Matthew Perry, Tina Turner, Sinead O’Connor, Sir Bobby Charlton, Paul O’Grady, Barry Humphries, Mohamed Al Fayed, Burt Bacharach, Jeff Beck, Jerry Springer, David Crosby, S Club 7’s Paul Cattermole, Martin Amis and Glenda Jackson were among the stars and notable figures who died in 2023.
As the year draws to a close, it is a time to commemorate those we have lost in the last 12 months.
Music icons including Tina Turner, Burt Bacharach and Sinead O’Connor are among the famous faces who sadly died in 2023, along with stars of stage and screen such as Raquel Welch, Matthew Perry and Sir Michael Gambon, and sporting legends Sir Bobby Charlton, Terry Venables and Gianluca Vialli.
Other celebrities who died this year include Paul O’Grady and Barry Humphries, along with well known names from the worlds of politics and business, such as Mohamed Al Fayed and Silvio Berlusconi.
As 2023 comes to an end, here’s a look back at the lives and careers of those from the worlds of music, film, TV, fashion, sport, royalty, politics and business who we’ve said goodbye to.
JANUARY
One of the most influential rock singers of the 1960s and 1970s, American singer-songwriter David Crosby co-founded both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills And Nash – later Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of both groups, and also released several records as a solo performer.
Crosby died at the age of 81, following a long illness, with his wife, Jan, saying in tribute: « Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. »
British rock legend Jeff Beck rose to fame with The Yardbirds and went on to become a solo star who incorporated hard rock, jazz, blues and even opera into his music.
Known for his love of improvising, he won eight Grammy awards and like Crosby was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. In 2022, he released a collaborative album with his friend Johnny Depp, who was one of the many varied performers – including Luciano Pavarotti, Rod Stewart, Macy Gray, Chrissie Hynde, Joss Stone, Imelda May and Cyndi Lauper – he worked with over the years.
« I don’t care about the rules, » Beck once said when describing his music style. « In fact, if I don’t break the rules at least 10 times in every song then I’m not doing my job properly. »
He died aged 78 after « suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis », his family said in a statement, with stars including Kiss’s Gene Simmons, Queen’s Brian May and Rolling Stones stars Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood paying tribute.
Italian football hero Gianluca Vialli was the son of a self-made millionaire, who grew up in a mansion in Lombardy – but money could not buy his natural skill as a footballer.
He was best known in the UK for his time with Chelsea, the club for which he scored 40 goals in 88 games between 1996 and 1999. He then became manager – winning the FA Cup with the club in both roles. Before his move to London he had played for Juventus, who signed him in what was a record deal back in 1992.
Following his death, aged 58, tributes described a hugely skiled footballer – but also a beloved man. His former teammate Graeme Souness, who played alongside him at Sampdoria, told Sky Sports: « I can’t tell you how good a guy he was. Forget football, he was just a gorgeous soul. He was just a truly nice human being. »
Obituary: Italy says goodbye to a footballing genius
As the only child of the « King of Rock ‘n’ Roll », Lisa Marie Presley was the sole heir to her father’s Graceland estate and seemed destined to a life of music royalty.
She went on to have her own career in the spotlight, scoring two US Top 10 albums, and was famously married to both Michael Jackson and Nicholas Cage. But her life was beset by tragedy, including the loss of her son in 2020.
Presley died aged 54 after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California, with her mother Priscilla describing her as « the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known ».
Yorkshire-born actor Julian Sands was best known for his roles in films including A Room With A View, Arachnophobia, Leaving Las Vegas, and Warlock, as well as TV appearances in 24, Smallville and Banshee.
In the years before his death, he had appeared in one-man stage shows reciting the poetry of Harold Pinter, John Keats and Percy Shelley.
A keen hiker and mountaineer, the 65-year-old was reported missing in January 2023 after he failed to return from a trek in the Mount Baldy region of the San Gabriel mountains in California. His death was not confirmed until June, when his remains were discovered.
Giving a newspaper interview in 2020, Sands said he was happiest when he was « close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning ».
