- Dec 3 William Grant Still, American composer ("Afro-American" Symphony), dies at 83
- Dec 12 Clifton Chenier, American blues singer (Bayou Blues), dies at 53
- Dec 16 Blanche Calloway, American jazz vocalist, bandleader (Twelve Clouds of Joy), civil rights activist, and broadcaster, dies of breast cancer at 76
- Dec 17 Don Ellis, American avant garde jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and Grammy Award-winning film score composer (The French Connection), dies of a heart attack at 44
- Dec 26 Fritz Büchtger, German composer, educator, and modern music proponent (Association for Contemporary Music; Studio for New Music), dies at 75
- Dec 27 Chris Bell, American rock guitarist (Big Star - "In The Street"), dies in a car crash at 27
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers