It would not be possible for Black people to be celebrated the way we are today without those who paved the way before us, whether they’re musicians or athletes. Last year, we lost so many legends that it’s hard to even count. This year, we are starting to lose them again, but what really matters is that we never forget them. Here are the Black celebrities we lost so far in 2025.
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., better known as Irv Gotti, passed away on February 5th. He was only 54. His children Angie, Sonny, and JJ stated in an Instagram post that he passed away surrounded by family and friends.
Gotti was a producer and the founder of the label Murder Inc., which was the label responsible for signing Ja Rule and Ashanti back in 1998. Murder Inc Records was also the label responsible for producing songs for other legendary artists such as Mary J Blige, DMX, and Jay-Z.
At the beautiful age of 100, World War II fighter pilot Harry Stewart Jr. died on February 2nd. Stewart earned honors for his combat heroism, and he was one of the last surviving Tuskegee airmen. Stewart also earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for taking down three German aircrafts on April 1st, 1945, according to CNN.
Barry Michael Cooper was a writer and film producer. He was best known for his films New Jack City, Sugar Hill, and Above the Rim. Cooper was also known for the TV Series She’s Gotta Have It based on the Spike Lee film. Cooper was also an investigative journalist and one of the journalists to first report on the crack-cocaine epidemic in the 1980s, according to IMDB. Cooper passed on January 22 at the age of 66.
Gus Williams, also known as “The Wizard,” was a two-time NBA All-Star. Throughout his career, William played for the Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics, Washington Bullets, and Atlanta Hawks. In 1979, Williams led the SuperSonics to an NBA championship and in 2009 was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame. Williams passed on the 15th of January at the age of 71
Sam Moore passed away on January 10. He was 89. Moore was a singer best known for being a part of the soul duo Sam and Dave. The duo performed in the 1960s until they split in the 1980s. Moore was named one of Rolling Stone’s top 100 singers of all time and was a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
