Celebrity Endorsements Matter To A Minority Of Voters

The chart above reflects the results of the USA Today / Suffolk University Poll -- done between April 30th and May 3rd of a nationwide sample of 1,000 registered voters, with a 3.1 point margin of error.

Celebrities Not Effective In Getting People To Take Vaccine

The chart above is from the Morning Consult Poll -- done between May 7th and 9th of a national sample of 1,213 unvaccinated adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

It shows that among unvaccinated adults, celebrities taking the vaccine and urging others to do the same has almost no effect. The celebrity vaccination ads are basically a waste of time.

Bill Cosby Is Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault

(This photo of Bill Cosby arriving for court on Wednesday is from NBC News.)

Bill Cosby has been found guilty of three counts of sexual assault in Morristown, Pennsylvania. I have to admit I am slightly shocked at the verdict. Far too often in this country celebrities are allowed to get off on offenses that others would be convicted on.

While I believe the verdict was the correct one, it does sadden me somewhat. For most of the years of my life, I had loved and respected Bill Cosby -- only to find in my senior years that he was a degenerate. It just goes to show that we never really know what the celebrities we know are really like.

There is a maximum sentence of 10 years on each count. I doubt Cosby will receive the maximum of a possible 30 years, but I do think he needs to be sent to prison. Probation would not be appropriate.

QUESTION -- Donald Trump has done things equally bad (and I believe probably even worse). When will he get his turn in court?

Jim Carrey Is One Celebrity That's Taking A Stand

Some celebrities think it's enough to bank their enormous salaries and stay out of public affairs. Jim Carrey is not one of those. He's taking a stand against the horror of the Trump administration, and what it's doing to damage this country. He's speaking out -- both with words and with his artwork.

His paintings below are an example. The first is of our monstrous Press Secretary, and the second is of our lecherous Liar-In Chief.

Do Endorsements Matter In A Political Race? (Not Much)

In the last presidential election, Hollywood turned out big for Hillary Clinton -- she still lost. In Alabama, Trump and other Republicans got behind the GOP candidate (Roy Moore) -- he lost to a Democrat in a very red state. It brings up the question -- Do celebrity or political endorsements matter any more?

The Rasmussen Poll surveyed on that question, and what they found was that it doesn't matter very much. Only 26% said such endorsements were important to determine who to vote for, while a whopping 70% said those endorsements were not important to them in determining how to vote.

The Rasmussen Poll was done on December 11th and 12th of a random national sample of 1,000 likely voters, with a 3 point margin of error.

LaBron James Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

Basketball star Labron James has joined millions of other Americans in supporting the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. This is some of what he wrote in his endorsement article at Business Insider:

When I entered the league, I founded the LeBron James Family Foundation. I didn't know it at the time, but my mission has become clear. We give kids in Akron the resources and opportunities they need to stay in school and reach their dreams through education.

I don’t want to see any of them fall through the cracks. That easily could have happened to me.

But I was fortunate enough to have support and mentors around me who kept me on the right path. That’s what we’re giving these kids through my foundation. And when someone believes in you, that changes everything.

I’m so proud of the more than 1,100 students in my Wheels for Education and Akron I PROMISE Network programs. We’re working on year six now, and my kids have big plans for their futures.

A lot of them didn’t think college was for them, but now I hear they want to become things like doctors and business owners. We even have a future astrophysicist. I can’t wait to see how far these kids can go.

I also tell all my kids how important it is that they give back to the community. Because if basketball has taught me anything, it’s that no one achieves greatness alone. And it takes everyone working together to create real change.

When I look at this year’s presidential race, it’s clear which candidate believes the same thing. Only one person running truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty. And when I think about the kinds of policies and ideas the kids in my foundation need from our government, the choice is clear.

That candidate is Hillary Clinton.

I support Hillary because she will build on the legacy of my good friend, President Barack Obama. I believe in what President Obama has done for our country and support her commitment to continuing that legacy.

Like my foundation, Hillary has always been a champion for children and their futures. For over 40 years, she’s been working to improve public schools, expand access to health care, support children’s hospitals, and so much more.

She wants to make sure kids have access to a good education, no matter what zip code they live in. She’ll rebuild schools that are falling apart and put more money into computer science. She’ll make sure teachers are paid what they deserve so they can give everything to their students.

She also has plans to make college a reality for more people in America, especially for those who can’t afford it. My kids in Akron are proof of the hope and motivation that come from knowing college can be in their future, no matter what obstacles they might be facing.

