Top 10 Most Shocking Deaths of 2021

2021 was already a pretty shocking year for deaths to begin with.

1. Larry King

   

   Larry King (1933 to 2021) was an American television and radio host. Over his long career, he earned recognition with awards including two Peabody Awards and 10 Cable ACE Awards. King was known for his engaging interview style and broad influence on broadcasting.

   The longtime man who interviewed the world for over 60 years - from radio to news prints, internet, pop culture, and even 25 years on CNN's The Larry King Live Show - passed away at 87 because of COVID-19. He was truly the greatest interviewer and talk show host that ever lived.

   He will never be replaced. His name was King for a reason. R.I.P.

2. Mark Elliott

   

   "The cherished voice of the most beloved animated classics of all time," one of the biggest legends in the voice acting world, passed away at age 81. He shaped my and everyone else's childhood. His voice will be one you'll never forget.

   Mark Elliott (1939-2021)

   This man was the voice of my childhood. I grew up watching Disney movies on VHS and DVD, and his golden voice was all over the trailers and bumpers of those releases. R.I.P. Mark. Say hi to Don LaFontaine.

3. Hank Aaron

   

   Henry Louis Aaron, nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank," was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. He is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and held the MLB record for career home runs for 33 years. Aaron also served as the senior vice president of the Atlanta Braves... read more

   Among the greatest baseball players of the generation. He was 87. R.I.P.

4. Christopher Plummer

   

   Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer CC (December 13, 1929 - February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, earning recognition for performances across film, stage, and television.

   He received multiple major awards, including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, two Primetime... read more

   Fun Fact: Christopher Plummer's biggest regret was turning down the role of Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings franchise.

5. Dustin Diamond

   

   Dustin Neil Diamond (January 7, 1977 - February 1, 2021) was an American actor, director, stand-up comedian, musician, and occasional professional wrestler. He was best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the Saved by the Bell franchise. Diamond portrayed the character across multiple... read more

   This was such a shocking death. The actor known for playing Sam "Screech" Powers from Saved by the Bell and every spin-off lost his battle with Stage IV lung cancer at 44. He was the G.O.A.T. of actors in the series and franchise. R.I.P.

   He was very funny on Saved by the Bell.

6. Eric Carle

   

   The illustrator of The Grouchy Ladybug, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and many other children's books had kidney failure. He was 91. R.I.P.

7. Cloris Leachman

   

   Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedian. In a career spanning nearly eight decades, she won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and an Academy Award for her role in The Last Picture Show. She was also known for her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Young Frankenstein.

   One of the greatest comedians of all time. She had one of the longest careers as a comedian and actress in entertainment. She suffered a stroke caused by COVID-19 just one year before her 80th year in television. She would have been the next person to hit eight decades of TV after Betty White. R.I.P.

8. Christopher Ayres

   

   The news broke of his death from COPD, which he battled for years. He played Frieza, Dragon Ball's and anime's most iconic villain. He lost his battle with COPD on October 18th at 56. He had it since 2017.

   The news is definitely among the most shocking public deaths this year and has impacted all of the anime and acting community. He worked in the industry for nearly 20 years. Entertainment will never be the same. This should definitely be in the top 3. R.I.P.

9. Philece Sampler

   

   Known for her role in Days of Our Lives. R.I.P. to an angel and soap opera legend.

10. Butch Reed

    
The Newcomers
11. ?

    Betty White

    

    Betty White Ludden (January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021), known professionally as Betty White, was an American actress, animal rights activist, author, comedian, radio host, singer, and television personality. She was known for her roles in television sitcoms such as The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler... read more

    She wasn't really young like some of the others, but she was less than 18 days from turning 100, which's the reason why this should be #1. She had a stroke out of the blue on Christmas Day and passed away on New Year's Eve. She was the 1st to do many of the things described in the info. The 1st lady of TV. R.I.P. to the queen of TV (1922-2021).

12. ?

