As the world turns its attention to containing monkeypox, a rare disease caused by yet another viral infection, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc. Cases are surging again – but fortunately, the fatality rate has declined, thanks to vaccines, antiviral drugs, and growing communal immunity. (See how COVID fatality rates compare to those of other deadly diseases.)
The disease has taken a devastating toll, however. Almost 6.5 million people worldwide have died from complications of the coronavirus – more than a million of them in the U.S. Some of the victims were famous people, including- notable musicians, athletes, chefs, and politicians. (This is how many people have died from COVID-19 in each state.)
To assemble a list of famous people who have died of COVID, 24/7 Tempo searched obituary listings in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and other news sources.
Click here to see 30 famous people who died of COVID
Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020 it has been known that COVID-19 disproportionately affects older people, who are more susceptible to the illness and are at greater risk of death. All but six of the famous people on the list were over 70 when they died, and four were in their 90s. In some cases, COVID-19 was not the sole cause of death but combined with comorbidities.
It should also be noted that a slight majority of people on this list died before the first COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020.
Mike Longo
> Known as: Jazz pianist; musical director for Dizzy Gillespie
> Date of death: March 22, 2020
> Place of death: New York City
> Age at death: 83
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Terrence McNally
> Known as: Tony-winning playwright (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”)
> Date of death: March 24, 2020
> Place of death: Sarasota, FL
> Age at death: 81
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Floyd Cardoz
> Known as: Chef (Tabla; Paowalla; Top Chef Masters winner)
> Date of death: March 25, 2020
> Place of death: Montclair, NJ
> Age at death: 59
Joe Diffie
> Known as: Country singer-songwriter (“Pickup Man”)
> Date of death: March 29, 2020
> Place of death: Nashville, TN
> Age at death: 61
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Wallace Roney
> Known as: Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter
> Date of death: March 31, 2020
> Place of death: Paterson, NJ
> Age at death: 59
Adam Schlesinger
> Known as: Rock musician & songwriter (Fountains of Wayne)
> Date of death: April 1, 2020
> Place of death: Poughkeepsie, NY
> Age at death: 52
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Ellis Marsalis Jr.
> Known as: Jazz pianist; father of Wynton, Branford, et al.
> Date of death: April 1, 2020
> Place of death: New Orleans, LA
> Age at death: 85
John “Bucky” Pizzarelli
> Known as: Jazz guitarist; band member on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”
> Date of death: April 1, 2020
> Place of death: Saddle River, NJ
> Age at death: 94
Allen Garfield (Allen Goorwitz)
> Known as: Actor (“Nashville”)
> Date of death: April 7, 2020
> Place of death: Woodland Hills, CA
> Age at death: 80
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John Prine
> Known as: Country-folk singer-songwriter (“Angel from Montgomery”)
> Date of death: April 7, 2020
> Place of death: Nashville, TN
> Age at death: 73
Lee Konitz
> Known as: Jazz saxophonist (“Birth of the Cool”)
> Date of death: April 15, 2020
> Place of death: New York City
> Age at death: 92
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Herman Cain
> Known as: Fast food executive; Tea Party activist; 2012 presidential candidate
> Date of death: July 30, 2020
> Place of death: Atlanta, GA
> Age at death: 74
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Trini Lopez
> Known as: Singer & guitarist (“If I Had a Hammer”)
> Date of death: Aug. 11, 2020
> Place of death: Palm Springs, CA
> Age at death: 83
Tom Seaver
> Known as: Legendary MLB pitcher (New York Mets, etc.)
> Date of death: Aug. 31, 2020
> Place of death: Calistoga, CA
> Age at death: 75
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Fred Dean
> Known as: NFL star (2-time Super Bowl champion with San Francisco 49ers)
> Date of death: Oct. 14, 2020
> Place of death: Jackson, MS
> Age at death: 68
Arnie Robinson Jr.
> Known as: Olympic gold medal-winning athlete
> Date of death: Dec. 1, 2020
> Place of death: San Diego, CA
> Age at death: 72
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Valéry Giscard d’Estaing
> Known as: French politician; president of France (1974-1981)
> Date of death: Dec. 2, 2020
> Place of death: Authon, France
> Age at death: 94
Marc Meneau
> Known as: Former Michelin three-star chef (L’Espérance, Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay, France)
> Date of death: Dec. 9, 2020
> Place of death: Auxerre, France
> Age at death: 77
Charley Pride
> Known as: Baseball player; pioneering Black country music star
> Date of death: Dec. 12, 2020
> Place of death: Dallas, TX
> Age at death: 86
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Dawn Wells
> Known as: Actress (Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island”)
> Date of death: Dec. 30, 2020
> Place of death: Los Angeles, CA
> Age at death: 82
Roy Horn
> Known as: Magician; entertainer (Siegfried & Roy)
> Date of death: Jan. 13, 2021
> Place of death: Las Vegas, NV
> Age at death: 81
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Phil Spector
> Known as: Record producer (creator of “the Wall of Sound”)
> Date of death: Jan. 16, 2021
> Place of death: French Camp, CA
> Age at death: 81
Larry King
> Known as: Emmy-winning TV and radio host
> Date of death: Jan. 23, 2021
> Place of death: Los Angeles, CA
> Age at death: 87
Cloris Leachman
> Known as: Emmy- and Oscar-winning actress (“The Last Picture Show”)
> Date of death: Jan. 27, 2021
> Place of death: Encinitas, CA
> Age at death: 94
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Colin Powell
> Known as: Four-star general; U.S. secretary of state & national security advisor
> Date of death: Oct. 18, 2021
> Place of death: Bethesda, MD
> Age at death: 84
Barry Harris
> Known as: Jazz pianist; 1989 NEA Jazz Master
> Date of death: Dec. 8, 2021
> Place of death: North Bergen, NJ
> Age at death: 91
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Ricardo Bofill
> Known as: Architect (Terminals 1 & 2, Barcelona-El Prat Airport; W Hotel, Barcelona)
> Date of death: Jan. 14, 2022
> Place of death: Barcelona
> Age at death: 82
André Leon Talley
> Known as: Fashion journalist & editor; stylist
> Date of death: Jan. 18, 2022
> Place of death: White Plains, NY
> Age at death: 73
Meat Loaf (Marchvin Lee Aday)
> Known as: Rock singer and actor (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”)
> Date of death: Jan. 20, 2022
> Place of death: Nashville, TN
> Age at death: 74
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DJ Kay Slay (Ketih Grayson)
> Known as: Hip-hop DJ
> Date of death: April 17, 2022
> Place of death: New York City
> Age at death: 55
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