Here's a look back at the entertainers, leaders, athletes and other notable people we said goodbye to in 2025.
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached defiance, joy and endurance in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam” and starred in the landmark movie “The Harder They Come,” died Nov. 24. He was 81.
Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper, who co-wrote classic songs, including “(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour,” during his years playing guitar at the legendary Stax Records in Memphis, died Dec. 3. He was 84. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of Booker T. and the M.G.'s, the house band for the Stax/Volt labels.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a Tokyo-born actor known for his roles in the film “Mortal Kombat” and TV series "The Man in the High Castle" died Dec. 4. He was 75.
Raul Malo
Raul Malo, the soulful tenor and frontman of the genre-defying, Grammy-winning band The Mavericks, died Dec. 8. He was 60. Malo was battling colon cancer and later leptomeningeal disease.
Sophie Kinsella
Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Dec. 10. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary, who rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s as half the daytime TV super couple Luke and Laura on “General Hospital,” died Dec. 14. He was 78.
Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner, the son of a comedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation with movies such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” died Dec. 14, along with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. He was 78.
Greg Biffle
Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle died Dec. 18 in a North Carolina plane crash along with his wife, two children and three others. He was 55. Biffle won championships in the Truck and Xfinity Series and drove for years in the Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing.
James Ransone
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series “The Wire” and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, died Dec. 19. He was 46.
Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones' greatest songs, has died.
Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer whose rich, steady baritone graced such hits as "For Your Precious Love," "Only the Strong Survive" and "Make It Easy On Yourself," has died.
Grammy-winning singer and pianist Roberta Flack was known for her intimate vocal and musical style on "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and other hits.
Michelle Trachtenberg, the actor known for "Gossip Girl," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Harriet the Spy" died Wednesday. She was 39.
Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing.
There’s one reason Gene Hackman’s dazzling acting career stands out for sports fans: His unforgettable role as Norman Dale, coach of the feel-good, state champion Hickory Huskers.
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit "Jolene," died Monday. He was 82.
Feinstein was a full-time reporter for the Washington Post from 1977 to 1991 and a commentator for outlets such as NPR, ESPN and the Golf Channel.
The sports, entertainment and political world is reacting to the death of two-time heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman. His family said he died Friday.
Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” who found a second career as “king of the miniseries,” has died at age 90.
Val Kilmer died from pneumonia. He had recovered after a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies.
Friends and family gathered Monday remembered George Foreman for his boxing career and also for his love of God and family, and for his desire to help his fellow man.
He was the host of such hit game shows as "Gambit" and "Tic-Tac-Dough," along with a long radio career.
Trachtenberg, who was known for "Gossip Girl," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Harriet the Spy," was found unconscious and unresponsive in her luxury apartment tower in Manhattan in February.
He helped turn the Colts from a laughingstock into a perennial title contender, but battled health problems in recent years
Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer has died. The musician who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded “Hang On Sloopy” died Monday in Ormond Beach, Florida.
She deepened the "Hot Lips" Houlihan role, creating her into a much more full character than the earlier film version.
He composed nearly 600 scores for the show and conducted the 35-piece orchestra that played them in the studio.
Her stage, film and television work ranged from Shakespeare to "Sully" with Tom Hanks and "French Exit" with Michelle Pfeiffer.
Joss was best known as the voice of John Redcorn on "King of the Hill," which ran from 1997 to 2008. A reboot is scheduled to start in August.
Sly Stone, an electrifying musician, songwriter and showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and ’70s, has died.
A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the "Friends" star's overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday.
Anne Burrell worked in upscale New York City restaurants before beginning her television career on "Iron Chef America." She was known for bold and flavorful but not overly fancy dishes.
FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the U.S. Postal Service.
He had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Little Woman" and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me," and six albums on the Billboard 200 chart.
Swaggart was best known for being a captivating Pentecostal preacher with a massive following before being caught on camera with a prostitute in New Orleans in 1988.
Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino's films, has died. He was 66.
Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice of heavy metal, has died.
Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.
President Donald Trump on Monday used his luxury golf course on Scotland's southeastern coast to host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband and talent manager Brandon Blackstock has died of cancer. He was 48.
Danielle Spencer, who played the wisecracking and tattling little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom "What's Happening!!" has died at 60.
Scorpio's on again/off again romance with Emma Samms' character, Holly Sutton, remained a favorite among fans.
As arch enemy to Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel, Stamp introduced a darker and charming — more human — element to the franchise.
Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, has died, his fashion house confirmed. He was 91.
Davey Johnson, an All-Star second baseman who won the World Series twice with the Orioles as a player and managed the Mets to the title in 1986 has died.
Rick Davies, the lead singer and co-founder of British band Supertramp, has died at 81 after a long battle with cancer.
Holliday became famous for her catchphrase "Kiss my grits!" on the show, which ran from 1976 to 1985.
Clips of his early campus appearances spread online, helping secure donations that transformed Turning Point USA into one of the largest U.S. political organizations.
The reaction followed a pattern of misinformation and conspiracy theories that often come after breaking news events.
The Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema died in Utah on Tuesday.
Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James has died in a plane crash in North Carolina.
He wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs, from Keith Whitley's smash "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" to the Everly Brothers' "Walk Right Back."
The former Joan Bennett was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958. Shed died on Wednesday at age 89.
Sister Jean became a beloved international celebrity during the school's fairy-tale run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
People Magazine reported Saturday that she died in California with loved ones, citing a family spokesperson.
There are so many Diane Keaton films worth noting. Here are six essential roles to get you started.
D'Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer recognized by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" music video, has died.
Kiss, whose hits include "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City," was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy and quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport, died Monday. He was 29.
Her portrayals of warm, compassionate mothers endeared her to young viewers; baby boomers flocked to nostalgia conventions to meet her.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at age 84. He died Monday of complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.
Alice and Ellen Kessler, twin dancers and singers who launched their international career in the 1950s and performed with Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte, have died, police in Germany said. They were 89.
Cliff's career peaked with "The Harder They Come," but, after a break in the late 1970s, he worked for decades with the Rolling Stones, Wyclef Jean, Annie Lennox and others.
The Czech-born Stoppard was often hailed as the greatest British playwright of his generation.
He co-wrote the classics "Green Onions," "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay" and "In the Midnight Hour."
James Ransone, an actor who starred on "The Wire" and "Poker Face" and also appeared in films such as "It: Chapter Two" and "Black Phone," has died. He was 46.
Whitlock played openly corrupt city councilman Clay Davis on 25 episodes across the five seasons of “The Wire.”
