bar. He was left clinically brain dead from the shooting.

On Saturday morning, November 24th, Camacho’s mother decided to have doctors take him off life support after three more of his sons got a last chance to see him.

[ READ MORE: Boxer Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho Dies 3 Days After Shooting ]

(credit: Tom Pidgeon/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)

Deborah Raffin

(1953-2012)

LOS ANGELES | Deborah Raffin, an actress who ran a successful audiobook company with her ex-husband, has died. She was 59.

Raffin's brother, William, tells the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/R0q9NM ) his sister died Wednesday of leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She was diagnosed with the blood cancer about a year ago.

Raffin, the daughter of 20th Century Fox contract player Trudy Marhsall, had roles in movies such as "Forty Carats" and "Once Is Not Enough." She also starred in television miniseries, most notably playing actress Brooke Hayward in "Haywire."

[ READ MORE: Actress Deborah Raffin Dies At Age 59 ]

(Photo by Chris Hatcher/Getty Images)

Natina Reed

(1979-2012)

Authorities say R&B singer Natina Reed, known as a member of the female group Blaque, was killed after being struck by a car in metro Atlanta.



The Gwinnett County Police Department said in a news release Sunday that the 32-year-old Reed was hit late Friday while in the roadway at an intersection on U.S. 29 near Lilburn.



Police say the driver called 911 for help, and someone tried to revive Reed on the scene. She was later pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center.

[ READ MORE: Natina Reed, singer and "Bring It On" star, dies at 32 ]

(Photo by Online USA)

Russell Means

(1939-2012)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. | Russell Means, a former American Indian Movement activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, reveled in stirring up attention and appeared in several Hollywood films, has died. He was 72.

Means died early Monday, October 22nd at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D., Oglala Sioux Tribe spokeswoman Donna Solomon said.

Means, a Wanblee native who grew up in the San Francisco area, announced in August 2011 that he had developed inoperable throat cancer. He told The Associated Press he was forgoing mainstream medical treatments in favor of traditional American Indian remedies and alternative treatments away from his home on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

[ READ MORE: Indian Activist, Actor Russell Means Dies At 72 ]

(Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)

George McGovern

(1922-2012)

WASHINGTON | Former Sen. George McGovern, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate who won his party's nomination in 1972 on an anti-war platform but lost in a landslide to President Richard Nixon, has died. He was 90.

A family spokesman said the former U.S. Senator died early Sunday morning, October 21st.

McGovern represented his home state of South Dakota for more than 20 years, first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate, where he championed liberal social and economic reforms.

[ READ MORE: George McGovern, proud liberal, dead at 90 ]

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Sylvia Kristel

(1952-2012)

Actress Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch model-turned-actress who starred in the hit 1970s erotic movie "Emmanuelle," has died of cancer at age 60.

Kristel died in her sleep Wednesday night, October 17th her agent at Features Creative Management, said in a statement Thursday. Kristel had been fighting cancer for several years.

Her breakthrough came in "Emmanuelle," a 1974 erotic tale directed by Frenchman Just Jaeckin, about the sexual adventures of a man and his beautiful young wife, played by Kristel, in Thailand.

[ READ MORE: "Emmanuelle" Star Sylvia Kristel Dies At 60 ]

(Photo credit should read ARCHIVE/AFP/GettyImages)

Arlen Specter

(1930-2012)

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, the outspoken Pennsylvania centrist whose switch from Republican to Democrat ended a 30-year career in which he played a pivotal role in several Supreme Court nominations, died Sunday, October 14th. He was 82.

Specter, who announced in late August that he was battling cancer, died at his home in Philadelphia from complications of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, said his son Shanin. Over the years, Arlen Specter had fought two previous bouts with Hodgkin's disease, overcome a brain tumor and survived cardiac arrest following bypass surgery.

[ READ MORE: Senate Moderate Arlen Specter Dies ]

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Gary Collins

(1938-2012)

BILOXI, Miss. (CBS NEWS) - Gary Collins, an actor, television show host and former master of ceremonies for the Miss America Pageant, has died. He was 74.

Collins, a resident of Biloxi, Mississippi, died of natural causes just before 1 a.m. Saturday after he was brought to Biloxi Regional Medical Center, according to Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove.

During the 1980s, Collins hosted the Miss America pageant, and played a beauty pageant host in the 2000 film "Beautiful."

He also hosted TV's "Hour Magazine."

[ READ MORE: Actor, TV Host Gary Collins Dies At 74 ]

(Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

Alex Karras

(1935-2012)

(CBS NEWS) - Alex Karras was one of the NFL's most feared defensive tackles throughout the 1960s, a player who hounded quarterbacks and bulled past opposing linemen.

And yet, to many people he will always be the lovable dad from the 1980s sitcom "Webster" or the big cowboy who famously punched out a horse in "Blazing Saddles."

The rugged player, who anchored the Detroit Lions' defense and then made a successful transition to an acting career, with a stint along the way as a commentator on "Monday Night Football," died Wednesday. He was 77.

[ READ MORE: Alex Karras, Former Star NFL Lineman And Actor, Dies At 77 ]

(credit: CBS)

Antoine Ashley a.k.a "Sahara Davenport"

(1984-2012)

Antoine Ashley, who was known as Sahara Davenport on Logo's reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race," has died at the age of 27.

