Artists who died in 2017

Described by David Lynch as "simply the greatest actor in the world," the British actor died at age 77 of pancreatic cancer on January 27. His career on screen and stage spanned more than 50 years, during which he portrayed the Elephant Man in the eponymous film and starred in "Alien," "1984" (above) and "Harry Potter." He received two Oscar nominations and won a Golden Globe and four BAFTAs.

After his breakthrough in Hamburg some 40 years ago, the American musician conquered stages all around the world. His fusion of classical jazz with funk rhythms, hints of R'n'B and pop scored him seven Grammy awards. After being hospitalized for exhaustion during a worldwide tour, Jarreau died of respiratory failure on February 12, age 76.

2017 saw an avalanche of rock'n'roll deaths and even the passing of one of its inventors, the American guitarist Chuck Berry. The Beatles once said they probably would never have made music without him, and he was an important influence on The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Berry died at home on March 18, aged 90, shortly after announcing a new record "Chuck," released posthumously.

Her role as the orphan in "Rose-Girl Resli" (1954) made the then nine-year-old Kaufmann a child star. When she was 17, she portrayed a small-town girl who is raped in "Town Without Pity" (1961), for which she received a Golden Globe. In 1981 she appeared in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's critically-acclaimed drama "Lola." She died of leukemia on March 28.

Rainer Maria Fassbinder is undoubtedly one of the giants of 20th-century cinema, but his controversial plots would have never come to life if it hadn't been for the exquisite cinematography of Michael Ballhaus. After collaborating with Fassbinder on 16 movies, he went on to work with Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and many others. He died in Berlin on April 12 at the age of 81.

Although fans usually associate the figure of James Bond with Sean Connery, for many fans in the 1970s and 80s, it was Sir Roger Moore who defined the character. He was a superstar even back in the 1960s portraying Simon Templar in the TV series "The Saint" (1962-1969). Queen Elizabeth II knighted Moore in 2003. He died of cancer on May 23, age 89.

His books, such as "Ben Loves Anna," "Granny" and "Herbie’s World," are childhood classics for thousands of devoted readers. Empathizing with children's emotions, Härtling dealt with the issues of being a stranger in many of his novels. Born in Chemnitz in 1933, he wrote dozens of books and received numerous awards in a 60 year career. He died on July 10 in Rüsselsheim.

The poet's fight for democracy in China led to many years behind bars, the first time being in 1989 after he'd taken part in the Tiananmen protests. In 2009, Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while incarcerated. He never stopped writing articles, essays and poems, however. The artist and activist died on July 13 of liver cancer.

Linkin Park had just released a new album, "One More Light," and successfully toured South America and Europe. But the band's concerts in North America were canceled after the its frontman, 41-year-old Chester Bennington, was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on July 20. His suicide shocked the entire music world and sparked a debate on social media about depression.

Lover, whore, nun, femme fatale and queen: French actress Jeanne Moreau played just about everything. Her sensual beauty and incomparably rough voice enchanted directors and audiences, and her popularity scored her more than 130 roles in film and onstage. She died on July 31 in Paris, the city of her birth, at age 89.

Nicknamed "K.O. Götz," he was one of the most influential abstract painters and modern art pioneers in Germany. His fame rested on his large-format compositions, which he painted quickly with an air pump or a squeegee. His art was banned under the Nazi regime, which is reflected in his reunification series "Jonction III" in the German Bundestag. He died on August 19 at age 103.

Born in 1926, the American actor initially partnered with Dean Martin to create the most successful comedy duo after Laurel and Hardy. He went on to become a comedy icon in his own right thanks to hit movies such as "The Sad Sack" from 1957. He passed away on August 20 with more than 80 roles in his filmography.

One of the most important postwar German architects and urban planners died unexpectedly on September 15 in Frankfurt at age 83. Speer Jr. worked on redesigning city centers of various German cities and developed entire satellite towns in China. He resisted comparison with his father, the prominent Nazi architect.

He led a hedonist lifestyle that changed modern publishing – and the way we look at the human body. Although Hefner's critics accused him of degrading women, he built an empire thanks to Playboy, which launched in the 1950s and offered an alternative to conservative sexual morality. He died at the age of 91 on September 27.

"American Girl" and "Free Fallin'" are just two in a long list of hit songs the musician recorded during his long career. With his band the "Heartbreakers," he toured inexhaustibly for 40 years. A few days after the final concert of the Heartbreaker Anniversary Tour, Petty died of a heart attack, age 66, on October 2.

The German actress won over international audiences when she seduced Sean Connery in the 1967 Bond movie "You Only Live Twice." She was then cast in various Edgar Wallace films and portrayed Ribanna, Winnetou's love interest, in the movie adaptations of Karl May's novels. Dor died at a nursing home in Munich on November 6, age 79.

It’s difficult to imagine music without AC/DC and their hit singles "Highway to Hell" and "Whole Lotta Love." The Scottish musician Malcolm Young co-formed the band with his brother in 1973 when he was 20 and remained with it until retiring in 2014. Selling 200 million records, AC/DC is one of the most successful rock groups of all time. Young suffered from dementia and died on November 18.

Rockstar, sex symbol, legend: In France, the singer and actor was practically a national treasure. Selling over 100 million albums, Hallyday was credited with bringing American rock music to France and was the most famous rock star in the French-speaking world. He died at 74 on December 5.