Musicians Who Died in 1977

Jan 1 Roland Hayes, American lyric tenor, arranger, and composer, dies at 89

Erroll Garner (1923-1977)

Jan 2 American jazz pianist (Misty), dies at 53

Jan 9 Alexey Fedorovich Kozlovsky, Russian composer, dies at 71
Jan 18 Paul Nordoff, American composer (Every Soul Is a Circus), and music therapist (Nordoff-Robbins method), dies at 67
Jan 18 Yvonne Printemps, French singer and actress (Paris Waltz, Voyage to America), dies at 81
Jan 21 John Vincent, American composer, dies at 74
Jan 21 Zoltan Vasarhelyi, composer, dies at 76
Jan 23 Dick Burnett, American musician ("Man of Constant Sorrow"), dies at 93
Feb 8 Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and ethnomusicologist, dies at 75
Feb 9 (Woodrow Wilson) "Buddy" Johnson, American jump blues pianist, bandleader, and songwriter ("They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool"; "Since I Fell for You"), dies from a brain tumor and sickle cell anemia at 62
Feb 10 Grace Williams, Welsh composer (1st British woman to score a feature film), dies at 70
Feb 26 (Booker T. Washington) "Bukka" White, American country and Delta blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter ("Shake'Em On Down"; "Parchman Farm Blues"), dies of cancer at 70
Feb 26 Maxime Jacob, French composer and organist, dies at 71
Feb 26 Sherman Garnes, American rock vocalist (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers), dies of a heart attack at 36
Mar 5 Lockrem Johnson, American pianist, composer (A Letter to Emily), educator, and music publisher, dies at 52
Mar 5 Moses Pergament, Finnish-Swedish classical composer (The Jewish Song Choral Symphony) and music critic, dies at 83
Mar 10 E. Power Biggs, British classical organist and composer (CBS; Bach), dies at 70
Mar 14 Gyula David, Hungarian composer (Viola Concerto) and violinist, dies at 63
Mar 22 Hymie Shertzer, American jazz and session saxophonist (Benny Goodman; NBC's Tonight Show), dies at 67
Mar 22 Witold Friemann, Polish composer, pianist, conductor and pedagogue, dies at 87
Mar 23 Bennie Green, American swing jazz and soul trombonist (Earl Hines), dies at 53
Mar 24 Saburō Moroi, Japanese composer and educator, dies at 73
Mar 27 Lodewijk de Vocht, Belgian composer (Prayer for My Fatherland), conductor, kapellmeister (Antwerp Cathedral, 1913-50), and educator (Antwerp Conservatory, 1921-52), dies at 89
Mar 29 Madeleine Dring, British composer and pianist, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 53
Mar 30 Abdel Halim Hafez [Shabana], Egyptian singer and actor, dies of liver failure due to schistosomiasis (parasitic flatworm infection) at 47
Mar 30 Levko Revutsky, Ukrainian composer, music editor and pedagogue, dies at 88
Apr 4 Jeno Zador, composer, dies at 82
Apr 22 Charles Sanford, American orchestra leader (Your Show of Shows), dies at 71
Apr 27 Joe Garland, American big band jazz saxophonist, arranger, and composer (In the Mood; Serenade To A Savage), dies at 73
Apr 30 Clive Douglas, Australian composer (Kaditcha; Carwoola), conductor (Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1938-68, and educator, dies at 73
May 5 Sam Lanin, American sweet jazz arranger and bandleader (Roseland Orchestra; The Ipana Troubadors), dies at 85
May 7 Irwin Fischer, American composer and organist (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), dies at 73
May 9 Walter Kraft, German organist and composer, dies at 71
May 16 Edouard Van Remoortel, Belgian conductor (St Louis Symphony, 1958-62), dies at 50
May 22 Marius Monnikendam, Dutch choir composer, dies at 80
May 26 William Powell, American R&B singer (O'Jays - "Love Train"; "Backstabbers"), dies of cancer at 35
May 28 Jiří Reinberger, Czech organist and composer, dies at 63
May 29 Goddard Lieberson, English composer and President of Columbia Records, dies at 66
May 30 Marinus Adam, Dutch conductor and composer, dies at 76
May 30 Paul Desmond, American jazz alto saxophonist (Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five), dies of lung cancer at 52
Jun 2 Henri D Gagnebin, Belgian-Swiss organist and composer, dies at 91
Jun 5 "Sleepy" John Estes, American Blues musician ("Drop Down Mama"), dies at 78
Jun 22 Peter Laughner, American singer, songwriter and guitarist (Rocket From the Tombs; Pere Ubu), dies of acute pancreatitis at 24
Jun 25 Endre Szervánszky, Hungarian composer (Dark Heaven Requiem), dies at 65
Jun 25 Petko Staynov, Bulgarian composer and pianist, dies at 80
Jun 26 Lou Reizner, American rock vocalist and producer (Rod Stewart; Tommy), dies of cancer at 43
Jul 1 (Robert) "Baby Boy" Warren, American blues singer and guitarist, dies of a heart attack at 57
Jul 3 Hugh Le Caine, Canadian physicist and composer, dies at 63
Jul 6 Oedoen Partos, Hungarian-Israeli violist (Israel Philharmonic, 1938-56), composer, and teacher dies at 69
Jul 10 Norman Paris, American orchestra leader (For Your Pleasure), and composer (" Big Blue Marble", "I've Got A Secret"), dies of stroke complications at 51
Jul 12 Frantisek Suchy, Czech oboist and composer (Moravian Wind Quintet), dies at 75
Jul 20 Gary Kellgren, American music producer who co-founded The Record Plant studios, drowns in a swimming pool, along with his girlfriend, at 38
Jul 23 René de Vos, Dutch actor and composer (Jij Bent Mijn Leven), dies at 79
Jul 26 Gena Branscombe, Canadian pianist and composer, dies at 95
Jul 26 Hans-Otto Borgmann, German film score composer under the Third Reich, dies at 75
Jul 26 Karac Plant, son of Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, dies of respiratory failure at 6

