The first four months of 2016 have been tragic in the world of entertainment, with the deaths of a raft of much-loved famous people.

Here's a look at the celebs we've sadly said goodbye to in 2016:

January

Natalie Cole 

Your Local Guardian:

R&B singer and daughter of music legend Nat 'King' Cole, died New Year's Eve aged 65 from heart failure caused by lung disease.

 Ed Stewart

Your Local Guardian: Mourners call out 'It's Crackerjack!' at funeral of Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart

'Stewpot' was known for his work as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 and as a presenter for Top of the Pops and Crackerjack on TV.

David Bowie 

Your Local Guardian:

Died two days after his 69th birthday, after an 18-month secret battle with cancer. The music legend was well-known for his fashion, movie roles, Ziggy Stardust and hit songs like Space Oddity, Fame and Let's Dance.

David Margulies

Your Local Guardian:

Character actor who played Ghostbusters mayor and Ace Ventura doctor, died agesd 78.

Alan Rickman

Your Local Guardian:

Harry Potter actor and Die Hard villain, died of cancer at 69.

Dan Haggerty

Your Local Guardian:

Grizzly Adams actor and '70s star best-known for his beard and rugged looks, died of cancer at 74.

Clarence Reid

Better known as funk/R&B singer Blowfly, died at 76. He wrote and produced tracks for artists like Sam & Dave and KC & the Sunshine Band, and his often R-rated solo songs were sampled by rappers like Snoop Dogg and Jurassic 5.

Glenn Frey 

Your Local Guardian:

The Eagles guitarist and co-founder, died at 67. Frey co-wrote hits like Hotel California with Don Henley.

Abe Vigoda

Your Local Guardian:

Character actor in The Godfather and Barney Miller, died at 94.

Paul Kantner

Your Local Guardian:

Jefferson Airplane co-founder and guitarist, died at 74.

Signe Anderson

The original Jefferson Airplane singer who was replaced by Grace Slick, died at 74 on the same day as band mate Paul Kantner. 

Frank Finlay

Your Local Guardian:

Oscar-nominated actor who played Iago in Laurence Olivier's Othello died at 89.

Colin Vearncombe

Singer-songwriter Vearncombe, known by his stage name Black, will best be remembered for his hit single Wonderful Life in 1987.

Sir Terry Wogan

Your Local Guardian:

BBC radio and television personality and Eurovision Song Contest commentator died at 77.

February

Maurice White 

Your Local Guardian:

Founding member of disco-funk group Earth, Wind & Fire, died at 74.

Dan Hicks

Your Local Guardian:

Led '60s band Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, died at 74.

Daniel Gerson

Co-writer of Monsters, Inc and Big Hero 6, died of brain cancer at 49.

Harper Lee 

Your Local Guardian:

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird, died at age 89.

George Kennedy

Your Local Guardian:

Tough-guy character actor best known for Cool Hand Luke and the Naked Gun movies, died at 91.

Frank Kelly

The actor, who played Father Jack in the comedy series Father Ted, died aged 77 on February 28.

March

Tony Warren

Your Local Guardian:

Creator of long-running TV soap opera Coronation Street, died aged 79.

Pat Conroy

Author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, died aged 70.

George Martin

Your Local Guardian:

The 'fifth Beatle' best known as a producer for The Beatles, died aged 90.

Richard Davalos

East of Eden and Cool Hand Luke actor, died at 85.

Paul Danels 

Your Local Guardian:

 The magician and entertainer died from a brain tumour aged 77.

Keith Emerson

Your Local Guardian:

Founder and keyboardist of the progressive-rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, died at 71.

Denise Robertson 

Your Local Guardian:

This Morning's resident agony aunt, died of pancreatic cancer aged 83. 

Sylvia Anderson

Your Local Guardian:

Thunderbirds co-creator and voice of the Lady Penelope puppet character, died at 88.

Frank Sinatra Jr.

Your Local Guardian:

Singer and son of Ol' Blue Eyes, died of cardiac arrest at 72.

Joe Santos

The Rockford Files and The Sopranos actor, died at 84.

Ken Howard

Your Local Guardian:

White Shadow actor and SAG-AFTRA president, died at 71.

Garry Shandling

Your Local Guardian:

Comedian and The Larry Sanders Show star, died at 66.

Jim Harrison

Legends of the Fall author, died aged 78.

Patty Duke

Your Local Guardian:

Oscar and Emmy-winning actress, former child star and mother of Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin, died of sepsis from a ruptured intestine at 69.

Johan Cruyff

Your Local Guardian:

One of football’s most iconic players of all time, died aged 68.

Ronnie Corbett

Your Local Guardian:

Comedian and star of The Two Ronnies, died aged 85.

April

David Gest

Your Local Guardian:

Producer, Michael Jackson collaborator, reality TV star and ex-husband of Liza Minelli, died at 62.

Doris Roberts 

Your Local Guardian:

Emmy-winning actress on Everybody Loves Raymond, died at 90.

Victoria Wood

Your Local Guardian:

Comedian and writer, died of cancer at the age of 62.

Chyna

Your Local Guardian: 1990s WWE wrestling star Chyna dies at age 45 in California

The WWE star who became one of the best-known and most-popular female professional wrestlers in history, died at age 45.

Prince

Your Local Guardian: Music maestro: a look at Prince's five key albums

The Purple Rain, 1999 and Kiss singer died aged 57 after being found collapsed in a lift at his home in Minnesota, US. He was widely regarded as one of the most inventive musicians of his era and many of his songs are seen as classics.