Every Celebrity Who Tragically Died on Christmas Day

One Christmas Day may be clearer in people’s memory than others, marked by the death of a huge celebrity.

Sadly, across the globe, people’s Christmas dinners have taken a turn when news hits that one of the world’s most recognized faces has died on one of the most festive days of the year.

Newsweek has taken a look at the lives of several talented artists who have tragically died on Christmas Day over the past few decades, as well as their most famous works.

In this combination image, from top left: George Michael, Eartha Kitt, Charlie Chaplin, James Brown, Dean Martin and Joan Blondell. Here is a list of celebrities who have died on one of the most festive days of the year. Getty

From Grease star Joan Blondell to music legend George Michael, check out the list below.

Joan Blondell: August 30, 1906 — December 25, 1979

American film and television actress Joan Blondell died from leukemia, aged 73 on Christmas Day, 1979.

During her 50-year acting career, Blondell appeared in over 100 films and television series.

For her performance as Annie Rawlins in The Blue Veil, Blondell received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to receive a Golden Globe award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Sarah Goode in Opening Night.

Blondell is well known across the globe for her portrayal of Vi in the hit-musical film Grease, which was released one year before her death.

Her final film was The Woman Inside which was released posthumously in 1981.

Blondell was also well known for her TV roles in Banyon, Here Come The Brides, and The Twilight Zone.

Sir Charlie Chaplin: April 16, 1889 — December 25, 1977

Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest stars of the silver screen and the silent film world, died on Christmas Day 1977 in Switzerland. He had been in ill health and died from a stroke in his sleep. Chaplin was 88 years old.

Known for his on-screen persona as the Tramp, his career covered 75 years, up until his death in 1977.

Chaplin is also well known for his first sound film, The Great Dictator (1940), which poked fun at Adolf Hitler.

He also directed his own films and co-founded United Artists, giving him complete control over his films. His other well-known credits include The Kid, A Woman of Paris, and The Gold Rush.

In 1972, he received an Honorary Academy Award for “the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century” and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1975.

In a statement at the time of Chaplin’s death, his wife, Lady Chaplin, said, according to Variety: “All the presents were under the tree. Charlie gave so much happiness and, although he had been ill for a long time, it is so sad that he should have passed away on Christmas Day.”

Charlie Chaplin in the Shoe-Eating Scene from The Gold Rush. Chaplin is also well known for his first sound film, The Great Dictator (1940), which poked fun at Adolf Hitler. Getty Images

Dean Martin: June 7, 1917 — December 25, 1995

Swing singer, actor, and TV Host Dean Martin sadly died on Christmas Day 1995 from Acute Respiratory Failure. He was 87 years old at the time of his death.

Fans of Martin, nicknamed “The King of Cool” may be interested to know his death was 29 years to the day and almost to the exact same time his mother died.

Martin was close friends with singers Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., who together with several others formed the Rat Pack.

He was also known for hosting his own TV show, The Dean Martin Show from 1965 to 1974 and for the songs “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” “That’s Amore,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime,” and “Sway.”

His crypt where he is interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles features the epitaph “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime,” the title of his signature song.

James Brown: May 3, 1993 — December 25, 2006

Soul and funk icon James Brown died aged 73 of congestive heart failure on Christmas Day in 2006.

Following his death, on December 28, a public memorial service was held at the Apollo Theater in New York City and at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia.

His career spanned more than 50 years and he was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.

Some of Brown’s widely recognized songs include “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine,” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” and “Pap’s Got A Brand New Bag.”

In 2020, doubt was cast on the true cause of Brown’s death when the doctor who signed his death certificate told CNN he did not believe Brown died of natural causes.

However, today, the official cause of his death remains heart failure.

Eartha Kitt: January 17, 1927 — December 25, 2008

American actress and singer Eartha Kitt sadly died on December 25, 2008, from colon cancer at her home in Connecticut. She was 81 years old.

Her death came as a big shock to fans as Kitt had been performing on stage two months prior to her death and had tour dates booked for 2009.

Kitt is best known for her portrayal of Catwoman in Orson Welles’ TV series Batman, in 1967 and for her, Tony-nominated performance in Broadway musical Timbuktu! and The Wild Party.

Kitt is also well known for her songs “C’est si bon” and the classic Christmas hit, “Santa Baby.”

George Michael: June 25, 1963 — December 25, 2016

Aged 53, George Michael’s death was confirmed by a statement from his publicist that read: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.”

Michael, one of the best-selling musicians of all time, died in the early hours of Christmas Day 2016 and was discovered by his partner Fadi Fawaz.

In March 2017, a senior coroner in Oxfordshire attributed Michael’s death to dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver, reported CBS.

Musicians and music lovers from all over the world paid tribute to Michael.

Michael’s Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley said on Twitter: “Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend. Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx”

Elton John told an audience in Las Vegas on December 28, according to Metro: “What a singer, what a songwriter. But more than anything as a human being he was one of the kindest, sweetest, most generous people I’ve ever met.” At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on 12 February 2017, Adele performed a slow version of Michael’s hit “Fastlove.”

Michael, who was the winner of two Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three American Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards, shot to fame as part of the musical duo Wham! in the 1980s, with hits such as “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Last Christmas.”

He also pursued a hugely successful solo career, with successful songs such as “Careless Whisper,” “Faith,” “Father Figure,” and “Freedom! ’90”.

Michael’s sister Melanie died three years later on Christmas Day 2019. She was 59 years old.