Musicians Who've Passed Away In 2023

While the legendary outfit Earth, Wind & Fire could be categorized most accurately as an R&B group, their sound has always defied labels. Early '70s hits like "Shining Star," "Sing a Song," and "September" revealed strong traces of jazz and funk running through their tunes, and when the band pivoted to disco in the late '70s, the most prominent result was a little tune titled "Boogie Wonderland," a song which has your butt shaking at this very minute simply from reading the title.

While co-lead vocalists Maurice White and Philip Bailey tended to steal the spotlight, the entire band was legendarily tight. And that all began with the rhythm section — brothers Verdine White on bass and Fred White on drums. According to The New York Times, the pair played on the vast bulk of Earth, Wind & Fire's most recognizable tunes. Unfortunately, Fred passed away at the age of 67 on January 1 — Verdine had the unfortunate task of letting the world know via Instagram of the sad news. In his memoir, "My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire," Maurice White — the half-brother of Verdine and Fred — called the drummer a "brick wall... [with] a rock-solid tempo and a rock-solid feel." Fred White may be gone, but as long as there are parties to be rocked and booties to be shaken, his contributions to music will live on.

Scottish band The Associates isn't necessarily a household name in the United States, unless the members of your household were really into the United Kingdom post-punk scene in the '80s. If they are, then they're bound to recognize that the duo of vocalist Billy Mackenzie and guitarist/keyboardist Alan Rankine were far more influential than their relatively slight discography and cult status might suggest. Just ask the uber-talented Icelandic singer Björk, who didn't hesitate to name The Associates' 1982 sophomore effort "Sulk" as the album everyone should hear before they die, when posed the question by NME in 2018.

The Associates boasted a similarly heavy influence on a slew of post-punk and new wave bands of the '80s, and according to the BBC, said bands all came out to pay tribute to Rankine on social media when he passed away on January 3 at the age of 64. In addition to his work with The Associates, Rankine established Electric Honey Records, a student-run label at Glasgow Kelvin College, where he was a professor; in 1996, the label dropped "Tigermilk," the debut release from the critically acclaimed indie pop outfit Belle and Sebastian.

When you are the daughter of the King of Rock 'n Roll, your life is bound to be an interesting and publicly-lived one. This was certainly true for Lisa Marie Presley, who was born into music royalty, became an heir to her father's vast estate after his 1977 death at only nine years old (per Today), and even took an unsuccessful crack at keeping her royal lineage going with a brief marriage to King of Pop Michael Jackson between 1994 and 1995 (via US Magazine). 

She may have been more well-known for being constantly scrutinized by the tabloids and for her charitable endeavors, of which she had many, per The Guardian — but she inherited her father's love of music, and she was a pretty talented artist in her own right. Presley released three albums during the course of her career: 2003's "To Whom It May Concern," 2005's "Now What," and 2012's "Storm & Grace," with the former two having notched spots in the Billboard Top 10. 

Unfortunately, Presley's final years were marred by tragedy; her son Benjamin Keough, from her pre-Michael Jackson marriage to musician Danny Keough, died by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020 (via US Magazine). Then, in January 2023, Presley went into cardiac arrest at her home and was rushed to the hospital, but she was unable to pull through; she died the evening of January 12 at the age of 54. Per CBS News, her final resting place will be at her father's iconic Graceland estate, next to her son.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Many professional musicians live colorful lives, but David Crosby's was perhaps a bit more colorful than most. A folk-rock pioneer, Crosby has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — as a member of the Byrds, and as a member of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, both iconic groups that made enormous contributions to popular music in the '60s and '70s. Crosby remained committed to performing for decades, even as his recording career wound down, and as he has openly struggled with addiction and health problems. Throughout it all, his voice — which was so often heard beautifully blending with those of his partners Graham Nash and Stephen Stills — remained strong, as did his opinions on music, politics, and life in general.

