We’re not going to lie, 2025 was a tough year, as we lost many of the Black legends we knew and loved. Now, as 2026 gets underway, we must say goodbye to even more of those who had such a tremendous impact on the culture. Although they are gone, they will never be forgotten.
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From actors to athletes, to politicians and more, we’re honoring the Black legends we lost in 2026.
Billy “Bass” Nelson
Billy “Bass” Nelson, the founding bass player for the legendary band Parliament-Funkadelic, passed away on Jan. 31. The news was confirmed in a statement on the official George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Facebook page. Born William Nelson Jr., the New Jersey native met George Clinton as a teenager, who asked him to be a part of the band that played for his doo-wop singing group the Parliaments in the 1950s. Nelson is credited with helping to take the band in a new direction in the late 1960s, infusing funk and rock into their sound and swapping their suits for bolder fashion choices.
After leaving the group in the late 1970s, Nelson went on to play with other major music acts, including Jermaine Jackson, Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson.
Billy “Bass” Nelson was 75 years old.
Demond Wilson
Actor Demond Wilson passed away on Jan. 30 in his California home due to complications related to cancer. Wilson was best known for his role on the hit 1970s NBC sitcom, “Sanford & Son,” playing Lamont Sanford, son of Redd Foxx’s lovably grouchy character, Fred Sanford.
In a statement shared with NBC, Mark Goldman, a spokesperson for Wilson, called him “a devoted father, actor, author, and minister.”
“Demond lived a life rooted in faith, service, and compassion. Through his work on screen, his writing, and his ministry, he sought to uplift others and leave a meaningful impact on the communities he served,” he wrote.
Sly Dunbar
Reggae musician Lowell “Sly” Dunbar passed away at his home in Kingston, Jamaica, on Jan. 26. Sly’s daughter Natasha Dunbar confirmed the news of her father’s passing to TMZ. One half of the group, Sly & Robbie, Dunbar’s drumming is featured on tracks for reggae artists like Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh, as well as Grace Jones and The Rolling Stones.
“Sly helped shape the sound of reggae and Jamaican music for generations. His extraordinary talent, innovation, and lasting contributions will never be forgotten. Sly’s music, spirit, and legacy touched people around the world, and we are deeply grateful for the love and support during this difficult time,” the family shared in a statement.
Dunbar was 73 years old. The cause of his death is unknown.
Dr. Gladys West
Dr. Gladys West, one of the hidden figures and mathematician’s that played an integral part in creating the mathematical foundation for today’s GPS system has died on Jan. 17. She was 95. According to Richmond’s WTVR 6 News, West worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center for years, where she spent her time calculating precise models of Earth’s shape with was the basis of what modern GPS calculations were built on. With her hire, she became the second Black woman hired at the base and fourth Black person overall to be there. In 2018, she was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame and in 2021, she received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, the Prince Philip Medal by the United Kingdom’s Royal Academy of Engineering, and the National Museum of the Surface Navy’s Freedom of the Seas Exploration and Innovation Award, per Pittsburgh’s WPXI News.
Her death was made public through a social media post from her official page which detailed that West passed away “peacefully alongside her family and friends and is now in heaven with her loved ones.” The cause of death is unknown.
John Forté
Recording artist John Forté passed away on Jan. 12 at his Massachusetts home at age 50. The musician and rapper is best known for his collaborations with The Fugees, including his work as a co-writer and producer of tracks for their classic, Grammy-winning album, “The Score.”
Claudette Colvin
Civil rights activist Claudette Colvin passed away on Jan. 13, 2026, in Texas. On March 2, 1955, a then-15-year-old Colvin was arrested for refusing a driver’s order to give up her seat for a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama – nine months before Rosa Parks’s similar refusal led to the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
In 2021, Colvin was vindicated when an Alabama judge expunged Colvin’s juvenile court records for “what has since been recognized as a courageous act on her behalf and on behalf of a community of affected people.”
Claudette Colvin was 86 years old.
T.K. Carter
Actor T.K. Carter was found dead in his California home on Jan. 9. The New York City native got his start in standup, but was best known for his roles in the hit 1980s sitcom “Punky Brewster” and the 1982 horror film “The Thing.” He was 69 years old.
Elle Simone Scott
Chef, author and food stylist Elle Simone Scott passed away on Jan. 5 at age 49 after a battle with ovarian cancer. Scott made history in 2016 when she became the first Black woman to join the cast of the popular PBS cooking show “America’s Test Kitchen.”
Chef Carla Hall shared a touching tribute to Scott on Instagram, calling her “a friend, a force and a trailblazer.”
“She didn’t just test recipes; she changed what representation looked like in food media,” Hall wrote.
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