What celebrity death really affected you?

[Poppy Fields]

John Lennon, Lady Diana, John Ritter, John Kennedy Jr lept to mind first. Sudden death of someone young registers deeply with me. I was a freshman in college when JFK was shot. It was shocking but at the age of 17 it did not register as deeply as it would have, had I been older.

Someone dying in their 70's or over doesn't register deeply with me. Life expectancy is 85. We all will die so when someone goes at the end of their life it seems the natural course of things.

Lennon's death hit me hard. I watched his vision evolve over decades and I loved his aesthetic. Diana's death seemed so pointless. Speeding away from photographers to her death as if they were wielding automatic weapons instead of cameras. I mourned both of them in a personal way.

[MHcarrollton]

I know he was elderly and lived a long life, but Larry Hagman made me tear up. I could not stop crying during his tribute episode of Dallas. I remember watching Dallas as a little kid, and than to have it start up again so close to his death was very emotional. He was such a great actor.

[razorbacker]

John Lennon, still does. I haven't been able to play his last album since his death.

[CantGetNuf]

Princess Di, Steve Irwin, and Tim Russert. A lot of celebrity deaths have saddend me or shocked me but only these three made an impact. Tim Russert especially. I still miss him every Sunday when I watch Meet the Press. I haven't completely understood politics since he passed. I'm not one to get to invested in celebrity lives so I am suprised at myself that I still feel so saddend by his passing.

[JunkieGirl]

While I have felt saddened by many of those who left us too soon, the one that affected me the most was John Lennon. I was only 11 and I was introduced to a cruel, violent world upon hearing about his death. Felt like I had lost my innocence/naivete. My mom had gone on her first vacation with my step-dad and so I slept in her bed that night. I kept the radio on and the news came that John Lennon had been shot. I didn't really know much about him or his music, but I learned that night. To this day, I still cannot listen to any of his music without a tear coming to my eye.

[echo226]

It is usually the ones who have left you with a strong, lasting personal memory during their lives.

I have no personal memory associated with Lady Diana so while I was sad, I wouldn't say it "really affected" me.

There are others where it's a different story.

[Critical]

Of all time? Probably Gene Kelly. I grew up dancing and just idolized him.

Recently, it's been Roger Ebert. I've always been a fan, but I'm surprised at how emotional I've been over his passing. I just lost someone very close to me, so maybe there's some emotional spillover Just reading all of the lovely things people who knew him have said about him and just watching over the last few years and how he lived his life....it just brings home what a big loss it was.