Death Hasn't Taken the Summer Off

By PopEater Staff Posted Sep 3rd 2009 05:15AM

JUNE Deaths
3 -- Blues queen Koko Taylor, 80, complications from stomach surgery.
3 -- 'Enter the Dragon' villain Shih Kien, 96, kidney failure.
4 -- David Carradine, 72, asphyxiation.
23 -- Ed McMahon, 86, natural causes.
25 -- Farrah Fawcett, 62, cancer.
25 -- Michael Jackson, 50, homicide caused by acute propofol intoxication.
28 -- TV pitchman Billy Mays, 50, heart disease.
28 -- Entertainer Fred Travalena, 66, cancer.
29 -- 1950s sitcom star Gale Storm, 87, natural causes.

JULY Deaths
1 -- Karl Malden, 97, natural causes.
1 -- 'Fargo' actor Harve Presnell, 75, pancreatic cancer.
4 -- 'Tarzan' actress Brenda Joyce, 92, pneumonia.
17 -- Walter Cronkite, 92, natural causes.
19 -- 'Angela's Ashes' author Frank McCourt, 78, melanoma.
19 -- British invasion singer Gordon Waller, 64, cardiovascular disease.
21 -- 'You Can't Do That on Television' star Les Lye, 84.
22 -- 'American Idol' contestant Alexis Cohen, 23, struck by car.

AUGUST Deaths
6 -- John Hughes, 59, heart attack.
10 -- Folk music revivalist Mike Seeger, 75, cancer.
13 -- Guitar innovator Les Paul, 94, pneumonia.
28 -- Adam Goldstein (DJ AM), 36, cause pending autopsy results.

It's being called the Summer of Death, and for good reason. Beginning with the bizarre passing of 'Kung Fu' actor David Carradine and then recently the sudden end to DJ AM's life, the past few months have been rife with over 20 fallen celebrities and pop culture figures.

There was no pattern in the levels of prestige among the fallen, just death upon death, involving the trustworthy (Walter Cronkite), the quirky (Billy Mays) and the innovative (Les Paul). Each were met with sadness, or shock, or ambivalence -- depending on the person.

Which celeb left the biggest legacy? How did you react? Take our end of summer (of death) polls after the jump.

Of course, the bigger the star, the bigger the reaction.

On any other day, Farrah Fawcett's cancer death would have garnered hours of coverage, with every cable network looping footage from 'Charlie's Angels' and other moments in her career. But she wasn't the only celebrity to die on June 25, was she?

The summer of 2009 will be forever defined by the loss of perhaps the world's most recognizable figure: Michael Jackson.

When news broke on TMZ that Jackson had been rushed to the hospital, the Internet literally convulsed with activity. Millions began feverishly updating their Facebook and Twitter pages while simultaneously seeking news updates and Jackson videos on YouTube to blast over office computer speakers.
It was a once-in-a-generation spectacle, and the aftermath -- ongoing as we await MJ's actual burial -- has been as intriguing as the actual event.

How people learn about, react to and cope with celebrity deaths is a story unto itself, especially after this funeral-filled summer. Tell us what you think: