While December is usually the happiest month of the year, filled with the Christmas spirit and excitement for ringing in the New Year, the conclusion of 2016 was far from it. The end of last year saw a significant number of deaths within the artistic community. Here are just a few for summary and remembrance:
Richard Adams:
Born: 9th May 1920
Died: 24th December 2016
Richard Adams was known for his fiction books, his most famous being Watership Down in 1972. This classic tale is about rabbits seeking a new home. He is from England, and he died there in 2016 from complications of a blood disorder.
George Michael:
Born: 25th June 1963
Died: 25th December 2016
George Michael was a very successful singer-songwriter. He sang in the famous pop band Wham! for two years from 1984, and he even won a Grammy for his own album Faith in 1987. He tragically passed away from heart failure on Christmas morning next to his partner in England.
Carrie Fisher:
Born: 21st October 1956
Died: 27th December 2016
Carrie Fisher was a popular film actress. Her most successful role was Princess Leia in Star Wars, although she also had critically acclaimed roles in other films. She also doctored scripts and wrote books. Her very first novel was named Postcards from the Edge and published in 1987, and she then adapted it into a movie starring Meryl Streep. She passed away a few days after suffering a heart attack on a flight home.
Debbie Reynolds:
Born: 1st April 1932
Died: 28th December 2016
Debbie Reynolds was an actress, dancer, and singer on television, in theater, and in films. Her most famous role was her first, alongside Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, although she went on to have a wildly diverse and long career. She passed away just one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher; she had a stroke while planning Carrie’s funeral.