Finally, we must address the violence, of every kind, the African-American community is experiencing in our streets and seeing on our TVs. I believe rebuilding our communities by focusing on at-risk children is a significant part of the solution. However, I am not a politician, I don’t know everything it will take finally to end the violence. But I do know we need a president who brings us together and keeps us unified. Policies and ideas that divide us more are not the solution. We must all stand together — no matter where we are from or the color of our skin. And Hillary is running on the message of hope and unity that we need.

There’s still a lot of work to be done in Akron, Northeast Ohio, and all across our great country. We need a president who understands our community and will build on the legacy of President Obama. So let’s register to vote, show up to the polls, and vote for Hillary Clinton.

Kirk Douglas Speaks About America And The 2016 Election

(This image of Kirk Douglas is from abcnews.go.com.)

The following op-ed piece was written for The Huffington Post by the legendary Kirk Douglas.

I am in my 100th year.  When I was born in 1916 in Amsterdam, New York, Woodrow Wilson was our president.

My parents, who could not speak or write English, were emigrants from Russia.  They were part of a wave of more than two million Jews that fled the Czar’s murderous pogroms at the beginning of the 20th Century.  They sought a better life for their family in a magical country where, they believed, the streets were literally paved with gold.

What they did not realize until after they arrived was that those beautiful words carved into the Statute of Liberty in New York Harbor: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free,” did not apply equally to allnew Americans.  Russians, Poles, Italians, Irish and, particularly Catholics and Jews, felt the stigma of being treated as aliens, as foreigners who would never become “real Americans.”

They say there is nothing new under the sun.  Since I was born, our planet has traveled around it one hundred times.  With each orbit, I’ve watched our country and our world evolve in ways that would have been unimaginable to my parents – and continue to amaze me with each passing year.

In my lifetime, American women won the right to vote, and one is finally the candidate of a major political party. An Irish-American Catholic became president.  Perhaps, most incredibly, an African-American is our president today.  

The longer I’ve lived, the less I’ve been surprised by the inevitability of change, and how I’ve rejoiced that so many of the changes I’ve seen have been good.

Yet, I’ve also lived through the horrors of a Great Depression and two World Wars, the second of which was started by a man who promised that he would restore his country it to its former greatness.

I was 16 when that man came to power in 1933.  For almost a decade before his rise he was laughed at ― not taken seriously.  He was seen as a buffoon who couldn’t possibly deceive an educated, civilized population with his nationalistic, hateful rhetoric.

The “experts” dismissed him as a joke.  They were wrong.

A few weeks ago we heard words spoken in Arizona that my wife, Anne, who grew up in Germany, said chilled her to the bone.  They could also have been spoken in 1933: 

“We also have to be honest about the fact that not everyone who seeks to join our country will be able to successfully assimilate. It is our right as a sovereign nation to choose immigrants that we think are the likeliest to thrive and flourish here…[including] new screening tests for all applicants that include an ideological certification to make sure that those we are admitting to our country share our values…”

These are not the American values that we fought in World War II to protect.

Until now, I believed I had finally seen everything under the sun.  But this was the kind of fear-mongering I have never before witnessed from a major U.S. presidential candidate in my lifetime.  

I have lived a long, good life. I will not be here to see the consequences if this evil takes root in our country.  But your children and mine will be.  And their children.  And their children’s children. 

All of us still yearn to remain free. It is what we stand for as a country.  I have always been deeply proud to be an American. In the time I have left, I pray that will never change.  In our democracy, the decision to remain free is ours to make.

My 100th birthday is exactly one month and one day after the next presidential election. I’d like to celebrate it by blowing out the candles on my cake, then whistling “Happy Days Are Here Again.” 

As my beloved friend Lauren Bacall once said, “You know how to whistle don’t you?  You just put your lips together and blow.” 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Speaks Out On Presidential Race

Many people have spoken out about Donald Trump's anti-muslim bias, and his attacks of a Gold Star family who are  muslims. But one of the best responses I've read was written for Time magazine by former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Yahoo News).

Here is what he had to say:

Khizr Khan’s impassioned speech last week at the Democratic National Convention about the heroics of his Muslim-American son didn’t just shame Donald Trump’s crude lack of American values—it reminded us of a quaint concept that we haven’t paid too much attention to lately: sacrifice. Since John F. Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural speech encouraged Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” we haven’t really had much of a national discussion about the role sacrifice plays in maintaining a free society.

