Obituary: Cassandra Wilson, dead at age 70
Cassandra Wilson, the American jazz singer and two-time Grammy winner, died on September 2, 2026, aged 70. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, she built a long career as a singer, songwriter…
Famous Dead Musicians: Recent Musician Deaths and Obituaries
Over 10,000 obituaries of famous dead musicians. Notable deaths, news, info, and memorial pages.
Obituary: Gracindo Júnior, dead at age 83
Gracindo Júnior, the Brazilian actor, died on September 2, 2026, aged 83. Born in Rio de Janeiro on May 21, 1943, he built a career in theatre and television under…
Tony Gatlif died at age 77
Tony Gatlif, the French film director, screenwriter, actor and producer, died on September 2, 2026, aged 77. Born Michel Dahmani in Algiers on September 10, 1948, he built a career…
Obituary: Edith Barr, dead at age 90
Edith Barr, the Peruvian Creole singer known as the Flor Morena de la Canción Criolla, died on September 1, 2026, aged 90. Born Nora Edith Barr García in Lima on…
Obituary: Jonathan Meléndez, dead at age 38
Jonathan Meléndez, the Mexican keyboardist and composer known as Honas, died on September 1, 2026, aged 38. Born Jonathan Samuel Meléndez Ochoa in Mexico City, he helped found the synth-pop…
Camilo Séptimo, died aged 38
Camilo Séptimo, a Mexican musician and member of the band Camilo Séptimo, died on September 1, 2026, at age 38. The group, also styled as Camilo VII and CVII, was…
Obituary: He Yong, dead at age 57
He Yong, a Chinese rock musician and one of the pioneers of Chinese rock, died on September 1, 2026, aged 57. Born in Beijing on February 15, 1969, he began…
Miguel Zavaleta passes away at age 71
Miguel Zavaleta, the Argentine musician and songwriter behind Suéter and the author of "Amanece en la ruta," died on August 31, 2026, aged 71. Born in Buenos Aires on February…
Michel Fano dies at age 96
Michel Fano, the French musician, composer and writer whose work also extended to filmmaking and sound design, died on August 31, 2026, aged 96. Born in the 16th arrondissement of…
Carlyto Lassa, died aged 65
Carlyto Lassa, the Congolese singer-songwriter, guitarist and evangelical pastor, died on August 31, 2026, aged 65. Born Charles Ndombasi Lassa in Kongo Central in what is now the Democratic Republic…
Stjepan Jimmy Stanić passes away at age 97
Stjepan Jimmy Stanić, the Croatian musician, singer and double bassist, died on August 30, 2026, aged 97. Born in Zagreb on January 20, 1929, he was known for a career…
Death of Gene Bertoncini at age 89
Gene Bertoncini, the American jazz guitarist born in New York City on April 6, 1937, died on August 29, 2026, aged 89. A native of New York, he grew up…
Antonino Fogliani obituary: died at age 50
Antonino Fogliani, the Italian conductor, died on August 29, 2026, aged 50. Born in Messina on June 29, 1976, he studied composition at the Conservatorio "G. B. Martini" in Bologna…
Frankie Miller obituary: died at age 94
Frankie Miller, an American country singer, died on August 29, 2026, at age 94. Born Frank Miller, Jr., in Victoria, Texas, he began performing as a teenager on the local…
Li Weikang dies at 79
Li Weikang, the Chinese Peking opera singer and actress, died on August 28, 2026, aged 79. A native of Beijing, she was a retired performer who became a national first-class…
Frank Campo has died at age 99
Frank Campo, an American composer and emeritus professor of music at California State University Northridge, died on August 28, 2026, at age 99. Born in New York City in 1927,…
Granville Straker passed away at age 86
Granville Straker, an American record producer and businessman, died on August 27, 2026, aged 86. Born in Saint Vincent in 1939, he moved to Brooklyn from Trinidad in 1959 and…
Jack Grassel passed away at age 77
Jack Grassel, an American jazz guitarist, teacher and author from Milwaukee, died on August 26, 2026, aged 77, in a traffic collision. Born in Milwaukee and educated at the University…
Rubén Rada, died aged 83
Rubén Rada, the Uruguayan singer-songwriter who helped shape modern candombe and fused it with rock, soul, jazz and funk, died on August 26, 2026, aged 83. Born Omar Ruben Rada…
Obituary: Bert Matter, dead at age 89
Bert Matter, the Dutch minimalist composer and organist, died on August 26, 2026, aged 89. Born in 1937 in Baambrugge, he graduated from the Rotterdams Conservatorium at 20 and went…
Dolly Parton dies at age 80
Dolly Parton, the American singer and actress known for “Jolene” and 9 to 5, died on August 25, 2026, aged 80. Born Dolly Rebecca Parton in Pittman Center, Tennessee, she…
Obituary: Miloslav Gajdoš, dead at age 78
Miloslav Gajdoš, the Czech double bass player and composer, died on August 25, 2026, aged 78. Born in Město Albrechtice on April 13, 1948, he was also a music teacher…
Tim Curry death at age 80
Tim Curry, the English actor and singer known for roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Annie and It, died on August 25, 2026, aged 80. Born Timothy James Curry…
Jose Rod dead at age 63
Jose Rod, the Indian tiatr singer known professionally as a singer and composer in khell tiatr and tiatr productions, died on August 25, 2026, aged 63. Born Joseph Constancio Rodrigues…
Harry Bramma passes away at age 89
Harry Bramma, the British organist and composer, died on August 25, 2026, aged 89. Born in Shipley in 1936 and also known as Harry Wakefield Bramma, he was a composer,…
Dimitris Kokotas, died aged 57
Dimitris Kokotas, the Greek singer, composer and businessman, died on August 25, 2026, at age 57. Born in Athens on December 14, 1968, he was the son of the well-known…
Jaye P. Morgan died at age 94
Jaye P. Morgan, the American singer and actress known for "That's All I Want from You" and for appearing in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, died on August…
Tofig Bakikhanov dies at 95
Tofig Bakikhanov, the Azerbaijani composer and music educator, died on August 23, 2026, at age 95. Born Tofig Ahmed-agha oglu Bakikhanov in Baku on December 8, 1930, he came from…
Stanley Ritchie death at age 91
Stanley Ritchie, an Australian violinist and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Violin at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, died on August 23, 2026, aged 91. A specialist in historical…
Nick Bougas obituary: died at age 71
Nick Bougas, an American film director and illustrator, died on August 23, 2026, aged 71. Born Nicholas Bougas in Savannah, Georgia, he worked across film, illustration, record production, and screenwriting…
Shelley Fabares death at age 82
Shelley Fabares, the American actress known for her roles on The Donna Reed Show, One Day at a Time and Coach, died on August 22, 2026, aged 82. Born Michele…
Bill Ayres passes away at age 85
Bill Ayres, an American talk radio host and co-founder of WhyHunger, died on August 22, 2026, aged 85. Born on January 14, 1941, Ayres became a Roman Catholic priest for…
Janie Bradford obituary: died at age 87
Janie Bradford, the American songwriter whose work was closely associated with Motown, died on August 22, 2026, aged 87. Born in Charleston, Missouri, on June 2, 1939, she began her…
Kaiser has died at age 65
Kaiser, the Burmese singer-songwriter also known as Kaizar, died on August 22, 2026, aged 65. A Rakhine artist whose career began in 1978, he was widely heard in Myanmar from…
Latimore obituary: died at age 86
Latimore, the American soul singer best known for "Let's Straighten It Out," died on August 22, 2026, aged 86. Born Benjamin William Lattimore in Charleston, Tennessee, he worked as a…
Pranab Patnaik death at age 88
Pranab Patnaik, an Indian playback singer and one of the pioneering voices of Odia cinema, died on August 21, 2026, aged 88. Born on January 20, 1938, in Buxi Bazaar,…
Zdeněk Šesták dead at age 100
Zdeněk Šesták, the Czech composer known for symphonic, chamber and choral works, died on August 21, 2026, aged 100. Born in Cítoliby near Louny on December 10, 1925, he came…
Caroline Langford dies at age 68
Caroline Langford, an Israeli actress, died on August 21, 2026, aged 68. Hebrew sources identified her as an Israeli performer and said she was born on February 1, 1958. The…
Anny Schlemm death at age 97
Anny Schlemm, the German opera singer, died on August 21, 2026, aged 97. Born in Neu-Isenburg on February 22, 1929, she studied in Berlin with Erna Westenberger and made her…
