- 1730 Mauritius Vogt, German composer, dies at 61
- 1731 Johann Augustin Kobelius, German Baroque composer, and kapellmeister, dies at 57
- 1777 Giuseppe Scarlatti, Italian composer, dies at 54
- 1792 Jan Jachym Kopriva, Czech composer and organist, dies at 38
- 1838 Lorenzo Da Ponte [Emanuele Conegliano], Italian-American librettist (Don Giovanni; Cosi Fan Tutti), poet, and libertine priest, dies at 89
- 1865 Johann Nepomuk Poissl, Bavarian composer, dies at 82
- 1880 Ole Bull, Norwegian violinist and composer, dies at 70
- 1887 Franz Commer, German composer, dies at 74
- 1889 Ernst Franck, German composer and conductor, dies at 42
- 1898 Carl Johann Adam Zeller, Austrian composer, dies at 56
- 1901 Edmond Audran, French composer, dies at 61
- 1909 Richard Hoffman, English-American composer, dies at 78
- 1936 Pierre-Octave Ferroud, French composer (Surgery & Foules), dies at 36
- 1945 Gino Marinuzzi, Sr., Italian opera conductor (Wagner; Puccini), and composer (Symphony in A), dies at 61
- 1954 Billy Murray, American singer (Denver Nightengale), dies at 77
- 1958 Florent Schmitt, French composer (La tragédie de Salome; Psalm 47), and music critic (Le Temps), dies at 87
- 1961 Carlos Salzedo, French-American piano prodigy, harpist, composer, educator (Curtis Institue; Juilliard), and new music advocate (co-founder of International Composers' Guild), dies at 76
- 1973 Jean Barraqué, French composer, dies at 44
- 1973 Paul Williams, American baritone singer and choreographer (The Temptations - "Cloud Nine"), commits suicide at 32
- 1977 Petros John Petridis, Greek composer (Isotope Suite), dies at 86
- 1981 Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and arranger (Oklahoma!), dies at 87
Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)
American lyricist ("Embraceable You"; "I Got Rhythm"; "They Can't Take That Away From Me"), dies in Beverly Hills at 86
- 1984 Hammie Nixon [Nickerson], American blues harmonica player (Sleepy John Estes), dies at 76
- 1987 Gary Chester [Cesario Gurciullo], Italian-American sessiondrummer (Monkees; Lovin' Spoonful) and drum instructor, dies at 62
- 1990 Pearl Bailey, American Tony and Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actress, singer and dancer (Hello, Dolly!), dies of a heart attack at 72
- 1993 Johnny Sayles, American soul singer ("I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love"), dies of a heart attack at 56
- 1993 Phil Seymour, American rock and power pop musician, singer, and songwriter (The Dwight Twilley Band), dies of lymphoma at 41
- 1995 "Wild Bill" Davis, American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger, dies at 76
- 2001 Flip Phillips [Joseph Filippelli], American jazz and swing tenor saxophonist and clarinet player (Jazz at the Philharmonic; Woody Herman), dies at 86
- 2004 D-Roc the Executioner [Dennis Miles], American heavy metal musician (Body Count), dies of complications of lymphoma at 44
- 2004 Gérard Souzay, French baritone, dies at 85
- 2015 Arsen Dedić, Croatian singer-songwriter and poet, dies at 77
- 2015 Jan Fotek, Polish composer (Musica Cromatica), dies at 76
- 2023 Bobby Eli [Eli Tatarsky], American session and touring guitarist (Philadelphia International Records; Sigma Sound; Salsoul Orchestra), songwriter, and producer, dies at 77 [1]
- 2023 Gary Young, American rock drummer (Pavement), dies at 70
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning