Hank Aaron, Bob Dole, Cicely Tyson, John Madden: Remembering notables who died in 2021

Social influencers, for good or sometimes bad, have been with us long before Instagram and TikTok turned ordinary people into internet superstars. No matter the generation or technology, the impact of influencers can be global and long-lasting or as personal as a parent, teacher, beloved uncle or longtime friend.

In the case of Passages, USA TODAY’s annual look at those who died in the past year, the focus is necessarily on the famous and the most talented among us – in other words, the influencers. Regardless of whether they lived beyond 100 or died young, their examples will endure.

Influencers included the self-effacing and always candid Republican from Kansas, former Sen. Bob Dole, who died at 98 after 27 years in the Senate, eight years in the House and three runs for the presidency. Severely injured in World War II, his grace under fire can still serve as a counter to today’s hot-tempered political climate.

“Collectively we share a common purpose for a better America,” Dole wrote in a final column for USA TODAY. “We cannot let political differences stand in the way of that common good.”

"Among the greatest of the Greatest Generation,” President Joe Biden said of Dole.

• In entertainment, Black performers began to make breakthroughs in the 1960s, but few were as influential as actress Cicely Tyson, who refused to play menial roles, instead portraying strong-willed women in “Sounder,” “Roots” and “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” Her memoir, “Just As I Am,” was published just two days before her death at age 96.

“I want to be recalled as one who squared my shoulders in the service of Black women, as one who made us walk taller and envision greater for ourselves,” Tyson wrote.

• Broadway lights dimmed in November for influential composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, 91, who was honored by the cast of his musical “Company” on, fittingly, the Sunday of his death.

Sondheim’s work ranged from writing lyrics for “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” to more introspective musicals such as “Into the Woods,” “Follies” and “Sunday in the Park with George.”

“The greatest artist that we in our lifetime possibly will ever know in this art form,” said “Company” director Marianne Elliot.

• Author Anne Rice, 80, embraced the crude myth of vampires in 1976 with her more expansive novel "Interview with the Vampire," so popular that it influenced an entire genre of popular fictions. “When I work with these fantasy characters, I can see reality,’’ she said.

• And the media lost a crosscurrent of influencers: CNN interviewer Larry King, 87, who said, “The key to interviewing is listening”; Rush Limbaugh, 70, who made conservative talk-show radio a dominant format; and reporter Neil Sheehan, 84, who obtained the Pentagon Papers, revealing the secret history of the Vietnam War.

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►Remembering those we lost: Celebrity Deaths 2021

The costs of COVID-19

Overwhelming the remembrances of individual losses have been the 450,000 deaths from COVID-19 in 2021, bringing the nation’s total to more than 800,000, fueled by a heated debate over vaccinations.

Among those felled by COVID-19 or its complications was one of America’s most decorated generals, Colin Powell, 84, the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. Powell’s influence was so strong that his 2003 United Nations speech citing faulty intelligence helped promote the Iraq War.

Other COVID-19 deaths included singer James Purify, 76, who with his brother Bobby had the hit “I’m Your Puppet”; UConn basketball coach Dee Rowe, 91; children’s TV host Sonny Fox, 95; Japanese action star Sonny Chiba, 82; and Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, 67. Also Nashville radio host and vaccine skeptic Phil Valentine, 61, and TV evangelist Marcus Lamb, 64, whose Daystar network had preached against vaccinations.

Dying in prison of COVID-19 at 81 was legendary “Wall of Sound” record producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector.

Newsmakers change their societies

Influences of the past century can be traced through the lives of so many: South African activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 90, and former South African president F.W. de Klerk, 85, each won Nobel Prizes for helping to end apartheid there; Britain’s Prince Philip, 99, spent 65 years at the side of Queen Elizabeth as her empire faded; former vice president and 1984 Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale, 93, navigated the eras between President Richard Nixon’s Watergate and President Ronald Reagan; and Sen. Harry Reid, 82, of Nevada, the powerful Senate majority leader from 2007-2015.

Former Secretary of State George Shultz, 100, served  Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan, and G. Gordon Liddy, 90, was a colorful conspirator in the Watergate burglary.

Rennie Davis, 80, was one of the Chicago 7 activists charged at the 1968 Democratic National Convention; Vernon Jordan, 85, was an adviser to President Bill Clinton; Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 88, was an architect of the 2003 Gulf War; and Michael Collins, 90, circled the moon during Apollo 11 in 1969.

Robert Mundell, 88, was a force behind the euro currency and supply-side economics; billionaire Sheldon Adelson, 87, was a strong advocate of Israel and a donor to Donald Trump; physicist Peter Buck, 90, co-founded the Subway food chain; Japan’s Maki Kaji, 69, invented Sudoku; Holocaust survivor Henry Orenstein, 98, helped bring Transformers toys to America; and designer Virgil Abloh, 41, brought an edge to menswear.

Ron Popeil, 86, was an infomercial pioneer; businessman Donald Tober, 89, helped make Sweet‘N Low a global product; and fraudulent financier Bernie Madoff, 82, died in prison.

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We remember entertainers and icons

The beloved actress Betty White, 99, died on New Year’s Eve, just 18 days before her 100th birthday. She had recently explained her longevity: “I always find the positive.”

White joined three other major members of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" sitcom who died in 2021: Gavin MacLeod, 90 (Murray), Oscar winner Cloris Leachman, 94 (Phyllis), and Ed Asner, 91, the gruff but good-hearted Mr. Grant, who famously told Mary Richards, “You have spunk. I hate spunk!”

Familiar faces included the stately actor Christopher Plummer, 91; the glamour of Jane Powell, 92, and Arlene Dahl, 96; Jessica Walter, 80, of “Arrested Development”; and character actors Ned Beatty, 83, Dean Stockwell, 85, and Charles Grodin, 86.

The sharp comedy of Mort Sahl, 94, Paul Mooney, 79, Jackie Mason, 93, and Norm Macdonald, 61, added fierce social commentary to traditional stand-up.

Final credits, too, for Hal Holbrook, 95, who played Mark Twain for decades; Olympia Dukakis, 89, an Oscar winner for “Moonstruck”; Norman Lloyd, 106, whose career ranged from early Alfred Hitchcock to “St. Elsewhere”; Michael K. Williams, 54, unforgettable in “The Wire”; Tanya Roberts, 65, one of the later “Charlie’s Angels”; television and action film star Yaphet Kotto, 81; Felix Silla, 84, who played Cousin Itt on “The Addams Family”; Mike Henry, 84, who played a TV Tarzan; and Dustin Diamond, 44, of “Saved by the Bell,” who played Screech.

Gone, too, are Clarence Williams III, 81, of “The Mod Squad”; Charles Robinson, 75, and Markie Post, 70, of “Night Court”; Native American actor Saginaw Grant, 85; Granville Adams, 58, of HBO’s “Oz”; Siegfried Fischbacher, 81, of the Siegfried & Roy tiger act; and trapeze artist Carla Wallenda, 85.

Behind the scenes were trailblazing Black director Melvin Van Peebles, 89; director Richard Donner, 91 (“Superman”); Italy’s Lina Wertmuller, 93, the first female director to be nominated for an Oscar (“Seven Beauties”); casting guru Lynn Stalmaster, 93, with 400 films and TV shows to his credit; comedy writer Anne Beatts, 74; and animator Ruthie Tompson, 111, who worked on Disney films dating back to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937.

Memories from the 1950s and 60s include Gloria Henry, 98, the ever-patient mom on “Dennis the Menace,” Tommy Kirk, 79, the young owner of Old Yeller, and Betty Lynn, 95, who played Barney Fife's girlfriend, Thelma Lou, on "The Andy Griffith Show."

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Musicians silenced

The music world was rocked by the death of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, 80, who always had mixed feelings about his decades of touring: “Girls chasing you down the street, screaming. I hated it.” The Stones dedicated their latest tour to him. “Charlie was the heartbeat for the band,” said Mick Jagger.

Also mourned were guitarist and songwriter Michael Nesmith, 78, of The Monkees; Mary Wilson, 76, an original member of Motown’s The Supremes; folk and country favorites Nanci Griffith, 68, and Tom T. Hall, 85 (he wrote “Harper Valley PTA”); and Don Everly, 84, of harmony pioneers the Everly Brothers.

Rock and soul groups lost Dusty Hill, 72, bearded bassist of ZZ Top; Jay Black, 82, of Jay and the Americans; Gerry Marsden, 78, of Gerry and the Pacemakers; Tim Bogert, 76, of Vanilla Fudge; Graeme Edge, 80, of the Moody Blues; Hilton Valentine, 77, of The Animals; Dennis “Dee-Tee” Thomas, 70, of Kool and the Gang; and Sarah Dash, 76, of Labelle.

