There are quite a number of famous celebrities that have died so far in 2023. Although these fallen stars are gone, their enormous contributions to the entertainment industry would never be forgotten.
Some of the celebrities whose death shook the entertainment industry in 2023 are Lance Reddick, Bobby Caldwell, Bud Grant, Lisa Marie Presley, and Annie Welching.
1. Lance Reddick (Jun 07, 1962 – Mar 17, 2023)
- Full Name: Lance Solomon Reddick
- Age: 60 years
- Died: March 17, 2023
- Known for: Resident Evil and John Wick
- Spouse: Stephanie Day
- Children: 3
- Cause of Death: Natural causes
Best known for his work on HBO’s The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise, Lance Reddick died from natural causes at the age of 60 on March 17, 2023, at his home in Los Angeles.
Following his death, his Hollywood colleagues and friends poured out their heartfelt tributes. Reddick’s John Wick co-stars Keanu Reeves and Ian McShane also paid their tributes at his funeral.
He has appeared in several movies such as Bosch (2014-2020), Oz (1997-2003), Lost (2004-2010), Resident Evil (2022), Farzar (2022-2023), and The Legend of Vox Machina (2023). He would also feature posthumously as the Greek god Zeus in the upcoming series Percy Jackson and the Olympians and also the video game, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd.
2. Willis Reed (Jun 25, 1942 – Mar 21, 2023)
- Full Name: Willis Reed Jr.
- Age: 80 years
- Died: March 21, 2023
- Known for: Basketball player and coach
- Spouse: Gale Kennedy
- Children: 2
- Cause of Death: Heart Failure
Willis Reed was famous for winning MVP honors in leading New York and then the Finals MVP for a second time in 1973. The Hall of Famer was initially the 10th overall pick in the 1964 NBA draft out of Grambling State University. He played 10 seasons in the league with the Knicks. While he was there, his team won its first-ever NBA title.
Having achieved all these, the National Basketball Retired Players Association and the Knicks announced that the former NBA players and coach died on March 21, 2023, at the age of 80. Reports say he died from heart failure his two children and his wife, Gale Kennedy.
3. Bobby Caldwell (Aug 15, 1951 – Mar 14, 2023)
- Full Name: Robert Hunter Caldwell
- Age: 71 years old
- Died: March 14, 2023
- Known for: Singer, Songwriter
- Spouse: Mary Caldwell
- Children: 2
- Cause of Death: Fluoroquinolone toxicity
What You Won’t Do For Love singer Bobby Caldwell struggled with health issues for about six years before he died on March 14, 2023, at the age of 71. The singer’s widow, Mary Caldwell announced his death via his official Twitter account.
Following his death, many of his fans and artist whom he had worked with directly or indirectly took to social media platforms to pay their respects.
Caldwell’s song, What You Won’t Do For Love became a multi-generational hit. The song made it to the top 100 charts after its release in 1978. That particular single was sampled from the track on his 1998 song Do for Love.
The R&B crooner’s songs include Open your eyes, Cat in the Hat, and Like Water for Chocolate.
Read Also: 10 Forgotten Celebrities And What Happened To Them
4. Bud Grant (May 20, 1927 – Mar 11, 2023)
- Full Name: Harry Peter “Bud” Grant Jr
- Age: 95 years
- Died: March 11, 2023
- Known for: NFL player and coach
- Spouse: Pat Grant
- Children: 6
- Cause of Death: natural causes
American football player, Bud Grant won four Super Bowl games, 11 division titles, one league championship, and three NFC championships. He was the first coach for the team to ever win both Grey Cup and a Super Bowl.
Before he started his coaching career, Grant whose real name is Harry Peter Grant Jr., was a gridiron football player who played for the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA, the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
On March 11, 2023, Bud Grant died of natural causes at the age of 95. He was survived by his five children: Kathy, Laurie, Peter, Mike, and Danny. He was predeceased by his wife Pat Grant and son Bruce.
5. Robert Blake (Sep 18, 1933 – Mar 09, 2023)
- Full Name: Michael James Gubitosi
- Age: 89
- Died: March 9, 2023
- Known for: Our Gang, Hell Town
- Spouse: Pamela Hudak (m. 2017; div. 2019)
- Children: 3
- Cause of Death: Heart Disease
Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning actor, Robert Blake was known for his role in the 1967 film In Cold Blood and also the late 1970s television series Baretta. He first began his career in the 1930s as a child actor together with his family. As a child actor, he appeared in movies such as Red Ryder and Our Gang.
