In 2024, we have sadly lost a number of notable figures from the arts and entertainment community. Read on to see which stars we bid farewell to this year with our list of all the celebrity deaths of this year…
Susan Duncan passed away on November 30, 2024.
“Beloved daughter of Norman and Jean, adored sister of John, sister-in-law to Jan. ‘I told you that you looked crook!’ I will miss the banter. Love you, Dolly,” Susan’s obituary read.
Susan was the author of several popular books, including Salvation Creek, and a former editor of The Weekly.
Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen
Former Bee Gees member Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen passed away on November 19, aged 78.
Smiley was the first non-Gibb brother to become an official member of the Bee Gees, and he played on the albums Bee Gees’ 1st, Horizontal, Idea, Odessa and Cucumber Castle.
The Australian drummer left the band in 1969 but the Gibb brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice — always credited Smiley for contributing to their signature ‘sound’.
Smiley is survived by his ex-wife Joanne Newfield and their sons Jaime, born in 1971, and Ben, born in 1976.
Portrait of actor Timothy West, ‘King Edward VII’ in the new television series ‘Edward the Seventh’, circa 1975. (Photo by Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Legendary British actor Timothy West has passed away at the age of 90.
Timothy is survived by his wife, Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales and their children Juliet (from a previous marriage to actress Jacqueline Boyer), Samuel and Joseph, and his sister, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Timothy has been Prunella’s primary carer after she received a dementia diagnosis in 2014. The couple were married for 61 years and starred in the television series Great Canal Journeys together.
Timothy was a prolific stage and television actor – best known for his roles on soap operas Coronation Street and EastEnders. He made his stage debut at the Piccadilly Theatre in 1959 and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for three seasons among other notable theatre companies.
Timothy and Prunella were friends with Queen Camilla and attended her and King Charles‘ wedding in 2005.
Quincy Jones passed away, aged 91, on November 3, 2024. His family shared the sad news in a statement that read:
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Quincy, who worked as a record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer, had a seriously impressive career.
For instance, he produced music for Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Donna Summer, and was behind the hit show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Tributes instantly began pouring in for Quincy. Paul McCartney wrote on Instagram, “He was supremely talented, and I felt privileged to have known him for many years.”
Michael Caine, who was born on the same day as Quincy (March 14, 1933), wrote on X, “My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world. He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”
Teri Garr, the actress who was Oscar-nominated for her performance as Sandy Lester in the 1982 comedy Tootsie, sadly passed away on October 29, 2024, after a long battle with multiple sclerosis (MS).
She was 79 years old.
Teri first shared her MS diagnosis in 2002 and underwent emergency brain aneurysm surgery in 2006. Shortly after her surgery, Teri became a spokeswoman for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Teri starred in a myriad of projects including Friends, Young Frankenstein, Mr Mom, Out Cold and nine Elvis Presley films, like Viva Las Vegas and Roustabout.
Anwar Hussein, the photographer renowned for his many iconic images of the British royal family, passed away on September 23, 2024. However, his family only shared the news publicly on October 8.
“Our family is completely heartbroken as we come to terms with Anwar’s passing,” the Hussein family told People.
“We are however grateful that he lived a full and amazing life, always on his own terms.”
Anwar rose to fame for capturing both private and public moments of the royal family. His most famous images were of Princess Diana at her most unguarded – 140 of Anwar’s Diana images were displayed in the special exhibit, Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition, which came to Australia late last year.
Cissy Houston died on October 7, 2024. She was 91 years old.
Cissy was a Grammy Award-winning soul and gospel singer and worked with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Beyonce and several other notable stars during her decades-long career.
Furthermore, the late singer was also the mother of Whitney Houston – Whitney became a household name thanks to her numerous hits like I Will Always Love You and I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me). Whitney died in 2012, aged 48.
Pat Houston – Cissy’s daughter-in-law – announced the sad news of Cissy’s passing and said, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family.
“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
(Credit: Getty Images)
Country Music legend and actor Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88.
A representative confirmed the singer-songwriter passed away peacefully on September 28 in his home.
In his earlier years, Kris served in the US Army as a helicopter pilot while continuing his passion for music which ultimately saw him retire from active duty.
Kris’ music career took off when his songs began to be covered by names such as Johnny Cash, Bill Nash, Ray Price and Al Green.
However, his biggest success came from Me and Bobby McGee released on Janis Joplin’s album Pearl. The song reached number one and received two Grammy nominations.
Kris’ acting success was followed by his big break in the 1976 remake of A Star is Born alongside Barbra Streisand.
Today, Kris is survived by his wife Lisa Kristofferson, his eight children, and his seven grandchildren.
Kathryn Crosby (née Grant), actress, singer and widow of the late singer Bing Crosby, died on September 20, 2024. She was 90 years old.
Kathryn starred in multiple movies during her career including The Wild Party and Anatomy of a Murder. She also hosted The Kathryn Crosby Show and regularly appeared on her husband’s Merrie Olde Christmas specials.
After meeting on the set of the 1954 film White Christmas, Kathryn and Bing married in 1957. Bing passed away in 1977.
Kathryn is survived by her and Bing’s three children, Harry, Mary and Nathaniel, as well as several grandchildren.
Hollywood icon and EGOT winner James Earl Jones sadly died on September 9, 2024, aged 93.
The actor was best known for voicing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy and Mufasa in The Lion King. He passed at his home in Dutchess County, New York.
James paved the way for people of colour in the industry. He was the second black actor to receive an Oscar nomination after Sidney Poitier and he was one of the first black actors to play leading characters in professional productions of Shakespeare plays.
“If it bothers someone that I’m black and playing Lear, it isn’t because there’s something wrong with me. It’s their problem,” he told People in 1974.
Other notable projects James starred in during his 50+ year career include Field of Dreams, Coming to America, The Great White Hope and Claudine.
Phil Donahue, the iconic daytime talk show host, passed away on August 18, 2024, aged 88.
Dubbed “the king of daytime talk,” Phil was one of the first to ever tackle ‘taboo’ topics on television — including alcoholism, abortion, the sexual revolution and race relations.
Phil’s family confirmed he died after a long illness.
Actress Marlo Thomas took to Instagram to pen a heartwarming tribute to Phil – her husband of 44 years.
“I’m sure by now you’ve heard the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night,” she wrote.
“So I know you understand that I’ll be stepping away from this page for a while to take care of myself and the many people who took care of Phil, and held him close to their hearts. But I didn’t want to disappear without saying thank you for the beautiful messages of love and support that have been coming in all day, and for the wonderful and generous way that you’ve let Phil and me share our life adventure with you over the years.
“As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you’ve been sharing.”
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Legendary actress Gena Rowlands, known worldwide for her collaborations with her late husband, filmmaker John Cassavetes, and her trailblazing roles in films like A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria, has passed away at the age of 94.
Rowlands passed away at her home in Indian Wells, California, on August 14th. She was surrounded by family. No cause of death has been made public at this stage.
Rowlands’ career spanned over six decades. She earned multiple awards and accolades and she was best known for her lead role in The Notebook. She is survived by her children, Nick, Alexandra and Zoe Cassavetes.
Janet Andrewartha died in her sleep, aged 72, with her daughters – Eloise and Sarah – by her side on July 26.
The actress was best known for playing Lyn Scully in Neighbours but also starred in All Saints, Prisoner and Fake.
Tributes for Janet quickly rolled in. Her Neighbours co-star Jackie Woodburne wrote on social media, “Janet was one of the finest actors of her generation, but more than that, she was an extraordinary woman.
“Passionate, political, curious, delightfully eccentric, generous and fun. To me she was a steadfast friend for over 45 years. I will miss her every day.”
Stefan Dennis, who plays Paul Robinson on Neighbours, also expressed his sadness online.
“So very upset to lose the lovely Janet. As Jackie said, she truly was an exceptional actress who was a pleasure work with and to be around. We will all miss you dear girl,” he wrote.
LOS ANGELES – 1982: Actor Bob Newhart poses for a portrait in 1982 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
Bob Newhart sadly passed away at the age of 94. According to his publicist, he suffered a series of short illnesses. Bob passed on July 18 in his Los Angeles home.
The beloved actor and comedian was best known for his dry comedy on the CBS series The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart. More recently, he was recognised for his role in the Christmas comedy, ELF.
Speaking to People in 2020, Bob spoke about his career and the legacy he’ll leave behind.
“I have a theory that when it’s all over … and you go up — (if) I’ve been led to believe to heaven — and there’s a God and he says, ‘What did you do?’ (And) I say, ‘I made people laugh,’ (He will say,) ‘Yeah, get in that real short line over there.’ “
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Beloved 80s fitness icon, Richard Simmons passed away just days after celebrating his 76th birthday.
Richard became a household name after pioneering at-home workouts with a chirpy and flamboyant regime of instructional videos. News of his passing has been confirmed by one of Richard’s representatives according to the US-based ABC News. Despite largely retreating from the public eye over the last decade, Richard remained active and had a large social presence, even posting as recently as his birthday last Friday where he thanked his fans for the well-wishes.
“I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” Richard wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
(Photo from ABC)
Noeline Donaher sadly died in May 2023 but the news of her death only came to light in June of this year.
Considered by many Australia’s first reality star, Noeline rose to fame because of the 1992 series Sylvania Waters, a reality show that followed her, her husband Laurie and their family fly-on-the-wall style as they went about their everyday life.
At the time, Sylvania Waters faced severe criticism. Many, including the Sydney Morning Herald, believed the show depicted the Donaher family (and by extension, all Australians) as “materialistic, argumentative and heavy-drinking”.
However, today, many praise Sylvania Waters for paving the way for the reality genre, and Noeline herself for inspiring the iconic Aussie character Kath Day-Knight from Kath & Kim.
In 1993, Noeline released a single called No Regrets and then a book called The Sylvania Waters Diary, before stepping out of the public eye.
Noeline’s son, Mick, shared the news of her death via Facebook on May 30, 2023. “Dad has asked me to share with you all the sad news that Noeline Donaher, his partner of over 40yrs, recently passed away,” he wrote.
