Book Review: Celebrity Obituaries 2020

I think it has been around 30 years that we've seen Harris Lentz’s collection of celebrity obits come out annually from the same publisher. Harris would compile the deaths of everyone in film, TV, music, even pro wrestling, write an obit for each, and gather them all for a book-lengh reference at the end of the year. His hard work was invaluable for researchers.

Sadly, that publisher has decided to discontinue Harris Lentz’s series so he is now self-publishing. And his first self-published book deals with the stars we lost in 2020.

This was a year where we sadly said farewell some true legends including Sean Connery, Kirk Douglas, Diana Rigg, and Little Richard, all of whom are among those that grace the cover of this book. But what is great about Harris’s books is that while he gives long, detailed writeups on such legends, he doesn’t leave out the lesser known Gary Cowling, Liesbeth List, Velvet Rhodes, David Dahl, etc, all of whom are represented with an obit that contains a photo and a bio.

One thing that sticks out with this edition is that so many of the deaths were due to COVID. Dawn Wells, Allen Garfield, Charley Pride, Tom Seaver, Trini Lopez, and Forrest Compton are among those whom we lost due to this dreadful illness.

I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this self-published anthology is the best of them all. While Harris told me, “It’s hard to edit yourself,” I think the fact that the obits are lengthier and more detailed is a real plus for the book. These collections are far better reference works than what one would find on the internet. All of the info is right there, in one place, and doesn’t require extended searching to gather it all. Harris did that for us.

I urge all historians, libraries, and research centers to purchase a copy of the book. Along with it being an excellent reference, more copies sold will ensure Harris Lentz’s ability to compile one for 2021 at the end of this year, and any subsequent volumes.

The book is available as this link: CELEB OBITS