Country music legend Sonny James dies at 87

Debbie Reynolds, one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1950s and 1960s, died December 28, one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, passed away. She was 84.

Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchises, died December 27, according to her daughter's publicist. Fisher had suffered a cardiac event on December 23. She was 60 years old.

Actor and comedian Ricky Harris, who was a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and first gained attention on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," died December 26, according to his publicist. He was 54.

Singer George Michael, who shot to fame with the '80s band Wham!, died on Christmas Day, according to Britain's Press Association. He was 53 years old.

English novelist Richard Adams, author of the famous children's book "Watership Down," died at the age of 96 on December 24.

Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian beauty whose many marriages, gossipy adventures and occasional legal scuffles kept her in tabloid headlines for decades, died December 18, said her former longtime publicist Ed Lozzi. She was 99.

Craig Sager, the longtime Turner Sports sideline reporter best known for his colorful -- and at times fluorescent -- wardrobe, died December 15 after battling acute myeloid leukemia, the network said. He was 65.

Actor Alan Thicke, known for his role as the father in the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on December 13, according to his agent, Tracy Mapes. He was 69. Thicke's career spanned five decades -- one in which he played various roles on and off screen, from actor to writer to composer to author.

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died December 8, according to the Ohio State University. He was 95.

Joseph Mascolo, the actor who portrayed archvillain Stefano DiMera in the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died December 7 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, the network said. He was 87.

Greg Lake, a founding member of influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died December 7 after a bout with cancer, his manager said. He's seen here at left with bandmates Keith Emerson, center, and Carl Palmer in 1972.

Actor Ron Glass, known for his role on the police sitcom "Barney Miller," died November 25, his agent said. Glass also starred in "Firefly" and its film sequel "Serenity."

Florence Henderson, whose "Brady Bunch" character Carol Brady was one of television's most famous mothers, died November 24 at the age of 82, her manager, Kayla Pressman, said.

Sharon Jones, the powerful lead singer of the Dap-Kings, died November 18 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, manager Alex Kadvan told CNN. She was 60.

Gwen Ifill, the veteran journalist and newscaster who co-anchored "PBS NewsHour," died after a battle with endometrial cancer, according to PBS on November 14. She was 61.

Leon Russell, who emerged as a rock 'n' roll star in the 1970s after working behind the scenes as a session pianist for other musicians, died November 13, his wife told CNN. He was 74.

Robert Vaughn, who played a slick spy on TV's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", died November 11, his manager, Matthew Sullivan, told CNN. Vaughn was 83.

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page on November 10. A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs, including the often-covered "Hallelujah."

Janet Reno, the first female US attorney general, died November 7 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, her sister Maggy Hurchalla said. Reno, 78, served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 2001.

Tom Hayden, a peace activist whose radical views helped spur the anti-Vietnam War movement, died October 23. He was 76.

Actor and comedian Kevin Meaney, who had been a regular on late-night TV and was famous for delivering the line, "That's not right," died, his agent said October 21. Meaney's age and the cause of death weren't immediately known.

Phil Chess, the co-founder of the iconic rock-and-roll and blues label Chess Records, died October 18, according to his son. He was 95. Phil and his brother Leonard founded Chess Records in the late 1940s and helped spawn the careers of many popular musicians in the 1950s.

Dylan Rieder, a professional skateboarder and model, died on October 12 due to complications from leukemia, according to his father. He was 28.

Actor Tommy Ford, best known for his role as Tommy in the 1990s hit sitcom "Martin," died in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for his family announced on October 12. Ford was 52.

Award-winning author Gloria Naylor, whose explorations of the lives of black women in the 1980s and 1990s earned her wide acclaim, died on September 28. She was 66.

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer, who helped turn the sport from a country club pursuit to one that became accessible to the masses, died September 25 at the age of 87, according to the U.S. Golf Association.

Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident September 25, Florida authorities said. He was 24.

Veteran actor Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing" and Robbie Robertson in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, died September 24 at age 63.

Grammy and Emmy Award winner Stanley Dural Jr., also known as Buckwheat Zydeco, died September 24 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was 68.

"L.A. Confidential" director and writer Curtis Hanson, 71, died of natural causes on September 20, Los Angeles police said. He won an Oscar with Brian Helgeland for the screenplay on "L.A. Confidential," and he also directed "8 Mile" and "Wonder Boys."

