Some great musical talents left us in 2024 and it's worth taking a minute to remember them and remain thankful for the musical gifts they left us. Many are likely missing here for sure and this is not meant to be an exhaustive list but here are many of the most notable deaths from last year in chronological order (date of death, name, music role/known for, age, location if known, cause of death if known):
January 2, 2024: Chris Karrer, Amon Düül, Amon Düül II, Embryo, Guitarist and violinist, 76, Cause not specified.
January 4, 2024: David Soul, Actor and singer, 80, London, England, COPD.
January 4, 2024: Glynis Johns, Actress and singer, 100, Cause not specified.
January 5, 2024: Del Palmer, Bass guitarist, audio engineer (Kate Bush), 71, Cause not specified.
January 7, 2024: Tony Clarkin, Guitarist, songwriter, Magnum, 77, Spinal condition.
January 9, 2024: James Kottak, Drummer, Scorpions, Kingdom Come, Warrant, 61, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., Cardiac arrest.
January 13, 2024: Jo-El Sonnier, Country and Cajun singer-songwriter and musician, 77, Austin, Texas, U.S., Heart attack.
January 18, 2024: Susie Tennant, Music promoter, 61, Cause not specified.
January 18, 2024: Joyce Randolph, Actress and singer, 88, Cause not specified.
January 19, 2024: Mary Weiss, Singer, The Shangri-Las, 75, Palm Springs, California, U.S., COPD.
January 23, 2024: Frank Farian, Singer and record producer (Boney M, Milli Vanilli), 82, Miami, Florida, U.S., Cause not specified.
January 23, 2024: Melanie, Singer-songwriter, 76, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., Cause not specified.
Melanie in 1975
January 29, 2024: Bert Susanka, The Ziggens, Frontman, 62, Cause not specified.
January 30, 2024: Chita Rivera, Actress, singer, and dancer, 91, New York City, U.S., Cause not specified.
February 2, 2024: Derrick McIntyre, Bass guitarist, Jamiroquai, 66, Hertfordshire, England, Car crash.
February 5, 2024: Wayne Kramer, MC5, Guitarist, 75, Pancreatic cancer.
February 6, 2024: Toby Keith, Country singer-songwriter, 62, Nashville, Tennessee, US, Stomach cancer.
Toby Keith in 2006
February 7, 2024: Aston Barrett, The Wailers, Bassist, 77, Kingston, Jamaica, Cause not specified.
February 7, 2024: Donald Kinsey, Blues guitarist, 70, Gary, Indiana, US, Cause not specified.
February 7, 2024: Henry Fambrough, The Spinners, Singer, 85, Detroit, Michigan, US, Cause not specified.
February 7, 2024: Mojo Nixon, Rock musician, 66, Cause not specified.
February 10, 2024: Damo Suzuki, Can, Singer, 74, Cause not specified.
February 10, 2024: J.M. Van Eaton, Sun Records session drummer, 86, Memphis, Tennessee, US, Cause not specified.
February 16, 2024: Randy Sparks, The New Christy Minstrels, Folk musician, 90, Cause not specified.
February 20, 2024: Vitalij Kuprij, Keyboardist, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 49, Cardiac arrest.
February 23, 2024: Shinsadong Tiger, K-pop producer and songwriter, 40, Seoul, South Korea, Cause not specified.
February 25, 2024: Peter "Peetah" Morgan, Morgan Heritage, Singer, 46, Stroke.
February 25, 2024: Charles Dierkop, Actor and singer, 87, Cause not specified.
February 27, 2024: Michael Culver, Actor and singer, 85, Cause not specified.
February 28, 2024: Bob Heil, Sound and radio engineer, 83, Belleville, Illinois, U.S., Cancer.
February 28, 2024: Cat Janice, Singer-songwriter, 31, Annandale, Virginia, U.S., Sarcoma.
March 7, 2024: Steve Lawrence, Singer, comedian, and actor, 88, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Alzheimer's disease.
March 2, 2024: Jim Beard, Keyboardist, Steely Dan, 63, New York, New York, U.S., Cause not specified.
March 3, 2024: Brit Turner, Drummer, Blackberry Smoke, 57, Glioblastoma.
March 10, 2024: Karl Wallinger, Singer/multi-instrumentalist, The Waterboys, World Party, 66, Hastings, UK, Stroke.
March 10, 2024: Paul Nelson, Rock and blues guitarist, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, 63, Heart attack.
March 11, 2024: Eric Carmen, Singer/frontman, Raspberries, 74, Gates Mills, Ohio, U.S., Cause not specified.
March 17, 2024: Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel, Frontman, 73, Cause not specified.
March 24, 2024: Vincent Bonham, Vocalist, Raydio, 67, Cause not specified.
