Where These Famous '70s Stars Are Buried
They say death comes for us all, and that's true even for rich and famous celebrities, no matter how much money they throw away trying to stay young forever. As the decades roll by, stars that you've probably known about your whole life are aging, and eventually those icons pass on to whatever comes next.
But in this realm, their loved ones are left to bury the body. While many stars (and regular people) in this day and age choose to be cremated or one of a variety of other ways to disperse remains, plenty opt for good old-fashioned full-body burial. This means that after the star-studded funeral, there's a definite location that family, friends, and (sometimes) fans can go pay their respects.
Many celebs, as you'd expect, have their final resting place in California. But others chose something a bit different. Whether you're just a curious fan or planning a road trip to visit the remains of the famous, let's look at the celebrated lives, final sendoffs, and eternal resting places of these '70s stars.
Burt Reynolds
In 1972, Burt Reynolds posed nude as the first ever male centerfold for Cosmopolitan magazine, and from that moment on, the '70s basically belonged to him. The decade would see him star in classic films like "Deliverance," "The Longest Yard," and "Smokey and the Bandit."
Reynolds died on September 6, 2018. People reports that his funeral was a small, extremely private affair to which only immediate family members were invited. But a few days before, there was a memorial for the actor that some of his famous friends attended, including, for some reason, Vanilla Ice. After the memorial, the mourners decamped to a local bar, which was apparently exactly what Reynolds would have wanted. An unnamed source told People, "Burt was a real person and he loved these kinds of casual watering holes."
You might not have been part of the select few who attended his funeral or memorial, but you can still go see where Reynolds was laid to rest. According to Find a Grave, Burt Reynolds is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, in the Garden of Legends section. His grave is marked by a simple, flat, black stone carved with his name. Its subtlety, however, is undermined a bit by the large rectangular pillar topped with a bust of Reynolds in a cowboy hat that stands a few feet away, but you have to admit, there is probably no better way of memorializing the actor.
Farrah Fawcett
It wasn't legally required for teens in the 1970s to have Farrah Fawcett's iconic swimsuit poster on their wall, but it seems like most of them did anyway. That, and her role in the TV show "Charlie's Angels," catapulted Fawcett to stardom, and into many dreams of young men and women alike.
With so many adults having a nostalgic connection to Fawcett, her death on June 25, 2009 was big news ... for a few hours. An even bigger star who dominated the 1970s died the same day, but more on that later. According to CBS News, Fawcett died of anal cancer, aged 62. Celebs like Marla Maples, Garry Shandling, and Cheryl Tiegs attended her funeral, as did former "Charlie's Angels" co-star Kate Jackson. Fawcett's long-time partner, actor Ryan O'Neil was able to mourn her alongside their son Redmond, since a judge had given the latter permission to leave prison (where he was serving time for drug offenses) to attend his mother's funeral.
According to Find a Grave, Farrah Fawcett is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. Her headstone is a large but simple slab of marble with just her name. Two benches on either side allow mourners and other visitors to sit among the flora and remember the icon.
Michael Jackson
The news of Farrah Fawcett's death was almost immediately overshadowed, just hours later, by the breaking news that the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson had died aged just 50.
His memorial service would be a circus. NPR reported that hundreds of thousands of people were expected to show up, even though the Staples Center, where it was held, couldn't hold anywhere near that many mourners. (It held 20,000 people, 17,500 of whom were fans who had been selected for free tickets out of the 1.6 million who applied.) Millions more watched on TV. Berry Gordy, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Stevie Wonder gave eulogies. Mariah Carey performed. But perhaps the most moving moment of the 2-hour ceremony was when Paris Jackson, who was just 11 and had been kept out of the public eye, honored her father: "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said. "And I just want to say I love him so much."
According to Find a Grave, Michael Jackson is buried in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The gothic-style building has three stained glass windows that overlook his ornate marble tomb. Unfortunately, for any fans or looky-loos who might want to stop by, the mausoleum (which is the final resting place of dozens of other people as well, including Elizabeth Taylor) is not open to the general public.
Donna Summer
You can't think of the 1970s without thinking of disco, and you can't think of disco without thinking of Donna Summer. She basically wrote the soundtrack to the second half of the decade and was dubbed the "Queen of Disco."
Summer died in 2012, aged 63, after a long battle with lung cancer, the BBC reported. While the funeral was private and no cameras were allowed, it's known that producer David Foster and singer Natalie Grant performed. Summer's four sisters also sang a gospel song together. There was no word on if disco beats were dropped at any point, although the producer of her hits "Love to Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love" was in attendance, so we can dream.
According to Find a Grave, Donna Summer is buried at the Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens in Nashville, Tennessee. Her burial place is semi-private, with trees and bushes and a gate marked with a gold "S" making a large diamond shape around her grave. The "S" is not for Summer, but Sudano, her married name. A large marble stone also bears the name Sudano, and in front of it is a flat double stone, the right side of which has Donna Summer's name and dates. The left side, which is currently blank, is presumably reserved for her widower Bruce Sudano when he eventually passes on.
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson was so good at playing one type of character that IMDb dubs him the "archetypal tough guy." Famous for movies like "The Great Escape" and "Death Wish," in 1971, Bronson won a special Golden Globe for being "the most popular actor in the world," according to his obituary on Legacy.
Bronson died in August 2003, aged 81, from pneumonia, after he'd been in the hospital for some time. Unfortunately for his fans, but probably much more preferable for his widow, six children, and two grandchildren, his funeral service was private.
His burial place, however, is open to the public, although it is a little bit out of the way. Rather than resting in California with so many of his peers, according to Find a Grave, Charles Bronson is buried at Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont. His grave is completely covered by a large flat stone, which has been etched with flowers and trees. It also includes the poem "Do not stand at my grave and weep," a popular reading at funerals that is attributed to Mary Elizabeth Fry, which ends with the lines, "Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there. I did not die." In order to make sure visitors can sit and cry instead, there is a wrought iron bench at the head of the stone.
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson's career spanned decades, but the 1970s saw her star in "Roots" as well as take on the roles of icons including Harriet Tubman and Coretta Scott King. After a very full life and career, Tyson died in January 2021, at the advanced age of 96.
KHOU 11 reported that hundreds of fans waited in a line that stretched for blocks to take part in the public viewing. Her funeral was attended by big names like Tyler Perry and the Clintons. "The ceremony was beautiful. It was very Cicely Tyson: It was formal, it was humorous, it was sad, it was glorious," said Larry Thompson, Tyson's manager.
According to Find a Grave, Cicely Tyson was laid to rest at one of the country's most beautiful burial grounds, Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. As of 2021, it's not clear what, if any, grave marker is in place. However, this might be because she died too recently for an ornate stone to be ready. It's possible her loved ones were inspired by the stone of Tyson's ex-husband, Miles Davis, who is buried in the same cemetery, under a massive slab of marble decorated with a carved piece of music and trumpet. Davis' friend, choreographer George Faison, who attended Tyson's funeral, thinks it's right they are so close in death. "Now they are joined together in heaven and I'm glad I was here to bid her a farewell," Faison said. "She was a wonderful woman."
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali might have come to prominence in the 1960s, but his comeback in the 1970s was what cemented him as "The Greatest." The Encyclopedia Britannica says the decade saw some of his most iconic fights, including "The Rumble in the Jungle." Ali died June 3, 2016, aged 74. At his star-studded funeral, his wife eulogized (via the BBC), "If Muhammad didn't like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his beliefs, his name were his to fashion, no matter what the cost."
According to Find a Grave, Muhammad Ali is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. Marking his gravesite is a massive sculptural black stone carved with "Ali" and the quote "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room in heaven." His actual grave is covered by a large flat stone, carved with the response he once gave an interviewer when asked "What would you like people to think about you when you've gone?" Ali replied that he'd want them to say:
"He took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter, one pinch of concern, and then, he mixed willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith, and he stirred it up well, then he spread it over a span of a lifetime, and he served to each and every deserving person he met."
Redd Foxx
Comedian Redd Foxx starred in the classic sitcom "Sanford and Son" from 1972-77. But while Foxx might have seen a lot of success, by the time he died in 1991 he didn't have a penny to his name, if Eddie Murphy is to be believed. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Murphy said, "I buried Redd Foxx. I literally had to bury Redd Foxx. I buried so many people over the years. For some strange reason, a lot of people in show business, when they die, they don't have their stuff in order. Buried a lot of famous people—if you only knew ... I physically had to pay for their stuff and bury them. Redd Foxx, I had to physically pay for his funeral, and buy his headstone, and do all that stuff."
According to Find a Grave, Redd Foxx is buried in the Devotion section of Palm Memorial Park in Las Vegas, Nevada. A stone's throw from the shade of a large tree is a small, flat stone. It would be easy to miss walking by, although a few adorable details might catch your eye. There's a stylized image of a fox's head, colored red, with the letters "R" and "F" incorporated in the design, as well as the epitaph "You are my [heart] always." Even though he died well before they were created, the heart is an emoji-like image, also colored red.
