The world of entertainment said goodbye to some legends in 2019 — from ebullient musical comedy star Carol Channing to Carol Spinney, the man behind Big Bird.
There were farewells for British actor Albert Finney and U.S. TV pioneers Valerie Harper and Diahann Carroll. Hollywood paused to remember acting icons Peggy Lipton and Doris Day as well as Peter Mayhew, the towering actor, who played Chewbacca. “Boyz N the Hood” director John Singleton died in April after a stroke.
On Broadway, producing and directing titan Harold Prince was mourned, as was actress Phyllis Newman. The opera world lost a superstar in Jessye Norman.
The year also saw the untimely deaths of two young rappers — Nipsey Hussle and Juice WRLD. In the world of rock, singers and musicians Ric Ocasek and Eddie Money died. Fashion superstar Karl Lagerfeld, author Judith Krantz and TV star Luke Perry of “Beverly Hills, 90210” fame, also died in 2019.