Mr. Khan reminded us of that noble ideal when he talked about his son, Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan, a Muslim-American who sacrificed his own life in Iraq in 2004 to save other soldiers. Mr. Khan, of Pakistani heritage, had moved to the U.S. in the 1970s for “freedom and opportunity,” the two ideals that Americans feel proudest of providing. Mr. Khan told us that had it been up to Trump, his son never would have been permitted into the country.

“Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery?” he said directly to Trump.“Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.” Mr. Khan’s passion for justice was contagious, but his story of sacrifice was as inspiring as JFK’s call to action. Days after Mr. Khan brandished his pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution, that same edition became the number two bestseller on Amazon (behind the new Harry Potter book), 80,000 copies were downloaded through the American Civil Liberties Union and views of the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution increased by 16 percent. Mr. Khan had made the U.S. Constitution hip again.

The Khan family’s national presence couldn’t have come at a better time for America—and for me personally.

Although I have been politically active for most of my life, especially in civil rights, this year’s Democratic National Convention was my first. I was excited to contribute, but a part of me had been disheartened in the months leading up to the convention. I had begun to feel like America was trapped in a nightmarish Alien sequel, with Donald Trump starring as the toothy creature who feeds on America’s insides until bloated with our vital organs, ultimately destroying the host.

Much of my dystopian despair was the result of watching the Republican National Convention. I observed with shock and embarrassment mobs of people rally behind a man who gazes out at America with eyes, as Yeats put it, “as blank and pitiless as the sun.” My anguish wasn’t a left wing-right wing thing or blind loyalty to a particular party. It was a patriotic thing. I liked to believe that these conventions were about groups coming together to create a platform that reflected us striving to be our best selves—our most humane, most “American” selves. We would discuss how we could go forth in the coming four years applying the principles of the U.S. Constitution by choosing a person to champion those principles. Instead, I was standing by watching in HD clarity while reasoned loyalty was being set ablaze by combustive rhetoric, as if it were a witch being burned at the stake.

So when I arrived at the DNC, I worried that this going to be just another exercise in preaching to the choir. The lines had been drawn, the sides already chosen. However, I met so many enthusiastic and hopeful people who were dedicated to bringing about their vision of a diverse and inclusive American society that I couldn’t help but get caught up in their enthusiasm. No one was talking about who we hate, who we should blame, who we should exclude, who we should punish. They were talking about justice, freedom, and opportunity. All of that was well and good, but I couldn’t shake the knowledge that a whole lot of Americans supported the man who contradicted a whole lot of American values.

But all that apprehension fell away as soon as I heard Khizr Khan speak.

Whatever doubts, depression, or disgust I felt before were washed away by Mr. Khan. I realized that Capt. Khan’s sacrifice—as well as the sacrifices made by so many others to protect our Constitution—demanded that we don’t indulge in lazy melancholy or hipster cynicism, but work twice as hard to make sure those sacrifices are not in vain. The day after Mr. Khan’s speech, Trump responded in the typical non-sequitur fashion: “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices… I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I’ve done, I’ve had tremendous success.”

So, my first time attending the DNC changed me. But the Khan family and other courageous people have rejuvenated and invigorated me for the fight ahead. Because it’s a fight that must be won. No matter the sacrifice.

It's Been A Tough Year

Muhammad Ali's Response To Trump's Proposed Muslim Ban

The photo at left (from npr.org) is of a young Muhammad Ali with Malcom X. It was taken soon after Ali had become a muslim -- the religion he professed for the rest of his life.

So it is no surprise that when Donald Trump made his bigoted proposal to ban all muslims from entering the United States, Muhammad Ali, like all decent Americans, was offended. But he did not engage in the same kind of bigotry that Trump reveled in. Ali was a gentleman, and that showed in his response.

Ali said: And for those of you

I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.

We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. They have alienated many from learning about Islam. True Muslims know or should know that it goes against our religion to try and force Islam on anybody.

Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is.

And for those of you who think our problems are too big -- that we cannot change our country and the world to be a better place for all of us -- I present another bit of wisdom from Ali:

"The Greatest" Has Left Us - Muhammad Ali Dies

Muhammad Ali died on Friday in a Phoenix hospital. He was 74 years old. He did "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee" in his boxing career -- and was undoubtably the greatest heavyweight fighter I've ever seen. But he was more. He was a man of conscience. He had his career interrupted, and was in danger of going to prison, for refusing to be inducted into the military during the Vietnam War. Fortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that he had a religious right to that refusal -- and that decision helped not only him but many others. As both a great boxer and a great human being, he will be missed.

Musicians Choose Their Favorite Presidential Candidates

(The image above is from v3wall.com.)

It seems that more popular musicians are backing a presidential candidate than ever before. I don't know how important that is, since musicians are neither smarter nor dumber than any other supporters -- but I suppose it could sway some fans of these musicians who don't pay a lot of attention to politics.

Here is The Guardian's count of which musicians are backing which candidates for the 2016 presidential campaign:

HILLARY CLINTON

Kanye West, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Katie Perry, Christina Aguilera, Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Cher, Kelly Clarkson, Ellie Goulding, Ice-T, Ja Rule, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Janelle Monae, Morrissey, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Usher, will.i.am, Stevie Wonder


BERNIE SANDERS

 Killer Mike, Lil B, Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr, Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go’s, Jon Fishman of Phish, Billy Gould of Faith No More, Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters, Maureen Herman of Babes in Toyland and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, David Crosby, Mike Watt of the Stooges, Donovan (Mellow Yellow guy, British not American), Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vampire Weekend 


DONALD TRUMP

Loretta Lynn 
Ted Nugent 
Wayne Newton
Azalea Banks


MARCO RUBIO

Johnny Van Zant, the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd 
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds


RAND PAUL

Jonathan Davis 
Phil Labonte


BEN CARSON

Kid Rock


JEB BUSH

Toby Keith

The Guardian didn't find any popular musicians supporting the other candidates.

Some Of The Well-Known People Who Left Us In 2015

("The Death of Minnehaha" by William de Leftwich Dodge in 1892.)

Death is the final act of a life (hopefully well-lived). Here is just a sampling of some of the more well-known people who died in 2015.

JANUARY
1- Mario Cuomo, 82, American politician, Governor of New York (1983–1994).
1- Donna Douglas, 82, American actress (The Beverly Hillbillies, Frankie and Johnny, The Twilight Zone).
2- Little Jimmy Dickens, 94, American country music singer ("May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose").
3- Edward Brooke, 95, American politician, member of the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts (1967–1979)
3- Bryan Caldwell, 54, American football player (Houston Oilers).
4- Stu Miller, 87, American baseball player (San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles).
4- Stuart Scott, 49, American sports journalist (SportsCenter).
7- Jethro Pugh, 70, American football player (Dallas Cowboys).
7- Rod Taylor, 84, Australian actor (The Time Machine, The Birds).
8- Andraé Crouch, 72, American gospel singer.
9- Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., 88, American film producer (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
9- Roy Tarpley, 50, American basketball player (Dallas Mavericks).
10- Taylor Negron, 57, American comedian and actor (Angels in the Outfield, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Bio-Dome).
11- Anita Ekberg, 83, Swedish-Italian actress (La Dolce Vita, Paris Holiday, Back from Eternity).
18- Dallas Taylor, 66, American drummer (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).
18- Tony Verna, 81, American television producer, invented instant replay.
23- Ernie Banks, 83, American Hall of Fame baseball player (Chicago Cubs).
29- Rod McKuen, 81, American poet, singer and songwriter ("Jean", "Seasons in the Sun").

FEBRUARY
2- Stewart Stern, 92, American screenwriter (Rebel Without a Cause, Rachel, Rachel, Sybil).
5- Anne Moody, 74, American author and civil rights activist.
7- Billy Casper, 83, American Hall of Fame golfer, 51 career PGA Tour wins.
7- Dean Smith, 83, American Hall of Fame basketball coach (North Carolina).
11- Bob Simon, 73, American television journalist (60 Minutes).
11- Jerry Tarkanian, 84, American Hall of Fame basketball coach (Long Beach State, UNLV, San Antonio Spurs, Fresno State).
12- Sam Andrew, 73, American musician (Big Brother and the Holding Company).
14- Louis Jourdan, 93, French actor (Letter from an Unknown Woman, Gigi, Octopus).
14- Philip Levine, 87, American Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.
16- Lesley Gore, 68, American singer ("It's My Party", "Judy's Turn to Cry", "You Don't Own Me").
21- Clark Terry, 94, American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist.
26- Oscar Díaz, 32, American welterweight boxer, head injury.
27- Leonard Nimoy, 83, American actor and director (Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Fringe).
28- Anthony Mason, 48, American basketball player (New York Knicks).

