Like you didn't know by now, but Anna Nicole Smith is among the deceased.

Am I surprised? Well, she was only 39. On the other hand, my good friend J noted to me a week ago that she had a specific, detailed dream that Anna Nicole had died. As freaky as that sounds, perhaps subconsciously it reflects just how fragile we figured the model's life was.

While she was no Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn, with all due respect, had talent), Anna Nicole was still a figure with whom many folks could at least sympathize. Furthermore, in an age of models starving themselves to look "good" for the industry, the Texas beauty was an eater.

But, are we shocked? Saddened? Umm, not particularly. Like other celebrities who live turbulent lives, the individual's demise is somewhat expected. We find ourselves questioning, "Wow. How did she actually survive this long?"

On the other hand, Anna Nicole's value as a symbol of American pop culture is legitimate. From a fried-chicken palace worker to exotic dancer to Playboy Playmate to widow of some old rich guy to a reality show maven to the butt of jokes about the drug-induced to celebrity martyr, Anna Nicole's wild ride was ours.

Somehow, she made us all feel damned normal. Not that she meant to and not that this, in and of itself, lends real cultural value to our lives; however, it's all sort of an appropriate eulogy for somebody who, in this day and age, is about as close to Marilyn as we'll see.

Now, for some celebrity death shockers, I present my Top 5 shocking (and indeed truly saddening) celebrity deaths of my lifetime, in order. I should note that, for me, Elvis doesn't count. I was 7 when he died, and as an artist, the guy never meant a thing to me, one way or the other. Heck, I was considerably sadder about Thurman Munson's death in 1979, which I consider to be the first shocking celebrity death of my lifetime.

1. Princess Diana. I'll never forget being at Razoo's in Richardson, Texas, eating dinner with friends only to come home and see a British flag on the television screen with sounds of "God Save The Queen" playing. Eerie. Very somber and stunning.


2. John Lennon. I watched Monday Night Football the night Howard Cosell made his infamous announcement. While Elvis might register higher on most lists, I think Lennon's death is the most significant "surprising" or "shocking" music-related celebrity death in my lifetime by a mile.


3. Phil Hartman. If ever there was a place called Hell or in Hell for any person, it's for his wife. Hartman was absolutely beloved, and only did the public realize it and acknowledge it after he died. My absolute favorite Phil Hartman moment was a scene from "News Radio" in which he was smoking and playing a piano in the radio station's elevator. Don't remember all the details but it was terribly funny.


4. Stevie Ray Vaughn. For my taste, he's the greatest guitar player who ever lived. The right mix of blues, rock-n-roll and soul, Vaughn's work didn't register with me until my 20s. But, when it did, it really did. Now, I'd add George Benson and Charlie Byrd and Prince to my list of favorites, but Vaughn was the master.


5. John Ritter. I don't know anybody from my generation who wasn't at least a bit bummed out for like two or three days over Ritter's death. It was a surprise, although it shouldn't have been given his family's history of heart trouble. However, Jimmy Kimmel himself got all choked up when talking about the guy days later, and I have always respected him for that in an odd way. Ritter was one of the good guys in entertainment.