Shecky Greene, legendary stand-up comedian, dead at 97
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Shecky Greene: The stand-up comedian who for many years was one of the biggest stars in Las Vegas, died Dec. 31. He was 97. (John Lamparski/WireImage)
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
LAS VEGAS — Shecky Greene, a legendary stand-up comedian who was a headliner on the Las Vegas nightclub scene and worked with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, died Sunday. He was 97.
Greene died at his home in Las Vegas, his daughter, Alison Greene, told The New York Times. His wife, Marie Musso Greene, also confirmed the comedian’s death to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The comic was a frequent guest on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” But his real strength was in his high-energy, frenetic comedy routine that played well in Vegas, according to the newspaper.
Shecky Greene, Legendary Las Vegas Standup Comedian Who Worked With Sinatra and Elvis, Dies at 97 https://t.co/hA7FP8WwEg
Greene worked as an opening act for Sinatra and for Presley in Las Vegas, Variety reported. He was a guest on “The Tonight Show” more than 60 times and sat in for Carson several times as a guest host, according to the entertainment news website.
He was also a guest host on “The Mike Douglas Show” and “The Merv Griffin Show” and appeared on “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” Variety reported.
Greene also was a favorite on the game show circuit, appearing on “Tattletales,” “Hollywood Squares” and “Match Game,” according to Variety.
In Las Vegas, Greene used his ad-libbing talents, made faces, sang and did impressions, doing just about anything for a laugh, the Times reported.
“I wasn’t an A-B-C-D comic. ‘Hello, ladies and gentlemen’ and then the next line,” Greene told comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff in 2011, according to the newspaper.
Fred Sheldon Greenfield was born on April 8, 1926, in Chicago and legally changed his name to Shecky Greene in 2004, long after his career had ended, the Times reported.
The comic, who lived in Las Vegas since the 1950s, made his last ticketed performances at the South Point Showroom in 2011, the Review-Journal reported. But he would still do shortened versions of his act in places like the Italian American Club and the Omelet House, according to the newspaper.
A versatile performer, Greene also appeared on television series like “Combat!” according to Variety. He also had guest roles on “Love, American Style,” “The Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Fall Guy,” “The A-Team,” “Trapper John, MD,” “Roseanne” and “Mad About You.”
On the big screen, Greene appeared in “Splash,” Mel Brooks’ “History of the World: Part I” and “Tony Rome.”
Greene was just as unpredictable off stage, with bouts of drinking and gambling, the Times reported.
“I should have been fired maybe 150 times in Las Vegas,” Greene told the Las Vegas Sun in 1996. “I was only fired 130 times.”
Greene also drove his car into the fountain in front of Caesars Palace in 1968, according to the Times.
Presley appeared with Greene at the New Frontier hotel-casino in early 1956, the Journal-Review reported.
“Before then, it was all country and western. We had horses in the middle of the street,” Greene said in a 2021 Review-Journal story. “But when (Elvis) came in, it had started to be a dressy crowd and everything.”
Elvis and Greene eventually switched spots in the lineup, with Presley becoming the opening act.
Reflecting on his career to The Washington Times in 2017, he wondered “Why did I do this and that?”
“At 90 I still don’t know. Once in a while I’ll have a nice sleep,” he said. “Most nights I wake up yelling, ‘Why did I do that?’
“Life is strange, but if you’ve had a mixture of a life like I had, it’s all right.”
0 of 189
Fred White: The Earth, Wind & Fire drummer died on Jan. 1. He was 67. (Rob Verhorst/Redferns via Getty Images, File)
Lola 'Gangsta Boo' Mitchell: The pioneering rapper and former member of the hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia died on Jan. 1 at the age of 43. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Republic Records)
Jeff Beck: The guitarist, who won seven Grammy Awards and began his rise to fame with the Yardbirds during the 1960s, died Jan. 10. He was 78. ( Venla Shalin/Redferns)
Lisa Marie Presley: The only child of Elvis Presley, who later became a singer-songwriter and was married to pop superstar Michael Jackson, died Jan. 12. She was 54. (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
Robbie Bachman: The drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive died Jan. 12. He was 69. (David Redfern/Redferns)
C.J. Harris: The singer, who made it into the top six on "American Idol" season 13, died Jan. 15. He was 31. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Gina Lollobrigida: The Italian actress, called the "most beautiful woman in the world" and nicknamed "La Lollo," died Jan. 16 at the age of 95. (les Films Corona / Roger Corbeau/Corbis via Getty Images)
David Crosby: A singer-songwriter who was a key member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, died Jan. 18. He was 81. (Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Van Conner: The Screaming Trees bassist died Jan. 18. He was 55. (Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)
Cindy Williams: The "Laverne and Shirley" actress, right, shown with co-star Penny Marshall, died Jan. 25. She was 75. (George Brich/AP)
Lisa Loring: The child actress who played Wednesday in 1960s television series "The Addams Family" died on Jan. 28. She was 64. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Con)
Burt Bacharach: The composer, songwriter and musician noted for "I Say a Little Prayer," and won Academy Awards in 1970, for the score of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and for the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” died Feb. 8. He was 94. (Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
Cody Longo: The actor, known for his role on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died Feb. 8. He was 34. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Raquel Welch: The actress, noted for her roles in “Fantastic Voyage,” “One Million Years B.C.” and "Kansas City Bomber," died Feb. 15. She was 82. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Stella Stevens: The actress, who starred with Jerry Lewis in "The Nutty Professo," and with Elvis Presley in “Girls! Girls! Girls!” died Feb. 17. She was 84. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Barbara Bosson: The actress, who portrayed Fay Furillo on "Hill Street Blues," died Feb. 18. She was 83. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Richard Belzer: The comedian and "Law & Order" actor died Feb. 19. He was 78. (Bobby Bank/WireImage, File)
Ricou Browning: The actor, who played the underwater character "Gill-man" in the 1954 movie, “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and its sequels, died Feb. 27. He was 93. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images )
Topol: The actor, who played milkman Tevye and sang about tradition in "Fiddler on the Roof," died March 8. He was 87. (GAB Archive/Redferns)
Costa Titch The rapper died after collapsing on stage at a show in South Africa on March 11. He was 27. (Gallo Images/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Bobby Caldwell: The singer, noted for "What You Won't Do for Love," died March 11. He was 71. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images, File)
Jim Gordon: The session drummer, who co-wrote the hit "Layla" and was later convicted of murder, died on March 13. He was 77. (Keith Morris/Redferns)
Sharon Acker: The actress, who starred in the 1967 film "Point Blank" and made many appearances on television series through the years, died March 16. She was 87. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Peter Werner: The director, shown with Cybill Shepherd on the set of "Moonlighting," directed the TV series and won an Oscar for a short film. He died March 21 at the age of 76. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Wayne Swinny: One of the founding members of Saliva and the band's lead guitarist died March 22 after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 59. (Barry Brecheisen/WireImage)
