Celebrity Deaths 2017: Morbid Website Tries To Predict Who Will Die Next

Celebrity deaths in 2017: Are we going to have as bad a year as 2016, or will we catch a break in 2017, and not lose as many celebrities as we did last year? A group of website “experts” has been trying to predict which celebrities will die each year, dating back to 1987. How will they do in 2017?

The morbid website, called The DeathList, lists likely celebrity deaths each year, and tracks its “successes” as the year goes by, and the celebrities die. Based in the U.K., some of the celebrities listed are better-known across the pond, but many are internationally renowned.

The celebrity deaths 2017 list was compiled by “an expert committee,” and mostly includes celebrities who are over the age of 90, which makes them, unfortunately, likely candidates to pass away. But some of the names belong to younger celebrities, plus, as 2016 taught us all too well, younger celebrities are just as likely to die before their time.

How did this controversial list come to be? It all started back in 1986, the Daily Express reports, when a group of “death list novices” gathered in a bar. After hearing about the passing of Hollywood actor Cary Grant, the group came up with a prediction of celebrities who will die in 1987.

Their first group of predicted celebrity deaths was a big failure (but happy news for the celebrities listed, of course). It included 31 names of celebrities who were likely to die in 1987, such as actor Jimmy Stewart (who eventually died in 1997), renowned painter Salvador Dali (who died in 1989), and Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, Sir Alec Guinness, who died years later, in 2000.

The only “success” on their 1987 celebrity deaths list was Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia, who indeed died in that year.

The DeathList did have a better success rate in subsequent years. In 2003, for example, they correctly predicted 14 celebrity deaths (out of 50). Among those were popular comedian Bob Hope, actor Gregory Peck, and rock singer Warren Zevon, who died of cancer when he was only 56-years-old.

The year 2008 was another “good” one for the site, as they again predicted correctly 14 celebrity deaths (out of 50). Among those were actor Charlton Heston, film director Sydney Pollack, and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.

How did they fare last year? 2016 got a very bad reputation when it comes to celebrity deaths. The total number of dead celebrities was higher in 2016 than previous years, as reported in The Inquisitr, mainly due to a surge of celebrity deaths in the beginning of the year.

The Deathlist website predicted correctly 12 celebrity deaths, out of a list of 50. It predicted the death of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who died in December at the age of 99. They also predicted correctly the death of actor Abe Vigoda, who died at the age of 95. So yes, the pattern of predicting the death of very old celebrities continues — but they did manage to also predict the death of Muhammad Ali, the professional boxer, who died on June 3, 2016. He was only 74-years-old when he died.

They didn’t predict, however, most of the surprising celebrity deaths of 2016 — Prince, David Bowie, George Michael and the others who have passed tragically.

Now, after 31 years and 31 lists, the death committee is ready with another prediction list — celebrity deaths in 2017. Judging from past performance, 25 percent or so of the celebrities on this list should put their affairs in order.

Topping the list is Kirk Douglas — the famous actor (and father of Michael Douglas) will celebrate 101 years on this earth in 2017. He’s been on the The Deathlist for 15 consecutive years, beating the odds every time — so we’ll be wishing him another year of laughter in the face of the death committees.

Another internationally known name on the celebrity deaths 2017 prediction list is Stan Lee — the prolific comic book writer, chairman of Marvel Studios, and the “father” of so many popular superheroes, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Daredevil, and countless others. Lee will turn 95-years-old in 2017 and has been on the death list for only four years. Being somewhat of a superhero himself, we’re sure he will stay with us for years to come.

The list also includes American politician and former presidential nominee Bob Dole, former president Jimmy Carter, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, and actress Betty White, who will turn 95-years-old in 2017. While some fear for Betty White’s well-being, many believe she will stay with us for many more years, having endured even the cursed 2016.

We wish all the men and women on this list a good year — hopefully, 2017 will prove the list makers wrong. Unfortunately, it’s safe to assume celebrity deaths will continue in 2017 — we can just hope for lower numbers this time around.

[Featured Image by Kzenon/Shutterstock]