In memory of the stars we lost in 2023
Stars come and go. Even in the final days of 2023, the world saw the passing of beloved celebrities and public figures.
TINA Turner
Daily TribuneStars come and go. Even in the final days of 2023, the world saw the passing of beloved celebrities and public figures.
TINA Turner
The entertainment industry had bid goodbye to some of the world's biggest names in movies, music, K-pop, and fashion.
Here are some of the known public figures that have passed in 2023.
Tina Turner. On 24 May 2023, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll Tina Turner died at the age of 83 after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich in Switzerland. Turner suffered a stroke in 2013, was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016, and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017.
Sinead O'Connor. Acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor passed away at age 56 on 26 July 2023. The cause and time of her death were not released to the public. O'Connor is known for her heartfelt rendition of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" which catapulted her to fame.
Lisa Marie Presley. Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley, died on 12 January 2023 due to bowel obstruction because of adhesions caused by a weight-loss surgery. She was 54.
Tony Bennett. Legendary New York crooner Tony Bennett passed on 21 July 2023 at his home in Manhattan. He was 96. Bennett There's no specific cause of death, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016.
Jane Birkin. Jane Birkin, a French icon known for inspiring one of the world's luxury bags, died on 16 July 2023 at her home in Paris. She suffered a mild stroke in 2021 and had called off concerts due to health issues.
Angus Cloud. Euphoria star Angus Cloud passed away on 31 July 2023 at his family home in Oakland, California due to an accidental drug overdose. He was 25.
Matthew Perry. His cause of death was related to the "acute effects of ketamine," according to an autopsy report released by the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner.
Sir Michael Gambon. Michael Gambon, known to many as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies, has passed at the age of 82 after a bout of pneumonia. In 1998, Gambon was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama.
Lualhati Bautista. The critically acclaimed writer and novelist Lualhati Bautista, who was known for the novels Dekada '70 and Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa? died at her home on 1 February 2023. She was 77. Bautista wrote the 1984 drama film Bulaklak sa City Jail, which won Best Story and Best Screenplay in the 1984 Metro Manila Film Festival.
John Regala. John Regala was a veteran actor who won Best Supporting Actor at the 37th Metro Manila Film Festival in 2011 for his role in Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story. He died on 3 June from cardiac arrest. He was 56. The Gawad Urian nominee was also known for his string of action films.
Mario Dumaual. Mario Dumaual, who died on 5 July 2023 at the age of 65, was a writer and journalist who was best known for serving as an entertainment reporter for ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. In 2022, he received the Joe Quirino Memorial Award at the fifth edition of the Entertainment Editors' Choice Awards.
Ricky Rivero. Ricky Rivero was a popular Filipino actor and director. He died on 16 July 2023 at the age of 51. Rivero, who started his acting career in the 1980s, was best known for appearing in the popular variety show That's Entertainment.
Mike Enriquez. Veteran broadcast journalist Mike Enriquez, regarded as one of the most prominent and influential journalists in the broadcasting industry, passed away on 29 August 2023 after suffering from a cardiac arrest. He was 72. The 24 Oras and Imbestigador broadcast reporter was a recipient of multiple awards, including two PMPC Star Awards, two Golden Dove Awards, an Annual Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Awards, and more.
Joey Paras. Joey Paras, known for his roles in indie films Last Supper No. 3 (2009) and Babagwa (2013), passed away on 29 October 2023 at the age of 45. Apart from being an actor, he was also a filmmaker, screenwriter, and playwright. He won Best Director at the 2020 FilMay International Short Film Festival for the film Igib.
Sammy Manese. Social media personality Sammy Manese, whose popularity surged during the height of the pandemic, passed away on 29 November 2023. His family did not disclose his cause of death. The social media star has garnered a huge following on his social media accounts. He has over 1.93 million YouTube subscribers and over 200,000 followers on TikTok.
Kokoi Baldo. Reggae singer Juan Manuel Ubaldo, also known as Kokoi Baldo, died in a tragic vehicular accident in Bacolod City on 8 December 2023. He was 44. He was a finalist in ABS-CBN's The Voice Philippines season 2.
Ronaldo Valdez. The Philippine entertainment industry grieved by the unexpected passing of veteran actor Ronaldo Valdez on 17 December 2023. He was 76. While the multi-award-winning actor has a lengthy filmography spanning five decades, he was well-loved by a new generation of viewers when he starred in Good 2 Be True with Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.
Lee Sun-kyun. Actor Lee Sun-kyun, who is widely recognized for his role in the Oscar-winning film Paradise, was found dead inside his car on 27 December 2023. He was 48. Prior to his death, he was investigated over suspected drug use, for which he tested negative. He starred in three films this year, including Killing Romance, Project Silence, and Sleep, while his last work on the small screen was Payback.
Moonbin. K-pop star Moonbin, who was a member of the popular K-pop boy group Astro and its sub-unit Moonbin and Sanha, shocked the Korean music industry with his unexpected passing on 19 April. He was only 25. Besides his idol career, Moonbin was widely recognized for his role in Moment of Eighteen in 2019.
Haesoo. Haesoo, whose real name is Kim Ara, is a known South Korean trot singer. She died on 12 May 2023 due to suicide. She was 30. In 2019, she released her first mini album, My Life. She also made appearances on Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend and Boss in the Mirror.
Choi Sung-bong. Choi Sung-bong is a South Korean singer who debuted in the 2011 season of Korea's Got Talent, where he won first runner-up. The singer died by suicide on 20 June 2023. He was 33.
Burt Bacharach. Master pop composer Burt Bacharach died of natural causes on 10 February 2023 in Los Angeles, California. He was 94. Regarded as one of the best songwriters of the 20th century, Bacharach has written for Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Sir Tom Jones, and the Carpenters.
Robert Arevalo. Veteran actor Robert Arevalo passed away the morning of 10 August 2023 due to complications of Parkinsonism. He was 85. Aside from being an actor, Arevalo also dabbled in directing and newscasting.
Conrado de Quiros. Journalist and author Conrado de Quiros passed away on 6 November 2023. He was 72 years old. De Quiros started writing his column "There's the Rub" for the now-defunct Philippine Daily Globe in November 1987. He brought the said column over to the Philippine Daily Inquirer in July 1991.
Bob Barker. Longtime host of The Price is Right Bob Barker died of Alzheimer's Disease at his Hollywood Hills home on 23 August 2023. He was 99. Barker hosted The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007. Prior, he headlined the popular show Truth or Consequences.
Pepito Albert. One of the Philippines' best and brightest in fashion Pepito Albert died on 27 May after a long battle with cancer. He was 63. Albert has designed a barong Tagalog for President Bongbong Marcos. The Los Angeles Times called him the "current West Coast darling of the fashion press" in 1989.
Christian Espiritu. Veteran couturier and designer Christian Espiritu died on 18 June 2023 in the United States. He was 89. Espiritu became known as the chief couturier of the First Lady Imelda Marcos. He has also designed wardrobes for actors Hilda Koronel, Sharon Cuneta, and Jay Ilagan.
Ryan O'Neal. American actor Ryan O'Neal, best known for his role as Oliver Barrett IV in Love Story, died on 8 December 2023. He was 82. No cause of death was given. O'Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and prostate cancer in 2012.
Raquel Welch. 1960s sex symbol Raquel Welch passed away on 15 February 2023 after a brief illness. She was 82. The Golden Globe-winning actress and businesswoman is known for her roles in iconic films including One Million Years B.C. (1966) and The Three Musketeers (1973).
With Jia Bote