Celeste Holm, Jon Lord and Kitty Wells among Entertainers Who Died this Week

Among a number of celebrities and entertainers who died this week are the reported deaths of Oscar winning actress Celeste Holm, Keyboardist musician Jon Lord, and country music legend Kitty Wells. Their deaths come just days after the reported deaths of Sylvester Stallone’s son, Sage Stallone, and yesterday’s death of motivational speaker and author Stephen Covey.

Actress Celeste Holm, perhaps best known for her role as an amorous country girl in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!,” reportedly died over the weekend on Sunday. Holm passed away at the age of 95 in her Manhattan apartment following a heart attack she had suffered last week. Born in New York, Holm received an Academy Award for her role in “Gentleman’s Agreement” with Gregory Peck. Celeste Holm’s career spanned more than 60 years, including both on-screen and on-stage, before her passing.

Jon Lord, born in Leicester, England, on June 9, 1941, who went on to become the keyboardist for British rock band deep purple, died on Sunday as well at the age of 71. More than just your average rocker, Lord studied classical piano, was a fan of piano rockers like Jerry Lee Lewis and jazz organists like Jimmy Smith. Before forming up in 1968 with Deep Purple, known for 60’s and 70’s hits like “smoke on the water,” Lord played with jazz and blues groups in the 60’s.

The cause of death for Jon Lord was reported as a pulmonary embolism. His death comes about a year after the announcement last year that he had cancer.

Kitty Wells, known as the queen of country music, died Monday from complications of a stroke at the age of 92 at her home in Nashville, TN. Wells, was the first in a now long line of female superstars in country music. Breaking ground and paving the way for those who followed, some of Wells’ early hits included “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” the first #1 hit for a female solo artist in 1952, “Making Believe” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”