Celebrities who died in 2023

Lisa Marie Presley.
Lisa Marie Presley.Bryan Steffy/WireImage
  • Here are the famous people who died in 2023.

  • Lisa Marley Presley, Lance Reddick, Raquel Welch, and Tom Sizemore all passed away.

  • So did music icons Jeff Beck, David Crosby, and Burt Bacharach.

Burt Bacharach, 94

Burt Bacharach at a piano with papers all over it
Burt Bacharach.Bettmann/Getty

A six-time Grammy winner and three-time Oscar winner, Bacharach gave us some of the most memorable pop tunes of all time.

The composer and pianist was responsible for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," as well as "Best that You Can Do," the theme from the movie "Arthur." Both of which also became chart-topping singles.

Along with lyricist Hal David, the duo are regarded as one of the best songwriting teams of all time. There's the hits they did with Dionne Warwick, like "Walk on By" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again."

Other hits include "The Story of My Life" from Marty Robbins, and "Magic Moments" sung by Perry Como.

Bacharach died on February 8 of natural causes.

 

 

Jeff Beck, 78

Jeff Beck playing the guitar
Jeff Beck.Paul Natkin/Getty

The beloved English guitarist of The Yardbirds spent decades evolving his style as he was influenced by everything from blues to hard rock.

He's regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Thanks to his mix of work with The Yardbirds in the 1960s and his later solo work, he was respected around the world by musicians and fans.

Beck won the Grammy for best rock instrumental performance six times and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — once for being in The Yardbirds and a second time as a solo artist.

He died on January 10 after contracting a bacterial meningitis infection.

Richard Belzer, 78

Richard Belzer in a dark suit holding his hands out like a gun
Richard Belzer.Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty

Since the early 1990s Richard Belzer was synonymous with the TV police procedural.

Playing the character detective John Munch, his sarcastic charm made him a fixture on shows like "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Law & Order" for years. But he was so good at his character that Belzer's Munch also found his way on other shows on other networks, which is unheard of.

Munch appeared on 11 different TV shows, which has never happened to a fictional character in the history of television. They include: "Homicide," "Law & Order," "The X-Files," "The Beat," "Law & Order: Trial By Jury," "Arrested Development," "The Wire," "30 Rock," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

Before playing Munch, Belzer was known for his stand-up comedy. He was the warm-up act in the early days of "Saturday Night Live." And if you look close enough you'll see Belzer playing the MC at the Miami club in "Scarface" before the dramatic shootout happens.

Belzer died on February 19 at his home in the south of France after "an illness."

Robert Blake, 89

Robert Blake in a jacket and newsboy cap
Robert Blake.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Most of Blake's life was in front of the camera. As a child actor he was one of the members of the iconic shorts series the "Little Rascals," starring as Mickey. His character appeared in the shorts toward the end of its run in the 1940s.

He then starred as Little Beaver in the Western movie franchise "Red Ryder," which was based on the popular comic strip.

By the 1950s he made numerous guest spots on TV shows. Then in 1967 he had his breakout (as an adult actor) when he played murderer Perry Smith in the acclaimed adaptation of the Truman Capote true crime book, "In Cold Blood."

Blake is known best for playing the lead in the mid 1970s TV series "Baretta," in which he played a street-smart detective with a cockatoo for a pet named Fred. Blake would earn an Emmy for the role.

The actor is also known for his infamous private life as he was the face of a high profile court case after being charged with the 2001 murder of his wife. Blake was acquitted of the charge as well as one count of soliciting murder in a 2005 trial.

Blake died on March 9 due to heart disease, according to the Associated Press.

 

David Crosby, 81

David Crosby at a microphone
David Crosby.NBCU photo bank/Getty

This influential singer-songwriter is behind two of the biggest bands of the 1960s, The Byrds and Crosby, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

The Byrds' first single, a harmony version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" went No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart in early 1965. The band would become America's answer to The Beatles with its pop/folk influence.

As a member of CSNY their 1970 album "Déjà Vu" hit No. 1 on the charts and went on to sell 7 million copies. The following year "4-Way Street," a two-LP live set drawn from their subsequent U.S. tour, came out and went quadruple-platinum.

But Crosby was also one of rock's bad boys, his heavy drug use led to a nine-month jail sentence in a Texas state prison in 1985.

Crosby's work on The Byrds and CSNY led to 35 million albums sold over his career.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.

Crosby died on January 18, no cause was given.

Melinda Dillon, 83

Melinda Dillon in a black dress
Melinda Dillon.Ron Galella/Getty

Dillon was the motherly figure in some of the most famous movies of all time.

For Steven Spielberg's 1977 classic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" she plays the mother who can't stop her son from being abducted by aliens and alongside Richard Dreyfuss searches for answers.

Then in 1983's "A Christmas Story" she plays a mother trying to raise two boys in the beloved comedy.

With her gentle features and soft voice, Dillon made you feel emotions even with the silliest movie, like she did playing the mother of a family that takes in Bigfoot in the 1987 comedy "Harry and the Hendersons."

Dillon was nominated for a Tony in 1963 for her performance of Honey in the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" She was nominated for best supporting actress twice: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the 1981 drama "Absence of Malice."

Dillon died January 9. No cause was given.

Lisa Loring, 64

Lisa Loring as Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family."
Lisa Loring played the original Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family."MGM Television/Bobby Bank/Getty Images

Loring was the first actor to portray Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family," the youngest member of the fictional Addams family in the sitcom, which ran for two seasons between 1964 and 1966.

