Musicians Who Died in 1972

  • Jan 1 Maurice Chevalier, French actor (Can Can; Gigi) and singer ("Thank Heaven For Little Girls"), dies at 83
  • Jan 4 Carl-Olof Anderberg, Swedish composer, dies at 57
  • Jan 7 Eftichia Papagianopoulos, Greek lyricist (b. 1893)
  • Jan 10 Al Goodman, Russian-American orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour), dies at 81
  • Jan 10 Sverre Jordan, Norwegian composer, orchestra conductor and pianist (Norwegian Rapsody), dies at 82
  • Jan 16 David Seville [Ross Bagdasarian], American songwriter ("Come On A-My House"), singer (Alvin & The Chipmunks - "Witch Doctor"), and actor (Rear Window), dies at 52
  • Jan 18 Rudolf Wittelsbach, Swiss pianist and composer, dies at 69
  • Jan 19 Michael Rabin, American violinist (In Memorium), dies at 35
  • Jan 23 Big Maybelle [Mabel Smith], American R&B singer (A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On; Candy), dies from complications of diabetes at 47

Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972)

Jan 27 American gospel singer ("Whole World In His Hands"), dies of a heart failure at 60

  • Jan 30 Karel Boleslav Jirak, Czech composer and pedagogue, dies at 81
  • Jan 31 Howard Barlow, American conductor (Voice of Firestone), dies at 79
  • Jan 31 Istvan Szelenyi, Hungarian composer and musicologist, dies at 67
  • Feb 8 Márkos Vamvakaris, Greek musician and rebetiko songwriter, dies at 66
  • Feb 14 (Lambertus) "Bertus" van Lyre, Dutch composer and conductor (Dike), dies at 65
  • Feb 17 Gavriil Popov, Soviet Russian composer, dies at 67
  • Feb 19 (Edward) Lee Morgan, American hard-bop jazz trumpeter ("The Sidewinder"), dies after being shot by his wife between sets during a gig at 33 [1]
  • Feb 20 Herbert Menges, English composer, dies at 69
  • Feb 21 Bronislava Nijinska, Polish-Russian ballet dancer (Ballets Russes) and choreographer (1914-70), dies of a heart attack at 81
  • Feb 23 Michael Taube, Polish composer, dies at 81
  • Mar 1 Victor Babin, Russian-American concert pianist (Vronsky & Babin), composer, and educator (Cleveland Institute, 1961-72) composer, dies at 63
  • Mar 1 Vladimir Golschmann, French-American conductor (St. Louis Symphony, 1931-57), dies at 78 [1]
  • Mar 5 Nils Björkander, Swedish composer, dies at 78
  • Mar 18 Jimmy Carroll, American pianist (Most Important People), dies at 58
  • Mar 27 Sharkey Bonano, American jazz musician, dies at 67
  • Apr 3 Ferde Grofé American composer (Grand Canyon Suite), dies at 80
  • Apr 4 Stefan Wolpe, German composer (Zeus & Elidco), dies at 69
  • Apr 10 Henech Kon, Polish composer and cabaret performer, dies at 81
  • Apr 12 Henri Potiron, French composer, dies at 89
  • Apr 26 Margaret Bonds,  American composer (The Ballad of the Brown King), pianist, arranger, and teacher, dies at 59
  • May 1 Fernand Ansseau, Belgian opera singer (Orfeo), dies at 82
  • May 3 Les Harvey, Scottish rock guitarist (Stone The Crows), dies from accidental on-stage electrocution at 27
  • May 5 [Reverend] Gary Davis, American blues and folk guitarist (A Little More Faith), dies of a heart attack at 76
  • May 16 Maxime Dumoulin, French composer, dies at 79
  • May 18 Eero Sipilä, Finnish composer, dies at 53
  • May 29 Margaret Ruthven Lang, American composer (Irish Love Song), dies at 104
  • May 30 Margaret Ruthven Lang, composer, dies at 104
  • Jun 2 Franz Philipp, German composer, dies at 81
  • Jun 4 Godfried Devreese, Belgian violinist, composer (Gothic Symphony), and conductor, dies at 79
  • Jun 8 Jimmy Rushing, American jump blues singer, known as "Mr. Five By Five" (Count Basie Orchestra, 1935-48), and pianist, dies at 70
  • Jun 13 Clyde McPhatter, American R&B and doo-wop tenor vocalist, arranger and songwriter (The Dominos, 1950-53 - "Sixty Minute Man"; TheDrifters, 1953-55 - "Honey Love"; solo - "Treasure My Love"), dies at 39
  • Jun 21 Seth Bingham, American organist and composer (Six Pieces for Organ), dies at 90
  • Jun 23 Elton Britt, American country singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Saturday Night Jamboree), dies of a heart attack at 58
  • Jul 3 "Mississippi" Fred McDowell, American blues singer and guitarist, dies of cancer at 68
  • Jul 8 (Cora) "Lovie" Austin (née Taylor), American jazz and blues pianist, songwriter ("Down Hearted Blues"), and band leader (The Blues Serenaders), dies at 84 [1]
  • Jul 9 Robert Weede [Wiedefeld], American operatic and musical theater baritone (Metropolitan Opera, 1937-48; The Most Happy Fella), dies at 69
