Year-end Review: The stars we lost in 2017

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‍From Chuck Berry to Chester Bennington, Robert Hardy to Richard Anderson, the world said goodbye to some of its brightest stars this year. Scroll down to see CGTN's tributes to the notable people who died in 2017.

Mary Tyler Moore

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Emmy Award-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore passed away on January 25 at the age of 80. Mary first became known to TV audiences as Laura Petrie, Dick Van Dyke's wife on "The Dick Van Dyke Show". She rocketed to stardom in her title role on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", which debuted in 1970.

John Hurt

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British actor John Hurt, best known for his roles in "Alien", "The Elephant Man", "Harry Potter", died on January 25 at the age of 77 at his Norfolk home. The Oscar winner appeared in more than 120 films and had an extensive career in television and theater. He also received a knighthood for his services to drama.

Al Jarreau

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Jazz legend Al Jarreau died on February 12, aged 76. The seven-time Grammy winner was hospitalized for exhaustion prior to his death and had to retire from touring. Jarreau is the only Grammy-winning vocalist to have won in the jazz, pop and R&B categories. Jarreau is perhaps best known for his 1981 album "Breakin' Away".

Bill Paxton

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Bill Paxton, best known for his role in "Apollo 13" and "Titanic", died on February 25 due to a stroke following heart surgery. He was 61. "Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker," a statement read. "Bill Paxton was simply, a wonderful man. A wonderful man." tweeted Tom Hanks.

Chuck Berry

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Known as "Father of Rock'n'Roll", the legendary Chuck Berry was found dead at his home in St. Louis, Missouri on March 18. He was 90. Emerging in the 1950s as one of the first star guitarists and lyricists, Berry was the author and performer of the rock'n'roll classics like "Johnny B. Goode", "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Roll Over Beethoven."

Yang Jie

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Yang Jie was the director of the most watched Chinese TV series "Journey to the West". She passed away on April 15 at the age of 88. Yang was China's first ever female producer and among the very first generation of China’s TV directors. Yang once worked at China National Radio and China Central Television. She was listed as one of China's top ten television directors in 1988.

Roger Moore

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Following a battle with cancer, the former James Bond actor died in Switzerland on May 22, aged 89. Sir Roger Moore was the third James Bond and starred in seven Bond films from 1973 to 1985. He later devoted himself to humanitarian work, serving as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 1991.

Adam West

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The former Batman actor died on June 10 after a short battle with leukemia. He was 88. The actor portrayed the Caped Crusader on the small screen from 1966 to 1968. In later years, a whole new generation of fans knew West from the animated comedy "Family Guy", in which he voiced a fictional version of himself.

Chester Bennington

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Chester Bennington was the lead singer of rock band Linkin Park. He hanged himself at his southern California home on July 20. He was 41. "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true," Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park's guitarist and main songwriter, wrote on Twitter. Bennington, who married twice and had six children, had a history of struggling with drug and alcohol addictions at various times during his life. The band's latest studio album was released in May.

Robert Hardy

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Best known for his roles in the "Harry Potter" saga, Robert Hardy died at the age of 91 at a retirement home for actors in suburban London on August 3. Hardy started his acting career in 1959 and became a household name in the UK after appearing in "All Creatures Great and Small" as the senior vet Siegfried Farnon. He won a BAFTA award for his role in "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years" in 1981, and in the same year, Hardy was awarded a CBE for his services to acting.

Haruo Nakajima

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Japanese actor Haruo Nakajima, the man who dressed in a rubber suit to play the original Godzilla in 1954, died of pneumonia on August 8 at the age of 88. Nakajima's original Godzilla suit was said to weigh 100 kilograms, and was so hard to breathe in that it needed an oxygen tube. Nakajima played the monster in a dozen films.

Glen Campbell

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Country music legend Glen Campbell died on August 8 at the age of 81 after a years-long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Campbell was best known for his hits "Rhinestone Cowboy", "Wichita Lineman" and "Gentle on My Mind".

Dick Gregory

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Dick Gregory died on August 19 in Washington DC after suffering a severe bacterial infection. He was 84. Gregory was a comedian and activist who broke racial barriers in the 1960s and used his humor to spread messages of social justice and health. He was one of the first black standup comedians to find success with white audiences. His activism saw him working with Martin Luther King Jr.

Jerry Lewis

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According to his publicist, Jerry Lewis died on August 20 of natural causes at age 91 in Las Vegas with his family by his side. Lewis’ career spanned the history of show business in the 20th century, beginning in his parents’ vaudeville act at the age of 5. The French government awarded Lewis the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1983 and Commander of Arts and Letters the following year. His fundraising efforts won him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2009 Oscars.

Richard Anderson

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The actor died at his home in Beverly Hills at the age of 91 on August 31. He was best known for his role as Oscar Goldman on "The Six Million Dollar Man" and its spinoff, "The Bionic Woman". His acting credits also included "Forbidden Planet", "Paths of Glory" and "Perry Mason".

Hugh Hefner

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The founder of the famous "Playboy" magazine peacefully passed away at his home on September 27 at the age of 91. Hefner was once called the "prophet of pop hedonism" by Time magazine. "I'm never going to grow up," Hefner said in a CNN interview when he was 82. "Staying young is what it is all about for me." Even in China, "Playboy" has developed into a widely recognizable brand over the years, but less for the naked women and more for the famous bunny logo.

Tom Petty

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Legendary rocker Tom Petty has passed away aged 66 on October 2 after he was found at his Malibu home, unconscious following a cardiac arrest. The Grammy winner was best known as the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the group behind hits including "Free Fallin'" and "American Girl." The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Yan Shunkai

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Chinese comedian, actor and film director Yan Shunkai died on October 16 at the age of 80. He became a household name after starring in "The True Story of Ah Q", which brought him many accolades, including "The Gold Stick Prize" at the Second International Festival of Comedy Films in Switzerland in 1982. He was the only Chinese actor to ever win this award.

Fats Domino

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The rock 'n' roll legend died of natural causes at the age of 89 on October 24. He was one of the first honorees inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was best known for his hits "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame".

Lil Peep

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Lip Peep, whose real name was Gustav Ahr, died on November 16 at the age of just 21. Peep was known for creating emotional rap. The Guardian reported that the emo rapper died of an overdose, with the last 24 hours of his Instagram acting as a chronicle of drug-taking and death notes. He became a YouTube star through his music videos, which got millions of views, and he released his only full-length album "Come Over When You're Sober (Part One)" in August.

Malcolm Young

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The renowned Australian rock band AC/DC announced Malcolm Young's death on its Facebook page on November 19. Young died at age 64 after suffering from dementia for several years. Malcolm Young was a songwriter, backing vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the hard rock and heavy metal band. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

David Cassidy

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David Cassidy was best known for his role in the 1970s sitcom "The Partridge Family". He died on November 22 at age of 67. "David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long," a family statement said. David Cassidy was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was born into the entertainment industry that made him a star.

Johnny Hallyday

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Hailed as France's king of rock, Johnny Hallyday died on December 6 after a battle with lung cancer. He was 74. He was a leather-clad would-be Elvis who earned love and scorn over five decades spent belting out American rock 'n' roll with a Gallic twist. Former president Nicolas Sarkozy said he represented "part of our personal history... our memories and emotions."

Kim Jong-hyun

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Kim Jong-hyun, lead singer of South Korea's popular boy band SHINee, died in apparent suicide on December 18 after being taken to hospital unconscious. He was 27. By using a coal briquette burning on a frying pan, the singer used one of the most common methods of suicide in South Korea. According to a note left by Jong-hyun, depression and loneliness were the main reasons behind the singer's suicide.