As heartbroken as we are to lose those who mean so much to us, we know they’ve passed on to become one of the Elders, and will now protect and take care of us. They are gone but never forgotten. We celebrate their legacies with this look at the Black celebs we’ve lost in 2024.
Eddie Cheeba died on Feb. 13 at the age of 67 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Cheeba was a DJ who is considered one of the founding fathers of hip-hop. Born Edward Sturgis, Cheeba was apart of a DJ trio that included Lovebug Starski and DJ Hollywood. They were incredibly inspirational to many early hip-hop artists in the late 1970s.
Kelvin Kiptum passed on Feb. 11 at the young age of 24. The accomplished runner and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died after being involved in a car accident in Kenya. Kiptum was the current world record holder in the marathon after running a time of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Earl Cureton “unexpectedly” died on Feb. 4 at the age of 66. His cause of death is currently unknown. Cureton is a Detroit legend as he was born in the Motor City, went to Detroit Mercy University, and eventually played for the Detroit Pistons. Before his death, he served as a community ambassador for the Pistons. During his NBA career, he also played for the Philadelphia Sixers, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Horneyys, Houston Rockets, and the Toronto Raptors.
Carl Weathers had such a long and varied career he had fans of all ages, races and genders. Whether it was Apollo Creed in “Rocky,” Chubbs in “Happy Gilmore” or Greef Karga in “The Mandalorian,” he was recognized around the world. He passed away Feb. 1 at the age of 76, dying at home in his sleep. In April 2023, he spoke to The Root about joining the “Star Wars” franchise and the fun he was having playing the complicated Greef Karga.
“I’m really appreciative for the opportunity as an actor because it’s so limiting when a character is so one dimensional that there is no growth,” Weathers told The Root. “But here, you have this man who comes from being the king of the bounty hunters guild, to now being a High Magistrate, a benevolent bureaucrat who seems to want to do good for all the citizens of Nevarro. I love that kind of stuff. That fullness of character.”
On Tuesday, Tony-winning actor and choreographer Hinton Battle died after a “lengthy illness” Per The Hollywood Reporter, his family and loved ones are choosing not to disclose the exact nature of his illness. He passed away at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He survived by his sisters, Eddie and Lettie Battle and a plethora of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. He was 67-year-old.
Battle was best known as the originator of the Scarecrow character in the Broadway adaptation of “The Wiz.” He would later go on to to win three Tony awards, all for Best Features Actor in a Musical in: “Sophisticated Ladies” (1981), “The Tap Dance Kid (1984)“ and Miss Saigon (1991). His Broadway credits include popular shows like “Dancin’, Dreamgirls,” “Chicago,” and “Ragtime.”
Dexter Scott King died on Jan. 22 after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 62. As the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dexter followed in his father’s footsteps and was a civil rights activist. He was also the chairman of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
Marlena Shaw died on Jan. 19 at the age of 81. Her daughter announced the legendary jazz singer’s passing in an emotional video on Facebook. Shaw was a mainstay in jazz, R&B, and soul for years and was known for the songs, “California Soul” and “Woman of the Ghetto.”
Reggie Wells died on Jan. 8 at 76. His cause of death has not been shared. Wells was a well-known and accomplished makeup artist who worked with the likes of Michelle Obama, Oprah, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and other notable Black figures.
Jerry Wade died in January at the age of 61. Known as “The Loverman,” Wade was a respected disc jockey in Indianapolis who listeners in the Midwest fell in love with over his 40-year career.
Josephine Wright died in January at 94. Her cause of death was not mentioned. Wright was an elderly Black woman who was in the middle of a land dispute with a major investment group over land that’s been a part of her family since the Civil War.
Former NFL player Ronald Powell died in January at the young age of 32. His cause of death was not revealed. Powell was a talented football player who played in the NFL for four years, much of it on practice teams, which included the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, and the Seattle Seahawks.