The network issued a statement via Facebook saying, "Logo is profoundly saddened by the passing of Antoine Ashley who fans around the world knew and loved as Sahara Davenport. He was an amazing artist and entertainer who'll be deeply missed by his Logo family. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, especially his boyfriend Karl, in their time of need."

Ashley was on the reality competition show in 2010, during its second season. After the show, Ashley went on to release a single, "Go Off," which reached no. 35 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

[ READ MORE: "RuPaul's Drag Race" Star Antoine Ashley Dies ]

(Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Logo)

Johnny Lewis

(1983-2012)

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Johnny Lewis, the actor who played Kip "Half Sack" Epps on the cable TV show "Sons of Anarchy," fell to his death Wednesday after apparently beating his elderly landlady to death, authorities said.

[ READ MORE: Johnny Lewis, "Sons of Anarchy" TV Show Actor, Allegedly Kills Landlady Then Dies In Fall ]

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Andy Williams

(1927-2012)

(CBS News) Singer Andy Williams died at his home in Branson, Mo., on Tuesday after a year-long battle with bladder cancer, according to his publicist Paul Shefrin. He was 84.

Born in Wall Lake, Iowa, Williams launched a solo career in 1952 and had several hit singles, including his Oscar-winning rendition of "Moon River" from the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

In 1962, he started the "The Andy Williams Show" on NBC. He opened the Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson in 1992.

Williams is survived by his wife, Debbie, and his three children, Robert, Noelle and Christian.

[ Singer Andy Williams dead at 84 ]

(Photo by John Li/Getty Images)

Steve Sabol, NFL Films President

(1942-2012)

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - NFL Films President Steve Sabol, half of the father-son team that revolutionized sports broadcasting and mythologized pro football into the country's favorite sport, died Tuesday from brain cancer. He was 69.

In March 2011, Sabol was diagnosed with a tumor on the left side of his brain after being hospitalized for a seizure.

He started working with his father, Ed — NFL Films' founder — in 1964, and they introduced a series of innovations now taken for granted today, from slow-motion replays to sticking microphones on coaches and players.

[ READ MORE: Steve Sabol, NFL Films President, Dies At 69 From Brain Cancer ]

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

John Ingle

(1928-2012)

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) John Ingle, the 84-year-old actor who played the scheming Edward Quartermaine on "General Hospital" for for 19 years, has died in Los Angeles.

Ingle took over the role as the ruthless patriarch in the daytime drama in 1993 and made his final appearance in an episode airing last week. He died Sunday, September 16th.

[ READ MORE: "General Hospital" Star John Ingle Dies At 84 ]

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Michael Clark Duncan

(1957-2012)

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Michael Clarke Duncan, the hulking, prolific character actor whose dozens of films included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in "The Green Mile" and such other box office hits as "Armageddon," ''Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panda," is dead at age 54.

Clarke died Monday morning, September 3rd at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a heart attack, said his fiance, reality TV personality Rev. Omarosa Manigault, in a statement released by publicist Joy Fehily.

[ READ MORE: Actor Michael Clarke Duncan Dead At 54 ]

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Hal David

(1921-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Hal David, who along with partner Burt Bacharach penned dozens of top 40 hits, including “Do You Know the Way to San Jose”, has died. He was 91.

David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning on September 1st in Los Angeles, according to Jim Steinblatt, spokesman for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. David was a longtime member and former president of ASCAP.

[ READ MORE: Hal David, Who Made San Jose Into A Hit Song, Dies At 91 ]

(Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images)

Neil Armstrong

(1930-2012)

(CBS News) Neil Armstrong, the Apollo 11 astronaut who became the first human being to set foot on another world, has died. He was 82.

In a statement his family said Armstrong had passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.

[ READ MORE: Neil Armstrong, First Man On The Moon, Dead At 82 ]

(credit: JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Jerry Nelson

(1934-2012)

(CBS News) Jerry Nelson, a puppeteer who was known for playing numbers-obsessed Count von Count on "Sesame Street," has died, The Jim Henson Company confirms. He was 78.

"Jerry Nelson imbued all his characters with the same gentle, sweet whimsy and kindness that were a part of his own personality," said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company, said in a statement on the company's Facebook page. "He joined The Jim Henson Company in the earliest years, and his unique contributions to the worlds of Fraggles, Muppets, Sesame Street and so many others are, and will continue to be, unforgettable.

[ WATCH: Jerry Nelson "Sesame Street's" Count Dies At 78 ]

(credit: CBS News Screenshot)

Phyllis Diller

(1917-2012)

(CBS/AP) Phyllis Diller, the housewife-turned-comedienne with the cackling laugh who aimed some of her sharpest barbs at herself, died Monday morning, August 20th, in her Los Angeles home. She was 95.

"She died peacefully in her sleep with a smile on her face," her longtime manager, Milton Suchin, told The Associated Press.

[ READ MORE: Comedian Phyllis Diller Dies At 95 ]

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Tony Scott

(1944-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Tony Scott, director of such Hollywood blockbusters as "Top Gun," "Days of Thunder" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," died Sunday, August 19th, after jumping from a Los Angeles County bridge, authorities said.

The 68-year-old Scott's death was being investigated as a suicide, Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. Joe Bale said.

[ READ MORE: "Top Gun" Director Dead After Leaping Off Bridge ]

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Scott McKenzie

(1939-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) – Singer Scott McKenzie, who performed “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” — which became a hit in 1967 during the city’s “Summer of Love” — has died.

A statement on McKenzie’s website says the 73-year-old died on Saturday, August 18th in Los Angeles. McKenzie battled Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the nervous system, and had been in and out of the hospital since 2010.

