In Memoriam: 2023 Deaths

The rock world mentioned goodbye to a number of notable figures in 2023, together with David Crosby, Jeff Beck and Gary Rossington.

Music followers had been surprised by the January dying of guitar virtuoso Beck, who had accomplished a tour with Johnny Depp lower than two months earlier.

The dying of David Crosby throughout the identical month additionally got here as a shock to followers. The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash co-founder had been engaged on new solo music and making ready to tour once more and had posted to social media simply days earlier than.

Rossington, who was the final founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, had handled a number of well being points in recent times, together with emergency coronary heart surgical procedure.

A lot of artists left surprisingly quickly. Robbie Robertson of the Band died of an undisclosed “long illness,” although he’d just lately accomplished one other rating for a movie by his good friend and frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese. Sinead O’Connor died on the tragically younger age of 56, a few yr and a half after her son died of suicide. Shane MacGowan of the Pogues died at 65 following a battle with viral encephalitis.

Elvis Presley’s solely youngster, Lisa Marie Presley, died all of a sudden and was mourned by many fellow followers and friends, together with Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses and the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan. Both appeared at her funeral, performing tracks from their respective catalog that had been a few of Presley’s favorites.

The namesake for the Marshall Tucker Band additionally died early within the yr. Even although he wasn’t a member of the group, he unknowingly helped launched their profession.

Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White, who performed on many hits by the legendary R&B and pop group throughout his decade with them, additionally died. He carved out a protracted profession that included work on key albums by Linda Ronstadt and Little Feat.

Motown songwriter Barrett Strong (who wrote the traditional “Money,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and lots of the Temptations’ hits), Television’s Tom Verlaine, Derek and the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon and Tom Leadon of Mudcrutch are additionally among the many different losses. Read on for extra details about the entertainers we have misplaced in 2023.