Top 10 Tragic Deaths of 2009 with Stories

It seems that there has been an on-slot of deaths among major celebrity and sports figures in the first half of 2009.  The struggling world economy of a late has put extra financial and social stress on people, in return causing a wave anxiety and in many cases lost hope.  This might have an influence on the abnormally large amount of deaths this year.  We have lost some legendary personalities, some sparkling on stage, in the studio, or on the track.  Some of these cases involve sudden and shocking passing, while others deaths included many years of poor health.  We have truly lost some of the most legendary national personalities and they will all be greatly missed.  This list will be discussing the lives of ten of the most infamous celebrity deaths in 2009. 

Rob Hogeslag

David Carradine

Died - June 3, 2009

Age - 72 Years Old

 

Carradine is a legendary American actor who was born in Hollywood, California.  He appeared in more then 100 movies in his lifetime.  He made his motion picture debut in 1964 in the movie Taggart, a western based on a novel by Louis L'Amour.  Carradine is probably most widely known for his work on the 1970’s television series Kung Fu.  He starred as Kwai Chang Caine and was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe for his work.  This role instantly gave Carradine a reputation as a wonderful mixed martial arts character actor.  He became internationally known, especially in many Asian countries that enjoy Kung Fu cinema.  In recent years he starred in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films, portraying the title character of Bill.  He was a very intense man that took his profession seriously.  He was truly one of the greatest supporting actors of the last fifty years.  On June 4, 2009 David Carradine was found dead in his hotel room while shooting a film in central Bangkok, Thailand.  Police reports say that he was found hanging by a rope in the room’s closet.  His body was found curled up with one end of a shoelace tied around his penis and the other end around his neck.  Investigators ruled his death accidental and not a suicide.  It is believed to be autoerotic asphyxiation leading to an autoerotic fatality.  However there are some inconsistencies in the case as Carradine’s hands were tied behind his back when found.  Some cry conspiracy, as Carradine had been attempting to uncover groups working in the martial-arts underworld.                       

Billy Mays

Died - June 28, 2009

Age - 50 Years Old

 

Billy Mays was an American television direct-response advertisement salesman.  He was the most recognizable and successful man in the business.  Thousands of world inventors would contact him looking for advertising expertise, many wanting to launch and expand their product base.  His distinctive beard and loud sales pitches made him widely recognizable in the United States.  Some of his most noted products are OxiClean, Orange Glo, and various television bits, including a spot for ESPN Direct.  He was the director and founder of the successful company Mays Promotions, Inc.  In April of 2009, The Discovery Channel began airing the show Pitchmen, a documentary series which chronicled Mays and his business.  He was routinely recognized as one of the hardest working men in advertising and the business world.  Television direct-response is an enormously profitable and large consumer market.  Mays was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida home on the morning of June 28, which is only three days ago.  He is assumed to have passed away sometime overnight.  Medical examiners have stated that he suffered from a hypertensive heart disease and that a heart attack was the likely cause of his death, but the toxicology reports have not come back and the official cause of death has not been released.  He was a great example of a man that took his own ability, set goals, and strived towards success.       

Millvina Dean

Died - May 31, 2009

Age - 97 Years Old

On April 14, 1912 the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage and sank in less then three hours.  It resulted in the deaths of 1,517 passengers, making it one of the most deadly peacetime maritime disasters in history.  Millvina Dean was born in London, only nine weeks before the disaster.  The entire Dean family boarded the Titanic as third-class passengers on there way to settle in Wichita, Kansas.  Dean was barely two months old when she boarded the doomed vessel.  During the sinking, she was one of the first to board a lifeboat with her mother and brother, but her father was killed.  Millvina lived a wonderfully full life and served in the British government during the Second World War.  She also worked as a cartographer, a secretary, and an assistant to a tobacconist.  Later in her life she contributed too many Titanic-related events, including conventions, exhibitions, documentaries, television and radio interviews, and personal correspondence.  She died quietly in her sleep at the age of 97 and has the legendary statues as the last survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  

