Celebrity deaths: The stars we lost in 2022
One of the stars of iconic show Young Talent Time has suddenly died as the fashion world mourns the loss of designer Vivienne Westwood who also passed away.
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In 2022 we said goodbye to some of our favourite stars from the worlds of music, movies and TV.
Among them were some true giants in their fields — beloved Australian entertainer Olivia Newton-John, cricketing legend Shane Warne and actor Bobby Driessen.
Here we pay tribute to those luminaries we said a final farewell to this year.
BOBBY DRIESSEN, 56
Beloved Young Talent Time star Bobby Driessen has died in his sleep, aged 56.
Driessen was a regular performer on Young Talent Time from 1979 to 1983, with the Network 10 show paying tribute to the former cast member on social media.
“All of us here at Young Talent Time, are incredibly saddened to hear the news of Bobby Driessen one of our beloved team members has passed away in his sleep,” Young Talent Time posted on Facebook on Thursday night.
Fellow Young Talent Time cast member Beven Addinsall also paid his respects to Driessen, saying his passing came as “a shock”.
“In 1983 I joined Young Talent Time. The team member I replaced was Bobby Driessen,” Mr Addinsall wrote.
“A uniquely talented funny and charismatic person. I’m so saddened to hear that Bobby has passed away in his sleep.
“He was only 56 and it has come as quite a shock. Vale Bobby Driessen. RIP.”
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, 81
Legendary fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has died aged 81.
In a statement on Twitter, her fashion house said she died “peacefully and surrounded” by her family in Clapham, South London.
“I will continue with Vivienne in my heart,” her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said.
Westwood was an integral part of the British punk movement in the 1970s, helping to shape the scene with her clothing.
She began by making clothes for SEX, the Chelsea boutique she ran with Malcolm McLaren, and went on to dress Sex Pistols, whom McLaren managed.
PELE, 82
Brazilian football icon Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and a three-time World Cup winner who masterminded the “beautiful game,” has died at the age of 82, his family said this morning (AEDT).
“Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram.
Named athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, Pele is the only footballer in history to win three World Cups – 1958, 1962 and 1970.
He had been in increasingly fragile health, battling kidney problems and colon cancer — undergoing surgery for the latter in September 2021, followed by chemotherapy.
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, 73
British born but a quintessentially Australian entertainment icon, Olivia Newton-John won four Grammy Awards during a chart topping international career that included five number one singles, 15 top ten hits, and two number one albums.
“I Honestly Love You” became her most successful song, topping music charts in Australia, Canada and the United States. Fourteen of her albums and 11 of her singles were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
With more than 100 million records sold she is one of the best selling musicians of all time. An actress known for global box office smash Grease, she was also an environmental advocate, animal rights activist and dedicated supporter of breast cancer research.
She battled the disease three times before finally succumbing on August 8 at her ranch in Southern California, surrounded by family and friends.
What were your best memories of some of the stars we lost this year? Share them below.
SHANE WARNE
Australia and the world was plunged into shock when news broke that one of Australia’s greatest cricketers, Shane Warne, had passed away at the age of 52. A sportsman and a celebrity who lived life to the full, Warne inspired adoration from fans and fellow cricketers alike, even making forays into acting as well as business, and famously dating Hollywood star Elizabeth Hurley. Described by Pat Cummins as a “once-in-a-century cricketer” who “helped Australia win”, and keep cricket alive for a younger generation, Warne’s death followed just days after to passing of cricket legend Rod Marsh at 74.
Warne died in Koh Samui, Thailand on March 4. Local police revealed that a group of friends Warne was holidaying with in Thailand tried in vain to save his life but the cricket icon was found unresponsive in his room after suffering a heart attack.
JUDITH DURHAM, 79
Judith Durham, the Australian singing great and vocalist of the Seekers, died aged 79 in August this year.
Durham released a number of solo albums but was best known as the voice of folk music group the Seekers, who she performed with from 1963 until 1968, when she left to pursue a solo career.
The band quickly rocketed to worldwide success and sold more than 50m records, with a number of international hits including I’ll Never Find Another You, The Carnival is Over, A World of Our Own and Georgy Girl.
Her death was a result of complications from a longstanding chronic lung disease.
ARCHIE ROACH
Archie Roach, one of Australia’s most beloved singer-songwriters, died in July at the age of 66 after a long history of health issues including lung cancer and a stroke. A member of the “stolen generation”, Roach brought a dark and painful part of Australia’s history into the light through his music.
Roach was brought up on a mission near Warnnambool. He discovered his birth mother had died when he was 15 and that he was one of seven siblings.
He battled homelessness and alcoholism and, at 17, met another indigineous teenager who would change his life - Ruby Hunter - who would become his muse and wife (the couple had two sons).
Roach found solace in music and began performing and recording with Hunter. (Hunter died suddenly in 2010.) Boosted by vocal support from fellow musician, Paul Kelly, Roach’s debut 1990 album Charcoal Lane, included his best-known song about the Stolen Generations, the heartwrenching Took the Children Away. Fourteen albums would follow ranging in style from blues to gospel.
