- Jan 4 Bernhard Lewkovitch, Danish organist and composer (Tre Madrigali di Torquato Tasso), dies at 96
- Jan 4 David Soul [Solberg], American-British actor (Starsky & Hutch; Here Come s the Brides), and singer ("Don't Give Up On Us"), dies at 80 [1]
- Jan 4 Glynis Johns, British stage and screen Tony Award-winning actress and singer (Mary Poppins; A Little Night Music - "Send In The Clowns"; The Sundowners), dies at 100 [1]
- Jan 4 John White, English-German experimental composer and musical performer (systems music), dies at 87
- Jan 5 (Derek) "Del" Palmer, English session and touring bassist, and sound engineer (Kate Bush), dies at 71
- Jan 8 Leon Wildes, American immigration attorney (successfully defended John Lennon against US government deportation efforts), dies at 90 [1]
- Jan 8 Tuomas Haapanen, Finnish violinist, conductor, and teacher, dies at 99
- Jan 9 James Kottak, American rock drummer (Scorpions, 1996-2016), dies at 61
- Jan 12 Bill Hayes, American singer (Your Show of Shows; The Ballad of Davy Crockett"), and actor (Days of Our Lives. 1970-2023 - "Doug"), dies at 98
- Jan 13 Romuald Twardowski, Polish pianist, and composer (Sorcerer's Sculptures; Lord Jim), dies at 93
- Jan 16 Laurence "Laurie" Johnson, British film and television score composer (Dr. Strangelove; The Avengers), dies at 96 [1]
- Jan 16 Peter Schickele (aka P.D.Q. Bach), American bassoonist, Grammy Award-winning composer, classical music parodist (No-No Nonette; Concerto for Horn & Hardart; Silent Running), and broadcaster, dies at 88 [1]
- Jan 17 Toni Stern, American poet (The Wet Clay of My Heart), and lyricist (Carole King - "It's Too Late", "Where You Lead"), dies at 79 [1]
- Jan 19 Marlena Shaw [Marlina Burgess], American jazz, R&B, and disco singer ("California Soul"; "Touch Me In the Morning"), dies at 81
- Jan 19 Mary Weiss, American pop singer (The Shangri-Las - "Leader of the Pack"), dies at 75
- Jan 23 Melanie [Safka], American singer-songwriter ("Brand New Key"; "What Have They Done to My Song Ma"; "Candles in Rain"), dies at 76 [1] [2]
- Jan 30 Chita Rivera, American Tony Award-winning dancer, singer, and actress (West Side Story; Bye Bye Birdie; Sweet Charity; Chicago), dies at 91 [1] [2]
- Jan 31 Ed Reed, American jazz vocalist, dies of liver cancer at 94 [1] [2]
- Feb 2 Wayne Kramer [Kambes], American guitarist (MC5 - "Kick Out The Jams"), and record producer, dies of pancreatic cancer at 75 [1]
- Feb 2 Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, American operatic soprano, and actress (Diva), dies of cancer at 75 [1]
- Feb 3 Aston Barrett, Jamaican reggae bassist (Bob Marley & the Wailers - "I Shot the Sheriff"; Burning Spear), sound engineer, and producer, dies of heart failure after a series of strokes at 77 [1]
Toby Keith (1961-2024)
Feb 5 American country singer ("Should've Been A Cowboy"; "She Never Cried In Front Of Me"), and actor (Broken Bridges), dies of stomach cancer at 62 [1]
- Feb 6 Seiji Ozawa, Japanese conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1973-2002, Vienna State Opera, 2002-10), dies of heart failure at 88 [1] [2]
- Feb 7 Henry Fambrough, American pop and R&B singer (The Spinners, 1954-2023 - "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love?"; "The Rubberband Man"), dies at 85 [1]
- Feb 7 Lord David Davies, Welsh engineer, peer (House of Lords. 1944-99), sailor, and administrator (Chairman of Welsh National Opera, 1975-2000), dies at 83
- Feb 7 Mojo Nixon [Neill McMillan, Jr.], American musician ("Elvis Is Everywhere") and actor, dies of cardiac event at 66 [1]
- Feb 9 (Kemji) "Damo" Suzuki, Japanese rock singer (Can; Damo Suzuki's Network), dies of colon cancer at 74
