In memory of the celebrities who’ve died this year, including beloved actress Catherine O’Hara, Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, “The Thing” and “Punky Brewster” star T.K. Carter, and legendary fashion designer Valentino Garavani.
As 2026 unfolds, Hollywood is pausing to reflect. This year has brought a wave of farewells to celebrated figures whose work shaped television, film, music, fashion, and pop culture across generations.
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Blake Garrett
Blake Garrett, who costarred in the 2006 movie How to Eat Fried Worms, which was adapted from the beloved 1973 children’s book by Thomas Rockwell, died Feb. 8. He was 33. As a child, Garrett had also toured with Barney, the iconic purple dinosaur, and appeared in Barney’s Colorful World, Live! in 2004.
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Brad Arnold
Brad Arnold, the lead singer and longest-tenured founding member of the hard rock band 3 Doors Down, died at 47 on Feb. 7 following a battle with cancer. Arnold wrote the group’s biggest single, “Kryptonite,” during algebra class in his senior year of high school. The track helped launch the band’s debut album The Better Life to massive success in 2000. 3 Doors Down went on to release five more albums between 2002 and 2016, with two of them reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
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Fred Smith
Fred Smith, the bassist for the rock band Television and a founding member of Blondie, died at 77 on Feb. 5. Smith was the original bassist in the first Blondie lineup, which also included Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Billy O’Connor, in 1974. He left the group less than a year later to replace Richard Hell in Television, who were already a mainstay at New York’s CBGB club with members Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, and Billy Ficca. He provided bass and backing vocals on all three of Television’s studio albums: 1977’s Marquee Moon, 1978’s Adventure, and 1992’s Television.
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Chuck Negron
Three Dog Night founding member Chuck Negron died at 83 on Feb. 2. The vocal trio would go on to become one of the most popular bands of the late ’60s and ’70s, recording 10 albums and releasing songs like “Joy to the World,” “One,” and “Old Fashioned Love Song,” with Negron on lead vocals. He also launched his own solo career in 1995, releasing seven albums and actively touring until the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Billy Bass Nelson
Parliament-Funkadelic member Billy Bass Nelson died on Jan. 31. He was 75. Nelson was recruited by George Clinton as a teen for his doo-wop band, the Parliaments. The group later took on a funkier R&B and rock sound and was branded Funkadelic by Nelson. Later, as Parliament-Funkadelic, the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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Catherine O’Hara
Comedy legend Catherine O’Hara, known for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Schitt’s Creek, and several Christopher Guest mockumentaries, died on Jan. 30 at age 71. After beginning her comedy career as a member of Second City Television (SCTV) — and passing on starring on Saturday Night Live, O’Hara further made a name for herself with roles in After Hours, Heartburn, stepmother Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice and its sequel, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and, of course, the Home Alone movies. She most recently appeared in the action film Argylle, and TV shows The Last of Us and The Studio.
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Sly Dunbar
Sly Dunbar, a Grammy-winning reggae drummer, died on Jan. 26 at 73. As one half of the duo Sly & Robbie, along with late bassist Robbie Shakespeare, the Jamaican musicians created reggae rhythms used by the likes of Bob Marley, Mick Jagger, and Bob Dylan.
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Gabe Lopez
Emmy-nominated RuPaul’s Drag Race crew member and songwriter Gabe Lopez died on Jan. 25 after a “brief but intense battle with lymphoma,” according to his mother. Lopez received recognition for his behind-the-scenes work mixing sound for the reality competition’s popular 2023 musical episode, “Wigloose: The Rusical!,” putting a drag spin on 1980’s classic Footloose. He also worked on Queen of the Universe, The Bitch Who Stole Christmas, Monster High: The Movie, The Other Two, and the Las Culturistas Culture Awards.
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Guy Hovis
Guy Hovis, a musician who frequently appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show, died on Jan. 22. He was 84. Hovis performed numerous times on the popular musical variety show alongside then-wife Ralna English, beginning in 1969 and throughout the 1970s.
