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Wales Online
National
James Rodger & Lorna Hughes

Celebrities who have died in 2023 including Jeff Beck and Tatjana Patitz

Fans are mourning the loss of several famous faces - less than two weeks into the new year. They include celebrities from the worlds of music, fashion and literature.

On Wednesday, it was announced that legendary British guitarist Jeff Beck has died at the age of 78. Beck, widely regarded as one of the most influential guitar players of all time, died from bacterial meningitis on Tuesday.

News of his death was revealed on Twitter by Beck's family. They said they were making the announcement with "deep and profound sadness". Birmingham Live reports that tributes poured in from the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Johnny Marr.

Sadly, Beck isn't the first face we've lost this year - and he won't be the last. Here is a reminder of the celebrities who have died in 2023.

Jeff Beck

The renowned guitarist, known for his work with The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group, died on Tuesday at the age of 78, his family said in a statement posted online. Writing on Twitter following the announcement, Osbourne wrote: "I can't express how saddened I am to hear of @JeffBeckMusic's passing.

"What a terrible loss for his family, friends & his many fans. It was such an honor to have known Jeff & an incredible honor to have had him play on my most recent album, #PatientNumber9. Long live."

Queen guitarist Sir Brian May said Beck was "the absolute pinnacle of guitar playing" and a "damn fine human being". "Gutted, so sad, to hear of Jeff's passing. He was the Guv'nor. He was inimitable, irreplaceable - the absolute pinnacle of guitar playing," he wrote on Instagram.

"And a damn fine human being. I'm sure I will have a lot to say, but right now .... Just lost for words. Bri."

Tatjana Patitz

Model Tatjana Patitz has died at the age of 56, her New York modelling agency confirmed. Patitz, born in Hamburg, Germany, rose to prominence as a high-fashion model in the 1980s and 1990s.

On Wednesday, Patitz's New York modelling agency The Model CoOp confirmed to the PA news agency that she had died in California. Along with her successful modelling career, Patitz also starred in the music video for George Michael's hit Freedom! alongside fellow models Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell.

Patitz also featured in several other music videos, including the video for Duran Duran's Skin Trade and the Nick Kamen music video for Tell Me.

Constantine

Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, has died aged 82 in an Athens hospital, his doctors have announced. Staff at the private Hygeia Hospital in Athens said Constantine - a nephew of the late Duke of Edinburgh and friend of King Charles - had been treated in an intensive care unit but had no further details pending an official announcement.

He acceded to the throne as Constantine II at the age of 23 in 1964.

Gianluca Vialli

Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58. “You’ll be missed by so many. A legend to us and to all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli,” read a tweet from Chelsea on Friday after news of his death was confirmed by the Italian Football Federation.

Sampdoria wrote: “You gave us so much, we gave you so much: yes, it was love, reciprocal, infinite. A love that will not die today with you. We will continue to love and adore you because – as you well know – you are better than Pelé. And because, despite everything, our beautiful season is destined to never end.”

The Italian football federation’s president, Gabriele Gravina, said: “Gianluca was a wonderful person and leaves an unfillable void, in the national team and in all those who appreciated his extraordinary human qualities.”

Fay Weldon

Weldon died aged 91, her son Dan Weldon confirmed. The writer Jenny Colgan called the writer "formidable and fierce", adding on Twitter that she was "Wonderful...very nice to me and splendid."

Weldon, born in Britain in September 1931 and brought up in New Zealand until she returned as child, worked as a journalist and briefly in the Foreign Office before moving to work as an advertising copywriter. She left this career to focus on her writing and published her first novel, The Fat Woman's Joke, in 1967.

Much of her fiction explores issues surrounding women's relationships with men, children, parents and each other, including the novels Down Among The Women (1971) and Female Friends (1974). She published a memoir called Auto Da Fay in 2002 when she was 70.

Weldon was made a CBE for her services to literature in the New Year Honours list in 2001.

Ken Block

Ken Block died aged 55 after a snowmobile accident, his team Hoonigan Racing said. His team Hoonigan Racing said: “It’s with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident."

Tanner Foust, who hosted the US version of Top Gear, wrote: “What an incredible person to learn from, battle with and to admire over the last two decades. Ken’s influence on the automotive world cannot be quantified. In addition to pioneering a roadmap for the rest of us to follow in the marketing of motorsport – Ken Block was, above all else, a devoted family man. My heart and prayers go out to [his wife] Lucy and the kids.”

Meanwhile, the president of Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend Ken Block. An inspiration for us all and a true gentleman of our sport.”

Joan Sydney

The death of Neighbours icon Joan Sydney was announced on January 5. According to friends, the TV veteran died on December 28 at the age of 83.

Joan's first appeared on Neighbours as Valda Sheergold - a role which was initially supposed to be a casual stint for the actress. However, after soap fans fell in love with the character, she was given a full-time role in 2007 and 2008.

Her long-time friend, Sally-Anne Upton, spoke beautifully about the late actress during an appearance on TV, reported The Mirror. Speaking about a charity benefit that her friend had organised, she said: "I asked Joan if she would appear as Matron Sloane and at first she was very reluctant. She thought it wouldn’t work as Wandin Valley had been a long time off our screen.

"And I said, 'Are you kidding me? Everyone will know who you are. And it will be the highlight of the show'. And sure enough, as I’m MC-ing the second half she appeared through the curtain in her white nurses uniform and 70s nurses cap, no words spoken, and brought the house down. Later in the green room she was still in shock of the response. 'Well, I never'."

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