By Heath Kalb ’18

This year’s passings of cultural icons have made recent months a dark and mournful time for fans of these notable stars. Deceased celebrities have made an impact on countless lives including many in the West Essex community.

Noteworthy deaths in 2016 include Alan Rickman, Patty Duke, Maurice White, Sir George Martin, Muhammad Ali and Doris Roberts. These deaths have contributed to an unfortunate trend of celebrity passings this year, but the legacies of Prince and David Bowie have left a particularly lasting mark on the world.

“I feel like there is a relevant important celebrity death every week,” said freshman Sam Rosenberg. In fact there have been more so far than normal in 2016. According to BBC, the online news source has already used 24 celebrity obituaries for this year. This doubles the amount from last year, when they used 12 obituaries.

All of these deaths have caused an emotional outcry from fans. Throughout the world memories have been shared and tributes have been made to commemorate these stars.

Fans of these celebrities were heartbroken when they heard the news, including sophomore Justin Ajmo, who said both Bowie and Prince’s deaths left the world of music a little quieter.

“I was very sad because I know I’ll never be able to see them live,” Ajmo said.

Senior English teacher Mr. McNaught, has been a lifelong fan of Prince and was shocked by news of the artist’s death. “Purple Rain was the first cassette tape I ever owned and I’ve loved his work ever since,” he said.

Sophomore English teacher Mr. Myerson, who doubles as a guitarist, is an avid fan of both Bowie and Prince. “I wish I could sing like Bowie and have the theatrics of Prince,” said Mr. Myerson. Not only has Mr. Myerson been covetous of their talent but he has also been inspired by them. “I play funk music because of Prince and always jump on the opportunity to cover a Bowie or Prince song,” he said.

Even though these celebrities such as David Bowie and Prince were at the height of their fame decades ago, their work has managed to touch millennials. “I became a fan of David Bowie when I was young and my dad would play him on the radio in the car,” sophomore Jake Haenggi said.

Some students are, unfortunately, unfamiliar with their work. “I’ve heard all my life from my parents who are big fans of Prince, Bowie and Alan Rickman that I’m missing out.” said junior Mike Centrella.

Many have certainly have missed out on experiencing these artists’ talents, but it’s never too late to enjoy their timeless works.