Cultural legends who died in 2020

Legendary actor Kirk Douglas was considered one of the greatest icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. One of his most memorable roles was as the slave Spartacus in Stanley Kubrick's film of the same name. In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Oscar "for his 50 years as a creative and moral force in the film community."

The Swedish actor had a charismatic persona both onscreen and onstage. He worked with famous directors such as Ingmar Bergman, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. His roles in the horror classic "The Exorcist" and in films like "Conan the Barbarian" are legendary. He died on March 8, 2020 at the age of 90.

Born in Houston, Texas, Kenny Rogers sang country music and also played jazz, rock, pop and folk. But he was more than just an iconic American voice: He wrote books and worked as an actor and photographer. His hits like "Islands in the Stream," "The Gambler" and "Lucille" made him world-famous. He died on March 20, 2020 at the age of 81.

His characters were strong and courageous, his style lively and unique. Together with René Goscinny in the 1950s, Uderzo created one of the most succesful comic strips in history. "Asterix" is about the gutsy Gaul, who together with his best friend Obelix, protects their little village from Roman invasion. On March 24, 2020 the creator of the brave Gaul warrior died at the age of 92.

The musician's songs like "Lean on Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine," were huge successes, and Withers was one of the most popular soul singers of the 1970s. He won three Grammys and was included in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. His hits have been covered innumerable times. "Ain't No Sunshine" boasts more than 350 versions. He died on March 30, 2020 at the age of 81.

The Indian actor Irrfan Khan died on April 29, 2020. His roles in "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Life of Pi" made him world-famous. Khan is considered one of the best Indian actors and was famous for his ability to express a wide spectrum of emotions with just a twitch of his eyebrow or a single glance.

The American Singer is considered a pioneer of rock 'n' roll. He became famous for his eccentric performances on stage, where he would bang on the piano keys and swing his hips wildly. His first hit was "Tutti Frutti," which, despite its sexually explicit theme, became a sort of rock 'n' roll hymn. Little Richard died on March 9, 2020 at the age of 87.

The Munich-born actress began her career when she met legendary filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder at a friend's place in 1965. The grande dame of German cinema was not only Fassbinder's muse, she also worked with other filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Christoph Schlingensief. Irm Hermann died on May 26, 2020 at the age of 77.

The Bulgarian-born artist was famous for his spectacular "wrapping" of buildings and landscapes. His French wife Jeanne-Claude and he worked closely together. Their first project was called the "Wrapped Renault 4CV" and was exhibited in 1961. In Germany, the artistic couple covered the former German Reichstag in Berlin in 1995. The artist died on May 31, 2020 at the age of 84.

The Spanish author inspired many people to dream. His writing career began in 1993 with the young-adult fantasy "The Prince of the Mist." His novel "The Shadow of the Wind" made him world-famous. His books were mysterious, eerie and conveyed a message that was close to his heart. He died on June 19, 2020 at the relatively young age of 55.

The maestro began composing when he was only six years old and stopped shortly before his 90th birthday. He was a perfectionist who would obsessively work on honing every note and preferred to compose in a quiet room in his house in Rome. Ennio Morricone created the music for film classics like "Once Upon a Time in the West" and "The Hateful Eight." He died on July 6, 2020 at the age of 91.

The legendary French Chanson singer with the deep voice became famous with songs like "L'accordeon" and "Sous le ciel de Paris." For decades, she interpreted songs by great chansonniers like Jacques Brel and Brassens and read aloud texts by authors like Francoise Sagan and Jacques Prevert. Juliette Greco died on September 23, 2020 at the age of 93.

The reggae and pop singer won over the world with "I Can See Clearly Now." But Nash wasn't just a singer, he was also a succesful producer: he established JAD records and signed on musicians like reggae legend Bob Marley. In 1972, Marley handed over his song "Stir It Up" to Nash, who also took on songs like "Reggae on Broadway" and "Mellow Mood." Nash died on October 6, 2020.

The rock great is considered one of the most influential guitarists of all time, with the magazine "Rolling Stone" placing him at number 8 in the list of the 100 biggest guitar players. The band that he created together with his brother, Alex, was a worldwide success. On October 6 this year, he lost his life to cancer.

"The name is Bond, James Bond." As secret agent 007, Connery destroyed the bad guys and seduced beautiful women with his sex appeal. Altogether, Connery played the role of the British agent seven times between 1962 and 1983. In 1987, he received an Oscar for best supporting actor in his role in "The Untouchables." He died on October 30 at the age of 90.