Nanda Malini dies at age 82
Nanda Malini, the Sri Lankan singer also known as Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera, died on August 20, 2026, aged 82. Born on August 23, 1943, in Aluthgama, she was…
Ileana Cotrubaș dies at 87
Ileana Cotrubaș, the Romanian operatic soprano, died on August 20, 2026, aged 87. Born in Galați, Romania, she built a career that ran from 1964 to 1990 and was noted…
Ricardo Pachón dies at age 88
Ricardo Pachón, the Spanish music producer, arranger and composer who helped shape modern flamenco, died on August 19, 2026, aged 88. Born in Seville in 1937, he was widely regarded…
Death of Tudor Chiriac at age 77
Tudor Chiriac, the Moldovan composer, died on August 19, 2026, aged 77. Born in Ciuciuleni, Moldova, on March 21, 1949, he became a professor doctor and was a member of…
Obituary: Frank Beard, dead at age 77
Frank Beard, the American Hall of Fame rock drummer best known for his long run with ZZ Top, died on August 17, 2026, aged 77. Born Frank Lee Beard in…
Nick Glennie-Smith dead at age 74
Nick Glennie-Smith, the English film composer behind scores for The Rock, The Man in the Iron Mask and We Were Soldiers, died on August 17, 2026, aged 74. Born Nickolas…
Andrey Sobolyev death at age 71
Andrey Sobolyev, a Russian political figure, died on August 17, 2026, aged 71. Born Andrey Nikolayevich Sobolev on December 1, 1954, in Ostrovnoy, he served as a member of the…
Harry van der Kamp passes away at age 79
Harry van der Kamp, the Dutch bass singer and voice teacher, died on August 17, 2026, aged 79. Born in Kampen in 1947, he became known for work in opera…
Obituary: Frank Beard, dead at age 77
Frank Beard, the American Hall of Fame rock drummer best known for his long tenure with ZZ Top, died on August 17, 2026, aged 77. Born Frank Lee Beard on…
Sofia Södergård dies at 39
Sofia Södergård, a Swedish dancer, choreographer, drag performer and actor, died on August 17, 2026, aged 39. Born Hanna Sofia Charlotta Södergård Treichl in Selångers församling in Sundsvall, she trained…
Obituary: Marcelle Benoit, dead at age 104
Marcelle Benoit, the French musicologist and music historian, died on August 16, 2026, aged 104. Born Marcelle Andrée Madeleine Benoit in Lille on 17 December 1921, she graduated from the…
Durga Lal Shrestha dies at age 91
Durga Lal Shrestha, the Nepali poet and lyricist who wrote in Nepal Bhasa and Nepali, died on August 16, 2026, aged 91. Born in Kathmandu in July 1935, he was…
Claude Antonini dies at 80
Claude Antonini, the French singer-songwriter, died on August 15, 2026, at age 80. Born in Belfort on April 11, 1946, she became known for drawing on the styles of Paol…
Barry “The obituary: died at age 83
Barry "The Reazar" Richards, an American radio and television personality and music consultant, died on August 15, 2026, aged 83. Also known as Barry Richards, he was born in Washington,…
Joanna Rawik obituary: died at age 92
Joanna Rawik, the Polish singer, actress, and journalist, died on August 15, 2026, aged 92. Born Joanna Szamota in Chernivtsi on January 31, 1934, she later used the names Gronkowska…
Barry “Reazar” passed away at age 83
Barry "Reazar" Richards, an American radio and television personality and music consultant, died on August 15, 2026, aged 83. Born in Washington, D.C., on November 23, 1946, Richards began his…
Obituary: Dave Marsh, dead at age 76
Dave Marsh, the American music critic and radio talk show host, died on August 14, 2026, at age 76. Born in Detroit on March 1, 1950, he grew up in…
Derry Brownson dies at age 55
Derry Brownson, an English musician known for his work with EMF, died on August 14, 2026, aged 55. Brownson was part of the alternative rock, alternative dance, indie rock and…
Death of Johnny Young at age 79
Johnny Young, the Dutch-born Australian singer, songwriter and producer known for his work on Young Talent Time, died on August 14, 2026, aged 79. Born Johnny Benjamin Arthur de Jong…
Obituary: Nikki Ross, dead at age 54