- Feb 11 Randy Sparks, American folk singer-songwriter and impresario (New Christy Minstrels), dies at 90
- Feb 22 (Veronica) "Roni" Stoneman, American banjo player, singer, and comedienne (The Stoneman Family; Hee Haw), dies at 85
- Mar 2 Jim Beard, American session and touring jazz-fusion keyboardist and composer (Pat Metheny, Steely Dan, The Brecker Brothers), dies at 63 [1]
- Mar 3 Eleanor Collins [Elnora Proctor], Canadian jazz and standards singer, and television personality, regarded as Canada’s “first lady of jazz”, dies at 104
- Mar 7 Margaret Tynes, American child prodigy and international opera singer, dies at 104
- Mar 7 Steve Lawrence [Sidney Leibowitz], American Grammy and Emmy Award-winning pop singer ("Go Away Little Girl"; Steve and Eydie), and actor (The Lonely Guy; The Blues Brothers), dies of complications of Alzheimer's disease at 88
- Mar 10 Karl Wallinger, Welsh rocker and songwriter (The Waterboys, 1983-85; World Party - "Give It All Away"; "Ship Of Fools"), dies of a stroke at 66
- Mar 14 Byron Janis [né Yanks], American concert pianist (debut with NBC Symphony Orchestra at age 15), dies at 95 [1]
- Mar 17 Sandra Crouch, American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, drummer, and songwriter, dies at 81
- Mar 17 Steve Harley, British pop and glam-rock singer-songwriter (Cockney Rebel - "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)"), dies of cancer at 73
- Mar 22 Jean-Paul Vignon, French actor and singer, dies of liver cancer at 89
- Mar 23 Maurizio Pollini, Italian classical pianist, dies at 82 [1]
- Mar 24 Péter Eötvös, Hungarian composer ("Chinese Opera"), conductor, contemporary music advocate, and teacher, dies at 80
- Mar 30 Casey Benjamin, American R&B and hip-hop saxophonist, vocoder wizard, and songwriter (The Robert Glasper Experiment), dies at 45 [1]
- Apr 1 Michael Ward, American rock guitarist (John Hiatt, 1993-94; The Wallflowers, 1996-2001 - "One Headlight"; Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, 2007-16), dies at 57
- Apr 3 Albert "Tootie" Heath, American jazz hard bop drummer (John Coltrane; Art Farmer; Jimmy Heath; Tete Montoliu, Yusef Lateef), dies of leukemia at 88 [1]
- Apr 5 C. J. Snare, American rock vocalist (Firehouse - "Love of a Lifetime"), dies of cardiac arrest at 64
- Apr 7 Clarence "Frogman" Henry, American R&B pianist and singer ("Ain't Got No Home"; "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do"), dies at 87 [1]
- Apr 14 Calvin Keys, American jazz guitarist, dies at 82
- Apr 18 Dickey Betts, American rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer (The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"; "Jessica"), dies of cancer at 80 [1]
- Apr 18 Mandisa [Hundley] American Grammy Award-winning gospel and contemporary Christian singer (Overcomer), dies at 47
- Apr 20 Andrew Davis, British conductor (Toronto Symphony, 1975-88; BBC Symphony, 1989-2000; Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000-21), dies of leukemia at 80 [1]
- Apr 21 Alex Hassilev, Russian-American folk singer, guitarist, banjo player (The Limeliters), actor, and record producer, dis of cancer at 91
- Apr 25 Mike Pinder, British keyboard player and Mellotron pioneer (Moody Blues,1964-78 - "Nights in White Satin"), dies at 82 [1] [2]
- Apr 29 Daniel Kramer, American portrait photographer (album covers for Bob Dylan, 1965), dies at 91 [1]
- Apr 30 Duane Eddy, American twangy guitarist ("Rebel Rouser"; Peter Gunn"; "Cannonball"), dies of cancer complications at 86 [1] [2]
- May 1 Richard Tandy, British rock bassist and keyboard player (ELO), dies at 76 [1]