Farrah Fawcett

Died - June 25, 2009-06-30

Age - 62 Years Old

 

Farrah was an American movie actress who became internationally famous in 1976 when she played Jill Munroe in the TV series Charlie's Angels.  Farrah was an international sex symbol in the 1970’s and 80’s and had a profound impact on millions of teenagers and an entire generation.  She was profoundly recognized by her famously admired hairstyle.  She has the best selling pin-up poster of all time, originally published in Life magazine in 1976.  The poster has sold more then $12 million copies to date.  Later in her life she became a well respected actress and received multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.  Some of her famous roles were in the movies The Burning Bed, Extremities, Between Two Women, Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story, and Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story.  She also had a successful stint on Broadway.  Sadly, in 2006 she was diagnosed with anal cancer.  She began treatment, which included chemotherapy and surgery.  She was cancer free for a while, but then had a malignant polyp return.  She traveled to Germany and had various unique forms of treatment.  The cancer traveled to her liver and in April of 2009 she was rushed to the hospital unconscious and in critical condition.  She passed away on June 25 at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.                             

Rob Gauntlett

Died - January 9, 2009

Age - 21 Years Old

 

Rob grew up in England at Petworth, West Sussex and attended the independent boarding school Christ’s Hospital.  As a child he loved discovery and adventure.  After his graduation Gauntlett decided to take a cycle ride from Bilbao to Istanbul.  He was in excellent physical condition and worked out vigorously.  Rob was an explorer and adventurer, he loved to climb mountains and perform various extreme sports.  He was also an incredible motivational speaker and would travel around speaking about expeditions, but always making sure to emphasize safety.  Gauntlett was an extreme individual and in 2006 he became the youngest British climber to summit Everest, a week after his 19th birthday.  Between April 8, 2007 and October 9, 2007 Gauntlett and a fellow explorer made a 180º expedition from North to South Magnetic Poles.  They did this using only human and natural power.  The goal of the expedition was to help raise the awareness of climate change.  On this journey they traveled by ski, dog sled, sail boat, bicycle, automobile, and many miles by foot.  In 2008 he was named as one of the National Geographic Society’s Adventurers of the Year.  In January of this year Gauntlett took a vacation to France and on January 9th he set out with a friend to do some ice climbing at Chamonix in the Alps.  During the climb something went horribly wrong and the men accidentally fell to their death.  The weather was not great that day and nobody is quite sure what happened on that mountain.  A truly inspirational and ground breaking life was taken.  I can only imagine everything that this young man would have accomplished later in life. 

Natasha Richardson

Died - March 18, 2009

Age - 45 Years Old

 

Natasha was an English stage actress and member of the fifth-generation theatrical dynasty Redgrave family.  She was born in London and grew up surrounded by theatrical arts and a supportive family.  Richardson was an award winning theatrical actress.  She was a Broadway regular and most famous for her role as Sally Bowles in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret.  Earlier in her career she starred in the revival of Anna Christie.  She crossed over to major motion pictures and was featured in Nell, The Parent Trap, and Maid in Manhattan.  She was married to actor Liam Neeson and they have two boys.  In her life Natasha helped raise millions of dollars for AIDS research and other various charities.  On March 16, 2009 Richardson sustained a serious head injury, when she fell while taking a skiing lesson at the Mont Tremblant Resort in Quebec.  The accident was followed by a lucid interval, when she felt like she was fine and refused treatment.  She went back to her hotel, but returned to the hospital three hours later complaining of a headache.  Her condition quickly diminished and she was flown to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where she died on 18 March.  She suffered a epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head.  She was a family woman and excellent mother.  Natasha’s case has taught everyone a grave lesson about how serious a head injury can be.  It also raised safety measures at some national ski parks.   