She went on to be the blueprint of the character who would be played generations later by the likes of Christina Ricci and most recently Jenna Ortega on the Netflix series "Wednesday."

Following the Wednesday role, Loring starred opposite Phyllis Diller in the sitcom "The Pruitts of Southampton." She also starred in "As the World Turns," playing Cricket Montgomery.

Her other credits include "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.," "Fantasy Island" and "Barnaby Jones."

Loring died on January 28 following complications from a stroke caused by high blood pressure.

Lola Chantrelle Mitchell (aka, Gangsta Boo), 43

Gangsta Boo holding her index finger in the air
Gangsta Boo.Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

The Memphis rapper and former member of Three 6 Mafia was a beloved female figure in the "Dirty South" era of rap in the 1990s.

After recording albums with Three 6 Mafia until the early 2000s, she went solo.

Her 1998 album "Enquiring Minds" featured the hit single, "Where Dem Dollas At."

Boo also showed up on songs with Eminem, Gucci Mane, Run the Jewels, OutKast, Lil Wayne, Blood Orange, Latto, and others.

Boo was found dead at her home in Memphis on January 1. No official cause of death was given.

Lisa Marie Presley, 54

Lisa Marie Presley in a black jacket
Lisa Marie Presley.Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty

The beloved daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley was in the spotlight her entire life.

She was 9 years old when her father died, but by then the world already knew her as the King's daughter from pictures of her with her dad. His massive plane was also named after her.

As she grew into an adult, her fame grew too. She married Michael Jackson, making them the biggest couple in the world for a brief time. They divorced in 1996.

She followed in her father's footsteps and made music. Presley released three albums, including singles where she performed duets with her late father.

She married musician Danny Keough when she was 20. They had two children together: actor Riley Keough, who was born in 1989, and Benjamin Keough, who was born in 1992. Benjamin died by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020.

Presley made her last public appearance on January 10 at the 80th Golden Globes where a biopic on her father, Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis," was nominated for three awards. Austin Butler's performance as Elvis Presley won best performance by an actor in a drama.

Presley died on January 12 after experiencing cardiac arrest at her Calabasas home.

Lance Reddick, 60

Lance Reddick in sweater and scarf with arms crossed
Lance Reddick.Jeff Vespa/WireImage/Getty

Reddick was a respected character actor thanks to his well known performance as Cedric Daniels, the tough but fair lieutenant in the beloved HBO series "The Wire."

Most recently he played Charon, the concierge of The Continental in the "John Wick" franchise.

Reddick's ice-cold looks and super serious performances made him perfect for dramatic TV shows like "Fringe" and "Bosch" as well as action movies like "Angel Has Fallen" and "Godzilla vs. Kong."

Reddick died of natural causes in his Los Angeles home on March 17.

Tom Sizemore, 61

Tom Sizemore in a jacket and blue shirt
Tom Sizemore.Chris Polk/FilmMagic/Getty

In the 1990s Tom Sizemore graced us with gritty and often twisted performances that made him unforgettable.

From his bit parts early in his career like "Born on the Fourth of July," "Point Break," "Passenger 57" and "True Romance," to the peak of his career giving memorable roles in "Natural Born Killers," "Heat," 'Saving Private Ryan," and "Black Hawk Down," Sizemore could be charming in one scene then unleash his madness in the next, and that talent made him a major fixture in the biggest movies of the decade.

Sadly, there was a dark troubling side to the actor that crippled his career. Due to drug addiction, by the 2000s he was no longer getting the kind of roles deserving of his talents. Tabloids and reality TV shows chronicled his struggles that ranged from jail time for domestic violence on his former girlfriend "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss to multiple arrests for drug possession.

Sizemore died on March 3 following a brain aneurysm on February 18.

 

Raquel Welch, 82

Raquel Welch in a pink top
Raquel Welch.Herbert Dorfman/Corbis/Getty

With her striking looks and playing strong-willed characters on the big screen, Raquel Welch was more than just a sex symbol, she was a force to be reckoned with.

It all started with a role in which she said only a few lines. Starring in the 1966 sci-fi movie "One Million Years B.C.," she instantly became a star as the poster of her in a furry bikini from the movie became a huge best-seller.

That led to other roles through the decades like "Bedazzled," "Bandolero!" and "100 Rifles."

She won the 1973 Best Actress Golden Globe for her role in "The Three Musketeers."

Her career would span over 50 years on the big screen and small, as well as becoming a fashion trend-setter through the decades.

Welch died on February 15 following a "brief illness," according to her manager.

 

 

Annie Wersching, 45

Annie Wersching in a black top and cap
Annie Wersching.Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic/Getty

Wersching recently played the Borg Queen in the second season of "Picard" and serial killer Rosalind Dyer on "The Rookie."

She's also known for he roles in "Bosh," "Timeless" and opposite Kiefer Sutherland in "24" playing F.B.I. agent Renee Walker.

Wersching died on January 29. The cause was cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2020, according to The New York Times.

Cindy Williams, 75

Cindy Williams in overalls sitting down
Cindy Williams.ABC/Getty

Williams is one half of TV comedy royalty as she played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the popular late 1970s sitcom "Laverne & Shirley."

Williams also starred in some memorable movies. She was Ron Howard's love interest in George Lucas' classic 1973 movie "American Graffiti." And she played Gene Hackman's obsession in Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed 1974 drama "The Conversation."

But Williams will always be known best for her comedic chops, which opposite Marshall, who died in 2018, became an iconic duo in television history.

Williams died on January 25, no cause was given.

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