The year 2023 marked the departure of several influential personalities across various realms of art, entertainment, music and literature. These individuals left indelible marks on their respective fields, shaping cultures and leaving legacies that continue to resonate. From the realms of music to literature, from television to the silver screen, their contributions enriched and captivated audiences worldwide.
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.
Lisa Marie Presley, 54. The only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy.
Lloyd Morrisett, 93. The co-creator of the beloved children’s TV series "Sesame Street,” which has used empathy and fuzzy monsters like Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world.
Gina Lollobrigida, 95. An Italian film legend who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed "the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies.
Tom Verlaine, 73. The guitarist and co-founder of the seminal proto-punk band "Television" influenced many bands while playing at ultra-cool downtown New York music venue CBGB alongside the Ramones, Patti Smith and the Talking Heads.
Paco Rabanne, 88. The Spanish-born designer known for perfumes sold worldwide, but who made his name with metallic space-age fashions that put a bold, new edge on catwalks.
Richard Belzer, 78. The longtime stand-up comedian became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in "Homicide: Life on the Street” and "Law & Order: SVU.”
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.”
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.
Ryuichi Sakamoto, 71. A world-renowned Japanese musician and actor who composed for Hollywood hits such as "The Last Emperor” and "The Revenant.”
Paul Grant, 56. The actor had roles in great franchise movies such as "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter."
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.
Bozkurt Ilham Gencer, 100. One of Türkiye's first pianist singers and jazz artists.
Grace Bumbry, 86. A pioneering 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.
Rita Lee Jones, 75. Brazil’s million-selling "Queen of Rock” gained an international following through her colorful and candid style and such hits as "Ovelha Negra,” "Mania de Você” and "Now Only Missing You.”
Andy Rourke, 59. Bass guitarist of The Smiths, one of the most influential British bands of the 1980s.
Tina Turner, 83. The unstoppable singer and stage performer 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.”
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.”
Astrud Gilberto, 83. The Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on "The Girl from Ipanema” made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova.
Françose Gilot, 101. A prolific and acclaimed painter who created art for more than a half-century but was nonetheless more famous for her turbulent relationship with Pablo Picasso – and for leaving him.
Treat Williams, 71. Renowned for his nearly 50-year career and starring roles in the TV series "Everwood" and the movie "Hair," passed away following a motorcycle crash in Vermont, according to state police.
Özkan Uğur, 69. Renowned musician, member of the MFÖ group and actor known for his energy, cheerfulness and smiling face died after a long battle with cancer.
Josephine Chaplin, 74. The daughter of the renowned comedian Charlie Chaplin.
Coco Lee, 48. A Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who had a highly successful career in Asia.
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.
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.
Sinead O’Connor, 56. The gifted Irish singer-songwriter became a superstar in her mid-20s and was as much known for her private struggles and provocative actions as her fierce and expressive music.
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.
Angus Cloud, 25. The actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco "Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series "Euphoria.”
Erkin Koray, 82. The legendary Turkish musician is considered to be one of the forefathers of Anatolian rock music.
Mark Margolis, 83. The Emmy-nominated actor played murderous former drug kingpin Hector Salamanca in "Breaking Bad” and then in the prequel "Better Call Saul.”
Fernando Botero, 91. A renowned Colombian painter and sculptor whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world.
David McCallum, 90. The actor became a teen heartthrob in the hit series "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” in the 1960s and was the eccentric medical examiner in the popular "NCIS” 40 years later.
Michael Gambon, 82. The Irish-born actor knighted for his storied career on the stage and screen gained admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight "Harry Potter” films.
Richard Roundtree, 81. The trailblazing actor starred as the ultra-smooth private detective in several "Shaft” films beginning in the early 1970s.
Matthew Perry, 54. The Emmy-nominated "Friends” actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television’s most famous and quotable characters.
