This year has hit the entertainment world hard. From rock icons to musical legends, 2025 hasn’t been kind to some of the names we grew up with. To honor their legacy and contributions to pop culture, here are 10 famous people who died in October 2025.
10. Jilly Cooper (February 21, 1937 – October 5, 2025)
A true literary British rock star who broke all sorts of sales records in the UK, Jilly Cooper’s novels have received critical praise for decades. Some of her books, like Rivals, have received popular TV adaptations still airing today.
9. Artie Kaplan (October 28, 1935 – October 11, 2025)
If you’ve listened to Neil Diamond or Carole King, you’ve almost certainly heard Artie Kaplan’s sax playing in the background. According to his obituary, Kaplan passed away peacefully, surrounded by family.
8. Klaus Doldinger (May 12, 1936 – October 16, 2025)
Best known for providing the score to The NeverEnding Story and Das Boot, Doldinger’s compositions defined an era of cinematic wonder. His jazz roots and distinctive melodies helped give Fantasia its distinctive, dreamlike aura.
7. John Gurdon (October 2, 1933 – October 7, 2025)
Known as the “godfather of cloning,” Gurdon’s experiments in the ‘60s and ‘70s laid the groundwork for the modern understanding of cloning – a fundamental step toward the pop culture phenomenon of Dolly the Sheep.
6. John Lodge (July 20, 1943 – October 10, 2025)
Bassist and founding member of The Moody Blues who charmed generations with his psychedelic rock riffs. Sadly, he passed away on October 10 due to complications from lung cancer.
5. Sam Rivers (September 2, 1977 – October 18, 2025)
Rivers gave Limp Bizkit its signature “groove” – a rhythm that went beyond catchy lyrics and gross-out humor. The bassist passed away at 48 due to cardiac arrest, leaving fans genuinely shocked.
4. David Ball (May 3, 1959 – October 22, 2025)
Ball was half of the timeless music duo Soft Cell, better known for their catchy ‘80s synth-pop anthem, Tainted Love. He passed away on October 22 from natural causes, performing gigs (in a wheelchair) until the very end.
3. D’Angelo (Michael E. Archer) (February 11, 1974 – October 14, 2025)
Younger fans might remember D’Angelo for his emotional song Unshaken, as heard in Red Dead Redemption 2, while his older fans might be more familiar with the R&B superhit, Untitled (How Does It Feel).
2. Ace Frehley (April 27, 1951 – October 16, 2025)
Frehley’s legacy as a legendary rock icon extends beyond his KISS years. A renowned solo artist and a veritable powerhouse of hard rock, Ace’s contribution to KISS’s popularity can’t be overstated – he even designed the original KISS logo on a piece of graph paper.
1. Jane Goodall (April 3, 1934 – October 1, 2025)
One of the most beloved environmentalists of our time, Jane Goodall’s reverence for primates changed the way the world sees wild animals. A stalwart defender of animal rights, Goodall’s staunch (and often controversial) takes on environmental conservation earned her a place in pop culture, leading to special guest appearances in shows like The Wild Thornberrys and The Simpsons.
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