HAGERSTOWN (CelebrityAccess) – The sports and entertainment industries said goodbye to some remarkable names in 2023. From beloved Friends actor Matthew Perry to cultural icon and singer/songwriter Tina Turner, CelebrityAccess (CA) remembers those we’ve lost this year.
This list is incomplete as it would be impossible to list every person who left us and do them justice based on their achievements, performances, or character. Still, CA wanted to celebrate the joy, fear, sadness, or nostalgia they made us feel once more. RIP.
In Memoriam 2023
January
Anita Pointer, 74, Member of Pointer Sisters. Jan. 1. Cancer.
Fred White, 67, Drummer for Earth, Wind and Fire with brothers Maurice and Verdine White. Jan. 1. Parkinson’s Disease.
Jeff Beck, 78, Guitar virtuoso of blues, jazz, and rock n’ roll. Jan. 10. Bacterial meningitis.
Lisa Marie Presley, 54, Singer/Songwriter and the only child of Elvis Presley. Jan. 12. Bariatric Surgery complications.
Robbie Knievel, 60, is an American stunt performer who set records following in the tracks of his father, Evel Knievel. Jan. 13. Pancreatic cancer.
Lloyd Morrisett, 93 – The co-creator of the beloved TV series Sesame Street, which used fuzzy monsters like Cookie Monster and Elmo to charm generations of children. Jan. 15. Natural causes.
David Crosby, 81, hippie musician superstar in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Jan. 18. COVID-19.
Cindy Williams, 75, A TV actress known for her role as Shirley in Laverne & Shirley. Jan. 25. Long illness.
Annie Wersching, 45, An actress known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the TV series 24 alongside Keifer Sunderland and voiced Tess in the video game The Last of Us. Jan. 29. Cancer.
February
Burt Bacharach, 94. The singularly gifted and famous composer delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” and dozens of other hits. Feb. 8. Natural causes.
David Jude Jolicoeur, 54. Widely known as Trugoy the Dove, he co-founded the Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul. Feb. 12. Congestive heart failure.
Raquel Welch, 82. Actress and International sex symbol in the 1960s and ’70s. Feb. 15. Cardiac arrest due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Richard Belzer, 78. Longtime stand-up comedian who became on of TV’s best detectives as John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU. Feb. 19. Circulatory and respiratory complications.
March
Tom Sizemore, 61. The Saving Private Ryan actor. Mar. 3. Heart failure caused by a brain aneurysm.
Wayne Shorter, 89. Influential jazz innovator whose jazz compositions and saxophone playing influenced more than half a century of American music. Mar. 2. Cause of death unknown.
Gary Rossington, 71. Co-founder and last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who helped write the classic answer song “Sweet Home Alabama” and played unforgettable slide guitar on the rock anthem “Free Bird.” Mar. 5. No cause of death was given.
Robert Blake, 89. The Emmy award-winning performer went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife. Mar. 9. Heart disease.
April
Julián Figueroa, 27. The Mexican singer-songwriter and actor was the son of the late Mexican singing legend Joan Sebastian. Apr. 10. Acute myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation.
Moon Bin, 25. The 25-year-old was a singer from South Korean boyband Astro. Apr. 20. Suicide.
Barry Humphries, 89. A Tony Award-winning comedian was renowned for his stage persona, Dame Edna Everage, a condescending snob whose character delighted audiences over seven decades. Apr. 22. Complications from hip surgery.
Len Goodman, 78. A long-serving judge on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Strictly Come Dancing. Apr. 22. Prostate cancer.
Harry Belafonte, 96. An actor and singer who became a civil rights activist and humanitarian. Apr. 25. Congestive heart failure.
Jerry Springer, 79. The onetime mayor and news anchor who gained fame as the host of his namesake TV show. Apr. 27. Pancreatic cancer.
May
Gordon Lightfoot, 84. A legendary folk singer-songwriter known for “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” and for songs that told tales of Canadian identity. May 1. Natural causes.