Nick Adenhart

Died - April 9, 2009

Age - 22 Years Old

 

Nick Adenhart was a starting pitching for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  He was drafted straight out of Williamsport High School in Williamsport, Maryland as the 413th overall pick in the 14th round.  He was originally slated as a Top 10 draft pick, but sustained an elbow injury two weeks before the draft and had to have Tommy John surgery.  Adenhart was a determined man and worked every day to become the best player he could.  He was constantly perfecting his delivery and mechanics.  He steadily made his way through the miners and coming into the 2009 season he was the #1 prospect in the Angels organization.  He opened the season as the third starter in the Angles’ rotation.  On April 8, 2009 in the opening week of the MLB season Adenhart pitched well against the Oakland Athletics and recorded a no-decision.  He looked great on the mound and his career was in full swing.  Later that evening, shortly after midnight on April 9, Adenhart was killed in a car accident in Fullerton, California.  An individual driving a red Toyota Sienna minivan ran a red light, hitting the gray Mitsubishi Eclipse that Adenhart was riding in.  Three of the four people in his car were killed and he suffered fatal internal injuries.  The driver of Toyota fled the scene, but was later apprehended and is being put on trial accused of three-counts of murder.  I will miss seeing this young man perform on the hill of the diamond. 

Michael Jackson

Died - June 25, 2009

Age - 50 Years Old

 

 

Michael Jackson is one of the greatest musicians of all time.  His record sales and award nominations dominate all others and he is widely considered the “most successful entertainer of all time.”  He has thirteen Grammy Awards, thirteen #1 singles in his solo career, and has sold over $750 million records worldwide.  He made his professional music debut in 1971 at the age of 11 as a member of the Jackson 5.  Jackson was also a renowned philanthropist and supported 39 different charities, raising millions of dollars for the less fortunate.  Michael clearly struggled with mental problems at times in his life, facing celebrity downfall in his final days.  On June 25, paramedics responded to Jackson’s house after he suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing.  He entered into cardiac arrest and died at the hospital within the hour.  Jackson apparently passed away one hour after receiving an injection of Demerol, a well known painkiller.  His friends say that he was addicted to the drug and that his health had been fading of late.  In recent days, many stories have been written claiming various inconsistencies with his autopsy and final will.  The king of pop has died and he will be greatly missed.  A day of worldwide mourning was observed and Michael’s record sales soared once again.  This week eleven different Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 albums made appearances in the Top 100 on national charts.    

Jeremy Lusk

Died - February 10, 2009

Age - 24 Years Old

Danny Gans

Died - May 1, 2009

Age - 52 Years Old

 

Las Vegas, Nevada is a tourist spectacle and has an incredible demand for magic shows, concerts, theatre, and various forms of entertainment.  Danny Gans was born in Los Angeles, California and attended Cal Poly University at San Luis Obispo.  He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, but his baseball career came to an end when he tore his Achilles tendon while fielding a ground ball.  In 1995, he created a one-man comedy show.  He was a talented singer and vocal impressionist.  He was billed as The Man of Many Voices.  In 2000, he signed a $150 million dollar contract with the Mirage Hotel, which is located in Vegas.  His show was truly remarkable and he was named Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year a record 11 times in a row.  On May 1st, 2009 authorities received a phone call claiming that Gans was having trouble breathing.  Paramedics attempted to treat an unresponsive Gans, but he was declared dead at the scene.  He died of a heart attack caused by a high toxicity of hydromorphone, which is a pain relieving opiate.  Gans had been prescribed the drug and he was diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome.  He had a pre-existing heart condition that also played a role in the accident.  Danny Gans was a great performer and he will be missed. 

Other Notable 2009 Deaths

Exodus Tyson
May 26, 2009

Ed McMahon
June 23, 2009

Marquis Cooper
Corey Smith
March 1, 2009

Wayman Tisdale
May 15, 2009

Ron Asheton
January 6, 2009

Charles Lewis Jr. (Mask)
March 11, 2009

J.G. Ballard
April 19, 2009

Name:
Email:
Comments: