McKibbin, a singer from Texas best known for her third place finish in the first season of "American Idol," died Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. Scottish actor Sean Connery, best known for his role as secret agent James Bond, died Oct. 31 at the age of 90. Eddie Van HalenFILE - David Lee Roth, left, and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform on Aug. 13, 2015, in Wantagh, N.Y. Van Halen, who had battled cancer, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. His representative says Boseman died Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 in Los Angeles after a four-year battle with colon cancer. Cordero died Sunday, July 5, 2020, at Cedars-Sinai hospital after more than 90 days in the hospital, according to his wife, Amanda Kloots.

The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.

FILE - Artist Billy Joe Shaver poses backstage following his concert "Billy Joe Shaver presented by WMOT/Roots Radio" at City Winery Nashville in Nashville, Tenn. on April 1, 2017. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP, File)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Outlaw country singer songwriter Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote songs like “Honky Tonk Heroes,” “I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train” and “Old Five and Dimers Like Me,” has died He was 81. His big break came when Jennings recorded several of Shaver's songs for his 1973 album “Honky Tonk Heroes," which helped popularize the outlaw country genre and turn the maverick country artists into legends. "There weren’t another other way to be/For lovable losers, no account boozers/And honky tonk heroes like me," Shaver wrote in the title track. Shaver wrote songs that were covered by Elvis Presley, Patty Loveless, George Jones, Tex Ritter, Tennessee Ernie Ford and John Anderson.