Gallery: Notable deaths of 2023

Tina Turner, a Grammy-winning vocalist who overcame an abusive marriage and decades of adversity before becoming a powerhouse rock ’n’ roll star, died at 83. Turner rose to fame with husband Ike Turner in the 1960s and ‘70s, scoring numerous hits that included “Proud Mary” and “I Want to Take You Higher.” After going solo, Turner adopted the vulnerable persona of a survivor as she poured her struggles and hardships into her music and her energetic performances. Her 1994 album “Private Dancer,” which included the hits “What’s Love Got do Do With It” and “Let’s Stay Together,” sold more than 10 million copies and scored four Grammy Awards.  (Hermann J. Knippertz / Associated Press)

Kenneth Anger, a leading figure in underground cinema who brought homoeroticism to the screen, died at 96. The Santa Monica-born Anger remained a Hollywood outcast throughout his life — never directing a film for a major U.S. studio — but he managed to collaborate with everyone from the sexologist Alfred Kinsey to rock star Mick Jagger. He made more than 20 short films and was recognized for giving a new visual lexicon to filmmakers from the New Hollywood movement that began in the mid-1960s.  (Estate of Edmund Teske / Getty Images)

Sam Zell, a billionaire investor who earned a reputation as “the Grave Dancer” for resurrecting troubled businesses, died at 81. Known for his foul language and love of motorcycles, Zell made headlines in 2007 when he acquired Tribune Co., a media conglomerate that owned radio stations and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. Tribune went into bankruptcy the following year. In other industries, particularly real estate, where his fortune started, he was an undisputed master of the turnaround.  (Steven Ferdman / Getty Images)

Gloria Molina, whose political life in Los Angeles had been a series of firsts that inspired generations of women and Latinos to seek public office, died at 74. Molina was first Latina Assembly member in California, the first Latina on the Los Angeles City Council and the first Latina on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Through her rise, Molina strode through L.A.’s corridors of power with an outsider’s skepticism and an insider’s know-how.  (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Jim Brown, a pro football great who later became an actor and civil rights activist, died at 87. On the field, the Cleveland Browns fullback was regarded by many as the greatest pro football player of all time. He led the league in rushing eight of his nine seasons and was selected the MVP three times before retiring at his peak in 1965. He threw himself into his budding acting career and the social activism that made him an influential figure during the civil rights era.  (Mark Duncan / Associated Press)

Denny Crum, a John Wooden disciple who won two NCAA basketball championships and built the Louisville Cardinals into one of the 1980s’ dominant programs, died at 86. Wooden hired Crum as his assistant and chief recruiter in 1968, when the Bruins were in the midst of their dynastic run to 10 NCAA titles. Crum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and retired in 2001 after 30 seasons at Louisville.  (David Longstreath / Associated Press)

Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian singer-songwriter regarded as of the most respected folk-rooted musicians to emerge in the 1960s, died at 84. The Canadian music industry treated him as royalty, bestowing him 16 Juno Awards, its equivalent of the Grammys, and inducting him into the Juno Hall of Fame. He was best known in the States for his mournful hits “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”  (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images for Stagecoach)

Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor of Cincinnati who became best known for “The Jerry Springer Show,” died at 79. The hugely popular daytime program debuted in 1991 and ran for 27 seasons, boosted by sky-high ratings that at one point surpassed even “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Springer’s political career began in 1968 as an aide to presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. He served as Cincinnati’s mayor from 1977 to 1978.  (Los Angeles Times)

Harry Belafonte, a multitalented entertainer who later became a civil rights activist, died at 97. Belafonte beat the odds in a historic rise to stardom — the first Black man to win a Tony, the first Black man to win an Emmy, the first artist to record an album that sold 1 million copies (1956’s “Calypso”). His version of the “Banana Boat Song” from that album fueled an international calypso craze in the 1950s  (Victoria Will / Associated Press)

Richard Riordan, a moderate Republican who served as mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001, died at 92. The last Republican mayor of what became a liberal city, Riordan made a fortune as an investment broker and became a civic and political donor before emerging as a first-time, outsider candidate at the age of 62. When his term ended, much of his vision for a cleaner, safer, better-functioning city had been realized. But also on Riordan’s watch, the Rampart police corruption scandal surfaced in late 1999.  (Los Angeles Times)

