Celebrity deaths come in threes? Not in 2016, where the year's off to an even sadder start with a slew of departed musicians, actors and entertainers.

Here's a look at famous people we've said goodbye to in 2016:

January

Natalie Cole 

Gazette:

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.

David Bowie 

Gazette:

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

Gazette:

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

Alan Rickman

Gazette:

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

Dan Haggerty

Gazette:

"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 

Gazette:

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

Abe Vigoda

Gazette:

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

Paul Kantner

Gazette:

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

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

Sir Terry Wogan

Gazette:

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

February

Maurice White 

Gazette:

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

Dan Hicks

Gazette:

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 

Gazette:

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

George Kennedy

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

March

Tony Warren

Gazette:

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

Gazette:

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 Daniels 

Gazette:

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

Keith Emerson

Gazette:

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

Denise Robertson 

Gazette:

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

Sylvia Anderson

Gazette:

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

Frank Sinatra Jr.

Gazette:

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

Gazette:

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

Garry Shandling

Gazette:

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

Jim Harrison

"Legends of the Fall" author, died aged 78.

Patty Duke

Gazette:

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

Gazette:

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

Ronnie Corbett

Gazette:

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

April

David Gest

Gazette:

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

Doris Roberts 

Gazette:

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

Victoria Wood

Gazette:

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

Chyna

Gazette:

WWE star, whose real name was Joan Marie Laurer, was one of the most popular female professional wrestlers in the late 1990s, died at 45.

Prince

Gazette:

Singer and songwriter, best known for the soundtracks to Batman and hit songs like Kiss and Purple Rain, died at 57 after collapsing at his home in Minnesota.