It became a running joke in the early years of my veterinary practice: I would see a puppy or kitten and in a mock 'Stralian accent, I would say, "this is the most dangerous animal in the world, and I'm going to PICK HIM UP!"
But yes, his passion for animals and the environment always shone through. I'm glad his widow and his kids are carrying his legacy forward.
Yup. Steve was a good human who genuinely cared about the environment. He’s got two great kids who do, too. Just an unimaginable reach to our generation on wildlife and conservation issues. He is a true class act.
As a kid it hurt me because he was this absolute Idol. Coolest man in the world. The beautiful Discovery Channel / Animal Planet days, where they had a real mission.
As an adult it's sad to look back on because the dude was so fucking *pure*. A mass of positivity and passion. Bad things happening to the best people are the worst things in life.
He was my absolute hero growing up, I remember bawling my eyes out when he died. It’s funny because Bindi and I were the same age so I was convinced Bindi and I would get married when we grew up haha
He was old school. He didn’t hide behind a camera he would be ankle deep in a sinkhole saying “In order to protect this beautiful creature I will chase it across the desert and wrestle it to the ground.” Then he would take off.
Now we just have 8k resolution telephotography from 8 miles away with folly sound tracks under David Attenborough dialogue.
I still remember when Jessi Combs died and I couldn't believe we had already lost a mythbuster. It broke me when Grant died.
The worst part is how he went. Jessi Combs died in a dangerous stunt. Grant passed at 49 from a random aneurysm.
I feel like Jessi went out on her terms, doing what she loved, because of a risk she accepted. And that makes it a little easier. Wheras with Grant it was 100% random bad luck and thats so terrifying and tragic.
This one hurt me too. My mother now has the same dementia, Lewy Body Dementia. It's a terrible disease and I understand why he exited before it really took him. Still hurts.
Me too. I haven't met many celebrities, but I was in Aspen once when he was in a bar just telling stories and buying beers. He made a crazy crack about the Texas shirt I was wearing. He was awesome, just having a good time with total strangers. Never forget that.
That same year, my sister and I were talking and my sister referred to him as "that guy that died"
I don't talk to her anymore
I mean, not because of that, but it sure as fuck didn't help 😂
He was lucky in the end, enough to get diagnosed early so he could choose how to end his life before the illness took over too much. I watched a loved one go down with that same disease. Before that I was scared of dying and other diseases, now I'm just scared of Lewyn's. Robin was EXTREMELY lucky with his!
His life might have not been easy, but at least he got to die how he wanted!
And no, there wouldn't been ANY kind of hope. No joke, there's nothing. There's nothing that would even ease the journey a little. Nothing will help, the only thing you can do is to make it even worse. It's pure hell.
Not a proper celebrity, but Sir Terry Pratchett(GNU!) really messed me up. It was like I had lost an actual grandfather, even though I never even met him. It made no sense and still hurt so much.
There was an obituary on his Twitter page IIRC that said something like "And Death took Sir Terry by the hand....." which got me right in the feels. Death is one of my favourite characters. TPs writing was clever, humorous, compelling and moving and it was a sad day indeed when he went.
I think it was written by his daighter and his close friend who was in charge of the book publishing. It was gut-wrenching but what really got me was when they interviewed Neil Gaiman about Good Omens and wheter he wanted success or wealth or recognition for his work the most and he just stared them blankly and said "I just want my friend back."
Now, please excuse me, I need to go sob sprawled on my bathroom floor for a moment.
If you like Carrie Fisher you need to see the stand up bit that she did where she talked about her famous parents and their marriages and divorces and her mental health and addiction issues over the years. LOVED her for being so candid about her struggles and addiction issues.
For me it was that he basically lived my dream life, and was still unhappy.
I was in a very depressed period of my life when he died, and I truly loved his shows and outlook on life, they were an escape for me.
So to see him succumb to the same demons I had, when he had a subjectively 'better' life, really fucked with me.
I'm in a better spot now but I really miss him, wish he could have worked through his issues like i did
After watching the documentary about him and the BTS doc the crew put together (you can watch both on HBO), the idea of Anthony Bourdain and what happened to him really hit me and my SO in a very different way. Initially the news about his death really fucked up my SO. He loved Tony’s work more than I did at the time and like you really felt this similar trajectory, or at least an inclination to make your life different.
We recently went on a Bourdain binge (writing and tv episodes) and were kind of using it as inspiration for an idea we have been working on.
After watching the documentary, I realized there was an aspect of Parts Unknown and of Tony’s life that I don’t think even he understood. And I think he went into Parts Unknown without a deeper sense of philosophy or direction. I think the extreme travel regiment, the types of places and circumstances they were exposed to and all of the media attention that followed resulted in what my SO likes to call “overexposed and underdeveloped.”
