These legends will never be forgotten

Musician deaths 2023 - These legends will never be forgotten

In 2023, the music world lost some real superstars. In addition to jazz legend Tony Bennett (1926-2023), fans also had to say goodbye to the "Queen of Rock'n'Roll" Tina Turner (1939-2023). The following artists were among the most influential in their industry.

Tina Turner (26.11.1939-24.05.2023)

She was called the "Queen of Rock'n'Roll" - Tina Turner touched generations with her music. Her distinctive raspy voice, wild tousled mane and banging leather minis were her trademarks. The rock and soul singer began her career at the end of the 1950s in the band of her future husband Ike Turner (1931-2007). The duo became famous worldwide with hits such as "River Deep - Mountain High" (1966) and as the support band for the Rolling Stones. After Tina Turner filed for divorce due to domestic violence, she started a solo career in 1978.

Her album "Private Dancer", released in 1984, contained the mega-hit "What's Love Got to Do With It" - her final breakthrough. She made music and film history with the title songs "We Don't Need Another Hero" (1985) and "Goldeneye" (1995) for the films "Mad Max" and"James Bond 007: Goldeneye". The style icon developed into one of the biggest female rock stars and sold around 200 million albums. Turner ended her stage career in 2009 at the age of 69 and emigrated to Switzerland with her husband, music manager Erwin Bach (67), in 2013. She died there of natural causes at the age of 83 after a long illness.

Tony Bennett (3.08.1926-21.07.2023)

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) admired him: Tony Bennett was one of the most popular singers and entertainers of the 20th century in the USA. He was discovered by the comedian Bob Hope (1903-2003) during a performance by the singer Pearl Bailey (1918-1990), for whom he was performing as an opening act. The jazz singer first landed in the top five of the Billboard 200 - the US charts - with the record "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (1962), which also contains the hit of the same name. The song is one of the official anthems of the city of San Francisco. The musician with Italian roots has over 70 albums, several number one hits such as "Because of You" (1951) and "Rags to Riches" (1953), 19 Grammys and a star on the Walk of Fame.

In the meantime, Bennett struggled with drugs and alcohol, but managed to rebuild a scandal-free image. Through his collaborations with contemporary artists such as Amy Winehouse (1983-2011), Christina Aguilera (42) and Lady Gaga (37), he gained a wider and younger audience over time - he released two albums with the latter and maintained a close friendship. In early 2021, Bennett's family made it public that the singer had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016. In the years that followed, the disease had progressed steadily. The jazz legend died at the age of 96 in his hometown of New York.

Sinéad O'Connor (8.12.1966-26.07.2023)

Sinéad O'Connor became world-famous in 1990 with her number one hit "Nothing Compares 2 U", a cover version of a song by the singer Prince (1958-2016). The Irishwoman took her first musical steps with street music in Dublin; eventually a teacher helped her to make her first demo recording. However, it was not until her second studio album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" (1990) that the singer made her international breakthrough. Throughout her career, Sinéad O'Connor polarized people with her music and especially as a private person by taking a stand on political and social issues and publicly criticizing grievances.

The fight against abuse and oppression by the church was one of O'Connor's lifelong themes. Among other things, she processed her own experiences in the song "The Magdalene Song", written shortly before her death. In 1992, she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on TV in front of the cameras, causing a scandal. Sinéad O'Connor campaigned for LGBTQ+ rights and spoke openly about mental health problems. With her "Mandinka" performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, she set an example for the many rap artists who had long been ignored in the white Grammy world. At the age of 56, the music icon died of unknown causes.

Sixto Rodríguez (10.07.1942-8.08.2023)

Sixto Díaz Rodríguez was famous, but didn't know it for a long time. The singer-songwriter from Detroit earned his living after high school by performing in pubs, where a record company became aware of him. After his albums "Cold Fact" (1970) and "Coming from Reality" (1971) were not particularly successful in the USA, the company terminated his contract. He toured Australia for the first time in 1979, but then withdrew from the music world. The documentary "Searching for Sugar Man", which won an Oscar in 2012, shows the search for the American-Mexican musician. In it, he learns for the first time from two South Africans that he is better known in their country than Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

In the late 1970s, copies of Rodriguez' albums found favor in apartheid-ridden South Africa. Young people there used the songs as a protest, but thought the musician was dead. For them, Rodriguez was a star like Bob Dylan (82) or Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970). The "Sugar Man" singer's record company at the time concealed his success. In 1997, Rodriguez traveled to South Africa for the first time and thanked the people there for "keeping him alive". On August 8, the singer died of unknown causes at the age of 81. It was reported on his website at the beginning of the year that he had suffered a stroke and needed an operation.

Jane Birkin (14.12.1946-16.07.2023)

The British-French singer and actress Jane Birkin rose to worldwide fame with a scandalous hit. In 1976, she and her partner at the time, the actor and composer Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991), released the song "Je t'aime ... moi non plus". The duet was heavily criticized in conservative circles and was considered inappropriately erotic. Various radio stations boycotted the song and the discussion even reached as far as the Vatican. However, the criticism made the cult song even more popular, especially among the younger generation, and it sold millions of copies around the world.

Jane Birkin is not only known for her musical and acting career, but was also the muse and namesake of the world-famous Birkin Bag by Hermès. The luxury fashion brand's handbag, which was designed for her in 1984, is still an absolute status symbol among handbag lovers today. According to Birkin herself, the then Hermès boss Jean-Louis Dumas (1938-2010) approached Birkin in 1981 about her handbag, from which her things fell to the floor. He said: "You need one with an inside pocket." The "Ballade de Melody Nelson" singer replied: "The day Hermès makes one, I'll get one." Jane Birkin died in her Paris home on July 16 at the age of 76. In March, health problems became known after Birkin had to cancel several concerts. In 2018, she announced that she had leukemia. She suffered a stroke in 2021 and has been in need of care ever since.

Roger Whittaker (22.03.1936-13.09.2023)

He sang at the golden wedding anniversary of then US President George H.W. Bush (1924-2018): Roger Whittaker is one of the world's greatest pop legends. Born in Kenya, the Brit was initially active as an amateur musician in Nairobi during his studies. He celebrated his first international success in 1969 with the song "Durham Town". This was followed by hits such as "The Last Farewell" (1971), which was covered by Elvis Presley (1935-1977), among others, and "Albany" (1981). Roger Whittaker released the latter song in English and German, as the pop star was particularly popular in Germany. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, he sang several songs in German, such as "Abschied ist ein scharfes Schwert" (1984) or "Joana" (1991), and appeared in numerous music programs, including the ZDF hit parade. As the Brit did not speak German well at first, he recorded his songs using phonetic transcription.

The singer was known for his gentle baritone voice, but Whittaker also attracted attention as an artificial whistler. With his whistled instrumental song "Mexican Whistler" (1967), he also made a name for himself in the music world as one of the most talented whistlers. According to media reports, the musician sold over 50 million records worldwide during his career and received over 250 recording awards. Whittaker made his last appearance in 2012, after which he retired from the public eye. The British pop star died on September 13 at the age of 87 in his adopted home of France. He had previously been hospitalized due to a stroke.