As 2022 began, so did celebrations of new life and, unfortunately, the mourning of beloved individuals no longer with us, including celebrity deaths.
In that category are a number of entertainers, from groundbreaking actors and mesmerizing singers to masterful musicians across all genres. We’ve also had to say goodbye to pioneering public servants whose work in various sectors had far-reaching impacts on Black communities in the United States and abroad.
Here, we remember those we’ve lost this year and the incredible mark they’ve left on history.
01
Max Julien
Actor Max Julien, best known for his role in the 1973 blaxploitation film The Mack died on January 1 at the age of 88. The cause of death, according to his wife, was cardiopulmonary arrest.
02
Jessie Lee Daniels
The passing of singer Jessie Lee Daniels of the ’80s R&B group Force MDs was reported on January 4. He was 58 years old.
03
Sidney Poitier
Groundbreaking actor Sidney Poitier died at his home in Los Angeles on January 6. He was 94 years old.
04
James Mtume
Jazz and R&B musician James Mtume died on January 9 in South Orange, New Jersey, at the age of 76.
05
Lani Guinier
Harvard legal scholar and assistant attorney general nominee Lani Guinier died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 71 on January 7.
06
Ronnie Spector
Ronnie Spector, lead singer of the ’60s girl group The Ronettes, died on January 12 after a brief cancer battle. She was 78.
07
Fred Parris
Fred Parris, the singer and composer who wrote “In the Still of the Night,” died on January 13 after a brief illness. The lead singer of the doo-wop group The Five Satins was 85.
08
André Leon Talley
Fashion icon André Leon Talley died from an undisclosed illness in a hospital in White Plains, NY, on January 18. He was 73.
09
Moses J. Moseley
Moses J. Moseley, known for his role on AMC’s The Walking Dead was found dead in Stockbridge, Georgia on January 26. The actor was 31 years old and, according to TMZ, law enforcement officials are investigating his death as a possible suicide.
10
Syl Johnson
The R&B crooner and Soul & Blues Hall of Fame legend, perhaps best known for his oft-sampled 1967 single “Different Strokes,” passed away at age 85 on February 6.
11
Betty Davis
Legendary funk and soul singer Betty Davis, lauded as an ahead-of-her-time performer that blended much of her signature swagger to her short-term husband Miles Davis, passed away at the age of 77 on February 9.
12
Valerie Boyd
The author of the definite Zora Neale Hurston reader, Wrapped in Rainbows, and upcoming editor of Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker, died at age 58 on February 12.
13
Jamal Edwards
The British music entrepreneur and creator of the SBTV platform, which famously launched careers for the likes of Ed Sheeran and Jessie J, passed away on February 20 at age 31.
14
Johnny Brown
Johnny Brown, the comedian, singer, and actor best known for his role on Good Times died on March 2. He was 84.
15
Timmy Thomas
The jazz musician and singer, perhaps best known for his 1972 single “Why Can’t We Live Together,” passed away in March at the age of 77.
16
Traci Braxton
Singer, actress, host, and reality star Traci Braxton passed away on March 11 after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 50 years old.
17
AJ Crimson
The death of Beauty expert and entrepreneur AJ Crimson was announced by a dear friend of his on March 30 via Instagram. The Founder and CEO of AJ Crimson Beauty was considered a pioneer in the cosmetics industry and regularly contributed to ESSENCE. No details surrounding his cause of death have been revealed.
18
DJ Kay Slay
The legendary Hip-Hop DJ and fixture in NYC’s music scene passed away in mid-April after a lengthy battle with COVID-19.
19
Roderick “Pooh” Clark
A member of 90’s R&B boy band hi-Five, who was paralyzed in a 1993 car crash, died at age 49.
20
Andrew Woolfolk
The saxophonist was a member of Earth, Wind & Fire from 1973 to 1985 and again from 1987 to 1993, elevating the band’s signature funk-soul sound with the masterful skill of his instrument.
21
Trouble
22
Pasha Bleasdell
A popular video vixen in the early 2000’s, perhaps most known for her feature appearances in videos like Nelly’s “Hot in Heere” and Sean Paul’s “Gimme the Light,” her death was confirmed by once frequent collaborator, video director Director X. She reportedly passed away from a form of brain cancer at the young age of 38.
23
Busi Lurayi
South African actress Busisiwe Lurayi, perhaps best known for her starring role in the 2021 Netflix film How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding, tragically passed away due to as-yet-unknown causes on July 10.
24
Jak Knight
Jak Knight, co-creator and star of the Peacock series “Bust Down,” died July 14 in Los Angeles at the age of 28. The stand-up comedian and writer was known for his work on the HBO series “Pause With Sam Jay.” No cause of death was given.
25
Mary Alice Smith
Emmy and Tony award-winning actress Mary Alice Smith, known for her roles in Sparkle, A Different World, and The Matrix Revolutions died July 27 in New York City. The film, television, and theater star was in her 80s.
