Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Turner’s powerful voice and stage presence brought her fame across multiple decades, first with her abusive husband, Ike Turner, in the 1960’s and 70’s. But after leaving their marriage, she found fame again in the 1980’s with her hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
Others in the world of arts and entertainment who died this year include: actors Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree and Tom Sizemore; musicians Jimmy Buffett, Sinad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee and Tony Bennett; civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; author Cormac McCarthy; filmmaker William Friedkin; TV hosts Bob Barker and Jerry Springer; poet Louise Glck; guitarist Jeff Beck; fashion designer Mary Quant; wrestler The Iron Sheik; composer Kaija Saariaho; and “Sesame Street” co-creator Lloyd Morrisett.
Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023:
JANUARY
Fred White, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind & Fire. Jan. 1.
Ken Block, 55. A motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes. Jan. 2. Snowmobiling accident.
Walter Cunningham, 90. The last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program. Jan. 3.
Fay Weldon, 91. A British author known for her sharp wit and acerbic observations about women’s experiences and sexual politics in novels including “The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil.” Jan. 4.
Russell Pearce, 75. A Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona’s landmark 2010 anti-immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law. Jan. 5.
Charles Simic, 84. The Pulitzer…
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