Stars We Lost in 2017: Hugh Hefner, Mary Tyler Moore and More Famous Faces Who Died This Year

Hollywood said goodbye to talented faces in movies, music, TV and more

By Mike Vulpo Dec 30, 2017 12:00 AMTags
Watch: In Memoriam: Fallen Stars of 2018

Hollywood sure lost some serious star power in 2017.

Whether you are a fan of talented musicians, exceptional actors or larger than life personalities, chances are you mourned the loss of several famous faces in the past 12 months.

Music lovers were devastated to lose rock stars like Chris Cornell, Tom Petty and Chester Bennington. Whether you watched them on the big or small screen, talented stars like Mary Tyler Moore, Erin Moran and Jerry Lewis will be missed by many pop culture fans.

And we won't soon forget Hugh Hefner's passing and the pioneering men's magazine he left behind. 

As the year comes to an end, E! News is remembering the famous figures who passed away this year. Take a look at the artistic and gifted stars we lost in our fallen stars gallery below.

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Celebrity Deaths: 2017's Fallen Stars
Rose Marie

The beloved The Dick Van Dyke Show actress died at age 94.

Heather Menzies-Urich

The Sound of Music actress passed away at age 68.

Dick Enberg

The Hall of Fame sportscaster passed away in December 2017 from a suspected heart attack. He was 82 years old. 

Reggie Ossé

On Dec. 20, The Root reported the Combat Jack podcast host had died at age 48. Ossé, who had previously been a lawyer for prominent hip-hop artists including Jay-Z, announced in October 2017 that he was battling colon cancer.

Hiep Thi Le

The 46-year-old actress, whose film credits include Cruel Intentions, Green Dragon and Heaven & Earth, died Dec. 19 due to complications from stomach cancer. In 2014, Le competed on the Food Network series Chopped. Le had also written a memoir, which has yet to be published.

Johnny Hallyday

Known as the "Elvis Presley of France," the French singer died at age 74 on Dec. 6. In his lifetime, Hallyday sold more than 100 million albums and acted in more than 30 films.

Jim Nabors

Best known as Gomar from The Andy Griffith Show, the actor passed away at age 87 in Hawaii on Nov. 30. His long-term partner was by his side.

David Cassidy

The teen heartthrob and star of The Partridge Family passed away surrounded by loved ones at the age of 67.

Terry Glenn

The former NFL receiver passed away after a car accident at age 43.

Della Reese

The Touched by an Angel actress and legendary singer passed away peacefully on Nov. 19. She was 86.

Earl Hyman

The actor, known for playing Russell Huxtable on The Cosby Show, died on Nov. 17. He was 91. Jordan Strohl, a representative for The Actors Fund, confirmed that Hyman died Friday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. 

Mel Tillis

The Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member died on November 19 at age 85.

Malcolm Young

The AC/DC guitarist and co-founder died on November 18 at age 64 after battling dementia for three years.

Azzedine Alaia

The couture designer's death at age 77 was confirmed by the French Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion on November 18.

Ann Wedgeworth

The Tony Award-winning actress, who also appeared on shows such as Three's Company and Evening Shade, died at age 83 on November 16.

Wendy Pepper

The former Project Runway contestant died at age 53 on November 12.

Lil Peep

The rapper passed away on Nov. 15, 2017. He was 21 years old. 

Liz Smith

The famed gossip columnist, known as the "Dame of Dish," died of natural causes in New York at the age of 94. The prolific writer, who had her "Liz Smith" column for decades, died at her home on Nov. 12, NBC News confirmed. She became the highest paid columnist in the country while she covered the dramatic split between Donald Trump and Ivana Trump.

John Hillerman

The former Magnum, P.I. co-star passed away at age 84.

Chuck Mosley

The Faith No More singer was 57 years old when he passed away.

Roy Halladay

The two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 7. He was 40 years old.

Robert Knight

Knight, who recorded the first version of "Everlasting Love," died Nov. 5 after a short illness. He was 72 years old. Born Robert Peebles on Apr. 24, 1945 in Franklin, Tenn., he was a member of the Fairlanes and sang lead for the Paramounts before going solo in 1967. "Blessed Are the Lonely," "Isn't It Lonely Together" and "Love on a Mountain Top" became minor hits in the '70s.

Brad Bufanda

The Veronica Mars star died by suicide at age 34 on November 1.

Keith Wilder

The lead singer of the '70s funk band Heatwave passed away on October 29 at 65. According to TMZ, the "Always and Forever" singer had been suffering from serious health problems. 

Fats Domino

Famed pianist and singer-songwriter Antoine "Fats" Domino Jr. died on October 24 at age 89.

Robert Guillaume

Emmy Award-winning actor, best known as the title character in the TV sitcom Benson, as well as the show Soap, died on Oct. 24 at the age of 89. His wife Donna Brown Guillaume told the Associated Press that he passed away at the couple's home in Los Angeles due to complications of prostate cancer.

Gord Downie

The  Tragically Hip lead singer passed away on October 17 following a battle with brain cancer. The Canadian musician was 53 years old. 

Mychael Knight

The former Project Runway and Project Runway All Stars contestant passed away on October 17 in Georgia. "He was generous and so full of life," his family said in a statement. "This is how we choose to remember his legacy." 

John Dunsworth

Best known as the irreverent trailer park manager Jim Lahey on Trailer Park Boys, the actor passed away at 71 according to CBC News.

Roy Dotrice

The British actor, who played Hallyne on Game of Thrones, passed away on October 16 at the age of 94.

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