[ READ MORE: Singer of ‘San Francisco,’ Scott McKenzie Dies ]

(credit: Last.FM)

Ron Palillo

(1949-2012)

(CBS News) Actor Ron Palillo, who played Arnold Horshack on the 1970s TV series "Welcome Back, Kotter," died Tuesday morning, August 14th. He was 63.

Officer Lovejoy of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department confirmed Palillo's death to CBS News, noting that Palillo was transported from his Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-area home to a nearby hospital, where he died.

[ READ MORE: Ron Palillo of "Welcome Back, Kotter" Dead At 63 ]

(Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for TV Land)

Helen Gurley Brown

(1922-2012)

Helen Gurley Brown, the editor who made Cosmopolitan magazine into a single girl's handbook of sex and glamour, died Monday, August 13th after a brief hospitalization in New York, according to the Hearst Corporation. She was 90.

[ READ MORE: Helen Gurley Brown, Iconic Cosmo Editor, Dead At 90 ]

(Photo by Chris Hondros)

Marvin Hamlisch

(1944-2012)

(CBS/AP) Marvin Hamlisch, who composed the scores for dozens of movies including "The Sting" and won a Tony for "A Chorus Line," died Monday, August 6th in Los Angeles at 68.


Hamlisch collapsed and died Monday after a brief illness, his publicist Ken Sunshine said on behalf of the family. Other details were not released.

[ READ MORE: Composer Marvin Hamlisch dead at 68 ]

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

Tony Sly

(1970-2012)

According to an announcement on the Fat Wreck Chords website, Tony Sly of No Use For A Name has passed away at the age of 41. No cause of death was released.

Fat Mike, Fat Wreck Chords owner and NOFX frontman, said, “One of my dearest friends and favorite song writers has gone way too soon. Tony, you will be greatly missed.”

“It is with great sorrow that we must say goodbye to Tony Sly of No Use For A Name. We received a call earlier today of his passing, and are devastated. We have lost an incredible talent, friend, and father – one of the true greats,” continues the statement.

[ READ MORE: "No Use For A Name’s" Tony Sly Passes Away At 41 ]

(credit: Fat Wreck Chords/Live 105)

Gore Vidal

(1925-2012)

(CBS SF/AP) — Gore Vidal, the author, playwright, politician and commentator whose novels, essays, plays and opinions were stamped by his immodest wit and unconventional wisdom, has died at the age of 86, his nephew said Tuesday.

Vidal died at his home in the Hollywood Hills at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday of complications from pneumonia, Burr Steers said. Vidal had been living alone in the home and had been sick for "quite a while," he said.

[ READ MORE: Writer Gore Vidal Dead At 86 ]

(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for MOCA)

Tony Martin

(1913-2012)

(CBS/AP) Tony Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, died Friday, July 27th. He was 98.

Martin died of natural causes Friday evening at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday.

A peer of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Martin sang full voice in a warm baritone that carried special appeal for his female audience. Among his hit recordings were "I Get Ideas," "To Each His Own," "Begin the Beguine" and "There's No Tomorrow."

[ READ MORE: Singer Tony Martin Dies At 98 ]

(Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

Lupe Ontiveros

(1942-2012)

(CBS/AP) Veteran actress Lupe Ontiveros, who appeared in scores of TV shows and movies including "Desperate Housewives," "Selena" and "As Good As It Gets," has died. She was 69.

Ontiveros died Thursday, July 27th at a hospital in Whittier, Calif., a suburb southeast of Los Angeles, after a brief battle with liver cancer, according to longtime friend and family spokesman Jerry Velasco.

[ READ MORE: Actress Lupe Ontiveros Dies of Cancer At 69 ]

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Chad Everett

(1936-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) - Chad Everett, the blue-eyed star of the 1970s TV series "Medical Center" who went on to appear in such films and TV shows as "Mulholland Drive" and "Melrose Place," has died. He was 75.

Everett's daughter, Katherine Thorp, said he died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer.

Everett played sensitive doctor Joe Gannon for seven years on "Medical Center." The role earned him two Golden Globes and an Emmy nomination.

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Everett guest starred on such TV series as "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Without a Trace." Everett most recently appeared in the TV series "Castle." His films credits included "The Jigsaw Murders," "The Firechasers" and director Gus Van Sant's "Psycho."

[ READ MORE: 'Medical Center' Star Chad Everett Dies At 75 ]

(Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Sherman Hemsley

(1938-2012)

(CBS News) Sherman Hemsley, who played George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons," died on Tuesday, July 24th. CBS affiliate KDBC confirmed Tuesday that the actor was found dead at his home in El Paso, Texas. He was 74.

[ READ MORE: Sherman Hemsley, "The Jeffersons" star, dies at 74 ]

(Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Sally Ride

(1951-2012)

(CBS News) Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, has passed away at the age of 61 after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, her foundation said in a press release.


At the age of 32, Ride both blazed a trail for female astronauts and became the then-youngest American astronaut when she blasted off on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983.

[ READ MORE: Sally Ride, pioneering astronaut, dead at 61 ]

(Photo by AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

Frank Pierson

(1925-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS NEWS) — The Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Cool Hand Luke" has died. Frank Pierson's family said he died of natural causes on Monday, July 23rd in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 87.

