From Chris Burrous to Aretha Franklin: Remembering the Stars We've Lost in 2018

KTLA 5 morning news anchor Chris Burrous died on Dec. 27. He was 43.

Detectives are currently investigating the death of the popular Los Angeles news personality, who was found unresponsive after a possible overdose in a Glendale, California Days Inn.

Burrous, who joined the KTLA team in 2011, became a viewer favorite: he helped expand the morning news to seven days a week by anchoring on weekends, and also had his own segment “Burrous’ Bites,” where he highlighted Southern California’s best hole-in-the-wall eateries.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family ... He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many,” said KTLA president Don Corsini and news director Jason Ball in a joint statement Thursday night.

Frank Adonis, who starred in Goodfellas, died on Dec. 26. He was 83.

The actor, best known for his role as Anthony Stabile in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, died in Las Vegas, according to TMZ.

His wife, Denise Adonis, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The actor was also in Scorsese’s Raging Bull as Patsy and Casino as Rocky. He also appeared in several other popular films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and True Romance.

Beloved sitcom and screen actress Marshall, who gained fame in the late ’70s for her sitcom Laverne & Shirley before transitioning behind the camera to great success, died on Dec. 17. She was 75.

Marshall died at her Hollywood Hills home of complications from diabetes. She had previously been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in 2009 before going into remission by 2012.

“Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall,” her family says in a statement. “Penny was a girl from the Bronx, who came out West, put a cursive ‘L’ on her sweater and transformed herself into a Hollywood success story. We hope her life continues to inspire others to spend time with family, work hard and make all of their dreams come true.”

Canadian-Romanian singer Anca Pop died in mid-December.

Authorities discovered her body after divers found her car submerged in the Danube River in south-western Romania, police said, the Associated Press reports. She was 34.

Police initially began looking into Anca’s whereabouts after her sister informed police that she never made it to their family home on Dec. 16, according to the AP.

At this time it is not clear how Anca’s car plunged into the river as her death is still under investigation.

Her sudden death comes just two years after she released her self-titled album Anca Pop.

Wilson, the iconic jazz vocalist, self-described “song stylist” and three-time Grammy winner died Dec. 13 at the age of 81.

Her rep confirmed the news to the Associated Press, saying that the singer succumbed to a lengthy illness at her home in Pioneertown, California — in the vicinity of Joshua Tree Park.

Nicknamed “The Girl with the Honey-Coated Voice,” Wilson’s passionate interpretations of torch songs and jazz standards made her a platinum-selling artist and an in-demand concert draw until her retirement in 2011. At the time, she wished “to spend all of her time with her family, especially her grandchildren,” according to a quote on her website.

Berry, known for his roles on television shows F Troop and Mayberry R.F.D., died on Dec. 1. He was 85.

After enlisting in the U.S. Army following the Korean War, Berry won a talent contestant with a stellar tap dancing routine, according to THR. After being invited into the Special Services Corps by Leonard Nimoy, who was his sergeant, Berry won another talent contest that earned him a spot on Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town.

His first big role was as Capt. Wilton Parmenter on F Troop, which he considered to be the highlight of his career.

After the show ended, he appeared on the final season of the Andy Griffith Show as town councilor Sam Jones, and went on to appear as the same character on spinoff show Mayberry R.F.D. He also appeared on the Carol Burnett Show spinoff Mama’s Family, which starred future Golden Girls stars Rue McClanahan, who died in 2010, and Betty White.

Italian film director Bertolucci, whose career defined scandal and evoked eroticism and sumptuous beauty, died of cancer in Rome in November. The director of Last Tango in Paris was 77 and had been confined to a wheelchair for much of the last 10 years.

A product of Italian New Wave cinema’s golden era, the Parma-born Bertolucci achieved international acclaim, winning the Oscar for Best Director for 1987’s The Last Emperor.

