* Getty Images IN APPRECIATION OF A LIFETIME En español | AARP honors the legacies of renowned figures the world has lost in 2014; among them Maya Angelou, Robin Williams and Joan Rivers. 1

of 43 * Alamy BUDDY DEFRANCO, 91, MUSICIAN (FEB. 17, 1923 – DEC. 24, 2014) Innovative and influential jazz clarinet virtuoso, who began his professional career playing in swing big bands

before adapting the clarinet for smaller bebop combos. 2 of 43 * Didier Baverel/Getty Images JOE COCKER, 70, SINGER (MAY 20, 1944 – DEC. 22, 2014) British rocker with a raspy voice crooned

such covers as the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” and Billy Preston’s “You Are So Beautiful” _and_ earned a Grammy Award in 1982 for his hit  with Jennifer Warnes –  “Up Where

longtime emcee Gary Collins. 4 of 43 * Henning Kaiser/DPA/AP Photo P.D. JAMES, 94, WRITER (AUG. 3, 1920 - NOV. 27, 2014) She was the doyenne of British crime writers, known for her novels

starring the ruminative Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard. A natural in the genre, she famously commented, “When I first heard that Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall, I immediately

wondered: Did he fall — or was he pushed?” 5 of 43 * Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images MIKE NICHOLS, 83, FILM DIRECTOR (NOV. 6, 1931 - NOV. 19, 2014) Winner of no less than the Academy, Emmy,

Grammy and Tony awards, Nichols’ famous comedic partnership with Elaine May led to a renowned directing career both in Hollywood (The Graduate) and on Broadway. His wife Diane Sawyer has

described him as “a little wild and utterly kind." 6 of 43 * Isaac Brekken/WireImage/Getty Images HENRY LEE JACKSON (BIG BANK HANK), MUSICIAN (JAN 11, 1956 – NOV. 11, 2014) One-third of

the seminal hip-hop trio, the Sugar Hill Gang, Big Bank Hank and his trio mates made music history in 1979 when they recorded and released “Rapper’s Delight” the first official rap song,

captured on wax. 7 of 43 * Lane Turner/Boston Globe/Getty Images TOM MAGLIOZZI, 77, RADIO HOST (JUNE 28, 1937 – NOV. 3, 2014) Tom (pictured right) was the younger brother to Ray and half of

the hilarious duo Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers who hosted the radio show_Car Talk,_ still heard in reruns on NPR stations. Their mutual affection and silly but spot-on car problem

diagnoses won them fans of all sorts, even those without a car. 8 of 43 * Hulton Archive/Getty Images JACK BRUCE, 71, MUSICIAN (MAY 14, 1943 – OCT. 25, 2014) The classically trained,

jazz-influenced bassist and composer co-founded the ’60s British rock band, Cream, with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker.  9 of 43 * Michael du Cille/The Washington Post/Getty

Images BEN BRADLEE, 93, EDITOR (AUG. 26, 1921 – OCT. 21, 2014) He transformed and elevated T_he Washington Post_ while at its helm from 1968 to 1991, when the paper published the Pentagon

Papers and broke the Watergate story. President Obama said that for Bradlee, "journalism was more than a profession — it was a public good vital to our democracy." 10 of 43 *

Michael Stewart/Getty Images OSCAR DE LA RENTA, 82, FASHION DESIGNER (JULY 22, 1932 - OCT. 20, 2014) The legendary fashion designer known as the "sultan of suave" outfitted

everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Oprah Winfrey in his glamorous dresses. Laura Bush said, "We will always remember him as the man who made women look and feel beautiful." 11 of 43 *

Matt Carr/Getty Images ELIZABETH PEÑA, 55 ACTOR (SEPT. 23, 1961 – OCT. 14, 2014) You may know the Cuban-American actress as Gloria’s mom in ABC's _Modern Family_, or for her costarring

role with Chris Cooper in the 1996 drama _Lone Star_. She’d just finished filming the first season of _Matador_ on El Rey Network when she passed away. 12 of 43 * Everett Collection JAN

