This year saw the loss of many great minds in the entertainment industry. Most of these people, until their death and after, were recognized as cultural icons. The year started with the passing of Heath Ledger. His sudden death on Jan. 22 took everyone by surprise. Ledger was found dead from an accidental prescription pill overdose in his Manhattan apartment.Before his death, there was underground buzz about his performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” After the film’s worldwide release in the summer, petitions formed to nominate Ledger for a posthumous Oscar. Ledger’s terrifying transformation was so convincing that many moviegoers — myself included — couldn’t believe it was actually him on screen.Ledger’s death was tragic because he had so much promise as an actor. His powerhouse performances in films such as “Monster’s Ball” and his Academy Award-nominated turn in “Brokeback Mountain” drew comparisons to Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.Sadly, Ledger wasn’t the only movie star to pass away this year.Two American film icons, Charlton Heston and Paul Newman, left this world. Heston, a legendary actor, died April 5. The star of “Ben-Hur” and “Planet of the Apes” was a civil rights activist, philanthropist and Democratic supporter before changing his political party and becoming president of the National Rifle Association.Newman is rightly commended for his acting chops, which he used to make some of the most memorable characters in pop culture. His performance in the endlessly quotable “Cool Hand Luke” raised the bar for cool, a model that actors such as George Clooney try to replicate.The music world also suffered. Isaac Hayes, who died on Aug. 10, was a huge influence on West Coast rappers like Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, both of whom tapped his soul and funk hits to create the G-Funk that dominated the early 1990s. The bald, bearded, “bad mother—” penned the theme song for the 1971 film “Shaft,” and was the voice of Chef on “South Park.”Mitch Mitchell and Buddy Miles, two pillars of rock drumming, passed away within nine months of each other. Both were excellent drummers who played with Jimi Hendrix at different stages of his career. Each was a master of their respective styles; Mitchell with his jazz-influenced primal banging, and Miles with his controlled, funky rhythms.  Bo Diddley died on June 2 at the age of 79. Forget Elvis — Bo Diddley was the originator of rock ‘n’ roll. The “Bo Diddley beat” has an influence so ingrained in our culture it is hard to believe some of our favorite songs come from Diddley’s Latin-tinged self-made guitar.Static Major’s death at age 33 on Feb. 25 happened before he could see the huge success of Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop,” the hot summer single that he produced.In the television realm, NBC lost one of its best journalists, Tim Russert. The host of “Meet the Press” was known for his hard-hitting interview techniques and was an avid sports fan who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame Board of Directors in 2003.Michael Crichton, or as he is commonly known, “The Guy Who Wrote a Bunch of Thrilling Books that Were Later Turned into Movies,” was one of the best selling authors of all time and was the creator of the hugely popular and long-running “ER.”The deaths of Rodney Dangerfield in 2004 and Richard Pryor in 2005 left a gaping hole in every comedians’ heart. This year, two more comedic geniuses joined them.George Carlin’s delivery and razor sharp satire secured his place as a stand-up legend long before his death. Chances are, if you are a comedian, you were probably influenced by Carlin. He passed on June 22.Bernie Mac first came to attention for his hilarious performance as a less-than-holy pastor in the Ice Cube flick “Friday.” A veteran stand-up comedian, Mac made a name for himself with an eccentric personality and an acute gift for reading people. His creation “The Bernie Mac Show” earned him two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He passed away Aug. 9, the day before Isaac Hayes.The world will be a little less funny without them.As an entertainment writer, my job entails me discovering great forms of, well, entertainment, and that’s my favorite part. Discovering musicians, comedians, actors, authors, etc., is enjoyable for me because I’m obsessed with the way a person can use their minds to conjure different emotions in people, whether it be joy, sadness or anger.When these people leave this world, they take the special talent with them. That’s why I find it so tragic when a really gifted person dies, especially when their genius goes unnoticed. This column might seem a really morbid obituary, but I just wanted to recognize each person and give them the credit they deserve.I hope next year won’t have as many losses.—-Contact Blake LeJeune at [email protected]