Charmian Carr, best known for her role as Liesl in "The Sound of Music," died September 17 at the age of 73, according to her family. Carr died of complications from a rare form of dementia.

W.P. Kinsella, the author of "Shoeless Joe," the award-winning novel that became the film "Field of Dreams," died at 81 on September 16.

Legendary playwright Edward Albee -- whose works included "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" -- died at the age of 88 after a short illness, according to his personal assistant Jakob Holder. Albee died September 16 at his home in Montauk, New York.

Actress and transgender rights activist Alexis Arquette died September 11. She was 47.

The Lady Chablis, the unabashed Savannah, Georgia, transgender queen who became a gay icon after finding fame in the 1990s through the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" book and movie, died September 8. She was 59.

Actor Hugh O'Brian, best known for his portrayal of the title role in the 1950's TV Western "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," died on September 5. He was 91.

Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.

Fred Hellerman, a singer and composer who was the last surviving member of the iconic and influential folk music quartet the Weavers, died September 1 at the age of 89. He is on the right along with the other members of his quartet.

Actor Gene Wilder, who brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s, died August 29 at the age of 83. Some of his most famous films include "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."

Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel, who wooed audiences with soulful pop ballads that made him a Latin American music legend, died August 28 at the age of 66.

Actor Steven Hill, best known for playing District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC's "Law & Order," died August 23, his son confirmed to CNN. He was 94.

Matt Roberts, former guitarist of the band 3 Doors Down, died August 21, his father said. Roberts, seen here at center, was 38. A cause of death was not immediately known.

British actor Kenny Baker, best known for playing R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, died on August 13, Baker's niece, Abigail Shield, told CNN. He was 81.

Famous New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain died August 6 of heart failure. He was 86.

Actor David Huddleston, perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," died August 2 at the age of 85.

Youree Dell Harris, better known as "Miss Cleo," the pitchwoman for the Psychic Readers Network, died July 26 of cancer, according to an attorney for her family. She was 53.

Timothy LaHaye, the evangelical minister and co-author of the "Left Behind" book series, died July 26 following a massive stroke. He was 90 years old. Here, he is seen at left with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins in 2004.

Garry Marshall, who created popular TV shows such as "Mork and Mindy" and "Happy Days" and directed hit films such as "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries," died July 19 at the age of 81, his publicist said.

Actress Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV version of "Superman," died July 3 at the age of 95.

Director Michael Cimino, whose searing 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter" won five Oscars, including best picture, died July 2. He was 77.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died at the age of 87 on July 2. Wiesel's book "La Nuit" is the story of the Wiesel family being sent to Nazi concentration camps.

Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley's career, died at the age of 84 on June 28. Moore is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Pat Summitt, who built the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers into a perennial power on the way to becoming the winningest coach in the history of major college basketball, died June 28 at the age of 64. Her death came five years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Bill Cunningham, one of the most recognizable figures at The New York Times and in all of New York, died June 25 at the age of 87. Cunningham was a street-life photographer; a cultural anthropologist; a fixture at fashion events; and a celebrity in spite of his desire to keep the camera focused on others, not himself.

Bluegrass music pioneer Ralph Stanley died June 23 at the age of 89, publicist Kirt Webster announced on Stanley's official website. Stanley was already famous in bluegrass and roots music circles when the 2000 hit movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" thrust him into the mainstream. He provided a haunting a cappella version of the dirge "O Death" and ended up winning a Grammy.

Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the most recent "Star Trek" movies, died June 19 after a freak car accident outside his home, police said. He was 27.

Actor Ron Lester, who portrayed Billy Bob in the 1999 football movie "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at the age of 45, according to his representative Dave Bradley. Bradley said Lester died of organ failure -- specifically his liver and his kidneys. Lester had openly talked about his struggle with his illness on Twitter.

Singer Attrell Cordes, known as Prince Be of the music duo P.M. Dawn, died June 17 after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to a statement from the group. He was 46.

Michu Meszaros, the actor who played "Alf" in the popular '80s sitcom, died June 12, according to his longtime friend and manager Dennis Varga. Meszaros was 77.

Singer Christina Grimmie died June 11 from gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old singer, who finished third on season 6 of "The Voice" on NBC, was shot while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.

Hockey legend Gordie Howe, left, scored 801 goals in his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at the age of 88, his son Marty said.