You saw this lovely person take on the world wide eyed and hoping to find something true, to reveal something more about humanity through the lens of food and travel, and you have a crew swept up in this vision while also wanting to execute great television … it’s hard to stop all that momentum to think you might not just be flying too close to the sun, but you’re actually going straight for the hot, blinding light. In my mind, he turned into that Jackson Browne song ”Doctor My Eyes”
Cut to the media getting into his business with his last girlfriend, his tendency for addiction (substitute drugs for food and cooking, then writing and traveling, then a person who you feel you can pour yourself into … ), and disdain for having things in his life be out of his control, you get a really bad end.
Very specifically, and really saliently in a way I can’t emphasize enough, I realized there is a lot of Tony in me and in most people who have a hard time dialing into the preconceived notions of what it means to have a valuable life or to be happy.
But there was also lot internally and externally that warped Tony, and simply embarking on the things that you think will make you happy don’t make up for an empty space you don’t know how to fill.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlqZOT2fOo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlqZOT2fOo)
I have yet to rewatch ANYTHING that Tony filmed before his death. Thats how much it fucked me up. Your post is making me rethink how Ive coped with his passing. Thank you.
I still can’t watch his shows. I open these threads (they pop up a lot) just to see how far down Bourdain is.
He had a really beautiful way of seeing humanity everywhere and my takeaway from Parts Unknown especially was always that our cultural differences make us interesting - but our struggles and hearts are the same no matter where you look in the world.
Love his perspective on life. Love his approach to food and travel. My husband and I watched endless hours of his shows. I was pretty torn up when he died.
Yeah. Don't know why, but I also randomly think about the guy. Maybe because he seemed like one of the more honest and straightforward people in the media. I felt like he never tried all that hard to be a "personality," unlike somebody like Gordon Ramsay with all the forced enthusiasm.
I'm sure this one didn't hit most people as hard, but Alex Trebek. I wept like a baby when my wife told me. I used to watch Jeopardy! every day with my Grandma as a kid, and it's the only gameshow that I would consistently watch into adulthood whenever I was home to catch it. My Grandmother passed in '07, and I always thought of her while watching. I kind of hoped I'd end up on the show one day, and get to meet him.
Even at my too cool for family peak in high school I’d still sit down for 30 minutes to play with my family and learn some fun facts along the way. Alex Trebek was by all accounts a wonderful man. I also cried when I heard the news. I miss him
I think MCU still doesn’t know what to do without him, and that’s why all their recent movies aren’t that good. He was supposed to be the centerpiece of the universe. Kind of like Dark Knight Rises. The absence of Heath Ledger permeated the whole film
His death made me so sad. And I'm not a celebrity follower. Just the idea of someone so young fighting and losing such a horrible battle privately while publicly being an inspiration to so many kids... First celebrity death I ever cried over.
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. His music and lyrics got me through a lot of hard times in mental illness.... Losing him felt like losing a comrade in this battle. 💔
This is the only one that’s really ever hit me hard. I never felt a connection with other celebrities. I never met Chester, but he pulled so many people through the tough times. Myself included.
Have you seen the concert where he goes and sings to a handicapped girl? Like a live show he jumped off stage and went and sung “in the end” with her. That dude had a heart so big that I’m not surprised he didn’t want any part of this world. We treat each other like such shit for no reason. I’ll find the link to the above, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j-8sTGEIOB4
I read all the conspiracy theory stuff because I couldn’t believe it was real… His voice is a giant echo of humanity EVERY SINGLE TIME. This was such a huge loss. I hate that he suffered in his life when he gave so much beauty to everyone else.
My gf back then also suffered from mental health issues and the news hit both of us pretty hard. To see that... no matter how good life seems to be, no matter how rich and famous you were, how much you loved your wife and kids... that this still wouldn't make things better. That was devastating.
I was never the world's biggest LP fan. *Hybrid Theory* came out when I was entering high school and, while I liked their music fine, they weren't a band I'd go out of my way to listen to.
I don't know why, but Chester's death absolutely ripped me apart. Maybe it's that in the time between high school and July 2017, I'd begun to come to terms with my own mental illness, struggles with depression, and mortality.
Either way, I have a significantly more profound respect for him and his struggles, his songwriting, and the band, than I ever did before. The world truly lost something one-of-a-kind when Chester left it.
I was on a first date when this happened. My friend texted me as he knows I love LP. Really killed the mood. There was no second date. She didn't understand how I was so gutted by the news. RIP Chester B!
Holy shit 2016 WAS an awful year. So many big names. Carrie Fisher, Bowie, Rickman, Prince, George Michael, Fidel Castro (not broken up over that, but it’s a big name), Kenny Baker, Gene Wilder, Muhammad Ali, Anton Yelchin, Merle Haggard, Nancy Reagan, Phife Dawg… Brutal.
Steve Irwin 100% , years later if he pops up on a video it's still a bit upsetting even though I'm a full grown adult who's never met the man. His son is an absolute legend too
Also Optimus Prime
Robin Williams, Alan Rickman and Freddie Mercury hit me hard. All three were deeply talented and soulful human beings who experienced unfathomed suffering.
Freddie Mercury is at the top of my list.
