In Memoriam: 2009
From pitchmen to punks to poets, 2009 was the end of the line for some amazing entertainers. Without Les Paul, the electric guitar would be downright boring. Imagine Slash under that top hat, cigarette in mouth, playing a Strat. Without John Hughes, a generation of teenagers would have never had a voice — and would never have known the pleasures of Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. And without Billy Mays, late night TV viewers might have had no other choice but to watch Carson Daly. And then there’s Michael Jackson, a larger than life entertainer even in death, whose lasting influence in popular music will be felt for generations. But there are plenty more who didn’t fit in our nine-person grid. To all of them — as well as the ones above — thanks for simply being you. And for giving a million dumb pop culture websites something to crow about.
Michael Jackson
August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009
Jim Carroll
August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009
Billy Mays
July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009
Richie Sambora
July 11, 1959 – August 11, 2009
Lux Interior
October 21, 1946 – February 4, 2009
Les Paul
June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009
John Hughes
February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009
Jay Bennett
November 15, 1963 – May 24, 2009
Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein
March 30, 1973 – August 28, 2009
