By Darlene Donloe
2021 was a helluva year!
A number of noteworthy people of color closed their eyes for the last time in 2021. They were writers, actors, directors, musicians, activists, community leaders, and politicians. All were influential in their own way. And, before leaving the planet, they all made their mark and touched the lives of so many. This column pays tribute to those who passed this way. Rest in Paradise!
JANUARY
Jan. 3 - Eric Jerome Dickey, bestselling author Milk in My Coffee, Sleeping with Strangers and Friends and Lovers. He was 59.
Jan. 7 - Marion Ramsey, ‘Police Academy’ and Broadway actress. She was 73.
Jan. 8 - Dearon “Deezer D” Thompson, “ER” actor. He was 55.
Jan. 11 – Howard Johnson, musician. He was 79.
Jan. 13 – Bryan Monroe, former president of National Association of Black Journalists. He was 55.
Jan. 13 - Edward ‘Duke Bootee,’ Fletcher, rapper and co-writer of Hip-Hop classic, ‘The Message.’ He was 69.
Jan/ 15 – Duranice Pace, gospel singer. Member of The Pace Sisters. She was 62.
Jan. 16 – Jim Tilmon, Chicago TV newsman, meteorologist, pilot. He was 86.
Jan. 16 – Judge B. Pennie Millender of the 36th District Court in Detroit. She was 68.
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| Hank Aaron |
Jan. 22 – Hank Aaron, baseball great, homerun king who defied racism. He held the home run record for 33 years. He was 86.
Jan. 22 - James Purify, singer (I’m Your Puppet). He was 76.
Jan. 24 – Gregory ‘G Bone’ Everett, filmmaker ‘41st and Central: The Untold Story of The L.A. Chapter of the Black Panther Party.’ He was 58.
Jan. 28 – Cicely Tyson, legendary actress. She was 96.
Jan. 29 – John Chaney, basketball Hall of Famer. He was 89.
Jan. 30 – Marc Wilmore. TV writer and brother of Larry Wilmore. He was 57.
FEBRUARY
Feb. 3 – Danny Ray, “cape man” and emcee for James Brown, The Godfather of Soul. He was 85.
Feb. 4 - Gil Saunders, lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.
Feb. 4 - Charles McGee, iconic Detroit artist. He was 96.
Feb. 5 – Leon Spinks, former Heavyweight Champion. He was 67.
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| Mary Wilson |
Feb. 8 – Mary Wilson, founding member of the legendary Supremes. She was 76.
Feb. 9 – Chick Corea, jazz pioneer, composer, keyboardist, and bandleader. He was 79.
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| Apostle Frederick K.C. Price |
Feb. 12 – Apostle Frederick K. C. Price, founder of Crenshaw Christian Center. He was 89.
Feb. 15 – Vincent Jackson, former NFL wide receiver. He was 38.
Feb. 18 – Prince Markie Dee, a member of the pioneering hip-hop group the Fat Boys. He was 52.
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| Douglas Turner Ward |
Feb. 20 – Douglas Turner Ward, theater giant. Co-Founder of the Negro Ensemble Company. He was 90.
Feb. 21 - Lawrence Otis Graham, lawyer, and bestselling author who exposed prejudice. He was 59.
Feb. 22 - James Burke, The Five Stairsteps and The Invisible Man’s Band.
Feb. 28 – Irv Cross, NFL sports analyst. He was 81.
MARCH
March 1 - Jahmil French, known for his role as Dave Turner in the Canadian teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He was 29.
March 2 – Vernon Jordan, civil rights leader, and D.C. power broker. He was 85.
March 12 - Herman Roberts, Chicago tycoon. He owned 35 taxis, eight motels, a nightclub, a bowling alley, a skating rink, and oil wells on a 2,000-acre ranch in Oklahoma. He was 97.
March 13 – ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler, middleweight boxing great. He was 66.
March 14 - Singer Reggie Warren, an original member of Troop. He was 52.
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| Yaphet Kotto |
March 15 – Yaphet Kotto, Bond villain and ‘Alien’ star. He was 81.
March 22 – Elgin Baylor, LA Lakers Hall-of-Famer. He was 86.
March 23 – Jeanne Gaye, singer, Marvin Gaye’s sister. She was 84.
March 24 – Craig “muMs’ Grant, Blue Bloods and OZ star. He was 52.
APRIL
April 6 – Alcee Hastings, Florida’s first Black congressman. He was 84.
April 6 - Midwin Charles, MSNBC legal analyst. She was 47.
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| DMX |
April 9 - DMX, rapper. Real name Earl Simmons. He was 50.
April 11 – Gerren Taylor, “Baldwin Hills” star. She was 30.
April 22 – Gregory ‘Shock G’ Jacobs, co-founder of Digital Underground. He was 57.
April 22 – Terrence Clarke, Kentucky basketball guard. He was 19.
April 29 – Frank McRae, actor in “Licence to Kill” and “Last Action Hero.” He was 80.
MAY
May 1 - Damon Weaver, a student journalist who once interviewed former President Barack Obama. He was 23.
May 6 – Pervis Staples, co-founder of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Staple Singer. He was 85.
May 7 – Lloyd Price, singer “Stagger Lee” and “Personality.” He was 88.
May 12 - NaTalia Johnson, Dance Theatre of Harlem ballerina, Artistic Director of the NaTalia Johnson Conservatory in Sacramento, CA. She was 37.
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| Paul Mooney |
May 19 – Paul Mooney, legendary comedian. He was 79.
May 19 - Olympian Lee Evans, who raised a fist on medal stand in 1968. He was 74.
May 22 – Chi Modu, hip-hop photographer. He was 54.
May 24 - Samuel E. Wright, voiced the role of the crab, Sebastian, in “The Little Mermaid.” He also originated the role of Mufasa in “The Lion King.” He was 74.
JUNE
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| Clarence Williams III |
June 4 – Clarence Williams III actor who played Linc on “Mod Squad.” He was 81.
JULY
July 6 – Suzzanne Douglas, actress. She was 64.
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| Suzzanne Douglas |
July 10-11 - Londre ‘KTS Dre’ Sylvester. Chicago rapper. He was 31.
July 11 - Charlie Robinson, ‘Night Court’ actor. He was 75.
July 14 - Lawrence Horner, former Thousand Oaks Mayor. The city’s only Black mayor. He was 91.
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| Biz Markie |
July 16 – Biz Markie, “Just A Friend’ rapper. He was 57.
July 18 – Gloria Richardson, civil rights pioneer. She was 99.
July 21 – Clarence McDonald, Grammy-winning keyboard player, and producer. He was 76.
July 25 - Bob Moses, civil rights leader. He was 86.
July 26 – James “Jim” Stricklin, pioneering Black news photographer a WMAQ-TV. He was 88.
AUGUST
Aug. 5 – Eloise Greenfield, award-winning children’s book author. She was 92.
August 9 – Chucky Thompson, producer. He was 53.
Aug. 20 - T. Rodger, the founder of the West Coast chapter of the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation Bloods gang. He was 65.
Aug. 22 - Micki Grant, trailblazing “Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope” creator and Another World actress. She was 92.
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| Sam Salter |
Aug. 28 - Sam Salter, 90s soul singer. He was 46.
Aug. 29 – Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, reggae legend. He was 85.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 1 – Gregg Leakes, husband of Nene Leakes. He was 66.
Sept. 3 - Harry Coombs, veteran Philadelphia International Records executive. He was 85.
Sept 4 – Fuquan Johnson, comedian. He was 43.
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| Michael K. Williams |
Sept. 6 – Michael K. Williams, “The Wire” actor. He was 54.
Sept. 6 – AJ ‘Ezal’ Johnson, actor. He was 55.
Sept. 15 - Leonard “Doctor” Gibbs, percussion guru and music educator.
Sept. 20 - Sarah Dash, LaBelle singer. She was 76.
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| Melvin Van Peebles |
Sept 22 – Melvin Van Peebles, the Godfather of Black Cinema, actor, director, producer, playwright, activist. He was 89.
Sept. 27 – Andrea Martin, Grammy award-winning singer. She was 49.
OCTOBER
Oct. 8 – Ricarlo Flanagan, “Shameless” and “Last Comic Standing.” He was 40.
Oct. 9 – Shawn McLemore, gospel singer, minister. He was 54.
Oct. 10 – Granville Adams, “Oz” star. He was 58.
Oct. 11 - Deon Estus, bass player, and singer, and member of R&B group Brainstorm. He was 65.
Oct. 15 - Dorothy Steel, ‘Black Panther’ actress. She was 95.
Oct. 15 – Regi Hargis, Brick co-founder, and guitarist.
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| Colin Powell |
Oct. 18 - Colin Powell, the first Black Secretary of State. He was 84.
Oct. 21 – Tommy DeBarge, member of famed DeBarge family and member of the band Switch. He was 64.
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| Ruben Rodriguez |
Oct. 24 – Ruben Rodriguez, music industry exec.
Oct. 27 – William Shelby, co-founder of Dynasty, and a part of Lakeside. He was 67.
Oct. 31 – Randy Ross, jazz saxophonist. Member of The Blue Morning Quintet.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 2 – Ronnie Wilson of The Gap Band. He was 73.
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| Ronnie Wilson |
Nov. 15 - Yolande Du Bois Irvin, lecturer and the only grandchild of W.E.B. Du Bois. She was 89.
Nov. 17 – Young Dolph, Memphis rapper. He was 36.
Nov. 27 - Johnshel Alexander, former child actor in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” She was 22.
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| Virgil Abloh |
Nov. 28 – Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton artistic director. He was 41.
Nov. 28 – Lee Elder, broke a racial barrier as the first Black golfer to play in The Masters. He was 87.
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| Lee Elder |
DECEMBER
Dec. 1 – Jacqueline Avant, local philanthropist, wife of music executive, and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Clarence Avant. She was 81.
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| Jacqueline Avant |
Dec. 4 – Glenn Foster, former NFL player. He was 31.
Dec. 6 - Rhonda Stubbins White, actress on Tyler Perry’s “Ruthless.” She was 60.
Dec. 7 – Greg Tate, American writer, musician, producer, and longtime critic for The Village Voice. He was 64.
Dec. 8 - Robbie Shakespeare, producer, Grammy-winning bassist for Sly and Robbie. He was 68.
Dec. 8 - Parker Lee Williams, aka DJ P-Lee Flash, Chicago hip-hop pioneer. He was 54.
Dec. 9 – Ralph Tavares, eldest member and longtime leader of the family group Tavares. He was 79.
Dec. 9 - Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos. He was 33.
Dec. 9 – Patrice Malidoma Some’ (Maa Kheru), healer, author, teacher, medicine man, diviner. He was 65.
Dec. 15 – Gloria Jean Watkins, who went by the pen name, Bell Hooks, an author, feminist, social activist, and professor. She was 69.
Dec. 16 – Leonard Hubbard, founding member of the hip-hop band The Roots. He was 62.
Dec. 18 - Shiller Shaun Fequiere, known as Kangol Kid. ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ rapper and UTFO co-founder. He was 55.
Dec. 18 – Darrell Caldwell, a Los Angeles rapper who goes by Drakeo the Ruler. He was 28.
Dec. 20 - Paul Mitchell, co-founder of “Float On” group The Floaters.
Dec. 20 – Kimera Anotchi Bartee, professional baseball outfielder, and coach. He played for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies. He was 49.
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| Desmond Tutu |
Dec. 26 – Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican cleric, and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was the Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then the Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first black African to hold the position. He was 90.