With one of the longest careers in Hollywood history, Blake died from heart disease in Los Angeles on March 9, 2023, at the age of 89.
6. Lisa Loring ( February 16, 1958 – January 28, 2023)
- Full Name: Lisa Ann DeCinces
- Age: 64
- Died: January 28, 2023
- Known for: The Addams Family
- Spouse: Graham Rich (m. 2003; div. 2014)
- Children: 2
- Cause of Death: Stroke
Lisa Loring is best known for playing Wednesday Addams in the original 1960s sitcom, The Addams Family. Her other acting credits include roles in roles in TV series As The World Turns and movies like Savage Harbor and also Way Down in Chinatown.
On March 9, 2023, the actress’ agent Christ Carbaugh confirmed that she died in the early hours of the day surrounded by her family.
7. Annie Welching (March 28, 1977 – January 29, 2023)
- Full Name: Annie Welching
- Age:45
- Died: January 29, 2023
- Known for: 24, The Last of Us
- Spouse: Stephen Full
- Children: 3
- Cause of Death: Cancer
St. Missouri native Annie Welching died at the age of 45 on January 29, 2023, in Los Angeles. According to reports, the actress was diagnosed with cancer in mid-2020. Despite that, she continued to act in several movies.
During her final days, she played the Borg Queen in the second season of Star Trek: Picard in 2022.
Until her death, Wersching was married to comedian Stephen Full and they had three sons together.
8. Lisa Marie Presley (Feb 01, 1968 – Jan 12, 2023)
- Full Name: Lisa Marie Presley
- Age: 54
- Died: January 12, 2023
- Known as: Elvis Presley’s only child
- Spouse: Divorced
- Children: 4
- Cause of Death: Cardiac arrest
The only child of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley died at the age of 54 on January 12, 2023. She was previously hospitalized for cardiac arrest.
Before her death, Lisa celebrated Elvis’s 88th birthday with her father’s fans at Graceland. Having grown in the shadow of her father’s fame. As the only child of the global icon, Lisa tried to preserve her father’s legacy by recreating Presley’s nursery in a hospital.
Presley was a staunch defender of her ex-husband Michael Jackson. She was one of those people that defended him throughout the years of child abuse accusations against him. Including the King of Pop, Lisa was married and divorced four times. She had four children but one committed suicide.
9. Tom Sizemore (Nov 29, 1961 – Mar 03, 2023)
- Full Name: Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr.
- Age: 61 years
- Died: March 3, 2023
- Known for: Black Hawk Down, Twin Peaks
- Spouse: Divorced
- Children: 2
- Cause of Death: Brain aneurysm
American actor, Tom Sizemore died at the age of 61 on Friday 3, March 2023 shortly after he was hospitalized for suffering a brain aneurysm. He reportedly died in his sleep at a hospital in Burbank.
The Saving Private Ryan actor was known for his roles in films like Passenger 57(1992), Strange Days(1995), The Relic(1997), and C.L.E.A.N (2020).
At the time of his death, the actor was unmarried however, he was previously married to actress Maeve Quinlan for three years. He also dated Janelle Mclntire and they had a pair of twins before their relationship ended.
10. A.K.A (28 January 1988 – 10 February 2023)
- Full Name: Kiernan Jarryd Forbes
- Age: 35 years
- Died: February 10, 2023
- Known as: Rapper
- Partner: Nadia Nakai
- Children: 1
- Cause of Death: Murdered
South African rapper Kiernan Jarryd Forbes popularly known as AKA gained international recognition after the release of his hit single Victory Lap. The Cape Town-born rapper was one of the most popular South African rappers as well as the biggest-selling South African hip-hop artist of all time.
AKA was shot dead outside a restaurant in Durban on February 2023. He was actually scheduled to perform at a nightclub that day. While he was standing outside the restaurant with his friends, a hitman ran across them and shot the rapper in the head. Apparently, there was another gunman standing close to AKA’s car. That one not only shot the rapper but his friend Motsoane.