John Ritter
While he saw a career resurgence in the early 2000s, starring in the sitcom "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," John Ritter will always be remembered for the 70s classic "Three's Company." Ritter passed away suddenly in 2003, aged just 54, from a heart defect.
His funeral was elaborate and emotional, reports the Outsider. Ritter's widow told the gathered mourners, including famous names like Oscar winner Peter Bogdanovich, that they were there to "love [Ritter] out loud." This included a video tribute to the actor and a very surprising nod to his beloved alma mater USC. As director Marty Davidson later recalled, as the memorial was ending, "In came the start of what was a hundred-piece marching band from USC in full regalia. They got everybody — probably 200 people — on their feet and marching out on to Hollywood Boulevard with them holding up traffic and going across the street to a bowling alley."
According to Find a Grave, John Ritter is buried in the Court of Liberty section of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. His resting place is marked by a flat plaque, which includes an epitaph of the Beatles lyric "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make..."
Mary Tyler Moore
Star of stage and screen, Mary Tyler Moore was best known for her eponymous show which ran from 1970-77. After a long career, Moore died in 2017, aged 80. Her Connecticut funeral was private, so private that local news outlets had to get their information from a cop who'd worked security at it (via My News LA). "It was very quiet, a small group," Lt. James Perez said. "There was a brief service. It's a beautiful site that she's at. It's nice what the family did. It was a nice little send-off for her." He added that the only famous co-star of Moore's who attended was Bernadette Peters.
While celebrities might not have made the trip to be there, some fans did. The Connecticut Post interviewed one who drove halfway across the country hoping to be part of Moore's sendoff but was disappointed. "I didn't know [the funeral] was closed," said Debra Capperrune. "But it's OK. I wanted to come and give tribute. I had to get here."
According to Find a Grave, Mary Tyler Moore is buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut. Watched over by a sculpture of a pensive angel sitting on a pillar inscribed "Love is all around," her grave is fully covered by a flat stone which reads "After all... Her spirit a beacon, Her smile eternal, She made us better."
Telly Savalas
Who loves ya, baby? Well, if you are Telly Savalas, who played the lollipop-licking private eye "Kojak" in the 1970s and spouted that catchphrase, the answer is, a whole lot of people. Savalas had been fighting cancer and died in his sleep in 1994, one day after turning 70, reports Variety. His subsequent funeral was a who's who of Hollywood, with guests including Angie Dickinson, Nicollette Sheridan, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Sorbo, Sally Adams, Frank Sinatra, and Don Rickles. Some of his old "Kojak" co-stars came as well.
Friends and fans were asked not to send flowers, but instead to donate to a fund for the Northridge Earthquake victims. The massive quake, which the AP reports killed 72 people and injured 9,000 more, struck just five days before Savalas died. The money raised by this request undoubtedly helped a lot of people.
According to Find a Grave, Tell Savalas is buried in the Court of Liberty section of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. His Greek heritage is reflected on the plaque marking his grave, from the Greek Orthodox-style cross to the actor's middle name, Aristotle. Other great Greek philosophers are referenced too. The quote on his grave is attributed to Socrates by his student Plato in the latter's work "Apology" (via Time) and it is a fitting epitaph: "The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways — I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows."
Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono was one half of the iconic 1970s duo Sonny and Cher. While his career in music might not have taken off after their breakup the way Cher's did, Sonny switched his focus, running for office and served two terms in the U.S. House of Representative.
Sonny died in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998, aged 62. His funeral was held later that week, and Sonny's eclectic mix of careers meant it had a very weird combination of mourners, as the Washington Post explained: "Cher sat just in front of former president Gerald Ford; Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was across the aisle from '70s star Tony Orlando." The highlight of the funeral was Cher's eulogy of her ex-husband, where she compared him to the Reader's Digest feature on the "most unforgettable person." Cher said, "For me that person is Sonny Bono, no matter how long I live, or who I meet. That person will always be Sonny for me."
According to Find a Grave, Sonny Bono is buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. While his gravestone is small and understated, perhaps appropriate for a backbench politician, it also has a bit of flair to it you would expect from a performer. Sonny's name is not your standard block letters, but his florid signature. And his epitaph is a lyric taken from one of his own songs, reading "And the beat goes on."