Nikki Ross, an American gospel singer, died on August 14, 2026, at age 54. A singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and composer from Houston, Texas, she was known for her work…
Jill Gomez passes away at age 83
Jill Gomez, the Trinidadian-British soprano who built an active career on the operatic stage and in the concert hall, died on August 13, 2026, aged 83. Born Barbara Jill Gomez…
Ruby Andrews passes away at age 79
Ruby Andrews, the American soul singer known professionally by that name, died on August 13, 2026, aged 79. Born Ruby Mae Stackhouse in Hollandale, Mississippi, she began her career in…
Gregor Benko passed away at age 82
Gregor Benko, the American music historian behind the International Piano Archives, died on August 13, 2026, aged 82. Born in Cleveland on August 4, 1944, he built a career as…
Darina Laščiaková, died aged 94
Darina Laščiaková, the Slovak folk singer and ethnographer known for her long work in radio and traditional music, died on August 12, 2026, aged 94. Born Darina Gažová in Tvrdošín…
Death of Chen Ying-git at age 72
Chen Ying-git, a Taiwanese singer and actor, died on August 12, 2026, aged 72. Known in Chinese as 陳盈潔, she was a singer of Taiwanese Hakka heritage whose recordings helped…
Death of Iraj at age 93
Iraj, the Iranian Persian singer known professionally by that name, died on August 12, 2026, aged 93. Born Hossein Khajeh Amiri on January 2, 1933, in Khaledabad, Iran, he began…
Mikhail Gulko obituary: died at age 95
Mikhail Gulko, the singer-songwriter known for his Russian chanson performances, died on August 12, 2026, at age 95. Born Mikhail Aleksandrovich Gulko on July 23, 1931, in Kharkiv, in the…
Gary “Gazza” death at age 61
Gary "Gazza" Johnson, the English synth-pop bassist best known for his work with China Crisis, died on August 12, 2026, aged 61. Associated with the new wave and synth-pop scene,…
Sensational dies at 51
Sensational, the Guyanese-American rapper known to fans as Colin Julius Bobb, died on August 11, 2026, at age 51. Born on October 18, 1974, in Guyana, he began making music…
Guo Lanying has died at age 96
Guo Lanying, the Chinese operatic soprano and singer celebrated for patriotic repertoire, died on August 11, 2026, aged 96. Born in Pingyao, Shanxi, on December 31, 1929, she became widely…
Gary Dwyer dead, Gary Dwyer, British drummer
Gary Dwyer, the British drummer best known for his work with The Teardrop Explodes, died on August 9, 2026, of leukaemia. He played with the Liverpool band during its years…
Reggie Bannister dies at 80
Reggie Bannister, the American actor best known for playing Reggie in the Phantasm film series, died on August 9, 2026, aged 80, of complications from dementia and Parkinson's disease. Born…
Randy Burns death at age 78
Randy Burns, the American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, died on August 8, 2026, aged 78. Known professionally as Randall R. Burns and also associated with the Sky Dog Band,…
Violet Hensley, died aged 109
Violet Hensley, an American luthier and fiddle player, died on August 7, 2026, aged 109. Born Violet Brumley in Mount Ida, Arkansas, she made and played the fiddle and later…
Bill Armstrong dies at 97
Bill Armstrong, an Australian music producer and Member of the Order of Australia, died on August 7, 2026, aged 97. Born in 1929, he grew up in Melbourne and began…
Tony Scott dead at age 54
Tony Scott, the Surinamese-born Dutch rapper and musician known for his hip house recordings, died on August 6, 2026, aged 54, from complications of multiple sclerosis. Born Peter van den…
Jerney Kaagman died at age 79
Jerney Kaagman, the Dutch singer best known as the lead vocalist of Earth and Fire, died on August 6, 2026, aged 79, from complications of Parkinson's disease. Born Christina Henriette…
Francesco Guccini passes away at age 86
Francesco Guccini, the Italian singer-songwriter known for songs such as "Auschwitz," died on August 6, 2026, aged 86. Born in Modena on June 14, 1940, he became one of Italy’s…
Obituary: Ann Bogan, dead at age 85
Ann Bogan, the American singer known for her work with the Motown groups the Andantes and the Marvelettes, died on August 6, 2026, at age 85. Sometimes credited as Anne…
