The year was 1994, and the song “I’ll be there for you” drifted into millions of living rooms across the globe. The song meant that the series “Friends” was about to start.
With millions of young adults and teens glued to the set, everybody watched as six awkward friends attempted to navigate the obstacles of life. The young spectators connected with the characters because life is awkward and messy.
They also fell in love with Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Ross and Chandler. While all the characters brought their own flair to the show, many people tuned in to see what zany stuff would come out of Chandler’s mouth.
Even though “Friends” ended in 2004 after 10 seasons, millions of people still stream the series to watch the episodes all over again. Chandler was the funny, witty and sarcastic friend that everybody fell in love with.
To the dismay of the many fans of the show, many news outlets announced that Matthew Perry, the celebrity who playedthelovableandquirky Chandler Bing, passed away on October 28. Perry was found unresponsive in his hot tubbyhisassistanttwohours after playing Pickleball.
He was a major advocate for drug rehabilitation, being an addict himself. In his memoirs, he noted that he was an alcoholic at the age of 14 and became addicted to Vicodin after a jet-ski accident in 1997. He battled his demons for years, even admitting that there is a three-year span that he doesn’t remember even filming the show.
Even though he overcame his addiction, his body and health suffered from the years of drug abuse. Over the years, Perry suffered a gastrointestinal perforation and a burst colon from opioid abuse which led to forcing him to wear a colostomy bag for nine months. At one point, he was given propofol in conjunction with a surgery and wound up needing CPR and ended up with eight broken ribs.
Perry isn’t the only celebrity who has passed on in 2023, there are many others. Jeff Beck, legendary guitarist from English rock band The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group, died on January 9 at 78. Lisa Marie Presley, the 54-year-old daughter of Elvis Presley, passed away on January 11.
Jamin Pugh, famously known as Jay Briscoe with the Ring of Honor, died in a car accident at the age of 38 on January 16.
David Crosby, of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, passed away on January 17 at 81. Lisa Loring, better known as Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family, passed away on January 27 at the age of 64.
Legendary composer Burt Bacharach who worked with Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and ArethaFranklinpassedaway at 94 on February 7. Hollywood sex symbol Raquel WelchpassedawayonFebruary 14 at 82.
Richard Belzer, better known as Munch from the CSI series, passed away at 78 on February 18. Tom Sizemore died on March 2 at the age of 61 following a brain aneurysm. “Baretta” star Robert Blake, 89, passed away on March 8. Legendary female rocker Tina Turner passed away at 83 on May 24. Suzanne Somers, better known as playing dingy Crissy Snow on “Three’s Company” died on October 15 at 77. To view the entire list of celebrities who passed away in 2023, visit https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Deaths_in_October_ 2023.