[ READ MORE: Oscar-winning Screenwriter Frank Pierson Dies ]

(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)

Tom Davis

(1952-2012)

HUDSON, N.Y. — A writer who with Al Franken helped develop some of the most popular skits in the early years of "Saturday Night Live" has died in New York. Tom Davis was 59.


His wife, Mimi Raleigh, says he died of throat and neck cancer Thursday at his home in the Hudson Valley, north of New York City. He was diagnosed in 2009.

[ READ MORE: Al Franken's 'SNL' Partner, Tom Davis, Dies In NY ]

(Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Kitty Wells

(1919-2012)

(CBS/AP) Kitty Wells, the first female superstar of country music, has died at the age of 92.

The singer's family says Wells died at her home Monday after complications from a stroke.

Her recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952 was the first No. 1 hit by a female artist on the country music charts. Her other hits included "Making Believe" and a version of "I Can't Stop Loving You."

[ READ MORE: Country Music Star Kitty Wells Dies At 92 ]

(Photo by Rusty Russell/Getty Images)

Jon Lord

(1941-2012)

LONDON (CBS) — British rocker Jon Lord, former keyboardist for the band Deep Purple, has died. He was 71 years old.

A statement on Lord's official website says the Leicester, England-born musician suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism in London on Monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

[ READ MORE: Deep Purple's Jon Lord Dies At Age 71 ]

(Photo by Patrick Riviere/Getty Images).

Celeste Holm

(1917-2012)

(AP) NEW YORK - Celeste Holm, a versatile, bright-eyed blonde who soared to Broadway fame in "Oklahoma!" and won an Oscar in "Gentleman's Agreement" but whose last years were filled with financial difficulty and estrangement from her sons, died Sunday, July 15th, a relative said. She was 95.

[ READ MORE: Oscar-winning Actress Celeste Holm Dies At 95 ]

(Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

Richard Zanuck

(1934-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) - Film producer Richard Zanuck, who won the best picture Oscar for "Driving Miss Daisy" and was involved in such blockbuster films as "Jaws" and "The Sting" after his father, Hollywood mogul Darryl F. Zanuck, fired him from 20th Century Fox, died Friday, July 13th. He was 77.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Sage Stallone

(1976-2012)

(CBS/AP) Sage Stallone, the 36-year-old son of actor Sylvester Stallone, has been found dead, a lawyer confirms to CBS News.

George Braunstein, Sage Stallone's attorney, tells CBS News Friday, July 13th, that Sage was found dead at his Hollywood home.

[ READ MORE: Son of Sylvester Stallone Dies In L.A. ]

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Ernest Borgnine

(1917-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) - Ernest Borgnine, the beefy screen star known for blustery, often villainous roles, but who won the best-actor Oscar for playing against type as a lovesick butcher in "Marty" in 1955, died Sunday, July 8th. He was 95.

His longtime spokesman, Harry Flynn, told The Associated Press that Borgnine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with his family by his side.

Television fans loved Borgnine as the scheming Navy officer in the sitcom "McHale's Navy." Borgnine was also known as the heavy who beats up Frank Sinatra in "From Here to Eternity" and one of the thugs who menaces Spencer Tracy in "Bad Day at Block Rock."

[ READ MORE: Oscar-Winning Star Ernest Borgnine Dies At 95 ]

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Andy Griffith

(1926-2012)

DARE COUNTY, N.C. (CBS Charlotte) — Television legend Andy Griffith has died at the age of 86, CBS News confirms.

Griffith starred in the groundbreaking “The Andy Griffith Show” which aired from 1960 until 1968 on CBS. The show also featured Don Knotts and a young Ron Howard and took place in the fictional town of Mayberry, N.C.

Griffith also starred on the popular “Matlock” from 1986 to 1995.

[ READ MORE: Andy Griffith Dead At 86]

(Photo by Douglas A. Sonders/Getty Images)

Ben Davidson

(1940-2012)

ALAMEDA (CBS/AP) – Ben Davidson, the hulking defensive end who starred for the Oakland Raiders in the 1960s before becoming a famous television pitch man, has died. He was 72.

Davidson was being treated for prostate cancer before his death Monday night. Former Raiders coach John Madden first reported Davidson’s death Tuesday on KCBS radio in San Francisco.

Davidson spent 11 years in pro football, starting with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins in the NFL before joining the Raiders in the AFL in 1964.

[ READ MORE: Raider Great Davidson Dies After Prostate Cancer Battle ]

(Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images)

Don Grady

(1944-2012)

(CBS/AP) Don Grady, who was one of television's most beloved big brothers as Robbie Douglas on the long-running 1960s hit "My Three Sons," died Wednesday. He was 68.

His "My Three Sons" co-star Barry Livingston, who played youngest brother Ernie, confirmed Grady's death to The Associated Press. Livingston said Grady had been suffering from cancer and receiving hospice care at his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

[ READ MORE: "My Three Sons" star Don Grady dies at 68 ]

(Photo by Robert Mora/Getty Images)

Nora Ephron

(1941-2012)

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Nora Ephron, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker and director behind such hits as "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle," has passed away, CBS News has learned.

Dr. Gail Roboz, Ephron's oncologist, told CBS News she died at 7:40 p.m. ET from acute myeloid leukemia at Weil-Cornell/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Nicholas Latimer of Alfred A. Knopf confirmed to the Associated Press earlier Tuesday her deteriorating condition hours after celebrity columnist and friend Liz Smith published what appeared to be a memorial for the writer.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

R.C. Owens

(1933-2012)

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) – R.C. Owens, a longtime 49ers front office man and eight-year NFL wide receiver whose impressive leaping ability earned him the nickname “Alley Oop” and helped popularize the phrase, died Monday, June 18, 2012. He was 78.

