Mel Judson

It may seem ironic, but whether you’re saying good bye to a celebrity or to a member of your own family, being present for the funeral is one of the best ways to begin the healing process through mourning. It can serve as a way for family and friends of the deceased to find closure. There have been many celebrity open casket funerals, though the reasoning for them is not always known.

It may seem morbid or gruesome to look at these celebrity death photos. However, some may do it as a way to say good bye to fans, while others may have wanted to make a final statement, even after they’d passed. This list of celebrity open casket funerals is not for the faint of heart, but these final images – and the stories behind them – are often important to remember. These are real photos, so if you are a bit weary about dead people, namely, celebrities in caskets, you might want to check out this list of celebrity last words instead.

Pictures of dead celebrities can be hard to look at, but remember the good reasons behind open caskets. Many of these celebrities probably wanted the many fans who loved them to be able to say farewell. In lieu of a final message, fans and loved ones can take a moment to look at or pay their respects to the body.

Even if you simply came to this list to learn more about the final moments of your favorite celeb, you may find a bit of closure as well, but keep in mind that photos of dead bodies are sometimes difficult to see.

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• Bruce Lee

Photo: Bruce Lee – The Legend

In 1973, Lee died of cerebral edema after completing his final film, Enter the Dragon, in Hong Kong. Before he was flown back to Seattle to be buried, a public mourning was held for his fans, and close to 20,000 people attended a public viewing of his body.

o Age: Dec. at 32 (1940-1973)

o Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA

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• • Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo: Keystone / Getty Images

After the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his body was laid in an open casket in Atlanta on April 9, where over 1,000 mourners came to pay their respects to the civil rights leader.

While the body lay in state in Memphis days earlier, the wound in King’s neck was still visible, and many mourners reportedly kissed and touched King’s face.

• Age: Dec. at 39 (1929-1968)

• Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America

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• • James Brown

Photo: Everett Collection / Shutterstock

In 2006, a number of celebrities, including Michael Jackson, paid their respects to James Brown at his funeral. Jackson was just one of the thousands who gathered around Brown’s 24-karat gold coffin.

• Age: Dec. at 73 (1933-2006)

• Birthplace: Barnwell, South Carolina, United States of America

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• • Grace Kelly

Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images

After suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while driving through the hills of Monaco, Grace Kelly died in a car crash and was committed to her final resting place in the Grimaldi family vault. Kelly, also known as Princess Grace of Monaco, drew film stars and royalty to her funeral in Monaco’s St. Nicholas Cathedral.

• Age: Dec. at 52 (1929-1982)

• Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

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• • Hank Williams

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

After dying from a mixture of alcohol and morphine, Hank Williams was laid to rest in Montgomery, Alabama, in front of over 2,000 mourners. His body was shown in Montgomery, AL, where the famous photos of the country legend in his casket were taken.

• Age: Dec. at 29 (1923-1953)

• Birthplace: Contiguous United States, Butler County, United States of America, United States, with Territories

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• • Marvin Gaye

Photo: Kypros / Getty Images

Marvin Gaye’s career was cut short when he was shot by his own father on April 1, 1984. His funeral was held at the Forest Lawn Cemetery and reportedly drew many of his fellow performers.

• Age: Dec. at 44 (1939-1984)

• Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States of America

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• • Mother Teresa

Photo: Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images

Mother Teresa’s passing was regarded as the end of an era, not only by people of faith, but also by the millions she inspired. Mourners paid their respects as her body passed through Calcutta on its way to the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

• Age: Dec. at 87 (1910-1997)

• Birthplace: Skopje, Yugoslavia

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• • Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

Photo: Cornell Capa / Getty Images

Bill Robinson may have been the most prominent African American performers of the early 20th century. He died at the age of 71 from heart failure, and his funeral arrangements were made by none other than Ed Sullivan, and thousands filed past his casket to pay their respects.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (May 25, 1877 – November 25, 1949) was an American tap dancer and actor, the best known and most highly paid African-American entertainer in America during the first half of the twentieth century. His long career mirrored changes in American entertainment tastes and technology. His began in the age of minstrel shows and moved to Vaudeville, Broadway theatre, the recording industry, Hollywood films, radio and television. According to dance critic Marshall Stearns, “Robinson’s contribution to tap dance is exact and specific. He brought it up on its toes, dancing upright and swinging”, giving tap dancing a “hitherto-unknown lightness and presence.” His signature …more

• Age: Dec. at 71 (1878-1949)

• Birthplace: USA, Virginia, Richmond, Jackson Ward

• • Abraham Lincoln

Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images

After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, his body was taken on a five-state tour via train. His body was viewed in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before he was finally buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, just outside of Springfield, Illinois.

• Age: Dec. at 56 (1809-1865)

• Birthplace: Kentucky, Hodgenville, United States of America, United States, with Territories

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• • Etta James

Photo: Anna Cusack / Getty Images

When Etta James passed in 2012, her body was displayed in an open casket – much to the chagrin of people on the Internet. Photographer Anne Cusack said she put her camera away once a no photos request was made, but later resumed when it became clear that request was made for members of the public using personal cameras.

• Age: Dec. at 73 (1938-2012)

• Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA

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• Eva Perón

Photo: Keystone / Getty Images

After Eva Perón’s death in 1952, two million Argentinians paid tribute to their first lady, but then her body went into hiding for nearly 20 years. Always moving, and crushed into a small casket, the body was once again put on display in the 70s before being placed into her family’s mausoleum.

• Age: Dec. at 33 (1919-1952)

• Birthplace: Los Toldos, Argentina

• • Jesse James

Photo: Library of Congress / No known restrictions on publication.

Jesse James, one of history’s most famous outlaws, was murdered in 1882, and his death inspired a variety of rumors. His mother reportedly charged people a quarter to take a pebble from his grave, and there were even whispers that James faked his own death.

After James was murdered, his body was displayed at Sidenfaden’s Funeral Parlor in Saint Joseph, Missouri, where photos were taken.

• Age: Dec. at 34 (1847-1882)

• Birthplace: Kearney, Missouri

• • Emmett Till

Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images

Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American, was lynched after being accused of flirting with a white woman, an accusation we now know was false. His mother insisted on an open casket funeral to show the world the depths that racial injustice had reached.

Till’s body was so badly disfigured that he was only recognizable by the initials on a ring that he was wearing. The Chicago-Sun Times ran a series of photos of the open casket service.

• Age: Dec. at 14 (1941-1955)

• Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois

• • Nelson Mandela

Photo: AFP / Getty Images

When former South African President Nelson Mandela passed away in 2013, his mourners included foreign dignitaries, presidents, and thousands of members of Mandela’s community. Mourners were allowed to pass the casket and pay their private respects to the anti-apartheid revolutionary.

The only photos of the casket that exist show his body barely visible through a glass lid, guarded by members of the military.

• Age: Dec. at 95 (1918-2013)

• Birthplace: Mvezo, South Africa

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• • Vladimir Lenin

Photo: Georges DeKeerle / Getty Images

Vladimir Lenin might have had the most famous open casket funeral in recent memory. In fact, his body is still on display at the Lenin Mausoleum, although there has been debate about removing the body from public viewing.

• Age: Dec. at 53 (1870-1924)

• Birthplace: Ulyanovsk, Russia

• • Boris Yeltsin

Photo: ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO / Getty Images

In 2007, Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, passed away and was given an open casket service that was attended by a variety of world leaders.

• Age: Dec. at 76 (1931-2007)

• Birthplace: Butka, Russia, Russia

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