26
Bill Russell
The legendary Bill Rusell was a two-time NCAA champion, 11-time NBA champion, and won five Most Valuable Player awards. He won two more championships as coach of the Celtics, along with the first Black head coach in one of the four major North American sports. The activist and philanthropist passed away on Sunday, July 31 at the age of 88.
27
Nichelle Nichols
The actress who famously broke barriers in sci-fi media and on television as a whole with her role as communications officer Uhura on the original Star Trek series passed away at age 89 at the end of July.
28
Biyi Bandele
Nigerian novelist and filmmaker Biyi Bandele passed away suddenly on August 7 at the age of 54. Bandele was most known in the United States for his adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun .
29
Teddy Ray
Comedian and actor Teddy Ray, real name Theadore Brown, died on August 12 at the age of 32. Ray was known for his viral stand-up routines and his appearance on the HBO Max series “PAUSE with Sam Jay.”
30
Denise Dowse
Actress Denise Dowse, known for roles on Insecure and Beverly Hills 90210 died August 14 from a virulent form of meningitis she’d contracted earlier that month. She was 64.
31
Mable John
Mable John, known for being the first singer signed to Motown by Berry Gordy, died at her home in Los Angeles on August 25 at the age of 91.
32
David A. Arnold
Comedian David A. Arnold passed away from natural causes at his home on September 7. Arnold had a stand-up comedy special on Netflix and was a writer and producer on the streaming platform’s Fuller House reboot. He was 54 at the time of his death.
33
PnB Rock
The popular Philly rapper was tragically shot and killed in an apparent robbery attempt while dining at a famed Los Angeles restaurant on the afternoon of September 12.
34
Jesse Powell
Grammy-nominated singer Jesse Powell, best known for his hit single “You” released in 1999, died in his home in Los Angeles on September 13. He was 51.
35
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr., known professionally as Coolio, died on September 28. The rapper best known for his 1996 hit ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,’was 59.
36
Willie Spence
‘American Idol’ runner-up Willie Spence died in car crash on October 11 at the age of 23. Spence came in second place to Chayce Beckham on the 19th season of the Fox singing competition.
37
D.H. Peligro
Former Red Hot Chili Peppers’ D.H. Peligro, who was also a drummer for punk rock band the Dead Kennedys, died on October 28. Born Darren Henley, according to a statement from his band, Peligro suffered a head injury from an accidental fall. He was 63.
38
Takeoff
Rapper Takeoff, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, of the Atlanta group Migos was shot dead in Houston the morning of November 1 when an altercation broke out over a game of dice. He was 28.
39
Hurricane G
Gloria Rodriguez, best known by her rap name Hurricane G, passed away on November 6 at the age of 52. No cause of death was reported, but the recording artist’s daughter revealed she’d been battling lung cancer in May.
40
Anthony Johnson
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson died on November 13 at the age of 38. The former UFC fighter’s cause of death was organ failure as a result of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a rare disorder of the immune system.
41
B. Smyth
R&B singer B. Smyth died on November 17 at the age of 28. The cause of death for the artist, whose real name is Brandon Smith, was respiratory failure following a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
42
Irene Cara
Singer and actress Irene Cara passed away on November 25 at the age of 63. The entertainer was best known for her role in Flashdance, winning an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy for the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which she sang and co-wrote. No cause of death was given at the time of her passing.
43
Jonathan “Hovain” Hylton
Jonathan “Hovain” Hylton passed away at his home on November 25. The Brooklyn music executive was known for his work with T-Pain and major hip-hop artists such as Cam’ron and Styles P. No cause of death was disclosed.
44
Clarence Gilyard Jr
Clarence Gilyard Jr passed away on November 28 after a long battle with an unspecified illness. The actor best known for his roles in Die Hard, Walker Texas Ranger, and Top Gun was 66.
45
Quentin Oliver Lee
Actor Quentin Oliver Lee passed away on December 2 after a six-month battle with stage 4 colon cancer. The Broadway star was 34.
46
Janis Hunter Gaye
Janis Hunter Gaye, the second wife of Motown Legend Marvin Gaye, who inspired the song “Jan” on his 1974 album, Marvin Gaye Live!, died at her home in Rhode Island on December 3. She was 66.
47
Stephen “tWitch” Boss
The dancer and reality show host, perhaps best known as the show DJ and Executive Producer for The Ellen Degeneres Show, died by apparent suicide at a Los Angeles hotel on December 13. He was 40 years old.
48
Sonya Eddy
Sonya Eddy died on December 19 after developing an infection following a surgical procedure on December 9. The actress known for her work on the soap opera General Hospital was 55.
49
Ronnie Hillman
Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman died on December 23 after being diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, in August. He was 31.
50
Jo Mersa Marley
Jo Mersa Marley, 31, grandson of reggae icon Bob Marley, was found dead in his vehicle the morning of December 27. The cause of death was an asthma attack.
51
Pelé
Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend who won three World Cups and became the sport’s first global icon, died at the age of 82 after a long bout with cancer.
