Pop, Hip-Hop and Rock Star Deaths in 2023

RIP Robbie Robertson (AP photo)

August

August 08 (Ray Jacobs) - Los Angeles-born singer and songwriter; 31

Bruddah Waltah (Walter Aipolani) - Hawaiian singer/songwriter and guitarist known as "the father of Hawaiian reggae"; liver cancer; 68

James Casey - Washington, DC-born saxophonist with the Trey Anastasio Band; colon cancer; 40 

DJ Casper (William Perry Jr.) - Chicago DJ known for the "Cha Cha Slide" dance; cancer; 58

Chico Del Vec - founding member of Brooklyn-based hip-hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Bobby Eli - guitarist with Philadelphia Soul group MFSB and lyricist of R&B hits like Major Lance's "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (No. 5, 1975); 77

 John Gosling - keyboardist with the Kinks in the '70s; 75

Ray Hildebrand - Texas-born co-founder of '60s pop duo Paul & Paula with Jill Jackson; had a No. 1 hit with "Hey Paula" in 1963; 82

David LaFlamme - co-founder (with his wife Linda) and violinist of San Francisco rock band It's a Beautiful Day; had a hit with "White Bird" in 1969; Parkinson's; 82

Lil Sodi (Madsodi Simpson) - L.A. rapper; car accident

Magoo (Melvin Barcliff) - Virginia-born rapper who teamed up with Timbaland (Timothy Mosley) in the group Timbaland & Magoo; 50

Bernie Marsden - guitarist with British hard-rock band Whitesnake; co-wrote "Here I Go Again" (No. 1, 1987) and other songs with singer David Coverdale; meningitis; 72

Brian McBride - founding member of Austin-based ambient music duo Stars of the Lid with Adam Wiltzie; 53

Ron S. Peno - frontman for Australian rock band Died Pretty; cancer; 68

Robbie Robertson - Canadian-born Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as co-founder of The Band; wrote "The Weight" (No. 63, 1968), "Up on Cripple Creek" (No. 25, 1969), "Rag Mama Rag" (no. 57, 1970), "Chest Fever," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and many other songs; 80

Sixto Rodriguez -  Detroit-based singer-songwriter; featured in the Oscar-winning 2012 doc, Searching for Sugarman; 81

Sakevi Yokoyama - frontman of Japanese hardcore band GISM; 60

Gary Young - New York-born original drummer with rock band Pavement; 70

Young Capone (Rodriguez Smith) - Atlanta rapper; 35

 

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Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom

Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.