17 Icons We Sadly Lost In 2016 | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

17 Icons We Sadly Lost In 2016

Dear 2017: stop killing our idols.

25
17 Icons We Sadly Lost In 2016
Twitter//christhebarker

Oh, 2016. You were a cruel year.

We could have never expected so many of our idols to be taken from us in such a short span of time, but somehow this year managed to do that. This year has to have been one of the worst years in history for celebrities, as it seemed like every day we were losing another icon. It's never easy saying goodbye to someone, whether it be someone we know personally or someone who we look up to. I would like to speak for everyone when I ask 2017 to not follow in 2016's footsteps and keep our idols safe. So as we move into a new year, I'd like to remember some of the celebrities we lost in 2016. These celebrities were larger than life, and their impact on the world and our culture will never be forgotten.

David Bowie

David Bowie left us in the same way he had arrived. Always mysterious, the glam rocker never failed to make his mark with his music and influences outside of music.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman will forever be remembered to Harry Potterfans as Professor Snape, but his gifted acting talent expanded beyond the silver screen and into other things such as Broadway.

Phife Dawg

As a member of "A Tribe Called Quest", Phife Dawg gave the world the gift of his music and knowledge of our society. Thank you 4 your service, Phife. We got it from here.

Prince

Prince revolutionized the music industry like no other. His influences on the world of fashion and music made him one of the most important figures in music history.

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is without a doubt the most legendary boxer of all time. His name is a household name. In the ring, he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, and will never be forgotten for his contributions to the world.

Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe isn't known as "Mr. Hockey" for nothing. The second highest point scorer of all time, Howe led the Detroit Red Wings for many years, and will go down as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Pat Summitt

Pat Summitt is without a doubt the greatest coach in the history of Women's basketball, amassing 1,098 wins over her almost 40 year coaching career with the Tennessee Lady Vols.

Kenny Baker

Kenny Baker is best known as his role as R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise. R2-D2 is one of the most beloved characters of all time, and Baker was the reason the character was brought to life.

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder will forever be known for his roles in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Young Frankenstein, creating magical memories for everyone who has seen the films. My childhood would definitely not be the same without Willy Wonka.

Jose Fernandez

The tragedy of Jose Fernandez shocked the world. Jose was the future of baseball, a young star who was one of the best pitchers the game had seen in years. The talents and charitable contributions from this young man will be missed greatly.

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer was a golfing icon, a man who brought so much to the sport in terms of personality and talent. A winner on and off the course, Palmer has left his mark on the world (and has had a drink named after him, too).

Leonard Cohen

Everyone has heard Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Cohen was never shy to implement his beliefs into his art, and as a reward for his contributions, Cohen is recognized as one of the best songwriters of all time.

Florence Henderson

Known for her role as Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson is one of the most recognizable TV mothers of all time. Florence also hosted her own talk show and cooking show, as well as appeared as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars.

John Glenn

John Glenn is the definition of an American hero. One of the most famous astronauts to ever grace the Earth (and space), Glenn was the first American astronaut to orbit the the Earth. Glenn also served time in the US Military and was a US Senator.

Craig Sager

His fashion was eccentric, his voice was golden. Craig Sager is one of the most recognizable sports commentators in history, best known for working as a sideline reporter for the NBA.

George Michael

As a member of the musical duo "Wham!", George Michael contributed to the creation of hits such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Last Christmas", and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide over his career.

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher was our hope. She showed us that women can be strong, and she was an inspiration for many little girls with her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars. An advocate for mental health her whole life, Carrie truly was a one of a kind individual.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

142
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1457
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2324
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments