DMX, 50 – The multiplatinum-selling rapper and actor, whose real name was Earl Simmons, was one of the most successful hip-hop artists of all time, with his first three albums selling a combined 15 million copies. During this peak career era, he was recognized as the new reigning king of hardcore rap and garnered frequent comparisons to the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. His final album, Exodus, released seven weeks after his death, featured appearances by Jay-Z, Nas, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Usher, U2’s Bono and others.
Larry King, 87 – The veteran newsman, known for his matter-of-fact interview style and signature suspenders, died after a series of health problems. He started as a radio host and went on to become a TV staple, hosting CNN’s Larry King Live from 1985 to 2010. King got celebrities, world leaders and other newsmakers talking, which he credited to his “dumb†questions.Â
After CNN, he continued to work creating content through his own production company, including Politicking With Larry King. King, who was married eight times to seven women, had health issues throughout his life, including suffering a stroke in 2019. He was hospitalized in December 2020 with COVID and developed sepsis, which is when the infection-fighting processes turn on the body, causing organ malfunction. His estranged wife, Shawn King, said his body gave out.
Prince Philip, 99 – The longest-serving royal consort in world history was just two months shy of his 100th birthday — an occasion typically recognized in the U.K. with a letter written by Queen Elizabeth II, his wife of 73 years — when he died of what his official death certificate lists as “old age.” Though he retired from his royal duties in 2017 and had been beset by various health complications in recent years, the Greek-born prince’s gradual retreat from the spotlight strangely coincided with a raised public profile thanks to the Netflix drama The Crown, in which he was portrayed by actors Matt Smith, Tobias Menzies and, soon, Jonathan Pryce.Â
Indeed, his life had no shortage of drama, from being exiled from Greece at just 18 months old, to serving in the Royal Navy up until his young wife’s becoming queen in 1952, to being renown for his off-color remarks. Father to future king Charles and siblings Anne, Andrew and Edward, the prince famously once insisted that he had “no desire whatsoever” to reach the age of 100 and was laid to rest following a subdued, socially distanced memorial service a week after his death.
Suzzanne Douglas, 64 – Douglas famously played the mother on the WB’s The Parent ‘Hood, from 1995 to 1999, but her credits stretch back to the early ’80s. Among them were School of Rock, Touched by an Angel, the 2015 TV movie Whitney (playing Cissy Houston) and Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed series When They See Us.