Some of our favorite actors, composers, writers, musicians, and athletes have died from kidney disease—many of them, far too soon. The story of Mozart’s death is a fascinating medical mystery, explored in our recent blog post.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer, died 1791 most likely from kidney failure
Emily Dickinson, poet, died 1886 of Bright’s disease
Sarah Bernhardt, actress, died 1923 of kidney failure
Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild West show entertainer, died 1917 of kidney failure
Jean Harlow, actress, died 1937 of kidney failure and uremic poisoning
Cole Porter, composer, died 1964 of kidney failure
Edgar Bergen, ventriloquist, died 1978 of kidney diease
Dexter Gordon, jazz musician, died 1990 of cancer and kidney failure
Marlene Dietrich, actress, died 1992 of kidney failure
Erma Bombeck, columnist and writer, died 1996 of PKD and transplant complications
James A. Michener, author, died 1997 of kidney failure
Shirley Hemphill, actress, died 1999 of kidney failure
Ronald Townson, singer, died 2001 of diabetes-related kidney failure
Barry White, singer, died 2003 of kidney failure
Julia Child, chef, died 2004 of kidney failure
Billy Preston, singer, died 2006 of kidney failure
Norman Mailer, author, died 2007 of acute kidney failure
Oscar Peterson, jazz musician, died 2007 of kidney failure
Art Buchwald, columnist and writer, died 2007 of kidney failure and diabetes
Bobby Fischer, chess master, died 2008 of kidney failure
Ivan Dixon, actor, died 2008 of kidney failure
Manute Bol, basketball player, died 2010 of acute kidney failure
Gary Coleman, actor, died 2010 of FSGS
Ernest Borgnine, actor, died 2012 of kidney failure
Alex Karras, actor and football player, died 2012 of kidney failure
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Let’s wipe out kidney disease together!