Every date carries two doors.

Through one, people arrive and begin adding their voices to the human story.

Through the other, people leave, while something of what they gave us remains.

And August 16 carries an extraordinary collection of both.

Singer, performer and cultural icon whose career repeatedly reinvented the boundaries of popular music, fashion and celebrity.

Filmmaker behind Titanic and Avatar, known for combining enormous cinematic ambition with technological innovation.

Actor and comedian whose work ranges from the exquisitely awkward Michael Scott of The Office to dramatic film roles.

Acclaimed actress whose powerful performances have ranged across film, television and stage, including her celebrated portrayal of Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It.

Actress, dancer and singer forever associated with one particularly memorable set of feline ears: Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series.

Also sharing August 16 birthdays are Reginald VelJohnson, Kathie Lee Gifford, Taika Waititi, Tim Farriss, Vanessa Carlton, Cristin Milioti and Young Thug.

Quite a birthday table. 🎂

And then August 16 turns remarkably poignant.

1935–1977

The King of Rock and Roll died at Graceland at only 42, leaving behind one of the most recognizable voices and cultural legacies in popular music.

1942–2018

The Queen of Soul died at 76. Her voice, artistry and commanding interpretation of songs made her one of the defining singers of American music.

1895–1948

One of baseball's towering figures, the legendary Babe Ruth died at 53, having helped transform both the sport and the mythology surrounding its greatest stars.

1911–1938

The enormously influential blues musician died at just 27. His brief recorded legacy would echo through generations of blues and rock musicians.

1924–2007

A pioneering jazz drummer and major architect of bebop, Roach helped redefine what percussion could contribute to modern jazz.

1940–2019

Actor, writer and producer whose Easy Rider became one of the defining films of the American counterculture.

Also among those who died on August 16 was former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

There is something striking about today's ledger.

Madonna was born on August 16.

Elvis Presley died on August 16.

Two enormous figures from different eras of popular music, connected by nothing more than one little square on the calendar.

And beside them are Aretha Franklin, Robert Johnson and Max Roach.

Music arrives.

Music departs.

The music remains. 🎶

That may be the quiet wonder hidden inside Births & Passings.

A life has a beginning.

A life has an ending.

But influence doesn't necessarily obey either boundary.

🕯️ We celebrate those who arrived.
We remember those who departed.
And we notice the extraordinary things that happened in between.

August 16

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Births & Passings
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