Notable Deaths 2012

Soul%20Train%20creator%20Don%20Cornelius%20was%20found%20dead%20in%20his%20Sherman%20Oaks%20home%20on%20Feb.%201%2C%202012.%20He%20was%2075.%20%28credit%3A%20Stephen%20Shugerman%2FGetty%20Images%29

Robert%20Hegyes%2C%20the%20actor%20best%20known%20for%20playing%20Jewish%20Puerto%20Rican%20student%20Juan%20Epstein%20on%20the%201970s%20TV%20show%20%26%238220%3BWelcome%20Back%20Kotter%26%238221%3B%20died%20Jan.%2027.%20He%20was%2060.%20%28credit%3A%20IMDB%29

Joe%20Paterno%2C%20who%20racked%20up%20more%20wins%20than%20anyone%20else%20in%20major%20college%20football%20but%20was%20fired%20from%20Penn%20State%20amid%20a%20child%20sex%20abuse%20scandal%20died%20Jan%2022.%20He%20was%2085.%20%28credit%3A%20Hunter%20Martin%2FGetty%20Images%29

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Jimmy%20Castor%2C%20a%20New%20York%20funk%20and%20soul%20saxophonist%2C%20singer%20and%20songwriter%20whose%20tune%2C%20%26%238220%3BIt%26%238217%3Bs%20Just%20Begun%2C%26%238221%3B%20morphed%20over%2040%20years%20into%20an%20anthem%20for%20generations%20of%20hip-hoppers%20and%20mainstream%20musical%20acts%2C%20died%20of%20apparent%20heart%20failure%20in%20a%20Las%20Vegas%20hospital%20Jan.%2017.%20He%20was%2071.%20%28credit%3A%20Jimmycastor.com%29

Mel%20Goldstein%2C%20a%20popular%20and%20folksy%20weather%20forecaster%20on%20Connecticut%26%238217%3Bs%20WTNH-TV%20and%20a%20former%20professor%20of%20meteorology%20at%20Western%20Connecticut%20State%20University%2C%20died%20Jan.%2018%20following%20a%20long%20battle%20with%20multiple%20myeloma.%20He%20was%2066.%20%28credit%3A%20WTNH.com%29

Johnny%20Otis%2C%20who%20made%20the%20R%26amp%3BB%20classic%20%26%238220%3BWillie%20and%20the%20Hand%20Jive%26%238221%3B%20and%20evangelized%20black%20music%20to%20white%20audiences%20as%20a%20bandleader%20and%20radio%20host%2C%20died%20Jan.%2017%20in%20California%20at%20age%2090.%20%28credit%3A%20Johnnyotisworld.com%29

Canadian%20freestyle%20skier%20Sarah%20Burke%20died%20Jan.%2019%2C%20nine%20days%20after%20crashing%20at%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20superpipe%20during%20a%20training%20run%20in%20Utah.%20She%20was%2029.%20%28Photo%20credit%3A%20JEAN-PIERRE%20CLATOT%2FAFP%2FGetty%20Images%29

Etta%20James%2C%20the%20feisty%20R%26amp%3BB%20singer%20whose%20raw%2C%20passionate%20vocals%20anchored%20many%20hits%20and%20made%20the%20yearning%20ballad%20%26%238220%3BAt%20Last%26%238221%3B%20an%20enduring%20anthem%20for%20weddings%2C%20commercials%20and%20even%20President%20Obama%2C%20died%20Friday%2C%20Jan.%2020.%20She%20was%2073.%20%28credit%3A%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29