Stars we lost in 2019

The legendary fashion designer, who was creative director of Chanel, Fendi, and his eponymous line Karl Lagerfeld, died on Feb. 19 at the age of 85. The German-born Lagerfeld began designing for Fendi in 1965 and joined Chanel as creative director in 1983, reviving the famed fashion house founded by Coco Chanel. In addition to fashion design, Lagerfeld was a photographer and video director and worked with top models and actresses across the fashion industry and Hollywood.

The actor known for playing Neil Winters on TV’s most-watched daytime drama, The Young and the Restless, was found dead in his home Feb. 3. He was 52. St. John originated the role of Neil on Y&R in 1991. He won two Emmys for playing the makeup executive, who was best known for his tempestuous relationship with Drucilla Winters (played by Victoria Rowell). At the start of his TV career, St. John appeared in shows including Happy Days, Wonder Woman, and the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Later on, he had recurring roles on Diagnosis: Murder and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

The actress best known for her role as Kay Lawrence in the beloved 1954 monster movie Creature from the Black Lagoon died Feb. 3, at age 92. Her many other credits included 1965’s Elvis Presley-starring Tickle Me, Dennis Hopper’s 1971 film The Last Movie, the TV show Murder, She Wrote, and 2006’s Oliver Stone-directed World Trade Center.

The character actor died Jan. 30, at the age of 90. Miller was best known for his work in Terminator and Gremlins. He also appeared in several films directed by Roger Corman, including 1959’s A Bucket of Blood and 1960’s The Little Shop of Horrors. He later became a favorite of filmmaker Joe Dante, a Corman protégé, who cast Miller in 1978’s Piranha, 1981’s The Howling, both Gremlins films, and The ‘Burbs, among other projects. Miller also appeared in Chopping Mall and was the subject of the 2014 documentary That Guy Dick Miller.

The Grammy-winning R&B singer behind hits like “Yah Mo B There” and “I Don’t Have the Heart” died Jan. 29, at the age of 66. Ingram received two Grammys over the course of his career, which began in 1973, and numerous other nominations. “One Hundred Ways,” released in 1981, won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and his duet with Michael McDonald on “Yah Mo B There” won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1984. Ingram also contributed significantly to film music, lending vocals to An American Tail‘s “Somewhere Out There” and receiving Oscar nominations for “Look What Love Has Done,” from 1994’s Junior, and “The Day I Fall in Love,” from 1993’s Beethoven’s 2nd.

The Oscar-winning composer behind film scores to Yentl and The Thomas Crown Affair died Jan. 26, at age 86. Legrand, a notable jazz pianist, went on to win three Oscars, five Grammys, one Golden Globe, and one BAFTA Award over the course of his illustrious career. He won statuettes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for his work on 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair (starring Steve McQueen), 1971’s Summer of ’42 (starring Jennifer O’Neill), and 1983’s Yentl (starring Barbra Streisand). He was nominated for 10 others. Legrand also composed scores for The Three Musketeers (1973), the James Bond film Never Say Never (1983), Wuthering Heights (1970), and Le Mans (1971), in addition to winning Grammys for his jazz work, including a 1975 album with Phil Woods, Images.

The Pakistani-American chef, known for her appearance on season 15 of Top Chef, died in January from a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. She was 29. Ali was diagnosed in 2017, but she told PEOPLE she was “technically cancer-free” at Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic in July. In an intimate essay published in Bon Appetit in October, she divulged that her cancer had returned.

The artist and filmmaker behind 1996’s Black Kite died in January at 65. Andres was the wife of Boardwalk Empire actor Steve Buscemi. The two married in 1987 and enjoyed a 31-year marriage before her death. Their son, Lucian, was born in 1990.

The comedian died Jan. 22 from complications caused by pancreatitis. He was 32. Together with Lil Rey Howery and Josh Rabinowitz, Barnett created the sitcom Rel, which revolves around a Chicago nurse whose life is turned upside down when he discovers his wife is having an affair with his own barber. It launched in the fall of 2018 on Fox. Before Rel, Barnett also wrote for Comedy Central’s Broad City and NBC’s The Carmichael Show.

The actress, singer, and comedian died Jan. 21 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. She was 93. Ballard was  best known for her role on the NBC sitcom The Mothers-in-Law, opposite Eve Arden. She also appeared in the 1946 musical Three To Make Ready with The Wizard of Oz star Ray Bolger. After a stint in cabaret, she moved to the small screen, first by playing one of the two wicked stepsisters in the live telecast of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella featuring Julie Andrews in 1957. She was a regular on NBC’s The Perry Como Show and appeared on The Patty Duke Show before becoming a household name as Kaye Buell, a live wire whose son married her next-door neighbor’s daughter in The Mothers-in-Law. It aired from 1967 to 1969.

Tony Mendez, the spy whose involvement in the Iran hostage crisis inspired Ben Affleck’s Argo, died Jan. 19. He was 78. With his wife, Mendez co-wrote The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War, which chronicles their time serving as CIA operatives spying on Moscow during the Cold War in the 1970s. The book will be published on May 21. Mendez was also a founding member of the International Spy Museum.

The film producer died Jan. 20 at the age of 74. Some of Vajna’s most notable productions include Sylvester Stallone’s first three Rambo films. He also produced many films set in Hungary, such as 1996’s Evita starring Madonna. In 2005, he co-produced (alongside the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Lucy Liu) the documentary Freedom’s Fury, which told the story of the 1956 Olympic water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union. Since 2011, Vajna had been a political commissioner in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government, in charge of developing Hungary’s film industry.

The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner died Jan. 17 at age 83. Oliver’s poems, which often touched on themes of nature and spirituality, were infused with a joyfulness, a profound acceptance of the universe, that made her one of the most beloved poets in the country.

Carol Channing, the effervescent star who charmed audiences on Broadway and beyond, died of natural causes Jan. 15, at the age of 97. The three-time Tony Award winner was best known for starring as matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly!, a role she performed for more than 5,000 performances. She also starred as the gold-digging “little girl from Little Rock” Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, a role Marilyn Monroe would portray in the film version of the musical.

The Curb Your Enthusiasm actor died Jan. 2 at the age of 76. Einstein played Marty Funkhouser, a longtime friend who vexes Larry David in nearly two dozen episodes of the HBO comedy since making his debut in season 4. His last appearance came in the most recent season. (He was slated to be part of the upcoming 10th season but could not participate due to his declining health.)

His other credits include Roseanne, Ocean’s Thirteen, and Arrested Development, the latter of which he appeared in several episodes as the “surrogate” for an imprisoned George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor).

One half of the legendary 1970s pop duo Captain & Tennille, Dragon died Jan. 2 at the age of 76. Dragon’s ex-wife and musical partner, Toni Tennille, was reportedly by his side at the time of his death. Before becoming a star in his own right, Dragon was a keyboardist for the Beach Boys. Later, Tennille and Dragon began collaborating and producing hits like “Muskrat Love,” “Shop Around,” and “Do That to Me One More Time.”  In 1976, they won a Grammy for “Love Will Keep Us Together.”

The WWE personality known as “Mean Gene” died on Jan. 2 at the age of 76. Okerlund, who was nicknamed “Mean Gene” by wrestler-turned-Minnesota-governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura, started out his broadcasting career by interviewing the stars of the Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association in the ’80s before moving to the World Wrestling Federation (later renamed WWE) in 1984. He was also a ringside commentator and an occasional musician. He sang the national anthem at the first WrestleMania in 1985 and even contributed a cover of “Tutti Frutti” to WWE’s The Wrestling Album that same year.