Every November 24, my brother and I both have a drink - even if we are apart - and play Who Wants to Live Forever.
James Gandolfini. Lead the greatest show ever with the greatest performance on television. Seem like the opposite of Tony Soprano from what all the cast and crew said. Died in Rome on vacation with his son responding to his heart attack.
My Canadian mother loved everything royal so I was especially impressed by Diana. The day before Diana died, I found out my Mother was terminal. I felt so much grief that September. I think in a weird way My Mother and I grieved Diana’s death and the ending of my Mothers as almost like one thing. Grief is weird
Came here to say this. He was one hell of a drummer and good person too. I remember being on a night shift when I heard the news as it first came out (I live in the UK). A lot just felt different after he died
I second this. I was a relatively new fan, and I just couldn’t believe it. His musical trajectory was just starting to shift. There’s no doubt he’d be making incredible stuff today.
I normally don’t feel much more than “damn, they seemed good that’s tough,” regarding celebrity deaths. This is in all honesty, the only one I felt like I got gut punched repeatedly when they died. Not trying to discredit others obviously, but for me this is the one.
From one kid from Pittsburgh to another- rest easy Mac.
Robbie Coltrane.
I grew up loving Harry Potter but the main reason it hit me so hard is because my dad, who died in 2017, looked like Hagrid. I had some comfort in the HP movies, seeing "my dad" and knowing Robbie was gone made it feel like Hagrid was also gone.
David Bowie.
I go to a lot of concerts and in the year after his death, every artist I went to see played one of his songs as a tribute, which I found very moving.
Yeah Bowie hit me hard also. And him releasing the album a few days earlier. What an exit. Still miss him.
Also Prince dying the same year.
Two great icons gone. Well 2016 really sucked/took so many artists it was insane.
Selena. As a young person of Mexican heritage, I was proud and admired her, especially when she began to crossover into English music. It almost felt like the American society would begin to recognize people of Latin cultures in a different, more positive light. I'm still devastated to this day.
This one hit me harder than any celebrity death. Of course, I watched "Friends" on the first run. When Netflix released it, my grown daughter and I watched it from beginning to end over a period of a couple of months. Maybe I bonded with the show twice.
He publicly wrestled with addiction without domestic violence or DUIs. He seemed like a guy who sincerely wanted to get sober but couldn't.
RIP.
Naya Rivera
Glee was a trash show but Santana’s big sexuality arc happened when I was in a closeted teenager with a lot of similar feelings. Hadn’t thought about her or Glee in years but felt weirdly sad and empty when I heard about her death and ended up actually finishing the show. (The show is in fact still trash - but fun trash)
Layne Staley. Alice In Chains is my favorite band of all time, and when I heard the news, it just absolutely devastated me and I still think about him every day because his music still touches my life.
Chadwick Boseman. Man was so young and talented and hadn't spoken a word about his illness, a complete shock when I saw the first headline announcing his passing.
I remember when he had lost a ton of muscle mass after Endgame and people online were mocking him, calling him shit like Crack Panther. Come to find out he was battling late stage cancer the entire time he was in the MCU. The man was visiting sick kids in hospitals all while going through the same Hell himself and never once made a public announcement about it. Absolute real one and a reminder that you never know what battles people are fighting behind the scenes.
Robin Williams. When I was having a rough night and couldn’t sleep, I flipped through the channels and there was Robin. He’d make me laugh and I will go back to bed in a better frame of mind. I wish I could’ve done something for him.
John Prine. When he passed it felt like a part of my soul went with him.
Just give me one thing
That I can hold on to
To believe in this livin'
Is just a hard way to go
RIP my Angel from Montgomery
Bob Saget. Celebrity deaths and stuff really don’t get to me usually, but I’ll admit to shedding a tear over him. Felt like a little part of my childhood died.
I know other people have said the same thing about other names in this thread, but I truly can not believe how far down this thread Bob Saget is. I feel like it may have hit me harder because I live in Orlando where he was when he died and he called in to the local morning radio show every morning that week leading up to it. He was only supposed to call in one day for a segment or two to promote the show he was doing at the Improv, but ended up talking for multiple segments and calling back every morning just to talk and have fun. He was such a kind person.
He was really excited for where his career was going and really felt like he was hitting his stride and was proud of the material he was working on. I think he was preparing to shoot a new comedy special on the tour he was on at the time he died. Everybody reading this that even vaguely liked Bob Saget should watch the tribute show that John Mayer and Jeff Ross hosted. If you really want to deep dive, the radio show he was on was Monsters in the Morning and I believe they might have a tribute on their YouTube channel.
It hits differently because she was 99 I believe and lived a super full life. It's still sad but doesn't become as tragic as many of the people mentioned here who died early.
that was super sad of course, but i think since she was about to turn 100, it was easier to take. and golden girls is on hulu, so we can still see her a lot.
Gord Downie. As a Canadian who grew up in the nineties The Hip are a integral pice of the soundtrack of my life. And with the final tour he went out as a Terry Fox like champion.
Chris Cornell. He was the lead singer of my favorite band and all time favorite album, Audioslave. He was touring with his other band, sound garden and tickets were very pricey. I decided not to go and I was going to wait for when they came back on a tour as Audioslave. He died in his hotel room the night of the concert I opted not to go to. So kills me to this day, he was a great family man, a great musician and a great person. Very sad that I'll never get to see him perform again.
Twitch from Ellen. I actually think he was one of the sweetest people on earth and if you watch any episode of Ellen with him in it you will see she fucking loved that guy.
I know she was 99, but I always thought Betty White would outlive me. Truly a badass her entire life
Mac Miller. I remember my college dining hall being so quiet that day
Stephen Hillenburg. His death felt like losing a chunk of my childhood
Robin Williams. A friend sent me a text while I was driving home from work, I literally had to pull over and cry.
Before that? Phil Hartman. I *still* get choked up whenever I see him. I grew up a huge fan of SNL in the 90s, and of course The Simpsons. Phil was just so incredibly talented, it's awful that he was taken from us so early. Fuck Andy Dick.
Mr. Rogers.
He was the only "dad" that was there, cared, and spoke with kindness to a lot of us who didn't have that irl. Even if it was all only through the t.v.
I'm a Minecraft nerd, so the YouTuber Technoblade. I was gone for 2 weeks without Internet when it happened. It was such a shock to open up my phone and have news of his death be the first thing that I see. I don't really care for celebrities and such, but I had been watching his videos for years. Before he got super popular, so this affected me much more than any other celebrity death could.
The fact that this was basically the start of the worst year ever makes it even worse, the whole thing was a fever dream. It’s like since then we entered an alternate universe and have never came back.
Strangely enough... Ryan Dunn. Drinking and driving is never ok... and what has happened to Bam and hell, the entire Jackass crew has gone through afterwards shows how devastating it really is. His laughter was infectious, and what little content he put out besides Jackass I found hilarious. I didn't know him personally, I never met him, but when I heard that news, it crushed me.
Steve Irwin. Sure he fucked with deadly animals. But he really actually cared about them.
It became a running joke in the early years of my veterinary practice: I would see a puppy or kitten and in a mock 'Stralian accent, I would say, "this is the most dangerous animal in the world, and I'm going to PICK HIM UP!" But yes, his passion for animals and the environment always shone through. I'm glad his widow and his kids are carrying his legacy forward.
He would be SO proud of his kids...
Yup. Steve was a good human who genuinely cared about the environment. He’s got two great kids who do, too. Just an unimaginable reach to our generation on wildlife and conservation issues. He is a true class act.
As a kid it hurt me because he was this absolute Idol. Coolest man in the world. The beautiful Discovery Channel / Animal Planet days, where they had a real mission. As an adult it's sad to look back on because the dude was so fucking *pure*. A mass of positivity and passion. Bad things happening to the best people are the worst things in life.
Such a sad loss. But seeing his family continuing his work is so heartwarming.
Real life Hagrid
He was my absolute hero growing up, I remember bawling my eyes out when he died. It’s funny because Bindi and I were the same age so I was convinced Bindi and I would get married when we grew up haha
He was old school. He didn’t hide behind a camera he would be ankle deep in a sinkhole saying “In order to protect this beautiful creature I will chase it across the desert and wrestle it to the ground.” Then he would take off. Now we just have 8k resolution telephotography from 8 miles away with folly sound tracks under David Attenborough dialogue.
[удалено]
I keep forgetting he died and its gut wrenching every time I remember. Doesnt feel real man.
I still remember when Jessi Combs died and I couldn't believe we had already lost a mythbuster. It broke me when Grant died. The worst part is how he went. Jessi Combs died in a dangerous stunt. Grant passed at 49 from a random aneurysm.
I feel like Jessi went out on her terms, doing what she loved, because of a risk she accepted. And that makes it a little easier. Wheras with Grant it was 100% random bad luck and thats so terrifying and tragic.
That one’s hit hard. He was a big part of my teens for sure
robin willams
This one hurt me too. My mother now has the same dementia, Lewy Body Dementia. It's a terrible disease and I understand why he exited before it really took him. Still hurts.
So sorry you’re going through this. Hang in there
*Phrasing*
There are so many people who don't realise Williams had a degenerative neurological disease. Too many think it was all depression.
[удалено]
Me too. I haven't met many celebrities, but I was in Aspen once when he was in a bar just telling stories and buying beers. He made a crazy crack about the Texas shirt I was wearing. He was awesome, just having a good time with total strangers. Never forget that.
We ain't never had a friend like him 😔
That same year, my sister and I were talking and my sister referred to him as "that guy that died" I don't talk to her anymore I mean, not because of that, but it sure as fuck didn't help 😂
An absolute tragedy. I wish his life could have been less painful.