MARCH
1- Minnie Miñoso, 92, Cuban baseball player (Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians).
5- Albert Maysles, 88, American documentary filmmaker (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens).
8- Sam Simon, 59, American writer, producer and director (The Simpsons, Cheers, The Drew Carey Show).
8- Lew Soloff, 71, American jazz trumpeter (Blood, Sweat & Tears).
16- Andy Fraser, 62, British musician (John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Free) and songwriter ("All Right Now", "Every Kinda People").
20- Jim Berry, 83, American cartoonist (Berry's World).
20- A. J. Pero, 55, American drummer (Twisted Sister, Adrenaline Mob).
21- Chuck Bednarik, 89, American NFL Hall of Fame football player (Philadelphia Eagles).

APRIL
1- Dave Ball, 65, British musician (Procol Harum).
1- Eddie LeBaron, 85, American football player (Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys).
1- Robert Walker, 54, Canadian-born American animator and director (Aladdin, Brother Bear, Mulan, The Lion King).
2- Tom Towles, 65, American actor (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Miami Vice, The Rock).
3- Sarah Brady, 73, American gun control campaigner.
3- Bob Burns, 64, American drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd).
5- Richard Dysart, 86, American character actor (L.A. Law, Wall Street, The Thing).
6- James Best, 88, American actor (The Dukes of Hazzard, Ride Lonesome, The Twilight Zone).
6- Walter H. Haas, 97, American astronomer.
7- Stan Freberg, 88, American comedian and voice actor (Looney Tunes, Lady and the Tramp).
7- Geoffrey Lewis, 79, American actor (High Plains Drifter, Maverick, The Lawnmower Man).
10- Lauren Hill, 19, American college basketball player, pediatric cancer advocate, brain cancer.
12- Mario Wallenda, 74, American highwire artiste (The Flying Wallendas).
13- Günter Grass, 87, German novelist (The Tin Drum), Nobel Prize laureate in Literature (1999).
14- Percy Sledge, 74, American R&B singer ("When a Man Loves a Woman").
19- Freddie Gray, 25, American police suspect, severed spinal cord.
24- Frankie Lee, 73, American blues singer-songwriter.
25- Don Mankiewicz, 93, American screenwriter (Star Trek, Ironside, Profiles in Courage).
26- Jayne Meadows, 95, American actress (I've Got a Secret, Undercurrent, Song of the Thin Man).
27- Andrew Lesnie, 59, Australian cinematographer (The Lord of the Rings, I Am Legend, The Water Diviner), Oscar winner (2002).
28- Jack Ely, 71, American singer ("Louie Louie").
29- Calvin Peete, 71, American golfer, Tournament Players champion (1985).
30- Ben E. King, 76, American soul and R&B singer ("Stand by Me").
30- Nigel Terry, 69, British actor (The Lion in Winter, Excalibur, Troy).

MAY
2- Michael Blake, 69, American author and screenwriter (Dances with Wolves), Oscar winner (1991).
6- Jim Wright, 92, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 12th district (1955–1989), Speaker of the House (1987–1989).
9- Elizabeth Wilson, 94, American actress (The Birds, The Graduate, 9 to 5), Tony Award winner (1972).
12- Tony Ayala, Jr., 52, American light middleweight boxer.
14- B.B. King, 89, American Hall of Fame blues guitarist, singer and songwriter ("The Thrill Is Gone").
19- Happy Rockefeller, 88, American socialite and philanthropist, Second Lady of the United States (1974–1977), First Lady of New York (1963–1973).
20- Mary Ellen Trainor, 62, American actress (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, The Goonies).
21- Joaquim Durão, 84, Portuguese chess player.
22- John Mosley, 93, American football player (Colorado A&M Aggies) and WWII AF officer (Tuskegee Airmen).
23- Hugh Ambrose, 48, American historian and author (The Pacific).
23- Anne Meara, 85, American comedian (Stiller and Meara) and actress (Archie Bunker's Place, The King of Queens).
23- John Forbes Nash, Jr., 86, American mathematician, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Economics (1994), subject of A Beautiful Mind.
24- Daniel Meltzer, 63, American lawyer, legal adviser to Barack Obama.
28- Reynaldo Rey, 75, American actor and comedian (227, Friday, White Men Can't Jump).
29- Henry Carr, 73, American track and field athlete, Olympic champion (1964).
29- Betsy Palmer, 88, American actress (I've Got a Secret, Mister Roberts, Friday the 13th).
30- Beau Biden, 46, American politician, Attorney General of Delaware (2007–2015).

