The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 2020 celebrated the artists that we have lost this year in a powerful performance.
Regis Philbin, Naya Rivera, and more of the stars who passed this year were looked back at in a touching performance by H.E.R. Jimmy Kimmel said that we lost a great American on Friday before the ‘Memorium’ segment. He said, “Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a compassionate and tireless champion of equality and justice, who said her legacy was to make life a little better for people less fortunate than she.”
From that moment on, the Emmys honored the souls that we have lost the past year. H.E.R. performed a heartfelt rendition of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”. The show honored the lives of beautiful people including Naya Rivera and Regis Philbin.
According to Gold Derby, over 100 veterans, from both in front and behind the camera, have died. The entire night would not have been enough to grasp the impact these stars have left. The past year, the world lost comedians like Carl Reiner (producer/actor/writer of Your Show of Shows, The Dick Van Dyke Show), Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld, The King of Queens), John Witherspoon (The Boondocks, Friday), Fred Willard (Everybody Loves Raymond).
Kirk Douglas, who was best known for his film work also passed away. He was also a part of numerous television appearances. Wilford Brimley (The Waltons, Our House), Harry Hains (American Horror Story), and Caroll Spinney (puppeteer, Sesame Street) were also some of the souls we lost in the past year.
We also lost stars like James Lipton (Inside The Actor’s Studio), Lynn Shelton (director of GLOW, Mad Men), Grant Imahara (Mythbusters), and Silvio Horta (creator of Ugly Betty). We also lost Dame Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) recently.
Award Shows Honoring Talent
The beautiful segment along with the performance of H.E.R. came to an end with a quote from Chadwick Boseman. In the short clip, he said, “Purpose crossed disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It’s the reason you’re on the planet at this particular time in history. The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”
Two different award shows had paid their tribute to two significant stars, earlier this year. Kobe Bryant, who lost his life in a deadly helicopter accident on the day of the 2020 Grammy Awards. Chadwick Boseman, who lost his four-year-long battle with colon cancer. That was two days before the MTV Video Music Awards 2020.
The Grammys featured multiple tributes for Kobe. Lizzo dedicated the night to him while Alicia Keys sang Boyz II Men. DJ Khaled also paid his tribute to the legend. The award show incorporated celebrating Kobe’s life as it was held in the Staples Center. It is the home for LA Lakers, which had been Kobe’s team for twenty years.
A memorial for Chadwick could not be incorporated as he is not a music star. Kobe was involved in the music world, either as a line/mention in many rap lyrics or as a rapper. Never forget Kobe’s short-lived attempt at a hip hop career of his own.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away just days before the 2020 Emmys. She was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Many celebrities mourned her death and she was known as “the notorious RBG”.
Kate McKinnon played Ruth in Saturday Night Live and revealed that she considered Justice Ruth as a real-life superhero. She said, “A beacon of hope, a warrior for justice, a robed crusader who saved the day time and again… It was one of the great honors of my life to meet Justice Ginsburg, to shake her hand, and to thank her for her lifetime of service to this country.”
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