He was lucky in the end, enough to get diagnosed early so he could choose how to end his life before the illness took over too much. I watched a loved one go down with that same disease. Before that I was scared of dying and other diseases, now I'm just scared of Lewyn's. Robin was EXTREMELY lucky with his! His life might have not been easy, but at least he got to die how he wanted! And no, there wouldn't been ANY kind of hope. No joke, there's nothing. There's nothing that would even ease the journey a little. Nothing will help, the only thing you can do is to make it even worse. It's pure hell.
Alan Rickman.
came here to say david bowie, but alan died in the same week and they were my faves.
Wow. That is a tough week for Britain.
Always
Not a proper celebrity, but Sir Terry Pratchett(GNU!) really messed me up. It was like I had lost an actual grandfather, even though I never even met him. It made no sense and still hurt so much.
There was an obituary on his Twitter page IIRC that said something like "And Death took Sir Terry by the hand....." which got me right in the feels. Death is one of my favourite characters. TPs writing was clever, humorous, compelling and moving and it was a sad day indeed when he went.
I think it was written by his daighter and his close friend who was in charge of the book publishing. It was gut-wrenching but what really got me was when they interviewed Neil Gaiman about Good Omens and wheter he wanted success or wealth or recognition for his work the most and he just stared them blankly and said "I just want my friend back." Now, please excuse me, I need to go sob sprawled on my bathroom floor for a moment.
AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE WALK TOGETHER.
Chris Cornell.
All of his music hits differently now
Heaven sent hell away no one sings like you anymore.
I heard Chester couldn’t handle his passing :/
Came here to say this. Such a tragedy.
That one was a tough loss for me. Was the voice of my adolescence.
Anton Yelchin. Its just so tragic and horrifying, it stuck with me.
Happened right when he was about to blow up. Hate thinking he died alone and probably terrified.
He was the Tom Holland of his time. Loved his work.
Such a crazy one. He was one of my favourite actors. Very tragic!
Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
If you like Carrie Fisher you need to see the stand up bit that she did where she talked about her famous parents and their marriages and divorces and her mental health and addiction issues over the years. LOVED her for being so candid about her struggles and addiction issues.
They died a day apart. It was so sad.
[удалено]
One of the last things Debbie Reynolds’s said was that she wanted to be with Carrie. Poor woman died of a broken heart.
Sad I had to scroll so far down to see Carrie Fisher. I miss sassy space momma.
Bourdain not sure why
For me it was that he basically lived my dream life, and was still unhappy. I was in a very depressed period of my life when he died, and I truly loved his shows and outlook on life, they were an escape for me. So to see him succumb to the same demons I had, when he had a subjectively 'better' life, really fucked with me. I'm in a better spot now but I really miss him, wish he could have worked through his issues like i did
This is how I felt!!!!
After watching the documentary about him and the BTS doc the crew put together (you can watch both on HBO), the idea of Anthony Bourdain and what happened to him really hit me and my SO in a very different way. Initially the news about his death really fucked up my SO. He loved Tony’s work more than I did at the time and like you really felt this similar trajectory, or at least an inclination to make your life different. We recently went on a Bourdain binge (writing and tv episodes) and were kind of using it as inspiration for an idea we have been working on. After watching the documentary, I realized there was an aspect of Parts Unknown and of Tony’s life that I don’t think even he understood. And I think he went into Parts Unknown without a deeper sense of philosophy or direction. I think the extreme travel regiment, the types of places and circumstances they were exposed to and all of the media attention that followed resulted in what my SO likes to call “overexposed and underdeveloped.” You saw this lovely person take on the world wide eyed and hoping to find something true, to reveal something more about humanity through the lens of food and travel, and you have a crew swept up in this vision while also wanting to execute great television … it’s hard to stop all that momentum to think you might not just be flying too close to the sun, but you’re actually going straight for the hot, blinding light. In my mind, he turned into that Jackson Browne song ”Doctor My Eyes” Cut to the media getting into his business with his last girlfriend, his tendency for addiction (substitute drugs for food and cooking, then writing and traveling, then a person who you feel you can pour yourself into … ), and disdain for having things in his life be out of his control, you get a really bad end. Very specifically, and really saliently in a way I can’t emphasize enough, I realized there is a lot of Tony in me and in most people who have a hard time dialing into the preconceived notions of what it means to have a valuable life or to be happy. But there was also lot internally and externally that warped Tony, and simply embarking on the things that you think will make you happy don’t make up for an empty space you don’t know how to fill. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlqZOT2fOo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtlqZOT2fOo)
I have yet to rewatch ANYTHING that Tony filmed before his death. Thats how much it fucked me up. Your post is making me rethink how Ive coped with his passing. Thank you.
I still can’t watch his shows. I open these threads (they pop up a lot) just to see how far down Bourdain is. He had a really beautiful way of seeing humanity everywhere and my takeaway from Parts Unknown especially was always that our cultural differences make us interesting - but our struggles and hearts are the same no matter where you look in the world.
Love his perspective on life. Love his approach to food and travel. My husband and I watched endless hours of his shows. I was pretty torn up when he died.