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Francis Buchholz
Bassist Francis Buchholz, a member of German rock band Scorpions, died on Jan. 22 of cancer. He was 71. Buchholz played with the band behind hits like “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and “Wind of Change” for nearly two decades
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Jardyn ‘Pee Wee’ Walker
Former reality TV star Jardyn Walker was found shot to death in Missouri on Jan. 21. He was 23. Under the nickname “Pee Wee,” Walker was a contestant on Zeus Network reality dating series Two Ways With Erica Mena, featuring Love & Hip Hop: New York and Atlanta alum Erica Mena looking for love. Walker placed fourth overall on the competition in 2025.
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Kevin Johnson
Defensive lineman Kevin Johnson plays with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995
Former NFL player Kevin Johnson was found dead on Jan. 21 from blunt head trauma and stab wounds. He was 55. Johnson played as a defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles and the then-Oakland Raiders in the 1990s.
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Rob Hirst
Rob Hirst of Ghostrighters and Midnight Oil performs in 2007
Midnight Oil co-founder and drummer Rob Hirst died on Jan. 20 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 70. Hirst helped write many of the Aussie band’s hit songs, including “Beds Are Burning,” “Blue Sky Mine,” “Forgotten Years,” “The Dead Heart,” and “King of the Mountain.”
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Kim Vō
Celebrity hairstylist and reality TV star Kim Vō died on Jan. 19 after an eight-year battle with colorectal cancer. He was 55. In addition to serving as a popular colorist and hairstylist for the Hollywood elite, Vō served as a judge on Bravo’s Shear Genius and starred on Paramount+’s Blowing LA.
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Valentino Garavani
Valentino Garavani with Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
20th Century Fox
Fashion designer Valentino Garavani, founder of the Valentino brand, who also appeared in The Devil Wears Prada, died on Jan. 19 at his home in Rome. He was 93. The fashion visionary founded his namesake brand in 1960, gaining widespread popularity thanks to former first lady Jackie Kennedy wearing his designs. Garavani appeared in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. He also appeared in the feature documentary about his life, Valentino: The Last Emperor, before his 2008 retirement.
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Roger Allers
Roger Allers in 2023
Animator, screenwriter, and filmmaker Roger Allers died on Jan. 17. He was 76. Allers co-directed 1994’s animated blockbuster The Lion King, and later co-wrote the libretto for the movie’s Broadway musical adaptation, which was nominated for Best Book of a Musical at the 1998 Tony Awards. He also worked on films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Lilo & Stitch as an animator, storyboard artist, and story editor.
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Bruce Bilson
Bruce Bilson with granddaughter Rachel Bilson in 2004
Emmy-winning TV director Bruce Bilson died on Jan. 16 at 97. Bilson, grandfather of actress Rachel Bilson, directed episodes of hit TV series, including The Andy Griffith Show, Get Smart, The Patty Duke Show, The Odd Couple, and Hogan’s Heroes.
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Kianna Underwood
Kianna Underwood on ‘All That’
Former child actress Kianna Underwood, best known for costarring on Nickelodeon’s All That, died on Jan. 16, after being struck in a hit-and-run in New York. She was 33. Underwood appeared on the 10th season of the Nickelodeon kids’ sketch show that originally starred Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson. She also appeared in 1999’s The 24 Hour Woman, was cast in the original national tour of Hairspray, and did voice work on Bill Cosby’s animated show Little Bill and 2001 TV movie Santa, Baby.
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Kenny Morris
Siouxsie & the Banshees members Steve Severin, Siouxsie Sioux, John McKay, and Kenny Morris
Siouxsie & the Banshees members Steve Severin, Siouxsie Sioux, John McKay, and Kenny Morris.
Fin Costello/Redferns
Drummer Kenny Morris, a member of Siouxsie and the Banshees, died on Jan. 15. He was 68. Morris played on the influential goth rock band’s first two albums.
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Scott Adams
Cartoonist Scott Adams poses with a life-sized cutout of his Dilbert character in 2014
Cartoonist and Dilbert creator Scott Adams died on Jan. 13 after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 68. Adams created his defining comic strip in 1989, satirizing white collar work life. After finding mainstream success throughout the 1990s, Dilbert was dropped from newspapers across the U.S. in 2023 after its creator’s racist comments, calling Black people a “hate group” and advising white people to “get the f— away” from them.
