Musicians Who Died in 1961

  • Jan 11 Elena Gerhardt, German mezzo-soprano singer (b. 1883)
  • Jan 13 Blanche Ring, American singer ("In The Good Old Summer Time"), and stage and screen actress, dies at 89
  • Jan 14 Henry Geehl, English composer, dies at 79
  • Jan 15 Francesco Maria Saraceni, Italian composer, dies at 49
  • Jan 16 Janos Viski, Hungarian composer, dies at 54
  • Jan 21 John Joseph Becker, American composer and conductor, dies a day before his 75th birthday
  • Feb 2 Adolf Vogl, German composer, dies at 87
  • Feb 6 Archibald T Davison, American musicologist and composer, dies at 77
  • Feb 10 Velma Middleton, American jazz vocalist (Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups), dies from complications of a stroke at 43
  • Feb 15 Jack Whiting, American actor and singer (Marge & Gower Champion Show), dies at 59
  • Feb 20 Percy Grainger, Australian-American concert pianist and composer (Hill Songs; Country Gardens), dies at 78
  • Feb 22 Nick LaRocca, American jazz coronetist and composer (Tiger Rag), dies at 71
  • Feb 28 Joris Vriamont, Flemish writer and music publisher, dies at 64
  • Mar 3 Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-born left-handed pianist, dies at 72
  • Mar 6 George Formby, British singer and comedian, dies at 56
  • Mar 8 Thomas Beecham, English conductor (co-founded and led London Philharmonic, 1932-39; Royal Philharmonic, 1946-60), dies of heart failure at 81
  • Mar 9 Wilbur Sweatman, American ragtime and dixieland jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader, dies at 79
  • Mar 19 Edric Cundell, British composer (Serbia; The Tragedy of Deirdre) conductor, and educator (Guildhall School of Music, 1938-56), dies at 68
  • Mar 27 Jack Kane, British-Canadian arrranger, composer, and orchestra leader (Steve & Eydie; Andy Williams Show), dies at 37
  • Apr 2 Wallingford Riegger, American cellist, composer (New Dance; Cooper Square), and educator, dies from head injuries in a dog walking accident at 75
  • Apr 7 Jesús Guridi, Spanish composer, dies at 74
  • Apr 7 Yusef Greiss, Egyptian composer, dies at 61
  • Apr 11 Francis de Bourguignon, Belgian composer, dies at 70
  • Apr 12 Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Finnish composer (Angoscia, Trittico sinfonico), dies at 50
  • Apr 21 James Melton, American pop (1920-30's) and operatic tenor (Metropolitan Opera, 1942-50), dies at 57
  • Apr 24 (Joseph) Rosario Bourdon, French Canadian-American cellist, violinist, conductor, arranger and musical director (Victor Talking Machine Company, 1905-31; Symphonique de Montréal, 1935-44), dies at 76
  • Apr 29 (Irving Milford) "Miff" Mole, American jazz trombonist, and composer (Red Nichols and His Five Pennies - "Slippin' Around"; Sophie Tucker), dies at 63
  • Apr 29 Cisco Houston, American folk singer (b. 1918)
  • May 17 Henri Gagnon, Canadian organist (Notre-Dame Basilica (Quebec), 1915-1961), composer (Rondel de Thibaut de Champagne), and music educator, dies at 74
  • May 19 Joe Howard, American vaudeville, Broadway, and television singer (Gay Nineties Revue), and songwriter ("Hello Ma Baby"), dies at 91
  • May 29 Uuno Klami, Finnish composer (Psalmus; Kalevala Suite), dies of a heart attack while sailing at 60
  • Jul 6 Scott LaFaro, American jazz bassist (Bill Evans Trio), dies in a car accident at 25
  • Jul 8 Julián Bautista, Spanish orchestral and film score composer, and conductor, dies at 60
  • Jul 11 Erskine Butterfield, American swing and boogie-woogie jazz pianist, singer, and composer, dies at 48
  • Jul 27 Theodore Chanler, American composer, dies at 59
  • Aug 8 Méi Lánfāng [Lan], Chinese opera performer known as "Queen of Peking Opera" for his portrayal of female roles, dies at 66
  • Aug 14 Guido Alberto Fano, Italian composer and pianist, dies at 86
  • Aug 15 (Granville) "Stick" McGhee, American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Drinkin' Wine. Spo-Dee-O-Dee"), dies of lung cancer at 43
  • Aug 17 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
  • Sep 2 Greet Koeman, Dutch opera soprano, dies at 54
  • Sep 19 Maurice Delage, French pianist, and composer (Ragamalika; Seven Haikais), dies at 81 [date of passing may be 21 Sept]
  • Sep 21 Maurice Delage, French composer, dies at 81
  • Sep 23 Elmer Diktonius, Finnish poet, composer, and musicologist (Janne Kubrik; Stenkol), dies at 65
  • Oct 5 Don Barbour, American singer (The Four Freshmen), dies at 34
  • Oct 19 John Fernström, Swedish violinist, conductor (Nordic Youth Orchestra), and composer (Concertino for Flute, Women's Choir and Chamber Orchestra), dies at 63
  • Nov 1 Joan McCracken, American stage and screen actress, dancer and comedienne (Oklahoma!; Claudia: Story of a Marriage), dies of a heart attack at 43
  • Nov 26 Alexander Borisovich Goldenweiser, Russian-Soviet pianist, composer, and teacher, dies at 86
  • Nov 30 Stanislaw Kazuro, Polish composer, dies at 80
  • Dec 3 Jēkabs Graubiņš, Latvian composer, dies at 75
  • Dec 8 William Beatton Moonie, Scottish composer (The Weird of Colbar; Echoes of Perthshire), dies at 71
  • Dec 16 Boris Semyonovich Shekhter, Russian composer and teacher, dies at 61
  • Dec 16 Cato Engelen-Sewing, Dutch soprano singer, prima donna, dies at 93
  • Dec 20 Luis Abraham Delgadillo, Nicaraguan composer, conductor, and educator, dies at 75
  • Dec 24 Guy de Lioncourt, French composer, dies at 76