Cancer is indiscriminate. It doesn't matter how much money you have or how well-loved you are. If it did, these famous (and some infamous) people would still be here today. Join us in taking a look back at some of the most shocking celebrities who have died of cancer.
16 Famous Musicians Who Died of Cancer
From jazz musicians to pioneering girl group members, these are famous musicians who passed away from cancer.
Aretha Franklin
Forever remembered as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer. She passed away on August 16, 2018, at the age of 76.
David Bowie
David Bowie, the British rock star who will forever be remembered for bringing us Ziggy Stardust, lost his life to liver cancer. He died on January 10, 2016, at the age of 69.
Gregg Allman
Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band died from liver cancer on May 27, 2017. He was 69 years old.
Donna Summer
Grammy-winning recording artist Donna Summer died of lung cancer on May 17, 2012. She was 72 years old.
Linda McCartney
Wings musician Linda McCartney, wife of famed Beatle Paul McCartney, died from breast cancer on April 17, 1998. She was just 56 years old.
George Harrison
Former Beatle and solo recording artist George Harrison died of lung cancer on November 29. 2001. He was 58 years old.
Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen is widely regarded as one of the most talented guitarists ever to live. He was a founding member of the eponymous rock band Van Halen, and he died of throat cancer on October 6, 2020.
Little Richard
The legendary rock and roll musician and performer Little Richard lost a battle with bone cancer on May 9, 2020. He was 87 years old.
Alto Reed
Former member of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band, Alto Reed, died of colon cancer on December 30, 2020, at the age of 72.
Chick Corea
With 80 studio albums under his belt, jazz pianist Chick Corea embodied the word prolific. A former member of Miles Davis's band, Corea passed from a rare cancer on February 9, 2021. He was 79 years old.
Ronnie Spector
Ronnie Spector was an iconic songstress, member of The Ronettes, and 1960s music icon. She died following a brief battle with cancer on January 12, 2022, at 78 years old.
Jon Lind
Die-hard music fans will recognize songwriter Jon Lind for his contributions with hits like Boogie Wonderland and Save the Best for Last. He battled cancer for two years and passed away at 73 years old on January 17, 2022.
Jimmy Buffet
Yacht-rock pioneer Jimmy Buffet was a multitalented musician. Where would beachside vacation spots be without his beloved Margaritaville restaurants? He battled Merkel cell skin cancer for four years before passing away on September 2, 2023, at the age of 76.
Toby Keith
A stalwart in the 90s country music scene, Toby Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022. He fought for two years before passing away on February 5, 2024, at 62 years old.
David Sanborn
Grammy-winning Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn was a prolific artist, though many might not remember his name. He fought prostate cancer for over five years and lost the battle on May 12, 2024. He was 78 years old.
21 Stage and Screen Celebrities Who Died of Cancer
Some of our favorite stage and screen actors and actresses have fought and won the battle against cancer. Unfortunately, these stars weren't so lucky to overcome their illnesses.
Irrfan Khan
Indian actor Irrfan Khan, known for roles in Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, passed away from neuroendocrine cancer on April 29, 2020. He was 53 years old.
Valerie Harper
Actress Valerie Harper, of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, died on August 30, 2018. She was initially diagnosed with lung cancer, then leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. She was 80 years old.
John Hurt
British actor Sir John Hurt died of pancreatic cancer on January 25, 2017, at the age of 77. His 50+ year career included roles in An Englishman in New York, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Elephant Man, and many other movies and television shows.
Patrick Swayze
Dirty Dancing and Ghost actor Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009. He was 57 years old.
Farrah Fawcett
Charlie's Angels actress and model Farrah Fawcett died of anal cancer on June 25, 2009. She was 62 years of age.
Paul Newman
Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman died from lung cancer on September 26, 2008. The actor, philanthropist, and race car driver was 83 years old.
Sydney Pollack
Oscar-winning director and actor Sydney Pollack lost his battle with stomach cancer on May 26, 2008. He was 65 years old.
Suzanne Pleshette
Suzanne Pleshette, known for her roles on the stage, screen, and television (including The Bob Newhart Show), passed away from lung cancer on January 19, 2008. She was 70 years of age.
Merv Griffin
Actor, talk show host, and game show creator Merv Griffin lost his life to prostate cancer on August 12, 2007. He was 82 years old.
Anne Bancroft
Stage and screen legend Anne Bancroft died from uterine cancer on June 6, 2005. She was 73 years old.
John Wayne
John Wayne, the legendary award-winning film actor, died from lung cancer on June 11, 1979. He was 72 years of age.
Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman was a rising star of his generation who passed away from a private battle with colon cancer. The originator of the live-action superhero role Black Panther, he passed away on August 28, 2020 at just 43 years old.
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston was a successful actress and former wife of actor John Travolta who starred on the small and big screen alike. She fought breast cancer for two years before passing on July 12, 2020, at the age of 57.
Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg broke onto the scene as a television actress in the 1960s, though you might know her best today for playing Lady Olenna Tyrell on Game of Thrones. She died of cancer on September 10, 2020, at the age of 82.
