While people die everyday, 2022 felt like a massacre in terms of celebrities. It felt like literally everyone was dying last year. So this is a list of deaths from last year that I felt was either the saddest, or most impactful.
#10: Stephen "tWitch" Boss
Stephen Boss, whom we all knew and loved as ‘tWitch’, was a hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and tv personality mostly known for his performance on competition series “So You Think You Can Dance”, and as Ellen’s DJ on “Ellen” before its controversial cancellation. Him and his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker, started posting videos on ‘TikTok’ as well, gaining a following. tWitch was almost always seen with a smile on his face and having a great time, which is why his late 2022 death by suicide was so surprising. It just shows that you never really know what someone is going through, no matter how they look on the outside or how well you may think you know them. I wouldn’t say I was a huge fan of tWitch, but he was very talented, and I was very sad and shocked to see him go.
#9: Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf was an odd but talented dude, as the man could SANG!!!!!! Born Marvin Lee Aday, Meat Loaf is mostly known for his “Bat Out Of Hell '' trilogy albums. The second consists of the megahit “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”. The song won him the Grammy Award for “Vocal Performance, Solo”. Unfortunately, we will never know what he was referring to as “That” as Mr. Aday kicked the bucket on January 20, 2022 at the age of 74. Though he did have COVID, that has not been confirmed as the official cause of his death. I think it's safe to say that Meat Loaf definitely made a strong and memorable impression in music (especially for fans of hard rock or metal), and he will be very missed.
#8: Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury is pretty much the definition of an icon. As this woman has made a name for herself in film, tv, and Broadway, not a lot of people can do that. Her most memorable TV role being Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote”, most Disney fans (including myself) recognize her as Mrs. Potts from “Beauty & The Beast'', and many many Broadway roles with my favorite being Mrs. Lovett from “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street''. I know the woman was in her 90s and pretty much lived a long and fulfilled life, but I was still sad to hear of her passing. In a way it was like my childhood was going away, and that was probably the case with a lot of her younger fans. I will also give her props for still working even in her 90s. If that doesn’t scream BOSS, I don’t know what will. You did good, Miss Lansbury.
#7: Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier might be mostly known for being the first black man to win the Oscar for “Best Actor”. He won for “In The Heat Of The Night”, but that’s not his only notable film, with others being “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?”, and “Lilies In The Field”. A lot of his roles were race related, which I would normally find annoying, but in his case, I understand as he pretty much paved the way for many black actors today, including my favorite, Mr. Denzel Washington. Like Miss Lansbury, Poitier was also in his 90s and he lived a long and fulfilling life. It’s still sad to see him go, but I think it’s safe to say that he should be very proud of the accomplishments that he has made. Not a lot of people can say that they have made history, but Mr. Poitier definitely can.
#6: Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried was quite the dude. The man was not afraid to get controversial when it came to stand up comedy. And What The Hell Was With That VOICE?! He may have the most recognizable voice of all time, hence the reason for his successful voice-acting career. Pretty much everyone knows him as Iago from the “Aladdin” series. Other notable voice roles being, “Cyberchase”, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. In terms of live-action roles, his most notable role is Mr. Peabody from the “Problem Child” series. We lost Mr. Gottfried on April 12, 2022 at the age of 67 (one year younger than my dad). This was a very dark moment for the comedy world and a sad moment for our childhoods. While we will definitely remember him for his voice, we’ll remember him more fondly for making us laugh.
#5: Naomi Judd
Diana Ellen Judd, whom we mainly know as Naomi Judd, is just one of so many icons in her family. She’s mostly known for her and her daughter Wynonna’s group, The Judds. One particular song I will call out is “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days)”, mainly because my mom loves that song. Miss Judd unfortunately has a similarity to tWitch, as she has also taken her own life. Apparently, she had been struggling with mental health throughout her life, which is what makes her death even more sad considering she probably believed that this was the only way to stop her suffering. Though I do hope she’s no longer suffering, I wish it didn’t have to be this way, and I wish Wynonna didn’t have to lose her mother in order for her pain to stop.
#4: Bob Saget
When people hear the name Bob Saget, they will most likely think “Full House”, as his role as Danny Tanner (who is one of the greatest TV dads of all time) is his most celebrated role. He’s also known for his work on “AFV” and his severely raunchy comedy. I will also mention that he was also a board member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation after losing his sister to the disease. Mr. Saget would (hopefully) reunite with his sister on January 9, 2022 after suffering a head injury. One thing that is constantly heard about Saget was that he was an extremely kind individual. And given how devastated his “Full House” co-stars were, I think it’s safe to say that was accurate and that he is severely missed.
#3: Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter (along with his entire family) was an interesting dude. Mostly known for his megahit “I Want Candy”, Carter joins many child stars in completely losing his mind. The dude has been on headlines for controversies such as finances, mental health, feuds and accusations towards his siblings (especially Nick, who is currently in trouble now), and a very questionable relationship with his last girlfriend before death, Melanie Martin. A lot of people say that Carter never got the help he needed. While I do agree, I believe that’s mainly because he was too proud to actually get help. So to be honest, I’m not surprised at all that he ended up dead. It is sad that this was how he met his end. But at the same time, with everything he’s been through and everything that’s happened to him, is it really that surprising?
#2: Olivia Newton-John
The career of Olivia Newton-John (or Neutron Bomb as my dad liked to call her) was definitely an eventful triumph. Of course we all know her as Sally in “Grease”, and “Xanadu” was also a stand out (in a good and bad way). In terms of music, songs such as “I Honestly Love You”, “You’re The One That I Want”, and Of course “Physical” were just some of her biggest. But she’s also known for her valiant fight with Breast Cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 1992. While she did eventually go into remission, it returned in 2017 and ultimately took her life in August of 2022. It was extremely sad to see her go, but the fact that she has been fighting this since 1992 shows incredible strength and that she wasn’t going down without a fight. She was one heck of a fighter and we will forever be hopelessly devoted to her.
Here are several celebs that we also unfortunately lost this year............
#1: The Queen (Elizabeth II)
Despite her age, I never thought we would see a day where Queen Elizabeth II was gone. I’m not sure if anyone ever thought we would see a day where The Queen was gone. This woman has probably seen everything. Her father’s passing, war, scandal, a new millennium, the list goes on. What I admire about her the most was that she held on for as long as she could. No matter how complicated things probably got or how many urges she probably received to step down, she just kept going. She continued to rule until her dying breath. Like the last entry, Her Highness also refused to back down without a fight and I truly respect her for that. Of all the deaths last year, this is the one that probably left the world shaken, so it was an easy pick for my #1. I truly am gonna miss The Queen. Britain will definitely not be the same without her.
Comments
Post a Comment