Aug 16 American King of Rock and Roll ("Hound Dog"; "Love Me Tender"; "Heartbreak Hotel"; "Suspicious Minds"), and actor (Jailhouse Rock; King Creole), dies at Graceland at 42, with the official cause of death being cardiac arrhythmia

Aug 17 Petros John Petridis, Greek composer (Isotope Suite), dies at 86
Aug 26 Heinz Rottger, German composer, dies at 67
Sep 1 Ethel Waters, American actress (Beulah), singer ("Stormy Weather"), dies at 80
Sep 4 Gabriel Mekler, Israeli-American songwriter and record producer (Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, Janis Joplin, Etta James), dies in a motorcycle crash at 32
Sep 4 Stelios Perpiniadis, Greek folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, dies at 78
Sep 5 George Barnes, American swing-jazz and session guitarist, and electric guitar pioneer, dies of a heart attack at 56
Sep 6 Guido Pannain, Italian composer and musicologist, dies at 85
Sep 6 Paul Burkhard, Swiss composer, dies at 65
Sep 7 Gustave Reese, American musicologist (Music in the Middle Ages; Music in the Renaissance), and teacher, dies at 77
Sep 13 Leopold Stokowski, British conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra, 1912-39; Disney's Fantasia), dies of a heart attack at 95
Sep 16 Marc Bolan, English rock vocalist and guitarist (T-Rex - "Bang a Gong (Get It On)"), dies in a car crash at 29

Maria Callas (1923-1977)

Sep 16 American soprano (Carmen), dies in Paris at 53

Sep 17 Lou Hooper, Canadian jazz pianist, and educator, dies at 83
Sep 29 Alexander Tcherepnin, Russian pianist and composer, dies at 78
Sep 30 Mary Ford [Iris Colleen Summers], American vocalist (with Les Paul - "How High The Moon"), dies from complications of alcohol abuse at 53
Oct 4 Del Porter, American jazz singer (Foursome - "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"; Spike Jones and His City Slickers - "Der Fuehrer's Face"), dies at 75
Oct 8 Giorgos Papasideris, Greek country singer, composer and lyricist, dies at 75

Bing Crosby (1903-1977)

Oct 14 American singer ("White Christmas", "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy") and actor ("Going My Way"), dies of a heart attack at 74

Oct 18 Kristian Hauger, Norwegian jazz pianist, orchestra leader and songwriter ("Charleston i Grukkedalen"), dies at 71
Oct 20 Cassie Gaines, American rock singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28
Oct 20 Ronnie Van Zant, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 29
Oct 20 Steve Gaines, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28
Oct 21 Ferit Tüzün, Turkish composer (Esintiler - Inspirations; The Ears of Midas), and conductor (Turkish State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, 1959-77), dies at 48
Oct 24 Hugo Myrtelius, Swedish conductor, composer, and educator, dies at 85
Oct 27 Peg Leg Sam [Arthur Jackson], American country blues harmonica player, singer and comedian, dies at 65
Nov 5 (Jacob) "Jan" Garber, American violinist and sweet jazz bandleader, dies at 82
Nov 5 [Gaetano] Guy Lombardo, Canadian-American orchestra leader ("Auld Lang Syne"), dies of heart attack in Houston at 75
Nov 11 Greta Keller, Vienna-born cabaret singer and actress (b. 1903)
Nov 14 Richard Addinsell, English composer (Warsaw Concerto, Alice in Wonderland), dies at 73
Nov 15 Serafin Pro, Cuban composer, dies at 71
Nov 19 William "Sonny" Criss, American bebop jazz saxophonist (Jazz U.S.A.), commits suicide while suffering from stomach cancer at 50
Dec 5 Rahsaan Roland Kirk, American jazz multi-instrumentalist (Bright Moments, The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color), dies of a stroke at 42
Dec 11 Bodi Rapp [Johanna Goetmakers], Dutch mezzo-soprano and teacher, dies at 1977
Dec 16 Benny de Weille, German swing jazz clarinetist and bandleader, dies at 62
Dec 22 Johann Nepomuk David, Austrian-German composer, dies at 82
Dec 26 Ivan Rezak, Czech composer, dies at 53