Tom Leadon: The guitarist, who co-founded Mudcrutch with Tom Petty in the pre-Heartbreakers era during the early 1970s, died March 22. He was 70. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Chabelo: Xavier López, better known by his stage name of Chabelo, entertained children for nearly five decades on television. He died March 25 at the age of 88. (Hector Vivas/Jam Media/LatinContent via Getty Images)
Christo Jivkov: The actor, who played the apostle John in the 2004 film, "The Passion of the Christ," died March 31. He was 48. (Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)
Paul Cattermole: The member of British pop group S Club died April 6. He was 47. (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images For XIX Management, File)
Lasse Wellander: The guitarist, who toured with ABBA, died April 7. He was 70. (Gus Stewart/Gus Stewart)
Michael Lerner: The Oscar-nominated actor, who played many different characters on television and in films, died April 8. He was 81. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Elizabeth Hubbard: The actress, who starred in the daytime dramas “The Doctors” and “As the World Turns,” died April 8. She was 89. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images /Getty Images)
Mark Sheehan: The Scripts co-founder and guitarist, left, died April 14. He was 46. (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Murray Melvin: The veteran actor, who appeared in the "Doctor Who" spinoff, "Torchwood" and had roles in “Phantom of the Opera" and Barry Lyndon, died April 14. He was 90. (Richard Keith Wolff/Avalon/Getty Images)
Ahmad Jamal: The jazz pianist, who influenced generations of musicians, died April 16. He was 92. (Paul Charbit/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Keith Nale: The firefighter, who was a two-time contestant on the reality television show “Survivor,” died April 18. He was 62. (CBS via Getty Images)
Otis Redding III; Otis Redding III, who became a musician in his own right despite the long shadow cast by his famous father, died April 18. He was 59. ( Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Otis Redding 75th Birthday Celebration)
Moonbin: The member of the South Korean K-pop band Astro died April 19. He was 25. (The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)
Barry Humphries: The Australian-born Tony Award-winning comedian, known internationally as Dame Edna, died April 22. He was 89. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
Harry Belafonte: The singer, actor and civil rights activist, known for his 1956 hit “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)," died April 25. He was 96. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Jerry Springer: The longtime television talk show host and onetime mayor of Cincinnati died April 27. He was 79. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Gordon Lightfoot: The Canadian folk singer, whose hits on the U.S. charts included "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," died May 1. He was 84. (Donald Kravitz/Getty Images)
Jacklyn Zeman: The "General Hospital" actress died May 9. She was 70. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Rolf Harris: The singer and television host in the United Kingdom known for the 1960s song “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” who was later a convicted sex offender, died on May 10. He was 93. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
Barry Newman: The actor, who drove hot rods across the U.S. in “The Vanishing Point” and played a defense attorney on the 1970s television crime drama “Petrocelli,” died May 11. He was 92. (Amanda Edwards/WireImage)
Samantha Weinstein: The actress and musician, who starred in the 2013 remake of "Carrie," died May 14. She was 28. (Jemal Countess)
Marlene Clark: Marlene Clark, was a character actress during the 1970s who appeared in several television series, including "Sanford and Son, died May 18. She was 85. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Andy Rourke: The bassist for the indie band The Smiths died May 19. He was 59. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for LilySarahGrace )
Lew Palter: The actor, who played a memorable role in "Titanic" and also taught and mentored thousands of aspiring actors for four decades, died May 21. He was 94. (CalArts School of Theater)
Ray Stevenson: The Irish actor known for his roles in the “Thor” films, “King Arthur,” “Rome” and the series “Ahsoka,” died May 21. He was 59.
