Random Celebrities Who Died in Pairs (and Trios) (17 items)

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  (#1) Aretha Franklin

  • Band/Musician

  Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died on August 16, 2018 after battling pancreatic cancer. She was 76 years old. John McCain, the Arizona Senator who made two unsuccessful runs for the office of President, passed away on August 25, 2018. Like Franklin, he also fought against cancer, but in the form of a brain tumor. McCain was 81. 

  Both deaths evoked strong responses in the American public, and they each had memorial services that were larger than life and acted as microcosms of the 2018 American zeitgeist. Family, friends, and celebrity fans gathered in Detroit to take part in a nine-hour "Celebration of Life" for Franklin on August 31. The day after, politicians and celebrities attended McCain's memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC. 

   
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  (#2) Prince

  • Band/Musician

  According to TMZ, Chyna might have died from a possible overdose on April 21, 2016. The wrestler was discovered when a friend went to check on her and found that she wasn't breathing. Chyna was 46 years old. 

  Fans were shocked to hear that Prince passed away on April 21, 2016. According to CNN, "the eclectic virtuoso who penned such gems as 'Kiss' and 'Let's Go Crazy' and who took on the music industry in his fight for creative freedom" was found unresponsive in an elevator at his estate, Paisley Park Studios. He was 57. 
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  (#3) Dick Gregory

  • Comedian

  Dick Gregory and Jerry Lewis, two comedians known for both their chops on stage and their humanitarian efforts off it, passed away within 24 hours of each other. Gregory passed away on August 19, 2017 due to heart failure at the age of 84. Lewis died at the age of 91 from end-stage cardiac disease and peripheral artery disease the next day.

   
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  (#4) Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson

  Television pioneer and Johnny Carson's jovial sidekick, Ed McMahon, passed away at the age of 86 on June 23, 2009. He passed away from unknown causes, but had been in poor health for some time. 

  Farrah Fawcett passed away just a few days after Ed McMahon on June 25, 2009. As The New York Times explained, the golden-haired actress passed away from anal cancer, which she had been battling since 2006. 

  Musical icon, Michael Jackson passed away just a few hours after Farrah Fawcett on June 25, 2009 "after going into cardiac arrest," according to NPR. His death was later attributed to an overdose of propofol and sedatives. He was just 50 years old, and his death triggered an outpouring of grief around the world.
   
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  (#5) David Bowie and Alan Rickman

  Musician David Bowie passed away on Januray 10, 2016, after battling with cancer. The Guardian remembered him as "a trailblazer of musical trends and pop fashion." He had just released his album Blackstar on his 69th birthday on January 8th.  
  
  Beloved actor, Alan Rickman passed away on January 14, 2016. As explained by BBC, "His sonorous, languid voice was his calling card - making even throwaway lines of dialogue sound thought-out and authoritative." He played beloved villains in movies ranging from Harry Potter to Die Hard, and was fondly remember by generations of fans.
  
  
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  (#6) Brad Renfro, Heath Ledger, and Suzanne Pleshette

  Child star Brad Renfro died of an apparent heroin overdose on January 15, 2008, according to The LA Times. The actor got his start in movies like Tom and Huck and The Client, and was named one of People's Top 30 Under 30 in 1995. But Renfro struggled with drugs from a young age, and was ultimately killed by his addiction. He was 25. 
   
  Heath Ledger, whom The Telegraph called "one of the most promising actors of his generation" passed away tragically on January 22, 2008. As CNN reported, the actor "died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills." He was only 28.
   
  Suzanne Pleshette died of lung cancer at the age of 70 on January 19, 2008. According to The Guardian: "There are two distinct memories of Suzanne Pleshette... the sensual, dark-haired beauty of 1960s movie melodramas, and the more mature and light-hearted but still sexy wife in The Bob Newhart Show (1972-78) on television."
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  (#7) Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall

  Robin Williams was found dead of an apparent suicide on August 11, 2014. As the BBC reported, the actor and comedian "won legions of fans with his frenetic energy, quick-fire improvisations and ability to mimic other famous people." He was 63. Fans are still shocked that he committed suicide. It was later revealed that he was struggling with Parkinson's Disease.

  Lauren Bacall died of a stroke the day after Williams on August 12, 2014. The Hollywood Reporter called her "the willowy actress whose husky voice, sultry beauty and all-too-short May-December romance with Humphrey Bogart made her an everlasting icon of Hollywood." She was 89. 
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  (#8) Paul Walker and Nelson Mandela

  Actor Paul Walker, best known for The Fast and Furious movies, passed away on November 30, 2013. He was killed in a car accident "while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide," as reported by USA Today. Fans were deeply upset by his loss. His last film, Furious 7, was ultimately released and included a tribute to the young actor.

  Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013. He was a legendary figure in South Africa, serving as the country's first democratically elected president after spending 26 years in jail for fighting against Apartheid. As remembered by The Guardian, he "gave his life for the people. There lies his greatness, and hence the tears that flow at his death."
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  (#9) Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper, and Rue McClanahan

  Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman passed away on May 28, 2010. As reported by Today, an "autopsy found Coleman died of natural causes after an accidental fall." Coleman became a star while appearing on Diff'rent Strokes and his signature line, "Whachu talkin' 'bout?" became a popular catch phrase among fans. 

  Dennis Hopper died on May 29, 2010 after battling complications from metastasized prostate cancer, according to The New York Times. He received his star on the Walk of Fame right before his death, in March 2010. 
   
  Rue McClanahan died just a few days after Dennis Hopper on June 3, 2010. The Emmy-winning Golden Girls actress died of a stroke in a New York hospital according to CNN. She began her career on stage in the 1950s, but was best known as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. She was 76 at the time of her passing.
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  (#10) Warren Zevon, John Ritter, and Johnny Cash

  As reported by Rolling Stone, musician Warren Zevon passed away on September 7, 2003, "a year after learning he had an inoperable form of lung cancer." He was 56.
   
  John Ritter, star of Three's Company and veteran of the big and small screen, "died of an undetected aortic dissection on September 11, 2003," according to Today. His sudden death stunned his fans around the world. He was only 54. 
   
  Johnny Cash "died of complications from diabetes" at the age of  71 on September 12, 2003. According to The Guardian, "Johnny Cash was a country musician who was too big for country music, and his work as artist, humanitarian, and patron of songs and songwriters will endure indefinitely."
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  (#11) Sammy Davis Jr. and Jim Henson

  Song-and-dance legend Sammy Davis Jr., who The New York Daily News called "a unique piece of American history," passed away at the age of 64 after battling with throat cancer. He died on the morning of May 16,1990. As Lena Horne said at the time, "There will never be anyone like him."

  That same morning, on May 16, 1990, Muppets creator Jim Henson passed away. According to The New York Times, he "died of streptococcus pneumonia, a bacterial infection, a day after he was admitted to the emergency room." He was 53 years old. Big Bird attended Jim Henson's memorial and sang "It's Not Easy Being Green," Kermit's theme song.
  
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  (#12) Milton Berle, Dudley Moore, and Billy Wilder

  Comedian Milton Berle passed away at the age of 93 from colon cancer on March 27, 2002. He described himself as "flippant, aggressive, a wise guy, a corner comedian, a big city slicker with a put-down, an insult, with venom, with bitterness, with smiles, a smart-ass - sure I know my image. Christ, I created it," according to The Guardian. 

  That same day, actor Dudley Moore passed away at the age of 66 after "battling progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare and incurable brain disorder similar to Parkinson's disease," according to ABC News. He'll always be remembered as "the drunken playboy in Arthur."

  Billy Wilder died in his sleep on March 27, 2002. According to CNN, " the director's health had been failing in recent months," and he died of pneumonia. Wilder will be remembered as "one of the last survivors of the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood."
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  (#13) Federico Fellini and River Phoenix

  Young actor River Phoenix "collapsed after leaving a West Hollywood night-club where friends reported he had been 'acting strangely'" on October 31, 1993, said Independent.

  Director Federico Fellini, "whose deeply personal films were vivid, sometimes bizarre portraits of the human condition," also died on October 31, 1993. He suffered a heart attack at the age of 73, according to The New York Times. 
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  (#14) C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley, and John F. Kennedy

  C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia book series, died on November 22,1963 in Headington, Oxford. He was 64. As Independent wrote, his death was greatly overshadowed by the death of President Kennedy. 

  According to Independent, just shortly after Aldous Huxley passed away, "the Brave New World author had the misfortune, if that’s the right word, of becoming a key member of the 'eclipsed celebrity death club'." Like C.S. Lewis, the writer's death was overshadowed by the death of President Kennedy. 

  President John F. Kennedy was fatally shot while riding in his motorcade on November 22, 1963. While Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of the murder, it's still unclear exactly what happened, and many conspiracy theories exist. As Mercury News wrote, "He was the first president to whom many Americans felt a deep, direct personal connection." 
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  (#15) John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

  According to History, "former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who were once fellow Patriots and then adversaries," died on July 4, 1826 within just five hours of each other.
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  (#16) John Pinette, Mickey Rooney, and Peaches Geldof

  Comedian John Pinette, who was known for his role in Seinfeld, died on April 5, 2014. According to The Washington Post, he passed away "months after telling fans he was ‘physically spent.’"

  Legendary actor Mickey Rooney passed away on April 6, 2014 at the age of 93. According to CNN, at the end of his nine-decade career, "he had three more films in the works." His "career spanned almost the entire history of motion pictures."

  Peaches Geldof was found dead at her home on April 7, 2014. The columnist, socialite, and advocate of "attachment parenting, was described by The Guardian as " a wild child, spending her teens indulging a love of parties and tattoos." She had supposedly kicked her drug habit, but a relapse caused her death.
  
• 

  (#17) Barbara Bush

  • Politician

  Within a single week, former First Lady Barbara Bush, DJ Avicii, and actor Verne Troyer passed away. Bush's death came first on April 17th, 2018. At 92, her death was hardly unexpected, but Avicii and Troyer's passings left the public shocked. 

  Avicii was at the height of his fame at 28 when he passed on April 20, 2018. While no cause of death was initially released, the musician had suffered from problems related to excessive alcohol use for years. The next day, Verne Troyer passed at 49. Again, the family did not reveal the cause of death, but Troyer had struggled with depression. In an Instagram post, the family noted that depression and suicide are serious issues. 

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