Famous People Who Died in 2016

[Master]

Prince was my biggest shock.

[Gandalf]

The death of David Bowie was tough. I have been so close to that music since I was a kid. I bought every new release religiously. It's how I imagine people are when they go to church.

Blackstar was delivered to my home. I listened to it then learned he was dead. I was devastated.

It was an early portent that 2016 was going to be a bad year.

[X]

It's not too surprising if you think about it

it was television and radio which created the modern version of 'celebrity'. Previous to that, it was pretty impossible for anybody to become world famous within their lifetime.

Global TV really started in the late 1950's, so people who got on there became the first world celebrities. As it was the only medium for this there were less 'celebrities' than in our internet age, and thus more focus on them.

Naturally, that first generation are now in their seventies and are popping their clogs. The ones that died young were in the minority, so there isn't the cumulative effect we see now of many people naturally passing away at a proper age.

I am therefore not surprised. Statistically we should expect to see more celebrity deaths in the next few years, before the line smoothed out to become more uniform every year.

[erics44]

Victoria Wood

[Pastor John]

Alan Thicke just died

[Freedom]

Keith Emerson

Anton Yelchin

Paul Kantner

Paul Daniels

Terry Wogan

Bobby Chacon

Ronnie Corbett

Andrew Sachs

Pete Burns

Gene Wilder

Victoria Wood

Caroline Aherne

[Master]

Terry Wogan died once and Cliff Richards is still alive.