Ed Ames: The singer who performed with his three brothers and later acted in the television series "Daniel Boone," died May 21. He was 95. (Chelsea Lauren)
Tina Turner: The singer known for her raspy voice and soulful delivery in songs like "What's Love Got to Do With It," "Private Dancer" and "Proud Mary," died May 24. She was 83. (Frederic Meylan/Sygma via Getty Images)
Bill Lee: Bill Lee, left, a jazz bassist who recorded with Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan and was the father of filmmaker Spike Lee, died May 24. He was 94. (Noam Galai/WireImage)
Jacky Oh: The ‘Wild ‘N Out’ cast member died May 31. She was 32. (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for BET)
Mike Batayeh: The ‘Breaking Bad’ actor died June 1. He was 52. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for DIFF)
George Winston: The acclaimed solo pianist who sold more than 15 million albums during his career, died June 4. He was 73. ( Jason Davis/Getty Images for NAMM)
Pat Cooper: The comedian, who spoofed his Italian heritage in nightclubs, on television and on records and had a role in the film "Analyze This," died June 6. He was 93. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Treat Williams: The actor, who starred on the television series “Everwood” and appeared in the films “Prince of the City” and “Hair,” died in a motorcycle accident on June 12. He was 71. (Cindy Ord)
Blackie Onassis: John Rowan, who performed as Blackie Onassis as the drummer for 1990s Chicago rock band Urge Overkill, died June 13. He was 57. (Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Glenda Jackson: The two-time Academy Award winner and politician died June 15. She was 87. (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Paxton Whitehead: The English theater star, who was Rodney Dangerfield’s foil in “Back to School,” and also appeared on the television series “Mad About You” and “Friends,” died June 16. He was 85. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Big Pokey: The Houston-based rapper died June 18 after collapsing at a bar in Beaumont, Texas. He was 45. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Frederic Forrest: The actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award in “The Rose” and played the high-strung Jay “Chef” Hicks in “Apocalypse Now,” died June 23. He was 86. (CBS via Getty Images )
Alan Arkin: The actor, who won an Oscar for his role in "Little Miss Sunshine," died June 29. He was 89. (Jeremy Fraser
LA Exposures/WireImage)
Rick Froberg: The singer-guitarist and visual artist for the indie-rock band Drive Like Jehu, died June 30. He was 55. (Daniel Boczarski/Redferns)
Peter Nero: The two-time Grammy Award pianist and longtime conductor of the Philly Pops, died July 6. He was 89. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Jeffrey Carlson: The actor, who starred as a transgender character in a groundbreaking role on the soap opera “All My Children,” died July 6. He was 48. (Simon Russell/Getty Images )
Andrea Evans: The soap opera star appeared in daytime serials such as "One Life to Live," "The Young and the Restless" and "Passions," died July 9. She was 66. (CBS via Getty Images)
Nick Benedict: The actor, right, who had roles in "All My Children,” “The Young and the Restless” and “Days of Our Lives,” died June 14. He was 77. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images/Ron Galella Collection via Getty)
Jane Birkin: Actress, singer and inspiration for the famous Birkin bag died July 16. She was 76. (Pascal LeSegretain/Getty Images)
Tony Bennett: The 20-time Grammy Award winner, remembered for his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," died July 21. He was 96. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Inga Swenson: The actress, right, and Robert Guillaume, sparred on 159 episodes of "Benson." The two-time Tony Award-nominated singer and actress died July 23. She was 90. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
Bo Goldman: Bo Goldman, center, who won a Golden Globe for "Scent of a Woman" and Oscars for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Melvin and Howard,” died July 25. He was 90. (Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
Sinead O’Connor: The outspoken singer, noted for "Nothing Compares 2 U," died July 26. She was 56. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Randy Meisner: The Eagles founding member, "Take It to the Limit" singer, Randy Meisner died July 26. He was 77. (Paul Natkin/WireImage)
Paul Reubens The actor-comedian who portrayed Pee-wee Herman died July 30. He was 70. (Mike Windle)
Angus Cloud: The actor, known for his role on the HBO series "Euphoria," died July 31. He was 25. (Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)