Anne Perry, a British crime writer whose own murderous past inspired the 1994 film ‘Heavenly Creatures,’ died at 94. Perry’s 1979 debut novel, “The Cater Street Hangman,” and her 1993 historical mystery, “A Sudden, Fearful Death,” are among her numerous period thrillers. But for nearly two decades, no one knew that the crime writer “Anne Perry” was actually the teenage murderer Juliet Hulme. At 15, Perry served five years in prison for her part in bludgeoning to death woman in New Zealand.  (Liz Hafalia / Associated Press)

Al Jafee, a cartoonist who served as Mad Magazine’s longest-running contributor and the creator of the magazine’s most enduring feature — the Fold-In — died at 102. His style of artwork — clean lines with a flair for the bizarre, off-beat and grotesque — became synonymous with the magazine. He also wrote for Mad, including a regular feature called “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” until his retirement in 2020.  (Stephen Morton / Associated Press)

Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of Intel Corp. and creator of Moore’s Law, died at 94. Although Moore’s co-founding of the microprocessor giant in 1968 assured his place in the history, he may be best known for 1965’s Moore’s Law, a simple observation that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit appeared to be doubling every year. Although the exact equation of Moore’s Law was changed, its spirit of rapid technological advancement remained constant. It became the credo of the electronic world and a slogan of the digerati eagerly awaiting the next great thing.  (Ben Margot / Associated Press)

Lance Reddick, best known for his role as straight-laced Lt. Cedric Daniels on the hit HBO series “The Wire,” died at 60. Reddick landed his first acting role in the TV series “New York Undercover” in 1996, but his career breakthrough came in 2000 with his appearance as a doomed undercover officer in “Oz.” He would later star in several roles in TV and film, including the Fox series “Fringe” and Lionsgate’s “John Wick” movies.  (Evan Agostini / invision / Associated Press)

Bobby Caldwell, a soulful R&B singer and songwriter whose 1978 hit “What You Won’t Do for Love” became a defining single of late-1970s soft rock, died at 71. Caldwell began performing professionally at 17 and got his break playing guitar in Little Richard’s band in the early 1970s. In the mid ‘70s, Caldwell played in various bar bands in Los Angeles before landing a solo record deal. As his career progressed, he threaded in stronger elements of jazz, eventually becoming a fixture in contemporary jazz settings.  (Jason Kempin / Getty Images for BET)

Robert Blake, who won a 1975 Emmy for his portrayal of Tony Baretta in the 1975-78 TV cop series “Baretta,” died at 89. His up-and-down career began at age 5 when he appeared in “Our Gang” comedies in the late 1930s. He rose to prominence when he played murderer Perry Smith in 1967’s “In Cold Blood” and peaked with “Baretta.” His career was derailed by charges he murdered his wife in 2001. He was acquitted in 2005 but later that year was found liable by a civil jury.  (J. Wilds / Getty Images)

Tom Sizemore, known for his work in “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Hawk Down,” died at 61. Sizemore’s first break came when Oliver Stone cast him for a small role in 1989’s “Born on the Fourth of July.” He played tough-guy roles throughout the 1990s in films such as “Natural Born Killers” and “Heat” and later had a recurring role in the TV series “China Beach.” His tough-guy roles continued in the 21st century, but they came in low-budget, little-seen productions.  (Victoria Will / Invision / Associated Press)

Walter Mirisch, the last of three Mirisch brothers who produced or oversaw production of a string of highly regarded films in the 1950s and ’60s, including best picture Oscar winners “The Apartment,” “West Side Story” and “In the Heat of the Night,” died at 101. Mirisch, the first of his brothers to make it to Hollywood, also was a strong presence in the Hollywood community and served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1973-77.  (Amanda Edwards / WireImage)

Richard Belzer, an actor and comedian known for playing wisecracking detective John Munch on numerous TV series — including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” — died at 78. Before his TV career, Belzer performed stand-up at comedy clubs in New York City and also served as a warm-up act on “Saturday Night Live” in the early days of the sketch comedy program. During his career, Belzer’s Munch surpassed Kelsey Grammer’s Dr. Frasier Crane of “Cheers” and James Arness’ Marshal Matt Dillon of “Gunsmoke” as the most prolific TV character of all time.  (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Tim McCarver, an All-Star catcher who won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals before becoming one of the country’s most recognized television commentators, died at 81. McCarver worked closely with Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton over a 21-year career that spanned four decades. He also was a strong-hitting catcher, a rarity during the ‘60s. He had his best year in 1967 when he hit .295 with 14 home runs, finishing second for Most Valuable Player. He switched to television soon after retiring in 1980.  (Heather Ainsworth / Associated Press)

