ENNIO MORRICONE

Laura Pausini was so emotionally affected by the pandemic last year that she even thought she would never sing again.

The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.

This image released by Hulu shows activist Greta Thunberg, center, in a scene from the documentary "I Am Greta" the story of Thunberg, the teenage Swedish schoolgirl who is leading the global school strike for action on climate change. The film premieres Friday on Hulu. (Hulu via AP)

This image released by Hulu shows activist Greta Thunberg, center, in a scene from the documentary "I Am Greta" the story of Thunberg, the teenage Swedish schoolgirl who is leading the global school strike for action on climate change. (Hulu via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES— When Greta Thunberg began protesting outside Swedish Parliament two years ago, it only took days for director Nathan Grossman to start trailing her in her mission to prod government leaders on the climate crisis. “I Am Greta,” which premieres Friday on Hulu, documents the enormous movement fueled by Thunberg’s one-person school strike, and a few very surreal years for the Swedish teenager. — After releasing two chart-topping albums in 2017, superstar country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton is back with a new collection of songs coming out Friday.

Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone, who left an indelible musical imprint on film genres as varied as "spaghetti westerns" and epic gangster dramas, died on Monday in Rome at the age of 91. Click on the video players below to hear samples from some of the composer's most impressive film scores. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The opening title music is vintage Morricone, complete with harmonica and driving strings, but the end titles music is wonderfully, brass-fully heroic, mirroring the indefatigable crimefighter who (spoiler alert!) "The Hateful Eight" (2015)In 2007 Morricone was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his "magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music."

Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who created the coyote-howl theme for the iconic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and the soundtracks of classic Hollywood gangster movies such as The Untouchables has died. That Tarantino film would also win him the Oscar for best original score in 2016. In accepting that Academy Award, Morricone told the audience at the ceremony, "There is no great music without a great film that inspires it." His iconic so-called Spaghetti Western movies saw him work closely with the late Italian film director Sergio Leone. RELATED CONTENT:Nick Cordero, Broadway Actor, Dead at 41 After Coronavirus BattleEarl Cameron, 'Doctor Who' and 'James Bond' Actor, Dead at 102Carl Reiner, Actor and 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' Creator, Dead at 98