She was a beloved Bollywood singer whose voice resonated across a film-obsessed India for nearly eight decades.
Asha Bhosle, who died in April, was recorded on about 12,000 songs, becoming part of India’s musical memory. She was widely mourned with even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising her contributions.
April also saw the death of scientist J. Craig Venter, who mapped the first draft of the human genome, helping scientists understand how genes shape lives. Later, Venter was the first to publish his own sequenced genome, hoping researchers could scan it to learn what was inherited from each parent and where vulnerabilities to disease might lie.
Other noteworthy people who died in April include former Hawaii Gov. George R. Ariyoshi, French actor Nathalie Baye and the last surviving Ronettes singer, Nedra Talley Ross.
Here is a roll call of some influential figures who have died this year (the cause of death is cited, if available):
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JANUARY ___
Diane Crump, 77. In 1969, she became the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race and a year later became the first female jockey in the Kentucky Derby. Jan. 1.
Ahn Sung-ki, 74. He was one of South Korean cinema’s biggest stars whose prolific 60-year career and positive, gentle public image earned him the nickname “The Nation’s Actor.” Jan. 5.
Aldrich Ames, 84. The CIA turncoat who betrayed Western intelligence assets to the Soviet Union and Russia in one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in U.S. history died in prison. Jan. 5.
Béla Tarr, 70. The celebrated Hungarian filmmaker directed such works as “Sátántangó” and “The Turin Horse” and was the recipient of numerous awards for his long and often darkly comic films. Jan. 6.
Glenn Hall, 94. Nicknamed “Mr. Goalie,” he was a Hockey Hall of Famer whose ironman streak of 502 starts as a goaltender remains an NHL record. Jan. 7.
Bob Weir, 78. The guitarist and singer was an essential member of the Grateful Dead who helped found the sound of the San Francisco counterculture of the 1960s and kept it alive through decades of endless tours and marathon jams. Jan. 10.
John Forté, 50. The Grammy-nominated musician was known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars, among others. Jan. 12.