Clifton Oliver: The actor, who played the role of Simba in "The Lion King" on Broadway, died Aug. 2. He was 47. (Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Mark Margolis: The actor, best known for his role as a kingpin who ruled over the Albuquerque drug trade from his hospital room on “Breaking Bad,” died Aug. 3. He was 83. (D Dipasupil)
William Friedkin: The Oscar-winning director of 1971′s “The French Connection” and the 1973 blockbuster “The Exorcist,” died Aug. 7. He was 87. (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for TCM, File)
DJ Casper: The man who had wedding guests and clubgoers dancing the iconic “Cha Cha Slide” died Aug. 7 at the age of 58. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Shelley Smith: The 1970s supermodel who later starred in “The Associates” television series and was a game-show regular, died Aug. 8. She was 70. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
Sixto Rodriguez: The Detroit musician who rose to international fame as the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” died Aug. 8. He was 81. (NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Robbie Robertson: The songwriter-guitarist, who wrote The Band's biggest hits, died Aug. 9. He was 80. (Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Tom Jones: The writer created the long-running play, "The Fantasticks," with composer Harvey Schmidt. He died Aug. 11 at the age of 95. (Walter McBride/Corbis via Getty Images)
Clarence Avant The "Godfather of Black Music" died Aug. 13. He was 92. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Ro)
Magoo: Magoo, right, with fellow rapper Timbaland, died Aug. 13. He was 50. (Johnny Nunez/Getty Images )
Jerry Moss: The record executive, who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert in 1962, died Aug. 16. He was 88. (Allison Dinner/Getty Images)
Ray Hildebrand: The singer, shown with Jill Jackson, hit No. 1 as the duo Paul and Paula with their 1963 song, "Hey Paula." He died Aug. 18 at the age of 82. (GAB Archives/Redfern)
Chris Peluso: The versatile stage actor, who had roles on Broadway in “Mamma Mia!” and “Wicked,” died Aug. 17. He was 40. (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Nancy Frangione: The veteran soap opera star noted for her roles in “Another World” and “All My Children,” died on Aug. 18. She was 70. (CBS via Getty Images)
Ron Cephas Jones The "This Is Us" actor died Aug. 19. He was 66. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Bob Feldman: The co-writer for The Angels’ 1963 chart-topping hit, “My Boyfriend’s Back,” died Aug. 23. He was 83. (PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Bernie Marsden: The Whitesnake guitarist, who co-wrote “Here I Go Again” and some of the band’s other hits, died Aug. 24. He was 72. (Michael Putland/Getty Images )
Arleen Sorkin: The actress, who was the voice of Harley Quinn and had a longtime role in "Days of Our Lives," died Aug. 24. She was 67. (Getty Images)
Bob Barker: Longtime "The Price Is Right" game show host Bob Barker died Aug. 26. He was 99. (Mark Davis/Getty Images)
Jack Sonni: The Dire Straits guitarist died Aug. 30 at the age of 68. (NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jimmy Buffett: The "Margaritaville" singer, whose other hits included "Come Monday," "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "A Pirate Looks at 40," died on Sept. 1 at the age of 76. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Shannon Wilcox: The actress who appeared in “Raising Helen,” “Runaway Bride,” “The Karate Kid” and several episodes of “Dallas,” died Sept. 2. She was 80. (Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Charlie Robison: The country singer-songwriter whose 1998 album “Life of the Party” was a benchmark for modern Texas music, died Sept. 10. He was 59. (Randall Michelson/WireImage)
Roger Whittaker: The British folk singer, noted for the hits “The Last Farewell” and “Durham Town,” died Sept. 13. He was 87. (Peter Bischoff/Getty Images)
Billy Miller: The Daytime Emmy Award winner who starred in the soaps “The Young and the Restless” and “General Hospital,” died Sept. 15. He was 43. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for NATAS)
Irish Grinstead: The member of the R&B girl group 702 known for the 1999 hit “Where My Girls At,” died Sept. 16. She was 43. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Stephen Gould: The tenor played many heroic roles in opera, including his 2006 role as "Siegfried" in Richard Wagner's opera "Goetterdaemmerung." He died Sept. 19 at the age of 61. (Timm Schamberger/DDP/AFP via Getty Images)
Terry Kirkman: The founding member of the 1960s group the Association who wrote “Cherish” and “Everything That Touches You,” died on Sept. 23. He was 83. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images )
David McCallum: The Scottish actor who played Illya Kuryakin on “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and appeared as eccentric medical examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard on “NCIS” for two decades, died Sept. 25. He was 90. (Michael Yarish/CBS via Getty Images)
