(NEXSTAR) — The number of coronavirus infections around the world has reached more than 700 thousand as the virus continues to spread.
As of March 29, the pandemic has resulted in more than 33,000 deaths globally, with celebrities and other well-known names among them.
Here are some of the famous people lost to the virus:
John Prine
Singer-songwriter John Prine has died at 73. His family announced his death on Tuesday night. Revered for his wise and witty lyrics, he sang with a proud twang in “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There” and scores of other quirky original tunes. Prine’s voice was rough around the edges, particularly after throat cancer disfigured his jaw, but he kept performing for decades. He won admiration and respect from the likes of Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson, and mentored generations of singers in Nashville. His characters were common people, facing the simple indignities, absurdities or pleasures of life.
Ellis Marsalis Jr.
Ellis Marsalis Jr., the jazz pianist, teacher and patriarch of a New Orleans musical clan, has died after battling pneumonia brought on by the new coronavirus, one of his six sons confirmed. He was 85. “Pneumonia was the actual thing that caused his demise. But it was pneumonia brought on by COVID-19,” Ellis Marsalis III confirmed in an Associated Press phone interview.
Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger, the co-founder of pop-rock band Fountains of Wayne and an Oscar-nominated songwriter, has died from complications related to coronavirus. He was 52.
Schlesinger’s band, which was co-founded with Chris Collingwood, was best known for its 2003 hit “Stacy’s Mom,” a humorous track about a young boy who has a crush on his friend’s mother. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Andrew Jack
“Star Wars” actor and dialect coach Andrew Jack died at 76 after contracting COVID-19. Jack died Tuesday at a hospital in Surrey, England, the BBC reports. Jack’s agent, Jill McCullough, said he hadn’t been able to see his wife before he died because she was under quarantine in Australia.
Jack appeared in “The Last Jedi” and the “Force Awakens,” along with more than ten television series, but he was also well known in Hollywood for his work on dozens of blockbuster films as a dialect coach.
His credits as a dialect coach include “Avengers: Endgame,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Alien vs. Predator,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” among many others.
Terrance McNally
Terrence McNally, an American playwright whose career included winning Tony Awards for the plays “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and “Master Class” and the musicals “Ragtime” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” died of complications from COVID-19. He was 81. McNally was a lung cancer survivor who lived with chronic inflammatory lung disease.
Actor Mark Blum
Mark Blum, an actor known for his roles in the films “Desperately Seeking Susan” and “Crocodile Dundee,” as well as the recent TV series “You,” died due to complications from the coronavirus. He was 69.
Floyd Cardoz
Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters,” died of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59. Cardoz, who operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, had traveled from Mumbai to New York through Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8.
Joe Diffie
WKRN-TV reported the death of country singer Joe Diffie due to COVID-19.
The Grand Ole Opry member and Grammy winner is known for his hits in the ’90s including, “Honky Tonk Attitude,” “Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox,” “John Deere Green,” “Third Rock From The Sun” and “Pickup Man.”
Alan Merrill
Famed guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Alan Merrill has died due to complications from the coronavirus, ET reported. The 69-year-old was best known for writing the hit song, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” His daughter Laura Merrill said on Facebook: ” The Coronavirus took my father this morning. I was given 2 minutes to say my goodbyes before I was rushed out.”
CNN contributed to this report.
