- 1730 Sebastien de Brossard, French composer and music theorist, dies at 74
- 1806 Michael Haydn, Austrian composer, dies at 68
- 1821 Salvatore Vigano, composer, dies at 52
- 1841 Hippolyte Monpou, composer, dies at 37
- 1886 Eduard Grell, German composer, dies at 85
- 1911 Carl Lumbye, Danish composer, dies at 70
- 1938 Joseph Moorat, British composer (Prunella), dies at 73
- 1948 Lucille Bogan, American blues singer and songwriter ("Sweet Petunia"; "Black Angel Blues"), dies from coronary sclerosis at 51
- 1967 John Francis Larchet, Irish arranger (Irish national anthem), composer (By the Waters of Moyle), and musical director (Abbey Theatre - Dublin, 1908-35), dies at 83
- 1970 Bernd-Alois Zimmermann, German composer (The Soldiers Requiem), commits suicide at 52
- 1991 (Henry) "Buster" Smith, American jazz alto saxophonist, arranger, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie), dies of a heart attack at 86
- 1993 Euronymous [Øystein Aarseth], Norwegian black-metal guitarist and producer (Mayhem), stabbed to death by a musical rival at 25
- 1994 Bill Baker, American doo-wop singer The Five Satins - "In The Still Of The Night"), dies at 58
- 1995 Peter Lancelot Williams, English dance journalist, dies at 81
- 1997 Conlon Nancarrow, American composer (Soundings 4), dies at 84
Michael Houser (1962-2002)
American guitarist (Widespread Panic), dies of pancreatic cancer at 40
- 2003 Bill Perkins, American cool jazz tenor saxophonist (Woody Herman; Stan Kenton; Bud Shank; The Tonight Show Band, 1970-82), and recording engineer, dies of cancer at 79
- 2003 Carmita Jiménez, Puerto Rican singer (Tierra Rica"; "La Vida En Rosa"), dies of cancer at 64
- 2007 Tony Wilson, British music personality, record label owner and radio broadcaster, dies of a heart attack at 57
Isaac Hayes (1942-2008)
American Southern soul musician, singer-songwriter, Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer ("Theme from Shaft"), and actor (The Rockford Files - "Gandolf Fitch"; South Park -"Chef"), dies of a likely stroke at 65
- 2013 Eydie Gormé [Edithe Gormezano], American Grammy and Emmy Award-winning pop singer ("Blame It On The Bossa Nova"; Steve and Eydie), dies at 84
- 2017 Xavier Benguerel, Catalan composer (Llibre Vermell; Jo, Dalí), dies at 86
- 2022 Abdul Wadud [Ronald DeVaughn], American jazz, avant-garde, and classical cellist (Camille; By Myself), dies at 75
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide