In the midst of celebrating all of the great things that happened in 2009 and anticipating all of the brilliance that is sure to be delivered in 2010, we also have to take a look back at the stars we lost in 2009. As Skillz noted in his annual year-end "Rap Up" track, it seemed like every other day delivered a story about the passing of a beloved celebrity — sometimes tragically. Just yesterday, we learned of the death of Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan at 28. Elsewhere in the rock world, we lost legendary Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Billy Powell, guitar guru Les Paul and DJs Grand Master Roc Raida and Mr. Magic.
In Hollywood, actress Brittany Murphy — who starred in some of the most definitive youth movies of the past 15 years — passed away only a few weeks ago. Farrah Fawcett and Patrick Swayze both died after prolonged battles with illness, while Bea Arthur and Ron Silver also both passed. The MTV family was not immune to tragedy either, as we lost former "Remote Control" host Ken Ober, pro wrestler Captain Lou Albano (who brought the WWF to MTV in the early '80s) and superstar DJ, sneaker guru and MTV host DJ AM.
But the biggest loss of the year — and perhaps of a generation — is that of Michael Jackson, the truly epic performer who died suddenly back in June. His absence is still being felt and will continue to be for years to come.