Celebrity Deaths in 2023: The Icons We Lost This Year

This past year has been a time of great loss for the entertainment industry. Some of the biggest celebrity deaths of 2023 include Tony Bennett, Matthew Perry, and Tina Turner. We look back at the biggest celebrities who died in 2023 and remember some of their greatest achievements. 

The King of Rock & Roll's only daughter, Lisa Marie, passed away after experiencing a small bowel obstruction that was caused by adhesions that formed following a bariatric surgery done in years past. She was only 54 years old.

The singer-songwriter was known for her family legacy and her many marriages to stars like Michael Jackson and Nicholas Cage. This was one of the first celebrity deaths of 2023, happening on January 12th. 

Annie Wersching is best known for her roles in The Rookie, Timeless, and Runaways. She is another one of the first celebrity deaths of 2023, passing away on January 29th at the age of 45 after being diagnosed with cancer.

While you may not recognize his name, you are guaranteed to know Burt Bacharach's lyrics. "What the World Needs Now Is Love," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and  "I Say A Little Prayer For You" are all the words of this extraordinary songwriter. He passed away in February of natural causes at the age of 94. 

Best known for his role as Detective John Munch in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Richard Belzer died in his home in February at the age of 78. There is no known cause of death. 

The John Wick actor passed away in his home in March of this year. His death certificate lists atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease as the underlying causes of death. He was 60 years old.

Daytime talk show host Jerry Springer was famous for his outrageous guests and for covering controversial topics on his show. He graced our screens for 27 seasons, passing away in April due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 79.

The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll died of natural causes on May 24th at the age of 83. Turner was a Grammy award-winning artist, best known for her songs "Proud Mary" and "What’s Love Got to Do With It," which will keep rolling around in our minds for years to come.

The Everwood, Hair, and Chesapeake Shores actor passed away unexpectedly on June 12th at the age of 71. He was struck by a car while driving his motorcycle and was thrown from the vehicle. He was airlifted to the hospital but sadly succumbed to his injuries.

Academy Award-winning actor Alan Arkin died June 29th at the age of 89. His death was attributed to cardiovascular issues. He is best known for his roles in Little Miss Sunshine, Argo, Get Smart, and Edward Scissorhands.

Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett was an icon in the music industry. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "New York, New York" are just two of the magical songs that this music legend graced us with before his death in July. He passed away peacefully due to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 96.

This is another celebrity that you may not recognize by his name, but his face is unmistakeable. Pee-Wee Herman's iconic red bow tie, tight gray suit, and mischievous grin seem to be ingrained in our brains forever. This comedic actor was weirdly relatable in this role. Sadly, he passed away in July after a cancer battle at the age of 70.

He was the guy who has helped us to get funky on the dance floor since the start of the new millennium. DJ Casper was the voice behind the "Cha Cha Slide." He passed away in August from liver cancer at the age of 58. 

The king of gameshows, Bob Barker, graced our television screens for half a century. He became a household name thanks to his host role on The Price is Right, North America's longest-running television game show. Barker passed away in his Los Angeles home at the ripe old age of 99 on August 26th. His primary cause of death was Alzheimer's disease. 

 Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett passed away at 76, but his music career spanned over 50 years. The mogul, famous for his summer classic, "Margaritaville", died from skin cancer on September 1st. 

Smash Mouth's lead vocalist Steve Harwell passed away from acute liver failure in September of this year at the age of 56. He was best known for "I'm a Believer" and "All Star."

Affectionately known as "Ducky" in the television series NCIS, actor David McCallum passed away at the age of 90 from natural causes. He died on September 25th. 

Suzanne Somers was one of the stars of Three's Company and Step by Step as well as the owner of the multi-million dollar ThighMaster business. She passed away on October 15th at 76 after a battle with breast cancer. 

Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, aka Michael Gambon, passed away on September 28th. The Harry Potter mainstay died peacefully at the hospital after battling pneumonia at the age of 82. 

Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the television hit Friends, passed away at the age of 54 in his Los Angeles home on October 28th. The cause of death is pending, but it is believed that he drowned in his jacuzzi after suffering cardiac arrest. There were no drugs found at the scene.

Johnny Hardwick was another less recognizable celebrity face, but his voice was a staple on the animated sitcom King of the Hill. He played Dale Gribble for 13 seasons.

Sadly, he was found dead in his bathtub after a welfare check in November. He was 64 years old. The official cause of death is still undetermined. 

Andre Braugher is the most recent celebrity death of 2023. He was famous for playing Brooklyn Nine-Nine's poker-faced police captain Raymond Holt and passed away on December 13th after battling a brief illness. He was 61 years old.

The celebrities who died in 2023 will be greatly missed, but their impact on the world will live on in their extraordinary works. As we look ahead to the new year, we can use their passings as reminders to live each day to the fullest, because we never know how long we have to enjoy this wonderful life.