Artists Death

Full Name at Birth: Richard Samuel Attenborough
Age: 90 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 29 August, 1923
Birthplace: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 24 August, 2014
Location of Death: Nursing Home, London, England, United Kingdom
Height: 5' 7" (170 cm)

Death Summary: Richard Attenborough died at the age of 90 after a long period of failing health.

Who was Richard Attenborough : Richard Attenborough was an English actor, director, and producer whose career spanned seven decades. As a director and producer, Attenborough is best known for the 1982 biopic Gandhi – which won Academy Awards for directer, lead acting, and Best Picture. As an actor, Attenborough had a sizable list of credits, but is best known for brining dinosaurs to life as Dr. John Hammond in 1993's Jurassic Park. Attenborough was also the President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Full Name at Birth: Richard Emerson Smith
Age: 92 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 26 June, 1922
Birthplace: Larchmont, New York
Date of Death: 30 July, 2014
Location of Death: Los Angeles, California
Cause of Death: Complications From Broken Hip
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)

Death Summary: Dick Smith, famous makeup artist, died from unknown causes at the age of 92.

Who was Dick Smith : Dick Smith was a Hollywood makeup artist. His nickname, 'The Godfather of Makeup', could have come from the fact that he was responsible for turning Marlon Brando into Vito Corleone for The Godfather – or it could just be a reference to his giant influence in the field. Smith also worked on films such as The Exorcist, Taxi Driver, and Amadeus – for which he won an Oscar.

Full Name at Birth: Hans Rudolf "Ruedi" Giger
Age: 74 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 5 February, 1940
Birthplace: Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland
Date of Death: 12 May, 2014

Death Summary: H.R. Giger died at the age of 74 after sustaining injuries in a fall.

Who was H.R. Giger : H.R. Giger was a Swiss artist known for paintings, sculptures, and furniture. He is probably most well known, however, for his work on films and set design. Giger created the famous alien monster from the film Alien, which won his team an Oscar for Visual Effects in 1980.

Full Name at Birth: Frankie Knuckles
Age: 59 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 18 January, 1955
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
Date of Death: 31 March, 2014

Death Summary: Frankie Knuckles died at the age of 59 from unknown causes.

Who was Frankie Knuckles : Frankie Knuckles was known as the "Godfather of House Music." He brought house music to Chicago in the 1980s and was considered to be the most influential person of the genre. As a DJ, producer, and remixer, Knuckles (born Francis Nicholls) was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

Full Name at Birth: Peter Seeger
Age: 94 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 3 May, 1919
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
Date of Death: 27 January, 2014
Height: 6' 3" (190 cm)

Death Summary: Pete Seeger died at the age of 94 of natural causes.

Who was Pete Seeger : Pete Seeger was an American folk singer and activist, whose long and illustrious career spanned for over 70 years. Known not only for his songwriting ad folk singing, Seeger became a prominent figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s when he popularized the classic spiritual "We Shall Overcome." Seeger continued to write and perform music with a message well into his 90s.

Full Name at Birth: Jack Shea
Age: 84 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 1 August, 1928
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Date of Death: 28 April, 2013
Location of Death: Los Angeles, California, USA
Cause of Death: Alzheimer's

Death Summary: Jack Shea died from complications from Alzheimer's at the age of 84.

Who was Jack Shea : Jack Shea was a TV and film director who also served as the president of the Directors Guild of America from 1997 to 2002. He is best known for his work on shows like The Jeffersons, Silver Spoons, and Growing Pains. As President of the DGA, Shea was an advocate for minority hiring.

Full Name at Birth: Storm Elvin Thorgerson
Age: 69 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 28 February, 1944
Birthplace: Potters Bar, Middlesex, England
Date of Death: 18 April, 2013
Cause of Death: Cancer

Death Summary: Storm Thorgerson died of cancer at the age of 69.

Who was Storm Thorgerson : Storm Thorgerson was a graphic designer, best known for his work with various high-profile rock bands including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Muse, and Scorpions. That Dark Side of the Moon cover? Yeah, that was Storm Thorgerson.

Full Name at Birth: Jane Anne Nebel
Age: 78 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 16 June, 1934
Birthplace: New York, USA
Date of Death: 2 April, 2013
Location of Death: Connecticut, USA
Cause of Death: Cancer

Death Summary: Jane Henson died of cancer at the age of 78.

Who was Jane Henson : Jane Henson was an American puppeteer and the wife of Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. Jane Henson worked as a creative director with The Muppets and also did some work on Sesame Street.

Full Name at Birth: Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra
Age: 43 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 2 July, 1969
Birthplace: Long beach, California, USA
Date of Death: 9 December, 2012
Location of Death: Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico
Cause of Death: Plane Crash

Death Summary: Jenni Rivera died in a plane crash. The crash took place 10 minutes after taking off.

Who was Jenni Rivera : Jenni Rivera, 43, was a famous Mexican-American singer. She began recording in 1992 and has producted 13 albums. Her last album, Joyas Prestada, was released in 2011.

Full Name at Birth: LeRoy Neiman
Age: 90 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 8 June, 1921
Date of Death: 20 May, 2012
Cause of Death: Natural causes

Death Summary:
Reported by his publicist, LeRoy Neiman died of natural causes at Manhattan's Presbyterian Hospital. He was 91 years of age.

Who was LeRoy Neiman :
LeRoy Neiman (born LeRoy Runquist) was a well-known American sports painter. Neiman's famous works include various public sporting events, such as: The Super Bowl, The World Series, The Kentucky Derby, The Ryder Cup, The World Equestrian Games, and Wimbledon.

Prior to Neiman's painting success, he was a member of the U.S. Army as a cook during World War II. After his leave, Neiman studied at St. Paul School of Art and also the Art Institute of Chicago.

Full Name at Birth: Adrienne Rich
Age: 82 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 16 May, 1929
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Date of Death: 27 March, 2012

Death Summary: Rich died on March 27, 2012, at the age of 82 at her hom in Santa Cruz, CA.

Who was Adrienne Rich : Rich was an essayist, poet, and notable feminist. She has been called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century.

Full Name at Birth: Janice Marian Grant
Age: 88 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 26 July, 1923
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 24 February, 2012
Location of Death: New Hope, Pennsylvania
Cause of Death: Stroke

Death Summary: Jan died in the hospital one day after suffering a stroke without regaining consciousness.

Who was Jan Berenstain : Jan Berenstain was the wife of Stan Berenstain, the duo were writers and illustrators, who are best known for creating the children's book series the Berenstain Bears.

Full Name at Birth: Dennis Lee Hopper
Age: 74 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 17 May, 1936
Birthplace: Dodge City, Kansas, United States
Date of Death: 29 May, 2010
Location of Death: Venice, California, United States
Cause of Death: Complications From Prostate Cancer
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)

Death Summary: ...

Who was Dennis Hopper : Hopper was an actor, artist, and filmmaker. He got his start starring opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. He received critical praise for directing and starring in Easy Rider, a film in which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

After Easy Rider, Hopper's career sort of cooled off until he was cast in Apocalypse Now opposite Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall. Around the same time he also appeared in Rumble Fish, The Osterman Weekend, Blue Velvet and Hoosiers.

Hopper was married 5 separate times: Brooke Hayward (1961-1969) - Michelle Phillips (1970) - Daria Halprin (1972-1976) - Katherine LaNasa (1989-1992) - Victoria Duffy (1996-present)

On October 29, 2009 Hopper's manager, Sam Maydew, stated that the actor had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. To combat the disease Hopper was undergoing special treatments at the University of Southern California. Over the coming weeks his condition reporedly worsened dramatically.

In a surprising turn of events, Hopper filed for divorce from his wife, Victoria Duffy-Hopper, citing "irreconcilable differences". Many questioned why he would file for divorce, from what many to believe his deathbed. Some believe it's a money thing, as Hopper wanted his eldest daughter, Marin Hopper, to be the executor of his will not his current wife of 14 years.

In mid January 2010, it was reported that Hopper's cancer had spread to his bones and that he may only have a month to live.

Full Name at Birth: Michael Joseph Jackson
Age: 50 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 29 August, 1958
Birthplace: Gary, Indiana
Date of Death: 25 June, 2009
Location of Death: Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States
Cause of Death: Acute Propofol And Benzodiazepine Intoxication After Suffering Cardiac Arrest.
Height: 5' 9" (175 cm)

Death Summary: On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson collapse at his rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles. Jackson’s personal physician attempted to resuscitate him with no success.

The Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a 911 call at 12:21 pm (PST). At the time of their arrival Jackson was not breathing. CPR was performed with no response.

The paramedics took Jackson to the UCLA Medical Center, arriving approximately at 1:14 pm (PST). Jackson slipped into a coma and later died at 2:26 pm local time. The current cause of death is said to be cardiac arrest. An autopsy is planned to determine the true cause of death.

Jackson’s death caused fans to gather at the UCLA Medical Center, outside the Apollo Theater in New York City, and in Detroit outside the former offices of Motown.

Full Name at Birth: Robert Rauschenberg
Age: 82 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 22 October, 1925
Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas, United States
Date of Death: 12 May, 2008

Death Summary: Rauschenberg died of heart failure when he decided to go off life support.

Who was Robert Rauschenberg : Robert Rauschenberg is an artist who gained huge popularity in the 1950's with his transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art.

Rauschenberg is best known for his work in the 1950's entitled "Combines", essentially this was the combination of various items and materials.

He would often find trash on the streets of New York City and take them back to his studio to use in his works.

Full Name at Birth: Pauline Diana Baynes
Age: 85 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 9 September 1922
Birthplace: Hove, Sussex, England
Date of Death: 1 August 2008
Location of Death: Dockenfield, Surrey, England

Death Summary: Pauline Baynes passed away in her home in Surrey, she was 85. The exact cause of her death has not been disclosed.

Who was Pauline Baynes : Baynes was an English book illustrator, her work can be seen in over 100 books. She is most known for her illustrations in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

Her work can also be seen in J. R. R. Tolkien's Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Smith of Wootton Major, Tree and Leaf, and Bilbo's Last song.

Full Name at Birth: José Cuauhtémoc Meléndez
Age: 91 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 15 November, 1916
Birthplace: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Date of Death: 2 September, 2008
Location of Death: Santa Monica, California, US

Death Summary: José Cuauhtemoc "Bill" Meléndez died at the age of 91 in Santa Monica, California. The specific cause of death is unknown at this time.

Who was Bill Meléndez : Meléndez was an animator, director, and producer who is known for the Peanuts carton series for Warner Brothers. In later versions of the cartoon, Meléndez provided the voice for both Snoopy and Woodstock.

He began animating in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney to work on animated films such as Bambi, Fantasia, and Dumbo.

Three years after his run at Disney he joined the animation team at Warner Brothers where he worked on many Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck cartoons.

As well as having a pretty good animating resume he was also a faculty member at the University of Southern California in the Cinema Arts Department.

Full Name at Birth: Charles Monroe Schulz
Age: 77 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 26 November, 1922
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Date of Death: 12 February, 2000
Location of Death: Santa Rosa, California, USA
Cause of Death: Colon cancer
Height: 6' (183 cm)

Death Summary: In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later discovered he had colon cancer that had metastasized. As a result of the chemotherapy and poor vision Schulz announced his retirement on December 14, 1999. This was very difficult for the artist.

According to Wikipedia, he is quoted saying to Al Roker on The Today Show, I never dreamed that this would happen to me. I always had the feeling that I would stay with the strip until I was in my early eighties, or something like that. But all of sudden it's gone. I did not take it away. This has been taken away from me."

Schulz died from complications related to colon cancer at 9:45 p.m. on February 12, 2000. He is buried in the Pleasant Hills Cemetery in Sebastopol.

The last original Peanuts comic strip ran the day after his death. Schulz had often predicted that the strip would outlive him.

Who was Charles M. Schulz : Schulz was a beloved cartoonist who is best known for his Peanuts comic strip.

He got his start in comics after he submitted one of his drawings to The Saturday Evening Post, they paid him $40 and asked that he send more. Schulz sent in a total of 13 comics before he ended his partnership with the publication.

Peanuts debuted on October 2, 1950; it would go on to become one of the most popular comic strips of all time.

Schulz drew most of his inspirations for Peanuts from his own life, even the main characters. Schulz’s father was a barber and his mother was a housewife (like Charlie Brown), Linus and Shermy were based on his good friends, Lucy was inspired by his first wife, Peppermint Patty was inspired from a cousin, and “The Little Red Haired Girl” that Charlie Brown is always pining over is based after a girl that Schulz had intended on marrying… but let her slip away.

Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years without interruption and appeared in more than 2, 600 newspapers in 75 countries.

Full Name at Birth: William Seward Burroughs
Age: 83 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 5 February, 1914
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Date of Death: 2 August, 1997
Location of Death: Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Cause of Death: Heart Attack
Height: 6' 1" (185 cm)

Death Summary: Burroughs passed away at the age of 83 from complications from a heart attack that he had suffered the day before.

He was buried next to his Father in their family plot in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. His stone reads "American Writer".

Who was William S. Burroughs : William Seward Burroughs II was a writer of novels and essays as well as a painter and a spoken word performance artist. He also did a little acting including performances in Gus Van Sant films.

He graduated from Harvard University after losing his virginity to a female prostitute. He then went to the Army just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was soon discharged.

One of his most popular works was the Novel Naked Lunch, which was adapted into a film directed by David Cronenberg (who had also remade the Vincent Price classic The Fly) starring Peter Weller and the late Roy Scheider.

Burroughs had once recorded a spoken word cd with Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain who "played" guitar in the background. The guitar work was mostly feedback.

Full Name at Birth: Bob Ross
Age: 52 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 29 October, 1942
Birthplace: Daytona Beach, Florida, USA
Date of Death: 4 July, 1995
Location of Death: New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA
Cause of Death: Cancer - Lymphoma
Height: 6' 2" (188 cm)

Death Summary: Bob Ross died at the age of 52 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida from lymphoma.

Who was Bob Ross : Ross was a painter who is best known for his television show “The Joy of Paining”, which was shown on public broadcast stations across the United States.

During each episode Ross would show viewers the art of oil painting using the quick-study technique that kept colors to a minimum and broke the whole process down to simple steps that anyone could follow.

Ross is known for painting landscapes, mainly lakes, mountains, and snow scenes. His paintings were heavily influenced by his time in the Air Force, where he was stationed in Alaska.

Ross stated once on his show that one of his favorite parts about painting was simply cleaning the brush, specifically drying the brush off. He would dip the brush into the cleaner then gently hit it across the legs of his easel. He would often say, “Beat the devil out of it.”.

The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross ran from 1983 – 1995.

Full Name at Birth: Jacob Kurtzberg
Age: 76 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 28 August, 1917
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Date of Death: 6 February, 1994
Location of Death: Thousand Oaks, California

Death Summary: Jack Kirby (Jacob Kurtzberg) died in his Thousand Oaks, California home of heart failure.

Who was Jack Kirby : Kirby was one of the most recognizable, prolific, and influential comic artists of all time. He co-created some of the greatest comic book icons such as the Fantastic Four, X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and literally hundreds more.

Without having any formal training, Kirby got his start in comics in when he met Fox editor Joe Simon. They began a working relationship that would last over twenty years.

The two went on to develop Captain America for Timely Comics (the future Marvel Comics), with its cinematic techniques and exaggerated action… Captain America was an instant success.

Kirby began working with Stan Lee in the 1950s; the two would go on to create the veritably “whose who” of the comic genre.

Full Name at Birth: Theodor Seuss Geisel
Age: 87 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 2 March, 1904
Birthplace: Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
Date of Death: 24 September, 1991
Location of Death: La Jolla, California, USA
Cause of Death: throat Cancer

Death Summary: Dr. Seuss died of cancer at the age of 87 in his home in La Jolla, California.

At his request, no funeral was planned and his body was cremated.

Who was Dr. Seuss : Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel got his start drawing political cartoons and served in the animation department of the United States Air Force.

Of course, he is known for his time-honored children's books that stood out from the rest thanks to his illustrations, his creation of non-existent words, and positive messages that were laced within the pages.

Some of his popular books include: The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham, The Sneetches and Other Stories, Horton Hears a Who, The Lorax, The Butter Battle Book, Fox in Socks, and many more.

Though childless himself, he touched the lives of many, many children through his books and will continue to so for ages to come.

Full Name at Birth: Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech
Age: 84 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 11 May, 1904
Birthplace: Figueres, Spain
Date of Death: 23 January, 1989
Location of Death: Figueres, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Height: 5' 7¾" (172 cm)

Death Summary: Salvador Dali died at the age of 84 in Spain.

Who was Salvador Dali : One of the most important artists of the 20th century, his most famous piece of artwork is known as "Persistence of Memory" and features the well known melting clock.

