CONTENTS

TRAGIC NEWS On the afternoon of Nov. 22, 1963, LIFE photographer Carl Mydans captured commuters reading about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

INTRODUCTION

SUDDEN DEATHS

CHAPTER 1

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Whether a ballad, a rock riff or a grunge blast, the music that lives on after the death of an Elvis Presley, a John Lennon, or a Michael Jackson helps fill the void.

CHAPTER 2

THE SCREEN GOES DARK

Through movies, we develop intimate relationships with stars we might never meet, from the incandescent Marilyn Monroe to funny man Robin Williams. And when they pass, we grieve the loss as we would a friend.

CHAPTER 3

LOST LEADERS

Roosevelt has died. Kennedy has been shot. Diana is gone. When inspiring figures die unexpectedly, their lives are mourned for what could have been.