Burt Young: The former boxer, who played Rocky Balboa's friend in six of the "Rocky" movies, died Oct. 8. He was 83. (Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)
Buck Trent: The banjo player, who was a fixture on "Hee Haw" for nearly a decade and performed on Dolly Parton’s albums, died Oct. 9. He was 85. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)
Mark Goddard: The actor, shown with fellow "Lost in Space" actor Billy Mumy, died Oct. 10. He was 87. (CBS via Getty Images)
Shirley Jo Finney: The theater director, who also portrayed Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph in a television movie, died Oct. 10. She was 74. (John M. Heller/Getty Images)
Phyllis Coates: The actress, who played Lois Lane in the first season of “The Adventures of Superman,” died Oct. 11. She was 96. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Con)
Lara Parker: The actress, who played the beautiful but vengeful Angelique Bouchard on the 1960s gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows,” died Oct. 12. She was 84. ( ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Piper Laurie: The three-time Academy Award nominee known for her performances in “The Hustler” and “Carrie” on film and in “Twin Peaks” on television, died Oct. 14. She was 91. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Suzanne Somers: The actress, best known for her roles on “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step,” and who also carved out a career pitching fitness and health products, died Oct. 15. She was 76. ( Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Carla Bley: The jazz artist, composer and arranger for more than 60 years died Oct. 17. She was 87. (Roberto Serra - Iguana Press/Getty Images)
45 King: The rap producer and artist died Oct. 19. He was 62. (Al Pereira/Getty Images)
Richard Roundtree: The actor who played the ultracool private detective John Shaft on the screen and television died Oct. 24. He was 81. (CBS via Getty Images)
Richard Moll: The actor, who played the bailiff Bull on the original “Night Court” sitcom, Richard Moll, died Oct. 26. He was 80. (Getty Images/David Livingston/Getty Images/David Livingston)
Matthew Perry The actor, known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom “Friends” from 1994 to 2004, died Oct. 28. He was 54. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Tyler Christopher: The soap opera star, who won a Daytime Emmy in 2016 for his role as Nikolas Cassadine on “General Hospital," died Oct. 31. He was 50. (Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)
Peter White: The actor, who portrayed Linc Tyler on the soap opera “All My Children” across four decades and had a groundbreaking role in the 1970 movie “The Boys in the Band,” died Nov. 1. He was 86. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Evan Ellingson: The actor, best known for his roles in “CSI: Miami” and the film “My Sister’s Keeper,” died Nov. 5. He was 35. (George Napolitano/FilmMagic, File)
Janet Landgard: The actress, who co-starred with Burt Lancaster in the 1968 film “The Swimmer” and appeared for three seasons on “The Donna Reed Show,” died Nov. 6. She was 75. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Conny Van Dyke: The singer, who appeared in several movies, including "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings," died Nov. 11. She was 78. (Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images)
Kevin Turen: One of the producers of the hit show “Euphoria” died Nov. 12. He was 44. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)
Suzanne Shepherd: The actress, who had roles in "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas," died Nov. 17. She was 89. (Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Joss Ackland: The veteran actor, who starred in “Lethal Weapon 2″ and “White Mischief,” died Nov. 19. He was 95. (Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)
Jean Knight: The R&B singer, whose funky 1971 hit “Mr. Big Stuff” rocketed to No. 2 on the Billboard charts and earned her a Grammy Award nomination, died Nov. 22. She was 80. ( Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
Raul Conde: The rapper, right, died Nov. 21. He was 52. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)
Chad Allan: The guitarist, center, who founded The Guess Who and had a pivotal role in the forming of Bachman-Turner Overdrive in the early 1970s, died on Nov. 21. He was 80. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Marty Krofft: Known as the "King of Saturday Mornings," the man who produced Saturday morning shows for children with his older brother including “H.R. Pufnstuf,” “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour” and “Land of the Lost,” died Nov. 25. He was 86. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