Asked if he ever got sick of performing Took the Children Away, Roach said, “I say, ‘Never,’” he said in a 2019 interview. “It’s a healing for me. Each time I sing it, you let some of it go.”
KIRSTIE ALLEY
Kirstie Alley burst onto TV screens as the strong willed Rebecca Howe in hit TV sitcom Cheers, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe. She followed that with Veronica’s Closet, earning more Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Her recurring role in the three Look Who’s Talking movies was her main big screen success. Alley found a second career after gaining weight and becoming a spokesman for weight loss company, Jenny Craig. In 2005, she played a version of herself in Fat Actress and branched into reality TV with Kirstie Alley’s Big Life. She was also a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Big Brother and The Masked Singer. Controversially she expressed her support for Donald Trump and credited Scientology with helping her quit cocaine. Alley died of colon cancer on December 5 at a hospital in Florida.
CHRISTINE MCVIE, 79
British singer-songwriter Christine McVie achieved fame as the keyboardist and vocalist with band Fleetwood Mac, and while not as high profile as lead singer Stevie Nicks, she wrote and sung some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits such as “You Make Loving Fun,” “Don’t Stop,” “Everywhere,” and perhaps most memorably “Little Lies.” McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 after marrying its bassist and founding member John McVie, and soon became an integral part of the band’s image and sound, including developing an enduring friendship with Nicks which helped stabilise the groups backstage drama. McVie released a solo album in 1984, and eventually left the band to live in the English countryside, citing fear of flying and agoraphobia. She died at home on November 30 after a brief illness.
IRENE CARA, 63
The Oscar-winning singer best known for theme songs to hit 1980s films Fame and Flashdance, was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City as Irene Cara Escalera and taught herself to play the piano by ear at age five. She performed during her childhood and teens before her breakout role as Coco Hernandez in the high school musical Fame. She received Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for performing the movie’s title track. In 1983, she co-wrote “Flashdance … What a Feeling”, which was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, won Best Original Song and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1984 Academy Awards, and a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. Cara continued to perform throughout the years with her last album coming out in 2011. She died at home in Florida on November 26 of unknown causes.
AARON CARTER, 34
The younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, Aaron shot to fame when he opened for the Backstreet Boys in Germany at the age of eight. At the young age of nine he released his first self-titled album in 1997 and his 2000 Aaron’s Party album was certified Triple Platinum when he was 12. Unfortunately, the “I Want Candy” singer allegedly got into drugs at an early age and in his book, originally planned for publication on 15 November, he revealed he started smoking marijuana when he was 11 and claimed to have spent $US30,000 ($A44,500) on ecstasy when he was 15. Often touring with his brother, Carter continued his musical career into adulthood, but personal struggles with addiction got in the way of his later professional output. He was discovered dead in his bathtub on November 5 after an emergency phone call was made about a possible drowning.
JERRY LEE LEWIS, 87
Iconic 1950s rockabilly artist Jerry Lee Lewis shot to fame with his hit single “Whole Lotta Shakin” in 1957, followed by another hit, “Great Balls of Fire”, which showcased his “wild man” rock ‘n’ roll image. Known for his expressive performance style and stage presence including flamboyant, boogie style piano playing which Elton John has cited as a major influence on him, Lewis’ career was famously derailed when he married his 13-year-old cousin. In 1989, his life was chronicled in the movie Great Balls of Fire, in which he was portrayed by Dennis Quaid. Born in Louisiana where he assimilated various American music styles including jazz and blues, Lewis, who was suffering failing health, died at home on October 28 in Mississippi.
LESLIE JORDAN, 67
Actor and comedian Leslie Jordan was born in America’s South to a mother who said she didn’t understand him, although she did support and accept him. His father was an army major and died in a civilian plane crash. Jordan was openly gay and once worked as a delivery person for an AIDS charity food delivery service. He became famous for his TV roles including the character of Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace, and more recently, playing several characters in American Horror Story. During the coronavirus pandemic, Jordan became a hit on Instagram, posting humorous videos that attracted six million followers. He published his autobiography How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived in 2021. A singer, he also released a gospel album that year. He died on October 24 while driving to film scenes for TV show Call Me Kat when his car crashed into a building after what was described as “a medical episode.”
ANGELA LANSBURY, 96
Dame Angela Lansbury was an actress beloved by all ages and all mediums – from her stage role in Mame to her role in the children’s film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Born in Britain to a well to do family, Lansbury received accolades from the outset of her career, earning her first Oscar nomination at 18, and receiving two more nods throughout an illustrious career as well as an honorary Academy Award. An icon of musical theatre she was nominated for six Tony Awards and won five as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominated for a whopping 18 Emmys she never won, however. In a career that spanned eight decades and appealed to numerous generations, her role as mystery author Jessica Fletcher in TV’s Murder, She Wrote, was her greatest popular success. Lansbury died in Los Angeles on October 11 just a few days shy of her 97th birthday.
