This thread was spawned today when I was in my car for a two-and-a-half-hour drive up to Philly and back. When the death of Harold Ramis was announced on the talk radio program I was listening to, the hosts posed this question for folks calling in: Is there a celebrity whose death you were shocked/upset over and why?

So I'll start with John Lennon.

His death was one of those whose deaths, like JFK and a few others, in which I remember exactly what I was doing at the time. It was on the eve of my thirty-third birthday and I was chugging a few beers and smoking cigarettes in our family room reading resumes for a few positions I was hiring for. I didn't even have Monday Night Football on. It was right about eleven o'clock news time when the news broke on the TV channel that was on, but not being watched, when I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. When the bulletin was announced that John Lennon had just been shot, I was stunned. I grew up with the Beatles and Lennon was bigger than life. I couldn't believe it and to this day, I miss John Lennon. There are others too, but John had so much to offer us and he was cut down by a man whom I pray spends the rest of his days locked up thinking about the errors of his ways.

Leonard Nimoy. He hasn't passed away yet, but I hate that he is sufferring right now due to smoking. Great actor. He also talks about the importance of staying away from cigarettes. He quit a long time ago but he waited too late to quit.

Most deaths upset me to some degree. Some more than others. Johnny Cash was a big one because I never got to see him. I did get to see Dio but am still sad that I'll never get to see him again. Ramis really has me down because I always had a small hope that they'd somehow find a way to make Ghostbusters III and make it good and now my admittedly unrealistic dream is completely crushed.

9/11 took a toll on me, as well as Benghazi.

Pete Seeger most recently.
In the past: Phil Ochs, John Lennon, Rachel Corrie, MLK.

I was a teenager when John Lennon was shot. I remember walking into the kitchen at home and finding my mother in tears. She told me Lennon had been assassinated. I told her he had died in 1922. Turns out I was thinking of Lenin. At that point I had not heard of John Lennon.

Most celebrity deaths leave me unmoved, but when Dermot Morgan (best known for the sitcom Fr Ted) died at 44, that shook me. So did Doug Henning's death. And I am sure Mohammad Ali will come as a shock.

Karen Carpenter - My high school favorite on the radio

John Lennon - Truthfully I did not care about his death at the time (Monday December 8th) But on Sunday December 14th at his funeral my life would be changed forever.

Christopher Reeve - He made me believe a man could fly. Many disagree with me... I thought he was a terrible actor; yet he WAS Superman.

Owen Hart - I never cared for him much as a wrestler, but in death he taught me something very important.

General. I am with you about Leonard Nimoy.

Michael Dunford - Most of you won't know who that is but he was the main writer and palyed acoustic guitar for the bad "Renaissance." A favorite of mine since 1977.

Let's keep this in perspective. He's 82 years old and has COPD.

Yep.

Who were the celebrities who died in those places and how and why did their deaths effect you?

Buster Crabbe. He was one of the first Tarzans in the movies and also played Flash Gordon. In the '70's he was promoting swimming pools and was in our town. He asked for a volunteer and my dad practically thru me into the pool. Buster taught me how to swim freestyle and autographed a picture later. He was a great guy and helped start my live for swimming. He was truly a hard working classy gentleman and I was sad to hear of his passing back in '83.

Princess Diana. She was finally getting her life together and seems to have found someone who cared for her beyond her ability to produce an heir to the throne.

John Lennon would in fact be next. In the same category would be someone who hasn't been mentioned yet; Selina, a Latino pop star who was killed by the ex-president of her fan club.

That's a joke right?

Not at all. That's what the OP asked for, right? Just interested in knowing how all those celebrity deaths at Benghazi effected you.

I second Johnny Cash… I admire his faith, even with all of his struggles. I find him very authentic.

Wish I could have seen him perform live.

You name one and I'll consider your question valid.

Princess Diana. Such a beautiful yet tragic soul.

Michael Jackson. One of my heroes, regardless of his flaws.

RIP

There were none, unless you consider diplomats and State Department employees celebrities. That's why the answer you replied "yep" to was off-topic.

We were bummed about Shirley Temple at my house for many reasons. One of which was that "Shirley Temple" was my fiancée's nickname as a kid because she looked just like her.

Which is easily distinguished from your last few posts.