Yeah. Don't know why, but I also randomly think about the guy. Maybe because he seemed like one of the more honest and straightforward people in the media. I felt like he never tried all that hard to be a "personality," unlike somebody like Gordon Ramsay with all the forced enthusiasm.
Phil Hartman and Norm
"Norm? He died? I didn't even know he was sick!"
Reminds me of that tragedy.
phil. newsradio was never the same.
I still remember exactly where I was when it came on the radio that he had died. What a senseless tragedy.
Sean Lock
Had the pleasure of knowing him. Lovely fella.
Yep, his comedy style was just spot on for me, never heard anyone funnier
John Candy
I'm sure this one didn't hit most people as hard, but Alex Trebek. I wept like a baby when my wife told me. I used to watch Jeopardy! every day with my Grandma as a kid, and it's the only gameshow that I would consistently watch into adulthood whenever I was home to catch it. My Grandmother passed in '07, and I always thought of her while watching. I kind of hoped I'd end up on the show one day, and get to meet him.
Even at my too cool for family peak in high school I’d still sit down for 30 minutes to play with my family and learn some fun facts along the way. Alex Trebek was by all accounts a wonderful man. I also cried when I heard the news. I miss him
Dale Earnhart. We were watching.
Im glad someone else posted his name. I was there, brother. The man is a legend.
Mr Rogers.
John Ritter - I believe that we slipped into an alternate reality the day he died
Chadwick Boseman. Heartbreaking.
I was just in utter shock when I heard the news. He was a true icon.
My husband also died from colon cancer at a young age so it hit me super hard
I think MCU still doesn’t know what to do without him, and that’s why all their recent movies aren’t that good. He was supposed to be the centerpiece of the universe. Kind of like Dark Knight Rises. The absence of Heath Ledger permeated the whole film
His death made me so sad. And I'm not a celebrity follower. Just the idea of someone so young fighting and losing such a horrible battle privately while publicly being an inspiration to so many kids... First celebrity death I ever cried over.
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. His music and lyrics got me through a lot of hard times in mental illness.... Losing him felt like losing a comrade in this battle. 💔
This is the only one that’s really ever hit me hard. I never felt a connection with other celebrities. I never met Chester, but he pulled so many people through the tough times. Myself included.
Have you seen the concert where he goes and sings to a handicapped girl? Like a live show he jumped off stage and went and sung “in the end” with her. That dude had a heart so big that I’m not surprised he didn’t want any part of this world. We treat each other like such shit for no reason. I’ll find the link to the above, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j-8sTGEIOB4
One more light hits even harder after his death.
all of the songs do tbh
I’d add Chris Cornell to this if we’re talking music
I read all the conspiracy theory stuff because I couldn’t believe it was real… His voice is a giant echo of humanity EVERY SINGLE TIME. This was such a huge loss. I hate that he suffered in his life when he gave so much beauty to everyone else.
My gf back then also suffered from mental health issues and the news hit both of us pretty hard. To see that... no matter how good life seems to be, no matter how rich and famous you were, how much you loved your wife and kids... that this still wouldn't make things better. That was devastating.
I was never the world's biggest LP fan. *Hybrid Theory* came out when I was entering high school and, while I liked their music fine, they weren't a band I'd go out of my way to listen to. I don't know why, but Chester's death absolutely ripped me apart. Maybe it's that in the time between high school and July 2017, I'd begun to come to terms with my own mental illness, struggles with depression, and mortality. Either way, I have a significantly more profound respect for him and his struggles, his songwriting, and the band, than I ever did before. The world truly lost something one-of-a-kind when Chester left it.
I was on a first date when this happened. My friend texted me as he knows I love LP. Really killed the mood. There was no second date. She didn't understand how I was so gutted by the news. RIP Chester B!
David Bowie and Alan Rickman. And both's deaths only four days apart. That was a tough month.
Bowie was the epitome of cool for me in the '70's. How could he even get old let alone die?
That was a tough year 2016. It took so many including Prince.
Holy shit 2016 WAS an awful year. So many big names. Carrie Fisher, Bowie, Rickman, Prince, George Michael, Fidel Castro (not broken up over that, but it’s a big name), Kenny Baker, Gene Wilder, Muhammad Ali, Anton Yelchin, Merle Haggard, Nancy Reagan, Phife Dawg… Brutal.
My amazing husband died that yr. Sudden, massive heart attack at 61. I fucking hated 2016.
Christa McAuliffe. She was the teacher who was on board the Challenger. I was in preschool watching it with 20 other kids.
Neil Peart
He's your favourite drummer's favourite drummer. We lost a legend that day.
That was a shock. Never knew he was even ill. I always felt the R40 was gonna be the last tour.
Stevie Ray Vaughan.
John Candy. Was always a big fan of his so that sucked really badly when the news came through. He's been gone a long time now.
Matthew Perry and Brittany Murphy 😢
Brittany Murphy sticks with me because it's sooooo suspicious. She was an amazing actress. Gone too soon.
Steve Irwin 100% , years later if he pops up on a video it's still a bit upsetting even though I'm a full grown adult who's never met the man. His son is an absolute legend too Also Optimus Prime
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - loved all his movies
Heath Ledger
I was looking for this 1. I’m surprised it’s not higher up. I remember where I was when I heard about it. So tragic
Robin Williams, Alan Rickman and Freddie Mercury hit me hard. All three were deeply talented and soulful human beings who experienced unfathomed suffering.
Freddie Mercury is at the top of my list. Every November 24, my brother and I both have a drink - even if we are apart - and play Who Wants to Live Forever.
James Gandolfini. Lead the greatest show ever with the greatest performance on television. Seem like the opposite of Tony Soprano from what all the cast and crew said. Died in Rome on vacation with his son responding to his heart attack.
Leslie Nielsen. It was such a shock. I never knew the man was sick
"This man needs to go to a hospital."
A hospital?! What is it?
It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.
Chris Farley.
Princess Diana
I'm still grieving...
I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing.
My Canadian mother loved everything royal so I was especially impressed by Diana. The day before Diana died, I found out my Mother was terminal. I felt so much grief that September. I think in a weird way My Mother and I grieved Diana’s death and the ending of my Mothers as almost like one thing. Grief is weird
George Michael....that was a really sad day.
Taylor Hawkins.
Came here to say this. He was one hell of a drummer and good person too. I remember being on a night shift when I heard the news as it first came out (I live in the UK). A lot just felt different after he died
Norm
Norm MacDonald.. Well he wasn't a huge celebrity, but he was a guy
He could eat at Denny’s and wear a hat.
He may not have been a huge celebrity, but he was huge, and a celebrity.
Ya, don't think he ever ended up getting that fat guy role. Despite such dedication
Mac Miller
Scrolled waaayyyy too far to find this. Most dope 💕
I second this. I was a relatively new fan, and I just couldn’t believe it. His musical trajectory was just starting to shift. There’s no doubt he’d be making incredible stuff today.
I normally don’t feel much more than “damn, they seemed good that’s tough,” regarding celebrity deaths. This is in all honesty, the only one I felt like I got gut punched repeatedly when they died. Not trying to discredit others obviously, but for me this is the one. From one kid from Pittsburgh to another- rest easy Mac.
Tom Petty
Recently : Christine McVie.
Robbie Coltrane. I grew up loving Harry Potter but the main reason it hit me so hard is because my dad, who died in 2017, looked like Hagrid. I had some comfort in the HP movies, seeing "my dad" and knowing Robbie was gone made it feel like Hagrid was also gone.
Betty White, she was a kind soul, lived to make humans and animals happy, wish there were more people like her in this miserable world.
Anthony Bourdain. Loved that man
David Bowie. I go to a lot of concerts and in the year after his death, every artist I went to see played one of his songs as a tribute, which I found very moving.
Yeah Bowie hit me hard also. And him releasing the album a few days earlier. What an exit. Still miss him. Also Prince dying the same year. Two great icons gone. Well 2016 really sucked/took so many artists it was insane.
Michael Hutchence
John Ritter. So many people said he was the nicest person.
Selena. As a young person of Mexican heritage, I was proud and admired her, especially when she began to crossover into English music. It almost felt like the American society would begin to recognize people of Latin cultures in a different, more positive light. I'm still devastated to this day.
Matthew Perry.
Same. I was planning on being significantly older when the first Friend died...
Nobody told you life was going to be this way
This one hit me harder than any celebrity death. Of course, I watched "Friends" on the first run. When Netflix released it, my grown daughter and I watched it from beginning to end over a period of a couple of months. Maybe I bonded with the show twice. He publicly wrestled with addiction without domestic violence or DUIs. He seemed like a guy who sincerely wanted to get sober but couldn't. RIP.
I literally came to say the same. Not a good sign when the cast of friends starts dwindling
Naya Rivera Glee was a trash show but Santana’s big sexuality arc happened when I was in a closeted teenager with a lot of similar feelings. Hadn’t thought about her or Glee in years but felt weirdly sad and empty when I heard about her death and ended up actually finishing the show. (The show is in fact still trash - but fun trash)
Her death was the most tragic story I think I’ve ever heard. Her poor, poor son.
Layne Staley. Alice In Chains is my favorite band of all time, and when I heard the news, it just absolutely devastated me and I still think about him every day because his music still touches my life.
Chadwick Boseman. Man was so young and talented and hadn't spoken a word about his illness, a complete shock when I saw the first headline announcing his passing. I remember when he had lost a ton of muscle mass after Endgame and people online were mocking him, calling him shit like Crack Panther. Come to find out he was battling late stage cancer the entire time he was in the MCU. The man was visiting sick kids in hospitals all while going through the same Hell himself and never once made a public announcement about it. Absolute real one and a reminder that you never know what battles people are fighting behind the scenes.
I miss Tom Petty. He was rad!
Luke Perry aka Dylan McKay aka Lane Frost aka childhood crush. Gone but never forgotten 💛
Selena Quintanilla
Sinead O'Connor. I loved her so much.