JUNE
6- Vincent Bugliosi, 80, American attorney and author (Helter Skelter).
6- Ronnie Gilbert, 88, American singer-songwriter (The Weavers) and actress (Running on Empty).
7- Sir Christopher Lee, 93, British actor, voice artist, and singer (Dracula, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars).
12- Monica Lewis, 93, American singer and actress (Earthquake), voice of Chiquita Banana (since 1947).
14- Anne Nicol Gaylor, 88, American atheism and reproductive rights advocate, co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
15- Blaze Starr, 83, American stripper, burlesque comedienne and club owner, subject of Blaze.
17- Ron Clarke, 78, Australian long distance runner, Olympic bronze medalist (1964), Mayor of the Gold Coast (2004–2012).
17- John David Crow, 79, American Heisman Trophy-winning football player (Texas A&M, Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals) and coach (Northeast Louisiana).
17- Nelson Doubleday, Jr., 81, American publisher (Doubleday) and Major League Baseball team owner (New York Mets).
18- Danny Villanueva, 77, American football player (Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys) and broadcasting executive, co-founder of Univision.
22- Don Featherstone, 79, American artist and inventor of the plastic pink flamingo.
22- James Horner, 61, American composer (Titanic, Field of Dreams, Apollo 13), Oscar winner (1998).
23- Dick Van Patten, 86, American actor (Eight Is Enough, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights).
24- Walter Browne, 66, Australian-born American chess Grandmaster, six-time U.S. champion.
24- Marva Collins, 78, American educator.
25- Patrick Macnee, 93, English-American actor (The Avengers, This Is Spinal Tap, A View to a Kill).
26- David Turner, 91, American rower, Olympic gold medalist (1948).
27- Chris Squire, 67, English bass guitarist (Yes).
28- Jack Carter, 93, American comedian (Cavalcade of Stars) and actor (Dr. Kildare, Alligator).

JULY
2- Charlie Sanders, 68, American Hall of Fame football player (Detroit Lions).
3- Diana Douglas, 92, Bermudian-American actress (The Indian Fighter, Days of Our Lives, Planes, Trains and Automobiles).
8- Frances Shea-Buckley, 86, American rear admiral, Director of the Navy Nurse Corps (1979-1983).
8- Ken Stabler, 69, American football player (Oakland Raiders).
8- James Tate, 71, American Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.
15- Aubrey Morris, 89, British actor (A Clockwork Orange, Love and Death, The Wicker Man).
18- Alex Rocco, 79, American actor (The Godfather, The George Carlin Show, The Facts of Life), Emmy winner (1990).
21- Theodore Bikel, 91, Austrian-born American actor (The Defiant Ones, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof), folk singer and composer.
21- E. L. Doctorow, 84, American author (Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, The March).
26- Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, American media personality and singer.
26- Ann Rule, 83, American true crime author (The Stranger Beside Me).
28- James Jude, 87, American thoracic surgeon, developer of CPR.
30- Lynn Anderson, 67, American country singer ("Rose Garden").
31- Gerald S. O'Loughlin, 93, American actor (The Rookies, In Cold Blood, Ice Station Zebra).

AUGUST
1- Vincent Marotta, 91, American entrepreneur, co-creator of Mr. Coffee.
2- Forrest Bird, 94, American Hall of Fame aviator and inventor.
7- Louise Suggs, 91, American Hall of Fame professional golfer, co-founder of LPGA.
9- Frank Gifford, 84, American Hall of Fame football player (New York Giants) and broadcaster (Monday Night Football).
15- Julian Bond, 75, American civil rights activist and politician, chairman of the NAACP (1998–2010).
17- Yvonne Craig, 78, American actress (Batman, Star Trek, Olivia).
18- Bud Yorkin, 89, American film and television director, producer (All in the Family, Maude, Sanford and Son) and actor.
26- Alison Parker, 24, American news reporter (WDBJ), shot.
26- Adam Ward, 27, American news cameraman (WDBJ) and photojournalist, shot.
30- Wes Craven, 76, American film director, writer and producer (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, The Hills Have Eyes).