[ READ MORE: Former 49ers Receiver, Executive R.C. Owens Dead At 78 ]

(Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

Rodney King

(1965-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A publicist for Rodney King confirmed on Sunday, June 17th, that he has died at the age of 47.

King became known worldwide back in 1991 when his arrest and beating by Los Angeles police officers was captured on videotape. The officers involved in that incident were acquitted the following year.

The announcement of the verdict led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

[ READ MORE: Rodney King Found Dead, Says Publicist ]

(Photo by ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP/GettyImages)

Yvette Wilson

(1964-2012)

(CBS News) Actress Yvette Wilson of the '90s sitcom "Moesha" has died after battling cervical cancer, according to reports. She was 48. A friend of the actress told CNN that Wilson died on Thursday around 7 p.m.

[ READ MORE: "Moesha" actress Yvette Wilson dies ]

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Ann Rutherford

(1920-2012)

(CBS/AP) Ann Rutherford, the demure brunette actress who played the sweetheart in the long-running Andy Hardy series and Scarlett O'Hara's youngest sister in "Gone With the Wind," died Monday, June 11, 2012. She was 94.

[ READ MORE: "Gone With the Wind" Actress Ann Rutherford Dies ]

(Photo by Katy Winn/Getty Images)

Bob Welch

(1945-2012)

(CBS/AP) Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who also had a solo career, died Thursday, June 7th of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Nashville police say. He was 65.

[ READ MORE: Former member of Fleetwood Mac Bob Welch found dead ]

(Photo credit: Last.FM

Ray Bradbury

(1920-2012)

(CBS/AP) Ray Bradbury, the writer best known for his dystopian novel "Fahrenheit 451," died Tuesday night, June 5th in Los Angeles. He was 91.


[ READ MORE: Ray Bradbury Dead At 91 ]

(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)

Kathryn Joosten

(1939 – 2012)

Kathryn Joosten, a veteran character actress who played the crotchety, nosey Karen McCluskey on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," has died. She was 72.

Publicist Nadine Jolson said Joosten, who had battled lung cancer for years, died Saturday, June 2, 2012 in Los Angeles.


[ READ MORE: "Desperate Housewives" Actress Joosten Dies ]

(Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

Richard Dawson

(1932-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) - Richard Dawson, the wisecracking British entertainer who was among the schemers in the 1960s TV comedy "Hogan's Heroes" and a decade later began kissing thousands of female contestants as host of the game show "Family Feud" has died. He was 79.

Dawson, also known to TV fans as the Cockney prisoner-of-war Cpl. Peter Newkirk on "Hogan's Heroes," died Saturday night from complications related to esophageal cancer at Ronald Reagan Memorial Hospital, his son Gary said.

The game show, which initially ran from 1976 to 1985, pitted families who tried to guess the most popular answers to poll questions such as "What do people give up when they go on a diet?"

Dawson won a daytime Emmy Award in 1978 as best TV game show host. Tom Shales of The Washington Post called him "the fastest, brightest and most beguilingly caustic interlocutor since the late great Groucho bantered and parried on `You Bet Your Life.'" The show was so popular it was released as both daytime and syndicated evening versions.

He was known for kissing each woman contestant, and at the time the show bowed out in 1985, executive producer Howard Felsher estimated that Dawson had kissed "somewhere in the vicinity of 20,000."

"I kissed them for luck and love, that's all," Dawson said at the time.
He reprised his game show character in a much darker mood in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film "The Running Man," playing the host of a deadly TV show set in a totalitarian future, where convicts try to escape as their executioners stalk them. "Saturday Night Live" mocked him in the 1970s, with Bill Murray portraying him as leering and nasty, even slapping one contestant (John Belushi) for getting too fresh.

The British-born actor already had gained fame as the fast-talking Newkirk in "Hogan's Heroes," the CBS comedy about prisoners in a Nazi POW camp who hoodwink their captors and run the place themselves.

Despite its unlikely premise, the show made the ratings top 10 in its first season, 1965-66, and ran until 1971.

Both "Hogan's Heroes" and "Family Feud" have had a second life in recent years, the former on DVD reissues and the latter on cable television's GSN, formerly known as the Game Show Network.

On Dawson's last "Family Feud" in 1985, the studio audience honored him with a standing ovation, and he responded: "Please sit down. I have to do at least 30 minutes of fun and laughter and you make me want to cry."

"I've had the most incredible luck in my career," he told viewers.

"I never dreamed I would have a job in which so many people could touch me and I could touch them," he said. That triggered an unexpected laugh.

Producers brought out "The New Family Feud," starring comedian Ray Combs, in 1988. Six years later, Dawson replaced Combs at the helm, but that lasted only one season.

According to the Internet Movie Database, Dawson was born Colin Lionel Emm in 1932 in Gosport, England. His first wife was actress Diana Dors, the blond bombshell who was Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)(credit: Newsmakers/Getty Images)

Doc Watson

(1923-2012)

Doc Watson, the Grammy-award winning folk musician whose lightning-fast style of flatpicking influenced guitarists around the world for more than a half-century, died Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at a hospital in Winston-Salem, according to a hospital spokeswoman and his manager. He was 89.