  • Jul 16 Giorgio Nataletti, Italian composer, dies at 65
  • Jul 16 Max Zehnder, Swiss composer, dies at 70
  • Jul 22 Hugo Kauder, Austrian composer, dies at 84
  • Jul 22 Pavel Bořkovec, Czech composer (Suite for Piano), dies at 78
  • Jul 24 Bobby Ramirez, American drummer (White Trash), killed at 23 in bar brawl
  • Jul 28 Helen Traubel, American soprano, dies at 73
  • Aug 2 Brian Cole, American rock vocalist and bassist (The Association - "Windy"; "Cherish"), dies of a drug overdose at 29
  • Aug 2 Rudolph Ganz, Swiss-American pianist, conductor (St. Louis Symphony, 1921-27), composer, and educator (Chicago Musical College, 1928-54), dies at 95
  • Aug 3 Giannis "Yannis" Papaioannou, Greek musician and composer, dies at 64
  • Aug 7 Joi Lansing [Joyce Brown], American model, film and television actress, and nightclub singer (Touch of Evil, Bob Cummings Show), dies of cancer at 43
  • Aug 9 Richard Elsasser, American composer and organist, dies at 45
  • Aug 15 Alf Hurum, Norwegian composer (Lilja), and painter, dies at 89
  • Aug 16 John Barnes Chance, American composer, dies at 39
  • Aug 23 Balys Dvarionas, Lithuanian pianist, composer and educator, dies at 68
  • Aug 24 [Carlos] Don Byas, American swing and be-bop jazz saxophonist, and bandleader, dies of lung cancer at 59
  • Aug 25 Juan Carlos Paz, composer, dies at 71
  • Aug 25 Robert Denzler, Swiss concert pianist, conductor, champion of contemporary music, and composer, dies at 80
  • Aug 29 Lale Andersen [Elisabeth Bunnenberg], German singer and actress (Der Pott), dies at 67
  • Aug 29 René Leibowitz, Polish-French jazz pianist, classical composer, conductor, and educator, dies at 59
  • Sep 1 May Aufderheide, American ragtime composer ("Dusty Rag"), dies at 84 [1]
  • Sep 15 Ulvi Cemal Erkin, Turkish pianist, composer - one of "The Turkish Five" (Köçekçe - Dance Rhapsody for Orchestra), and pedagogue, dies from a stroke at 66
  • Sep 19 Robert Casadesus, French concert pianist and composer (Symphony No. 7 - "Israel"), dies at 73
  • Sep 23 Calvin Frazier, American country and Detroit blues singer-songwriter, and guitarist ("This Old World's In A Tangle"), dies of cancer at 57
  • Sep 28 Maurice Thiriet, French composer, dies at 66
  • Sep 28 Rory Storm [Alan Caldwell], Brirish rock singer (Rory Storm & the Hurricanes), commits suicide with sleeping pills at 34
  • Oct 12 (Wilfred) "Billy" Williams, American pop singer ("I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter"), dies at 61
  • Oct 14 Joseph Kaminski, Polish violinist and composer, dies at 68
  • Oct 30 Alan Roth, American orchestra leader (Milton Berle Show), dies at 68
  • Nov 6 Billy Murcia, Colombian born American rocker (New York Dolls), chokes to death at 21
  • Nov 11 Berry Oakley, American rocker and bass player (The Allman Brothers Band), dies in motorcycle crash at 24
  • Nov 12 Rudolf Friml, Czech-American concert pianist and composer (Rose-Marie; The Vagabond King), dies at 92
  • Nov 16 Andrey Filippovich Pashchenko, composer, dies at 87
  • Nov 18 Danny Whitten, American rock guitarist and songwriter (Crazy Horse; Rod Stewart - "I Don't Want To Talk About It"), dies of a methaqualone overdose at 29
  • Nov 18 Segundo Luis Moreno Andrade, Ecuadorian composer and musicologist, dies at 90
  • Nov 21 Karel Haba, Czech composer and violinist, dies at 74
  • Nov 24 Alexander Smallens, Russian-born American conductor, dies at 83
  • Nov 24 Hall Overton, American jazz pianist, and jazz and classical composer (Enchanted Pear Tree), dies from cirrhosis of the liver at 52
  • Nov 28 Gustave Frederic Soderlund, American composer, dies at 91
  • Nov 28 [William] Havergal Brian, British composer ("Gothic" symphony), dies at 96
  • Nov 29 Carl W. Stalling, American film composer (Disney's Silly Symphonies; Warner Brothers Cartoons), dies at 81
  • Nov 30 Hans-Erich Apostel, Austrian composer (Kubiniana, Requiem), dies at 71
  • Nov 30 Valentin Ruiz Aznar, Spanish choirmaster, composer, and priest, dies at 70
  • Dec 2 José Limón, Mexican-American dancer and choreographer (The Moor's Pavane; I, Odysseus), dies of cancer at 64
  • Dec 3 Bill Johnson, American musician (b. 1872)
  • Dec 5 Kenny Dorham [McKinley], American jazz trumpeter, dies at 48
  • Dec 15 Herbert Eimert, German composer and musicologist (Glockenspiel), dies at 75
  • Dec 17 Erwin Dressel, German composer, dies at 63
  • Dec 29 Fritz Behrend, composer, dies at 83