W. C. Handy (1873-1958)
Mar 28 American composer and musician known as the "Father of the Blues" (Memphis Blues, St Louis Blues), dies of bronchial pneumonia at 84
- Apr 7 Judge Jackson, American sacred harp composer, songwriter, and educator (The Colored Sacred Harp), dies at 75
- Apr 7 Klimenty Arkad'yevich Korchmaryov, Ukrainian composer, dies at 58
- Apr 10 Chuck Willis, rocker, dies at 30
- Apr 21 Manuel Infante, Spanish composer and conductor, dies at 74
- May 19 Bruno Stürmer, German conductor, composer and educator dies at 65
- May 28 Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský, Slovak composer, dies at 77
- Jun 6 Lily Strickland, American composer and artist, dies at 71
- Jun 16 José Pablo Moncayo, Mexican composer (Huapango), dies at 45
- Jun 23 Edvard Armas Jarnefeldt, composer, dies at 88
- Jul 1 Rudolf von Laban, Czech-German choreographer (modern dance), dies at 78
- Jul 13 Karl Erb, German tenor, dies on his 81st birthday
- Jul 14 René Guillou, French organist and composer (L'Autre mère), dies at 55
- Jul 15 Julia Lennon, mother of Beatle John, dies in an auto accident
- Jul 30 Alexander Albrecht, Slovak composer, dies at 72
- Aug 5 Joseph Holbrooke, English pianist, conductor and composer (3 Blind Mice), dies at 80
- Aug 9 Felipe Boero, Argentine composer, dies at 74
- Aug 14 "Big" Bill Broonzy, American blues singer and guitarist (Blues by Broonzy), dies of cancer at 65
- Aug 17 Florent Schmitt, French composer (La tragédie de Salome; Psalm 47), and music critic (Le Temps), dies at 87
- Aug 21 Stevan Hristić, Serbian composer (Legend of Ohrid; Opeleo), conductor (Belgrade Philharmonic, 1923-34; Belgrade Opera, 1925-35), and pedagogue (Belgrade Music Academy, 1937-50), dies at 73
- Aug 21 Walter Schumann, American choral director (Ford Show) and film and television composer (Night Of The Hunter; Dragnet theme), dies at 44
- Aug 24 Kenneth Leighton, British pianist and composer, dies of esophageal cancer at 58
- Aug 24 Leo Blech, German opera composer and conductor, (Königliches Opernhaus, 1906-37; Städtische Oper, 1949-53). dies at 87
- Aug 26 Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer (Hugh the Drover), dies at 85
- Aug 28 Nikolay Golovanov, Soviet composer, dies at 67
- Sep 11 Robert Lach, Austrian composer, dies at 84
- Sep 17 Herbie Fields [Bernfeld], American jazz saxophonist and bandleader ("Dardanella"), dies from an intentional overdose of sleeping pills at 39
- Sep 28 Aarre Merikanto, Finnish composer (Juha; Schott Concerto), and educator, dies of lung cancer at 65
- Oct 13 Alexander Moiseyevich Veprik, Russian composer, dies at 59 (b. 1899)
- Oct 24 Martin Shaw, English composer, dies at 83
- Nov 2 Adam Carse, English composer and music writer, dies at 80
- Nov 3 Harry Revel, (né Glaser), Latvian-American film score composer (Sitting Pretty; Gay Divorcee), dies from a cerebral hemorrhage at 52
- Nov 6 Francis George Scott, Scottish composer, dies at 78
- Nov 9 Gastone De Zuccoli, Italian concert and church organist, composer (Autunno; Messa Francescana), and pedagogue, dies at 71
- Nov 17 Marcelle Meyer, French concert pianist specializing in both contemporary classical (Les Six) and Baroque revivalist (Bach; Rameau) repertoires, dies of a heart attack while at the keyboard at 61
- Nov 27 Artur Rodzinski, Polish conductor (Cleveland Orchestra, 1933-43; New York Philharmonic, 1943-47; Chicago Symphony, 1947-48), dies at 66
- Dec 1 Patricia "Boots" Mallory, American dancer and actress (Handle With Care), dies from chronic throat disease at 45
- Dec 6 Erwin Bodky, German-American composer, dies at 62
- Dec 26 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
- Dec 29 Doris Humphrey, American dancer and choreographer (Dances of Women), dies at 63
- Dec 31 Gustav Hermann Unger, German composer, dies at 72
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