[ READ MORE: Doc Watson, folk guitar master, dead at 89 ]

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Janet Carroll

(1940-2012)

(CBS/AP) Janet Carroll, who played the mother of Tom Cruise's character in the 1983 film "Risky Business," died. She was 71.



Carroll's son, George Brown, said the actress died Tuesday, May 22, 2012 in New York after a long illness.



Born in Chicago, the classically-trained actress worked steadily since that breakthrough role with Cruise in 1983. Her film credits include "Family Business," with Sean Connery and Matthew Broderick, and "Memories of Me" with Billy Crystal.



[ READ MORE: Janet Carroll, "Risky Business" mom, dead at 71 ]

(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Robin Gibb

(1949-2012)

LONDON (CBS/AP) - Robin Gibb, a founding member of the Bee Gees who helped propel the group to international stardom, died Sunday, May 20, 2012. He was 62.

Gibb's representative Doug Wright announced in a statement that Gibb passed away Sunday "following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery."

Gibb was one of three brothers whose soaring falsetto harmonies helped power such hits as "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever."

[ READ MORE: Robin Gibb, Bee Gees star, dies at 62 ]

(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Donna Summer

(1948-2012)

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Singer Donna Summer, whose songs defined the music of the Disco 70's died, May 17, 2012 after a battle with cancer, according to her family.

[ READ MORE: Disco Queen Donna Summer Dead At 63 In Florida ]

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Vidal Sassoon

(1928-2012)

Celebrity hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, whose 1960s wash-and-wear cuts freed women from endless teasing and hairspray, has died. He was 84.

[ READ MORE: Hairstyling Pioneer, Vidal Sassoon Dies At 84 ]

(Photo Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

Maurice Sendak

(1928-2012)

DANBURY, Conn. (CBS/AP) - Maurice Sendak, the children's book author and illustrator who saw the sometimes-dark side of childhood in books like "Where the Wild Things Are" and "In the Night Kitchen," died early Tuesday. He was 83.

Longtime friend and caretaker Lynn Caponera said she was with him when Sendak died at a hospital in Danbury, Conn. She said he had a stroke on Friday and never regained consciousness.

[ READ MORE: Maurice Sendak, author of "Where the Wild Things Are," dies at 83 ]

(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

George Lindsey

(1928-2012)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — George Lindsey, who spent nearly 30 years as the grinning Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Hee Haw," died, May 6, 2012. He was 83.

A press release from Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home in Nashville said Lindsay died early Sunday morning after a brief illness. Funeral arrangements were still being made.

Lindsey was the beanie-wearing Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" from 1964 to 1968 and its successor, "Mayberry RFD," from 1968 to 1971. He played the same jovial character — a service station attendant — on "Hee Haw" from 1971 until it went out of production in 1993.

[ READ MORE: George Lindsey, known as Goober Pyle, dies ]

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Adam "MCA" Yauch

(1964-2012)

Adam Yauch, also known as MCA of the iconic Brooklyn hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys, passed away Friday, May 4th after a long battle with cancer. He told fans about his condition in July of 2009 via a YouTube video.

[ READ MORE: Adam Yauch, MCA Of The Beastie Boys, Dead At Age 47 ]

(Photo by Donald Weber/Getty Images)

Junior Seau

(1969-2012)

OCEANSIDE, CA (CBS LA) — Former NFL and USC linebacker Junior Seau was found dead in his Oceanside home, TMZ reported Wednesday, May 2nd, citing multiple law enforcement sources.

Details surrounding his death are unclear; however authorities are investigating a shooting.

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that police received a 911 call reporting a possible suicide around 10 a.m.

[ READ MORE: Former Charger And USC Trojan Junior Seau Found Dead In Oceanside Home ]

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Jonathan Frid

(1924–2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Jonathan Frid, the actor who immortalized the campy vampire in the ’60s era daytime classic “Dark Shadows,” has died. Frid was 87.


[ READ MORE: Dark Shadows’ Star Jonathan Frid Dies At 87 ]

(credit: CBS LA/JonathanFrid.com)

Dick Clark

(1929 - 2012)

Television and radio personality Dick Clark died Wednesday after suffering a massive heart attack.

“Entertainment Icon Dick Clark passed away Wednesday morning, April 18th, 2012 at the age of 82 following a massive heart attack it was announced by his family,” his publicist said in a statement to CBS2. “Clark, 82, had entered St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica last night for an outpatient procedure. Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. He is survived by his wife Kari and his three children, RAC, Duane and Cindy.”


[ READ MORE: Dick Clark Dies From Massive Heart Attack At Age 82 ]

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Levon Helm

(1940-2012)

ALBANY, N.Y. (CBS SF/AP) - Levon Helm, a key member of the seminal rock group The Band who lent his distinctively Southern voice to classics like "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," has died at age 71.
Helm's website says he died peacefully Thursday afternoon, April 19th, 2012.

Helm and his band mates were musical virtuosos who mined the roots of American music in the late 1960s as other rockers veered into psychedelia, heavy metal and jams. The group's 1968 debut, "Music From the Big Pink," remains a landmark album of the era.

The Band bid farewell to live performances with a bang with its famous "Last Waltz" concert in 1976.

Some fans considered Richard Manuel The Band's lead singer. But for many admirers, that honor belonged to the short, feisty Helm.

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Mike Wallace

(1918-2012)

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) - CBS newsman Mike Wallace, the dogged, merciless reporter and interviewer who took on politicians, celebrities and other public figures in a 60-year career highlighted by the on-air confrontations that helped make "60 Minutes" the most successful prime-time television news program ever, has died. He was 93.