Obituary: ‘Endearing, eccentric and fearless’ actor died ‘doing what he loved’
Other stars and notable figures who died in January 2023 include:
FEBRUARY
One of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, Burt Bacharach penned more than 500 tracks – which went on to be performed by more than 1,200 different artists – across his seven-decade career. They include Magic Moments, I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, I Say A Little Prayer, Walk On By, Close To You, to name just a handful of his accomplishments.
A skilled pianist as well as a composer, he was a six-time Grammy winner and three-time Oscar winner whose talent earned him comparisons with music greats including George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. Over the years he collaborated or wrote for everyone, from Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin to Tom Jones and even Dr Dre.
Remixes and samples of his work kept him in the public consciousness long after he stopped turning out the hits, as did Hollywood’s use of many of his tunes in film soundtracks.
Chuck Jackson, an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Bacharach and lyricist Hal David successfully, died just days after the composer, aged 85. Bacharach died at the age of 94, with tributes paid by artists of all ages. « RIP Maestro, » wrote Noel Gallagher in his. « It was a pleasure to have known you. »
Obituary: The composer who soundtracked generations
Raquel Welch was a Hollywood bombshell whose career spanned more than 50 years, including 30 films and dozens of TV series and appearances.
She won a Golden Globe for best actress in 1975 for her role in The Three Musketeers, and appeared in hit films including Legally Blonde later in her career.
However, thanks to its iconic publicity still featuring Welch in a deer-skin bikini, it is her role in the 1966 prehistoric adventure fantasy One Million Years BC she will be most remembered for, despite having just a few lines of dialogue in the film.
The star died aged 82 after a short illness, her management company said, and had been suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.
De La Soul are regarded as one of the most innovative groups in rap history, and David Jude Jolicoeur – known as Trugoy the Dove and pictured centre above – was one of the founding members, alongside Kelvin « Posdnuos » Mercer and Vincent « Maseo » Mason.
Their debut studio album 3 Feet High And Rising was praised as a light-hearted and positive counterpart to harder rap offerings at the time of its release in 1989; sampling everyone from Johnny Cash and Steely Dan to Hall & Oates, De La Soul signalled the beginning of alternative hip-hop.
Jolicoeur, who died at the age of 54, five years after revealing he was suffering from congenitive heart failure, also co-wrote songs including Gorillaz’s Feel Good Inc. His death came just a month after it was announced that De La Soul’s classic back catalogue would be made available for digital streaming for the first time.
Baroness Betty Boothroyd was the first female female Speaker of the House of Commons, modernising the role by refusing to wear the traditional wig.
Born into a working-class family in Dewsbury in 1929, she was introduced to politics at an early age through her mother’s membership of the women’s section of the Labour Party. She became the Labour MP for West Bromwich in 1973 and for West Bromwich West – when the seat was split the following year – until her retirement in 2000.
Before her time as an MP in the UK, she worked on John F Kennedy’s campaign after he was elected as the Democratic candidate for president in the US, and also travelled across America with Democratic senator Estes Kefauver before moving on to work for left-wing Republican congressman Silvio Conte.
Following her death at the age of 93, Current Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle described her as an « inspiring woman… an inspirational politician, and someone I was proud to call my friend ».
Other stars and notable figures who died in February 2023 include:
MARCH
Beloved TV star and comedian Paul O’Grady rose to fame thanks to his drag queen persona Lily Savage, but later became a national treasure under his own name, too.
During his career, he hosted a number of shows including The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and For The Love Of Dogs, as well as Blankety Blank in the late ’90s under the guise of Savage. He also featured on TV shows such as Dr Who and Holby City.
The presenter was honoured with an MBE for services to entertainment in 2008, adding to a list of achievements including a TV BAFTA, a British Comedy Award, and a National Television Award. He was also well known for his love of animals, particularly dogs, having been an ambassador of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since 2012.
He died aged 67 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrhythmia, with everyone from Sir Elton John to the Royal Family paying tribute.
Jarvis Cocker’s Pulp released their first album in 1983, but rose to prominence with their fourth and fifth albums His ‘N’ Hers and Different Class in the 1990s. Steve Mackey, who joined in 1988, played bass.
His ‘N’ Hers, featuring songs including Babies, Lipgloss and Do You Remember The First Time? was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 1994, while Different Class – famous for hits including Common People, Disco 2000, Something Changed and Sorted For Es and Whizz – went on to win the award in 1996.
In 1995, the group became a late replacement for The Stone Roses to headline that year’s Glastonbury Festival and went on to play one of the most memorable sets in the event’s history. In 2011, following a break, their comeback « secret » set drew one of the biggest crowds ever to the festival’s Park Stage.
« Steve made things happen, » the band said in tribute as they announced his death at the age of 56. « In his life & in the band… Safe travels, Steve. We hope to catch up with you one day. »
Mystic Meg, whose real name was Margaret Lake, was the UK’s most famous astrologist, a regular feature on Saturday night TV with the National Lottery show in the 1990s, when she would appear with her crystal ball to predict who would win the weekly jackpot.
She also wrote daily horoscopes for The Sun newspaper for almost 23 years.
Her horoscopes and clairvoyant messages captured the imagination of the public and she received huge amounts of correspondence – including from angry Manchester United fans after she correctly predicted their team would lose to Everton in the FA Cup final in 1995.
She died aged 80 after being admitted to hospital while suffering with flu.
Actor Lance Reddick was best known for his role in the crime drama The Wire, which ran for five seasons between 2002 and 2008 and was set in his hometown of Baltimore.
He also starred in the John Wick movie franchise alongside star Keanu Reeves, and voiced Commander Zavala in the Destiny game series.
He died suddenly at the age of 60, with his family and The Wire co-stars leading the tributes to « a man of great strength and grace ».
Other stars and notable figures who died in March 2023 include:
APRIL
Comedian, satirist, author, producer, West End star, writer, painter, born entertainer: Barry Humphries did it all. His characters included Sir Les Patterson – the lecherous « phallus-brandishing » diplomat who once chased Kylie Minogue off stage at the Royal Festival Hall – and the « boring man of the suburbs » Sandy Stone.
But he was of course best known for Dame Edna Everage, a self-described giga-star known for her extravagant spectacles, rapier wit, double entendres and fondness for gladioli flowers, who was arguably Australia’s biggest comedy export.
He had been readmitted to hospital in Sydney after suffering complications following hip surgery, and died aged 89. « He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit, » his family said in tribute.
Farewell, Possum: Barry Humphries obituary
Harry Belafonte was a Grammy, Emmy and Tony winning singer and actor who became a civil rights activist.
Reluctantly nicknamed « The King of Calypso », he was largely responsible for bringing Caribbean music to an international audience in the 1950s, and the first singer – in any genre – to sell a million records in a year.
His song Jump In The Line (Shake, Senora) had a recent resurgence before his death, going viral on TikTok in 2020. He was also one of the first black performers to gain a wide following on film, starring in movies including Carmen Jones, Island In The Sun, and Odds Against Tomorrow.
In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, becoming the oldest person ever to receive the honour. And alongside his career in entertainment, he was a committed activist who worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
He died at the age of 96 with his wife by his side, according to a spokesperson.
Obituary: The singer who used helped break down racial barriers
Famous for The Jerry Springer Show – a ratings hit known for its strippers, food-fights and punch-ups – the politician-turned-presenter saw his work as a TV rebellion against the elite. « Take care of yourselves, and each other, » was his line to end every episode.
The show aired for 27 seasons, with nearly 5,000 episodes from 1991 to 2018, and even inspired Jerry Springer: The Opera. A UK version was made in 1999, and Too Hot For TV videos and DVDs were also released.
Speaking to Sky News in 2019, Springer defended the show’s contributors, who he said were frequently dismissed as « trash » – saying he saw them as « regular people involved in crazy situations ».