HOOKS, 57 COMEDIAN (APRIL 23, 1957 - OCT. 9, 2014) Best known for her hilarious impersonations of Hilary Clinton, Diane Sawyer and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jan Hooks was one of the more versatile

sketch comedians on _Saturday Night Live _during her five-year run between 1986-1991. 13 of 43 * Harry Naltchayan/The Washington Post/Getty Images GEOFFREY HOLDER, 84, ACTOR (AUG. 1, 1930 -

OCT. 5, 2014) He’s known for his long-running TV ads for "absolutely maaaarvelous" 7Up soda. But the Trinidad-born Holder was also a multitalented artist: a choreographer, dancer,

composer, painter and actor, who won two 1975 Tonys for costume design and musical direction for _The Wiz_. 14 of 43 * Elma Okic/Associated Press JOE SAMPLE, 75, MUSICIAN (FEB. 1, 1939 –

SEPT. 12, 2014) An iconic jazz pianist and composer, Joe Sample is best known as the co-leader of the soul-jazz combo, the Crusaders. 15 of 43 * Charley Gallay/Getty Images GERALD WILSON,

96, MUSICIAN (SEPT. 4, 1918 – STEP. 8, 2014) A phenomenal jazz bandleader, composer, arranger and trumpeter, Gerald Wilson had a multifaceted career that nearly spanned jazz’s entire history

– from the 1930s swing era to early-21st century modernity.   16 of 43 * Getty Images JOAN RIVERS, 81, COMEDIAN (JUNE 8, 1933 - SEPT. 4, 2014) She will always be known for her biting wit

and skewering of celebrity style. But after a widely respected and storied career, launched decades ago with a 1965 appearance on _The Tonight Show_, she’s also remembered as an incomparable

pioneer for women in comedy. 17 of 43 * Getty Images RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH, 90, ACTOR (AUG. 29, 1923 - AUG. 24, 2014) The distinguished British actor first hit Hollywood with a role in _The

Great Escape_ (1963). He later won accolades as a director — especially for the Oscar-winning 1982 epic _Gandhi_, though he was most proud of his quiet 1983 film about C.S. Lewis, 

_Shadowlands_. 18 of 43 * Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images LAUREN BACALL, 89, ACTRESS (SEPT. 16, 1924 – AUG. 12, 2014) This Hollywood superstar burst onto the silver screen in 1944 with

Humphrey Bogart in film noir classic _To Have and Have Not_. Possessing a sultry voice and high-fashion model looks, Bacall starred in several other films with Bogart and mapped out an

acting career that spanned eight decades. 19 of 43 * Getty Images ROBIN WILLIAMS, 63, ACTOR (JULY 21, 1951 – AUG. 11, 2014) An Oscar-winning actor and comedian renowned for his bristling

energy and incredible versatility, he portrayed roles ranging from a space alien (_Mork & Mindy) _and an U.S. Armed Forces radio DJ (_Good Morning Vietnam) _to a psychology professor

(_Good Will Hunting) _and the owner of a gay Miami club _(The Birdcage)._ 20 of 43 * Getty Images CHARLES KEATING, 72, ACTOR (OCT. 22, 1941 – AUG. 9, 2014) In the world of daytime soap

operas, this English actor portrayed some of the genre’s best villains such as Carl Hutchins on _Another World_, Dr. Damon Lazarre on _All My Children_ and Niles Mason on _As the World

Turns_. 21 of 43 * Getty Images JAMES BRADY, 73, POLITICIAN (AUG. 29, 1940 – AUG. 4, 2014) While serving as the White House press secretary and assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he

became a symbol for gun control after being shot on March 30, 1981, during an assassination attempt on the president. The incident left Brady wheelchair bound. In 1993, President Clinton

signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, often referred to as the Brady Law. 22 of 43 * Getty Images JAMES GARNER, 86, ACTOR (APRIL 7, 1928 - JULY 19, 2014) Square-jawed and witty,

he starred in _Maverick_, the 1950s tongue-in-cheek Western, and the 1970s series _The Rockford Files_ as a luckless private eye. There’s a 10-foot-tall statue of Garner in his hometown of

Norman, Okla., where fans have left flowers since his passing. 23 of 43 * Getty Images ELAINE STRITCH, 89, ACTRESS (FEB. 2, 1925 - JULY 17, 2014) The brassy stage performer became a revered

star on Broadway, picking up new fans with TV roles, including her Emmy-winning stint as Jack Donaghy’s difficult mother on _30 Rock_. _New York Times_ arts critic Stephen Holden called her 

a “blazing, cranky, funny stage personality who is, in a word, irreplaceable.” 24 of 43 * Getty Images EILEEN FORD, 92, MODEL AGENCY HEAD (MARCH 25, 1922 - JULY 9, 2014) The co-founder of

Ford Models, Ford helped define 20th century American beauty, molding young talent such as Candice Bergen, Lauren Hutton and Brooke Shields into stars. Beauty, she once said, looked like the

Egyptian queen Nefertiti: “slender hands, long neck, long limbs” and “wide-spaced eyes.” 25 of 43 * Getty Images JOHNNY WINTER, 70, MUSICIAN (FEB. 23, 1944 - JULY 16, 2014) The legendary

blues guitarist and singer produced Grammy-winning albums for Muddy Waters. Not your typical blues musician, an albino with long blond hair, he performed with a wild energy that _Rolling

Stone_ once described as a "hyperactive, high-octane intensity.” When he died he was set to release an album, _Step Back_. 26 of 43 * Getty Images CHARLIE HADEN, 76, MUSICIAN (AUG. 6,

1937 - JULY 11, 2014) The iconic bassist and composer helped push the boundaries of modern jazz into free jazz with saxophonist pioneer Ornette Coleman on such seminal Coleman LPs as _The

Shape of Jazz to Come _and _Change of the Century. _Haden also led the politically minded Liberation Music Orchestra and Quartet West, which focused on jazz standards and film scores. 27 of

43 * Getty Images NADINE GORDIMER, 90, AUTHOR (NOV. 20, 1923 - JULY 13, 2014) The South African writer grappled with the injustices and politics of apartheid, including in novels such as

1981’s _July’s People_, about a race war in the suburbs where a white family is protected by a black servant. Respected for depicting the moral complexities of her country with uncommon

wisdom, Gordimer won a Nobel Prize in 1991. 28 of 43 * Getty Images TOMMY RAMONE, 62, MUSICIAN (JAN. 29, 1952 - JULY 11, 2014) The drummer and producer was the last surviving founding member

of The Ramones, a band many consider to be the most influential in punk-rock history. In the ’70s he and his bandmates were icons of cool, known for songs such as “Blitzkrieg Bop" and

“Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.” 29 of 43 * Gilles Petard/Redferns/Getty Images HORACE SILVER, 85, MUSICIAN (SEPT. 2, 1928 - JUNE 18, 2014) Silver was a hugely influential jazz composer and

pianist known for crafting ebullient “hard bop” jazz that was at once soulful, sophisticated and singable. His jazz standards include “Song for My Father,” “Nica’s Dream” and “Señor Blues.”

He said he wanted his music to be a source of joy and happiness for people. 30 of 43 * Andy Hayt/Getty Images TONY GWYNN, 54, BASEBALL PLAYER (MAY 9, 1960 - JUNE 16, 2014) Known as “Mr.

Padre,” Gwynn was a force at bat and a 15-time All-Star through a long career with San Diego that ended with his retirement in 2001. He later served as head baseball coach of San Diego

State. His recent battle with salivary gland cancer has raised red flags among baseball players about tobacco use. 31 of 43 * Getty Images CASEY KASEM, 82, RADIO HOST (APRIL 27, 1932 - JUNE

15, 2014) Host of the radio show _American Top 40, _Kasem offered his countdown of pop music hits and “long-distance dedications”_ _from 1970 until his retirement in 2004. Cartoon fans

remember him as the distinctive voice of slacker-dude Shaggy on _Scooby-Doo_. 32 of 43 * Everett Collection RUBY DEE, 91, ACTRESS (OCT. 27, 1922 - JUNE 11, 2014) The actress and her husband,

actor Ossie Davis, were also civil rights activists. Friends of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they both spoke at the 1963 March on Washington. She starred in movies such as _A Raisin in the

