We Last Saw Them in 2023 - Vol. I Quiz

Answer: Harry Belafonte

Born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in 1927 in New York City, United States, to American-Jamaican parents, Harry Belafonte served in the Navy during World War II and later became friends with Sidney Poitier. The pair took acting lessons together, and in 1954 Belafonte won fame, and a Tony Award, in the Broadway musical revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac".

He saw stardom when his album "Calypso" (1956) sold more than 1 million copies within its first year, the first record to ever do so. It was this album that contained one of his signature hits, "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)". Harry died of congestive heart failure on April 25, 2023; he was 96 years old.

Answer: Lisa Marie Presley

Born as the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley in 1968, Lisa was only 9 when her father died in 1977, and she became a joint heir of his vast estate. She was married four times during her life; her second husband was singer Michael Jackson and her third was actor Nicholas Cage. She began a music career in 2003 with her album "To Whom it May Concern".

Lisa Marie Presley was only 54 when she died on January 12, 2023, from a cardiac arrest; she had made her last public appearance only two days before, for the 80th Golden Globe Awards, where the film "Elvis" (2022) had been nominated.

Answer: Jerry Springer

Born Gerald Norman Springer in 1944, Jerry Springer was a politician and the Mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978. He later became a newscaster and journalist, finally beginning the show for which he was the most famous, "Jerry Springer", in 1991. Highly controversial, the show pitted guests against each other, but lasted for an incredible 27 years with high ratings, until 2018.

From 2019 to 2022, he hosted a different show, "Judge Jerry", until it was cancelled. He died at the age of 79 on April 23, 2023, peacefully but after having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer months before.

Answer: Raquel Welch

Jo Raquel Welch was born in 1940 in Illinois, United States. She had her first large role in "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), then went on to gain the reputation of a sex symbol after her role in "One Million Years B.C.". Her other films included "Bedazzled" (1967), "Bandolero!" (1968), "100 Rifles" (1969), "Kansas City Bomber" (1972), and "The Wild Party" (1975). She also won a Golden Globe Award in 1973 in "The Three Musketeers". She later had a beauty career.

Welch was suffering from Alzheimer's when she died on February 15, 2023, at the age of 82. She died from a cardiac arrest.

Answer: David Crosby

Born David Van Cortlandt Crosby on August 14, 1941, David Crosby first hit the big time with the Byrds, with whom he recorded such hits as "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Hey Joe". In 1969, he became one of the founding members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; in 1971, he released his first solo album. Since the 1970s he performed both solo and as a member of Crosby, Stills & Nash, a reincarnation of the earlier group. He later launched his own cannabis brand.

On January 18, 2023, Crosby passed away at the age of 81. Although there was some controversy surrounding his death, he had been in poor health for some time, and it was revealed that he died in his sleep after having COVID-19.

Answer: Jeff Beck

Born in 1944, Geoffrey Arnold Beck began playing guitar at a young age, eventually joining the band The Yardbirds after Eric Clapton left the group. Although Beck only played with the Yardbirds for 20 months, he was a significant member of the group. After the 1960s, he largely played solo, but collaborated with many other famous artists, including Jon Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, and David Bowie.

He won eight Grammy Awards during his lifetime, three of which were in 2010. On January 10, 2023, Beck died from a bacterial meningitis infection. He was 78.

Answer: Cindy Williams

Born in Los Angeles, United States, in 1947, Cynthia Jane Williams began playing large film roles in the early 1970s, including in "American Graffiti" (1973) and "The Conversation" (1974). In 1975, she played the role of Shirley Feeney, a bottle capper, in an episode of the TV series "Happy Days", and this role spiraled into the hit TV show "Laverne & Shirley" (1976-1983).

Williams died at the age of 75 on January 25, 2023, after an illness.

Answer: Burt Bacharach

Burt Freeman Bacharach was born on May 12, 1928. He loved jazz music as a child and learnt to play the piano. In the 1950s, he became a music director for Marlene Dietrich; in 1957, his collaboration with lyricist Hal David "The Story of My Life" was a Number 1 hit on the Billboard Chart for Marty Robbins. Many hits for a myriad of artists followed, including "Magic Moments", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Alfie", "What's New Pussycat?", and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head".

Bacharach was married four times; his second wife was actress Angie Dickinson, while his third wife was lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, with whom he wrote many songs. When he died of natural causes on February 8, 2023, he was 94 years old.

Answer: Melinda Dillon

Born on October 13, 1939, Melinda Dillon was nominated for a Tony Award in 1963 when she made her Broadway debut in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". She was nominated for two Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards, once in 1977 for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and again in 1981 for "Absence of Malice". She was also known for acting in "A Christmas Story" (1983). Her last major film role was in the 2007 film "Reign Over Me".

She died on January 9, 2023; she was 83.

Answer: Joe Pepitone

Joseph Pepitone was born on October 9, 1940. He began playing for the New York Yankees in 1958, finally becoming their first baseman in 1962. He was traded to the Houston Astros in 1970, and later played for a variety of groups, even playing in Japan for a time. He was a 3-time MLB All-Star and won the Golden Glove Award 3 times as well. Joe died on Mary 13, 2023, at the age of 82.