Raquel Welch, whose doeskin bikini in the 1966 film “One Million Years B.C.” launched her as an international icon, died at 82. Welch was a La Jolla beauty queen-turned-single mom, but to the world, she was an exotic actor whose looks suited the mood of the swinging 1960s. Though she would appear in exploitative films, she also surprised many in the industry with fine performances, including 1973’s “The Three Musketeers,” which earned her a Golden Globe.  (Matt Sayles /Invision / Associated Press)

Burt Bacharach, a commanding figure in popular music as a composer, arranger and record producer, died at 94. Bacharach teamed with lyricist Hal David in 1956 and the two helped define the broad reaches of popular music with a run of hit songs, including “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and “I Say a Little Prayer.” Bacharach’s music was largely apolitical until late in life, when his songs began touching on school shootings, the 9/11 terror attack and racial intolerance.  (John Salangsang / Associated Press)

Cindy Williams, a self-proclaimed Valley Girl from Van Nuys who starred in the “Happy Days” spinoff “Laverne & Shirley,” died at 75. Williams was a novice to the the sitcom genre when the show debuted in 1976, previously appearing in movies that included 1973’s “American Graffiti” and 1974’s “The Conversation.” She was also a successful movie producer, serving as an associate producer of the 1991 comedy “Father of the Bride.”  (Rodrigo Vaz / FilmMagic)

Eddie Lopez, L.A.’s curator of all things salsa and the famed DJ from KXLU’s “Alma del Barrio,” one of the most celebrated radio shows of its kind in the United States, died at 66. While enrolled at Loyola Marymount University in the 1970s, Lopez volunteered for “Alma del Barrio,” which was unique in the Southern California Latino radio landscape by focusing on Afro-Caribbean music and presenting it with DJs who spoke in English and Spanish. For years, Lopez hosted the show every other Sunday, and under his leadership “Alma del Barrio” quickly became part of the fabric of Los Angeles.  (Vanessa Sulam)

Arthur Duncan, a tap dancer who was best known for his 18-year run on “The Lawrence Welk Show” as the only Black cast member, died at 97. The Pasadena native kept tap dancing visible and relevant across the country on television when most had relegated it to the past. His varied career included appearances on other television shows (including “The Betty White Show”), in film (“Tap” in 1989) and in top theater venues around the world.   (Carole Carbone-Duncan / Sean Carbone)

Ralph Avila, who led the Dodgers’ efforts to develop players in Latin America, particularly in the Dominican Republic, died at 92. Originally hired by the Dodgers as a part-time scout in 1970 after leaving his native Cuba, where he was a semi-pro baseball player, he would become an influential executive and scout until 1999. One of Avila’s biggest contributions was helping to create the Dodgers’ Campo Las Palmas academy in the Dominican Republic.  (Mike Stobe / Getty Images)

David Crosby, the co-founder of two supergroups that broadened and deepened the reach of rock music — the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash — died at 81. Crosby grew up in Southern California and did as much as anyone to define the region’s sound. He evolved from a harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young. In the ‘70s, Crosby, who who was twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, issued several solo albums while collaborating with others.  (Diane Bondareff / Associated Press)

Charles White, a Los Angeles native who helped lift USC to a national championship in 1978, won the Heisman Trophy in 1979 and set 22 school, Pac-12, NCAA and Rose Bowl records, died at 64. The tailback would rush for 6,245 yards during his four-year career at USC, a record that has never been eclipsed at the school. After his college years, White spent nine years in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and the Rams and later became the Trojans running backs coach from 1993-97.  (Wally Fong / Associated Press)

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley and a singer-songwriter who helped oversee her famous father’s estate, died at 54. Presley became the sole heir of her father’s massive estate when he died in 1977. In 1993, when she became eligible to receive her father’s fortune, she created the Elvis Presley Trust instead of inheriting the funds. In the 2000s, Presley pursued a music career of her own, releasing her debut album, “To Whom It May Concern,” in 2003 and appearing on stage with Pat Benatar and Richard Hawley, among others.   (Barry Brecheisen / Invision / Associated Press)

Adam Rich, whose breakout role in the late ‘70s on “Eight Is Enough” made him one of the biggest child stars of the period, died at 54. Rich appeared in a 1976 episode of “The Six Million Dollar Man” before making his debut on the sitcom, which ran from 1977-81. In the 1990s, Rich permitted San Francisco’s magazine to publish a fake story about his murder in a divisive effort to hold a mirror up to society’s fixation on celebrity deaths.  (Nick Ut / Associated Press)