Les Maguire: The keyboardist for Gerry and the Pacemakers, who played on the Liverpool group's biggest hits during the 1960s, died Nov. 25. He was 81. (Gunter Zint/K & K Ulf Kruger OHG/Redferns)
Frances Sternhagen The Tony-winning actress, known for her roles on “Cheers” and “Sex and the City,” died Nov. 27. She was 93. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Jack Axelrod: The veteran of television and film, who played a crime boss on "General Hospital," died Nov. 28 in Los Angeles. He was 93. (Byron Cohen via Getty Images)
Shane Macgowan: The lead singer of The Pogues died Nov. 30. He was 65. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Myles Goodwyn: The founding singer of the Canadian band April Wine, died Dec. 3. He was 75. (Mark Horton/Getty Images)
Denny Laine: The founding member of the Moody Blues, who later spent a decade as a guitarist with Paul McCartney’s band Wings, died Dec. 5. He was 79. (Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Norman Lear: The influential television writer and producer who created groundbreaking series including “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” died Dec. 5. He was 101. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Ellen Holly: The actress, whose role in the soap opera “One Life to Live” made her the first Black to play a lead role in a daytime television show, died Dec. 6. She was 92. (Photo by Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Photo Archives via Getty Images/Disney General Entertainment Con)
Jack Hogan: The versatile actor, who starred on the 1960s action World War II drama "Combat!" and had numerous television credits, died Dec. 6. He was 94. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Ryan O'Neal: The actor, who starred with Ali MacGraw in "Love Story" and also starred in "Paper Moon" and appeared on the soap opera "Peyton Place," died Dec. 8. He was 82. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Andre Braugher: The "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor died Dec. 11 at the age of 61, his publicist said. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for FLC)
Camden Toy: The actor, who played several different monster characters on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," died of pancreatic cancer on Dec. 11. He was 68. (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Amp Fiddler: The keyboardist, an influential member of the Detroit music scene who played for Parliament and Funkadelic for 11 years, died Dec. 17. He was 65. ( Donna Ward/Getty Images)
Jim Ladd: The influential Los Angeles area FM disc jockey, who hosted SiriusXM's Deep Tracks channel, died Dec. 17. He was 75. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Laura Lynch: Laura Lynch, center, a founding member of the Dixie Chicks, died Dec. 22 after a car crash. She was 65. (Ralph Lauer/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Mike Nussbaum: The actor, who had roles in "Men in Black," "Field of Dreams" and "Fatal Attraction," died Dec. 23. He was 99. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Richard Romanus: The actor, who played a tough-guy loan shark in the film "Mean Streets," died Dec. 23. He was 80. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
Casey Kramer: The veteran film and television actress died in Chicago on Dec. 24. She was 67. (Unique Nicole/Getty Images )
Lee Sun-kyun: The South Korean actor was found dead by police on Dec. 27. He was 48. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Bobby Rivers: The host of Food Network’s “Top 5” and the VH1’s celebrity talk show “Watch Bobby Rivers” died Dec. 26. He was 70. (Jim Spellman/WireImage)
Tom Smothers: Tom Smothers, left, with his brother Dick Smothers in 1969. The comedian died Dec. 26 at the age of 86. (National Comedy Center)
Gaston Glock: Austrian engineer Gaston Glock, whose Glock handgun achieved global cult status, died on Dec. 27. He was 94. (GERT EGGENBERGER/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
Maurice Hines: The Tony Award nominee, who starred with younger brother Gregory Hines in "The Cotton Club," died Dec. 29. He was 80. ( Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Film at Lincoln Center)
Tom Wilkinson: The two-time Academy Award nominee, who appeared in "The Full Monty," died Dec. 30. He was 75. (Zak Hussein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Shecky Greene: The stand-up comedian who for many years was one of the biggest stars in Las Vegas, died Dec. 31. He was 97. (John Lamparski/WireImage)
Ana Ofelia Murguía FILE PHOTO: Ana Ofelia Murguía speaks after receives his ACPT Award, recognition for the best of theater in Mexico at Teatro de La Ciudad on September 28, 2022 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media/Getty Images) (Medios y Media/Getty Images)
Les McCann FILE PHOTO: Jazz pioneer Les McCann has died at the age of 88. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
