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LOS ANGELES -- There have been a number of notable deaths in 2026, from iconic actors and politicians, to athletes and musicians.
For a list of notable or famous people who died in 2026, take a look at the photo gallery above and learn more about each person below:
Phil Campbell
Born May 7, 1961 | Died March 13, 2026
Guitarist Phil Campbell joined Motörhead in 1984 and stayed with the rock group until it disbanded in 2015, following the death of frontman Lemmy. English rock band Motörhead is best known for songs such as "Ace Of Spades," "Overkill" and "Killed By Death." Campbell's current band with his children -- Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons -- announced his death on their Instagram page. His children say he passed away peacefully, following "a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation." Campbell was 64.
Neil Sedaka
Born March 13, 1939 | Died Feb. 27, 2026
Legendary singer Neil Sedaka was known for his hit songs "Calendar Girl" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do." He was a founding member of the Tokens in the late 1950s known for their biggest hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Sedaka was nominated for five Grammy awards and inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978. He died on Feb. 27. Sedaka was 86.
Eric Dane
Born Nov. 9, 1972 | Died Feb. 19, 2026
Eric Dane started his career in television with small roles in "Saved by the Bell," "The Wonder Years," "Roseanne," and "Married... with Children." After starring on "Charmed" for two seasons as Jason Dean, Dane landed his breakout role on "Grey's Anatomy." He played plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan for eight seasons beginning in 2006. The character was referred to on the show by female characters as "McSteamy," because of his good looks. Dane also starred in "Euphoria" and "Brilliant Minds," where he played a firefighter battling ALS, a diagnosis he received himself and made public in 2025. He died at the age of 53
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Born Oct. 8, 1941 | Died Feb. 17, 2026
Beginning his career as a protege of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson quickly rose to become one of the most prominent and influential civil rights leaders. In 1971, he formed the nonprofit Operation PUSH [People United to Save/Serve Humanity] to advocate for social and economic parity for Black Americans, which he later merged with the National Rainbow Coalition. Jackson ran for president twice as a Democrat, placing third for the nomination in 1984, second in 1988. In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. He died at the age of 84.
Robert Duvall
Born Jan. 5, 1931 | Died Feb. 15, 2026
Robert Duvall's big screen debut was in the 1962 movie, "To Kill A Mockingbird." He also played such memorable roles as Tom Hagen in "The Godfather" series, and Frank Hackett in "Network." In 1980, Duvall won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his role as Lt. Col. Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now." He won an Oscar for "Tender Mercies" in 1984. Duvall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005. He won two Emmy Awards in 2007 for the TV miniseries "Broken Trail." More recently, he appeared in "The Pale Blue Eye," in 2022. He died at the age of 95.
James Van der Beek
Born March 8, 1977 | Died Feb. 11, 2026
James Van der Beek was best known for his role as Dawson Leery on the popular '90s teen drama, "Dawson's Creek," which followed his character navigating high school in the hopes of a film career. Following the show's success, Van Der Beek had starring roles in hit films like "Varsity Blues," "The Rules of Attraction" and "Scary Movie." He also starred in several other hit TV shows such as "Ugly Betty," "One Tree Hill" and "How I Met Your Mother." Van Der Beek also appeared on "Dancing With The Stars" alongside pro dancer Emma Slater. The pair came in 5th during their season. He died at the age of 48.
Sonny Jurgensen
Born Aug. 23, 1934 | Died Feb. 6, 2026
After leading the Duke University Blue Devils to an Orange Bowl win in 1955, quarterback Sonny Jurgensen was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1957. In 1961, he passed for an NFL record 3,723 yards and threw 32 touchdown passes, which tied the single season NFL record. Jorgensen was traded to Washington in 1964, where he played for 11 seasons before retiring in 1974. Over his career, he threw 255 touchdown passes, including a 99-yard touchdown pass in 1968. He played in the Pro-Bowl five times, was named All-Pro four times, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. He died at the age of 91.
Catherine O'Hara
Born March 4, 1954 | Died Jan. 30 2026
Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara was known for roles in films like "Beetlejuice," "Home Alone" and "Best in Show." She began her career in 1974 as a cast member of the Second City in her hometown, Toronto. O'Hara received accolades for her work on the sitcom "Schitt's Creek," earning a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series and a Golden Globe Award for best actress. She was 71.