    Nick Kamen

    He was the first man to model for Levi's magazine and was also a singer. He collaborated with music artists like Madonna. His death was very shocking. He was 59. R.I.P. (1962-2021).

The Contenders

13. DMX

    

    Earl Simmons, known professionally as DMX and Dark Man X, was an American rapper and actor. He was born on December 18, 1970, and passed away on April 9, 2021, after suffering a heart attack. DMX gained fame in the late 1990s with hits like Ruff Ryders' Anthem and Party Up (Up in Here), and also appeared... read more

    How is he at #17? I want to see him in the top 5. He was a legend, and I even heard his music at a Dallas Mavericks game one day before his death, on my birthday. I was also a big fan of him before he died.

    Not much into hip hop, but dang this is a pretty heavy loss. Only 50.

    Can't believe he overdosed on drugs. He had a heart attack following it. He was 50. R.I.P.

14. New Jack

    

    Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 - May 14, 2021), better known as New Jack, was an American professional wrestler famed for his hardcore, risk-taking style in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) .

    He became notorious for the 1996 Mass Transit incident and for using Ice Cube and Dr. Dre's Natural... read more

15. Thea White

    

    Known for playing old lady Muriel Bagge in Courage the Cowardly Dog. She was 81. R.I.P.

16. Ed Asner

    

    Yitzhak Edward Asner, born on November 15, 1929, and passed away on August 29, 2021, was a celebrated American actor and voice actor. He also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Asner is best remembered for his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Lou Grant. He also... read more

    Lou Grant from the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Carl Fredricksen, the main character in Up, passed away from natural causes one year and one day after Chadwick Boseman did from cancer. He was 91. R.I.P. to a legend who entertained people of all ages.

    I liked his voice acting performance in Up!

17. Tanya Roberts

    

    Known for That '70s Show, Charlie's Angels, and James Bond: A View to Kill, as well as participating in Miss Universe, she collapsed on Christmas Eve 2020 and was diagnosed with cardiac arrest 11 days before her death. She was 65. R.I.P.

18. Sophie Xeon

    

    Sophie Xeon (September 17, 1986 - January 30, 2021), best known as SOPHIE, was a Scottish music producer, songwriter, and DJ.

    She was best known for her work with artists such as Charli XCX, A.G. Cook, Madonna, and Kim Petras, and for helping to define the hyperpop genre.... read more

    A truly shocking death in 2021. Sophie fused multiple EDM and pop genres to create hyperpop, contributing to modern music for artists like Charli XCX, Kim Petras, Rita Ora, and Sam Smith. Even Madonna was influenced by her, using Sophie's hyperpop genre in B**** I'm Madonna.

    Hyperpop was also used by BTS and Blackpink, which their huge fandoms love. R.I.P. to the creator of much of the 2010s and today's music. - StevenUni108.

    Such a shocking death. The world lost a literal legend and heaven gained an angel. The trans queen of pop. R.I.P. Sophie 1986-2021.

19. Sabine Schmitz

    

20. Yaphet Kotto

    

21. George Segal

    

22. Paul Soles

    

    Known for leading the cast of Marvel's Spider-Man and voicing Hermey in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, he passed away on May 26. He was 90. R.I.P.

23. Siegfried Fischbacher

    

24. Brad Venable

    

25. Samuel E. Wright

    

    An iconic legend. The voice of Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. He lost his battle with prostate cancer at 74. R.I.P. to a voice actor and singer, who sang Under the Sea, of everyone's childhoods.

26. Norm Macdonald

    

    Norman Gene Macdonald (October 17, 1959 - September 14, 2021) was a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer, and actor known for his signature deadpan style.

    Early in his career, he wrote for the sitcom Roseanne and made guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show and NewsRadio. He then spent five years... read more

    One of the best comedians of all time lost his battle with cancer just a little over a month before his 62nd birthday. R.I.P. to a comedy legend. The world will never be the same.

27. Richard Donner

    

    R.I.P. to another pioneer.