3 American LEGENDS Who DIED TODAY!

Welcome back to the latest video on the USA Celebrity Legacy channel.

In the past 24 hours, we’ve received sad news about the passing of some extraordinary talents.

In today’s episode, we dedicate this time to honor their memories and celebrate the legacies of these remarkable individuals.

Before we begin, we kindly ask for your support.

If this video or their legacy has touched your life, please give it a like as a sign of respect.

Thank you.

K. Arthur, beloved Bible teacher, author, and co-founder of Precept Ministries International, passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 at the age of 91.

The news of her passing was announced by Precept Ministries on their official social media pages where they thanked God for her life and legacy.

While no specific cause of death was given, Arthur‘s final years were marked by a graceful withdrawal from public life following decades of faithful ministry.

Born in 1933, KA Arthur‘s journey of faith was not a straight path.

After a troubled first marriage and a season of spiritual rebellion, she embraced Christianity fully in 1963.

Two years later, she married Jack Arthur and together they launched what began as a home Bible study and later grew into Precept Ministries International.

From their base in Tennessee, they taught millions how to study scripture for themselves using the inductive method, a structured lineby-line approach that became a hallmark of Kay‘s teaching.

Over the decades, Kay authored more than 100 books and Bible study guides, many of which are still used in churches and small groups today.

Her radio program, Precepts for Life, reached more than 75 million households, earning her widespread respect across Christian communities.

Her teachings emphasized not just knowledge, but transformation through scripture.

Throughout her life, K. Arthur received numerous honors for her ministry work.

She was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2011.

Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Christian Women and Media Association in 2012 and most recently was honored with the Pillar Award by the Museum of the Bible on her 90th birthday.

“There’s one thing that’s my life, and that’s the word of God,” she said during the 2023 ceremony, expressing humility even in celebration.

Kay is survived by her children and many spiritual sons and daughters around the world who were impacted by her teaching.

While her voice may now be silent, her lessons continue in study groups, church classrooms, and quiet moments of scripture reading.

As precept ministries encouraged, many now give thanks for the life of a woman who spent her days helping others discover truth for themselves, one verse at a time.

Jim Ersce, longtime owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, passed in his sleep on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 in Los Angeles.

He was 65.

His passing was announced by Colts chief operating officer, Pete Ward, though no official cause was disclosed.

Ers had experienced various health challenges in recent years, including hip surgery and struggles with alcohol addiction.

Despite these setbacks, he remained deeply engaged with the team and the NFL community until the end of his life.

Born on June 13th, 1959 in Lincolnwood, Illinois, Ers grew up in a football- centered household.

His father, Robert Ers, purchased the Colts in 1972, eventually relocating the team from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984.

Jim Ers joined the organization early, working in the front office by age 22 and becoming general manager by 24.

After his father’s passing in 1997, he became the sole owner of the Colts and the youngest to hold that title in the league at the time.

Under his leadership, the Colts reached new heights.

He hired general manager Bill Polon and drafted quarterback Pton Manning in 1998.

Decisions that helped transform the franchise into one of the league’s most successful during the 2000s.

The team won Super Bowl XLI in the 2006 season, giving Ears the success his father had never quite reached.

Beyond football, Ers was known for his outspoken nature, musical passions, and growing mental health advocacy, his massive memorabilia collection, which included historic sports and music items, toured the country, and free public exhibits.

It’s about human beings being as great as they can, once said.

While his personal life included public struggles, including a 2014 arrest, he remained committed to transparency and used his platform to promote recovery and support mental wellness initiatives.

Jim Ers is survived by his three daughters, Carly Ers Gordon, Casey Fo, and Kalin Jackson, and by seven grandchildren.

His impact on the Colts, the NFL, and the broader Indianapolis community was substantial.

In remembering Ers, Colt COO Pete Ward noted, “Jim was passionate, generous, and loyal to his team and his city.

He didn’t just run a franchise, he lived and breathed it.

Through both triumph and turbulence, Ers‘s legacy endures in the team he helped shape and the people he never stopped trying to inspire.

Rosanna Norton, the Oscar nominated costume designer whose work helped define films like Tron and Carrie, passed of cancer on May 7th, 20125 at her home in Los Angeles.

She was 80.

Her passing was confirmed by the Costume Designers Guild and reported by Variety.

Known for her distinct eye and resourceful creativity, Norton contributed to more than 50 films over the course of a career that spanned four decades.

Her death marks the loss of a pioneering figure whose work quietly shaped the way generations of moviegoers remember characters.

 

Norton‘s early career included collaborations with acclaimed directors such as Terrence Malik and Brian Dealma.

For Malik‘s Badlands, 1973, she crafted a minimalist grounded aesthetic.

But it was Depalma‘s Carry 1976 that brought her widespread attention.

In a later interview, Norton recalled the challenge of working with almost no budget.

Most of the prom outfits were purchased from a closing store in the valley.

Her ability to design for both fantasy and realism made Norton a sought-after talent.

She was nominated for an Academy Award in 1983 for her work on Tron, sharing the honor with Elois Jensen.

The film’s costumes, complex in their design and groundbreaking in their integration with early computerenerated effects, pushed the boundaries of what costume design could do in science fiction.

She also contributed to a range of other films, including Airplane, The Stuntman, The Brady Bunch Movie, Robocop 2, Casper, The Flintstones, and The BBS.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Norton studied at UCLA where she met her future husband, filmmaker Bill Norton.

She served as both production and costume designer on his 1972 film Cisco Pike.

She joined the costume designers guild in 1975 and remained active in mentoring younger designers, offering guidance and support throughout her later years.

After retiring from film work, Norton returned to her first artistic passion, painting.

Despite her retreat from Hollywood, her legacy lived on through the costumes that continue to shape how we see some of cinema’s most memorable characters.

She survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Her passing leaves a quiet but deeply felt absence in the world of film design.

Her work, like the characters she dressed, lives on.

Joe Don Baker, the Texas born actor best remembered for his iconic role in Walking Tall and multiple appearances in the James Bond franchise, passed on May 7th, 2025 at the age of 89.

His passing was confirmed in an obituary that noted he passed away surrounded by a close circle of friends.

No cause of death was listed.

A funeral service is scheduled for May 20th in Mission Hills, California.

Baker is survived by extended family in his hometown of Grosbeck, Texas, who continued to honor his memory.

Born on February 12th, 1936, Baker served in the US Army before pursuing acting, eventually studying theater in New York.

He began his career in television with a 1965 role in Iron Horse and made his film debut uncredited in Coolhand Luke 1967.

His breakout came in 1973 when he starred as Buford Pusser, a real life sheriff in the gritty action film Walking Tall, a role that solidified his place in Hollywood’s tough guy tradition.

Baker enjoyed a long and varied career in film and television.

He played memorable roles in three James Bond films, The Living Daylights, 1987, Golden Eye, 1995, and Tomorrow Never Dies 1997, and appeared in major films like The Natural, Fletch, Cape Fear, and Mars Attacks.

On television, he was seen in Edge of Darkness, In the Heat of the Night, and Eyeshide, as well as guest spots on shows like Gunsmoke and Lancer.

Though he retired from acting in 2012, Baker‘s final screen appearance in the film Mud was recognized with the Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Colleagues praised him for his natural presence and ability to bring grounded authority to every role.

Joe had a way of making you believe in the man behind the badge or the suit, a former co-star recalled.

He brought a quiet weight to everything he did.

Baker was married once to Marlo Baker from 1969 until their divorce in 1980.

They had no children.

Despite his fame, those who knew him say he valued privacy and preferred simple pleasures over spotlight.

He will be remembered not only for the physical strength he portrayed on screen, but for the understated strength of character he carried off screen with grace, humility, and loyalty to his craft.

Richard Wernerick, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and longtime educator at the University of Pennsylvania, passed on April 25th, 2025 at his home in Hford, Pennsylvania.

He was 91.

His son, Adam Wernernick, confirmed his passing, citing age- related causes.

Known for his bold, chromatic style and intellectual depth, Wernernick left behind a legacy of powerful music and influential mentorship.

Born in Newton, Massachusetts in 1934, Wernernick began studying piano at age 11 and developed an early fascination with both classical and contemporary forms.

He studied at Brandeise University with Irving Fine and Harold Shapiro and later earned a master’s degree from Mills College.

He also spent formative summers at Tanglewood where he worked with legendary composers such as Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.

His career began with composing for ballet and television.

But by the late 1960s, he had settled into a deeply influential role in academia.

Recruited to the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 by George Crumb, Wernernick served as Irving Fine Professor of Music and conducted the Penn Contemporary Players for nearly three decades.

He mentored generations of composers, many of whom went on to successful careers.

He retired in 1996, but remained engaged with the musical community.

His music, often described as intellectually rigorous, embraced dissonance, multiple languages, and spiritual themes.

My music is not accessible.

Worick once said, “It’s tough.

It’s not a warm bath.”

His most recognized work, Visions of Terror and Wonder, earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1977.

Though it has never been commercially recorded, it was praised for its rich instrumentation and textual layering from sacred writings in multiple languages.

Vernick also received two Freedim Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Classical Recording Foundation’s Composer of the Year Award.

He composed works for major ensembles and premiered pieces with conductors like Ricardo Mouti and Leon Botstein.

 

Wernernick is survived by his wife Beatatric Msina whom he met at Tanglewood in the 1950s and two sons Adam and Lou.

A third son, Peter, passed away in 1986.

Friends and former students remember Worernick for his fierce musical convictions, subtle humor, and generous mentorship.

He challenged us to think harder and listen closer.

One former student shared, “As a composer and teacher, Wernernick leaves behind a body of work and a lineage of students that reflect a lifetime of dedication to music in all its depth and complexity.