Notable deaths of 2012 (39 images)

Singer Fontella Bass, shown in this November 2002 file photo, has died of a heart attack at the age of 72, in St. Louis on December 26, 2012. It was announced on December 27, 2012. Bass, who sang soul, R&B and pop, was accociated with Mary Wells, Dionne Warwick and the Supremes. Bass is best known for her hit "Rescue Me." UPI/Wiley Price.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during World War II, died December 17. He was 88. The senator is pictured here with wife for the "Stella By Starlight" Gala at the Players Club in New York on May 20, 2012. UPI /Laura Cavanaugh

The virtuoso who popularized the Sitar around the world and had worked with the Beatles died at age 92 in California, days after heart surgery on December 12. (UPI Photo/Heinz Ruckemann)

Former astronaut and national hero Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, died at age 82, on Aug. 25. Armstrong died following complications from cardiovascular procedures. NASA/UPI