Celebrity Death Trios

It has happened again. Whenever a famous person dies, they always die in threes. Famous people die in threes. Like I read on another site, I  believe this phenomenon is more powerful than coincidence, more pervasive than a conspiracy, and more interesting than a law of physics.

Here are the rules: The three deaths must be close to each other: generally less than a month from the first to the last. And the three celebrities must be somehow equivalently famous or otherwise linked.  This is not always as easy to identify as one might first think. Sometimes it isn't always obvious and sometimes so many people die so soon to each other that the trios see to overlap.

I put a little time and research into this project, so here is a partial list for that will hopefully peak your curiousity and maybe make you want to do your own research. And for those of you who are skeptical, please browse through this list as well.

1.  Jerry Orbach, actor, Dec. 29
2.  Artie Shaw, jazz musician, Dec. 30
3.  Shirley Chisholm, politican, Jan.1

1.  Johnny Oates, baseball, Dec. 24
2.  Reggie White, football, Dec. 26
3.  Hank Garland, country music, Dec. 27

1.  Christoper Reeve, actor/activisit October 10, 2004
2.  Ken Caminiti, baseball  October 10, 2004
3.  Pierre Salinger, JFK press secretary, Oct. 16

1. Janet Leigh, Psycho actress- October 4, 2004
2. Rodney Dangerfield, comedian October 6, 2004
3. Jacques Derrida, philosopher October 9, 2004

1. John Cerutti, baseball  October 3, 2004
2. Russ Meyer, producer/director September 22, 2004
3. Johnny Ramone, musician September 16, 2004

One of the most well known trios...

1. Ronald Reagan, president  June 5, 2004
2. Ray Charles, musician  June 10, 2004
3. Marlon Brando, actor  July 2, 2004

1. Charles Bronson, actor August 29, 2003
2. Johnny Cash, musican  September 12, 2003
3. John Ritter, actor    September  12, 2003

1. Gregory Peck, actor June 11, 2003
2. Katharine Hepburn, actress June 29, 2003
3. Bob Hope, comedian  July 29, 2003

1. Wilt Chamberlain, basketball November 12, 1999
2. George C. Scott, actor November 22, 1999
3. Payne Stewart, golf November 25, 1999

1. Harry Blackmun, Supreme Court March 4, 1999
2. Stanley Kubrick, director March 7, 1999
3. Joe DiMaggio, baseball March 9, 1999

1. Frank Sinatra, singer May 14, 1998
2. Phil Hartman, actor May 28, 1998
3. Barry Goldwater, politican May 29, 1998

1. Diana, Princess of Wales August 31, 1997
2. Mother Teresa September 5, 1997
3. Sir Georg Solti, musician September 5, 1997

1. Jacques Cousteau, tv/nature June 25, 1997
2. Jimmy Stewart, actor  July 2, 1997
3. Gianni Versace, fashion July 15, 1997