March 25, 2024: Chris Cross, Bassist, Ultravox, 71, Cause not specified.
March 29, 2024: Gerry Conway, Drummer and Percussionist, Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention, 76, Motor neurone disease.
April 1, 2024: Michael Ward, Guitarist, The Wallflowers, School of Fish, 57, Complications from diabetes.
April 2, 2024: Jerry Abbott, Music producer, father of Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell, 81, Cause not specified.
April 4, 2024: Graeme Naysmith, Pale Saints, Guitarist, 57, Cause not specified.
April 5, 2024: C.J. Snare, FireHouse, Singer, frontman, 64, Colon cancer, cardiac arrest.
April 10, 2024: Mister Cee, Radio DJ, 57, Cause not specified.
April 15, 2024, Arthur "Pooch" Tavares, Singer, Tavares, 81, Cause not specified.
April 16, 2024: Clorofila (Jorge Verdín), Nortec Collective, 59, Pasadena, California, U.S., Cause not specified.
April 16, 2024: Rusty Gauthier, Guitarist and vocalist, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 73, Petaluma, California, U.S., Lung illness.
April 18, 2024: Dickey Betts, The Allman Brothers Band, Guitarist, 80, Cancer.
Dickie Betts of the Allman Brothers Band in 1978
April 18, 2024: Jack Green, Singer and guitarist, T. Rex, Pretty Things, Rainbow, solo artist, 73, Cancer.
April 24, 2024: Mike Pinder, The Moody Blues, Keyboardist, 82, Unspecified breathing issues.
April 30, 2024: Duane Eddy, Rock and roll guitarist, 86, Franklin, Tennessee, U.S., Cancer.
May 1, 2024: Richard Tandy, Electric Light Orchestra, Keyboardist, 76, Cause not specified.
ELO's Richard Tandy in 1977
May 6, 2024: Jim Mills, Bluegrass banjo player, Age not specified, Cause not specified.
May 7, 2024: Steve Albini, Rock musician and record producer, 61, Chicago, Illinois, US, Heart attack.
May 8, 2024: John Barbata, The Turtles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Drummer, 79, Complications of heart disease.
May 8, 2024: Dennis Thompson, MC5, Drummer, 75, Taylor, Michigan, US, Complications from a heart attack.
May 9, 2024: Ignatius Jones, Australian music legend, 67, Cause not specified.
May 12, 2024: David Sanborn, Jazz saxophonist, 78, Prostate cancer.
May 15, 2024: John Hawken, Renaissance, Strawbs, 84, Metuchen, New Jersey, U.S., Melanoma.
May 16, 2024: Randy Fuller, The Bobby Fuller Four, 80, Cause not specified.
May 17, 2024: Charlie Colin, Bass guitarist, Train, The Side Deal, 57, Brussels, Belgium, Slip and fall.
May 18, 2024: John Koerner, Koerner, Ray & Glover, Blues and folk singer-songwriter, 85, Cause not specified.
May 18, 2024: Jon Wysocki, Drummer, Staind, 53, Liver issues.
May 24, 2024: Doug Ingle, Iron Butterfly, Vocalist and keyboardist, 78, Cause not specified.
May 25, 2024: Richard Sherman, Composer and lyricist, 95, Cause not specified.
May 30, 2024: Doug Dagger, The Generators, 56, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Cancer.
June 2, 2024: Emma Lou Diemer, Classical composer, 96, Cause not specified.
June 2, 2024: Ed Mann, Frank Zappa's band, Percussionist, 70, Cause not specified.
June 3, 2024: Colin Gibb, Black Lace, Singer, 70, Cause not specified.
June 3, 2024: Brother Marquis, 2 Live Crew, 57, Gadsden, Alabama, U.S., Heart attack.
June 10, 2024: Brother Marquis (Mark Ross), 2 Live Crew, Rapper, 55, Cause not specified.
June 11, 2024: Françoise Hardy, French pop singer and fashion muse, 80, Cause not specified.
June 11, 2024: Gaps Hendrickson, The Selecter, Frontman, 73, Cause not specified.
June 13, 2024: Johnny Canales, Tejano singer and TV host, 77, Cause not specified.
June 13, 2024: Angela Bofill, Singer-songwriter, 69, Cause not specified.
June 18, 2024: James Chance, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, James Chance and the Contortions, Saxophonist and singer, 71, Cause not specified.
June 24, 2024: Shifty Shellshock (Seth Brooks Binzer), Crazy Town, Rapper, 49, Accidental drug overdose.
June 27, 2024: Martin Mull, Actor and musician, 80, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Cause not specified.
July 6, 2024: Joe Egan, Stealers Wheel, Singer-songwriter, 77, Cause not specified.
July 10, 2024: Dave Loggins, Singer-songwriter, 76, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., Cause not specified.
July 17, 2024: Cheng Pei-pei, Actress and singer, 78, Cause not specified.
July 21, 2024: Evelyn Thomas, Disco singer, 70, Cause not specified.
July 22, 2024: Duke Fakir, Singer, Four Tops, 88, Detroit, Michigan, U.S., Heart failure.
July 22, 2024: John Mayall, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, 90, California, U.S., Cause not specified.
John Mayall in 1970
July 28, 2024: Chino XL, Rapper, 50, Suicide.
July 29, 2024: Joey Gilmore, Guitarist for James Brown, Etta James, Bobby Bland, Little Milton, and Little Johnny Taylor, 80, Florida, U.S., Cause not specified.
August 3, 2024: Shaun Martin, Multi-instrumentalist, Snarky Puppy, 45, Cause not specified.
August 5, 2024: Kinky Friedman, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, Satirical musician and writer, 79, near Austin, Texas, US, Complications from Parkinson's disease.
August 7, 2024: Jack Russell, Singer/frontman, Great White, 63, Southern California, U.S., Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.
August 13, 2024: Greg Kihn, The Greg Kihn Band, 75, San Francisco Bay Area, U.S., Complications from Alzheimer's disease.
August 20, 2024: Tom Johnston, The Doobie Brothers, Guitarist and vocalist, 76, Cause not specified.
August 30, 2024: Fatman Scoop, Rapper and hype man, 56, Hamden, Connecticut, U.S., Cardiovascular disease – collapsed on stage.
September 1, 2024: Gary Wright, Spooky Tooth, Singer-songwriter and keyboardist, 81, Palos Verdes Estates, California, US, Complications from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
September 5, 2024, Sérgio Mendes, Bossa nova musician, 83, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Complications from long COVID.
September 10, 2024: Frankie Beverly, Singer and songwriter, Maze, 77, Cause not specified.
September 15, 2024: Tito Jackson, Singer, The Jackson 5, 70, Gallup, New Mexico, U.S., Heart attack.
Tito Jackson (far left) with the Jackson 5 in 1972
September 15, 2024: Cissy Houston, Gospel and soul singer, mother of Whitney Houston, 91, Newark, New Jersey, U.S., Cause not specified.
September 17, 2024: JD Souther, Singer and songwriter, 78, New Mexico, U.S., Cause not specified.
September 20, 2024: Roger Whittaker, Folk singer-songwriter, 88, Toulouse, France, Cause not specified.
September 24, 2024: Cat Glover, Singer and dancer with Prince, 62, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Congestive heart failure and COPD.
September 28, 2024: Kris Kristofferson, Country songwriter and singer, 88, Maui, Hawaii, U.S., Cause not specified.
September 30, 2024: Dave Allison, Guitarist, Anvil, 68, Cause not specified.
October 5, 2024: Michael Gambon, Actor and singer, 82, Witham, Essex, England, Cause not specified.
October 16, 2024: Liam Payne, Singer, One Direction, 31, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fall from a hotel balcony.
October 21, 2024: Paul Di'Anno, Vocalist, Iron Maiden, Battlezone, Killers, Gogmagog, 66, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Cause not specified.
October 25, 2024: Phil Lesh, The Grateful Dead, Bassist, 84, Cause not specified.
October 29, 2024: Bill Beach, Rockabilly musician, 92, Cause not specified.
October 29, 2024: Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal, Buena Vista Social Club, Trumpeter, Age not specified, Cause not specified.
October 29, 2024: Nadia Cattouse, Singer-songwriter, 99, Cause not specified.
October 29, 2024: Richard Andrew, Underground Lovers, Drummer, 58, Cause not specified.
October 31, 2024: Candy Devine, Broadcaster and singer, Age not specified, Cause not specified.
November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, Music producer and composer, 91, Pancreatic cancer.
Quincy Jones' solo album, The Dude, came out in 1981
November 4, 2024, Johnny Madsen, Dalton, 73, Cause not specified.
November 4, 2024: Tyka Nelson, Singer, sister of Prince, 64, Robbinsdale, Minnesota, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 4, 2024: Agnaldo Rayol, Singer and actor, 86, São Paulo, Brazil, Complications from a fall at his house.
November 7, 2024, Kathleen Watkins, Actress and singer, 90, Dublin, Ireland, Cause not specified.
November 9, 2024: Lou Donaldson, Jazz alto saxophonist, 98, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 9, 2024: Ella Jenkins, Folk singer and songwriter, 100, Chicago, Illinois, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 9, 2024: Ram Narayan, Sarangi player, 96, Mumbai, India, Cause not specified.