Wallace died Saturday, April 7th, CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco said. On CBS' "Face the Nation," host Bob Schieffer said Wallace died at a care facility in New Haven, Conn., where he had lived in recent years.

[ READ MORE: Remembering Mike Wallace 1918-2012 ]

(Photo by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)

Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade (Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Artist Thomas Kinkade, whose brushwork paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches have been big sellers for dealers across the United States, died Friday, April 6th, 2012, a family spokesman said.

Kinkade, 54, died at his home in Los Gatos of what appeared to be natural causes, David Satterfield said.

[ READ MORE: Artist Thomas Kinkade Dies In Los Gatos Home ]

(Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Warren Stevens

(1919-2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) - Actor Warren Stevens, who played "Doc" Ostrow in the 1956 sci-fi movie "Forbidden Planet," has died in Los Angeles.


Publicist Dale Olson says Stevens died Tuesday, March 27th of respiratory failure complicated by lung disease at his Sherman Oaks home. He was 92.


[ READ MORE: Warren Stevens, "Forbidden Planet" Actor, Dies At 92]


(Credit: Getty)

Earl Scruggs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CBS/AP) - Bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs, who helped profoundly change country music with Bill Monroe and later with guitarist Lester Flatt, died Wednesday, March 28th, 2012. He was 88.

[ READ MORE: Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs dies at 88 ]

(credit: Getty Images)

Khalil Shaheed

(1949-2012)

An Oakland jazz trumpeter famous for his ability to bridge distinct styles, died Friday after several years with lung cancer. Up until three weeks, ago, the 63-year-old was still teaching Oaktown Jazz Workshops, the youth music program he founded in 1994. He opened a downtown venue for workshop students named after his mother, Nadine, last year.

[ READ MORE: Legendary Oakland Jazz Trumpeter, Educator Khalil Shaheed Dies ]

(credit: healdsburgjazzfestival.org)

Michael Hossack

(1946–2012)

Longtime Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack, whose work is heard on the hits “Listen To The Music” and “China Grove,” died of cancer at age 65, his manager said.

Hossack died Monday, March 12th, 2012 at his home in Dubois, Wyo., manager Bruce Cohn said in a statement

Hossack played with the group – whose origins were in San Jose – from 1971 to 1973 and rejoined in 1987. He stopped performing with the band two years ago while struggling with his health, “Mike has always been a part of my musical life and the life of the Doobie Brothers,” said band co-founder Tom Johnston. “He was an incredible musician.”

[ READ MORE: Doobie Brothers Drummer Michael Hossack Dies Of Cancer ]

(credit: The Doobie Brothers)

Robert Sherman

(1925-2012)

LONDON (CBS/AP) - Robert B. Sherman, one half of the award-winning duo who penned memorable songs for "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" - as well "It's a Small World (After All)" - has died.

Sherman's agent, Stella Richards, said Tuesday that Sherman died peacefully in London on Monday, March 5, 2012. He was 86.


[ READ MORE: "It's a Small World" songwriter Robert Sherman dies at 86 ]

(credit: Getty Images)

Ralph McQuarrie

(1929-2012)

(CBS News) Ralph McQuarrie, the artist whose conceptual paintings were instrumental in designing the landmark “Star Wars” films, died Saturday, March 3rd at his home in Berkeley. He was 82.

[ READ MORE: “Star Wars” Designer Ralph McQuarrie Dead At 82 ]

[ PHOTOS: “Star Wars” art by Ralph McQuarrie ]

(credit: CBS/Lucasfilm LTD.)

Ronnie Montrose

(1947-2012)

Rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who formed the band that bore his name and performed with some of rock’s heavy hitters, has passed away.

His booking agent, Jim Douglas, says Montrose passed away at his home in Millbrae on Saturday. He was 64.

[ Bay Area Rock Guitarist Ronnie Montrose Dies At 64 ]

(Photo by David Klein/Getty Images)

Andrew Breitbart

(1969–2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) - Caustic commentator Andrew Breitbart was loved and hated. The conservative media publisher and activist who died Thursday, March 1st, was embraced by anti-tax, conservative tea partiers and reviled by liberals for his Internet investigations that brought down politicians and chastised mainstream journalism.

Breitbart's website, bigjournalism.com, said Thursday he died of natural causes. He was walking near his house in the Brentwood neighborhood shortly after midnight when he collapsed, said actor Orson Bean, his father-in-law. Breitbart is survived by his wife, Susannah Bean Breitbart, and four children. He was 43.

(Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Davy Jones

(1945-2012)

(CBS News) Monkees lead singer Davy Jones died February 29th, according to the medical examiner's office in Martin County, Fla. He was 66.


A spokesman at the medical office confirmed to CBSNews.com that it had received word of his death. "A possible autopsy may be performed after evaluation of the circumstances of the death and medical information," the spokesperson said. The website TMZ first reported the death, saying Jones had suffered a heart attack.


The Monkees member has been on the road and performed in New York City just this week.

[ READ MORE: 'Monkees' Lead Singer, Davy Jones Dead ]

[ More Photos at Alice @ 97.3 ]

(Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Gary Carter

(1954-2012)

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) - Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter, whose single for the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series touched off one of the most improbable rallies in baseball, died Thursday, February 16. He was 57.

Carter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last May, two weeks after finishing his second season as coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

He also added 12 years with the Expos and one apiece with the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Freddie Solomon

(1953—2012)

The former Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver who became known as “Fabulous Freddie” and committed himself to community service for decades, died Monday, February 13, 2012. He was 59.

