Famous people who died in January 2023
Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, passed away after a heart attack. Just two days before the fateful event, she had attended the Golden Globes gala, where she was honored by 'Elvis' actor Austin Butler.
Former world freestyle champion Kyle Smaine died at the age of 31. The American athlete was cross-country skiing off the slopes in Japan with 13 other people when an avalanche swept him away.
Actress Annie Wersching, known for her roles in fiction such as '24' or 'General Hospital,' died at the age of 45. She died of cancer that was diagnosed in 2020. Wersching was also known as the voice of Tess in the videogame 'The Last Of Us.'
Tom Verlaine, the legendary frontman and guitarist of the historic band Television, passed away at the age of 73. Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of singer Patti Smith to whom Verlaine was very close, announced that Verlaine had "passed away after a brief illness."
Known for being the first Wednesday Addams in history (she gave life to the daughter of the Addams family in the television series 'The Addams Family' in 1964), Lisa Loring died of a stroke at age 65. In recent years, the actress had left the acting profession and dedicated herself to public relations for a well-known hotel chain.
Known for her role as the young Shirley Feeney in the 1976 sitcom 'Laverne & Shirley', the actress passed away at the age of 75 at her home in Los Angeles, California. Cindy Williams' death followed a brief illness. As her children declared: "The passing of our kind and hilarious mother has brought us an insurmountable sadness that could never be expressed. Knowing her has been our greatest joy and privilege."
The American model Jeremy Ruehlemann passed away at the age of 27. The cause of his death was not disclosed. Designer Christian Siriano took to Instagram to mourn the young star: "I have never posted anything like this but to lose a friend who was such a beautiful soul is just really hard."
The London-born soccer player had a brief career on both sides of the Atlantic in clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Atlanta United, and Charlotte FC, before he tragically passed away in a boat accident at the age of 25. It happened near Miami, Florida.
The Californian guitarist and singer-songwriter, a founding member of the group The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, died at the age of 81. He had suffered a long illness before his death, possibly Covid-19, but nothing has been confirmed.
At the age of 95, the Italian actress and film diva Gina Lollobrigida passed away from unknown causes. She was considered the most beautiful woman in the world after shooting the 1955 film 'La donna più bella del mondo' with American director Robert Z. Leonard.
Dutch cyclist Lieuwe Westra, known as 'The Beast' for his ability to fight for victory until he suffered on his bike, was found dead in his office. The cause of death was not disclosed. In the past, Westra had gotten into doping-related trouble and in 2017 he surprised people around the world by retiring due to severe depression.
Stund double Robbie Knievel, who specialized in motorcycle jumps, passed away from pancreatic cancer. He was 60 years old.
German model and actress Tatjana Patitz, who was part of the supermodel cohort in the 1980s and 1990s, passed away at the age of 56 from metastatic breast cancer.
Guitarist Jeff Beck, considered by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best rock guitarists ever, died at the age of 78 as a result of bacterial meningitis.
The last king of Greece (from 1964 to 1973) died at the age of 82 after suffering a stroke. Constantine II of Greece was the son of King Paul I of Greece and Frederica of Hannover, which meant he was the brother of the Spanish former Queen Sophie and of Princess Irene of Greece. He was married to Anne-Marie of Denmark, with whom he had five children.
Actor Adam Rich, who will always be remembered for his role as Nicholas in the famous television series 'Eight Is Enough', died at the age of 54 in his home in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles coroner's office, the cause of death is under investigation, although it is not considered suspicious.
A former midfielder of the French top club Paris St Germain, Modeste M'Bami, suddenly passed away at the age of 40. The cause was a heart attack.
Former Italian soccer player and coach Gianluca Vialli, 58, died in London from pancreatic cancer. He had been treated for the illness since 2017.
The life of the German skier Rosi Mittermaier (double Olympic Gold Medalist and triple World Champion) ended at the age of 72 in the midst of her closest family. The skier had been fighting a serious illness for some time.
American astronaut Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first manned Apollo, passed away from natural causes at age 90.
Motor racer Ken Block lost his life in a snowmobile accident. The machine fell on top of him after he lost control of it on a steep hill in Park City, Utah. He was 55 years old.
The American rapper Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, known as Gangsta Boo, was found dead at her home in Memphis (Tennessee) on the first day of 2023. Those close to the rapper told TMZ that the night before she had been celebrating the new year with her brother and that she suffered an overdose after consuming various substances. Gangsta Boo was 43 years old and a pioneer in female rap.
Fred White, former drummer for the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, passed away at the age of 67. The cause of death was not disclosed.