Celebrity Deaths October 2017: Who We’ve Lost So Far This Month

With the passing of Fats Domino and Robert Guillaume within hours of each other in late October, the number of celebrity deaths this months grew by two. Here, now, is a list of celebrities who have died, so far, in October 2017.

Fats Domino (October 24)

Born Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. in New Orleans on February 26, 1928, Fats Domino was one of the most-loved and most-respected pioneers of the early rock & roll era. According to Rolling Stone, Fats was playing the piano in Big Easy bars by age 14; by 1951, he was already an established R&B musician.

In 1955, Fats changed rock & roll history with the hit single, “Ain’t That a Shame,” and in 1956, he released the song which would define him: “Blueberry Hill.”

Unlike so many musicians of his era, Fats lived quietly and modestly. A devoted family man, his only true vices, according to a friend, were his fondness for fancy cars, the rare bout of gambling, and sometimes cooking beans in his hotel room.

He died of natural causes at the age of 89.

Robert Guillaume (October 24)

Born Robert Peter Williams in St. Louis on November 30, 1927, Guillaume got his start in regional and traveling theater before becoming a staple on Broadway by the mid-1960s. By the 70s, he’d moved on to TV, taking bit parts whenever he could get them.

Rest in peace: Robert Guillaume’s penchant for playing distinguished characters resolutely defied racial stereotypes https://t.co/qewbVZeYKn

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 25, 2017

It was in the late 1970s that Robert started taking on roles that would define his career — and bring him Emmy trophies, beginning with Soap and, later, Benson. He also voiced Rafiki in the Disney classic The Lion King.

Guillaume died of prostate cancer on October 24 at the age of 89.

Brent Briscoe (October 18)

Born in Moberly, Missouri on May 21, 1961, Briscoe got his start in theater before his big break in 1996’s Sling Blade. From there he went on to a distinguished career in film and television, most notably as Detective Dave Macklay in Twin Peaks.

Briscoe died at age 56 on October 18, following heart problems and internal bleeding caused by a fall.

Tom Petty (October 2)

Born October 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, Tom Petty was one of the best-known and most-beloved rock stars of his generation, with a string of hits including “Refugee,” “Last Dance with Mary Jane,” and “Free Falling.” He was also a collaborator with The Traveling Wilburys and a fierce supporter of artists’ rights and artistic control over his own music.

After a rocky start as a solo artist and limited success in other bands, Tom formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1976. The rest, as they say, is history.

On October 2, just a few weeks before his 67th birthday, Petty died of cardiac arrest. His death was a shock, as Ringo Starr told Rolling Stone.

[Featured Image by Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock]