January saw the departure of one of America's legendary blues stars when Etta James, best known for her signature track At Last, died at the age of 73, prompting an outpouring of tributes. A generation of Blockbusters fans mourned the passing of jovial quizmaster Bob Holness, at the age of 83, while photojournalist Eve Arnold will be remembered for her striking portraits of figures such as Marilyn Monroe and Malcolm X and haunting documentation of "ordinary people" around the world.

Shock greeted the sudden death of pop sweetheart Whitney Houston at the age of 48, on the eve of the Grammy Awards in February. Her death was followed by another music icon later the same month, when Monkees star Davy Jones had a heart attack aged 66. A slew of British comics paid tribute to beloved funnyman Frank Carson, when he "set off for his final gig" aged 85. And the deaths of royal correspondent James Whitaker and war reporter Marie Colvin, the latter in violent circumstances in Syria, marked a huge loss to British journalism.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was the brainchild of songwriter Robert B Sherman, who died in March aged 86, after a lengthy career which saw him create some of Disney’s best-loved tunes. Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, known for his unique three-fingered banjo playing style, also died peacefully in Nashville, aged 88. Film aficionados of the 1960s mourned the loss of Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra, known for his work with Antonioni and Fellini, both legendary directors of the era. And there was an outpouring of nostalgia for Catweazle creator Richard Carpenter, who died aged 82.

April saw the passing of legendary American television presenter, Dick Clark, who died of a heart attack at the age of 82. The host of American Bandstand and the face of ABC's New Year's Eve celebrations, his production company is also synonymous with some of the best-loved US gameshows. The same month saw fans and friends travel to Woodstock to bid farewell to The Band drummer and Bob Dylan buddy Levon Helm, who died at 71 - while in Britain, guitar legends paid tribute to Bert Weedon, whose Play In A Day manual inspired a generation.

Two giants of popular music, Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, died within days of each other in May, at the ages of 63 and 62 respectively. Both had suffered from cancer. Their contribution to music, most particularly to the disco era of the 1970s, was hailed by musicians around the world. Also lamented by classical music fans was the great German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose voice was once described as "a miracle". Author Maurice Sendak, beloved for his children's classic Where The Wild Things Are, died aged 83, with the promise of one more story - My Brother's Book is published posthumously in February 2013.

Renowned science fiction author Ray Bradbury, who died in June at the age of 91, had a "gift for storytelling" that influenced many in the arts world including film-maker Steven Spielberg and writers Stephen King and Joanne Harris. Screenwriter Nora Ephron was similarly lamented when she died later the same month, aged 71, from pneumonia. Hollywood's biggest stars turned out to pay tribute to the writer of When Harry Met Sally, who was branded a "latter-day, urbane Mark Twain". Emmy-winning actress Kathryn Joosten (far left), fondly remembered by fans of Desperate Housewives and The West Wing, died after an 11-year battle with lung cancer, at the age of 72.

Eric Sykes, one of Britain's best-loved comedy actors and writers, died in July aged 89. A regular fixture on television in the 60s and 70s, alongside stars such as Hattie Jacques and Spike Milligan, he reinvented his career with a string of big screen cameos in the 1990s. Best-selling Irish author Maeve Binchy also died in July, after a short illness, aged 72. Tributes poured in from the world of politics and literature, with Jilly Cooper calling her "kind... funny and captivating". On the other side of the Atlantic, actor Ernest Borgnine died after a career which saw him win the best actor Oscar, for Marty, in 1955 - and inhabit some of cinema's most memorable roles in The Wild Bunch and The Poseidon Adventure. He was 95.

Shock greeted the sudden death of film-maker Tony Scott, who jumped from a bridge in Los Angeles, aged 68. Why the Top Gun director took his own life remains unexplained. Also 68 was musician and composer Marvin Hamlisch, whose Oscar-winning The Way We Were was the love song for a generation of film fans. Author Nina Bawden died aged 87- her work was admired by adults and children alike and her semi-autobiographical Carrie's War became a staple of the school curriculum. The end of the month also saw the death of veteran British entertainer Max Bygraves, described as "modest" yet "brilliant", who died in Australia aged 89.

A generation mourned the passing of animal lover and wildlife presenter Terry Nutkins, who died while being treated for leukaemia at the age of 66. September also saw the death of legendary crooner Andy Williams, at 84. The Moon River singer, whose TV show made him an international star in the 50s, enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the 90s when his Music To Watch Girls By was used in a TV advert. And stars Tom Hanks and Jay Leno paid tribute to actor Michael Clarke Duncan following his death aged 54. The former bodyguard rose to prominence playing a death row inmate in the acclaimed film The Green Mile.

Bollywood's King of Romance, filmmaker Yash Chopra, died at the age of 80 after a career that spanned more than 40 years and saw him bring to the screen some of India's best-loved movies. Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who became famous around the world for her role as the promiscuous housewife in erotic French film Emmanuelle, died after suffering a stroke aged 60. The film was banned in Paris for six months after its release, but was later credited with bringing about a change in censorship laws.

Larry Hagman, who spent more than a decade playing TV villain JR Ewing in the hit US series Dallas, died at the age of 81 and was honoured with an outpouring of tributes from his former colleagues. Co-star Linda Gray, who joined him in a recent revamp of the series, called him "the Pied Piper of life". An altogether more British soap star, Coronation Street's Bill Tarmey, was similarly mourned when he died aged 71, with many cast members describing him as "a surrogate dad". Dad's Army actor Clive Dunn - also known as "Jonesy" - passed away at the ripe age of 90, having playing old men for most of his life, most famously on his chart-topping track Grandad. British actress Dinah Sheridan, best remembered for The Railway Children, also died at 92.

A trio of remarkable men passed away in early December: Sir Patrick Moore - astronomer, broadcaster and author - appeared on The Sky At Night, the TV show he made famous, less than a week before his death at the age of 89. Legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar, who was credited with bringing the musical sound and style of India to the West when he collaborated with The Beatles, died aged 92. And pioneering jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck whose eponymous quartet spawned the biggest-selling jazz single of all time, Take Five, died days before his 92nd birthday.