2023 was quite a somber year for music because we had to say goodbye to some of the most gifted and celebrated musicians of all time. Some were in their late years, battling with old-age diseases. While others were barely into their middle age, still touring and recording. The loss of life is never easy but it hits a little harder when its icons who have inspired millions across the world.
So, join us as we pay tribute to their life and the mark they made on music. They may be gone, but their music will definitely live on forever. Here are 12 musicians who sadly died in 2023:
1. Jeff Beck
Often hailed as the “guitarist’s guitarist,” Jeff Beck truly redefined what you could do with an electric guitar. He had this unique, one-of-a-kind sound that he created by picking strings with the fleshy part of his thumb and using the whammy bar on his Fender Stratocaster. As the years went on, he became a master at interpreting the human voice on the electric guitar.
He won eight Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — first as the lead guitarist of the Yardbirds and then as a solo performer. Rolling Stone even named him the 5th greatest guitarist of all time in 2023. On January 10, 2023, Beck died from bacterial meningitis at the age of 78.
2. Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley was a singer-songwriter and the only daughter of Elvis Presley. She released three albums during her career – To Whom It May Concern, Now What, and Storm & Grace. Notably, she was known for her high-profile marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. Aged 54, she passed away on January 12, 2023, after suffering a heart attack.
3. Robbie Bachman
Robbie Bachman was the drummer and one of the founding members of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. He played on the band’s first eight studio albums and some of their biggest hits like “Takin’ Care of Business,” “Hey You,” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” He was also added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2014. On January 12, 2023, Bachman’s older brother announced that the artist had sadly passed on to the other side at 69.
4. Wayne Swinny
Wayne Swinny was the guitarist and the last remaining original member of the Memphis rock band Saliva. Some of their greatest hits include “Always,” “Your Disease,” “Click Click Boom,” and “I Walk Alone.” Fans will definitely remember Swinny for his charismatic stage presence and how he’d make his guitar scream. Off the stage, he was a proud father, a huge Ancient Aliens fan, and an all-around nice human being who never turned down a fan for a selfie. Swinny died on March 22, 2023, after suffering a brain hemorrhage while on tour with his band. He was 59.
5. Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian singer and songwriter. His massive hits like “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Early Morning Rain,” and “If You Could Read My Mind” helped establish him as one of the greatest artists of the 70s. His tracks were even covered by legends like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. He had four Grammy nominations and was added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986 as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. He died of natural causes on May 1, 2023, at the age of 84.
6. Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte was the ultimate jack of all trades. He was a singer, producer, actor, and activist! He is famous for “Day-O,” better known as “The Banana Boat Song.” Belafonte won three Grammy Awards, one of which was a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as an Emmy, a Tony Award, and an Oscar. He died on April 25, 2023, at the age of 96.
7. Tina Turner
Another iconic musician who died in 2023 was The Queen of Rock and Roll a.k.a Tina Turner. The singer wasn’t just a musical inspiration but was also a symbol of feminism for women all over the world. Turner and her husband Ike Turner formed a powerful duo that topped the charts in the 60s and 70s. But then she broke the news about her abusive marriage with Ike and reinvented herself, only to come back as an even bigger rockstar.
With admirers like Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, Turner was known for her pop, rock, and blues hits like “River Deep, Mountain High,” “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” She sold 150M+ records worldwide, bagged 12 Grammys, and was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Her life has since been adapted into a movie (What’s Love Got to Do With It), a Broadway musical, and a 2021 HBO documentary (TINA) that she dubbed “her public farewell.” Turner had been diagnosed with intestinal cancer and kidney disease for several years, and she passed away on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83.
8. Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett was a legendary singer who rocked the music industry for over 70 years. During his career, he released more than 70 albums and collaborated with the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Sting, and Lady Gaga, among others. He won 20 Grammys (including a Lifetime Achievement Award) and 2 Primetime Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, he’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016, and on July 21, 2023, at the age of 96, he passed away.
9. Sinead O’Connor
Another notable musician who died in 2023 was Sinead O’Connor. The Irish pop and alt-rock singer rose to fame with her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which charted #1 in multiple countries, including the US and UK. She was also a huge activist and made headlines in 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II during an SNL performance, boldly speaking out against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. In 2018, O’Connor converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat. She died on July 26, 2023, at only 56.
10. Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett led a very laid-back, beachy lifestyle, which carried over to his songs. His music was the perfect soundtrack for a boat ride or sipping a drink at sunset. Buffett was most famous for his signature song, “Margaritaville,” but he’d also collaborated on hits like “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” which became 2003’s #1 country song, as well as “Knee Deep” with Zac Brown Band, which dominated the charts in 2011. Buffett had been battling Merkel cell skin cancer for four years before he passed away on September 1, 2023. He was 76 and still recording, with his final album, Equal Strain on All Parts, released after his passing on November 3.
11. Steve Harwell
Steve Harwell was the lead singer and co-founder of the alt-rock band Smash Mouth. He and his band were known for their hits like “All Star,” “Walkin’ on the Sun,” and “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby.” On September 4, 2023, Harwell’s brand manager, Robert Hayes, shared the heartbreaking announcement of his death. He said that Harwell had passed peacefully and comfortably surrounded by family and friends. At the time of his passing, Harwell was just 56 at the time of his death.
12. Colin Burgess
Colin Burgess was a drummer and one of the original members of AC/DC. He joined the band in November 1973 but was let go in February 1974 due to accusations of being drunk on stage. He did, however, fill in for one of the band’s drummers for a few months in ‘75. Burgess only appeared on AC/DC’s debut single “Can I Sit Next to You, Girl.” He was 77 when AC/DC announced that he’d passed away on December 16, 2023.
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