An unforgettable part of James Brown’s shows was emcee Danny Ray, 85, who would lead the "Godfather of Soul" off the stage, or try to, by wrapping him in a flamboyant cape. And talk about an influencer: Ron Bushy, 79, is remembered for his two-and-a-half minute drum solo during Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” which, for good or bad, sparked lengthy heavy metal drum breaks.

Also gone are reggae dub master Lee "Scratch" Perry, 85; Bunny Wailer, 73, who played with Bob Marley; pop singer BJ Thomas, 78; rock and roller Lloyd Price, 88 (“Lawdy Miss Clawdy”); and rappers DMX, 50, Shock G, 57, Prince Markie Dee, 52, of the Fat Boys, and Biz Markie, 57, who recorded the hip-hop club anthem “Just a Friend.”

The jazz world lost pianist/composer and 25-time Grammy winner Chick Corea, 79; tuba and sax player Howard Johnson, 79; sax player Pee Wee Ellis, 80; organist Lonnie Smith, 79; singer and drummer Dottie Dodgion, 91; and George Wein, 95, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival.

Lost, too, were legendary Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez, 81; rock composer Jim Steinman, 73 (“Bat Out of Hell”); Broadway and film composer Leslie Bricusse, 90 (“Goldfinger”); and former Metropolitan Opera director James Levine, 77.

Legends of sports

Many of the biggest names in athletics died in 2021, including Hank Aaron, 86, who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974; Al Unser Sr., 82, four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500; Lee Elder, 87, the first Black golfer to play the Masters in 1975; manager Tommy Lasorda, 93, who boasted he “bleeds Dodger Blue”; fearsome NFL linebacker Sam Huff, 87; Sam Jones, 88, who won 10 titles with the Boston Celtics; and Elgin Baylor, 86, one of the greatest NBA players never to win a championship

Lost, too, is the over-sized personality of John Madden, 85, who helped spread the popularity of football as a Super Bowl winning coach with the Oakland Raiders, a long-time NFL commentator, and the face of the now-iconic video game, “Madden NFL.”

In baseball, gone are pitchers Don Sutton, 75, J.R. Richard, 71, and Mudcat Grant, 85; 11-time All-Star catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Bill Freehan, 79; and Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse, 74, who was famously bowled over and injured at home plate by Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game.

Some of the greatest college basketball coaches passed away: John Chaney, 89, who led Temple University to 17 NCAA tournaments, Terry Donahue, 77, UCLA’s winningest football coach, and Bobby Bowden, 91, who led Florida State to two national championships.

Also gone is gold medal sprinter Lee Evans, 74, who helped organize Black protests at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics; Jerry Harkness, 81, who helped integrate college basketball in 1963 when four of five members of his Loyola team were Black; and New England Patriots rusher Sam Cunningham, 71, who broke barriers when he helped USC beat an all-white Alabama team in 1970. Alabama soon integrated its squad.

In hockey, Chicago Blackhawks goalie Tony Esposito, 78, and the New York Rangers' Rod Gilbert, 80, are gone; in tennis, Grand Slam winners Tony Trabert, 90, and Shirley Fry Irvin, 94, died. And the Denver Broncos were saddened when former receiver Demaryius Thomas died at 33.

The influence of communicators

Among writers were novelist and “New Journalism” pioneer Joan Didion, 87; bell hooks, 69, who brought a feminist perspective to Black women; Texas novelist Larry McMurtry, 84; futurist John Naisbitt, 92; crime novelist Eric Jerome Dickey, 59; beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 101; and a surprising number of children’s authors Norton Juster, 91, Gary Paulsen, 82, Eric Carle, 91, Beverly Cleary, 104, Jerry Pinkney, 81, and Eloise Greenfield, 92, who wrote of positive Black family life.

Among journalists were Roger Mudd, 93, and Ray Brady, 94, of CBS; The New Yorker’s Janet Malcolm, 86; NPR host Neal Conan, 71; Fred Hiatt, 66, editorial page editor of The Washington Post; Chicago news anchor Allison Payne, 57; and Mel Antonen, 64, former baseball writer for USA TODAY.

One of the most familiar influencers was Willard Scott, 87, "Today" show weatherman and jovial celebrator of 100-year-olds. He drew this tribute from former co-host Katie Couric:

“Willard, you didn’t make it to the front of the Smucker’s jar, but you changed so many lives for the better.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celebrities who died in 2021: The politicians, artists and athletes