Kellye Nakahara
Famous M*A*S*H star, Kellye Nakahara, died of cancer on February 15, 2020, at the age of 72.
Clarence Williams III
Clarence Williams III was a highly successful actor known for projects like The Mod Squad and Purple Rain. He passed away on June 4, 2021, at the age of 81 from colon cancer.
Dustin Diamond
Saved by the Bell star, Dustin Diamond, lost his battle to stage 4 small cell carcinoma on February 1, 2022. He was only 44 years old.
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley was a mainstay of television and cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. She passed away from a brief battle with colon cancer on December 5, 2022. She was 71 years old.
Olivia Newton-John
Olive Newton-John was a multi-talented award-winning singer and actress best known for her portrayal of Sandy in the hit movie-musical Grease. She had a long and public battle with breast cancer, which she ultimately died of on August 8, 2022, at 73 years old.
Paul Reubens
Comedian and kids' programming pioneer Paul Reubens was best known for his zany character Pee-wee Herman. He quietly battled cancer for several years before succumbing on July 31, 2023, at 70 years old.
Shannon Doherty
Shannon Doherty was an actress who brought iconic roles like Brenda Walsh from Beverly Hills, 90210 and Prue Halliwell from Charmed to life. She had a very public (and lengthy) battle with breast cancer and ultimately succumbed to it on July 13, 2024. She was only 53 years old.
Related: Celebrity Deaths in 2023: The Icons We Lost This Year
7 U.S. Political Figures Who Died of Cancer
Cancer has taken its toll on many people who devoted their professional careers to politics. These are some of the more notable cases.
John McCain
Arizona senator and former prisoner of war John McCain died of brain cancer on August 25, 2018. He was 81 years old.
Mark Takai
Hawaii senator Mark Takai passed away from pancreatic cancer on July 20, 2016. He was 49 years old.
Ted Kennedy
Long-time Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy died of brain cancer on August 25, 2008. He was 77 years old.
Jo Ann Davis
Virginia senator Jo Ann Davis passed away from breast cancer on October 6, 2007. She was 57 years old.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, died of throat cancer on July 23, 1885. He was 63 years old.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Esteemed former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died on May 19, 1994, from cancer of the lymphatic system. She was 64.
Jerome Lewis
Civil rights activist and politician Jerome Lewis had a short fight with pancreatic cancer before he succumbed on July 17, 2020, at 80 years old.
12 High-Profile Professionals Who Died of Cancer
Many well-known business leaders, journalists, and other notable individuals with household names have died from cancer. Each of these cultural icons made an indelible mark before their passing.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple Computers, died at the age of 56 from a rare type of pancreatic cancer, known as an islet-cell neuroendocrine tumor. He passed away on October 5, 2011.
Ed Bradley
Emmy-winning journalist Ed Bradley, best known for his work on 60 Minutes, lost his life to leukemia at the age of 65. He passed away on November 9, 2006.
Johnnie Cochran
Los Angeles, California lawyer Johnnie Cochran made history as OJ Simpson's defense attorney in 1995's "Trial of the Century." Cochran was 67 when he died from brain cancer on March 29, 2005.
Peter Jennings
ABC's World News Tonight lost a dear friend on August 7, 2005, when legendary newsman Peter Jennings succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 67.
Walt Disney
Mickey Mouse creator and founder of the Disney empire, Walt Disney, lost his life to lung cancer at the age of 65. He passed away on December 15, 1966, just one month after his cancer diagnosis.
Alex Trebek
Famed host of the trivia show Jeopardy, Alex Trebek, passed from pancreatic cancer at 80 on November 8, 2020.
Jeannie Morris
Jeannie Morris changed the sportscasting landscape as a female pioneer in a male-dominated space during the 1970s and 80s. She died of appendiceal cancer at the age of 85 on December 14, 2020.
Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey was an acclaimed author who highlighted the modern black experience through his work. He died of cancer at the age of 59 on January 3, 2021.
Michael Lang
Michael Lang may not be a household name, but you've surely heard of his most famous work—Woodstock. A co-creator of the infamous music festival, Lang passed away on January 8, 2022, at the age of 77, of lymphoma.
Pelé
Pelé was one of the greatest footballers (soccer players for American folks) of all time. On December 29, 2022, he passed away from colon cancer at the age of 82.
Dexter Scott King
Son of legendary activist Martin Luther King Jr, Dexter King spent his life overseeing his father's estate and championing his causes. He died of prostate cancer on January 22, 2024, at just 62 years old.
O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson was better known for his antics during and after his ex-wife's murder trial than his professional sports career. Despite (or perhaps because of) said murder trial, he cemented a place in pop culture fame. His family reported on April 11, 2024, that he had passed from prostate cancer at 76 years old.
Cancer Can Come for Anyone, Celebrities Included
Cancer affects people from all walks of life, from ordinary citizens to entertainment industry superstars, political leaders, and industry titans. It wreaks havoc indiscriminately, affecting both the highest and lowest levels of the social ladder. There are countless other celebrities than the ones we've included who passed from their cancer diagnoses, and yet we can still celebrate the work they completed in life long after their passing.