The former model and mother to four of Diddy's children died in November at age 47. Though a cause of death was "deferred," she reportedly went into cardiac arrest while battling pneumonia. Celebrities including Beyoncé remembered Porter ahead of her Thanksgiving weekend funeral in her Georgia hometown, at which Diddy spoke.

Lima, a singer in LFO, died of cancer on Nov. 21, TMZ reported. He was 41.

In October 2017, the “Summer Girls” musician had surgery to remove a tumor. “Surgery was great,” Lima’s bandmate Brad Fischetti said in a video. “The tumor was the size of a football. But [surgery] was smooth, they didn’t have to take out some of the organs they thought they would.”

Later that month, Fischetti revealed that Lima had stage four adrenal cancer.

Tragedy has struck the group before. In 2010, LFO singer Rich Cronin died of leukemia at age 35, Billboard reported at the time.

One day after the CMA Awards, country superstar Clark died at 85 years old.

A rep for the Grammy-award winning singer confirmed to PEOPLE that Clark succumbed to complications from pneumonia, which he had contracted shortly before his death. He died at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Nov. 15.

The singer is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara, and their five children.

His passing was mourned by celebrities, including fellow country star Keith Urban.

At 93 years old, the actress who played Harriet Oleson on the long-running TV show Little House on the Prairie, died on Nov. 13 at her home. MacGregor was best known as playing the wealthy and mean-spirited Harriet on the popular TV series that aired from 1974 to 1982. She molded and shaped the character by injecting humor into the role.

“Anyone that mean has to be a fool,” she once told NBC. “So I began mixing farce into it.”

The actress, a devout Hindu, moved to the Motion Picture Fund Long Term Nursing Care facility in Woodland Hills, California, in her last years, where she passed.

Lee, the father of Marvel Comics’ most beloved superheroes, died at age 95 in early November.

The co-creator of comic book legends like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor and the X-Men, Lee was credited with popularizing the flawed hero, or characters with complex, human personalities. This came in stark contrast to the superhero archetypes of the Golden Age of comics, who were typically flawless muscle-bound god-like figures.

His death comes less than a year-and-a-half after his wife Joan Lee died in July 2017 at 93. They had been married for 69 years at the time of her death.

McClellan, who competed in the first season of The Voice in 2011, died of cancer in November at age 49.

McClellan died while surrounded by close friends, her wife Monique announced. She was diagnosed on March 30 with endometrial cancer that had spread to her colon, bladder and intestines, according to her GoFundMe page.

“Beverly went home at 4:36 p.m.,” Monique wrote. “She was surrounded by so much love and we shared some beautiful last days. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of us. We appreciate all of the love you have given and the good vibes you have sent. Peace love and light to you and your loved ones.”

Celebrity fitness trainer and bodybuilder Blank was found dead in her Los Angeles home in November. The trainer was 42.

Throughout her life, the coach and bodybuilding icon worked with many stars including Alex Rodriguez, Mickey Rourke, Marcus Allen, Michelle Monaghan, and Jordana Brewster, according to her website.

Blank was found unresponsive at her Los Angeles home, The New York Daily News reported. Her housekeeper called 911 after she discovered Blank in the bathtub, TMZ said.

Legendary Blues and Swamp Rock singer Tony Joe White died at the age of 75 on Oct. 24.

White died at his home in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee.

“We are with broken hearts to announce that Tony Joe White has passed away at the age of 75. A true legend that will always be remembered as a real artist,” a spokesperson for White wrote on his Twitter account.

“He wasn’t ill at all,” his son Jody told The Tennessean. “He just had a heart attack… there was no pain or suffering.”

Nearly one month before his death, White released his final album Bad Mouthin on Sept. 28.

Yarnall, a famed actress of the 1960s and '70s best known for her memorable turn on Star Trek, died in October. She was 74.

The official Star Trek website was the first to report the news. According to the site, Yarnall — who played Yeoman Martha Landon on the October 1967 episode “The Apple” opposite Chekov (Walter Koenig) — died at her home in Westlake Village, California, after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Yarnall’s husband, British artist Nazim Nazim, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter. “She was magnificent in everything she did,” Nazim said. “She was my beloved queen.”