Full Name at Birth: Andrew Warhola
Age: 58 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 6 August, 1928
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Date of Death: 22 February, 1987
Location of Death: New York City, New York, USA
Cause of Death: Complications of Surgery
Height: 5' 11" (180 cm)
Weight: 170 lbs (77.1 kg)

Death Summary: Warhol died from a sudden heart attack in his sleep at New York Hospital while recovering from gallbladder surgery.

He was buried in a solid bronze casket wearing a black cashmere suit, a paisley tie, a platinum wig, and sunglasses.

As according to Warhol's will, most of his estate went to funding "advancement of the visual arts".

Who was Andy Warhol : Andrew Warhola was an American artist (of Slovakian descent). He is mostly known as a painter, but also made films including a version of Frankenstein.

His Pop Art pieces include the famous Campbell's Soup can painting, the Velvet Underground album cover with the banana, and "Marilyn diptych", which displayed Marilyn Monroe's face in rows with different color combinations.

Full Name at Birth: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruiz y Picasso
Age: 91 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 25 October, 1881
Birthplace: Málaga, Andalucía, Spain
Date of Death: 8 April, 1973
Location of Death: Mougins, France
Cause of Death: Lung And Heart Failure
Height: 5' 4" (163 cm)

Death Summary: Picasso died while him and his wife were entertaining friends, his final words were "Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can't drink any more."

Who was Pablo Ruiz Picasso : One of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Spanish painter and sculptor.

Full Name at Birth: Elzie Crisler Segar
Age: 43 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 8 December 1894
Birthplace: Chester, Illinois
Date of Death: 13 October 1938
Location of Death: Santa Monica, California

Death Summary: Segar was only 43 years old when he passed away from liver disease after a long struggle with being ill.

After his death, his assistant Bud Sagendorf took over duties on Popeye and continued to create the comic strip for many years to come.

Who was E.C. Segar : Elzie Crisler Segar was a cartoonist whose claim to fame was being the creator of everybody's favorite spinach-eating seaman Popeye the Sailor Man.

Segar's Popeye cartoon originally appeared in 1929 in the "Thimble Theatre" comic section of the New York Journal.

Interestingly enough, Segar had been contributing cartoons to this publication for a decade prior to Popeye's appearance, and Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoons was one of the main characters along with Castor Oyl and Ham Gravy.

Full Name at Birth: Claude Oscar Monet
Age: 86 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 14 November, 1840
Birthplace: Paris
Date of Death: 6 December, 1926
Location of Death: Giverny, France
Cause of Death: lung cancer

Death Summary: Monet died of lung cancer at the age of 86.

Who was Claude Monet : Founder of the Impressionist painting.

Full Name at Birth: Vincent Willem van Gogh
Age: 37 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 30 March, 1853
Birthplace: Zundert
Date of Death: 29 July, 1890
Location of Death: Auvers-sur-Oise
Cause of Death: Suicide
Height: 5' 7" (170 cm)

Death Summary: Van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Who was Vincent Van Gogh : Artist. One of the most famous painters in the world.

Full Name at Birth: Rembrandt Harmanszoon van Rijn
Age: 63 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 15 July, 1606
Birthplace: Leiden, Netherslands
Date of Death: 4 October, 1669
Location of Death: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Death Summary: Rembrandt died within a year of his son, on October 4, 1669 in Amsterdam, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Westerkerk.

Who was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn : One of the greatest painters in history.

Full Name at Birth: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
Age: 88 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 6 March, 1475
Date of Death: 18 February, 1564

Death Summary: Michelangelo died at his home in Rome.

Who was Michelangelo di Lodovico : Painter, sculptor and architect, between other things. Sculptor of The David.

Full Name at Birth: Leonardo da Vinci
Age: 67 (age at death)
Date of Birth: 15 April, 1452
Birthplace: Florence
Date of Death: 2 May, 1519

Death Summary:
Who was Leonardo Da Vinci : Painter, sculptor, inventor...among other things. One of the greatest minds of all time.

Full Name at Birth:Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bard
Date of Birth: 1386
Date of Death: 13 December, 1466
Nationality: Italian

Death Summary: He died in Florence in the year 1466.

Who was Donatello di Niccolo di Betto Bardi : Italian sculptor of the early Renaissance.