Notable deaths of 2022: The influential people we lost this year

From the death of Britain's longest reigning monarch to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the world said goodbyes to a host of influential people in 2022. 

Here is a look back at the actors, athletes, entertainers, creators and politicians who died this year.

Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe was Japan’s longest serving prime minister. He was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history. Abe was fatally shot July 8 during a campaign speech. He was 67 years old. 

Marvin Lee Aday, "Meat Loaf"

The rock superstar known as "Meat Loaf" was loved by millions for his "Bat Out of Hell" album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," "Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad," and "I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)." He died Jan. 20 at 74 years old. 

Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright was a child refugee from Nazi- and then Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe who rose to become the first female secretary of state and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women. She died March 23 at 84 years old. 

Kirstie Alley

Alley, a two-time Emmy winner whose roles on the TV megahit "Cheers" and in the "Look Who’s Talking" films made her one of the biggest stars in American comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died Dec. 5. She was 71.

Louie Anderson

Louie Anderson’s four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series "Baskets." He died Jan. 21 at 68 years old. 

Sonny Barger

Sonny Barger was a leather-clad fixture of 1960s counterculture and figurehead of the Hells Angels motorcycle club who was at the notorious Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway. He died June 29 at 83 years old.

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Dec. 31. He was 95.

Stephen 'tWitch' Boss

Stephen "tWitch" Boss, a dancer and choreographer best known as the DJ and sidekick on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, died Dec. 13 in Los Angeles. He was 40 years old. 

James Caan

James Caan was the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of "The Godfather" and to television audiences as both the dying football player in the classic weeper "Brian’s Song" and the casino boss in "Las Vegas." He died July 6 at 82 years old. 

Aaron Carter

The singer-rapper, brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, began performing as a child and had hit albums starting in his teen years. Aaron Carter died Nov. 5 at 34 years old. 

Ash Carter

Ash Carter was a former defense secretary who opened combat jobs to women and ended a ban on transgender people serving in the military. He died Oct. 24 at 68 years old. 

Coolio

 The rapper was among hip-hop’s biggest names of the 1990s with hits including "Gangsta’s Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage." Coolio died Sept. 28 at 59 years old. 

Betty Davis

Betty Davis was a bold and pioneering funk singer, model and songwriter of the 1960s and ‘70s who was credited with inspiring then-husband Miles Davis’ landmark fusion of jazz and more contemporary sounds. She died Feb. 9 at 77 years old.

Robert Durst

The wealthy New York real estate heir and failed fugitive was dogged for decades with suspicion in the disappearance and deaths of those around him before he was convicted last year of killing his best friend. Robert Durst died Jan. 10 at 78 years old. 

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century. In her 70 years on the throne, she helped modernize the monarchy across decades of enormous social change, royal marriages and births, and family scandals. For most Britons, she was the only monarch they had ever known. She died Sept. 8 at 96 years old. 

Louise Fletcher

Louise Fletcher was a late-blooming star whose riveting performance as the cruel and calculating Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award. She died Sept. 23 at 88 years old. 

Jason David Frank

The actor played the Green Power Ranger Tommy Oliver on the 1990s children’s series "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." Jason David Frank died Nov. 19. He was 49 years old. 

Gallagher

The long-haired, smash-’em-up comedian left a trail of laughter, anger and shattered watermelons over a decades long career. Gallagher died Nov. 11 at 76 years old. 

Mikhail Gorbachev

The last leader of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev set out to revitalize it but ended up unleashing forces that led to the collapse of communism, the breakup of the state and the end of the Cold War. He died Aug. 30 at 91 years old.

Gilbert Gottfried

The actor and legendary standup comic was known for his raw, scorched voice and crude jokes. Gottfried died April 12 at 67 years old.

Estelle Harris

Estelle Harris hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza’s short-fused mother on "Seinfeld" and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" franchise. She died April 2 at 93 years old.

Orrin Hatch

Orrin Hatch was the longest-serving Republican senator in history and a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades. He died April 23 at 88 years old.

Taylor Hawkins

For 25 years, Taylor Hawkins was the drummer for Foo Fighters and best friend of frontman Dave Grohl. He died March 25 at 50 years old. 

Anne Heche

The Emmy-winning film and television actor saw a dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and had an accomplished career contrasted with personal chapters of turmoil. Anne Heche died Aug. 14. She was 53 years old. 

Howard Hesseman

Howard Hesseman played the radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and the actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on "Head of the Class." He died Jan. 29 at 81 years old. 

William Hurt

William Hurt’s laconic charisma and self-assured subtlety as an actor made him one of the 1980s foremost leading men in movies such as "Broadcast News," "Body Heat" and "The Big Chill." He died March 13 at 71 years old. 

Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John was a Grammy-winning superstar who reigned on pop, country, adult contemporary and dance charts with such hits as "Physical" and "You’re the One That I Want" and won countless hearts as everyone’s favorite Sandy in the blockbuster film version of "Grease." She died Aug. 8 at 73 years old. 

