2023 was a hard year for some. Of course, just getting through the COVID-19 pandemic was a tough one. With that pandemic firmly behind us, we can all relax a little. Of course, we think of all the people who perished from COVID-19. According to Loudwire.com, here are musicians we lost in 2023.
I do apologize if I don't list every one of them. There were a lot of them. That's why I've included the link so you can see all of them. I don't want this to be too long
Jeff Beck
-DOD: 1/10/2023
-He died just ten days into the new year from bacterial meningitis. He was only 78. His fame came from being not only a member of The Yardbirds, but his unique talents at jazz rock fusion. His career was long enough to produce 14 albums, 8 Grammy Awards. He was even a favorite collaborator of Ozzy Osbourne, Jon Bon Jovi and others
David Crosby
-DOD: 1/19/2023
-A member of iconic group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Crosby died at age 81 on January 19, 2023. He was a founding member of 60s group The Byrds. Throughout his life, he suffered from various health issues, such as obesity, addiction, diabetes and liver problems. In 1994, he received a liver transplant, which was considered controversial due to his history with addiction
Tina Turner
-DOD: 5/24/2023
-This iconic legend was initially part of the R&B Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. Unfortunately, she suffered domestic abuse at Ike's hands. When she finally broke free of his abusive reign, she was able to rebuild herself up again to massive success. She struggled to gain a foothold as a solo artist until she released Private Dancer in 1983, containing the massive hit "What's Love Got to Do With It".
Gary Rossington
-DOD: 3/5/2023
-He was a founding member of legendary Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was one of the band members who survived the tragic crash that took vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie, who was a backing singer. He was part of the band from 1964-1977 and left, returning in 1987 for their reunion. He returned in 1991 and played until his death
Gordon Lightfoot
-DOD: 5/1/2023
-This iconic folk singer, behind hits such as "Carefree Highway", "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", "If You Could Read My Mind", died in the hospital in Toronto. On the social media account for him, his family posted "Gordon died peacefully on Monday, May 1, 2023 at 7:30 pm at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. He died of natural causes. He was 84 years old. He is survived by his wife Kim Hasse, six children - Fred, Ingrid, Eric, Galen, Miles, and Meredith, as well as several grandchildren."
Wayne Swinny
-DOD: 3/22/2023
-A guitarist for the band Saliva, the band had been out on tour, supporting their recently released single "High on Me". He had been rushed to the hospital, where he was in the ICU for a brain hemorrhage. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the brain hemorrhage. He played on 11 studio albums of Saliva
Tony Bennett
-DOD: 7/21/2023
-This legendary crooner died in New York at the age of 96. He had been battling Alzheimer's Disease, but despite that, he still wrote and recorded music. He even recorded music with pop singer Lady Gaga. His career experienced a halt in success in the 80s, but his success returned with the advent of a session on MTV Unplugged. This helped introduce him to a new generation of fans. Later on, he recorded a full album of big band, jazz type music that he's known for with Lady Gaga, who said she thoroughly enjoyed doing that album with him
Robbie Robertson
-DOD: 8/9/2023
-As a founding member of The Band, he died at the age of 80. At the time of his death, he was surrounded by family. Just before he passed, he had been working on a score for the Martin Scorsese-directed film Killers of the Flower Moon. The Band started out backing Bob Dylan in the 1960s, but forged out on their own, calling themselves The Band. One of their most well known songs is "The Weight" among others
Jimmy Buffett
-DOD: 9/1/2023
-Every one of his concerts was a giant party. The vibe at his concerts was that of one big party. He had been battling a type of skin cancer called Merkle cell skin cancer. He lost his battle on September 1, 2023. Some of his most famous songs include "Cheeseburger in Paradise", Margaritaville", "Come Monday". Because his grandfather used to take him sailing, he gained experiences involving the ocean and sailing, which figured into his music
Steve Harwell
-DOD: 9/4/2023
-The front man for 90s group Smash Mouth, succumbed to liver failure at his Boise, Idaho home. He had entered hospice prior to his death. He was only 56 at the time of his death. Smash Mouth was known for songs like "Walking On the Sun", "All Star" and their cover of The Monkees' classic "I'm a Believer", which appeared on the soundtrack for the film Shrek.
Hiroshi "Heath" Morie
-DOD: 10/29/2023
-The bass player for X Japan, he was diagnosed with cancer. At the time of discovery, it was already in advanced stages. He joined X Japan in 1992 and appeared on two of their albums - 1993's Art of Life and 1996's Dahlia. The band split up in 1997. He replaced the band's old bassist, Taiji, who played bass for the band in 1985. When X Japan reunited in 2007, Heath was one of the members present, alongside drummer/pianist Yoshiki, singer Toshi and guitarist Pata
Denny Laine
-DOD: 12/5/2023
-This musician was one of the founders of The Moody Blues and Wings. He died on December5, 2023 from issues related to intestinal lung disease. He helped form The Moody Blues in 1964 and stayed with them until 1966. When he left the band, Justin Hayward stepped in to sing, taking the band in a more symphonic rock direction. 1971 seen him joining forces with former Beatles member Paul McCartney in the band Wings. The band broke up 10 years later, though. Despite the breakup of Wings, Laine continued releasing solo songs and album. His official last studio album was in 2008, The Blue Musician
Robbie Bachman
-DOD: 1/12/2023
-Drummer for iconic band Bachman Turner Overdrive, he died at age 69. His brother and bandmate Randy Bachman reported his death. This band churned out iconic songs such as "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet", "Takin' Care of Business", "Let It Ride" in the 1970s
