Musicians Who Died on April 20

  • 1643 Christoph Demantius, German composer, dies at 75
  • 1695 Georg Caspar Weckler, German Baroque organist and composer, dies at 63
  • 1707 Johann Christoph Denner, German musician and inventor (clarinet), dies at 51
  • 1839 Giuseppe Rossini, father of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, dies
  • 1869 Carl Loewe, German composer, dies at 72
  • 1869 Piotr Studzinski, Polish conductor and composer, dies at 42
  • 1921 Tony Jackson, American ragtime pianist and singer-songwriter ("Pretty Baby"), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 38
  • 1956 Jaap Vranken, Dutch organist and composer (Stabat mater), dies at 59
  • 1956 Lieven Duvosel, Flemish composer (De Leiecyclus - The Lys-cycle), dies at 78
  • 1962 Artúr Harmat, Hungarian composer, dies at 76
  • 1968 Marion Weeks, American silent film actress, and Ziegfield Follies singer and dancer, dies of stroke at 81
  • 1969 William "Benny" Benjamin, American session drummer (Motown's Funk Brothers), dies of a stroke at 43 [1]
  • 1970 Shakeel Badayuni, Indian poet and lyricist, dies at 53
  • 1973 Elisabeth Hauptmann, German writer (co-author of The Threepenny Opera), dies at 75
  • 1984 Mabel Mercer, British jazz and cabaret singer whose style and phrasing influenced Frank Sinatra ("Fly Me to the Moon"), dies at 84
  • 1987 Antony Tudor, English dancer and choreographer (American Ballet Theater), dies at 78
  • 1991 Steve Marriott, British rock guitarist and singer-songwriter (Small Faces, 1965-68, 75-78); Humble Pie, 1969-75, 79-83 - Eat It), dies in a house fire at 44
  • 1992 Johnny Shines, American delta blues singer and guitarist, dies at 76
  • 2001 Giuseppe Sinopoli, Italian conductor and composer (Sunnyata; Lou Salomé), dies while conducting Verdi's "Aida" of a heart attack at 54
  • 2001 Maria Karnilova, American dancer and actress (Fiddler on the Roof, Ivan the Terrible), dies at 80
  • 2002 Alan Dale, American singer (Alan Dale Show), dies at 76
  • 2007 Andrew Hill, American jazz pianist, composer and educator, dies at 75
  • 2008 Frank Michael Beyer, German composer, organist, and educator, dies at 80
  • 2008 VL Mike [Michael Allen], American rapper, shot to death by unknown assailant at 32
  • 2012 Bert Weedon, British jazz, pop, and blues guitar player ("Guitar Boogie Shuffle"), dies at 91
  • 2017 Cuba Gooding, Sr., American pop and soul singer (The Main Ingredient - "Everybody Plays the Fool"), dies at 72

Avicii (1989-2018)

Swedish musician, DJ, remixer and record producer ("Levels"; "Wake Me Up"; "Sunshine"), commits suicide at 28

  • 2021 Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Icelandic composer (Time and Water), dies at 80
  • 2021 Leslie McKeown, Scottish pop vocalist (Bay City Rollers - "Saturday Night"), dies at 65
  • 2022 Guitar Shorty [David William Kearney], American blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter (You Don't Treat Me Right), dies at 87
  • 2022 Robert Morse, American Tony and Emmy Award-winning stage and screen singer and actor (Mad Men; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), dies at 90 [1]