It’s always a big loss when the world loses a talented artist, and unfortunately, 2023 kicked off with several notable deaths in music. It began with Gangsta Boo, the pioneering Southern female rapper formerly of hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, who was found dead on New Year’s Day at age 43.
The next day, Alan Rankine of post-punk New Wave act The Associates, who also produced the Cocteau Twins and pursued his own solo music, died at age 64. Since then, we’ve also lost rock guitar legend Jeff Beck — who died at age 78 on Jan. 10 — and singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, who suffered cardiac arrest and died on Jan. 12 at age 54.
While their loved ones and fans around the globe mourn the loss of these artists, they will not be forgotten. Here, Billboard remembers the musicians who left us in 2023.
Wayne Swinny
Image Credit: Scott Legato/GI
(Oct. 31, 1963 – March 22, 2023)
Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins (center)
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(June 8, 1941 – March 17, 2023)
Bobby Caldwell
Image Credit: C Flanigan/WireImage
(April 15, 1951 – March 14, 2023)
Paul Beasley
Image Credit: Michael Weintraub
(Dec. 11, 1944 – March 13, 2023)
Jim Gordon
Image Credit: Jim McCrary/Redferns
(July 14, 1945 – March 13, 2023)
Costa Titch
Image Credit: Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images via Getty Images
(1995 – March 11, 2023)
Chaim Topol
Image Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/GI
(Sept. 9, 1935 – March 9, 2023)
Michael Rhodes
Image Credit: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images
(1953 – March 4, 2023)
David Lindley
Image Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
(March 21, 1944 – March 3, 2023)
Wayne Shorter
Image Credit: Keith Tsuji/GI for Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
(August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023)
Steve Mackey
Image Credit: Shirlaine Forrest/GI
(1966 – March 2, 2023)
Tom Whitlock
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via GI
(Feb. 20, 1954 – Feb. 18, 2023)
Kyle Jacobs
Image Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT
(Feb. 17, 2023)
Gerald Fried
Image Credit: Amy Graves/WireImage
(Feb. 13, 1928 – Feb. 17, 2023)
Chuck Jackson
Image Credit: Ray Tamarra/GI
(July 22, 1937 – Feb. 16, 2023)
Huey “Piano” Smith
Image Credit: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images
(Jan. 26, 1934 – Feb. 13, 2023)
Dave Jolicoeur
Image Credit: Matthew Eisman/Getty Images
(1968 – 2023)
Burt Bacharach
Image Credit: Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GI
(May 12, 1928 – Feb. 9, 2023)
Barrett Strong
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Feb. 5, 1941 – Jan. 29, 2023)
Tom Verlaine
Image Credit: Darren Eagles/Getty Images
(Dec. 13, 1949 – Jan. 28, 2023)
David Crosby
Image Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
(Aug. 14, 1941 – Jan. 19, 2023)
Van Conner (right)
Image Credit: Gie Knaeps/GI
(March 17, 1967 – Jan. 17, 2023)
C.J. Harris
Image Credit: FOX via Getty Images
(Jan. 28, 1991 – Jan. 15, 2023)
Lisa Marie Presley
Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
(Feb. 1, 1968 – Jan. 12, 2023)
Robbie Bachman
Image Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns
(January 2023)
Jeff Beck
Image Credit: Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/GI
(June 24, 1944 – Jan. 10, 2023)
Gordy Harmon of The Whispers
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(1943 – Jan. 5, 2023)
Alan Rankine
Image Credit: David Corio/Redferns
(May 17, 1958 – Jan. 2, 2023)
Gangsta Boo
Image Credit: Lee Shaner
(Aug. 7, 1979 – Jan. 1, 2023)