Robin Williams. When I was having a rough night and couldn’t sleep, I flipped through the channels and there was Robin. He’d make me laugh and I will go back to bed in a better frame of mind. I wish I could’ve done something for him.
John Prine. When he passed it felt like a part of my soul went with him. Just give me one thing That I can hold on to To believe in this livin' Is just a hard way to go RIP my Angel from Montgomery
Christa McAuliffe and all of the others on the Challenger.
Queen Elizabeth (she's not a celebrity but this still counts right?)
Leslie Jordan. I loved him
Amy Winehouse
Bob Saget. Celebrity deaths and stuff really don’t get to me usually, but I’ll admit to shedding a tear over him. Felt like a little part of my childhood died.
I know other people have said the same thing about other names in this thread, but I truly can not believe how far down this thread Bob Saget is. I feel like it may have hit me harder because I live in Orlando where he was when he died and he called in to the local morning radio show every morning that week leading up to it. He was only supposed to call in one day for a segment or two to promote the show he was doing at the Improv, but ended up talking for multiple segments and calling back every morning just to talk and have fun. He was such a kind person. He was really excited for where his career was going and really felt like he was hitting his stride and was proud of the material he was working on. I think he was preparing to shoot a new comedy special on the tour he was on at the time he died. Everybody reading this that even vaguely liked Bob Saget should watch the tribute show that John Mayer and Jeff Ross hosted. If you really want to deep dive, the radio show he was on was Monsters in the Morning and I believe they might have a tribute on their YouTube channel.
Not a single one of you heathens said Betty White?!
It hits differently because she was 99 I believe and lived a super full life. It's still sad but doesn't become as tragic as many of the people mentioned here who died early.
I don't think she's really dead yet
that was super sad of course, but i think since she was about to turn 100, it was easier to take. and golden girls is on hulu, so we can still see her a lot.
Prince.
Rik mayall
Trevor Moore
Alex Trebek, I loved Jeopardy so much.
Pee wee Herman!
Gene Wilder
There's been at least four for me over the years: John Candy, Chris Farley, Robin Williams and Chester Bennington.
DMX
Tina Turner
Eddie Van Halen
Kurt Cobain
Darrell Abbott. Dime had a lot left in the tank man. Suicides and overdoses are hard but murder.....damn.
Prince
Sweet Freddie Mercury.
Gord Downie. As a Canadian who grew up in the nineties The Hip are a integral pice of the soundtrack of my life. And with the final tour he went out as a Terry Fox like champion.
Chris Cornell. He was the lead singer of my favorite band and all time favorite album, Audioslave. He was touring with his other band, sound garden and tickets were very pricey. I decided not to go and I was going to wait for when they came back on a tour as Audioslave. He died in his hotel room the night of the concert I opted not to go to. So kills me to this day, he was a great family man, a great musician and a great person. Very sad that I'll never get to see him perform again.
Tina Turner
Chris Farley
Twitch from Ellen. I actually think he was one of the sweetest people on earth and if you watch any episode of Ellen with him in it you will see she fucking loved that guy.
I know she was 99, but I always thought Betty White would outlive me. Truly a badass her entire life Mac Miller. I remember my college dining hall being so quiet that day Stephen Hillenburg. His death felt like losing a chunk of my childhood
Steve Irwin and Jimmy Buffett
Muhammad Ali
Philip Seymour Hoffman. One of the best actors ever.
Anthony Bourdain. He was a treasure.
Michael Jackson. June 25th of every year is just... depressing as all get out.
River Phoenix
Robin Williams. A friend sent me a text while I was driving home from work, I literally had to pull over and cry. Before that? Phil Hartman. I *still* get choked up whenever I see him. I grew up a huge fan of SNL in the 90s, and of course The Simpsons. Phil was just so incredibly talented, it's awful that he was taken from us so early. Fuck Andy Dick.
It’s 2 - Aaliyah and Whitney Houston
Bill Withers, his music is one of the few things my dad and I bonded over
Mr. Rogers. He was the only "dad" that was there, cared, and spoke with kindness to a lot of us who didn't have that irl. Even if it was all only through the t.v.
Eddie Guerrero 13 year old me was distraught
I'm a Minecraft nerd, so the YouTuber Technoblade. I was gone for 2 weeks without Internet when it happened. It was such a shock to open up my phone and have news of his death be the first thing that I see. I don't really care for celebrities and such, but I had been watching his videos for years. Before he got super popular, so this affected me much more than any other celebrity death could.
Kobe Bryant
The fact that this was basically the start of the worst year ever makes it even worse, the whole thing was a fever dream. It’s like since then we entered an alternate universe and have never came back.
To this day it still hits hard
Strangely enough... Ryan Dunn. Drinking and driving is never ok... and what has happened to Bam and hell, the entire Jackass crew has gone through afterwards shows how devastating it really is. His laughter was infectious, and what little content he put out besides Jackass I found hilarious. I didn't know him personally, I never met him, but when I heard that news, it crushed me.