SEPTEMBER
1- Dean Jones, 84, American actor (The Love Bug, Company, Beethoven).
2- Alan Kurdi, 3, Syrian refugee, drowned.
3- Judy Carne, 76, British actress and comedienne (Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In).
6- Martin Milner, 83, American actor (Adam-12, Route 66, Sweet Smell of Success).
12- Frank D. Gilroy, 89, American playwright and screenwriter.
13- Moses Malone, 60, American Hall of Fame basketball player (Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets).
16- Peggy Jones, 75, American guitarist (Bo Diddley).
19- Jackie Collins, 77, British-American novelist.
22- Yogi Berra, 90, American Hall of Fame baseball player and manager (New York Yankees, New York Mets), member of 13 World Series championship teams.
28- Frankie Ford, 76, American singer ("Sea Cruise").

OCTOBER
2- Willie Akins, 76, American jazz saxophonist.
6- Kevin Corcoran, 66, American actor and producer (Old Yeller, Pete's Dragon, Sons of Anarchy).
6- Rich Davis, 89, American businessman, creator of KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce.
8- Paul Prudhomme, 75, American chef, cookbook writer and restaurateur, recipient of the Order of Agricultural Merit (1980).
10- Sybil Stockdale, 90, American human rights activist, co-founder of National League of Families.
11- Smokin' Joe Kubek, 58, American blues guitarist.
12- Joan Leslie, 90, American actress (High Sierra, Sergeant York, Yankee Doodle Dandy).
22- Jerome Kass, 78, American screenwriter (Queen of the Stardust Ballroom).
24- Maureen O'Hara, 95, Irish-American actress (How Green Was My Valley, Miracle on 34th Street, The Quiet Man).
27- Ralph Richeson, 63, American actor (Deadwood, Hancock).
30- Mel Daniels, 71, American Hall of Fame basketball player (Indiana Pacers).
31- Gregg Palmer, 88, American actor (Gunsmoke).

NOVEMBER
1- Houston McTear, 58, American sprinter.
1- Fred Thompson, 73, American politician and actor (Die Hard 2, Law & Order, Sinister), U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1994–2003), minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee.
8- Angad Paul, 45, British manufacturing executive and film producer (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Tournament).
9- Carol Doda, 78, American topless dancer.
10- Allen Toussaint, 77, American musician, producer, songwriter ("Fortune Teller", "Working in the Coal Mine", "Southern Nights") and arranger.
11- Phil Taylor, 61, English drummer (Motörhead).
13- Bruce Dayton, 97, American retail executive and philanthropist, President and Chairman of Target, founder of B. Dalton.
15- Vincent Margera, 59, American reality television personality (Viva La Bam, Jackass, CK).
15- P. F. Sloan, 70, American singer/songwriter ("Secret Agent Man", "Eve of Destruction", "A Must to Avoid").
16- David Canary, 77, American actor (All My Children, Bonanza).
17- Al Aarons, 83, American jazz trumpeter (Count Basie Orchestra).
21- Bob Foster, 77, American boxer, world light heavyweight champion (1968–1974).
23- Cynthia Robinson, 71, American trumpeter and vocalist (Sly and the Family Stone).
30- Steve Shagan, 88, American novelist, screenwriter, and producer (Save the Tiger, Voyage of the Damned, Primal Fear).

DECEMBER
2-Sandy Berger, 70, American political consultant, United States National Security Advisor (1997–2001).
2- Anthony Valentine, 76, British actor (Colditz, Coronation Street, Escape to Athena).
3- Scott Weiland, 48, American musician (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, The Wondergirls).
4- Robert Loggia, 85, American actor (Jagged Edge, Scarface, Big).
6- Holly Woodlawn, 69, Puerto Rican-born American actress and Warhol superstar.
10- Dolph Schayes, 87, American Hall of Fame basketball player and coach (Philadelphia 76ers).
11- John "Hot Rod" Williams, 53, American basketball player (Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns).
12- Evelyn S. Lieberman, 71, American public affairs professional, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (1996).
19- Ozell Sutton, 90, American civil rights activist.
20- Patricia Elliott, 77, American actress (A Little Night Music, One Life to Live), Tony Award winner (1973).
25- George Clayton Johnson, 86, American writer (Logan's Run, Ocean's Eleven, The Twilight Zone).
27- Haskell Wexler, 93, American cinematographer (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Bound for Glory) and film director, Academy Award winner (1966, 1976).
27- Meadowlark Lemon, 83, American basketball player (Harlem Globetrotters).
28- Lemmy, 70, English rock musician (Motörhead, Hawkweed).