Sun, Do the Right Thing _and _American Gangster_.  33 of 43 * Getty Images ANN B. DAVIS, 88, ACTRESS (MAY 5, 1926 - JUNE 1, 2014) She was the caring and reliable housekeeper on the 1970s

sitcom _The Brady Brunch_, always ready to clean up any kind of spill (and put up with six high-maintenance kids). “Everyone wanted an Alice,” Davis once said of her role. “I wish I had an

Alice.” 34 of 43 * Getty Images MAYA ANGELOU, 86, POET (APRIL 4, 1928 - MAY 28, 2014) Angelou used her powerful voice as a poet, activist and author. _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_,_ 

_about her troubled youth in segregated Arkansas, is now a literary classic. Michelle Obama called her “one of the greatest spirits our world has ever known.” 35 of 43 * Getty Images JERRY

VALE, 83, SINGER (JULY 8, 1932 - MAY 18, 2014) An entertainer in the style and era of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Perry Como, Vale crooned popular romantic ditties in the 1950s and ’60s,

including hits "You Don’t Know Me" and "You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart." 36 of 43 * Getty Images GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ, 87, AUTHOR (MARCH 6, 1927 - APRIL 17, 2014)

The revered Colombian author and Nobel Prize winner transported readers with his tales of magical realism, most famously in _Love in the Time of Cholera_ and _One Hundred Years of

Solitude_. When he died, Colombia’s president declared three days of national mourning. 37 of 43 * Everett Collection MICKEY ROONEY, 93, ACTOR (SEPT. 23, 1920 - APRIL 6, 2014) Rooney

appeared in many films through his long career, including the Andy Hardy series and _The Black Stallion_. He had his personal troubles (he was married eight times) but was a dedicated actor

until the end. He has a role in the next_Night at the Museum_ movie. 38 of 43 * Corbis PETER MATTHIESSEN, 86, AUTHOR (MAY 22, 1927 - APRIL 5, 2014) A Zen Buddhist, spy and activist,

Matthiessen cofounded _The Paris Review_ and won National Book Awards for _The Snow Leopard_ and _Shadow Country_. He wrote nonfiction and fiction but described fiction as his passion. 39 of

43 * Getty Images KATE O’MARA, 74, ACTRESS (AUG. 10, 1939 - MARCH 30, 2014) The British actress played Cassandra “Caress” Morrell — Alexis’ vengeful sister — in the 1980s soap opera 

_Dynasty_. Her British TV roles included stints on _Triangle, Doctor Who_ and _Howards’ Way_; she also spent much of her career onstage. 40 of 43 * Everett Collection JAMES REBHORN, 65,

ACTOR (SEPT. 1, 1948 - MARCH 21, 2014) He was the respected master of under-the-radar characters in high-profile TV shows and films such as_ Homeland _(he played Carrie’s dad)_, My Cousin

Vinny_ and _Independence Day_. He was the prep-school master in the 1992 film _Scent of a Woman_ with Al Pacino. 41 of 43 * Everett Collection DAVID BRENNER, 78, COMIC (FEB. 4, 1936 - MARCH

15, 2014) Before he was a regular on Johnny Carson’s _The Tonight Show_ (he appeared more than 150 times), the comedian was an Emmy-winning creator of TV documentaries. Funny to the end,

Brenner’s requested epitaph is, “If this is supposed to be a joke — I don’t get it!” 42 of 43 * aarp MORE ENTERTAINMENT SLIDESHOWS * TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2013 * TOP 10 ROCK 'N' ROLL

STARS * 10 GREAT TV SHOWS FOR BINGE-WATCHING MEMBER DISCOUNTS! SAVE 25% OR MORE WHEN BUYING TICKETS IN GROUPS OF FOUR FROM LIVE NATION. 43 of 43 _Katherine Levingstone contributed to this

article._