LORETTA LYNN, 90
The country music star had a 60 year career with multiple gold albums featuring hits such as “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”, “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)”, “One’s on the Way”, and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” which became the title of the film based on her rags to riches life starring Sissy Spacek. Lynn won a slew of awards throughout her lifetime and was nominated for 18 Grammy Awards, winning three. In 2013 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. At the time of her death she was the most awarded female country recording artist of all time and continued to tour and perform until she suffered a stroke in 2017 and broke her hip in 2018. She died in her sleep on October 4 with no immediate cause given and was buried beside her husband, Oliver Lynn, to whom she was married to for 48 tumultuous years.
LOUISE FLETCHER, 88
Louise Fletcher will forever be synonymous with her chilling portrayals of sinister or commanding characters: Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest opposite Jack Nicholson, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, along with other awards; and the Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn Adami in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She also played Aunt Helen Rosemond in Cruel Intentions. Her final role was as Rosie in the Netflix series Girlboss (2017). Fletcher was born in Birmingham, Alabama to a religious missionary who founded 40 churches for the deaf. Since both her parents were deaf, Fletcher was taught how to speak by an aunt and went on to study drama at university, landing some roles in TV in the 1950s, usually westerns because she was considered tall for a woman at the time. She died at her home in France on September 23.
ANNE HECHE, 53
American actress Anne Heche was a virtuoso of theatre, film, and television and the recipient of numerous Emmy Awards, as well as becoming a podcast host on Better Together pod during the coronavirus pandemic. Her big break came when she played twins Vicky and Marley on American daytime soap opera Another World. She gained mainstream attention with her roles in Donnie Brasco, Volcano, and Six Days, Seven Nights opposite Harrison Ford. Her high profile relationship and break-up with Ellen DeGeneres was both credited with advancing LGBT rights in Hollywood and contributing to Heche’s mental health woes. After their break-up, Heche suffered a psychotic break and penned a memoir titled Call Me Crazy in which she alleged sexual abuse from her father. Heche died in tragic circumstances in California on August 11 after succumbing to her injuries from crashing her car into a house.
JAMES CAAN, 82
US actor James Caan was made famous by his role as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, gaining Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. Caan was one of the 1970s’ more unconventional leading men, specialising in tough but complex everyman roles. Off-screen, he revealed that he struggled with his mental health, being diagnosed with clinical depression in 1981 following the death of his sister from leukaemia. He also admitted to a cocaine problem around the same time. His roles became more sporadic in the 1980s but he had a significant comeback in 1990 with the Stephen King thriller, Misery. Caan was married four times and is survived by five children including actor Scott Caan. Born in the Bronx, New York, Caan died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on July 22.
RAY LIOTTA, 67
Famous for a career playing unpredictable characters in crime dramas, Ray Liotta was born in Newark, New Jersey where he was abandoned as a baby at an orphanage and subsequently adopted by an Irish-Italian couple. The American actor, who later discovered he was of Scottish descent, is perhaps best remembered for his role in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed Italian gangster drama, Goodfellas where he played fast rising mobster Henry Hill. Earlier roles included Something Wild and Field of Dreams. Liotta was also known for his television work on ER, and played Frank Sinatra in TV movie The Rat Pack. He also did voice work, and is the voice of Tommy Vercetti in the video game Grand Theft Auto. The actor died in his sleep on May 26 in the Dominican Republic while on location filming Dangerous Waters.
SALLY KELLERMAN, 84
The American actress became an internationally known face largely due to her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman’s film M*A*S*H, for which she received an Oscar nomination. She went on to become one of Altman’s favourite actors, appearing in The Player and Prêt-à-Porter, and TV shows such as The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, and Bonanza. She was also a talented voice artist characterising Miss Finch in Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird as well as animated films. She did voiceovers to numerous TV commercials and was signed to prestigious jazz record label, Verve, when she was 18 years old. In 2013, the actress released her memoir Read My Lips: Stories of a Hollywood Life, describing her trials and tribulations in the entertainment business. Kellerman suffered from dementia when she died from heart failure in Los Angeles, on February 24.
SIDNEY POITIER, 94
Of Bahamian descent, and born in Miami to parents who were on holiday, Sidney Poitier was the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Pivotal film roles included Blackboard Jungle, The Defiant Ones, and Lilies of the Field. Numerous of his leading man roles, which accorded him movie star status and helped break down colour barriers in the film industry, also dealt with the theme of race including Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night. Poitier was also a film director and diplomat, becoming the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974 and in 2009 awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. Actor and friend Denzel Washington credited him with mentorship during his early career. Poitier died in Beverly Hills on January 6 with underlying causes of death being cardiopulmonary failure, Alzheimer’s disease and prostate cancer.
See other famous stars we lost below:
Originally published as Celebrity deaths: The stars we lost in 2022
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