Lowell "Sly" Dunbar
Born May 10, 1952 | Died Jan. 26 2026
Drummer Lowell "Sly" Dunbar met Robbie Shakespeare in 1972, and they went on to form the duo Sly and Robbie. They also co-founded the Taxi Records label in 1980. Dunbar went on to play with such luminaries as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Grace Jones, and the Rolling Stones. Dunbar was nominated for a Grammy Award 13 times. He won twice, once in 1995 with the band Black Uhuru, and one in 1999 for the Sly and Robbie album "Friends." He received Jamaica's Order of Distinction and the Musgrave Gold Medal in 2015. He received the University of Minnesota Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. He died at the age of 73
Shirley Raines
Born Dec. 29, 1967 | Died Jan. 27, 2026
Shirley Raines founded the non-profit organization Beauty 2 The Streetz in 2017, providing makeovers, hygiene and beauty products, and food to the homeless population in Los Angeles. She later traveled to Las Vegas to distribute food there as well. Her generosity, style and humor gained her a massive social media presence, with almost 6 million followers on TikTok. In 2021, Raines was honored with the CNN Hero of the Year Award. In 2025, she won an NAACP Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality. Shirley Raines died on Jan. 27, at the age of 58.
Valentino Garavani
Born May 11, 1932 | Died Jan. 19, 2026
Fashion designer Valentino Garavani, known exclusively by his first name, created a fashion label that dressed celebs, royalty, heads of state, and the like. Valentino started his own fashion brand with his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, in 1960 after studying in Paris. Valentino saw early success designing a wedding dress for Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968; and designed for Elizabeth Taylor, Julia Roberts and Princess Diana, among others. While always maintaining his high fashion aesthetic, each collection always included a red dress, earning recognition from Pantone as "Valentino Red." He died at the age of 93.
Claudette Colvin
Born Sept. 5, 1939 | Died Jan. 13, 2026
On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for not giving up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This was 9 months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Colvin was one of the plaintiffs of the landmark civil rights case Browder v. Gayle, which ended segregation on public transportation in Alabama. Colvin moved to New York City and became a nurse's aide. She retired in 2004 and moved to South Texas. A book about her life, "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice," by Phillip Hoose, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2009. She died at the age of 86.
Scott Adams
Born June 8, 1957 | Died Jan. 13, 2026
Scott Adams was interested in cartooning from an early age. At 11, he applied to the Famous Artists Course for Young People, but was rejected because the cut-off age was 12. While working at Crocker National Bank and Pacific Bell, Adams continued drawing. The "Dilbert" comic strip was first published in 1989. In 1995, he quit his office job and started working full time on "Dilbert." The comic was eventually published in more than 1,000 newspapers in 32 countries. There were also multiple "Dilbert" books as well as a TV series. Scott Adams died on Jan. 13 at the age of 68.
Bob Weir
Born Oct. 16, 1947 | Died Jan. 10, 2026
Musician Bob Weir was a founding member of the Grateful Dead, playing guitar and lending his vocals to the group. He formed the band in 1965 with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. In the 1970s, Weir experimented with a solo album while still performing with the Grateful Dead, and he started several side bands that would cover their songs. In 1994, the Grateful Dead, including Weir, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and would later receive Kennedy Center honors. He died at the age of 78.
Glenn Hall
Born Oct. 3, 1931| Died Jan. 7, 2026
Canadian hockey legend Glenn Hall goaltended for the Chicago Blackhawks for most of his 20-year career in the NHL. He helped bring the Blackhawks their first Stanely Cup win in 1961. Hall played 502 consecutive games, an NHL record for goaltenders and was voted to the All-Star games 11 times. He's thought of by many as one of the best goalies the sport has seen with his butterfly style still being used by many goalies currently playing. He died at the age of 94.
Aldrich Ames
Born May 26, 1941 | Jan. 5, 2026
Aldrich Ames, the former CIA agent turned Russian asset, died at the age of 84 in a federal prison in Maryland on Jan. 5, according to a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson. The son of a CIA analyst, Ames started full time with the agency in 1962. He went on to specialize in Soviet cases, eventually being named counterintelligence branch chief for Soviet operations in 1983. In 1985, Ames approached the KGB offering U.S. secrets for money. At least 10 U.S. intelligence sources were executed by the KGB as a direct result of Ames. He spied for the Soviet Union until he was arrested in 1994.
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