Bruno Battisti, died aged 88
Bruno Battisti D'Amario, the Italian classical guitarist and composer, died on August 5, 2026, aged 88. Born in Rome on October 5, 1937, he was also a teacher and became…
Terry Buffalo Ware passes away at age 76
Terry Buffalo Ware, an American guitarist and composer, died on August 5, 2026, at age 76. A native of Woodward, Oklahoma, he grew up in northwest Oklahoma and studied at…
Death of Pepe Habichuela at age 82
Pepe Habichuela, the Spanish flamenco guitarist known as José Antonio Carmona Carmona, died on August 4, 2026, aged 82. Born in Granada, he came from a flamenco family whose line…
Bruno Campanella dies at age 83
Bruno Campanella, the Italian conductor and distinguished interpreter of Italian opera, died on August 4, 2026, aged 83. Born in Bari on January 6, 1943, he studied composition with Nino…
Bernhard Billeter, died aged 90
Bernhard Billeter, the Swiss musician and musicologist, died on August 4, 2026, at age 90. Born in Zurich on July 26, 1936, he worked as a pianist, organist, editor, music…
Obituary: Tristam Nada, dead at age 68
Tristam Nada, the French singer and painter also known as Pascal Dequatremare, died on August 4, 2026, aged 68. Born in Paris on August 3, 1958, he co-founded the punk…
Terry Trotter passes away at age 85
Terry Trotter, the American jazz pianist and composer who wrote the theme music for "Everybody Loves Raymond," died on August 4, 2026, aged 85. Born in Los Angeles in 1940,…
Jon Cypher passed away at age 94
Jon Cypher, the American actor known for his work in "Hill Street Blues," "Major Dad" and "Masters of the Universe," died on August 3, 2026, aged 94. He was best…
Jean-Paul Dréau died at age 73
Jean-Paul Dréau, the French composer and songwriter, died on August 3, 2026, aged 73. Born Jean-Paul Elie Benchetrit in Oran, then in French Algeria, he went on to write songs…
Grace Chang has died at age 93
Grace Chang, the Hong Kong actress and singer known for films including "Soldier of Fortune" and "The Wild, Wild Rose," died on August 3, 2026, aged 93. Born in Nanjing…
David Z passes away at age 78
David Z, the American record producer and musician known for his work on “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Looking for a New Love,” died on August 2, 2026, aged 78.…
Obituary: Bagre Fagundes, dead at age 86
Bagre Fagundes, the Brazilian gaucho musician known as Euclides Fagundes Filho, died on August 2, 2026, aged 86. Born in Uruguaiana on October 3, 1939, he was described as a…
Pepe Villalobos, died aged 96
Pepe Villalobos, the Peruvian musician and composer known as José Villalobos Cavero and popularly called the Rey del Festejo, died on July 31, 2026, aged 96. Born in Barrios Altos,…
Vicki Wickham died at age 87
Vicki Wickham, the English talent manager and television producer known for her work on Ready Steady Go!, died on July 31, 2026, aged 87. Born in England in 1939, she…
Beto Cabrera died at age 92
Beto Cabrera, the Argentine comedian and actor known professionally as Beto Cabrera, died on July 30, 2026, aged 92. Born Alberto Pedro Cabrera in Buenos Aires on November 24, 1933,…
Iga Cembrzyńska obituary: died at age 87
Iga Cembrzyńska, the Polish actress known for films including The Saragossa Manuscript, Salto and Hydrozagadka, died on July 30, 2026, aged 87. Born Maria Elżbieta Cembrzyńska in Radom on July…
Obituary: Manolo Solo, dead at age 62
Manolo Solo, the Spanish actor known for The Fury of a Patient Man, The Good Boss and Close Your Eyes, died on July 30, 2026, aged 62. Born Manuel Jesús…
K. Jamuna Rani dies at age 88
K. Jamuna Rani, the Indian playback singer known for her work in films including Valayapathi, Gulebakavali and Seda Sulang, died on July 30, 2026, aged 88. Born on May 17,…
Death of Simone Forti at age 91
Simone Forti, the American postmodern dancer, choreographer and artist whose work helped shape postmodern dance, died on July 29, 2026, aged 91. Born in Florence on March 25, 1935, she…
Arlene Smith has died at age 84
Arlene Smith, an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the Chantels, died on July 29, 2026, at age 84. Smith helped establish the group in the Bronx…