Year in Pictures: Celebrity Curtain Calls

Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston, cited by Guinness World Records as the most awarded singer of all time, died Feb. 11 at age 48. She drowned in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom the night before the Grammy Awards.

Larry Hagman posed in front of the Southfork Ranch mansion made famous in the television show, "Dallas," in Parker, Texas, Thursday Oct. 9, 2008. Hagman played villain J.R. Ewing on the popular show. He died on Friday, Nov. 23 at age 81.

Disco queen Donna Summer died May 17 at age 63. The Grammy-winning singer had numerous hits in both the 1970s and 1980s, including "Love to Love You Baby", "I Feel Love", "Hot Stuff", "Dim All the Lights", "On the Radio", "Last Dance", "She Works Hard for the Money", and "Bad Girls."

Popular Mexican-American singer and reality show star Jenni Rivera, also known as “La Diva de la Banda,” died Dec. 9 in a plane crash in Mexico. She was 43.

Dick Clark, famed for hosting "American Bandstand," the game show "Pyramid," and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," died April 18 at age 82.

 Sherman Hemsley played dry-cleaning magnate George Jefferson in "The Jeffersons," a ground-breaking 1970s show. He died July 24 at age 74.

Actor Michael Clarke Duncan was best known for his role in “The Green Mile,” which earned him Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. He also appeared in “Armageddon,” “Daredevil” and other films. He died Sept. 3 at age 54.

Don Cornelius, creator of the long-running TV dance show "Soul Train," committed suicide Feb. 1 at age 75.

 Blues singer Etta James died Jan. 20 at age 73. Dubbed the "Matriarch of R&B," she is perhaps best known for her romantic hit "At Last."

Actor Andy Griffith, best known for his starring roles in the television series "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock," died July 3 at the age of 86.

Legendary comic Phyllis Diller died on Aug. 20 at age 95. She was one of the most influential women to perform stand-up comedy.

 ___________________________________________________________________________

NBC News Photos of Celebrities, above and coming link, that left us in 2012: http://slideshow.nbcnews.com/slideshow/news/the-year-in-pictures-2012-50262646/