Remembering those we lost in 2022

From Queen Elizabeth to Olivia Newton-John, we mark the losses of legends. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen Every day, the NPR Network works to shed light on inequities in our communities and hold those in power accountable. Just last week, Wells Fargo [agreed to settle charges]( for taking advantage of its customers on their auto loans, mortgages and bank accounts. [NPR's investigative reporting in 2016]( was central to exposing the bank’s corporate malpractice. If you value this work and this newsletter, we hope you will support the NPR Network and our mission’s independent, trustworthy reporting. As we close this year, we rely on our community to fund and support our work. Your investment in our coverage makes a difference. [Donate today](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Good morning. Before we welcome in a new year, we want to take a moment to [remember the giants we lost]( in 2022. In memoriam [Queen Elizabeth II at an Armed Forces Act of Loyalty Parade on June 28, 2022 in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.]( Pool/Getty Images The world saw the loss of some great figures in history in 2022. Queen Elizabeth died in September after a seven-decade reign that [spanned a remarkable arc in British history]( and was defined by duty to country — and considerable family pain. The U.S. lost its first female secretary of state in March. Madeleine Albright was a refugee brought to U.S. shores after fleeing the Nazis. She [continued to be a trailblazer]( long after her term ended. Japan was stunned when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July. His death elicited shock, horror and contrasting views from a public that was [deeply divided]( about the longest-serving prime minister's policies. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev died in August at 91. He was the [Soviet Union's last leader]( and played a central role in ending the Cold War. Kane Tanaka, who was the oldest person alive for the last three years of her life, died in April. She was [just shy of her goal of living to 120,]( and she attributed her health to family, sleep, hope and faith. Lawrence Brooks wasn't much younger than Tanaka when he died, at 112, at the beginning of the year. He was the [oldest living WWII veteran at the time](. While the Army was still segregated when he joined, his deployment to Australia offered a reprieve from the racism of Jim Crow laws in the U.S. Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather died in October. In 1973, she provided one of the [most dramatic moments in Oscar history]( Offering Marlin Brando's regrets for refusing his award because of Hollywood's treatment and portrayal of Native Americans. Former NASA astronaut Jim McDivitt died in October at 93. He played a key role in [making America's first spacewalk and moon landing]( possible. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Entertainment icons [Nichelle Nichols made history for her role as communications officer Lt. Uhura on Star Trek.]( CBS via Getty Images Nichelle Nichols, best known as Star Trek's communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, [died in July](. Some of her remains were later [launched into deep space](. Comedian and actor Leslie Jordan died in October after a car crash. The Will and Grace actor was a social media rising star as he put smiles on faces with [warm-hearted jokes and updates]( over the course of the pandemic. Beloved children's show Sesame Street saw several losses this year. Bob McGrath, who died this month, was one of the show's first human cast members, playing [friendly neighbor Bob Johnson](. The work of composer Steven Lawrence was [behind hundreds of songs]( on the show; he died in January. And generations of viewers mourned Emilio Delgado in March. He played fix-it shop owner Luis Rodriguez and was the driving force behind the [Sesame Workshop's Bilingual Talk Force](. The comic book world was rocked by the passing of Kevin Conroy in November. For many, [he simply was Batman]( as he voiced the Caped Crusader on Batman: The Animated Series from 1992 to 1996, as well as in 15 films, 15 animated series and two dozen video games. Angela Lansbury was beloved on screen and stage. Her career [extended over a stunning seven decades]( — just like Queen Elizabeth's — as she sought out nontraditional roles. Actor, comedian and director Bob Saget died in his sleep after hitting his head in January. Saget was a [prominent presence on American television screens throughout the 1990s]( as the father, Danny Tanner, on Full House and the host of America's Funniest Home Videos. Sidney Poitier was an icon for generations of moviegoers. He the first Black actor to win a best actor Oscar, for 1963's [Lilies of the Field]( and died in January at 94. Jean-Luc Godard, the "enfant terrible" of the French New Wave who r[evolutionized popular cinema in 1960]( with his debut feature Breathless, stood for years as one of the most vital and provocative directors. Robbie Coltrane's career began long before the first Harry Potter movie premiered in 2001, but for the generation that grew up with the films and the books, it's hard to separate him from his [larger-than-life portrayal]( of Hagrid. --------------------------------------------------------------- It all comes down to you Your financial support is the NPR Network's greatest strength. You keep the facts flowing. You bring more stories to more ears. You make a real difference when you contribute to independent, trustworthy media. [Please donate today](. Music legends [Olivia Newton-John at a London press conference in 1978. The pop singer, actress and activist died August 8 at 73.]( Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1980s pop goddess Olivia Newton-John [died in August at 73](. She was never just the prim prude from the start of Grease, nor the strutting vamp from its finale. Her superpower, for over 50 years, was [embodying both at once](. Rock 'n' roll's first great wild man, Jerry Lee Lewis, died in October. He was the last l[iving member of the "Million-Dollar Quartet,]( and his meteoric rise collapsed almost as quickly as it ascended, thanks to scandal. Country music icon Loretta Lynn also died in October. She brought [unparalleled candor about the domestic realities of working-class women]( to country songwriting over the course of her 60-year career. Meat Loaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, was best known for the 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell, one of the best-selling albums of all time. He [won a 1994 Grammy Award]( for the song "I'd Do Anything For Love." Keyboardist, sometimes lead vocalist and frequent principal songwriter for Fleetwood Mac Christine McVie died in November at 79. For a band famous for its interpersonal drama, McVie [extolled the virtues of true love](. Irene Cara, the singer-actress best known for [starring in and belting the title tracks]( from the 1980s movies Fame and Flashdance, was 63 when she died in November. One-third of Atlanta rap group Migos was taken too soon. Takeoff was shot after an [altercation at a bowling alley]( in Houston in November. He was only 28. Aaron Carter was only 34 when he died this fall. The singer [had his first hit when he was just 9 years old]( and his first album sold 3 million copies and produced hit singles including "I Want Candy." --------------------------------------------------------------- Remembering our own [Ken Barcus, NPR's Midwest bureau chief, died today at age 67. He took great pride in countering stereotypes of the Midwest and in mentoring scores of young reporters. He's pictured here in September 2018.]( Allison Shelley/NPR NPR mourned losses of our own this year. In October, Ken Barcus, longtime Midwest bureau chief for NPR's National Desk and a revered mentor to public radio journalists, died of complications from throat cancer. In the three decades he spent at NPR, Ken [brought in countless stories and trained dozens of reporters and editors]( across the Midwest, from Ohio to the Dakotas. Audio engineer Renee Pringle also died in October after experiencing health complications. She helped [shape and safeguard the sound of NPR]( for more than four decades. Longtime foreign correspondent Anne Garrels died in September of lung cancer. She was a [warm and generous friend]( and a passionate reporter willing to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice if the story required it. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]