Remembering the famous people who died in 2023
(AP/WJW) — The following people did not go gentle into that good night. During their lives they burned brightly and shared their gifts and talents, helping others to feel and think deeply, and in some cases be better humans.
January was a long time ago, and also feels like last week. So here is a reminder of some actors, musicians, writers and politicians who died throughout 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available). Rest in peace, to all.
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JANUARY
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Fred White, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind & Fire. Jan. 1.
Jeff Beck, 78. A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Jan. 10.
Lisa Marie Presley, 54. The only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy. Jan. 12.
Robbie Knievel, 60. An American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following in the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father Evel Knievel. Jan. 13.
David Crosby, 81. The brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Jan. 18.
Cindy Williams, 75. She was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley on the beloved sitcom “Laverne & Shirley.” Jan. 25.
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FEBRUARY
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Raquel Welch, 82. Her emergence from the sea in a skimpy, furry bikini in the film “One Million Years B.C.” propelled her to international sex symbol status in the 1960s and ’70s. Feb. 15.
Richard Belzer, 78. The longtime stand-up comedian who became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Feb. 19.
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MARCH
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Gary Rossington, 71. A 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.” March 5.
Bud Grant, 95. The stoic and demanding Hall of Fame coach who took the Minnesota Vikings and their mighty Purple People Eaters defense to four Super Bowls in eight years and lost all of them. March 11.
Lance Reddick, 60. A character actor who specialized in intense, icy and possibly sinister authority figures on TV and film, including “The Wire,” ″Fringe” and the “John Wick” franchise. March 17.
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APRIL
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Barry Humphries, 89. A Tony Award-winning comedian internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character delighted audiences over seven decades. April 22.
Len Goodman, 78. A long-serving judge on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Strictly Come Dancing” who helped revive interest in ballroom dancing on both sides of the Atlantic. April 22.
Harry Belafonte, 96. The civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world. April 25.
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Jerry Springer, 79. The onetime Cincinnati mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional guests willing to bare all — sometimes literally — as they brawled and hurled obscenities before a raucous audience. April 27.
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MAY
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Gordon Lightfoot, 84. The 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.
Jim Brown, 87. The Cleveland Browns pro football Hall of Famer was an unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s. May 18.
Tina Turner, 83. The unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” May 24.
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JUNE
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The Iron Sheik, 81. A former pro wrestler who relished playing a burly, bombastic villain in 1980s battles with some of the sport’s biggest stars and later became a popular Twitter personality. June 7.
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Treat Williams, 71. An actor whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair.” June 12. Motorcycle crash.
Cormac McCarthy, 89. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who in prose both dense and brittle took readers from the southern Appalachians to the desert Southwest in novels including “The Road,” “Blood Meridian” and “All the Pretty Horses.” June 13.
Alan Arkin, 89. The wry character actor who demonstrated his versatility in everything from farcical comedy to chilling drama, receiving four Academy Award nominations and winning an Oscar in 2007 for “Little Miss Sunshine.” June 29.
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JULY
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Jane Birkin, 76. An actor and singer who made France her home and charmed the country with her English grace, natural style and social activism. Birkin was also synonymous with a Hermes bag that bore her name. July 16.
Tony Bennett, 96. The eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga. July 21.
Sinéad O’Connor, 56. The gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s was as much known for her private struggles and provocative actions as her fierce and expressive music. July 26.
Randy Meisner, 77. A founding member of the Eagles who added high harmonies to such favorites as “Take It Easy” and “The Best of My Love” and stepped out front for the waltz-time ballad “Take It to the Limit.” July 26.
Paul Reubens, 70. The actor and comedian whose Pee-wee Herman character — an overgrown child with a tight gray suit and an unforgettable laugh — became a 1980s pop cultural phenomenon. July 30.
Angus Cloud, 25. The actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria.” July 31.
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AUGUST
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Sixto Rodriguez, 81. He lived in obscurity as his music career flamed out early in the U.S. only to find success in South Africa and a stardom of which he was unaware. Aug. 8.
Robbie Robertson, 80. The Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter who in such classics as “The Weight” and “Up on Cripple Creek” mined American music and folklore and helped reshape contemporary rock. Aug. 9.
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Ron Cephas Jones, 66. A veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a long-lost father who finds redemption on the NBC television drama series “This Is Us.” Aug. 19.
Bob Barker, 99. The enduring, dapper game show host who became a household name over a half century of hosting “Truth or Consequences” and “The Price Is Right.” Aug. 26.
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SEPTEMBER
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Jimmy Buffett, 76. The singer-songwriter who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration of loafing into a billion-dollar empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions. Sept. 1.
Steve Harwell, 56. The longtime frontman of the Grammy-nominated pop rock band Smash Mouth that was behind the megahit “All Star.” Sept. 4. Acute liver failure.
Dianne Feinstein, 90. A centrist Democrat from California and champion of liberal causes who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics. Sept. 28.
Michael Gambon, 82. The Irish-born actor knighted for his storied career on the stage and screen who gained admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films. Sept. 28.
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OCTOBER
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Rudolph Isley, 84. An Ohio native and founding member of the Isley Brothers who helped perform such raw rhythm and blues classics as “Shout” and “Twist and Shout” and the funky hits “That Lady” and “It’s Your Thing.” Oct. 11.
Piper Laurie, 91. The strong-willed, Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles despite at one point abandoning acting altogether in search of a “more meaningful” life. Oct. 14.
Suzanne Somers, 76. The effervescent blonde actor who played Chrissy Snow on the television show “Three’s Company” and later became an entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author. Oct. 15.
Richard Roundtree, 81. The trailblazing actor who starred as the ultra-smooth private detective in several “Shaft” films beginning in the early 1970s. Oct. 24.
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Matthew Perry, 54. The Emmy-nominated “Friends” actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television’s most famous and quotable characters. Oct. 28.
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NOVEMBER
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Bob Knight, 83. The brilliant and combustible coach, who grew up in Orrville and played basketball at the Ohio State University, won three NCAA titles at Indiana and for years was the scowling face of college basketball. Nov. 1.
Rosalynn Carter, 96. The former first lady was the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians. Nov. 19.
Henry Kissinger, 100. The former secretary of state exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize. Nov. 29.
Shane MacGowan, 65. The singer-songwriter and frontman of “Celtic Punk” band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad “Fairytale of New York.” Nov. 30.
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DECEMBER
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Sandra Day O’Connor, 93. The former U.S. Supreme Court justice was an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism and the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Dec. 1.
Denny Laine, 79. The rock legend, who co-founded the Moody Blues with Mike Pinder and later Wings along with Paul and Linda McCartney, died at home listening to his favorite Christmas songs, his wife Elizabeth Hines posted on Facebook. Dec. 5.
Norman Lear, 101. The writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime-time television with “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once insulated world of TV sitcoms. Dec. 5.
Ryan O’Neal, 82. The heartthrob actor who went from a TV soap opera to an Oscar-nominated role in “Love Story” and delivered a wry performance opposite his charismatic 9-year-old daughter Tatum in “Paper Moon,” died. Dec. 8.
Andre Braugher, 61. The Emmy-winning actor who would master gritty drama for seven seasons on “Homicide: Life on The Street” and modern comedy for eight on “Brooklyn 99.” Dec. 11.
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 history of the medium. Dec. 26.
Lee Sun-kyun, 48. A popular South Korean actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.” Dec. 27.
Tom Wilkinson, 75. The Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in “The Full Monty,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Dec. 28.
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