- 1779 Tommaso MFS Traetta, Italian opera composer (Farnace), dies at 52
- 1782 Rynoldus Popma van Oevering, Dutch composer, dies at 90
- 1805 Lorenz Justinian Ott, German composer, dies at 56
- 1817 Bonaventura Furlanetto, Italian composer, dies at 78
- 1822 František Xaver Partsch, Czech composer, dies at 62
- 1838 Jeremiah Ingalls, early North-American choir master and composer (Farewell Hymn), dies at 72
- 1844 Francis Johnson, American keyed Kent bugle virtuoso, violinist, bandleader, and composer, dies at 51 [1]
- 1889 Frederick Ouseley, British organist, composer (The Martyrdom of St Polycarp), musicologist, and Anglican priest, dies at 63
- 1919 Stefan Surzynski, Polish conductor and composer, dies at 63
- 1931 Giuseppe Radiciotti, Italian musicologist and composer, dies at 73
- 1940 Andrés Isasi, Spanish Basque composer, dies at 49
- 1947 Václav Kaprál, Czech composer, pianist, and pedagogue, dies at 58
- 1951 Halfdan Cleve, Norwegian composer, dies at 71
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Russian composer (Le Sacre du Printemps - The Rite of Spring; The Firebird), dies of pneumonia at 88
- 1978 Nicolas Nabokov, Russian composer (Holy Devil), dies at 74
- 1979 Milton Ager, American composer, dies at 85
- 1984 Jimmy Kennedy, Irish singer-songwriter ("Teddy Bears' Picnic"; "My Prayer"), dies at 81
- 1984 Ral Donner, singer/narrator, dies at 41
- 1985 Mark Lothar, German composer (The Story of the Lazy Bear), dies at 82
- 1994 Dick Cary, American jazz musician, dies at 77
- 1996 Nadieh [Karin Meis], Dutch singer, guitarist and composer (Haifa Blue), dies from a pulmonary embolism and breast cancer at 37
Tammy Wynette (1942-1998)
American country singer ("Stand By Your Man"), dies at 55
- 1998 Wendy O. Williams, American singer (Plasmatics) (b. 1949)
- 1999 Red Norvo [Kenneth Norville], American jazz vibraphonist known as "Mr. Swing" (Congo Blues; Knockin' on Wood), dies at 91
- 1999 William Pleeth, British cellist and teacher (of Jacqueline du Pré), dies of leukemia at 83
- 2001 Charles Pettigrew, American soul singer (Charles & Eddie - "Would I Lie To You?"), dies of cancer at 37
- 2003 Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian percussionist (Drums of Passion), educator, and social activist, dies at 75
- 2004 Niki Sullivan, American guitarist (The Crickets), dies of a heart attack at 66
- 2006 Augustyn Bloch, Polish composer, dies at 76
- 2014 Jacques Castérède, French composer and pianist (Pandora's Box), dies at 87
- 2015 David Leon Kaplan, American-Canadian music professor (University of Saskatchewan, 1960-82), conductor (Saskatoon Symphony, 1962-72), and composer, dies at 91
- 2015 Milton Delugg, American pianist, accordion player, composer ("Hoop-Dee-Do"; "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians"), and orchestra leader (The Tonight Show, 1966; The Paul Winchell Show; The Gong Show), dies at 96 [1]
- 2016 Dennis Davis, American jazz, rock and funk drummer (Roy Ayers; David Bowie, 1975-80; Stevie Wonder), dies of cancer at 66
Merle Haggard (1937-2016)
American country singer-songwriter ("Mama Tried"; "If We Make It Through December"; "Okie from Muskogee"), dies on his 79th birthday
Assassination
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Murder
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