Leslie Jordan

The Emmy-winning actor's wry Southern drawl and versatility made him a comedy and drama standout on TV series including "Will & Grace" and "American Horror Story." He died Oct. 24 at 67 years old. 

Naomi Judd

Naomi Judd's family harmonies with daughter Wynonna turned them into the Grammy-winning country stars The Judds.  Her other daughter is actor Ashley Judd. Naomi Judd died April 30. She was 76 years old. 

Mark Lanegan

Mark Lanegan’s raspy baritone and darkly poetic songwriting made Screaming Trees an essential part of the early Seattle grunge scene and brought him an acclaimed solo career. He died Feb. 22 at 57 years old.

Angela Lansbury

The scene-stealing British actor kicked up her heels in the Broadway musicals "Mame" and "Gypsy" and solved endless murders as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the long-running TV series "Murder, She Wrote." Angela Lansbury died Oct. 11 at 96 years old.

Jerry Lee Lewis

The untamable rock ‘n’ roll pioneer's outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On." He sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal. Lewis died Oct. 28 at 87 years old.

Ray Liotta

The actor was best known for playing mobster Henry Hill in "Goodfellas" and baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams." Ray Liotta died May 26 at 67 years old.

Loretta Lynn

The Kentucky coal miner’s daughter sang frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia, which pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music. Loretta Lynn died Oct. 4 at 90 years old.

Robert McFarlane 

The former White House national security adviser was a top aide to President Ronald Reagan who pleaded guilty to charges for his role in an illegal arms-for-hostages deal known as the Iran-Contra affair. Robert McFarlane died May 12 at 84 years old.

Charles McGee

Charles McGee was a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars and later helped to bring attention to the Black pilots who battled racism at home to fight for freedom abroad. He died Jan. 16 at 102 years old. 

Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original "Star Trek" television series. She died July 30 at 89 years old. 

P.J. O’Rourke

P.J. O’Rourke was a prolific author and satirist who re-fashioned the irreverence and "Gonzo" journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary. He died Feb. 15 at 74 years old.

Pelé

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé was a record three-time World Cup winner and a standard-bearer for "the beautiful game." He died Dec. 29 at 82 years old. 

Sidney Poitier 

Sidney Poitier played roles of such dignity and intelligence that he transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, becoming the first Black actor to win an Oscar for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw. He died Jan. 6 at 94 years old.

Bill Russell

The NBA great anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years — the last two as the first Black head coach in any major U.S. sport — and marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr. Bill Russell died July 31 at 88 years old.

Bob Saget

The actor-comedian was known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom "Full House" and as the wisecracking host of "America’s Funniest Home Videos." Bob Saget died Jan. 9 at 65 years old.

Bernard Shaw

Bernard Shaw was CNN’s chief anchor for two decades and a pioneering Black broadcast journalist. He is best remembered for calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 as missiles flew around him in Baghdad. Shaw died Sept. 7 at 82 years old. 

Tony Sirico

Tony Sirico played the impeccably groomed mobster Paulie Walnuts in "The Sopranos" and brought his tough-guy swagger to films including "Goodfellas." He died July 8 at 79 years old. 

Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino was an imposing actor who specialized in playing crooks and cops like Paulie Cicero in "Goodfellas" and the NYPD sergeant Phil Cerreta on "Law & Order." He died July 25 at 83 years old. 

Ronnie Spector

The cat-eyed, bee-hived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as "Be My Baby," "Baby I Love You" and "Walking in the Rain" as the leader of the girl group the Ronettes died Jan. 12. She was 78.

Kenneth Starr

Ken Starr was a former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president’s impeachment and put Starr at the center of one of the country’s most polarizing debates of the 1990s. He died Sept. 13 at 76 years old. 

Takeoff

The rapper best known for his work with the Grammy-nominated trio Migos. Takeoff was killed in a shooting in Houston on Nov. 1. He was 28 years old. 

Ivana Trump

Ivana Trump was a skier-turned-businesswoman who formed half of a publicity power couple in the 1980s as the first wife of former President Donald Trump and mother of his oldest children. She died July 14 at 73 years old. 

Grant Wahl

Grant Wahl, a renowned sports journalist known who helped grow the popularity of soccer in the United States and reported on some of the biggest stories in the sport, died Dec. 9 while covering the World Cup in Qatar. He was 49 years old. 

Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters, the intrepid interviewer, anchor and program host who blazed the way as the first woman to become a TV news superstar during a career remarkable for its duration and variety, died Dec. 30. She was 93.

Fred Ward

Fred Ward was a veteran actor who brought a gruff tenderness to tough-guy roles in such films as "The Right Stuff," "The Player" and "Tremors." He died May 8 at 79 years old. 

Don Young

The Alaska congressman was the longest-serving Republican in the history of the U.S. House. Don Young died March 18 at 88 years old. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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