Top 10 Saddest Deaths of 2023
Tina Turner, née Anna Mae Bullock, was a singer, dancer, actress, and author, whose career spanned more than half a century, earning her widespread recognition and numerous awards. She was known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Turner sold over 100 million records worldwide and won eight Grammy Awards... read more Another huge loss for music: the one and only Queen of Rock and Roll! She had some of the most powerful vocals music has ever known and an outstanding stage presence. She was first known as one half of the Ike and Tina Turner husband-and-wife duo before she divorced Ike and went solo. Some of her best-known solo hits include "What's Love Got to Do With It" and "The Best" (which is a Bonnie Tyler cover in case you didn't know).
She was very ill several years before dying, including multiple cancers and a stroke. She had also lost two of her sons over the past five years: Raymond Craig, who took his own life in 2018, and Ronnie, who died from cancer in 2022.
She will always be remembered as one of the greatest female singers ever! RIP to the Queen of Rock and Roll. (1939-2023)
Paul Reubens was an American actor, writer, film producer, game show host, and comedian best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. He gained national attention with Pee-wee's Playhouse and several feature films. Reubens also appeared in various television and film roles throughout his career. This was such a huge loss for entertainment. The actor who played the iconic Pee Wee Herman lost a several-year battle to cancer. He would have turned 71 near the end of August.
A one-of-a-kind legend gone too soon. R.I.P. (1952-2023).
Lisa Marie Presley was an American singer-songwriter. She was the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley released three studio albums during her career and was also known for her philanthropic work. She passed away on January 12th, just three weeks before her birthday. She was the daughter of Elvis Presley and was known for songs including Weary and Dirty Laundry. She had a cardiac arrest and, even though she was treated, she didn't survive (unlike Damar Hamlin). This was two days after the Golden Globes, which she attended.
She would've turned 55 at the start of February, which is way too young. She was the most famous lady ever born on the 1st day of February and the most famous woman born in Tennessee.
An absolutely devastating loss for music. R.I.P. to the Princess of Rock 'n' Roll (1968-2023).
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor was an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra. She gained global recognition with her 1990 cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U. Throughout her career, she was known for her powerful voice and outspoken... read more Yet another huge loss for music. This iconic Irish singer, with the shaved head, may be best known for her cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," but she will always be remembered as an outspoken feminist and a rebel.
She died a year after her 17-year-old son took his own life after escaping a facility where he was getting help to fight his suicidal urges. The causes of her death have not yet been revealed, but considering her unstable mental health, it could be due to suicide or self-inflicted wounds. She was only 56.
RIP (1966-2023)
Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 - October 28, 2023) was an American-Canadian actor, comedian, and writer. He gained worldwide fame for playing Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom Friends (1994-2004). Perry also portrayed educator Ron Clark in the television movie The Ron Clark Story (2006) and authored... read more Another huge loss for television. This actor was better known for playing Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom Friends (1994-2004). He was found dead in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home this Saturday.
Matthew Perry's character was beloved by fans for his witty humor, cynicism, and sensibility. In real life, Perry battled drug and alcohol addiction for most of his life, and it's probably what ultimately took his life. He was only 54.
This is exactly one of those episodes that Friends fans would never want to see, "The One Where Chandler Dies." RIP Chandler (1969-2023). You will be dearly missed.
Steve Harwell (January 9, 1967 - September 4, 2023) was an American singer best known as the former lead vocalist and frontman of the alternative rock band Smash Mouth.
Harwell co-founded the band in 1994 and retired in 2021 due to health concerns. The former lead singer from Smash Mouth has died at the age of 56 from chronic liver failure. This health condition was notably due to his struggles with alcoholism. It was so severe he had to retire in 2021 to take care of his health.
The king of Far Far Away is dead, long live the king! R.I.P. (1967-2023).
Another huge loss for music and entertainment. He will be remembered as the greatest lead singer of Smash Mouth. Alcohol overdose is a serious issue some artists are facing.
Like Shrek, he was love, he was life. R.I.P. too soon.
The king of calypso has just passed away. He was best known for songs such as "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)," "Jump in the Line," and "Matilda." He was also a notable civil rights defender and a close friend of Martin Luther King.
May he rest in peace (1927-2023).
The legend who popularized calypso music and the traditional folk song Day Dah Light (dating back to 1800) with his 1956 cover The Banana Boat Song/Day-O passed away from congestive heart failure on April 25th. He became the first artist to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 weekly album charts.
R.I.P. to the king of calypso (1927-2023).
Raquel Welch, born Jo Raquel Tejada (September 5, 1940 - February 15, 2023) was an American actress and singer. She first won attention for her role in Fantastic Voyage (1966), and One Million Years B.C. (1966). She had only three lines in the film, yet images of her in the doe-skin bikini which she... read more She was in a league of her own. Her beauty, sexuality, and charming personality were impossible to resist. An amazingly lovely, talented actress and person.
Robert William Barker was an American television game show host. He was best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975. Such a sad loss for TV. He was the longtime host of The Price Is Right until his retirement in 2007. He passed away on August 26th. He was about to turn 100 this year. R.I.P. (1923-2023).
Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 - August 24, 2023) was an American professional wrestler. He was signed to WWE under the ring name Bray Wyatt and was a third‑generation wrestler, following the legacy of his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan, father Mike Rotunda, and uncles Barry and Kendall Windham... read more
The Newcomers
This British actor was best known for his role in The Full Monty (1997).
R.I.P. (1948-2023).
This was a huge loss for cycling and Olympic sports. She was an Australian track and road racing cyclist who topped the general classification in the 2012 Tour of Chongming Island and was a member of the Australian track cycling team pursuit squad that finished in 4th place at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
She was run over by her husband's car. It was reported that the incident was intentional. Why should a husband even kill his wife? A truly sick behavior in humans. R.I.P. (1991-2023).
David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 - January 18, 2023) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the Byrds. Crosby, Stills & Nash, later Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. And CPR, and he also released several solo albums. Crosby was inducted into the Rock and... read more One of the greatest rock icons has just passed away. He was part of the Byrds during the 1960s before founding Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) alongside Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, with Neil Young joining them occasionally. He had a long illness.
R.I.P. (1941-2023).
Another absolutely devastating loss for rock 'n' roll in the first month of 2023. First Jeff Beck, then Lisa Marie Presley, and now David Crosby. It's such a shame he went through many years of drug abuse. He lost a battle to a really long illness.
R.I.P. (1941-2023).
Known as the main actor of the Shaft films as well as Family Reunion. He lost a battle to cancer. Another big loss for entertainment. R.I.P. (1942-2023).
This American actor was best known for playing the grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine. His performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2007. R.I.P. (1934-2023).
An unbelievably shocking loss for comedy entertainment. The legendary comedian and actor behind Lily Savage suddenly passed away on March 28th. This was a huge loss for the LGBTQ+ community as well.
R.I.P. (1955-2023).
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 - July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band music, jazz, and show tunes. He won 20 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmys. He was also named a... read more America's elder crooner just passed away at age 96. He performed jazz and pop for three-quarters of a century and has been more recently known for his duets with contemporary artists, most notably Lady Gaga, with whom he released two albums, and Amy Winehouse shortly before she passed away. He had been battling Alzheimer's disease for several years.
Heaven has just gained a man who had a remarkably long career and will always be remembered as one of the most iconic crooners of all time. RIP (1926-2023).
The legendary star lost his battle with Alzheimer's disease two weeks before his 97th birthday. He was among the greatest artists in jazz and pop and helped interpret the Great American Songbook. He collaborated with many others, including Diana Krall and Lady Gaga.
This was an absolutely huge loss for music. R.I.P. (1926-2023).
This singer-songwriter was best known for his song "Margaritaville," which is still a staple on oldies radio stations. He was also the owner of a restaurant chain named after his mega-hit.
He died with a net worth of $1 billion, making him one of the richest musicians in the world.
RIP (1946 - 2023).
This was such a massive loss for music. He was one of the best-selling artists, and it was revealed he had Merkel cell carcinoma (which explained his recent hospital trips). He kept it private the whole time.
He was best known for his song Margaritaville and for co-founding the Margaritaville restaurant chain. Another legend gone from a private cancer battle.
R.I.P. (1946 - 2023).
Sir Michael John Gambon was an Irish-born English actor who worked in theatre, television, and film. He was best known to international audiences for portraying Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films from 2004 to 2011, following the death of Richard Harris... read more Another big loss for cinema. This Irish-British actor was best known for playing Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise. He wasn't the first actor to play the Hogwarts headmaster, though, because he replaced Richard Harris after his passing in 2002 (a few weeks before The Chamber of Secrets hit theaters).
Michael Gambon also had notable roles in movies such as The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), The English Patient (1996), and The King's Speech (2011). He was also a great theater actor.
R.I.P. (1940-2023).
He was the broadcaster of his titled show Parkinson from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows. He passed away on August 16th. R.I.P. (1935-2023).
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck was an English rock guitarist. He was one of the three notable guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds, alongside Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and the power trio Beck, Bogert and Appice.
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer was born on February 13, 1944, in London, England, and passed away on April 27, 2023. He was a British-born American television presenter, lawyer, politician, actor, and news anchor. Springer served as the mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978 and hosted The Jerry Springer... read more The famous television host just passed away at age 79. A big loss for television. R.I.P.
This actor was mostly known for playing Detective John Munch on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He retired from acting in 2016. He died at 78 from respiratory and circulation complications.
R.I.P.
This British actress who won two Oscars just died at 93 years old. R.I.P.
When I heard that she had actually died a while ago (it was just last month in November), I was heartbroken.
It's very sad to see someone who lived such a long life and was so notable - especially someone who formerly served as First Lady. Her husband is still alive, which is incredible, especially considering that he is a few years older than her. Her poor husband must have been really devastated. It's so heartbreaking to see someone love so deeply and give so much.
Not going to lie, I almost burst into tears and cried. She was such a sweet woman and a great advocate, and she was so loved.
But yeah, it's terrible to realize that a great person like her has passed away peacefully. At least she is in a safer place now, called Heaven, where I know she finally has all the eternal rest she deserves.
Note: I'm about to cry right now because she passed away after battling dementia. THAT IS SO SAD!
This wasn't the only time I cried. The other was just unbearable - I had no words. I remember not knowing what to feel the day Queen Elizabeth II passed. It was so unexpected.