Days of Our Lives star McCay, who played Caroline Brady on the long-running NBC soap opera, died in October at the age of 90.

She appeared in hundreds of episodes of Days of Our Lives from 1983 to 2017, according to IMDb. The actress, who performed in dozens of television shows starting in 1949, played roles on Perry Mason, The Young Marrieds, Gunsmoke, Gibbsville, Lou Grant and other programs.

For her work on Days of Our Lives, she was nominated for outstanding supporting actress or supporting lead actress in a drama series at the Daytime Emmy Awards five times, according to IMDb.

The Grammy-nominated Jefferson Airplane co-founder died in Tampa, Florida, while en route to a nearby hospital, spokesman Ryan Romensko said according to the Associated Press.

Balin’s family confirmed his sudden death on Facebook writing, “With a heavy heart we share this sad news.”

“Marty Balin, the legendary founder and lead vocalist of Jefferson Airplane and hit son-writer of Jefferson Starship, passed away on September 27. His wife, Susan Joy Balin, was by his side. He was 76.”

“Marty had a historic career as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and platinum and gold solo artist.”

Legendary French composer and actor Aznavour died in late September at age 94.

The singer/songwriter, often called “The Sinatra of France,” enjoyed a career spanning more than eight decades. He died suddenly at his home in the Alpilles mountain range, according to his spokesman.

Aznavour wrote songs recorded by Édith Piaf, Juliette Gréco, Liza Minnelli, Elton John and Elvis Costello — and, of course, Sinatra himself. His signature songs, immensely popular for their cabaret styling and romantic melodies, include “Yesterday When I Was Young,” “She,” “Formidable,” “I Love Paris In The Month of May” and “La Boheme.” In all, he wrote more than 40 classics in French, English, German and Spanish.

Parker — best known for playing the role of Grandpa Shawn Brady on Days of Our Lives — died on Sept. 16 in Vacaville, California. The veteran actor passed away due to complications of Parkinson’s disease and dementia, according to his obituary in The Reporter. He was 79.

Parker’s acting career spanned over five decades. He first broke onto the scene in the '60s and '70s, making appearances in film and television — including on soap operas General Hospital and The Young and the Restless — before landing the role as Shawn Brady on Days in 1983.

The actor remained on the daytime drama for 25 years. He retired in 2008 after his character died when he gave up his oxygen mask to save his son during an airplane hijacking.

Sons of Anarchy star Vasquez died on Sept. 24 at age 48.

“This news has come as a surprise to us,” a representative for the actor told PEOPLE. “Our hearts are heavy. He was a kind, creative and loving man. He will be missed.”

Vasquez was found unconscious at his father’s home in San Jose, California, according to TMZ, who was the first to report the news. After arriving at the scene, paramedics were unable to revive the actor.

Vasquez appeared on Sons of Anarchy in 2011. In addition to his role on the FX show, Vasquez acted in the series CSI: NY, How I Met Your Mother, ER, NYPD Blue and 21 Jump Street in 1989.

Daily, the comic actor who found breakout success as Major Healey on the hit 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie and also had notable roles on The Bob Newhart Show and Alf, died in September at age 91.

Daily’s son, J. Patrick Daily, confirmed the news to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, saying that his father died of natural causes on Sept. 4 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “He loved every sunset, he loved every meal,” J. Patrick told Variety of his father. “He just decided to be happy about everything.”

Miller died on Sept. 7 of a suspected drug overdose. He was 26. The musician was pronounced dead at 11:51 a.m. at his Studio City, California, home, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.

Miller, who had struggled with drugs throughout his life, and his girlfriend of two years, Ariana Grande, broke up earlier this year.

Reynolds, whose studliness, swagger and snappy patter have helped set TV and movie fans’ pulses racing for nearly half a century, died on Sept. 6. He was 82.