In his final interview with Rolling Stone published in February 2023, Crosby confessed to being puzzled as to how he had managed to outlive so many of his peers and also offered some gems of wisdom in response to readers' questions. Queried as to how the "Peace and Love" generation went wrong, he responded, "Well, I've asked myself the same thing. I'm an idealist ... We are trying to evolve as human beings to the point where we don't have ego, and anger, and greed, and lust running our affairs. I don't know if we're going to make it. I believe that we will." Crosby passed away on January 18 at the age 81.

While New York band Television only recorded two albums during their '70s heyday — 1977's "Marquee Moon" and 1978's "Adventure" — the band had an outsized influence on their peers. Although the band is closely identified with legendary Big Apple club CBGB — and the bands whose careers it helped to launch, like Blondie and Talking Heads — its sound was something entirely different, sprawling art-rock delivered with a punk attitude. It was a sound that would exert a heavy influence on such future megastars as R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, and U2 — and a key piece of its musical puzzle was guitarist and singer Tom Verlaine.

Verlaine's experimental guitar work, unique vocal delivery, and clever lyrics earned the praise of critics and peers alike, but the unclassifiable nature of Television's music and Verlaine's strong anti-commercial leanings combined to ensure that the band would never amass the ginormous following that they probably should have. In a 2006 New York Times interview, when asked to sum up how a biographer would present his life, Verlaine replied, "Struggling not to have a professional career." Indeed, Television reunited for just one additional album, a self-titled 1991 effort, after leaving their indelible mark on countless bands with their '70s work — but they continued to thrill fans with sporadic live performances into the aughts and teens, with even their latter-day performances drawing rave reviews. After a brief illness, Verlaine passed away on January 28 at the age of 73.

Although they were founded in 1978, Britpop band Pulp enjoyed next to no commercial success for well over a decade afterwards. Formed by vocalist and lyricist Jarvis Cocker as a teen, the band plowed through members and various styles throughout the '80s, finally settling on a semi-stable lineup that included bassist Steve Mackey. With Mackey aboard, the group cashed in on the Britpop explosion of the mid-'90s, having commercial success with their albums "His 'n' Hers" (1994), "Different Class" (1995), and "This is Hardcore" (1998).

After Pulp disbanded in the early aughts, Mackey dabbled in photography and continued to work as a songwriter, producer, and remixer for the likes of Florence + The Machine and Arcade Fire. Unfortunately, Mackey's intriguing post-Pulp journey ended on March 2, when he passed away from an undisclosed illness. On its official Instagram page, Pulp shared a photo of Mackey hiking in the Andes in 2012. "Steve made things happen. In his life [and] in the band," read the caption. "We'd very much like to think that he's back in those mountains now, on the next stage of his adventure." Mackey was 56 years old.

In another universe, Jim Gordon is remembered for one thing, and one thing only — being one of the most rock-solid, talented drummers to ever sit behind a kit. A student of the great Hal Blaine and a former member of the legendary group of studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew, Gordon's drums have featured on some of the most iconic recordings of rock's early era. A partial list of songs on which he played includes "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes (which he co-wrote), "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" by Steely Dan, and "Apache" by the Incredible Bongo Band; he's worked with the likes of John Lennon, George Harrison, Tom Waits, and Harry Nilsson. Unfortunately, his incredible work ethic and blinding talent masked a terrible secret — he had schizophrenia, and he had been experiencing auditory hallucinations, hearing voices in his head, since his youth.

Speaking with Rolling Stone in 1985, Gordon said, "The voices were chasing me around. Making me drive to different places. Starving me. I was only allowed one bite of food a meal. And, if I disobeyed, the voices would fill me with a rage." Gordon learned to obey those voices without question, and on June 3, 1983, they directed him to do the unthinkable — he attacked and killed his 71-year old mother at her apartment in Hollywood. He was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison, and while he had been eligible for parole several times, he always declined to attend his hearings. Gordon passed away from natural causes at 77 on March 13.