These actors and musicians all called the Garden State home at some point in their lives. Though they have passed, their work and spirits endure.
Uncle Floyd Vivino
1951-January 22, 2026
The Paterson-born comedian hosted The Uncle Floyd Show (1974-1998), a quirky TV variety program that featured musical guests, puppetry and his own piano playing. In 1999, he set the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous piano session: 24 hours and 15 minutes. Jon Bon Jovi posted an online tribute to Vivino, thanking him for being the first to “[give] me a shot on his show…before anyone,” he wrote alongside a video clip of the footage, adding “Rest easy my friend.”
“Produce Pete” Napolitano
1945-January 26, 2026
The beloved WNBC fixture and lifelong New Jerseyan died at 80 years old following health complications. Born in Bergenfield, he was known across the tri-state area for his popular “Produce Pete” food segment that aired on NBC 4 New York for 33 years, where he’d talk about his favorite in-season fruits and veggies. For several years, he also wrote a column for New Jersey Monthly alongside his friend and collaborator Susan Bloom.
Billy Bass Nelson
1951-January 31, 2026
Plainfield native William “Billy Bass” Nelson was the original bassist for the funk-rock band Funkadelic. He met the band’s future leader, George Clinton, as a teen while singing, dancing and sweeping at Clinton’s Newark barbershop, Supreme. He coined the band’s name and contributed significantly to its first three albums. After a financial dispute with Clinton that led to his departure in 1971, Nelson went on to play with such other groups and artists as the Temptations, the Commodores, Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
James Van Der Beek
1977-February 11, 2026
The Dawson’s Creek star, who attended Drew University in Madison, died following a battle with colorectal cancer. He was 48 years old. The actor left behind his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. Although Van Der Beek grew up in Connecticut, he lived in New Jersey for college before leaving in 1998 when he got the role of a lifetime on what would become one of the biggest teen dramas of all time. In May 2024, just months before he publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis, Van Der Beek accepted an honorary degree from Drew and spoke at commencement, telling graduates, “May you approach [the future] with openness, presence, awareness, optimism and a healthy sense of awe. After all, unpredictability opens up a world of possibility.”
Nicky Addeo
1943-June 6, 2026
The Newark-born, Asbury Park-raised singer is known for his falsetto and his contributions to the Sound of Asbury Park, which have been recognized by both Bruce Springsteen and Danny DeVito. “He was a staple of New Jersey and the Jersey Shore, and a wonderful musician with a golden voice, a beautiful voice, and he meant a lot to everybody who passed through, from all the people in the E Street Band, Southside Johnny, and all the folks that were making their way in the early days,” DeVito told NJM of his “dear friend” a few months after Addeo’s death. “Nicky was there with them, in some way or another.”