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John Forté
John Forté, a Grammy-nominated musician and producer who was a close collaborator with the Fugees, was found dead at his Massachusetts home on Jan. 12. He was 50. Forté helped produce and write two songs, “Cowboys” and “Family Business,” on the influential hip-hop group’s chart-topping 1996 album, “The Score.” He also helped work on songs for Wyclef Jean’s debut solo album, Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival, before making his own album, Poly Sci, working with Jean and fellow Fugee Pras.
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Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin
Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, a co-founder and guitarist for British rock band Black Midi, died at age 26, his family announced on Jan. 12. The band released their debut album, Schlagenheim, in 2019, and was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. He stepped away from the group in 2021.
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Yeison Jiménez
Colombian singer-songwriter Yeison Jiménez died on Jan. 10 in a plane crash, just hours before he was scheduled to perform. He was 34. The musician was one of the region’s biggest names in pop music, or “música popular,” a genre that blends traditional Mexican ranchera music with Colombian roots. Jiménez, who broke through with the 2013 track Te Deseo Lo Mejor, released eight albums over his lifetime.
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Bob Weir
Legendary Grateful Dead co-founder and rock guitarist Bob Weir died on Jan. 10 due to underlying lung issues after previously beating cancer, according to his daughter. He was 78. Weir and fellow guitarist Jerry Garcia formed the legendary jam band in 1965 with bassist Phil Lesh, keyboardist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann. Weir wrote or co-wrote the lyrics to some of the band’s most famous tunes, including “Truckin’,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Cassidy,” and “Throwing Stones.” He spent the next six decades touring, including three with the Dead, who became one of the highest-grossing American touring acts.
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T.K. Carter
Character actor T.K. Carter, best known for Punky Brewster and The Thing, died on Jan. 9 in his home. He was 69. Carter landed one of his most memorable roles in John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi classic The Thing, as Nauls, the roller-skating cook aboard the Antarctic research station. He also played popular teacher Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster. Carter also appeared on Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Dave, The Steve Harvey Show, The Sinbad Show, A Different World, Family Matters, NYPD Blue, Everybody Hates Chris, and How to Get Away with Murder. Carter’s final film role came in 2020’s The Way Back, starring Ben Affleck.
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Guy Moon
Emmy-nominated composer Guy Moon, who wrote music for Nickelodeon hits like The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, and SpongeBob SquarePants, died on Jan. 8 from injuries sustained in a car accident. He was 63. Moon also served as a music writer for Big Time Rush, Back at the Barnyard, and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. On the big screen, he composed scores for The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel, and contributed to the soundtracks for Minority Report, Fight Club, and Mystic Pizza.
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Béla Tarr
Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, known for films like Sátántangó and Damnation, died on Jan. 6 at age 70. Recognized as a pioneer of the slow cinema movement, Tarr wrote and directed nine feature films throughout his career, beginning with his 1979 feature debut Family Nest, which won the Grand Prix at the Mannheim Film Festival, to 2011’s The Turin Horse.
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Elle Simone Scott
America’s Test Kitchen host Elle Simone Scott died on Jan. 5 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 49. In addition to serving as the first Black woman to be a regular host of the hit PBS show, Scott authored bestselling cookbooks and hosted The Walk-In podcast.
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Bret Hanna-Shuford
Broadway actor and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford died on Jan. 3 of an aggressive form of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). He was 46. An actor in Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, he was also one-half of the popular social media account Broadway Husbands, along with his spouse, Stephen Hanna-Shuford.
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Sidney Kibrick
Former Our Gang child star Sidney Kibrick died Jan. 3. He was 97. Kibrick appeared in dozens of Little Rascals shorts in the 1930s and 1940s, first as unnamed children before turning up regularly as the character Woim, the sidekick of Tommy Bond’s bully Butch. He retired from Hollywood as a teenager.
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Victoria Jones
Actress Victoria Jones, the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, was found dead in a San Francisco hotel room on Jan. 1. She was 34. The actress appeared in her father’s films Men in Black II, The Homesman, and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, as well as the Robin Wright-starring Sorry, Haters, and an episode of the TV series One Tree Hill.