- May 7 Steve Albini, American writer, recording engineer and musician (Big Black, Rapeman, Shellac), dies of a heatt attack at 61
- May 8 John Barbata, American drummer (Turtles - "Happy Together"; "Elenore"; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Jefferson Starship - "Miracles"), dies at 79 [1]
- May 9 Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson, American rock drummer (MC5 -"Kick Out the Jams"), dies after complications following a heart attack at 75 [1]
- May 12 David Sanborn, American Grammy Award-winning jazz and session saxophonist (David Bowie - "Young Americans"; David Letterman Show), dies of prostate cancer at 78 [1]
- May 18 John Koerner, American blues and folk singer, songwriter (Koerner, Ray & Glover), dies at 85
- May 18 Jon Wysocki, American drummer (Staind, 1995-2011 - "It's Been Awhile"; "Eyes Wide Open"), dies of liver issues at 53
- May 24 Doug Ingle, American rock vocalist and keyboard player (Iron Butterfly - "In A Gadda Da Vida"), dies at 78
- May 25 Richard Sherman, American Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer and lyricist, with his brother Robert (Mary Poppins; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; "It's a Small World (After All)"), dies at 95 [1]
- Jun 8 Mark James [Francis Zambon], American Grammy Award-winning songwriter ("Hooked on a Feeling", "Suspicious Minds", "Always on My Mind"), dies at 83
- Jun 11 Françoise Hardy, French pop singer, songwriter ("Je Suis D’Accord", "Comment te Dire Adieu"). and actress, dies of cancer complications at 80 [1]
- Jun 13 Angela Bofill, Cuban-Puerto Rican-American R&B singer-songwriter ("This Time I'll Be Sweeter"; Too Tough), dies at 70 [1]
- Jun 19 James Loughran, Scottish conductor (BBC Scottish Symphony, 1965-71; The Hallé, 1971–83), dies at 92
- Jun 25 "Papa” John DeFrancesco, American Hammond B-3 jazz organist (Doodlin'), dies at 83 [1]
- Jun 26 (Richard) "Kinky" Friedman, American country rocker ("Ride 'Em Jewboy"), and humorist, dies of complications from Parkinson's disease at 79 [1]
- Jun 27 Martin Mull, American comic singer-songwriter and character actor (Fernwood 2-Night; Roseanne; Clue), dies at 80 [1]
- Jul 6 Joe Egan, Scottish singer-songwriter (Stealers Wheel - "Stuck In The Middle With You"), dies at 77
- Jul 9 Joe Bonsall, American country singer (Oak Ridge Boys - "Elvira"), dies from complications of ALS at 76
- Jul 10 Dave Loggins, American singer-songwriter ("Please Come To Boston"), dies at 76
- Jul 14 Sarah Gibson, American pianist and contemporary classical composer (“warp & weft”), dies of colon cancer at 38
- Jul 17 Bernice Johnson Reagon, American singer (Freedom Singers; Sweet Honey in the Rock), social activist, educator, and historian, dies at 81 [1]
- Jul 18 Jerry Fuller, American singer, songwriter, and producer (Ricky Nelson - "Travelin' Man": Gary Puckett & the Union Gap - "Lady Willpower"; The Knickerbockers ' "Lies"; Al Wilson - "Show and Tell"), dies of lung cancer at 85
- Jul 19 Toumani Diabaté, Malian traditional musician, world music and flamenco kora (21-string lute/harp mash-up) player, dies of kidney failure at 58 [1] [2]
- Jul 20 Jerry Miller, American songwriter and rock guitarist (Moby Grape), dies at 81
- Jul 22 Abdul "Duke" Fakir, American rock vocalist (Four Tops), dies at 88 [1]
- Jul 22 John Mayall, British blues musician (John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers), dies at 90 [1]
- Jul 28 Chino XL [Derek Keith Barbosa], American rapper and actor, dies at 50
- Jul 28 Martin Phillipps, New Zealand new wave singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Chills - "Heavenly Pop Hit", "Pink Frost"), dies of liver failure at 61
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