Grace Bumbry, 86. Trail-blazing mezzo-soprano who became the first Black singer to perform at Germany’s Bayreuth Festival during a more than three-decade career on the world’s top stages. May 7. Stroke.
Rolf Harris, 93. The entertainer whose decades-long career as a family favorite on television came to a crashing halt when he was convicted of sexual assaults on young girls. May 10. Head and neck cancer.
Andy Rourke, 59. Bass guitarist of The Smiths, one of the most influential British bands of the 1980s. May 19. Pancreatic cancer.
Tina Turner, 83. The unstoppable singer and stage performer who had a dynamic run of hit records and live shows. She is known for her amazing legs, strength, and resilience as she survived a very abusive marriage. May 24. Natural causes after a long illness.
June
The Iron Sheik, 81. A former pro wrestler villain in the 1980s who later became a popular Twitter personality. Jun. 7. Cardiovascular disease and heart attack.
Treat Williams, 71. An actor whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair.” Jun. 12. Motorcycle crash.
Big Pokey, 48. A popular Texas rapper and original member of Houston’s pioneering Screwed Up Click. Jun. 18. Cardiovascular disease.
Alan Arkin, 89. Academy Award-nominated and Oscar-winning actor. Jun. 29. Congestive heart failure.
July
George Tickner, 76. Tickner was an original guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Journey. Jul. 6. Cause not given.
André Watts, 77. A pianist who debuted with the New York Philharmonic at 16 years old in 1963. Jul. 12. Cancer.
Jane Birkin, 76. An actor and singer who made France her home was active in social activism and was the namesake for the coveted Birkin bag. Jul. 16. Cancer.
Tony Bennett, 96. A timeless and elegant stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards, such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” enjoyed a career that was decades long and collaborated with Lady Gaga and Frank Sinatra, among others. Jul. 21. Unknown.
Sinéad O’Connor, 56. Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s was as much known for her private demons, love for her children and music. Jul. 26. Unknown.
Randy Meisner, 77. A founding member of the Eagles. Jul. 26. Cancer.
Paul Reubens, 70. The actor and comedian whose creation and portrayal of the Pee-wee Herman character became a 1980s pop cultural phenomenon. Jul. 30. Cancer.
Angus Cloud, 25. The actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series Euphoria Jul. 31. Accidental fentanyl overdose.
August
DJ Casper, 58. Casper created the hit dance song “Cha Cha Slide.” Aug. 8. Liver cancer.
Young Capone, 35, Rapper is known for songs “Dope Boy Fashion” and “What It Iz.” Aug. 16. After being reported missing, it was announced he had passed away with no cause of death given.
Robbie Robertson, 80. The Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter. Aug. 9. Prostate cancer.
Tom Jones, 95. The lyricist, director, and writer of “The Fantasticks,” the longest-running musical in history. Aug. 11. Cancer.
Magoo, 50. A rapper known for his work in the hip-hop duo Timbaland, working with Aaliyah, Missy Elliott and more. Aug. 13. Heart attack.
Clarence Avant, 92. Manager and entrepreneur who helped guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and was known as the “Black Godfather” of music. Aug. 13. No cause of death given.
Jerry Moss, 88. A music industry giant who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert. Aug. 16. Natural causes.
Bob Barker, 99. The beloved and enduring game show host and animal lover who became a household name over a half-century of hosting “Truth or Consequences” and “The Price Is Right.” Aug. 26. Alzheimer’s Disease.
September
Jimmy Buffett, 76. The iconic singer-songwriter who popularized hippie beach bum rock and turned that celebration of loafing into a billion-dollar empire of restaurants, resorts, and frozen concoctions. Sept. 1. Merkel-cell Carcinoma.
Steve Harwell, 56. The longtime frontman of the Grammy-nominated pop rock band Smash Mouth. Sept. 4. Acute liver failure.
Michael Gambon, 82. The Irish-born actor knighted for his career on the stage and screen who portrayed Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films. Sept. 28. Pneumonia.
October
Burt Young, 83. The Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie in the Rocky franchise. Oct. 8. Cardiac Arrest.
Dick Butkus, 80. Legendary Chicago Bears linebacker, actor, sports analyst, and Hall of Famer. Oct. 5. Natural causes.
Seijiro Udo, 92. Japanese concert promoter and UDO Artists, Inc. owner Oct. 15. Senility and old age.
Rudolph Isley, 84. A founding member of the Isley Brothers. Oct. 11. Heart Attack.
Louise Glück, 80. The Nobel laureate poet. Oct. 13. Cancer.
Piper Laurie, 91. Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles and, at one point, abandoned acting in search of a more inspiring life. Oct. 14. Unknown.
Suzanne Somers, 76. Beloved actor who played Chrissy Snow on the television show Three’s Company and TV sitcom Step by Step, who later became a New York Times best-selling author. Oct. 15. Breast cancer.
Richard Moll, 80. A character actor who found lasting fame as a gentle giant bailiff on the original Night Court sitcom. Oct. 26. Cause Unknown.
Matthew Perry, 54. The Emmy-nominated Friends actor who brought the sarcastic and hilariously funny but lovable Chandler Bing to life – making him one of TV’s most famous and quotable characters. Oct. 28. Anesthetic Ketamine intoxication, coronary artery disease, and drowning.
November
Evan Ellingson, 35. The former child actor was known for roles in My Sister’s Keeper and CSI: Miami. Nov. 6. Accidental fentanyl drug overdose.
Chad Allan, 80. A founding member of the band The Guess Who and Brave Belt and progenitor of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Nov. 21. Cause of death not given.
William Randolph “Bill” Mayne, 72. Radio industry executive, former CRB/CRS Executive Director and long-time figure in the Nashville, TN, music scene. Long-term illness.
Mars Williams, 68. Saxophonist for the band Psychedelic Furs and the Waitresses. Cancer.
Ken DiCamillo. Veteran talent agent who repped talents such as Regis Philbin, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and more. Stroke.
Mikeal Maglieri, 73. Owner of The Whiskey a Go-Go and The Rainbow Grill. Nov. 5. Heart attack.
Phil Quartararo, 67. Legendary record executive with a five-decade career. Pancreatic cancer.
George “Funky” Brown, 74. The co-founder and drummer of Kool & The Gang. Nov. 16. Cancer.
Shane MacGowan, 65. Frontman of “Celtic Punk” band The Pogues. Nov. 30. Pneumonia.
December
Norman Lear, 101. The writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime-time television with All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Maude. Dec. 5. Cardiac Arrest.
Benjamin Zephaniah, 65. British poet, writer, activist, and Peaky Blinders actor. Dec. 7. Brain tumor.
Denny Laine, 79. The British musician who co-founded Moody Blues and Paul McCartney’s band Wings. Dec. 5. Interstitial lung disease.
Ryan O’Neal, 82. A heartthrob actor who got his start in a TV soap opera and went on to an Oscar-nominated role in Love Story. He also starred opposite his 9-year-old daughter Tatum in Paper Moon. Dec. 8. Congestive Heart Failure.
Andre Braugher, 61. The Emmy-winning actor would master gritty drama for seven seasons on Homicide: Life on The Street and modern comedy for eight on Brooklyn 99. Dec. 11. Lung Cancer.
Jeffrey Foskett, 67. Foskett was a traveling member of the Beach Boys. Dec. 13. Cancer.
Colin Burgess, 77. The Australian drummer was an original hard rock band AC/DC member in the early 1970s. Dec. 17. Unknown causes.
Myles Goodwyn, 75. Nova Scotian musician, author, former singer, guitarist and songwriter for the Canadian band April Wine. Cause of death not given.
Tom Smothers, 86. He was half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the medium’s history. Dec. 26. Cancer.
Lee Sun-kyun, 48. A famous South Korean actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning movie Parasite. Dec. 27. Suicide (currently under investigation)