“My uncle was not just a movie icon; he was a generous, passionate and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family, friends, fans and acting students,” Reynolds’ niece, Nancy Lee Hess, said in a statement.

Sen. John McCain, the former POW and outspoken Republican politician nicknamed The Maverick for being unafraid to disagree with fellow members of his party, died on Aug. 25 at the age of 81.

In an emotional tweet, his wife Cindy, 64, wrote, “My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best.”

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright whose Broadway and screen hits earned him more combined Tony and Oscar nominations than any other writer, died on Aug. 26 at a Manhattan hospital, The Washington Post reported. He was 91.

Simon died from pneumonia, his friend Bill Evans, director of media relations at the Shubert Organization production company, told the newspaper.

Robin Leach, the host of the hit ’80s show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, died on Aug. 23 after suffering a stroke, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where Leach worked as a celebrity columnist. His death comes less than a week before his 77th birthday.

Former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King died at the age of 68 on Aug. 22 at his home in Nashville.

“It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Ed King who died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee on August 22nd, 2018,” read a statement posted to his Facebook account the following morning. “We thank his many friends and fans for their love and support of Ed during his life and career.”

LazyTown actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson has passed away after a two-year battle with bile duct cancer, PEOPLE confirms. He was 43.

Stefánsson, who starred as Robbie Rotten in the Nick Jr. series from 2002-14, died at 8:10 a.m. PT on Aug. 21 in Iceland.

Harris, the actress who starred in the 1976 film Freaky Friday, has died. She was 83. Harris died on Aug. 21 from lung cancer in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the Associated Press.

Her close friend Charna Halpern, who co-founded the iO Theater in Chicago, confirmed the news on Facebook. "My friend and an amazing famous actress Barbara Harris passed away early this morning, Halpern wrote. “My favorite memories of her were her sense of humor and how she made me laugh.”

Aretha Franklin, the self-taught piano prodigy, vocalist and songwriter who first conquered the charts in the late ’60s and never relinquished her throne, died on Aug. 16, her publicist confirmed to the Associated Press. She was 76.

The Queen of Soul had struggled with her health for years. A source told PEOPLE earlier that week that Franklin had taken a turn for the worse and that her death was “imminent.”

Jill Janus, the lead singer of the rock bank Huntress, died by suicide on Aug. 14. She was 43. Janus’ band confirmed the news on their Facebook page on Aug. 16 in which they wrote she “took her own life outside of Portland, Oregon.”

“It is with crushed hearts that we announce that Jill Janus — frontwoman for the California heavy metal band Huntress — passed away on Tuesday, August. 14,” the band wrote. “A long-time sufferer of mental illness, she took her own life outside of Portland, Oregon.”

News of The Godfather star's passing broke on Aug. 14 but the actress died on March 22 in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 87 according to the Washington Post.

The star had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer, the Riverside Country coroner’s office told the Washington Post.

Total Divas star Natalya Neidhart’s father has died. WWE legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart’s death was announced on Aug. 13 by his friend B Brian Blair. He was 63.

“So sad to announce the passing of my friend and longtime colleague, Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart. Your thoughts and prayers for the family are deeply appreciated!” he tweeted.

French chef Joel Robuchon, who holds the record for most Michelin stars in the world, has died at age 73. Robuchon, whose globe-encircling operations include restaurants in New York, Montreal and Las Vegas, died in Geneva, Switzerland on Aug. 6 of cancer. He had been diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor over a year earlier.

Charlotte Rae, best known as wise and lovable house mother Mrs. Garrett on Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, died Aug. 5 at her home in Los Angeles, her reps confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. She was 92.

Rae revealed she’d been diagnosed with bone cancer at the end of April 2017. “Last Monday, I found out I have bone cancer,” the actress exclusively revealed to PEOPLE. “About seven years ago, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer — which is a miracle that they found it because usually it’s too late. My mother, sister and my uncle died of pancreatic cancer. After six months of chemotherapy, I was cancer-free. I lost my hair, but I had beautiful wigs. Nobody even knew.”