November 10, 2024: Pepe Justicia, Flamenco guitarist, 64, Cause not specified.
November 12, 2024: Johnny Duhan, Folk singer and songwriter, 74, Off the coast of County Galway, Drowned.
November 12, 2024: Roy Haynes, Jazz drummer, 99, Nassau County, New York, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 12, 2024: Agnes Buen Garnås, Folk singer, 78, Notodden, Norway, Cause not specified.
November 13, 2024: Edgard Brito, keyboardist, Tuatha de Danann, Cause not specified.
November 14, 2024: Tommy Alverson, Texas country musician, 74, Liver cancer.
November 14, 2024: Dennis Bryon, Drummer for the Bee Gees, Amen Corner, 75, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 14, 2024: Vic Flick, Guitarist behind the "James Bond Theme" in Dr. No, 87, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Complications from Alzheimer's disease.
November 14, 2024: Peter Sinfield, Lyricist for King Crimson, 80, Cause not specified.
November 13, 2024: Shel Talmy, Record producer for the Kinks, the Who, the Easybeats, 87, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Complications from a stroke.
November 16, 2024: Gerry Weil, Jazz musician, 85, Caracas, Venezuela, Cause not specified.
November 17, 2024: Vladimir Lyovkin, Na Na, 57, Leukemia.
November 18, 2024: Charles Dumont, Singer and composer, 95, Paris, France, Cause not specified.
November 18, 2024: Colin Petersen, Drummer for the Bee Gees, Humpy Bong, 78, Cause not specified.
November 18, 2024: Mercy Sunot, Aegis, 48, San Francisco, California, Cancer.
November 19, 2024: Saafir, Rapper and producer, 54, Cause not specified.
November 20, 2024: Andy Paley, The Paley Brothers, The Modern Lovers, 72, Colchester, Vermont, U.S., Throat cancer.
November 20, 2024: Mike Pinera, Guitarist, Blues Image, Iron Butterfly, 76, Liver failure.
November 22, 2024: Harry Williams, percussionist, Bloodstone, 80, Cause not specified.
November 23, 2024: Chuck Woolery, Actor and musician, The Avant-Garde, 83, Horseshoe Bay, Texas, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 24, 2024: Bob Bryar, Drummer, My Chemical Romance, 44, Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 24, 2024: Helen Gallagher, Actress and singer, 98, New York City, U.S., Cause not specified.
November 26, 2024: Leah Kunkel, Singer and songwriter, 76, Cancer.
November 27, 2024: Artt Frank, Jazz drummer for Chet Baker, 91, Cause not specified.
November 11, 2024: Andy Leek, Dexys Midnight Runners, Co-founder, 66, Parkinson's disease.
November 30, 2024: Steve Alaimo, Singer and record producer, 84, Cause not specified.
December 6, 2024: Angela Alvarez, Singer, oldest winner of the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist, 97, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S., Cause not specified.
December 6, 2024: Miho Nakayama, Singer and actress 54 Tokyo, Japan, Bathing accident.
December 6, 2024: Dickie Rock, The Miami Showband, 88, Dublin, Ireland, Cause not specified.
December 12, 2024: Jeanne Bamberger, Music educator, 100, Cause not specified.
December 15, 2024: Zakir Hussain, Tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer, 73 San Francisco, California, US, Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
December 17, 2024: Alfa Anderson, singer, Chic, 78, Cause not specified.
December 17, 2024: Mike Brewer, Brewer & Shipley, 80, Missouri, U.S., Cause not specified.
December 18, 2024: Slim Dunlap, guitarist, The Replacements, 73, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., Complications from a stroke.
December 18, 2024: Steve Lewinson, Bass guitarist, Simply Red, 60, Cause not specified.
December 19, 2024: Gaboro, Rapper and songwriter, 23, Norrköping, Sweden, Shot.
December 20, 2024: Helena Zeťová, Black Milk, 44, Prostřední Bečva, Czech Republic, Cause not specified.
December 20, 2024: Sugar Pie DeSanto, Singer and dancer, 89, Cause not specified.
December 21, 2024: Casey Chaos, Singer and songwriter, Amen, 59, Cause not specified.
December 24, 2024: Richard Perry, Producer (Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Pointer Sisters), 82, Cardiac arrest.
December 25, 2024: Dulce, Actress and singer, 69, Mexico City, Mexico, Complications from lung cancer.
December 26, 2024: OG Maco, Rapper, 32, Suicide.
December 30, 2024: Loretta Di Franco, Operatic soprano, 82, Cause not specified.
This article will be updated through the end of 2024. Know of any errors here? Let us know in the comments below and thank you for helping us ensure accuracy. Sources: wikipedia.org, nme.com, bestclassicbands.com, weheartmusic.typepad.com.
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