2016 was nothing short of a crazy year. With the shocking result of the election and the amount of celebrity deaths, many have dubbed 2016 the worst year ever. Although there's a long list of influential people who have passed this year, here's 12 of the most renowned names who the world lost this year:
1. David Bowie
David Bowie is one of the most iconic figures in the music industry. His creativity "broke pop and rock boundaries." His death left 2016 off to a rocky start for his fans as they mourned the loss of this legendary musician. Bowie died at the age of 69 on January 10.
2. Alan Rickman
Four days after the loss of Bowie, on January 14, the world lost actor Alan Rickman. Rickman gained critical acclaim for his role as Snape in the "Harry Potter" film series. Like Bowie, Rickman passed at the age of 69.
3. Joe Alaskey
You may not recognize Joe Alaskey at first, but you can certainly identify the "Looney Tunes" characters in the above image. Alaskey was a voice actor who portrayed Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety and numerous of other cartoon characters on and off the show. Alaskey died on February 3.
4. George Martin
George Martin aka the "Fifth Beatle" passed away on March 8 at the age of 90. Martin was a producer who helped The Beatles rise from "rowdy club act to musical and cultural revolutionaries." Without Martin, who knows if the world would have witnessed one of, if not the most, prominent rock bands in history.
5. Phife Dawg
Phife Dawg was a rapper who was a member of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. The group paved the way for many underground hip hop artists so they're highly praised in the music industry. Phife Dawg died extremely young at the age of 45 on March 22.
6. Prince
Prince was a prolific musician whose music was spanned a variety of genres including rock, funk, R&B, soul, pop, new wave and more. He ranked number 27 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's "the most influential artists of the rock & roll era." The world lost Prince at the age of 57 on April 21.
7. Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was one of the most significant sports figures of all time. He was an a boxer as well as an activist whose resistance of the Vietnam War draft sparked a great amount of controversy. Ali's beliefs and actions proved he was just as strong outside the ring as he was in the ring. He passed on June 3 at the age of 74.
8. Gene Wilder
Pictured above is Willy Wonka portrayed by actor Gene Wilder. Wilder, aged 83, died on August 28. He was best known for his roles in "Young Frankenstein" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Wilder proved to be a versatile actor in his memorable roles.
9. China Machado
China Machado was born in Shangai, China and was a prominent figure in the fashion industry. She was the first non-white person to grace the cover of a major fashion magazine. Machado died at 87 on December 18.
10. George Michael
George Michael was a pop singing heartthrob in the 80s and 90s. His rise to fame began when he was a member in the music duo Wham! Michael won a numerous amount of music awards and sold 100 million records worldwide. In addition, he was an active LGBT rights activist. Michael, 53, unfortunately passed away on Christmas, December 25.
11. Carrie Fisher
Daughter to Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher was an actress best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" film series. Fisher has been an inspiration to young women since the 80s as she "empowered them to be their own heroes." Fisher, age 60, died on December 27.
12. Debbie Reynolds
Mother to Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds was also an actress as well as a singer. Her breakout role as an actress was her performance in the hit film "Singin' in the Rain." She became well known to younger generations portraying Aggie Cromwell in Disney Channel's "Halloweentown" film series. Reynolds shockingly died the day after her daughter passed on December 28. People speculate she must have died due to a broken heart.