[ READ MORE: Ex-49ers Receiver Freddie Solomon Dies ]

(Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

David Kelly

(1929–2012)

The Irish actor who played Grandpa Joe Bucket in the 2005 Tim Burton remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" died Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Kelly, also famous for his naked motorcycle ride in the 1998 film "Waking Ned Devine" died after a short illness.

Kelly's list of film credits also includes "The Italian Job" in 1969, "Into The West," "Laws of Attraction," "Stardust," and "Agent Cody Banks 2" (classic).

He was married to actress Laurie Morton and had two children. He was 82.

(Photo by ShowBizIreland.com/Getty Images)

Whitney Houston

(1963-2012)

LOS ANGELES - Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died, Saturday, February 11, 2012. She was staying at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. She was 48.

[ Bay Area Mourns Death Of Singer, Actress Whitney Houston, Dead At 48 ]

[ Singer Whitney Houston Dies At 48 ]

(credit: Last.FM)

Ben Gazzara

(1930–2012)

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) - Ben Gazzara, whose powerful dramatic performances brought an intensity to a variety of roles and made him a memorable presence in films, on television and on Broadway in the original "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," died on Friday, February 3rd at the age of 81.

Longtime family friend Suzanne Mados said Gazzara died Friday in Manhattan. Mados, who owned the Wyndham Hotel, where celebrities such as Peter Falk and Martin Sheen stayed, said he died after being placed in hospice care for cancer. She and her husband helped marry Gazzara and his wife at their hotel.

Read more...

(Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)

Don Cornelius

(1936-2012)

SHERMAN OAKS (CBS) — ”Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead in his Sherman Oaks home at 4:00am Wednesday morning, February 1st.


Law enforcement officials say Cornelius was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head, and TMZ is reporting that his death is being investigated as an apparent suicide.


Soul Train debuted in 1971 and ran until 2006.


Cornelius, who hosted the show from 1971 to 1993, ended each episode with: “And you can bet your last money, it’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I’m Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!”


Cornelius pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence in 2008, two years before he and his wife divorced.


Sources say he had been in poor health for the past few years.


He was 75 years old.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Ian Abercrombie

(1934–2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) - Ian Abercrombie (pictured left), a veteran British stage and screen actor whose TV roles included Elaine's boss Mr. Pitt on "Seinfeld" and the voice of Chancellor Palpatine in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," has died. He was 77.


A website statement from San Francisco-based LucasArts said Abercrombie died Friday. A friend, Cathy Lind Hayes, told the Los Angeles Times that he died at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of kidney failure and recently had been diagnosed with lymphoma.


"Though he played a villain on our show, you would be hard pressed to meet a kinder person," said Dave Filoni, a supervising director for "Clone Wars." "He loved to laugh and his sense of humor always lightened our record sessions. I will miss his stories, I will miss his performances, and I will miss his contribution to our show."


Abercrombie began his career as a dancer and made his American stage debut in a 1951 production of "Stalag 17."


He appeared in the film "Army of Darkness" and on such TV shows as "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Birds of Prey," in which he played Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler.


He also voiced the worldly owl Ambrose in the animated movie "Rango" starring Johnny Depp.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Robert Hegyes

(1951-2012)

METUCHEN, N.J. (AP) - Robert Hegyes, the actor best known for playing Jewish Puerto Rican student Juan Epstein on the 1970s TV show "Welcome Back Kotter" has died. He was 60.

The Flynn & Son Funeral Home in Fords, N.J., said it was informed of Hegyes' death Thursday, January 26, by the actor's family. Read more...

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: Robert Hegyes (pictured) accepts the 35th Anniversary Award for "Welcome Back, Kotter" onstage at the 9th Annual TV Land Awards at the Javits Center on April 10, 2011 in New York City.

(Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

James Farentino

(1938–2012)

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) - Actor James Farentino, named Golden Globes' most promising newcomer in 1967, died Tuesday in a Los Angeles hospital, according to a family spokesman. He was 73.


Brooklyn-born Farentino, who appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows and even earned an Emmy nod for his performance as Saint Peter, died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital after a long illness, said the spokesman, Bob Palmer.


He also had recurring roles on "Dynasty," "Melrose Place," "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers" and even played George Clooney's estranged father on "ER."


Read more...


(Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

Joe Paterno

(1926-2012)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CBS SF/AP) - Paterno, a sainted figure at Penn State for almost half a century but scarred forever by the child sex abuse scandal that brought his career to a stunning end, died Sunday, January 22nd at age 85.


His death came just over two months after his son Scott announced on November 18th that his father had been diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer. The cancer was found during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. A few weeks later, Paterno broke his pelvis after a fall but did not need surgery. Read more...

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Etta James

(1938–2012)

Etta James, the legendary singer whose enduring hits include “At Last” and “Tell Mama,” has died Friday, January 20, 2012 at the age of 73.

Etta James' performance of the enduring classic "At Last" was the embodiment of refined soul: Angelic-sounding strings harkened the arrival of her passionate yet measured vocals as she sang tenderly about a love finally realized after a long and patient wait.

Read More…

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Sarah Burke

(1982-2012)

Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke, who died Thursday, January 19, 2012 at the age of 29 in a Utah hospital, was remembered by competitors and friends as a pioneer among freeskiers who "inspired them to do greater things."

Read More…

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)